Army Aviation Digest - Dec 1981

8/12/2019 Army Aviation Digest - Dec 1981

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DECEMBER 1981 VOLUME 27 NUMBER 12

*rigadier General Ellis D. ParkerArmy Aviation OfficerODCSOPS, Headquarters,Department of the Army Major General Carl H. McNair Jr.Commander Brigadier General Richard D. KenyonDeputy Commander

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U.S. Army Aviation CenterFor t Rucker, Alabama U.S. Army Aviation CenterFort Rucker, Alabama

Army Reserve Av iat ion Today, MG William R BerkmanFORSCOM 's Role In USAR Aviation, MAJ Ronald RTamaccioUSAR Aviation In The Sixth U.S. Army,LTC (P) Te rence M. HenryWhere Are The Experienced Army Aviators?Mr. Rush Wicke rHangar Talk: Airman's Information Manual (AIM) ,CW2 Gary R We ilandAviation Personnel Notes: Help Wanted MOS 93J ,LTC Richard L. Naughton and SSG( P Gregory M.Huggins1982 Army Aviation Annual Written Examination,CPT Hugh GibbsDES Report To The FieldReporting FinalWire Strikes We're Not AloneWire Strikes The OH 58 Strikes Back, LTC DonaldE. S. Merritt and Mr . Jerry J. Morr isViews From ReadersConsider The Balloon , LTC John G. HeslinPEARL'sA Matter Of Action, COL George A. Morgan and CW4Kenneth M. JohnsonMission First, COL Thomas H. Harvey J r.Chemical Agents, First Aid and Long-Term Effects,CPT Timothy B. SavageInside Back Cover: ATC Action Line: Whafls An AirportTraffic AreaBack Cover: Getting Out? Continue Your Army Avia-tion Career As A CivilianCover: During this Christmas season when our prayers are for continued peace, the cover depicts oneof our peacekeepers the Army Aviation Reservista t home and on the job. IIlustration 'by CW2 PaulFretts, a Reservist, 282d Aviation Company (CombatSupport) (121 st ARCOM) Ft. Rucker, AL

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Honorable John A. MarsSecretary of the Army

Richard K. TierneyEditor

The mis si on of the U.S. Army Avl tlon Dlgeat USPS 415-350) S to provideInforma tIO n of an operat iona l. fu nctional natu re concerning safety and aircraftacc ident pr evention. training . maintenance . operations, research and development.av iati on med iCine and other related data.

This publication has been approved by The Ad jutant Ge neral Headqu artersDepartment of the Army 14 October 1981. in accordance with Army Reg ulat ion310-1Ac tive Army units receive d istribution under the Pin POint dis tr ib ut ion systemas outlined In AR 310-1 Comp lete DA Fo rm 12-5 and send directly to CD R. AGPubllcallons Cen ter . 2800 Eastern Boulevard . Bal timore . MD 21220 For anychange In distribu tIOn requirements. initiate a reVised DA Form 12-5

The Dlg S an off icial Depar tmen t of th e Army per iodica l published monthlyunder the supervi sion of th e o m m n l n g ~ e ~ e r a l U S Army AViation CenterView s e xpre ssed here in are not necessarily those of the Departme nt of the Ar mynor the U S Ar my AViati on Center Photos are US Army u nless othe rw isespeCifi ed . Use of the masculi ne pronoun is Intended to Inc lude both gendersunless otherWise stated Material may be reprinted proVided credit IS given to theDlg at and to the author. un less othe rw ise Inqlcated

Ar ticl es . pho tos and Items o f inte rest on Army AViat ion are Invi ted Directcommun icat ion S authO rIZed to : Editor . U.S. Army Avl tlon Dlge t. P O DrawerP. Fort Rucker. AL 36362 Manuscrip ts returned upon request.

National Guard and Army Reserve units under pi npOint d istr ibution also shouldsubmit DA Form 12-5. Other National Gua rd units shou ld submit requests throughtheir state adjutant general

Those not ellg Ible for official distributIOn or who desi re personal co pies o f theDlgeat can order the magazine from the Supe rin ten dent of Documents. U SGovernment Printing Office . Washington . DC 20 402 Annual subSCription ratesare 22 .00 domestic and 27 50 overseas


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D E P ~ e O Of nreoffICE Of m E CHIEf Of STAff

WASHING1 ON. D C 2.0310

SUBJECT' CoJllDland Responsibaity

I had hoped to he here personally to open this verY i ,portant

and tinlelycOnlerence. I ,ould ike to take a _ unutes to c ireet your attention to theinherent . . . .ponsihaiti 01 an aviation coJllDlander . Notice I say aviationcO , ......d

er for unlike all other coJllDlanders. i f an aviation cOJIlDlander

does not do adequate ,isoion planning. lollo ,ed hY detailed execution anddebriefing. catastrophic . . . .u1ts y OCCUrWeare seeing ,ore and ,ore needless accidents as a result 01 lack 01

M:e ,bers

01 the Aviaiton Training and PoliCY Conference

.........d supervision. inadequate planning deviations fro' ~ ..,issionprofile. and lailure to lollo' established unit proCedures.Sinlply stated. senior. experienced ollicers are in tbe chain01 co

JllDlandto

prevent accidentS. and I expect o nders to accept the fall . . . .ponsibaity01 their position. The act 01 a cOJIlDlander c\inlbing in an aircraft lor a ridealter the rotors are turning. is both unsatislactory and totally una ptabl

e.

Involve ,ent by co ,,,,anders in the brielings 01 their aviators. and the

planning. prellighting. and participation in the nying business 01 theirunits. is both essential and critical.As yoU progress through this conf ' -ce I ,ould lil


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Maj rGeneral William R BerkmanChief Army Reserve

Rmy fSf Vf VI Tion TOD YTHE MISSION OF the Army Reserve may bestated succinctly as, being ready to meet mobili-zation requirements. That mission has two parts:First, the Army Reserve must provide sufficientlymanned and trained units equipped and capable toperform wartime missions with a minimum of postmo-bilization training. In addition, the Army Reservemust provide trained individual personnel in sufficientnumbers to fill out Active and Reserve omponentun its upon mobilization, permit creation of new units

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and provide necessary replacements.The aviation personnel who help the Army Reserve

accomplish its mission are an exceptional group odedicated and experienced men an d women. Many othese people are Army Reserve aviators who haveserved two combat tours and logged well in excess o1,000 hours of flight time, the average being morthan 2,500 flight hours per pe rson. In addition, anind ispensable part of the aviation capabi l ty includethe equally dedicated and experienced body of

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at 38 Army Reserve flight facilities acrossNation.Over the past decade the responsibilities of the

Reserve Components have grown, and theybecome an even more essential element of theArmy; but their resources have not kept pace.is acknowledged that in the event of mobilization

Active Component of the Army must have theof the Reserves in order to perform its wartime

Today, the Army Reserve is comprised of almostmen and women drilling regularly in troop

units and more than 200,000 individualThe units provide a third of the Totalsupport, a quarter of general support

and a smaller, although sign ificant, portion ofArmy s nondivisional combat force.Army Reserve avimilitary police,psyops,

petroleumengineer,

funding restraints are also a fact of life. When appliedto aviation units, Tota l Force generally means morernulticomponent training exercises. t also means thatflight training quotas have remained essent iallyadequate, that funding has been maintained foradditional flight training periods and that the everincreasing cost of fuel has been covered.

On the other side of the equation, we find thatthe very factors which have produced a pool ofexperienced pilots point to challenges in the future,for the average age of the Army Reserve pilot is about37 years.

he Inventory Another serious concern in theArmy Reserve is the nature of the inventory of fixedwing aircraft. Most are obsolete. The Army Reservehas been issued only a few U 21 Utes, and the average

age of the fixed wingfleet is about 22 years.Under normal conditions, the Army retiresaircraft at that age.quarunits repre

some of the tacpport providedat elements.training,

supunits are essentiala successful training

C PSTONE is a vehiclewhereby FORSCOM is weld-ing together the otal mayby using cohesive planningand training for a N TO

contingency

Army Reserve aviation focuses on combat support missions,such as the tactical in-sertion of troops andsupplies or commandand con tro1. Consequently, the UH -IHHuey and the OH-58

mobilization base.Reservists whoPathfinders or as-to Special For-Artillery or Combat

are essential to the Army s nondivisionalincrement.Yet, in terms of dollar value, today s Army Reserve

on hand only a third of the equipment it wouldto go to war. The end strength of the Army

troop program units continues to grow sigeach year since the low point was reached

Nevertheless the Army Reserve is still 45,000short of its peacetime manning levels and

than 80,000 Soldiers short of the personnelto fill existing units in wartime. The IndividualReserve, the pool of pretrained manpower, isestimated to be 250,000 short of the

that would be made on it within 90 daysthe mobilization order is given.

Although the Total Force policy recognizes theof the Reserve Components and their importance,

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Kiowa are the backbone of the fleet.

The Army Reserve s 305 Hueys arelocated mainly in combat support aviation

companies, which have the mission of moving troopsin the combat zone and providing logistical supportto ground elements. The Huey also is the aircraftused by the Army Reserve s 11 helicopter medicaldetachments.

Two Army Reserve medium helicopter companiesare equipped with 48 CH-47 A Chinooks. In wartime,these aircraft would be assigned to corps generalsupport aviation battalions with the capability to liftup to 2,216 combat troops or 587 tons of cargo a day.

There are 105 OH-58As, rounding out the ArmyReserve s 458 rotary wing inventory. These Kiowasare used mainly for command and control or observation missions.Training Army Reserve aviation units are integrated into the Total Force in a variety of WCl_ys Theyhave relationships with Active Component units

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The Army Reserve Inventory:UH-1 above)U-21 right)OH 58 below left)CH-47 below right)

through innovative programs. One such program,CAPSTONE, s a vehicle whereby U.S. Army ForcesCommand s welding together the Total Army byusing cohesive planning and training for a NATONorth Atlantic Treaty Organization) contingency.

