Army Aviation Digest - Feb 1983

8/12/2019 Army Aviation Digest - Feb 1983

1/32

7 83PRppERU O1tll.ltBij RY us RU rORT RUCKERA


2/32

FEBRUARY 1983 - VOLUME

*rigadier General Ellis D ParkerAviation OfficerOD CSOPS. Headquarters,Department of the ArmyNUMBER

ajor General Carl H McNair Jr.CommanderU.S. Army Aviation CenterFort Rucker, Alabama

Aviation unit maintenance must

Brigadier General Charles E TeDeputy CommanderU.S. Army Aviation CenterFort Rucker, Alabama

J11 JkviAtinn CW2

F

in a manner that advancedDivision 86. Concurrently, it must be withnrCICO Ir 1J 1 real-world problems. Thecombat. See story, page 2 CoverMartin.

Honorable John O MarSecretary of the ArmRichard K TierneyEditor


3/32

EACH MONTH I have a sneak preview ofviation Digest when I receive a copy of theed product). Our editorial board then meets

review the issue for accuracy and content, sowe can provide to you in the field the mostinformation on aviation matters. But I

to be impressed by the wide varietytopics which you, our authors, cover so well.Captain James A. Fitzpatrick opens the issue

"AVUM: Think Combat -a splendid workobserves that training for aviation uni t

not what itbe to prepare them for battle, and he offers

for present and future actionsovercome that deficiency. It's an irrefutablet's not maintained can't fly, and thatcoupled with the truth that aviation tactics are

if aircraft are not available. Captain Fitzwrites that his purpose is to "encourageplatoon leaders and all aircraftto conduct day-to-day

to plan training with combat inI go a step further by saying that concernto ensure their maintenance

to work and survive in battle.There is not a cross hair or word in A LetterGorgi, so how can it be a threat article?

P) Bill Voth of the Center's

to take to heart and mind. The cruxfor us to realize that our adversaries are well

Ifdetermination to reach his full potential

1983

is typical of Soviet aviators, we need to hauldown and bury our complacency flag and run upand salute the banner of respect-then prepareourselves to respectfully shoot them from theskyPart of that preparation has to be the kindChief Warrant Officer, CW2, Thomas E. Whitsonwrites about in The Chemical Environment andArmy Aviation." Training to survive chemical warfare is not pleasant and it's easy to find anynumber of reasons for not doing so. CW2 Whitson submits for your consideration, however,that not to survive is the only alternative to being well trained

Ladies and Gentlemen-there is one fact oflife we must live with: We're professionals witha vital contribution to make to our nation'sdefense. We have to tighten our trainingschedules, sharpen our dedication and SOLDIERON in a better manner than Gorgi.

Major General Carl H. McNair Jr.Commander, U.S. Army Aviation CenterFort Rucker, AL

1


4/32

Captain James A Fitzpatrick120th Aviation Company CS)Fort Richardson, AK

ExpERIEN E SHOWS that most aircraft maintenance officers, particularly aviation unit maintenance(A VUM) platoon leaders, spend their working hourstrying to meet the day-to-day requirements for aircraftavailability in their units. It's pretty hard to worryabout the AirLand Battle when the alligators arebreaking down the hangar doors.Concepts for future combat, particularly Division86, are being refined but implementation for mostaviation units is still 2 or 3 years away.

What the A VUM platoon leader must considerow is how to practice day-to-day maintenance in a

manner which reflects concepts being advanced byDivision 86, yet is compatible with present-day, realworld problems; and what type of training is necessaryat the A VUM platoon level to ease the eventualtransition which we all face in the years to come.

The key to both maintaining and training is thinkcombat. We must operate and train in a mannerwhich will enable A VUM platoons to maintain incombat, today if necessary.A primary consideration when evaluating combatdoctrine is the expected threat. Present doctrine anddeveloping concepts are based on highly mobile, armorheavy, threa t forces. These forces are expected to beprepared to advance about S km a day during offensivethrusts. They will have the ability to use airborne,helicopter assault and tactical air forces. These unitswill consider the support areas of U.S. divisions andcorps as prime targets. The range and mobility ofthreat forces means that U.S. Forces will have to beequally mobile to survive.A viation units are not as mobile as other combatunits; therefore, they normallywill be deployed in thedivision area, with aircraft moving forward into the

2

supported brigade's area for temporary operationThis type of combat configuration means two importathings to the A VUM platoon leader. First, the A VUplatoon may be required to move as often as oncevery 4 hours. Second, the A VUM platoon will spenmost working hours away from the aircraft which itresponsible to support. The periods requiring highemobility will be during the time that combat initialbreaks out and during intensive offensive or defensivoperations. The periods are called surge conditionsConcepts for aviation maintenance in combat beindeveloped by the U.S. Army Transportation SchooFt. Eustis, VA, take into consideration the requiremefor A VUM mobility on the future battlefield.The dominant feature is repair, as far forward apossible. The crewchief or contact teams from thA VUM platoon will complete repairs at the site breakdown if at all possible. This reduces the amou

of time the aircraft is away from the battlefield. Contateams, which will be task oriented and staffed complete specific repairs, must constantly be preparefor movement to a downed or damaged aircraflocation. The teams' transportat ion should be via thfastest possible mode, usually air.The A VUM platoon leader may need to send small slice with aircraft when temporary operationrequire unit aircraft to remain away from the A VUMplatoon location for extended periods of time. Thslice, normally consisting of a technical inspector anone or two general mechanics, will evaluate problem

determine extent of damage and make decisionconcerning materiel, repair parts and repairmenwomen necessary to complete work on downeaircraft.One new concept being developed by the Tranportation School requires downed aircraft, which mube recovered as an external load, to be rigged by thowning unit rather than by aviation intermediamaintenance (AVIM) units. This will require AVUMplatoons to form and train recovery teams. Thes

