Helicopter

Hello. I am a Helicopter. You might have seen me in the sky, making a whirring sound like a giant dragonfly. I am very different from my friend, the Airplane. Airplanes need long, long runways to run and build up speed before they can take off. But not me. I can lift straight up into the air, like I'm riding an invisible elevator. I can also fly backward, sideways, and even stay perfectly still in one spot. This is called hovering, and it feels just like a hummingbird does when it drinks nectar from a flower. For a very long time, people dreamed of a flying machine that could do all these special things. They looked up at the sky and wished for something that could dance in the air, and that dream was the beginning of me.

The idea for me didn't just pop out of nowhere. For hundreds of years, people watched little maple seeds, the ones you call 'whirlybirds,' spin and twirl as they floated down from trees. They thought, 'If a tiny seed can spin like that to fly, maybe we can build a big machine that does the same thing.'. Many people tried, but one very clever and patient man finally figured it out. His name was Igor Sikorsky. He had dreamed of building a machine like me ever since he was a little boy. He worked so hard, trying again and again, even when things didn't work right the first time. He built a special version of me with lots of metal tubes and a big spinning blade on top. He called me the VS-300. At first, I was a little wobbly and had to be tied down with ropes to stay safe, but Igor never gave up. He kept making me better and stronger. Then came the big day, May 24th, 1940. This time, there were no ropes. Igor sat inside me, took a deep breath, and started my engine. My big rotor blades began to spin, faster and faster. WHOOSH. WHOOSH. WHOOSH. I felt a rumble, and then, I lifted off the ground. I was flying. I was really flying, all by myself, free in the air. I hovered and flew for fifteen whole minutes. It was the most wonderful feeling in the world, and I knew my journey had just begun.

My first flight was just the beginning of my adventures. Today, I have so many important jobs, and I get to be a hero in the sky. Because I can hover and land in tricky places where airplanes can't go, I am a fantastic rescuer. I can fly high up a snowy mountain to save a lost hiker or swoop down over a stormy ocean to lift someone safely from the waves. Sometimes, I carry doctors and medicine to people who live far away from any hospital, bringing help right to their doorstep. I also help brave firefighters. I can carry a giant bucket of water and drop it right on top of a big forest fire, helping to put out the flames from above. I am so proud that I get to help people every single day. It all started with watching a little seed spin and a kind man who never gave up on his dream. I am the Helicopter, a whirly, twirly helper in the sky, and I am always ready for my next mission.