US soldier flies attack helicopter to retrieve forgotten phone

A US Marine pilot flying an AH-1W attack helicopter went to retrieve a phone he had left at a nearby restaurant.

AH-1W lands on soccer field

A US Marine Corps AH-1W attack helicopter landed on a football field in Bar Harbor, Maine, on November 18 so the pilot could retrieve a cell phone left at the Thirsty Whale restaurant, Popular Mechanics reported.

Thirsty Whale employees had received a call from the local airport asking them to bring the phone to the soccer field. The employees thought the helicopter in question belonged to LifeFlight, a company that specializes in transporting patients to the hospital by helicopter.

However, the restaurant staff was completely surprised to see an AH-1W "Whiskey Cobra" attack helicopter waiting for him at the meeting point. In addition, a UH-1Y utility helicopter was also hovering right above.

One pilot left the AH-1W cockpit to retrieve his phone, presented the crewman with a unit badge removed from his flight suit, and returned to the helicopter. The AH-1W quickly took off and joined the formation with the UH-1Y helicopter above.

The incident may have occurred because the AH-1W squadron’s base is a half-hour drive from Bar Harbor, while the helicopters would have been just minutes away. The pilot may have used a training exercise to land and retrieve his phone.

According to VNE