Michael, Thanks for doing what you do so well and for your absolute support for the truth and our American Heroes .... God bless you....

Ken Munro
US Navy - Veteran

Increadible photographs Michael. As usual, I enjoyed this article and your spectachlar photos!... Looking forward to the next post!...

Wonderful report.

... always look forward to your pics & reporting.

... always look forward to your pics & honest reporting.

You were imbedded with my son, the 5/2 562 engineers out of Fort Lewis. I would read all your posts which was exciting but at times frightening. I lost contact with you and your work. I'm wondering if you will be writing any book based on that experience.

Michael,

Great follow-up report on the Kopp-Etchells Effect very moving hearing from the mother of Cpl Kopp, unfortunately I was not able to fully enjoy the video, for reason below. :-|

Can U do us all a favor and get your webmaster to embed that video rather than running it on Fox News. :-*

I do not like watching video on FNC because they try load my system up with a bunch adware and spyware scripts that which I don't care for and which in turn slow down my old computer to the point that the video takes forever to load and never runs smoothly as it keeps starting and stopping.(buffering) :sad:

If I watch a video on YouTube for instance this does not occur 8)

Michael,

In the interview you stated that you did not know the science behind the effect well I happen to know and here it is stated by a scientist.

It is sparks caused by sand hitting the abrasion zones on the leading edge of the helicopters spinning blades

Apparently they did another price on this subject that scientifically explains the effect I found it through the FNC App on my iPhone BTW not on the main FNC site 8)

http://video.foxnews.com/v/2571577900001/

Awesome. I will never quit reading your updates and posts. I read them in 2004 and haven's stopped even after we lost our son in 2008. Thanks for speaking the truth.

The only 'video' I've found of the Koppp-Etchells Effect is the one on YouTube, which is better labeled a 'slideshow'. Unlikely as I am to ever experience it for myself, I'd love to see actual motion pictures, sometime.

the Halo only occurs on blades from two OEM's: Sikorsky and Boeing.......both use Titanium abrasion strips on the leading edge. The sparks that you see are caused when the sand particles impact the blade leading edge causing small particles of Titanium to flake off and oxidizing (burning off) in the atmosphere.