The CAPSTONE units will, insofar as possible, trainwith their parent units and will maintain close contactfor planning and training.Army aviators generally agree that the aircrew

training manual ATM) took Army Aviation out ofthe seat-of-the-pants era of flying and into the latterhalf of the 20th century. ATMs are being usedthroughout the Army Reserve and have been sinceearly in the program. Commanders, instructor pilotsand crews indeed also agree that fully proficient aviatorshave made Army Training and Evaluation Programsmore meaningful too. Consistent with training n theTotal Army, these programs are fully operational nthe Army Reserve. And, they are paying great dividendsin terms of training readiness.

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The Army Reserve also benefits from MilitaryAssistance to Safety and Traffic MAST) participation.MAST missions are not only valuable training to thecrews involved, but also make a humanitarian contribution to the civilian community and increase theArmy Reserves visibility within the community. Forthose who participate, nothing s quite as rewardingas performing real, life-sav ng missions.In recent years, Army Reserve aviation unitshave frequently participated in joint componentexercises in addition to supporting Army Reserve andNational Guard units during annual training. Forexample, two medium helicopter companies mightbe assigned to support the opposing force , such as inBrave Shield 80. Army Reserve units also operatewith Active Component units as did the 300th CombatSupport Aviaiton Company from Grand Prairie, TX,and the 190th Medium Helicopter Company fromOlathe, KS, n REFORGER Return of Forces toGermany) 80.

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Army Reserve pilots now log between 60 and 90ATM requirements. In

and a 2-week session of annual training, flight24 additional flight training periodsyear which are at least 4 hours long and average2 hours of flight time.The Pilots The majority of Army Reserve pilotsVietnam veterans who received their initial flight1965 and 1973. They are approaching

of 37 and some have more than 3,000In fact, about 95 percent of the 1,400are at least age 30.

The nature of this mature experienced aviationbeen a factor in the excellentby Army Reserve aviation units.

our current pilots reach retirement age or as theyout of flight status, new pilots will have

take their places. Yet through fiscal year (FY)the Army Reserve has a quota of only about 70students at the Aviationat Ft. Rucker AL. Although this number

soon have to rely more heavily on thendividual Ready Reserve to replace aviators lost toand retirement.As of June 1981, we had 97 percent of our aviatorspercent of our enlisted people on board, withmilitary occupational specialty (MOS) qualifi

at the 69 percent level. Three years ago100 percent of our aviators and 75 percent ofenlisted people. Enlisted MOS qualification was68 percent level then too, but the turnover rate

The Funding Issue The replacement of older,is an issueTheis authorized 51 fixed wing aircraft forand control. In addition 11 RU-21s arefor the 138th Army Security Company for

The Active Army's reduced rate of procurementthe C-12 Huron has delayed the transfer of some U-and the U-21s to the Army Reserve. As aon the now obsolete U-3s310s) and they are an average of 24 years old.aircraft could not be used in wartime, and it

conduct transition traininganother aircraft for the U-3 pilots.Despite the age of its aircraft, the Army Reserve

maintenance standards. The wideof the Reserve's flight facilities tends to putand maintenance personnel at a disadvantage,this and have done an excellent

job of maintaining aging aircraft and equipment.The mmediate Future A few years ago, undercontract to the Department of Defense, the RandCorporation conducted a survey of the Army's ReserveComponents. One finding was that two-thirds of thosenot reenlisting in the Army Reserve gave as a reasonthat Reserve participation interfered with either theirwork or family obligations. This emphasizes theimportance of both family and employer support tomembers of the Army Reserve who through theirdedicated service are contributing significantly toour national security.Within the next 5 years, a large number of ourpeople who became pilots in 1965 and 1966 will becomeeligible to retire; others will be promoted out ofoperational aviation billets; and some will ask to tradetheir commissions for warrants so they can continueto fly. The Army Reserve is permitted 150 excessaviators. One of the controlling factors is of course,the number of aircraft on hand to support training.

The Army Reserve s currently short 68 helicopters,not including the maintenance float. Although a fewUH-60 Black Hawks are anticipated for the ArmyReserve for cross training, the principle helicopter inthe Army Reserve will be the Huey until the turn ofthe century. CH-47 As will be replaced with CH-47Cmodels during the coming decade and under currentplans we will receive the D model Chinook in the1990s.Army Reserve aviation personnel are dedicatedmembers of the Total Army. They work hard andtrain hard. They often put duty above personal andfamily convenience. Army Reserve aviation personnelrepresent an invaluable asset to our country.

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I

Role In US R viationMajor Ronald R TamaccioUSAR Aviation dvisorHeadquarters FORSCOMFort McPherson G

WHAT PART DOES the U.S.Army Forces Command(FORSCOM) play in the operation of the U.S. Army Reserve (USAR) aviation program?Perhaps the best way to answer thatquestion is to examine the commanding gen eral s guidan ce regarding FORSCOM s purpose andmission. Our purpose is clear: TOPREP RE RMY FORCES FORMOBILIZ TION ND COMMIT-MENT IN SUPPORT OFN TION- LPOLICY We have a fourfoldmission:1 Organize the force and planfor its mobilization and commitment to perform wartime

and other missions.2 Support the force3 Train and motivate individualsand units to perform assignedmissions.4. Provide an environment thatwill attract and retain the people required to sustain the force.

FORSCOM's purpose and mis-sion couldn't be more simply stated,but fulfilling our purpose and accomplishing our mission s a major undertaking, requiring considerable resources, extensive manpower anddedicated management. Let's examine each of the four aspects of ourmission as it relates to the USAR

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aviation program.First we must organize theforce. The primary goal here is toensure complete integration of Reserve Component (RC) units withthe Active Component (AC). Implementation of the CAPSTONE Program and our RC Affiliationand Partnership concepts havetaken us a long way toward achieving that objective. Simply stated,CAPSTONE s the task organizationfor combat of the Total Force (AC,USAR and the Army NationalGuard). We analyzed the missionand the capabilities of each RCcombat unit, made a determinationas to how that unit could be mosteffectively used in battle and alignedit with the most appropriate majorAC command . As a result, each ofour USAR TOE (table of organization and equipment) aviation unitsnow has a combat mission and eachknows where and with whom it willfight upon mobilization. The Affiliation and Partnership programssupplement CAPSTONE by bindingeach tactical RC unit with an ACunit of similar structure and missionto facilitate regular contact andpromote an information pipelineto ensure complete assimilation ofnew doctrine, tactics, equipmentand weapons.Second, we must support theforce. Such programs as full-time manning (FTM), full-time unit support(FTUS) and the Individual Ready

Reserve (IRR) aviator training program, when completely implementedwill greatly facilitate our transitionfrom peace to war by providing oucommanders with reliable, welltrained mobilization assets and current and qualified aviators. Our staffconstantly endeavors to providemodern equipment and facilities tothe USAR. For example, by theend of fiscal year (FY) 1982, everyArmy Reserve unit should have onhand 100 percent of its authorizedUH-l H Hueys, with several maintenance float aircraft (ORF) beingavailable for the first time. I won'tget into the Army Reserve's aircraftprocurement situation here becauseMajor General William R. Berkmanhas done a good job of that in hisarticle beginning on page 2. In theavionics area, our T-42 Cochise, U8 Seminole and U 21 Ute airplanesare undergoing modifications which

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state of the art equipmentin some cases, weather radarautopilot.More modern facilities for our/ AFAs (Army Support Facility/

Flight Activity) are beingplanned and programed

future budget estimates; andcriteria are being reviewedare providing appropri-

full-time manpower to aid theActivation of the National

(NTC, Ft. Irwin,a very high priority forand, when fully operawill provide an excellent

area for Army Reserveunits. Finally, we intend tothe FY 1982 CommandBudget (COB) to ensure

dollar committed to supportoperations is obligated to

end.Third, we must train and moti

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v le individuals and units to performtheir mobilization mission. No onecan dispute the importance of optimum proficiency in both individualand collective tasks in aviationoperations. Consequently, FORSCOMdevotes a considerable amount oftime to ensuring the maximum training benefit is derived from theavailable resources. We believe thekey to success here is to train,develop and use our junior leaders,especially our noncommissionedofficers. They must know their jobthoroughly, know their subordinatesjobs as well, and be given the responsibility and authority to ensure acceptable performance and maximum productivity during the multiple unit training assemblies (MUTA ,additional flight training periods(AFTP) and annual training (AT).Since the unit s flying hour program is the foundation for its train-

ing program, we intensively manageit. Our USAR aviation advisor reviewsrequests from major U.S. ArmyReserve Commands (MlJSARC)and allocates the available hours tothem. He monitors their accomplishments and where necessary reallocates to maximize use. We reviewthe aviation resource managementsurvey (ARMS) reports from thecontinental armies (C ONLJSA) andtake appropriate actions to assistthose commands to correct deficiencies and improve training. Weprovide regulatory guidance to theCONlJSA and MlJSARC commanders regarding the conduct of ARMS;and we will soon field a FORSCOMReserve Component ARMS(RCARMS) team.

We have recently completed astructural reorganization of the ArmyReadiness and Mobilization Regions(ARMR) that includes a centralized

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>-.Ds:;a.r0,o0s:;a.


