During the sailing races, I looked upward.

The boats in front of me for the Youth America’s Cup was happening right in front of me. Yet, I had trouble focusing. Ten boats from eight countries were competing with 42 feet long carbon fiber boats in the San Francisco boat. I wonder if it just seemed like “peanuts”. Or whether, the idea of racing didn’t appeal to me as the boats moved quickly from the Golden Gate Bridge toward Alcatraz and back toward Marina Green.

All I was fascinated by were the helicopters. That is, the two helicopters that were capturing the race from a wide angle and a “dramatic” angle. One red and blue one hovered far above the boats…at least more than a mile in the air. Then the other got low to get capture the boat. And it buzzed and buzzed.

Granted, I rarely see any events that require such helicopter manuvering. And I knew that these particular races with all the money poured…demanded to have great angles on TV. Of course, why not helicopters? And as perfected after surely years of production, we saw what we wanted to see on the big screen.

My knowledge in boats and sailing go little beyond the one time that I found myself on a sailboat drifting on San Francisco Bay. I like being the near water, but not always on it, reminding me of the time I got horribly sick on the ferry to Catalina Island. As the AC-42s whizzed by and the live commentary, I kept wondering how the helicopters kept in sync. Was there a producer instructing them on their movement? Did the pilots enjoy this kind of work or was it very robotic, barely any artistry or freedom? How does a helicopter work? Can it go backwards?

I remember the first and only time on a helicopter. In my late teens, my parents brought my sister and me to an Alaskan cruise. Splurging, we took a helicopter ride to a glacier. Just the four of us and the pilot. Unlike a plane, I saw views up close…usually not possible by plane. Yet the only thing that I remember the most…was the noise. We all were required to wear huge headsets. I felt awkward speaking through them because we had to press a button…and everyone including the pilot would hear. No whispers allowed. I remember staying awkwardly silent as did the rest of my family. I remember that the most, and barely the walk I took in the glacier.

They say that humans are impressed by nature when they are in it. When I see oceans, trees, mountains, canyons, I am not impressed. I act like the way that others do, because they expect me to be in awe. But what I remember the most are the technology and the people. Is it that awful?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.