U.S. RMY VI TION DIGES


5/32

The opinions expressed in this articleare those of the author and do notnecessarily reflect the views of anyDepartment of Defense agencywill be equipped to complete all rigging necessary

he platoone access to a recovery aircraft forthe recovery team and specialent to the recovery site.Another feature of the future battlefield will be the

of personnel will add to the A VUM platoonin this area. o a major degree the

VUM platoon leader is able to display. We can

s h o r t a g ~ s This technique isning. A VUM platoons can design trainingich train general mechanics to completeby engine repairmen. Enginen be trained to do limited airframe repair. Airframe repairmen can be trained to work asis trained to repair what iss important is that more thantwo people from each specialty skill in theVUM platoon must be trained to perform componentirframe repairs. Crosstraining does not necessarilyly that a general mechanic will be able to complete

t may be that a good mechanic isto complete the engine repairs most frequentlyat the A VUM level. he key to the programthat personnel must be trained and available tokly to a downed aircraft under battlefielde expedientdamage.Another concept being developed by the Trans

is deferral or extension of services,(TBOs). Theseto engineering or safety Extending lubrications and services to twice normal Deferring scheduled/phase inspections for 300

or 30 days. Extending TBO components 300 hours or 2 Deferring all nonstructural or nonflight safetyindefinitely. Failures: deferring repairs for noncritical failuresdant system for 5 hours; deferring repairs

983

time flight; critical failures, during surge or emergency,defer for 3 missions or 1 hours.hese recommendations or ideas may raise a few

eyebrows, but remember, we're talking about combatunder critical surge conditions. During these conditionsthe suggestions above may take on a very appealinglight.Another program to help the aircraft maintenanceofficer provide support in combat is being jointlydeveloped by the Transportation School and theApplied Technology Laboratory, U.S. Army Researchand Technology Laboratories (AVRADCOM). Thisprogram is the Aircraft Combat Maintenance/Helicopter Battle Damage Repair Program.

he program being developed deals with threeoperational issues: Methodology he inspection, assessment andrepair of damage or failures which occur in combat. Materiel Stockage of repair parts, use of cannibalization, tool requirements and elapsed repair timetargets. Manpower Deals with training of assessors andrepairmen, specialization of assessors and repairmen,and possible use of National Guard personnel. hepurpose of the Aircraft Combat Maintenance/BattleDamage Repair Program is to provide engineeringdata and a scientific approach to quick-fix repairswhich will safely put aircraft back on the battlefield inan expedited manner.he main repair targets for the program are: Structures assessment and repair Serviceability criteria guides Wiring inspection and repair techniques Cannibalization techniques Tools and ground support equipment Assessment techniques Fuel cell repair Fluid line and tubing repairBased on present-day doctrine and developingconcepts for future battlefields, there are a fewprinciples of aviation maintenance which I think AVUMplatoon leaders can practice today. hese principlesare: Priorities for repair are set by the unit commanderbased on aircraft requirements for the battlefield. Aircraft maintenance in combat will result inshortages of personnel, repair parts and aircraft.ntensive maintenance management is a must. Crosstraining of specialty skills will help easepersonnel shortages.


6/32

Repairs must be completed as far forward aspossible with maximum use of contact teams. A VIM support should be n the form of contactteams as often as possible. These teams will alsorepair as far forward as possible. Cannibalization will be a key element in maintaining a maximum number of mission-capable aircraft. Quality control and technical inspection requirements must be based on achieving minimum safestandards rather than on like new repairs'. A VUM platoons should t ravel as light as possibleto meet mobility requirements. A VUM platoons must be prepared and equippedto rig downed unit aircraft for aerial recovery.Training s an area where the finely developedimaginative talents characteristic of all aircraftmaintenance officers will be used to the maximumextent. Doctrine s not clear in this area, so we mustsimply train to meet expected combat requirements.

Any talk of training must be prefaced by a hard buttrue fact. Most aviation unit commanders don t wantAVUM platoons to train, they want A VUM platoonsto maintain. To have a valid training program, A VUMplatoon leaders must convince their bosses that theA VUM platoon has to have dedicated time for training,particularly during field training exercises. A VUMplatoons can t go to the field just to support everyoneelse's training. This will mean a reduction n flyinghours or aircraft availability but it s the price of atruly combat effective aviation unit. ood luck.

The most unpleasant, and generally the mostneglected, areas of training concern defending theplatoon and working in a nuclear, biological, chemical(NBC) environment .In combat, the personnel of the AVUM platoonwill be required to provide their own protection.Threat forces realize the importance of rear areaelements, particularly aviation units, and plan onattacking these elements to reduce the sustainabilityof combat forces. There will not be enough combatforces available for the battlefield, so combat forcesdedicated to rear area security are very doubtful.A viation units, including the AVUM platoon, mustbe trained in active and passive defense measures.These tasks must be practiced n the field environment.Aircraft maintenance operations cannot stop whenNBC agents are introduced into the rear areas. Thismakes the performance of maintenance in protectiveovergarments or MOPP (mission oriented protectionposture, or chemical gear,) a requirement. Personnelof the A VUM platoon have to be trained n the areasof first aid, NBC protective measures and decontam-ination. The confidence builder for this training s

4

actually performing maintenance, for extended periodof time, under simulated NBC conditions. This typof activity does not have to take place n the fieldThe hangar provides a suitable training area, especialuntil maintenance crews become accustomedworking in overgarments .Now let's look at some pleasant activities in maintnance training for combat. First, until the A VUMplatoon has mastered all other skills, leave schedulephases at the hangar. The completion of phasmaintenance s fairly routine. Also, maintenance floshould not be sacrificed by practicing an activitwhich will be low in priority n intense combat.small phase team left working in the hangar can maka big difference to availability when the field traininexercise s over. For field training, concentrate ounscheduled maintenance and on exercising the abiliof the component and airframe repair sections tmake specific repairs. Known deficiencies should bprogramed for repair under field conditions. Thenables the A VUM platoon leader to test the abilitieof shop sections and specific repairmen to complerepairs under conditions of limited time and resourceSimulated or actual recovery of downed aircrashould be practiced. Recovery operations must includthe rigging of aircraft to be evacuated as externloads. The actual evacuation of flyable aircraft isnrecommended unless aircraft availability s particularlhigh and you have a very understanding chain ocommand.

