--- title: "Watch This Mi-24 Hind Attack Helicopter Make A Super Aggressive Running Takeoff" description: "The maneuver makes the Hind look even more menacing than it already does and that is really saying something!" date: "2019-03-31" modified: "2019-03-31" authors: - name: "Tyler Rogoway" job_title: "Editor-in-Chief" link: "https://www.twz.com/authors/tyler-rogoway.md" url: "https://www.twz.com/27231/watch-this-mi-24-hind-attack-helicopter-make-a-super-aggressive-running-takeoff" categories: - "Afghanistan" - "Air" - "Around The Globe" - "Helicopters" - "Mi-24" - "Middle East" - "News & Features" tags: - "Afghanistan" - "attack helicopter" - "Helicopter" - "Hind" - "Lukla Airport" - "Mi-17" - "Mi-24" - "Mi-8" - "Nepal" - "Poland" - "Rolling Takeoff" - "Running Takeoff" --- # Watch This Mi-24 Hind Attack Helicopter Make A Super Aggressive Running Takeoff ![]() *www.twz.com* Helicopters are amazing machines that we usually associate with vertical takeoffs and landings, but under some conditions, and especially with certain helicopters, vertical takeoffs and landings just aren't in the cards. Russia's Mi-8/17/24/35 family of helicopters, which includes the utility-oriented "Hip" and the attack-focused "Hind," often use running takeoffs and landings to their advantage. The video below, that shows a Polish Mi-24 Hind taking off in Afghanistan, is an extreme example of this. The clip shows the Mi-24 kick-up its tail and balance on its nosewheel as it roars down the runway, transitioning to a climb right before the runway ends. It is an impressive video that makes the Hind look even more menacing than it already does—like a cobra about to strike. [*Here is a direct link*]() *to the video in case it doesn't automatically show up below.* https://twitter.com/_/status/1111936113483104258 The maneuver is usually used for hot and high operating environments and/or when the helicopter is heavily laden. In the case of the Polish Hind's departure, I think there may also have been a bit of showmanship involved. Here's a similar running takeoff made by a Polish Hind in Afghanistan that is a little less "Hollywood": https://youtube.com/embed/vqQuucBhATA Another good example of the technique, albeit less extreme, is this video of an Indian Air Force Mi-17 taking off from one of the world's most notorious airports—[Lukla Airport in Nepal](), elevation 9,334 feet. https://twitter.com/_/status/1111389653930659840 You can read a bit more about [running takeoffs here]() and [running landings here](). Poland's Hind and Hip community does like to show off the awesome stuff they do. Check out this sweet highlight reel from Afghanistan that also features some pretty awesome running takeoffs and landings: https://youtube.com/embed/F6IEAAtDods Even as Poland looks to bring more modern helicopters [into its aerospace ecosystem](), the country's military plans on keeping roughly 30 Mi-24s in service, most of which are approaching 30 years old. An [upgrade program is planned]() that will see them remain relevant and serviceable through the 2020s and probably beyond. So this probably won't be the last time you will see a Polish Hind zooming off the runway with its nose buried and its tail high in the air! *Contact the author: Tyler@thedrive.com* ## Author Tyler’s passion is the study of military technology, strategy, as well as foreign policy, and he has fostered a dominant voice on those topics in the defense and national security space. Tyler was the creator of the hugely popular defense site *Foxtrot Alpha* before developing *TWZ*, which he continues to lead as the Editor-In-Chief to this day. ### Author social links [Twitter]()