Gents-

What we are really talking about with helicopters here is making enough to get an huge force air mobile.

As a UH-60 pilot, I have a good deal of experience with air mobility, both in Iraq and Afghanistan. More than anyone, I'll tell you about the goodness of air assault.

Sadly, my perspective also compels me to say this: There are simply not enough helicopters in the Army inventory to make air our primary intra-theater force projection platform. Furthermore, the training and maintenance required for a huge fleet would simply be unsustainable.

Ken:
We pilots are a cautious bunch. When things go wrong in a helicopter, the flight generally ends immediately and fatally. If you are ever in one of my helicopters, you can be sure it will be in top shape, and the crew well-trained and rested. You may call this over cautious, but I'll wager 99% of the grunts that ride on my ships are with me on this one.