The capability of the A VUM platoons to work wittool sets which are to be taken into combat muconstantly be tested. This can be accomplished at thhangar or n the field. Realistic capabilities for suppoout of issued tool sets must be known. The samapplies to the ability of the prescribed load list (PLLto support normal operations. Once the PLL s testedthe need for cannibalization techniques and controprograms may be viewed as more important.

The foregoing has been an attempt to encouragA VUM platoon leaders and all aircraft maintenancpersonnel to conduct day-to-day operations and tplan training with combat n mind. Division 86 mausher n newer ideas and units with different structurebut we can use the new concepts with our presenorganizations to ease the transition. The next wamay not be n line with the Division 86 timetable.Real life dictates fix that aircraft now, but aviatiomaintenance will be critically important in futurcombat. We must perform maintenance each day nmanner which will enable us to provide the aviatiounit commander with the maximum number of aircraduring combat.

u s RMY VI TION DIGES


7/32


8/32

photographs by Joe Lolley and Charles DuckeH

The military vehic les Captain John Farris is viewing in theRasnick Box will become more difficul t to see and identifywhen Captain Michael Dannaker places a plastic cloudover the terrain board. A training aid used In the threatroom at Fl Rucker, AL, the Rasnick Box was developed bya former instructor in the target identification course that istaught to Army aviators

Training aids in the threat room include: The Rasnick Box (developed by a formercourse instructor). It contains a terrain board

with models of ground vehicles, and lookingthrough slits in the sides of the box givesstudents a view of the ground similar to thatof flying at treetop level. The numbered vehicleshave to be matched with identifying nomencla.ture on a chart. Instructor Captain StephenReinhart stressed that selecting the correct identity for the vehicles is not easy but that moststudents improve normally about 100 percent

Taking carefulaim at threatvehicles is CaptainMarline Johnson,an instructor in thetarget identification course at Ft.Rucker, AL. Thetraining aid he isusing is a PanzerGame that firesarmament likethe AH1 Cobrahelicopter, andthe game'sscreen reflectsboth NATO andWarsaw Pacttargets

by the end of the training session. Panzer Game, a commercial product thahas been modified to have the charcteris tics oan AH1 Cobra's front seat. NATO and WarsawPact vehicles move in and out on the battlefielthe player sees through the viewfinder. ThCobra's armament includes TOW missiles ana machinegun. H ts on threat vehicles cause red flash and an explosion and win pointsSilence follows a hit on a friendly target. Gamtime is 6 seconds. If 2 points are scored ithat time, the student gets another half minute

Target identi fication boxes. On these thstudents pair nomenclatures with pictures. Awrong choice is announced to the world by a strdent buzzer. A mural depicting an AirLand Battle showin scale size a variety of military vehiclesweapons and aircraft. Students' alertness ichecked to see if they can find the items that dnot belong in the depicted scene,such as an Indian scout on a church steeple, a periscopbreaking the river's surface and a World Wartank.The training aids perform double duty, CaptaiReinhart said, in that they are used durinbreaktime as well as in classtime.Some students at the beginning of the cours

will act as if they believe this is just anothegameroom. By the time they've been in it a fewhours, though, and begin to realize what all is outhere that they will have to face in combat, all o

u.S. ARMY AVIATION DIGES


9/32

Jp ABOVE: By pairing nomenclatures with pictures, students learntactical vehicle identification with this training aidLEFT: A display of Soviet small arms in the threat room at FtRucker, AL, is used to teach students the lethality of theseweapons. Also helping Army aviators to acquire targetidentification skill are the pictures of enemy equipment that linethe classroom's walls.

to the job of learning, heJust how thorough that learning has to be iszed by Captain Marline Johnson's obser

of things to come:We anticipate the identification problem is

to be compounded by artillery fi re's abilito change the shape of a piece of equipment.for instance, has been through an

barrage, it takes on differentwon't present the niceit is so necessary that this

threat identification information be absorbed asthoroughly as possib le, the instructor said.The instructors' need for thoroughnessmatches that of the students. Others who sharethe teaching responsibi lity in the threat room areCaptains Dale Keen, George Vidal, John Farris,Michael Dannaker, Lewis Davidson, JoseCasablanca, William Danzeisen and FredericoGomez.They know that the crew of an M tank maylive tomorrow because an OHS8 scout pilot intheir class today learned the difference betweenthe M and a Russian T64 tank.

Instructors of the Tactics and Strategy Branch, Career Training Division,Department of Academic Training, Ft. Rucker, AL, plan how they will use the threat room'sAirLand Battle mural In their target identification class. They are, fromleft, Captains Jose Casablanca, John Farris, Michael Dannaker and John Fabry


10/32

THE CHEMIC LENVIRONMENTND RMY VI TION

WH N YOUCW2 Thomas E WhitsonA Co 82d Aviation BattalionFort Bragg NC

mention flying in a chemicalenvironment to your buddies in the club, does thelaughing and joking stop? Do things get quiet? Doeseveryone turn and walk away? Or, have you eversuggested that for next week's mission one pilot ineach cockpit stop by the NBC room to draw his M24protective mask to wear and have all of the pilots booand hiss at you? Sound familiar?In my unit flying with the M24 mask on is notPQ )ular, and for obvious reasons. But if you watchthe news on television or read the newspaper you nknow that suspected chemical use is on a rapid increasearound the world. So, are you ready to fly and fight inthis environment of chemical and biological warfare?I know many Army aviators who have a hundredexcuses as to why they shouldn't train with the M24mask: It s oo hot and get a headache. The face piece is curved and distorts my view. The NBC room was closed. I ll wait until the rmy issues me a more comfort-able mask and suit and then really train.

These attitudes reflected above are extremelydangerous Let me share a brief experience with you.