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aviation readiness training (CART)team to improve the training assistance available to unit commanders.The CART team will provide areservoir of expertise in a wide rangeof aviation subjects, i.e., maintenance, operations, training and tactics. Any or all of these experts willbe available to aviation unit commanders to assist them in producinga combat ready USAR unit.Finally, we attempt to providean environment that will ttr ct andret in the aviation expertise we needin the USAR. This is perhaps ourmost challenging task. We highlightthe vital role of the Reservist withinthe Total Force and emphasize theunit mission in our training goals inhope of increasing esprit de corps.Our staff works closely with theReserve Component Personnel Administration Center (RCPAC) in St.Louis, MO , to develop programssuch as the officer retention programand the inservice recruiting programfor enlisted personnel. The intentof both programs is to ensure maximum accession to the Army Reserve from departees from active

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duty, pri'or to their release, if at allpossible.The IRR Aviator Training Pro-gram when more clearly definedwill, in addition to accomplishingits primary mission, provide a sourceof aviators to fill troop unit vacancies.FORSCOM develops milestonesand nominees for overseas trainingby Army Reserve aviation units andencourages their participation inREFORGER exercises. We nominate participants in the myriad ofexercises (JTX, FTX, etc.) conducted annually. The purpose of all ofthese programs is to retrain qualifiedpersonnel by affording them theopportunity to function as a unit inas realistic a training environmentas is possi ble. We encourage everyunit to take full advantage of theauthorization to maintain 150 percent overstrength among aviators.This policy not only permits theunit to have readily available a poolof fully qualified and current replacements for any unit vacancy whichmay occur during the training year,but also reduces the post-mobilization training requirement for those

SP4 John Wright signalstakeoff (above) \The most difficult task inhooking is placing the donutover the Chinook s hook(left). The rigger protectedby goggles and acousticearmuffs must hit a movingtarget while buffeted bythe heavy prop wash ofthe CH-47 s 59-foot rotorbladesArmy Reserve troops andtheir active duty instructor(inset) prepare to sling-load cargo to an ArmyChinook helicopter s partof the annual training

aviators in the pool prior to thedeployment. In addition, we suppothe policy of permitting an individuto continue to serve in a positiowhich is supposed to be filled byperson of the next lower grade (i.ea major serving in a captain slot) part of a troop unit overstrengprogram.Each program has one commogoal to provide an environmethat will attract and retain the peoprequired to sustain the force.

Now that we have discusseeach aspect of our mission, we casummarize our efforts by meansthe simple guidance containedthe FORSCOM four-step.1 Set objectives.2 Provide resources.3. Coach subordinates.4 Measure results.

Above all, we realize that thultimate success of our mission dpends on the contribution of thdrilIing Reservist. Were it not fhis or her dedication to duty, couplewith the under standing and suppoof the Reservist's family, we wounot be prepared for mobilization

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USAR Aviationin t ~ ei x t ~ U S rmy

LTC P) Terence M. HenryAviation OfficerSixth US Army

ProfessionalProud andPrepared

THE RESERVE Component (RC) aviation in theSixth U.S. Army is as broad and diverse as the 15western states in which it is located. U.S. ArmyReserve (USAR) units vary from a small medicalambulance detachment in Salt Lake City, UT, to acombat support aviation company in Los Alamitos,CA. Although the missions differ, from those flownby RU-21 Utes in Washington to those assigned theCH-47 Chinooks in Kansas, Army Reserve aviatorsare bound by a common thread of dedication topreparedness should mobilization occur.Five aviation support facilities and activitiesmanned by full-time technicians maintain the recordsand provide the day-to-day support and continuity formore than 225 aviators and about 100 aircraft spreadover almost 1 5 million square miles. The facility isthe hub around which the aviation in an Army readinesscommand revolves.

Army Reserve aviation, like Active omponentaviation, is a blending of people and machines. Froman aviator experience point of view, the Sixth ArmyUSAR aviator's average exceeds 2,500 flying hourseach. A high percentage of the aviators are combatveterans and many also fly as their primary civilianvocation. The bottom line is no shortfall in individualskill, ~ i l i t y and experience.

The machine side of the equation, however,provides a true challenge and again underlines thediversity in the CONUSA's (the numbered armies inthe Continental United States) aviation program. ArmyReserve aircraft are generally the senior citizens ofthe Army's inventory, as discussed in Major GeneralWilliam Berkman's article beginning on page 2 Still aprofessional, dedicated group of maintainers providethe tender loving care necessary to keep this geriatricfleet in the air.Sixth Army USAR aviators aggressively tacklerealistic training with an eye toward commitment totheir assigned wartime missions. Despite the difficulties of members breaking loose from full-time civiliancareers, most units vie for the opportunity to takepart in prolonged maneuvers with their active counterparts. For example, last year's RC aviation unit of theyear undertook the REFORGER challenge in theFederal Republic of Germany. The 190th AviationCompany (Med Hel) attained 100 percent mobilizationreadiness, deployed to Germany and flew more than150 hours in support of the field training exerciseCertain Rampart 80.On a more continuous basis, the 343d and 321stMedical Detachments, located at Hamilton AFB, CA,and Salt Lake City respectively, continually train

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aircrews and medical service people for day and night,adverse weather, all terrain medevac support missions.Given the competition for the RC aviator's time(civilian employment, large geographic distances fromhome to unit, etc.), collective training at unit level isdifficult to conduct. The units tackle the problem byusing additional flight training periods to accomplishindividual and crew training, leaving the monthly unittraining assemblies free to key on threat orientedtactical training at unit level. Reinforcement is gainedduring the combined arms training normally accomplished during the 2-week active training period.Regardless of the effort, overall levels of unitproficiency in night training, gunnery, multiple aircraftoperations, etc., can and must still be improved. Thereis no question that given the leadership and individualaviator proficiency found in Army Reserve units,outstanding collective skill levels are obtainable in ashort training period upon mobilization.The questionis of course, will such a training period be available?

1

Although comparisons to Active Componenaviation units can be misleading, most Army Reserveaviation units set the example for the benefits accruingto reduced personnel turbulence. The fruits of unicohesion are most discernible in aircraft maintenancewhere key personnel develop true expertiseby spendingample time getting to know their people, their joband their equipment.Approximately forty percent of the Army's totalaviation resources are found in the Army Reserveand Army National Guard USAR aviation provides avital portion of those standby resources. Reserveaviation adequately manned, equipped, trained andready to go could well decide the outcome should ourcountry find itself on some future battlefield. Althoughthe Sixth Army USAR units and missions differ greatlywe are ready and you can rest assured that the commonthread of dedication and professionalism which Italked about at the start of this article will keep ourRC aviation units AboveThe Best in peace or in war.

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ST TISTICS SHOW that theReserve has more flying exper-ience than its ctive rmycounterparts. This experienceis enhanced by the large number ofcombat veterans. In addition to hav-ing combat experience Anny Reserveunits are fille with equally experienc-ed enlisted people to maintain the

and accomplish otherunit. The availabilityseasoned personnel hassignificantlythe achievement ofhigh standards of

~ e r et ~

But Army Reserve units havenot always been so fortunate. Priorto the Vietnam War Reserve unitswere staffed with people who hadlittle or no active Army ex-perience. Many units thatwere called to activeduty during theKorean Warwere

CW2 Bolla of the 281st Aviation Com-pany Cahokia IL inspects a tail rotor

rmy Aviatorsush Wicker

of Combat Developmentsrmy Aviation Center

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not qualified to perform their missions. As a result, adverse opinionsof Reserve Component forces wereformed. The reasons for their poorperformance are understandable.As time has passed, priorities havechanged and so have today s Reserveforces.Many of today s Army Reserveunits are the best trained units withinthe armed forces. The achievementof this has come about as a result ofimprovements in the following areas.

Training The availability ofup to date training literature, trainingaids and facilities has improved thetraining environment. Publicationssuch as the Soldiers Manual, AircrewTraining Manual, training circulars,and the latest field manuals havehelped improve the skill levels ofthe individual, team and unit. Thesepublications, when supplementedwith visual and audio training aidssuch as 35 mm slides, video tapesand simulation devices, havecontr ibuted significantly to an evenmore effective training program.

Testing and Evaluation Theperformance evaluation standardsfor individuals, teams and units arethe same for both the Reserve andActive Army units. Common skillqualification tests (SQT) administered to Army Reserve enlistedpeople require achievement of thesame minimum score as Soldiers ofthe same MOS in the Active Army.Additionally, Army Reserve unitsare administered the Army Trainingand Evaluation Program (ARTEP)to determine their ability to performthe assigned unit mission.

Annual Training Many ArmyReserve units conduct annual training with the Active Army unit withwhich they will go to war. This training provides for cohesion and interface between the two units, anddevelops a level of mutual respect.Additionally, the mission orientedtraining scenario enhances the capability of the unit to perform itsmission.

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F 11 T ime T echnicial Pro-grams The implementation of thefull-time technician program, whereby some members of the unit workull time for the unit, has significantlyimproved unit readiness. The pro

gram allows key personnel such asthe company commander apd firstsergeant to serve active duty toursas members of the unit. This alsocontributes to unit efficiency.Attitude Each of the factorsdiscussed above has contributed tothe improvement of the combatreadiness of Reserve units; however,the most significant factor that hasaffected the Army Reserve is theespirit of the Reservists and its relationship to the civilian community.Today s Army Reservists are proudof their affiliation with the Army

Reserve, and because of this thecivilian community has becomeaware of and has demonstratedstrong support of- the Reserve. Improvements in training, pay andbenefits have contributed greatlyto achieving this positive attitudedemonstrated by the Reservists.

The answer to the title of thearticle can be found in the ArmyReserve. These aviators representan important asset to the securityof the United States. Reservistsrealize the Army Reserve must beprepared to reinforce the ActiveArmy to deter the enemy, whereverand whenever hostility may arise.

CW2 Rudy of the 281st Aviation Company completesa preflight inspection of the helicopter s exterior


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Hangar Talk is a quiz containing questions based onapplicable to Anny Aviation. The answers are at

bottom of the page. f you did not do well, perhaps youout the publication and look it over.

