Low Flight As " High Flight " is for fixed - wing pilots , Low Flight is the poem for helicopter pilots . Written in 1972 , it is the unofficial poem of Army Aviation and USMC helicopter pilots . " Low Flight " reverses the perspective from the soaring airplane pilot to the 50 foot AGL helicopter pilot . Its author is unknown . The poem . Oh , I ' ve slipped the surly bonds of earth < br > And hovered out of ground effect on semi - rigid blades ; < br > Earthward I ' ve auto ' ed and met the rising brush of non - paved terrain < br > And done a thousand things you would never care to < br > Skidded and dropped and flared < br > Low in the heat soaked roar . < br > Confined there , I ' ve chased the earthbound traffic < br > And lost the race to insignificant headwinds ; < br > Forward and up a little in ground effect < br > I ' ve topped the General ' s hedge with drooping turns < br > Where never Skyhawk or even Phantom flew . < br > Shaking and pulling collective , < br > I ' ve lumbered The low untresspassed halls of victor airways , < br > Put out my hand and touched a tree . — Anonymous Alternate versions . Another version , dedicated to those who fly close air support for ground forces - REALLY close air , the following is from the prospective of flying 50 feet AGL at 400 KIAS ( knots indicated airspeed ) . Oh , I ' ve slipped the swirling clouds of dust < br > A few feet from the dirt . < br > I have flown my plane low enough < br > To make my bottom hurt . < br > I ' ve raced over desert , hills , through valleys , < br > And mountain passes too . < br > Frolicked in the trees < br > Where only gray squirrels flew . Chasing cows along the way , < br > Disturbing ram and ewe . < br > I ' ve done a hundred other things < br > You damned well shouldn ' t do . < br > I have smacked the tiny sparrow , < br > Bluebird , robin , and the rest . < br > Dragged vorticies through branches < br > Throwing eggs out of their nests . I ' ve hurled through total darkness < br > Just as blind as I could be , < br > And spent the night in terror < br > Of things I could not see . < br > I ' ve turned my eyes to heaven < br > Sweating bullets through the flight , < br > Reached out my hand and pressed - to - test < br > — the Master Caution light . C - 130 Version Low Flight Oh , I have slipped through < br > swirling clouds of dust , < br > A few feet from the dirt , < br > I ' ve flown the C - 130 low enough , < br > To make my bottom hurt . I ' ve flown in the desert , hills and valleys , < br > Mountains too , < br > Frolicked in the trees , < br > Where only flying squirrels flew . Chased the frightened cows along , < br > Disturbed the ram and ewe , < br > And done a hundred other things < br > That you ' d not care to do . I ' ve smacked the tiny sparrow , < br > Bluebird , robin , all the rest , < br > I ' ve ingested baby eagles , < br > Simply sucked them from their nest . I ' ve streaked through total darkness , < br > Just the other guys and me , < br > And spent the night in terror of < br > Things I could not see . I turned my eyes to heaven , < br > As I sweated through the flight , < br > Put out my hand and touched , < br > The Fire Warning Light . Author unknown