8

A while back when I w s a new guy in the unit, we werin the pilot's briefing room getting ready to flymultiship airmobile raid when the commander walked in and said, All right gents, my jeep and the trailejust pulled up and in the back are masks and MOPgear, one for each aicrew; and you PIes will ensurthat one of the pilots in each aircraft has his gear oat all times."

I wasn't a PIC so guess who got to wear the protectivequipment in my aircraft? As we were walking out tthe helicopter I was mumbling under my breath anthe PIC just laughed and said, "Well, when you makPIC, just think you can make your copilot wear thMOPP gear."So things weren't too bad; I slipped into my pantzipped up the jacket, climbed aboard the aircrafThe O T gauge read only a mere 38 degrees CelsiusWe finally got the aircraft cranked and off. Wwere chalk number three in two flights of four.didn't take long and I was pulling at the mask trying treposition the hot spots on my head which I knew wainevitable when trying to wear the protective maswith the SPH-4 flight helmet. Every time I would talkthe PIC kept saying "Huh? Huh?" I guess I soundelike I was inside a paper bag.

U.s. ARMY AVIATION DIGES


11/32

Eventually, the mission was over; we had just pickedup the troops from their raid and we were on our wayhome. Anxious to get my mask off I started to unsnapmy helmet when the commander came across theradio and said, Don' t anybody take their masks off,because instead of returning to the airfield, we aregoing to stop at a field decontamination site and allaircrews will observe aircraft and personnel decon-tamination.I t was at this point that I began to respect what thecommander was trying to do for us. When you leastexpect it, you could be deployed into an area wherechemicals are in use. Will you be ready?At the installation where I m stationed, the troops

Put

HARNESS

1 A1CANISTER

M25A 1 (armor)/M24 (aircraft) oxygen maskThe M24 (aircraft) mask has an oxygen supplyadapter that Is used by aircraft personnel to connect the mask to the oxygen supply system ofthe aircraft or to an oxygen bailout bottle. Theoxygen flows through the adapter s canister andhose into the facepiece of the mask.

M1CANISTERCOUPLING

~ ICONNECTOR f{)RIRCRAFT OXYGEN CONNECTOR ORSUPPLY BAILOUT BOTILE

983

yourself in their shoes, and imagine the followingscenario: You've trained hard at your job and you'reriding in the back of a helicopter, knowing exactlywhat has to be done when you get to your destination,You look around and each member of your squadlooks eager to get on the ground and go about themission. Then, you look forward and neither the pilotnor copilot has a protective mask on, because they'rechalk number four in a flight of five and they know ifflight lead runs into anything he'll be sure to call backand let the rest of the formation know what is goingon. Even though chemical warfare has not beenforecast in this small country, you and your squad arenot t k i n ~ any chances-you ve .got _your stuff on,Suddenly the aircraft flying NOE blunders into aninvisible toxic agent cloud. First, one pilot starts totwitch; the other grabs for his mask. Who's got thecontrols? Then, both pilots are twitching while youand your squad are sitting there knowing that with

two incapacitated pilots the aircraft will soon crash.The Result: Two dead pilots, a totally destroyedhelicopter and 10 dead INNOCENT passengers. Willthis story be yours? Whether you're a scout, attack,heavy lift or even a fixed wing pilot it doesn't takemuch of an imagination to come up with a similaraccident with equal or greater devastating results. Onthe modern battlefield no one will be impervious tothe chemical attack.As a professional aviator you have an obligation toyourself, your aircraft and those you support to beready for this insidious monster called chemical warfare.I appeal to you, the NBC officers and unit commandersto get together and set up good, sound, viable trainingprograms for your aircrews. Aviators in general willnot individually participate in volunteer NBC train-ing. This is why a program set up by commanders muststipulate mandatory participation and be closelymonitored by experienced NBC personnel, or all ef-fectiveness will be lost. Only you, the aviator, knowyour degree of individual chemical warfarepreparedness. f you feel your unit's NBC training fallsshort of your desired goals get with your unit's train-ing and NBC officer and schedule this much neededtraining.As a key element in the combined arms team weaviators must be ready at any time to fly and functioneffectively in this type of. environment. So don t waitfor the weather to turn cool or worry about head-aches and by all means don't wait for the Army toissue you that nice new comfortable mask andprotective suit. Start Training NowRemember an ounce of prevention is worth a poundof cure, only in this case there may be no cure.

9


12/32

PEARL SPersonal Equipment And Rescue/survival Lowdovvn

Ela ine Chiboucas photo by Tom GreeneCatch For SPII4 lIelmet Earcup Tension AssemblyDear PEARL: We recently requisitioned some crossstraps, earcup tension. S 8415-00-410-4661. anddid not receive any catches with them. Should thecatch be furnished with the strap assembly and sthere an S for the catch?PEARL is always happy to help. Since other lifesupport personnel may be faced with similar situationswe are furnishing the following information:

The catch does not come with the earcup strapassembly. However, there is an NSN assigned. ThePIN in question is Natick Dwg 5-2-516, Item 13 andhas an NSN 8415-{) )-169-6436, RIC is S9T. Suggestyou make a note of this item since it does not appearin the technical manual for the helmet but hopefullywe are not too late to get it in the next revision.Suit, Chemical Protective (CP) OvergarmentStocks of subject item, size XXXS, NSN 8415-{)1-070-1880, are exhausted. Stocks are available for sizeXXS, NSN 8415-{)1-{)70-1879, but it is anticipated thatan out-of-stock position will be reached soon. Furtherprocurement of these sizes is pending adoption of thenew battledress overgarment. All requisitions routed

to S9T for out-of-stock sizes will be rejected witstatus code CA. Size substitutions should be usewhere possible.Antiexposure Suit, SizingSeveral inquiries have been received as to how thsize of the antiexposure suits described on the baccover of the October issue of the Digest relate to thindividual's size. The person who is to wear thantiexposure assembly must be properly fitted witthe correct size of the CWU 21/P CWU 21A/coveralls and CWU 23/P liner in accordance with thfollowing table extracted from TO 14P3-5-81:

