When I am out taking photos at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, I often hear helicopters passing overhead. Generally the helicopters are green in color and probably belong to the US Army aviation unit at nearby Fort Belvoir.
I was a little surprised last week, though, when I spotted the a distinctive “White Top” helicopter, which meant that it probably belongs to the unit that provides helicopter support to the President, the Marine Helicopter Squadron One “Nighthawks.” The unit is based primarily in Quantico, Virginia, further south along the Potomac River from where I was located. This helicopter seemed to be by itself, which makes it very unlikely that it was Marine One, the designation given to the helicopter carrying the President.
“As a security measure, Marine One always flies in a group of as many as five identical helicopters. One helicopter carries the president, while the others serve as decoys. Upon take-off these helicopters shift in formation to obscure the location of the president. This has been referred to as a “presidential shell game,” according to Wikipedia.
Helicopters often make me think of dragonflies, because of their general shape and aerial flight capabilities. I recently went to see the new “Dune” movie and was totally blown away by the “ornithopters” that play a centrol role in the movie—they look even more like dragonflies than a “normal” helicopter does.
According to an article on motorbiscuit.com, “Director Denis Villeneuve instructed the team to base them on dragonflies while still making the military vehicles appear “muscular.” As a result, the aircraft look like part helicopter gunship, party huge insect.” For the record, I really enjoyed the “Dune” movie, which combines some of the storytelling of the Matrix and Star Wars movies with the stunning desert cinematography of “Lawrence of Arabia.”
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Nice Mike! Something different! And it does not have wings! But I guess rotors count! I used to do a lot of aviation photography but migrated to dragonflies, birds & landscapes.
I got a chuckle from the title and thoroughly enjoyed all the information and thoughts here, Mike. It’s a handsome helicopter, and they often remind me of dragonflies, too. Thanks for the movie tip, I liked your description.
They did do a good job on this telling of Dune. And while the ornithopters were quite interesting this go round I still prefer the aerial ballet of the real thing. They have the movie special effects beat hands er wings down. Good post. Thanks Mike.
Thanks, John. I totally agree that nature has the movie special effects beaten when it comes to aerial flight. The variety of dragonfly species that I am blessed to be able to see where I live is amazing and they are unquestiionably my favorite subjects to photograph during the six months or so of the year when they are around. 🙂
My husband, a decades long Dune aficionado, and I saw the new movie shortly after its release. I had exactly the same thought about the ornithopters that you did. They were my favorite part!
Thank you for the beauty and wonder you present to your readers on a daily basis. It is greatly appreciated.
Thanks, Kay, for your very kind words. I don’t often go to movies, but a friend of mine convinced me to see Dune with him and I was glad that I did. As you can tell, I really enjoy sharing my photos and thoughts with folks on an almost daily basis. Mostly the postings are about nature, but sometimes, like today, they go off in other directions. 🙂
Do you suppose that regular helicopters were originally designed based on the structure of dragonflies to some extent?
That’s a good question. I think that the overall aerodynamic shape of helicopters might have been based on dragonflies, thought the propulsion system of the rotors of the helicopters versus the four wings of the dragonflies is completely different.