The Gang That Couldn't Fly Straight

Don't ever board a helicopter if San Clemente Mayor Lori Donchak is in the cockpit. Shortly after takeoff from Petco Park on Friday, she giggled as her chopper spun out of control and crashed.

Luckily, it was just a simulation. A moment later, she was back in the air, buzzing over San Onofre and Dana Point in a $20-million Marine Corps flight simulator.

The three-story-high simulator was one of several high-tech gadgets Donchak and other VIPs tested during a Good Friday visit with San Clemente's adopted military unit, the Scarface Marine Attack Helicopter Squadron.

The mayor and her entourage launched guided missiles, blew up buildings and then ate brunch. 

Scarface is an elite but little-known military unit. It hasn't starred in any movies and seldom makes front-page news. But it plays a key role. Led by officers with colorful nicknames like Donkey, Sinatra, Pony and Mako, the 374-member outfit typically works behind the scenes, airlifting Marines to and from combat hotspots, often in darkness. (It also recently assisted with relief efforts for Japan's earthquake and tsunami.)

Grateful for the support of San Clemente, which sends care packages to squadron members overseas, Scarface members offered a tour to Donchak, her father and assorted local dignitaries and business owners.

Capt. Gregory "Smash" Youngbery welcomed the group to Camp Pendleton with a slide show history of the squadron and an introduction to the unit's light-attack helicopter, the UH-1 Yankee. The Yankee can identify targets from 3 kilometers out and zap them with laser-guided missiles. The chopper is also equipped with seats designed to stop .50-caliber bullets, although Youngbery joked, "I'd rather take their word for it on that one."

Scarface formed during World War II, flying missions in Okinawa, Japan, and China. It hit stride in the 1960s, serving in Vietnam and Cambodia. During Operation Desert Storm, the unit destroyed 86 Iraqi tanks. In Afghanistan, Scarface's Yankee helicopter was deployed for the first time. 

Before being allowed to fly, Marines must successfully pilot Camp Pendleton's massive flight simulator, a bubble-enclosed cockpit surrounded by wall-to-wall video screens, sound equipment and a hydraulic system that replicates flight movement with airsickness-inducing realism.

The effect is so dramatic it makes Disney's Soaring Over California ride almost seem like a Pong videogame in comparison.

"No other country in the world can afford this," lead engineer Jack Welsh said.

As part of Friday's visit, Donchak and her entourage got to take the simulator for a six-minute spin. Most quickly crashed amid a cacophony of whining engines and grinding propeller sound effects. Those who stayed airborne were able to fire fake machine guns and missiles, destroying buildings below.

"Extraordinary," exclaimed the mayor, whose simulated journey took off from the infield at San Diego's Petco baseball park.

Visitors also explored Scarface's night-vision lab, a room with black walls, a fake moon and a miniature diorama of mountainous terrain. Wearing night-vision goggles and looking at the tiny scenery is designed to simulate flying over real terrain during various types of moonlight.  

Maj. Henry Dolberry led the final part of the tour through Scarface's aircraft hangar. Dolberry is the officer in charge of keeping the fleet up and running. “They tell me which birds are fit to fly and which ones are sick," he said. "I get them back in the air.”

Guests ended the day with brunch and departed with souvenir Scarface patches and silver coins.

The Scarface Squadron will be moving to Hawaii in the near future, officials said.