Chesteight Weight CircumferenceSize ~ I n c h e s Pounds) ~ I n c h e s63-66 125-149 32-36

2 66-69 125-149 32-363 69-72 125-149 32-364 64-67 5 ~ 7 4 37-405 67-70 5 ~ 7 4 37-406 7 ~ 7 3 5 ~ 7 4 41-447 66-69 175-199 41-448 69-72 175-199 41-449 72-75 175-199 45-47

10 67-70 200-224 45-477 ~ 7 3 200-224 45-47

12 73-76 200-224 45-47

TS-24B Survival Radio TesterUnder the PEARL article in the July 1982 AviatioDigest, we mentioned survival radio test equipmenwhich the USAF has been procuring for its aviatio

life support equipment shops. Unfortunately at thtime this equipment became available we did nohave the national stock number (NSN). So, we argiving it to you in this article. The NSN is 6625-{) 1-1288588 and the tester is managed by the Air Force aKelly AFB, San Antonio, TX. However, this test shas not been adopted for Army use at this time.If you have a question about personal equipment or rescue /survival gear. write PEARL, DARCOM, ATTN: DRCPO-ALSE,4300 Goodfellow Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63120 or call AUTOVON 693 3307 or Commercial 314 263 3307

10 U.S. ARMY AVIATION DIGES


13/32

REPORTINGFIN L

Late eNsFrom rmy viation ctivities

FROM FORT RUCKERo Model Chinook at Rucker. The first CH-47Dmodel Chinook helicopter is now in the inventoryat the Army Aviation Center.Major General Carl H. McNair Jr. received thelogbook and keys to the remodeled troop/cargo

carrying aircraft from Colonel Dewitt T Irby Jr.,the CH-47 modernization program project manager,Tuesday, 7 December.The aircraft was a 1967 A model that accumulated2,000 flight hours in the Vietnam War and 4,000total flight hours.

Boeing-Vertol Helps Museum. Boeing-Vertol,Philadelphia, PA, has given 10,000 to the ArmyAviation Museum Foundation. William P Jones,the company's director of military programs,presented the gift which raised the total of cashand pledges to more than 900,000 in the foundation's drive to build a new museum at the ArmyAviation Center. (USAAVNC PAO)FROM FORT HUACHUCA

Future Warrants. The first selectees for thenew air traffic control warrant officer program,MOS 150A which opened in 1982 for qualifiedenlisted persons, have been named:Richard T Wallach, Eddy O. Carter, James A.Leonard, John R Berning, James W Hartsfield,

Michael J. Flynn, Eric P Pearson III, Terry VanSteenbergen, Richard R Neher, Michael A.Mansfield, Martin B. Hammel, Wesley CampbellJr., Layman Johnson, Barrie Barnes, Harold AWaldrup, John B. Adams, James B. Faux Jr.,Benjamine Sweatland, Robert T Schwegel, JamesM Shields, Anthony E Johnson, Alfonso G Reyes,William Hasbrouck, Roger D Sigmon, James M.Walker, David R Doyle, Douglas E Pabst, ThomasO. Mosley, Douglas J. Hadler, Johnny R Stewart,Clyde W Ireland, Louis S Roach Jr., Pierre J.Riopel and Don A Roberts. All will have to attendthe Warrant Officer Basic Course at Ft. McClellan,AL, before appointment. (Hinton, USACC)FROM VIRGINIAFlight Training Openings. Approximately 80

FEBRUARY 1983

First black female flight surgeon, MAJ Rose Fitchett ofFt. Meade, MD, enters her final flight hour in a logbookaboard a TH-55 Osage he licopter after completing hersolo flight recently as part of the Flight Surgeon Courseat Ft. Rucker, AL. She is the first black female doctor tograduate from the courseopenings are available in the Army's initial entryflight training program this fiscal year forqualified commissioned office rs currently on active duty. Qualifications include having less than48 months of active federal commissioned service, passing a Class 1A flight physical and scoring a minimum of 90 on the Flight Aptitude Selection Test (FAST). Selection board meeting datesfor FY 1983 are 1 April and 1 July.Applications should be submitted throughcommand channels to:CommanderU.S. Army Military Personnel CenterATTN: DAPC-OPE-V(for SC 15-Aviation)orDAPC-OPG-T (for SC 71-Aviation) .200 Stovall Street

Alexandria, VA 22332More information is contained in AR 611-110,Selection and Training of Army Aviation Officers.(MILPERCEN)The Army's last U-1A Otter is now at the Army AviationMuseum, Ft. Rucker, AL Formerly used by the Army'sGolden Knights Parachute Team, the aircraft was flown tothe museum by LTC William C Childree, second from right,and Wilburn A James, second from left. At le ft is James G.Craig, assistant curator of the museum; and at right is CW4Michael J. Novosel who flew the Otter when h was a teampilot. LTC Childree, Mr. James and CW4 Novosel areassigned to Ft. Rucker's Directorate of Evaluation andStandardization


14/32

Lllo lkan Skyma ltetJd ~ v l o t l o n o ~ o l l o nSP Mary enderson

Public Affairs OfficeFort Erwin, C

WH N IT COMES to providing aviationsupport for the 172d Infantry Brigade (Alaska), thejob falls largely to the pilots and crews of the 222dA viation Battalion, headquartered at Ft. Wainwright.

Composed of four companies and a detachmentthe 222d Skymasters have a mission as varied andchallenging as the environment in which they operate.

The Skymasters' Headquarters and HeadquartersCompany (HHC) not only provides the normal command and control functions, but the Ramrods alsohave the additional mission of providing air assaultcapabilities for I72d units stationed north of theAlaskan Range. The unit uses 11 UH-IH Hueys and4 OH-58 Kiowas in accomplishing its task. In addition, the HHC 222d flies two C-I2 Huron airplanesfor courier support to the I72d Infantry Brigade.Located 350 miles away from its battalion headquarters, the 120th Aviation Company provides theprimary lift capability for the three infantry battalionswithin the I72d Light Infantry Brigade. With their 22UH-IHs, the Arctic Knights provide tactical airmovement of troops, supplies and equipment throughout the Alaskan command.