AIRMAN S INFORMATION MANUAL (AIM)July 1981

CW2 Gary R. WeilandDirectorate of Training DevelopmentsU.S. Army Aviation Center

Fort Rucker, AL

1 What is the usable range (nautical miles) of anondirectional beacon classified as a compass locator?A. 10 B.15 C.25 D.50

2. If the rotatir.g beacon at an airport is not operatingduring daylight hours, aviators may assume that weatherconditions are VFR (visual flight rules).A True B False

3. If the sky condition or ceiling and/or visibility areomitted from an Automatic Terminal InformationService (ATIS) broadcast, the weather is:A UnknownB Less than 3,000' ceiling and 1 mile visibilityC. At/ or better than 3,000' ceiling and 1 milevisibilityD At/ or better than 5,000' ceiling and 5 milesvisibility

4. Unless another transponder code has been assignedby air traffic control (ATC), military pilots operating(179S Q1Qd) 0 01(QI9S Q1Qd) 8 6

((v)QSvS Q1Qd) V '8

1981

((q)()aLv QlQd) 8 L(J99Z Q1Qd) V 9VZ Q1Qd) J 'S

VFR or instrument flight rules (IFR) within restricted/warning areas should adjust their transponders towhich code?A 0000B 1200

C.4000D 7500

5. Upon arrival at an airfield, when should an aviatorchange to the ground control frequency?A Just prior to touchdownB After touchdownC. Once clear of active runwayD Only when instructed by tower

6. ATC authorization to MAINTAIN VFR ON TOPpermits aviators on IFR flight plans to fly above,helow or between cloud layers.A True B False

7. You are tracking inbound to a VOR (VHF omnidirectional range) on the 2400 radial and have beeninstructed to hold northeast on the 0800 radial. Whichprocedure should be used to enter holding?A ParallelB TeardropC. Direct

8. To avoid wake turbulence when landing on thesame runway behind a departing large aircraft, aviatorsshould land:A Well prior to departing aircraft's rotation point

B At the departing aircraft's rotation pointC Beyond the departing aircraft's rotation point

9. Since migrating waterfowl tend to whenclosely approached by aircraft, pilots are warned notto fly migrating flocks of swans, geese orducks.A scatter nearB dive directly underC. climb directly over

10. Aviators flying VFR over noise-sensitive areas(national parks, wildlife refuges anq wilderness areas)should not fly less than how many feet above thesurface (weather permitting)?A 500 C. 1,500B 1,000 D 2,000

(()aOL1 QlQd) J . ,((alOU)PI91 QlQd) 0 f:

(PZS Q1Qd) 8 SH3MSNV WI\f

13


16/52

VI TIONPERSONNEL NOT S

HELP WANTED-MOS 93dATC RADAR CONTROLLER)I F YOU ARE interested in an inspiring and challenging job in the Army, then 931 (Air TrafficControl Radar Controller) is for you. The Armyis experiencing a shortage of qualified personnel inMOS 931 and the MOS is currently open for reclassification into all skill levels.

lust what does a 931 do? The basic summary inAR 611-201 s tates, Supervises and contro ls air trafficcontrol operations employing radar to providedeparture flight and approach control services.a. At skill level 1 (EI-4) personnel provideterminal radar approach control and/or groundcontrolled approach (GCA) services for aircraft. Thisindividual initiates and issues air traffic control (ATC)clearances, advisories and control information todeparting, en route, arriving and holding aircraft.Other duties and responsibilities include coordinatingen route control with other ATC facilities, alertingaviators of pending hazards, providing approachguidance to aircraft conducting instrument approaches,plotting direction and speed of aircraft movementand applying Federal Aviation Administrat ion (FAA)and Army air traffic rules and regulations.b. At skill level 2 ES) an individual will be requiredto perform all the duties in skill level 1 and providetechnical guidance to lower grade personnel.c. At skill level 3 (E6) the duties entail performingas a shift supervisor or facility chie f at a fixed base ortactical site.d. At skill level 4 (E7) an individual serves asATC facilities chief for a terminal radar approachcontrol and/ or GCA facility.e. At skill level S (E8) an individual supervisesall ATC operations for two or more smaller ATCfacilities or one large facility.Although the above is just a brief description of theMOS 931 job description, there are many other aspectsof the job required to be a successful ATC RadarController. These are contained in the detailed jobdescription outlined in AR 611-201.MOS 931 requires mandatory formal training.The school is located at Ft. Rucker, AL, is 16 weekslong, and incurs a IS-month service obligation. The

14

scope of the school is to instruct the student in airtraffic control of YFR (visual flight rules) and IFR(instrument flight rules) air traffic for award of theFAA certificate. Requirements for the school includea standard score of 100 or better in aptitude area STor GT. No security clearance is required for theschool or the MOS itself. All individuals must possessa class II flight physical for the school and an FAAcertification for ATC duties and then be reexaminedannually to retain the MOS.MOS 931 is currently authorized selective reenlistment bonus (4A, B, C) effective 18 August 1981. ThisMOS is not currently in the BEAR (Bonus Extensionand Reenlistment) program; however, this is subjectto change in the future. Currently MOS 931 is authorizedin many overseas commands to include Hawaii, Alaska,Europe and Korea. These different locations offervaried duty assignments and reenlistment options forindividuals. Along with these various duty assignmentsa Soldier would either be assigned to a tactical orfixed site. The tactical unit is a deployable unit whichmoves with another unit to support its ATC missionwith portable equipment. A fixed facility is one that isnot deployable and normally is the local airfield of aninstallation.MOS 931 is demanding of the Soldier and criticalto the Army. As stated before, it is currently belowstrength Armywide and is open at all grades forreclassification. If you meet the prerequisites and areinterested in a demanding Army career with challenge,then consider MOS 931 (ATC Radar Controller). Ifyou have a reenlistment option available, contactyour reenlistment counselor. If requesting reclassification, contact your local MILPO (military personneloffice) or training office for the proper procedures.

LTC Richard L. NaughtonChief Trans Avn Maint Branch

andSSG P) Gregory M Huggins

Career Advisor Aviation SectionU.S. Army Military Personnel CenterAlexandria VA

u.s. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST


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Captain Hugh GibbsTraining Analysis & Design Division

Directorate of Training DevelopmentsFort Rucker, AL -G ~~ i ~ ~ o ~ 1((1) :S1 A ( ~ t 1 \ ~ :'i rR \ 1 ~ :~ ; : : : : : I I I : : I I I < ; : i\9 U ,.1f l .lho .11011 cYI I(.lIo N ~ clhho ol/,)Iiol C 'lIollo l l l io lN ~ III\Ollh ,) )110 Oi l t ll l 1101, 1,Ih dhh'l 011011 c)'lIolic I =dldlo oil, i ll l C)II '- I lo IIII ,u,1

t "lIllllh" i i 01 1111 ell 11,,1 l oIl1\) ( .)\ \.II (yllllllo II e\l,III) lIollu '}'IlOd ,,11(1111 The 1982 Army Aviat ion Annual tiona This port ion is closed book and :Written Examination {AAA WE} was no outside references may be used. :shipped from Ft. Rucker, AL, to your We consider the AAAWE to be an ex- unit during October 1981. The new cellent evaluation tool, and test control examination is essentially in the same officers {TCOs} should analyze local format as the 1981 examination with examination results andprovide infor- some minor changes. mation, as desired, to commanders. fThe process o f tying examination an aviator missedseveral questions in :questions to the aircrew training man- one subject area {e.g., instruments, ual {A TAt} began in 1977 and was con- threat, or weight and balance}, i t may t inually ref ined and updated as the indicate that further individual training A TAts were finalized. Now that the is needed. Likewise, i f several aviators A TAtsare n f inal form, the 1982 rotary show a part icular subject weakness, wing examinations are closely tied to further unit t raining ma y be needed. :A TAt tasks and standards. The 1982 Commanders should be innovative in f ixed wing examinations, with the ex- using results to improve individual and ception o f a few questions, also are unit proficiency. closely associated with their respective Every effort has been made to pro- =A TAts. duce a relevant and correct examina- Volume 1 of he ReferenceData Book- t ion through validation and the aid o f let {RDB} has been reprinted for 1982 subject matter experts. We hope that because o fchanges in DOD Flight In or- you wil l f ind the 1982 AAAWE to be mation Publications {FLIP}. Volume" both challenging and informative. contains indexed extracts o f ield man- As always, the U.S. Army Aviat ion :uals, regulations and other appropri- Center welcomes your comments and ate publications. Change 3 to Volume constructive crit icism. Please provide

o f the RDB has been issued for the feedback to Commander, USAAVNC, =1982 examination. A TTN:A TZQ-TD-TAD-TD {AAA WE}, Ft. A majorchange in the 1982 examina- Rucker, AL 36362, or call us t AUTO- t ion is the equipment recognition por- VON 558-5385/3889. Good luck 15


18/52

usAttn~ ~ ~R PORT :=

T THE FIELDDirectorate of Evaluation Standardization

DURING OUR VISITS to aviation units this pastyear, aviators have brought up some per tinent pointsthat are worthy of being passed on to Aviation Digestreaders. The following is a typical subject:

We all use aircrew traininR manuals (ATMs) fordescriptions of specific maneuvers when we participatein training. Does this mean that there is only onacceptable way of performing a maneuver or task?

The CH-47 Chinook ATM describes a shallowapproach to a running/ roll-on landing but does notaddress shallow approaches with termination at ahover. Does this mean that the Chinook cannot performa shallow approach to a hover? The same ATM describesground controlled approach (GCA). The GCA angleis about 3 degrees and is a shallow approach. Doesthis mean that a CH-47 cannot terminate a GCA at ahover? In the most recent UH-60 Black Hawk A TM,a VMC (visual meteorological conditions) approachis described as one with an approach angle whichallows safe obstacle clearance to touchdown. Is theUH-60 restricted from a normal approach?

