200 CARS LINE LANDING SPOT

Blackhawks Draw

Enthusiastic Fans

From Franklin to Roseboom, crowds were drawn to the Bassett Helipad, across from Cooperstown’s Clark Sports Center, at 5:30 this evening as three UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters chop-chop-chopped from the south and landed in the nearby field.  Some 200 cars lined Susquehanna and Brooklyn avenues, and fans of all ages hurried down to surround the choppers and greet members of the U.S. Army Reserves, 353rd Civil Affairs Command, who are on a training mission this weekend in conjunction with the Cooperstown Graduate Program.  In top photo, Gabriel Hanus and Elias Morris, pals from Schenevus, pose in front of one of the choppers.  Inset left, Alex Kubis, 8, of Roseboom, settles into the passenger compartment, but not for long: a line of youngsters and oldsters were lined up for a similar experience.  The last time this exercise was conducted, it happened in 3 feet of snow, so today’s clear fields were ideal for the curious.  (Jim Kevlin/AllOTSEGO.com)