Sixteen CH-47C Chinooks make the Sugar Bearsof the 242d Aviation Company the prime logisticssupporters of the 172d Brigade. In addition to beingthe only feasible method of moving elements of the1st Battalion, 37th Field Artillery, the 242d provides

12

general mobility and materiel movement support tothe brigade.

Moreover, the 242d also plays an important role infighting tundra fires within Alaska with their firefightingcapabilities coming from slingloaded I OOO-gallon firebuckets.

A peacetime priority for the unit is the rescue andassistance it renders to climbers in distress and victimof aircraft accidents. With 10 specially modifiedChinooks, the 242d's High Altitude Rescue Team(Hart) has been credited with saving more than 42lives since the team's inception in 1976, including arescue at the 18,300 foot level of Mount McKinle(see McKinley Rescue, next page).

The 283d Medical Detachment provides medicaevacuation service to the brigade as well as MilitaryAssistance for Safety and Traffic (MAST) to the civiliancommunity within 129 nautical miles of Fort s Wainwright and Greely. The six UH-l V Huey air ambulanceaircraft have completed 695 medevac and 172 MASTmissions since October 1979.

Keeping the 172d Infantry Brigade's aircraft flyingis the job of the 568th Transportation Company'Old Dukes. The unit provides aviation intermediate

maintenance support to the brigade's aviation unitand also to those belonging to the Alaska Army NationaGuard and the National Oceanic and AtmospheriAdministration.

U.S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST


15/32

m ~ i n l e y Re/cueCW3 P) Richard M. O Connell

Instructor Rotary Wing Instrument BranchDirectorate of Training and DoctrineU S Army Aviation CenterFort Rucker AL

T WAS JUST a few shorthours since the team leader firstradioed the ranger at McKinleyPark, AK, telling him the climbingteam was in trouble and would needhelp getting off the mountain. Thepark ranger s promise of help wasreassuring, and with nothing to donow but wait, the climbers beganrecounting how they came to be intheir predicament.

t seemed to the climbers asthough they had been on the mountain for an eternity, instead of thejust over 3 weeks that passed sincethe beginning of their assault onMcKinley. ncessant cold, highwinds, poor weather and just plainbad luck exacted their toll. Whatwas to have been an enjoyable ascentof North America s highest peakinstead turned into a survival situation with one climber seriouslyinjured and others incapacitatedwith frostbite and alti tude sickness.

First, there was the seeminglyendless storm, its howling wind andbitter cold had weathered them in

FEBRUARY 983

at the 14 OOO-foot level of the mountain for more than a week. Whenthe skies finally cleared and theclimb resumed, one of the teammembers began to complain of lightheadedness and a tightening of thechest. The symptoms were passedoff at first, but by the time the teamreached 17,000 feet it was apparentthat the climber had contractedaltitude sickness and could go nofarther. A council was held thatnight, and the decision was madefor two climbers to make a dash forthe summit while the rest of theteam remained at the base campwith the sick friend. The followingmorning the two struck out fromthe base camp. They were travelinglight, carrying only what they wouldneed to get to the summit and backagain to the base camp. At first allwent well. Without all their cumbersome gear to slow them, the climbersmade short work of the last 3,000feet of the mountain. At the summitthey laughed, took pictures and feltas though their luck finally changed.

photo by SP5 Jon M Chelgrin

t was on the descent that disasterstruck. One of the climbers lost hisfooting, fell and apparently broke aleg. While administering first aid tohis injured friend the second climbercontracted frostbite. Through shearwillpower the two somehow managed to get back to the base camp,but in doing so they reached thelimit of their endurance and couldgo no farther. So it was, that theyhad come to wait for the help theyvery much hoped was on its way.

Before long they spotted an AirForce HC-l30 orbiting the mountain.Dispatched from Elmendorf AFB,the aircraft contacted the membersof the climbing team by radio, askedif they were in immediate need ofany additional survival gear, ascertained conditions at the base campand assured them help was on theway. For the first time since theordeal began the climbers began tofeel a ray of hope.

Shortly after the appearance ofthe HC-130 the climbers heard theunmistakable sound of a helicopter.

3


16/32

Racing out of their tent, they saw alarge twin rotor, red and whitehelicopter approaching the basecamp area. As they watched thehelicopter land, it disappeared in alarge white cloud of powdered snowwhich was generated by its rotors.From this white cloud emerged twofigures with a Stokes Litter movingtoward the climbers. When the twofigures reached the climbers theywent about their work quickly andbefore long the team was onboardthe helicopter and en route to safety.

The account you have just read,a composite of several rescues accomplished during a 3-year period,is all too typical of the type ofsituation the 242d Aviation Company at Ft. Wainwright, AK, encounters when fulfilling its mountainrescue mission in the state of Alaska.How the 242d Aviation Companycame to be involved in this missionand how it prepares and trains for itis the subject of this story.

Search and rescue operationsnormally are a U.S. Air Force responsibility and operations in Alaskaare no exception. In Alaska, searchand rescue operations are controlledby the Rescue Coordination Centerlocated at Elmendorf AFB. However, due to Air Force equipmentconstraints, the 172d Infantry Brigade (Alaska), through an agreementwith the Air Force, is responsiblefor all helicopter rescue operat ionsabove 10,000 feet within Alaska.

The 172d Infantry Brigade hastasked the 242d Aviation Company,with its CH 47C Chinookhelicopters, to maintain this moun-

14

mCt iinley Re/cue

tain rescue capability on a yearround basis. Further, during thenormal summer climbing season,late April to mid-August, thiscapability is put on a standby statusto reduce reaction time.The 242d Aviation Company s

first encounter with mountain rescueoperations was in 1974 when anArmy U-8 aircraft crashed on Mt.Sanford, a14,OOO-foot peak in centralAlaska. Using an improvised oxygensystem, the unit s aircraft assistedin search efforts on the mountain supper levels. From this modest,unexpected beginning the unit begandeveloping a program to train aircrews in the techniques required tosuccessfully conduct high altitudemountain rescue operations in Alaska

To fulfill its mission the 242d Aviation Company uses CH-47Cs that

have been equipped with an integraoxygen system and modified so thaboth of the aircraft s flight booshydraulic systems are pressurizedWith these modifications the unit aircraft have been cleared to altitudes of 22,000 feet for en routepurposes and landing may be attempted up to 20, ) ) ) feet.