The operator's manuals for these two helicoptersplace no restrictions on approaching to a hover at anyangle.Since one publication describes a normal andsteep approach; one describes shallow, normal andsteep approaches; and another contains only VMCapproach procedures, is there not a contradiction?Difference, yes; contradiction, no.

The Commander's Guide (TC 1-134 tells us thatA TMs provide guidance for the establishment of aviatorinitial qualification, refresher, mission and continuationtraining programs. The preface of each ATM statesthe purpose of the publication is for trainingIt is not possible for training to include everypossible variation in mission, terrain, weather or aircraftconfiguration. Therefore, some maneuvers have beenselected that, if performed to established standards,will indicate that other closely related maneuversmay be executed without aviators undergoing training

DES welcomes your inquiries and requests to focus attentionon an area of major importance. Write to us at: CommanderU.S Army Aviation Center ATTN: ATZQ-ES Ft. Rucker AL

6

in that specific task. Consider the CH-47 shallowapproach to a running/roll-on landing. It not onlyprepares an aviator for a landing on a prepared surfacewhen hover is either not possible or desirable but isalso valid training for emergency procedures. If theaviator can terminate a normal approach to a hoverand execu te a shallow approach to a running landing,it can s f ~ l y be assumed that he/ she can terminate ashallow approach to a hover.We must also realize that operator's manualsdefine the entire operating envelope for safe operation.Training maneuvers may only use a very small portionof a very large flight envelope. This does not meanthat we are restricted from using the remaining partof the flight envelope when missions require us to flya maneuver that is not specifically covered in anATM. An example of a variation between the ATMand operator's manual is the instrument takeoff (ITO)procedures for a UH-1 H. The ATM tells us to use thepower necessary to establish appropriate takeoffclimb; 5 pounds of torque above that required for a 5-foot hover. The -10 says not to attempt an ITO withless than hover out-of-ground-effect capability, andduring takeoff increase collective until takeoffpower is reached. The -10 calls for a minimum acceptable value aGE (out-of-ground-effect) hover of about5 pounds above 5-foot hover torque at 7,500 poundsand 8 pounds above 5-foot hover torque at 9,500pounds (figure 7-5, TM 55-1520-210-10 . Additional torqueabove the minimum value (not to exceed the maximum

limit) may be used as required. Some aviators mayinterpret the ATM to mean that instrument climbsmust be made with no more than 5 pounds abovehover torque. This may be acceptable for training;but when flying the Federal Airways System, it is agood policy (much appreciated by ATC) to climb atan optimum rate to within 1,000 feet of assignedaltitude. After all, 500 feet per minute ties up a lot ofairspace unnecessarily when the aircraft is capable of1,200 feet per minute or more rate of climb.

Aviators must not unnecessarily restrict themselvesto one operat ing condition because it is the only oneused in training. Don't be misled by the idea that ifthe ATM does not say do it, it cannot be done.Aircrew training manuals, operator's manuals, checklists and other aviation literature are provided tooptimize the operation of Army aircraft in order toperform a variety of missions and should be used tocomplement each other.

36362 ; or call us at AUTOVON 558-3504 or commercial 205255-3504. After duty hours call Ft. Rucker HotLine AUTOI/ON558-6487 or 205 255 6487 and leave a message

U S ARMY AVIATION DIGEST


19/52

REPORTINGFIN LLate News FromArmy viation ctivities

FROM FORT RUCKERCONFERENCE OPENS. The 1981 Policy Committee Meeting/ Training Symposium was openedon 16 November at the U.S. Army Aviation Center,with several speakers stressing the need for ArmyAviation to sell itself. '

Major General Carl H. McNair Jr., commanderof the Aviation Center, welcomed the participantsto the second annual gathering of what is twoseparate but interfacing conferences. The weeklong funct ion is set up to enab le subject matterexperts and interested parties from major Armycommands and Department of the Army staffagencies to discuss aviation and standardizationissues prior to the Policy Committee meeting ,which was convened at 1300 hours on 18 Novembe r. General McNair told the group thatwhile wemust push our product, ground commanders mustpull it, using aviation assets more and more incombined arms training.

Great Record James W. Tomberlin, an instructor pilotwith Doss Aeronautical Services, Inc. (DASI), since 1970,receives a Special Achievement Award from Fred H. Farner,vice president of DASI and the general manager of the DASIoperation at the Aviation Center. He was cited for logging5,000 consecutive flight hours without accident or helicopterdamage by himself or any of his solo students. Tomberlin haslogged 5,500 hours in the TH-55 and 2,300 hours in the U H-1helicopter in his 25 years as a pilot, both in the Army and as acivilian.

DECEMBER 1981

General Robert M. Shoemaker, commanderof U.S. Army Forces Command , told the groupthat when considering issues at the conferenceto bear in mind that the ultimate goal is winningon the battlefie ld. He stressed the need to teachthe officer corps how to use Army Aviationeffective y.

In the keynote address, Major General Guy S.Meloy III , director of training, Office of the DeputyChief of Staff for Operations and Plans, Headquarters Department of the Army , stressed thatboth Army aviators and nonrated officers mustsell Army Aviation . He said . We must develop abuyer's market so that you (in Army Aviation) arebeing competed for.

BrigadierGeneral Ellis D. Parker, Army Aviationofficer , Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff forOperations and Plans, Headquarters, Departmentof the Army , was chairman of the Army AviationPolicy Committee portion of the conference . Heechoed the Army Aviation selling themes of theother speakers and cited the strong support thatArmy Aviation receives from Army Chief of StaffGeneral Edward C. Meyer; General John W.Vessey Jr. Vice Chief of Staff of the Army ;Lieutenant General Will iam R. Richardson , theArmy Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations andPlans; and Lieutenant General James H. Merryman,the Army Deputy Chief of Staff for ResearchDevelopment and Acqu isit ion.Watch future issues of the viation Digest formore comprehensive coverage of the conference.(AD)Euro NATO Symposium. Military and civilianrepresentatives from five European nations wereat the Aviation Center from 2 thru 6 November toattend the seventh Euro-NATO Basic HelicopterTraining Symposium , hosted by the U.S. ArmyAviation Center.Delegates from Germany, the Netherlands,Norway, Denmark and the United Kingdom alongwith representatives from the Department of theArmy, the Training and Doctrine Command andthe Aviation Center discussed details of theprogram under which about 85 European studentswill train at Ft. Rucker during fiscal year 1982.In his welcoming remarks , Aviation Centercommander MG Carl H. McNair Jr . stressed theimportance of Army Aviation to the commanderon the ground, and the keen sense of appreciationfor this role by our Euro NATO Allies .In addition to the discussions, delegates metwith their students. toured flight simulator andclassroom facilities, and part icipated in tacticaland night vision goggle flights. (DOTD)

7


20/52

REPORTINGFIN L

Late News From rmy viation ctivitiesUSAARL Gets New Home. The U.S. Army Aeromedical Research Laboratory (USAARL) at Ft.Rucker, AL, received the keys to its new 116,620sq. ft. facility during ribbon cutting ceremonieson 6 November. Ground forthe 7.8 million facilitywas broken on 2 May 1978. The new facilitycontains laboratories for sensory, biodynamicand biomedical applications research.USAARL, one of nine laboratories of the U.S.Army Medical Research and Development Command, is internationally known in the field ofaviation medicine .

Helicopter Underwater Escape Training. Aviationcrewmembers of the U.S. Army AeromedicalResearch Laboratory completed a training exer-cise in the Navy's 905 Multi-Placed DitchingTrainer at the Naval Aviation School's Command,Pensacola, FL. Mr. John Kaufman, chief of standards at the trainer facility, says the USAARLcrewmembers were the first Army unit to gothrough the training as a unit.The ditching trainer isn't any specific helicopter,but it has a cockpit area containing a cyclic stick,an instrument panel, a center console and acollective stick in the full up position. The trainerhits the water at 0 to 10 feet per second and canbe rolled 180 degrees in either direction. Theuncertainty of that roll after impact adds realismto the exercise.

The trainees wore flight suits, flight gloves,boots with steel safety toes, a mesh type inflatablejacket and a helmet. Each four-person groupwent through four simulated ditchings two ofthose ditchings while wearing b lack-out goggles.Anyone who used the wrong procedure, or leftthe trainer from the wrong exit, had to go throughf/ additional ditchings until the procedures wereUj done correctly .Colonel Stanley C. Knapp, USAARL commandIi er, stated that the training should in event of aditching enable people to get their bearings whena strapped in, upside down, and under water, andshould give them a chance to escape.

(USAARL)Correction. A couple of lines were dropped outof a portion of the October 1981 Reporting Finalthat dealt with the MOS 71 P Flight OperationsCoordinator Course. Since it would be involvedto explain the corrections, the entire section isbeing reprinted below . The viation Digestapologizes for any inconveniences this error mayhave caused:Soldiers, E 1 through E-5, can earn promotionpoints for completing Army CorrespondenceCourses/Subcourses. One point is awarded foreach five credit hours completed. Further, completion of MOS related courses enhances thepromotion potential of all grades.The five correspondence courses listed at rightare available for 71 Ps. They train people in criticaltasks for each skill level.

1,000 Safe Flying Hours . . . Chief Warrant Officer, CW3,William D. Barnes makes an instrument check before flight.Mr. Barnes was cited recently by Sikorsky Aircraft for flying1,000 accident-free hours in the U H-60 Black Hawk helicopter.He is the first aviator at the Aviation Center, Ft. Rucker, AL, toreceive this honor. Mr. Barnes is a standardization instruct orpilot in the UH-60 Rotary Wing Instrument Branch, CairnsDivision, Directorate of Training and Doctrine. Photo by SP4Deb Ems.


