Hardly a week goes by without some sort of exciting footage hitting the web of a fighter jet swooping in on a low pass or executing a flat spin which seems to defy physics. Still, videos from the other side of the aviation coin (helicopters) can sometimes seem fewer and further between. As a result, one might be forgiven for assuming that flying in some of the world’s most capable combat helicopters isn’t as adrenaline-pumping as it can be to find yourself at the stick of a fighter jet.
This new video might just change your mind. It was produced by the U.S. Army’s 4th Attack Reconnaissance Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment, 16th Combat Aviation Brigade. The footage, compiled over a year of training in preparation for the forthcoming deployment to South Korea, offers many never-before-seen glimpses into what it’s like to soar through the sky in an AH-64 Apache attack helicopter. If you’re not as into the high road, it’ll also show you what it’s like to damn-near scrape your rotor blades on the ground, too.
The Boeing AH-64 Apache attack helicopter has been flying since the 1970s and entered into combat service midway through the ’80s. Today, the United States maintains around 800 operational Apache helicopters in its arsenal, with more than a thousand serving in foreign militaries in nations like Israel and Egypt. At a bit less than 60 feet long and powered by two General Electric turboshaft motors–each capable of producing 1,690 horsepower–the helicopter is capable of delivering a great deal of ordnance at speeds in excess 220 miles per hour.
With a 30 mm chain gun and between four and six missile hard points (depending on the Apache variant), these helicopters pack one hell of a punch. Plus, as you can clearly see in this video, they’re also incredibly agile in the hands of the right pilots.