Crewmembers use standard Armyissue flight gear for all operationsThis gear is supplemented with somecommercial gear for mountain survival and peculiar items requiredfor the mission such as jungle penetrators and Stokes Litters.

Training to qualify or refresh uniaircrews is conducted annually. Theprocess begins with 13 hours oclassroom academics. During theacademic training phase aircrewsreview aerodynamics, flight phys-

CH47 Chinooks o the 242d Aviation Company are tasked with all rescue tlons above 10 000 feet. With crews specially trained for the environment and a



17/32

iology, emergency procedures, critical conditions, mountain survival,aircraft oxygen systems, hoist operations and other selected subjects.After completing the academictraining phase the unit conductsflight training around and on Mt.McKinley. light training consistso a miminum of 5 flight hours onthe mountain. During training, aircrews work on refining crew coordination while practicing oper

ations at the 14,300 foot level of themountain s West Buttress and laterat the 15,500 foot level on Harper sGlacier. It should be stressed thatthe primary goal of this training isto make the aircrews as comfortableas possible with their tasks, regardless of the flight hours required.

Now that we have a little background information, let s look atthe conduct of an actual rescue

mission. Initial notification of theneed for help comes to the Air ForceRescue Coordination Center locatedat Elmendorf AFB. The RescueCoordination Center processes therequest and if the rescue mission isabove 10,000 feet, the centernotifies the 172d Infantry BrigadeCommand Operations Center of theneed for Army helicopters.

f the rescue is above 14,000 feetthe Command Operations Centeris required to get the personal approval of the Brigade Alaska commanding general. This done, thenext step is to notify the 242d Avia-tion Company through its parentunit the 222d Aviation Battalion.After notification, the unit launchestwo CH-47s, one aircraft is theprimary rescue aircraft and the otheracts as a chase aircraft in the event

242d has a 1 percent success rate In rescue operations

FEBRUARY 1983

anything goes wrong while the aircraft are on the mountain. The twoaircraft normally proceed to anairfield at Talkeetna, AK, wherethey meet Air Force pararescuepersonnel of the 71st Aero RescueSquadron from Elmendorf AFB.They then proceed to Mt McKinley.

The preferred method of rescueis to air-land as close as possible tothe rescue sight and have pararescuepersonnel assist the climbers ontothe aircraft. In some instances thismethod is not possible, and the crewmust rely on the aircraft rescue hoist.This method is avoided if possiblebecause of the more critical natureof hoist operations at high altitudes.After the rescue has been accomplished a decision is made as towhether the rescued people will beflown directly to an nchoragehospital or returned to Talkeetnafor further transportation by a 71stAero Rescue Squadron H 3 helicopter. Once the mission is completethe two CH-47s normally return toFt. Wainwright and resume theirstandby duty.Since being formally tasked formountain rescue work in 1976, the242d Aviation Company has compiled an enviable track record inthis hazardous line of work. To datethe unit has rescued 41 climbers. Ithas conducted air-land rescue operations as high as 18,200 feet and hasconducted rescue hoist missions ashigh as 16,000 feet. Most important, though, is the fact that throughits dedication to mission accomplishment, the 242d Aviation Company has achieved a 100 percentsuccess rate on assigned missionsto date. . . .

15


18/32

tnproving PilotJudgtnentE ~ ~I.t . Will Cllnl

THE PERCENTAGE ofaircraft accidentsattributable to poorjudgment varies accordingto the definition of judgment,but in any case there is commonagreement that it's very high.Often aviation professionals haveexpressed a need to develop an

6

Jerome I. Berlin Ph. D.Embry Rldcle Aeronautical University

effective training program whichwould improve the judgmentprocess. In 1978 my colleaguesand I, working under an FAAcontract, commenced an effort todevelop a training program andmaterials to do just that. Ourgeneral objectives were: To produce a program that

was practical, easily applied andeffective in producing the desiredresponse from the students. Thecontracting office of the FAAspecifically discouraged the useof elaborate training aids such asaudiovisual materials andsimulators. To design the program so



19/32

that it would achieve meaningfulintegration into the present FAAapproved ground and flightschool curriculum without undulyincreasing the training timerequired to obtain a private pilotlicense. To increase the studentpilot's knowledge andunderstanding of himself byteaching him to better recognizeand identify hazardous humanbehavior patterns. To teach the student pilot torecognize, analyze and evaluatefactors which influence judgmentin regard to safe flight. To train the student pilot torecognize and to cope with

potentially hazardous conditionssuch as the presence of hazardousthinking, poor judgment chainsand high stress. To introduce positivechanges into the flight instructor'sown teaching behavior andattitudes.One of the reasons that thistype of training had not oftenbeen attempted was that therewas no agreement or even adefinition of pilot judgment.Everyone used the word butthere were many subjectivemeanings. Before developing theessential concepts of the trainingwe developed a definition of theterm which we felt could beoperationalized and thenmeasured. t is that:Pilot judgment is the mentalprocess by which the pilotrecognizes, analyzes, andevaluates information regardinghimself, the aircraft, and theoutside environment. The finalstep in the process is to make adecision pertaining to the safeoperation of the aircraft and toimplement the decision in atimely manner.

Thus, it can be said that if apilot properly recognizes,

FEBRUARY 983

analyzes, and evaluates thefactors, and subsequently makesthe proper decision andimplements it in a timely manner,then he or she exercises goodjudgment. f he or she does notproperly recognize, analyze, orevaluate the factors, andsubsequently makes a poordecision which leads toimproper or untimely action,then he or she has exercised p rjudgment. In order to modify thestudent's behavior, we deemed itnecessary to develop many newterms and concepts, the goalbeing to make change injudgment behavior a morerational and understandable one.Here are a few examples of theseconcepts.The three subject areasEach poor choice in judgmentmade by the pilot can becategorized to involve one or acombination of three specificsubject areas: the pilot himself(Pilot), the aircraft and itssubsystems (Aircraft), and theoutside environment(Environment).