21/52

Quick Fix Helicopter In First Flight. The U.S. Army's new YEH-60A Quick Fix electronic warfarehelicopter made its first flight at Sikorsky Aircraft 's Stratford, CT , plant on 24 September

Course SkillTitle number Level Flight Operations Co-ordinator Course 151 Air Operations PrimaryTechnical Course MOS71P R24 2

Air Operations BasicTechnical Course MOS71P R27 3Air Operations NCO Ad-vanced Course MOS71P S22 4 Air Operations NCOSeniorCourse MOS 71 P T01 5

Soldiers may study a course individually or ingroups. Anyone interested in further ing theircareer through the Army Correspondence CourseProgram (ACCP) should check with the trainingnoncommissioned officer (NCO) or with their localeducation center. Course contents are listed inthe Army Aviation Correspondence Course Catalog (DA Pam 351-20-3). To apply for enrollmenta DA Form 145 must be completed and forwardedto: The Army Institute for Professional Development, U.S. Army Training Support Center, NewportNews, VA 23628. For further information contactthe ACCP Liaison Officer, P.O. Box J . Ft. Rucker,AL 36362 (AUTOVON 558-3703/3668).

AD)

DECEMBER 1981

FROM CONNECTICUTQuick Fix Makes First Flight. The U.S.Army'snew YEH-60A helicopter made its first flight atSikorsky Aircraft's plant in Stratford recently. Theflight consisted of programed maneuvers toevaluate handling qualities and performance ofthe aircraft. Sikorsky test pilots John Dixson andGary Kohler were at the controls .

The helicopter, called the Quick Fix SpecialElectronics Mission Aircraft( SEMA) by the Army,is a derivative of the UH-60A Black Hawk monitoring and jamming enemy radio communicationssignals.The basic Black Hawk configuration has beenmodified to accommodate a 1,800-pound electronics package. Four dipole antennas are mounted on the rear of the fuselage and a deployablewhip antenna is mounted underneath the fuselage.The first flight aircraft, a pre-production prototype , was equipped with the dipole antennas andthe deployable whip antenna. After 1 month offlight testing at Sikorsky's Stratford plant, theaircraft underwent addit ional modification priorto being flown to the Electronic Systems Laboratories, Sunnyvale, CA, where it will be fully instrumented and qualification tested. ESL is primecontractor for the Quick Fix program.The Quick Fix project is managed by the Product Manager's Office, SEMA, St. Louis, MO ,with support from the Signals Warfare Laboratory ,Warrenton,VA , of the Army's Electronics Researchand Development Command (ERADCOM), Adelphi ,MD.

19


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ir strik s we r


23/52

alon f7 E ~ ~. A.YSAIITYCf.TEIA FTER AN INTENSIVE 10mont h e f r ~ r t , a grou p ofresearchers completed an indepth investigation of helicopterwire strike mishaps that occurredover a IO-year period, ending inC { I97 l . Their findings andrecommendations have heendocumented in a hefty, twovolume study that was publishedin October 19KO - a study that isboth revealing and highlysignificant.10 year study

During the time periodcovered by the study,investigators found that 208helicopter wire strike mishapswere reported for an average of20.8 mishaps per year. Of the 208aircraft involved, 88 (42 percent)were destroyed and the remaining120 (58 percent) sustainedsubstantial damage. The cost forthese losses exceeded 11 million.

Including passengers andcrews, 331 occupants wereaboard the aircraft involved inthese wire strike mishaps. Of thisnumber, 37 ( II percent) sustainedfatal injuries, 52 (16 percent)suffered serious injuries, and 86(26 percent) received minorinjuries. These wire strikemishaps accounted for about 10percent of all the helicoptermishaps that were reportedduring the time period covered bythe study.Findings

Contrary to what we mightexpect, the study shows the

DECEMBER 98

average pilot involved in a wirestrike mishap is an experiencedaviator who has loggedapproximately 4 200 hours totalflight time, more than 2 200 hoursof which were in rotary wingaircraft. His average age is 34.7years.

The study also reveals themajority (88 percent) of allreported wire strikes happenduring bright, clear weatherconditions that permit unlimitedvisibility, with most of themishaps taking place at midday.I n addition, the study shows thatmore than half of all wire strikeshappen while aircraft are in cruiseflight - usually at some altitudebelow 50 feet agl-and mostoccur where wire density is light.But perhaps the most importantfinding in this study is that thehuman element continues toremain the responsible agent foralmost all helicopter wire strikes.

So what s new ? The statisticsand findings extracted from thisstudy sound like a rehash of thosefound in other studies, reports,and articles prepared by theArmy, some of which date backas far as 1958. What, then, makesthis particular study any morerevealing or significant than thosepublished in the past? The answerlies in the simple fact that oArmy aviators or Army aircraftwere included in this study.

Instigated by the Helicopter

Association International (HAl)and financed by the NationalAeronautics and SpaceAdministration (NASA), thisstudy was cond ucted by theHuman Resources ResearchOrganization, better known asHumRRO. It was done inrecognition of increased civilhelicopter use, and it includesonly those wire strike mishapsinvolving civil helicopters.

The resemblance betweenthe data contained in this studyand that accumulated by the U.S.Army Safety Center concerningArmy wire strike experience isuncanny. Looking at this study isa lmost like viewing a mirrorimage of our own experience .This revelation , in turn, isprecisely what gives this study itsspecial significance . t performs afunction much like thatperformed by the stranger whovolunteered to train a mule sostubborn no one e lse co u ld doanything with it. His first act wasto pick up a nearby two-by-fourand crack the mule over the headwith it. His reasoning? Before youcan teach it anything, you ve gotto get its attention.

This study does just that. tdirects our attention to our ownproblems with wire strikes. Whileno one intentionally wants to hitwires, the fact remains that forthe past 10 years Army aviatorshave been involved in these typesof mishaps on the average ofabout once every two weeks.

2


24/52

Resolving the problemAs Army studies havepointed out, flying at a lowaltitude not required by themission, operating an aircraft atan airspeed above 60 knots duringterrain flight, and failure to plotthe locations of known wiresstrung along a proposed route arethree primary errors that canreadily result in wire strikes. OneOH-58 pilot put all three of theseto work against himself when hewillfully violated regulations andunit SOPs.

This pilot deviated from hisoriginal flight plan and descendedbelow his minimum authorizedaltitude of 500 feet agl. Then,while at an airspeed estimated tobe more than 60 knots, hisaircraft hit wires. All threeoccupants were killed and theaircraft was destroyed. Why hedeviated from his original flightplan will probably never beknown. Maybe he wanted to takea closer look at something below ,or perhaps he was simply trying togive his passengers a break fromthe monotony of a routine crosscountry flight. As it turned out,he broke a lot more than justthe monotony.As might be expected, thisparticular mishap also conformsto the typical wire strike profile inthat it meets the followingcriteria: The pilot was anexperienced aviator, the flightwas being conducted duringdaylight hours under YFRconditions, and the mishap

occurred outside the trainingenvironment.he human element

Human error is almost alwaysinvolved in wire strikes. Thiserror can result from an improperact willfully performed by thepilot or from one madeunintentionally. For example,years ago an Army fixed wingpilot on an administrative flightlanded his aircraft at a smallairfield. Stretched across therunway, approximately midway,was a telephone cable. The pilotknew of the wire's presence. Infact, he had to taxi under itbefore departing the airfield. Yet,on takeoff. he struck the wire.Obviously, psychological andphysiological causes can oftenplaya role in wire strike mishaps.Flying in clear weather on asunny day over relatively openterrain virtually devoid ofstructures of any sort can lullcrews into a false sense ofsecurity. First, they may feel thechance of wires suddenlyappearing in their flight path isextremely remote; and second,under clear weather conditions,they are almost certain to seeany wires in the area. Well,almost isn t good enough. Onefatal Army helicopter mishap

occurred under conditionsidentical to those described. Thewires were present and the pilotdid not see them. In fact,investigators flying the same route

as that of the ill-fated aircraftcould not see the high voltagepowerlines suspended ahead ofthem - even though they knewtheir exact location.

The time of day, position ofthe sun, the types of wires, andthe prevailing atmosphericconditions can all affect a crew'sability to spot wires.ngredients for prevention

The prescription for avoidingwires during flight requires anumber of ingredients anddemands the full cooperation ofthe commander, operationsofficer, unit aviation safetyofficers, unit IPs, pilots, and crewchiefs. The ingredients are:

1 SOPs and directives. InsureSOPs and directives relative toterrain flight reflect the safestprocedures possible for the typesof missions being flown. Detailedresponsibilities for the pilot at thecontrols, pilot not at the controls,and other crewmembers shouldbe specified.2. Supervision. Provideadequate supervision to insurepilots adhere to establishedpolicies. All missions, includingquick reaction missions, shouldbe planned and all aircrewsshould know the plan.Supervisors should then insurethat the flight is flown as plannedand that deviations are a result ofoperational necessity and not abreakdown of professional flightdiscipline.

3. Hazard maps. Wires andother obstacles that pose asignificant threat to terrain flight

U S ARMY AVIATION DIGEST


25/52

should be accurately depicted-onhazard maps. In areas such as.Europe where the prominence ofwires would unduly clutter themap, major wire hazards andwires that are located in unlikelyareas should be plotted andaircrews made aware of otherunplotted wire locations such asalong roads, railroads, etc. Whenit is possible for all wires to beplotted without compromising theusefulness of the map, then by allmeans they should be.4. Wire marking. Wires aroundall potential takeoff and landingsites on and off militaryreservations should be markedwhenever possible. Certainly, allwires around frequently usedlanding sites should be marked.Units using tacticalcommunications lines strungabove the ground should beadvised that these lines can be ahazard to Army aircraft andshould be conspicuously marked.While pilots should know when toexpect wires, environmentalconditions can sometimes makethem virtually impossible to see.Markers can greatly simplify thistask.

