It was beautiful. A Bell 430 VIP Executive model. The Rolls Royce of helicopters. Not a piece of history like the Green Hornet, not heavy or dangerous like her combat Hawk, nor massive and solid like either of the Marine One aircraft, the VH-60N Black Hawk, or the VH-53 Sea Stallion monster sitting in the center of the hangar.
The Bell was a pretty craft. She wasn’t painted Marine One blah, but the cheerful blue and white of the White House seal. And luxurious. Two pilot seats forward were designed for comfort, not for fourteen hours behind the lines. They were more like Barcaloungers for pilots.
The cabin sported four seats facing each other in a space that would fit eight. Between the forward pair hunkered a minifridge and an entertainment center. The aft seat was actually a small leat