5 Minimize contour flying.Virtually all wire strikes occurduring terrain flight in thecontour mode or on takeoff orlanding. The most seriousmishaps occur during contourflight. Low level is generallyabove the wire environment andNOE speeds are usually slow

DECEMBER 98

enough to allow crews to reactand avoid wires. It follows thenthat minimizing time in thecontour mode can reduce wirestrikes. In addition to this, it isimperative that crews exercisemaximum vigilance wheneverlanding in and taking off from anunfamiliar area. Likewise, theycannot be complacent aboutgoing into or out of places theyknow. Wires can be constructedin a matter of minutes or hoursand when in place they are readyto attack.

6 Maximum crewcoordination. When flying in awire environment , maximumcoordination among allcrewmembers is needed insearching for wires. Duringterrain flight, the pilot's fullattention should be to flying.Navigation, setting radiofrequencies, and monitoringinstruments should be a functionof the other crewmembers. f thepilot at the controls must directhis attention away from flying,then he either needs to land orclimb to a higher altitude abovethe obstacle environment. f not,experience has shown there is agood chance he will hit somethingthe ground, a tree, some wires,etc.).7. Terrain flight a irspeed

should be tailored to theenvironmental conditions. Thisairspeed must be such that a pilotwill be able to identify and reactto an unforeseen obstacle in his

flight path in time to avoid hittingit. A general rule is that the closerto the ground a flight is to beflown, the slower the airspeedshould be. While speed greatlyaffects reaction distance, anotherfactor in determining theappropriate airspeed is theenvironmental conditionsaffecting forward visibility, i.e. ,precipitation, fog, haze, glarefrom the sun, darkness, etc.Assuming good visibility, if twoaircraft are approaching wiresand one is at 80 knots while theother is at 40 knots, the pilot ofthe faster aircraft will need tospot the wires at a distance ofmore than 1,650 feet to react andavoid them. The pilot of theslower aircraft will have ampletime to react if he sees them at600 feet.

Some aviators may not beimpressed with the wire threat ,the statistical data , or the sevenpoint prevention program. We alltoo often say it always happens tothe other guy, never to me.Fortunately, there are a lot ofother guys stilI out therewalking around , but there arealso some who are not. f you

have any doubts about wirestrikes, search out someone whohas had one. You will find such aperson at almost every installationand most of them realize theywere lucky and came within a fewinches of being not so lucky. f asan individual aviator, you getnothing more out of this articlethan the following, we haveaccomplished something: lowdown as y ou go down and use allcrewmemb e s to help look for thewires n

3


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Mr. Jerry J. Morris Aerospace EngineerDirectorate for SystemsEngineering and DevelopmentDARCOMSt. Louis MOandLTC Donald E S MerrittReadiness Project OfficerScout/ObservationHelicoptersTSARCOMSt. Louis MO

I OPERA-TIONAL need stated in the missionsheet given the pilot is a standard,seemingly straightforward one oftroop support that requires at somepoint the use of low level flyingtechniques.Witness:

The terrain flight navigationmission being flown for the benefitof the copilot, a relatively new, lowtime pilot.

The tactical training missioninvolving opposing maneuver forcesabout to overrun the platoon's position.

The aerial surveillance missionthat was delayed 2 hours due to'poor visibility in the area and finallyflown in light haze and fog.

These were and are) normaleveryday missions. hey ended inaircraft crashes he crashes wereFIGURE 1: Total OH 58 wire strikes

per year

19761977

98 _unoJUNE I

162

caused by wire strike Army aircrafthave been involved in a wire strikemishap on an average of once every2 weeks for the past 10 years.

The primary mission of the OH-58 Kiowa helicopter in the scoutrole is to prov ide aerial observ ation,target acquisition, reconnaissance,and command and communication.As such, the OH-58 is required toperform terrain flight (nap-of-earth,low level, contour), enclosed areatakeoff and landing and confinedarea maneuvers. With this em phasized operation close to the groundand during varying degrees of visibility, the hazard created by abovethe ground strung electrical, communication and carrier wires is veryreal and constantly present.Witness the helicopter pilot escorting troops on a reconnaissanceand ambush mission who-whileforward hovering in a field tacticalsi te- saw wires, applied cyclic, hada tail rotor strike, lost his 90-degreegearbox and crashed.

Despite concentrated training/education on avoiding wire strike,mapping of wires on hazard maps,physically marking wires. a no establishing standing p ~ r p ~ o -cedures (SOP) for terram fltght. wIrestrike remains a seriolls. problem.

During the period 1976 to 1980,the OH-58 fleet experienced anaverage of 11 wire strikes per year(figure 1, chart of OH-58 wirestrikes). There were a total of18 injuries and 7 fatalities(figure 2 injuries and fatal-ities). The average yearlycost was 360,406. Thetotal cost at the endof 1980 was 1,802,032(figure 3 chartof costs.)

FIGURE 2OH 58 wirstrikeinjuries anfatalitiesper year

lEGENDINJURIES

F T L I T I E S


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As above the ground wires havenot been eliminated, nor will theybe in the near future, the ArmyAviation community membersconcerned with doctrine, safety,logistics and technical matters agreed that the hazard presented by abovethe ground wiresmust be effectively reducedby config-uring thehe li-

FIGURE : OH 58 wirestrike costs per year

769,000977

1978 ..

98T JUNE.

copter to bemore tolerant

of wire strikes. Thegoal was to developa simple, lightweight,

easy to install and maintain, low cost and highly effective wire strike protectionsystem (WSPS).

The WSPS developed by BristolAerospace for the Canadian CH-136 helicopter was proposed forapplication to the OH-58 (figure 4Total Bristol WSPS).The WSPS had undergone extensive testing to establish feasibilityand effectiveness of the design. Awrecked Kiowa fuselage, with awindshield deflector and uppercutter installed, was rigidly securedon a truck and instrumented torecord wire deflection-cutting forces. The truck was driven throughvarious combinations of wires, atspeeds from 15 to 60 miles per hour.Yaw angles were varied from 0 to45 degrees, and multiple strikelocations were used.

While the truck test confirmedthe efficiency and capability of theconcept, it did not answer questionsregarding aircraft pitch and yawchanges, deceleration loads duringimpact and cutting sequence, andtheir effect on aircraft control andblade flapping. Nor did it test the

lower cutter.To answer

these questions,a swing test was

conducted by the Advanced Technology Lab

(ATL) , Ft. Eustis, V A, atthe National Aeronauticsand Space Administration fa

cility, Langley AFB, VA. A fuselagewith the complete wire strike protection system installed was suspended by the rotor mast and allowed to freely swing through theobjective wires. The test includedsingle and multiple wire cuts bythe upper and lower installationsand simultaneous wire cuts by theupper and lower cutter (figure 5test apparatus). (See Wire StrikeProtection For Helicopters, September 1980 Aviation Digest.

Results of swing test establishedthat impact-deflection-cutting se-

FIGURE : BristolAerospace wire strikeprotection system


28/52

pivot po in tp latfo r ms

tT

wir e s )

wi re he igh t

FIGURE 5: Swing test apparatus

quence willnot have a significant effect on

the helicopter or operator with respect to

performance control orblade flapping.Other testing accom-plished was flying qualities,

EMC/ EMI electromagnetic compatibility electromagnetic interference) and a product improvementevaluation.All tests were successfully completed and the WSPS was acceptedfor application to the OH-58 aircraft.The system consists of an uppercutter/ deflector, a windshield protector/ deflector/ cutter and a lowercutter deflector figure 6 . The upperassembly consists of a sawtooth edgedeflector and wedge type cutterblades. The deflector guides the wireinto the cutter blades while simultaneously abrading, thus weakening thewire. The cutter blades are positioned to provide the necessary mechanical advantage to cut the wire whileminimizing the load input to theairframe.

6

The windshield assemblyconsists of a sawtooth-equipped alum

inum extrusion extending the length of the centerpost. It deflects the wire intothe upper cutter while simultan

eously abrading the wire. t alsoprovides additional structural support for the upper cutter mounting.The lower assembly is essentiallyidentical to the upper cutter/ deflector and provides the same deflection,abrasion and cutting functions.

The WSPS is simple to installand maintain requiring only stan-

4 stabilizer struts5 sawtoothed cable

deflector6 double wedge cutter7. stabilizer struts

dard, readily available tools andskill levels. The installation time is45 workhours.During introduction of the WSPSinto the U.S. Army system, theCanadians who had already fieldedthe system) experienced groundcontact with the deflector of thelower assembly. Damage rangedfrom minor scraping to peeling awaythe mounting panel figure 7, photosof ground contact).

The problem was considered tobe of such significance to warrantevaluation of a design change. Twoareas proposed for investigationwere incorporation of a breakawaytip on the lower cutter and/ or shortening the length of the cutter.

Bristol Aerospace initiated labtests to optimize a breakaway tipdesign and validate that the designwould withstand cable impact butshear on contact with ground orobstacle.

FIGURE 6: Wire cutter components

1 sawtoothed cable deflecto2 double wedge cutter3 sawtoothed windshield

deflector /protector

u s ARMY AVIATION DIGEST


29/52

FIGURE 7: Lower deflector groundcontactA flight test program was initiated

at the U.S. Army Aviation Engineering Flight Activity using a specialdesign lower cutter tip with graduated plywood fingers to indicatedegree of contact (figure 8 woodentest apparatus). Flights coveredtactical type operations involving:Forward flight, rearward flight, autorotation, slide-on landings, lowaltitude hover takeoffs and ground takeoffs.

Test results indicated that criticalmodes of operation are ground andhover takeoffs within 1 foot of theground in combination with pitchattitudes greater than minus 10degrees (nose low) (figure 9 chartof test results). The factors affecting nose attitude are: Pilot input,center of gravity location, grossweight, environmental condition(tailwind) and transitional lift.

Based on test results, the finaldesign of the lower cutter will havea breakaway tip, with sP.lice justbelow strut attaching point, two slideplates, two shear rivets, and the tipwill be shortened by 2 inches nvertical height (figure 10).FIGURE : Lower deflector woodentest apparatus

lp 365 S3013 5ref. up assemblyf w d ~

DECEMBER 1981

Also, a note will be added to theoperator's manual cautioning aboutnose low attitudes greater than minus10 degrees in proximity to ground(figure 11 caution note).In review, the best approach towire strike is still avoidance. Continuing education and stressing ofthe steps for wire strike preventionare paramount:

Establishing SOPs for terrainflight. Ensure adherence to SOP. Preflight briefing on wire hazards. Mark wires. Avoid contour flight not mis-sion required. Crew coordination. Go slow when you go low.f avoidance fails the wire strikeprotection system will be there toprovide the ace-in-the-hole capability of severing the wires andpreventing aircraft damage or personnel injury. It is not, however, afail-safe system. Frontal coverage(area from skid bottom to mast top)

is 88 percent in level flight. Conceivably it is possible, but highlyunlikely, for a wire to enter fromthe frontal area somewhere betweenthe upper tip of the cutter and therotor blade and the tip of the lowercutter and the bottom of the skid.Wires that are not under tension,i.e., free-strung commo wire, presentunique challenges. These areas andothers are under close scrutiny bythe ATL.

The WSPS is a well designed andtested piece of equipment, totallymeeting the original goals of apassive, simple, light-weight, maintainable system. With proper education and emphasis on pilot awarenessof possible ground contact with thelower cutter, the system willprovide trouble-free andeffective wire strike pro-tection.

critical modes of operationground and hover takeoffs withinone foot of ground and over 10nose low pitch attitudefactors affecting nose attitudepilot inputCG locationgross weightenvironmental conditions (tail wind)environmental conditions (tail wind)transitional lift settling

FIGURE 9: U.S. Army Aviation EngineeringFlight Activity test results

FIGURE 10: Lowercutter with breakaway tip

FIGURE 11:Operator s Manuacaution noteCAUTION

DURING TAKEOFF WITH THEHELICOPTER SKIDS CLOSE TOGROUND NOSE LOW ATTI-TUDES OF 10 OR MORE CAN RE-SULT IN GROUND CONTACT OFTHE WSPS LOWER CUTTER TIP. FOR-WARD C.G., HIGH CROSS WEIGHT,HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE, TRANSITION-AL LIFT SETTLING, AND A TAIL WIND IN-CREASES THE PROBABILITY OF GROUNDCONTACT.

7


30/52

VIEWS ROM RE DERS

Editor:Request this organization be put on

permanent official distribution for theU S nny Aviation Digest (three copies).

Our squadron flies CH-3 Jolly GreenGiant helicopters for special op erationsmissions. We often work with U.S. ArmySpecial Forces. We find the AviationDigest a valuable source of informatio nabout Army Aviation ope rations procedures, training and related areas ofcommon interest.

Major Paul R. Davis302d Special Operations Squadron(AFRES)Luke Air Force Base, AZ 85309

Air Force units should use localfunds and submit a request for an annualsubscription 822.00 (827.50 for overseasunits) to Superint endent of Documents,U s Government Printing OffjCe, Washington, DC 2Ot02.

Editor:Please send me parts I through 4 ofthe article "From Balloon to Black Hawk,The Army Forward Aeromedical Evacuation Story, by Lieutenant ColonelDavid M. Lam, M.D. One of the articlesappeared in the September 1981 issue.

LTC Thomas C. MunleyChief, Command Staff BranchMilitary Science DivisionAcademy of Health SciencesFt. Sam Houston, TX 78234

Editor:Your July 1981 article, "You CanSay No " was both timely and relevantfor aviation commanders and. aviatorsin the active and reserve forces. As

CW3 Wingate points out, it is the dutyof the professional aviator to exercisehis best judgment when missions are tobe flown under questionable circum-stances .

The following acronym was developedto help provide guidelines to aviatorsand to those initiating mission requests.Perhaps your readers can use it:ABILITY to serve is hampered whenrequesting units fail to recognize that:Aircraft have limitations due to maintenance and weather.Bonafide missions which support traininga re the o.nly valid missions.Intelligent use of aviation includesconcern for the time and safety of aircrews.Limited use of time maintenance equipment reduces down time.Immoderate deployment ofTactical resources results in declines intheir value forYou.Pl ease send me 10 copies of the articleYo u Can Say No."

Major Howard J. HurstHQ 42d Avn Bn NYARNG63 Babylon TpkeFreeport, NY 11520

Thank you for sharing your guidelineswith theAviation Digest readers. Also,the copies you requested are in themail.

Ed ito r:In reviewing the article Beating theHind-D which appeared in the November1980 Aviat ion Digest the author readwith grea t interest the concept that closesupport aircraft such as the Air ForceA-tO may be an ideal aircraft for antihelicopter operations. I f recent experiencegained by members of Trp 0 1 238Cav, Michigan National Guard is anyindication, this may not be the case.

During a tactical exercise which occurred during September 1980 at CampGrayling, MI, M Series gunships utilizingRussian Hind-D flight techniques weredeployed against Air Force H-3 helicopters escorted by A-lO Sandy aircraftduring search and rescue operations.A typical operation would see two flightsof two Hind aircraft deployed againstthree Air Force H-3 helicopters withfive A-lO escorts; a common UHF radiofrequency was used for command andcontrol and to call "kills." The Hindcrews knew the general location of thedowned pilot, and A-1O crews had beenbriefed that Russian Hind-D aircraftwere conducting operations in the area.During a particularly successful operation in which Hind crews claimed twoH-3 helicopters and two A-lO aircraftin one 2-minute engagement, one Hindcrew closed within 100 meters of an H-3 before calling his kill, a second Hindstarted his attack run at 2,000 metersand closed to 800 meters. Both attackhelicopters were able to press hometheir attacks while avoiding detectionby the A-lO escort. While the tacticalexercise was of limited scope and sophistication, the Hind crews had gained ahigh degree of confidence in their abilityto successfully operate against closesupport aircraft of the A-lO type.While many of the following recommendations and conclusions may ha ve

Articles from the Aviation Digest requested in these let ters have been mailed. Readers can obtain copies of materialprinted in any issue by writing to: Editor, U S rmy Aviation Digest P O Drawer P, Ft. Rucker, AL 36362

28 U.S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST


31/52

been stated before and many are common sense, the author believes whentaken as a whole, they may offer substantial advantages when operat ing againstfixed wing aircraft.

Target Acquisition: With presentclose support aircraft lacking a lookdown - shoot down capability, targetacquisition becomes a visual process.With its slower speeds and ability tohover in well concealed overwatch positions, the attack helicopter enjoys adecided advantage in target acquisitionover close support aircraft with theirmuch higher airspeeds and more limitedability to use terrain for masking. Thisadvantage increases with the altitudeof the close support aircraft. (Hind crewsfelt that task saturation of an A-lO pilotflying at 150 to 250 K low level, pullinghigh "G" turns made target acquisitionof low flying helicopters using properflight techniques a difficult propositionat best.)

Target engagement: When attackingclose support aircraft, attack helicoptersshould attack after the aircraft has passedover head from the 6 o'clock low positionor after the aircraft has completed itstarget run and is breaking away fromyour aircraft. Hind crews felt that anattack helicopter equipped with an airto-air missile with a range of 5 to 6 kmwould enjoy a large measure of successwhen attacking from the 6 o'clock lowposition. Closely related to target engagement techniques is the selection ofengagement positions. Attack helicoptercrews must become aware of bothvertical ahd horizontal masking. Presentterrain flight techniques offer maximumprotection from today's horizontalthreats such as enemy air defensesystems, other attack helicopters andground observers. Vertical maskingwould be any measure taken to decreasedetection from above. At present thisis probably limited to proper terrainmasking and proper utilization of theaircraft's camouflage. All Hind crewswere of the opinion that maximumvu ln erability to detection from bothhorizontal and vertical threats occurredduring Weapons release due to weaponssignature.

Stationary vs . moving: Hind crewsfelt that a stationary aircraft in a wellselected ambush position enjoyed adecided advantage over a moving helicopteror fixed wing aircraft in everythingfrom target acquisition to weapons

DECEM ER 98

employment. This fact became mostapparent while egressing from the targetarea. After weapons release Hind crewshad three basic options; a. Remainstationary to maintain the advantagesof a stationary aircraft. b Make a shortdash to a secondary position to avoiddetection due to weapo ns signature. c.Use a preplanned route to leave targetarea. In any case, it was felt the leadattack helicopter should be covered byits wingman from a well concealedoverwatch position until both attackhelicopters are well clear of the engagement area .

In closing. the author believes thatwith proper weapons and tactics. theattack helicopter can successfully defeatboth fixed wing close support aircraftand helicopters. Hopefully further testingin this area will prove that the bestantihelicopter weapon is the attackhelicopter.

Editor:

Captain Ken DonovanSection CommanderD Troop, 1 238th CavalryMichigan National Guard

Our staff is tasked with planning andconducting the aviation portions of CPXsand FTXs for divisions and higher levelorganizations. In the August 9K 1 issue.the article by LTG Richardson, "Airmobility In The 1980s" (on page 26),mentions a decision to integrate aviationinto the combat arms basic and advancedcourses and cites 19 aviation sharedtasks and 10 to 14 branch specific tasksthat will be integrated into programs ofinstruction. We are keenly interestedin learning exactly what the shared andspecific branch aviation tasks are andhow they are

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