1 The Pilot subject areaconcerns the pilot's state ofhealth, competency in a givensituation, level of fatigue and anyother factors that may affect hisperformance.2 The Aircraft subject areaincludes consideration withrespect to the aircraft'sairworthiness, its powerplant, andits equipment as well asperformance criteria such asweight and balance and runwayrequirements.J. The Environment subjectarea concerns not only items suchas the weather, takeoffconditions, airfield altitude andtemperature, but also outsideinformation inputs such asweather briefings (or lackthereof), ATC instructions, and

other considerations.The six action waysNearly 600 NTSB accidentbriefs were examined todetermine how pilots carry outtheir judgments. It becameobvious that pilots implementedtheir decisions in six ways, andthat these action ways could begrouped in three pairs:

1 Do - no do2 Under do - over do3 Early do - late doThe action ways are defined asfollows:1 Do The pilot did somethinghe or she should not have done.2 No do The pilot did not dosomething he or she should havedone.3 Under do The pilot did not

do enough when he or she shouldhave done more.4 Over do The pilot did toomuch when he or she should havedone less.S Early do The pilot actedtoo early when he or she shouldhave delayed acting.6 Late do The pilot acted toolate when he or she should haveacted earlier.Then there is the concept ofthe poor judgment behaviorchain. There are three essentialsubconcepts:1 One poor judgmentincreases the probability thatanother poor judgment willfollow. Since judgments are madeon information about oneself, theaircraft, or the environment, thepilot is more likely to make a

poor judgment if the input factorsare not accurate. One poorjudgment provides an erroneousbit of information which the pilotmust consider when makingsubsequent judgments.2 As the poor judgment PI)chain grows, the alternatives forsafe flight decrease. t s a givenfact that if a pilot selects one

7


20/32

mproving Pilot Judgment

alternative among several, theoption to select the remainingalternatives may be lost. Forexample, if a pilot makes a poorjudgment to fly through ahazardous weather area, thealternative to circumnavigate theweather is lost once severeweather is encountered.3. The longer the PJ chainbecomes, the more probable it isthat disaster will occur. As the PJchain grows longer, fewer andfewer alternatives for safe flightare available to the pilot. As thealternatives for safe flight becomefewer, the greater the chancebecomes that an accident willoccur.Studies have concluded thatcertain thought patterns lead toirrational pilot judgment. Weattempted with the assistance ofother psychologists andsociologists to identify the mostprominent of these hazardousthought patterns. They are:1 Anti authority. This is thethought pattern found in peoplewho resent the control of theiractions by any outside authority.The general thought is "Do nottell me No one can tell me whatto do." A person having thisthought will disregard rules and

8

procedures if they prevent him orher from doing things his or herown way. They might ignore aparking sign (Do not tell mewhere to park ) or not follow theprescribed preflight checklist (Donot tell me what to do to get myaircraft ready to fly ). The key tothe behavior is that the person isresentful of established rules,regulations, and procedures, andwill tend to ignore advice, eventhough it is well founded.

2 ImpUlsivity. This is thethought pattern found in peoplewho, when facing a moment ofdecision, feel that they must dosomething and do it quickly.This thought is characterized as"Do something-quickly " Theperson having this thought doesnot stop to think about what todo, does not explore the implica-tions of what he or she is aboutto do, or does not examine a setof alternatives and select the bestone. This person simply does thefirst thing that comes to mind.

3 Invulnerability. This is thethought pattern of people whofeel that nothing disastrous couldhappen to them. The thought ischaracterized by the statement,It won't happen to me " Theyknow that disasters happen, butnever feel that they will bedirectly affected. People whothink this way are more likely to

take chances and unwise risks.They feel that accidents willhappen to other people but not tothem.

4 Macho. This is the thoughtpattern of people who are alwaystrying to prove that they arebetter than others. They feel thatothers should be careful, but notthemselves. They feel that they

can always manage to handle thedifficult situations. They provethemselves by taking risks and tryto impress others by actingdangerously. While the machothought pattern is generallyconsidered to be a characteristicof male thinking, it is not so inthis case. In the sense used here,macho is more closely associatedwith overconfidence, but goesbeyond the meaning of that wordin that the individual attempts todo difficult things in order toobtain the admiration of others.

5 External control. Peoplewho have this thought patternfeel that they can do very little, ifanything, to control whathappens. This thought ischaracterized by the question,"What's the use?" When things gowell, it is attributed to good luck.When things go badly, it isattributed to bad luck, or it isgenerally the fault of someoneelse. Since they feel that whateverthey do makes no difference, theytend to be passive. Since they feelthat they can exercise little or nocontrol over situations, they donot make decisions themselves.They leave decisionmakingresponsibilities to others.In order to teach the student tobreak the PJ chain we teach himto first recognize it. He thenlearns to check for personal stressthat might force a continuation ofthe PJ chain. He is then taught toengage in a problem resolvingmode after which he does a finalcheck to ensure that the chain isbroken.

To modify the effects ofhazardous thoughts, a self-assessment test is used to help thestudent clarify his own most

u s ARMY AVIATION DIGEST


21/32

prominent thought tendencies. Inaddition, a series of what cameto be known as antidote th0 lghtpatterns are presented to thestudent to be substituted for theunwanted ones.Using these and other conceptsas a base, we developed a trainingprogram which combined astudent workbook withprescribed student-instructorexperiences on the ground and inthe air. The program can beintegrated into many systems offlight training, but it is importantto remember that it wasdeveloped for beginners and maynot be appropriate for moreadvanced students. We dobelieve, however, that the basicprinciples of the training can beapplied to experienced pilots.After a period of testing andrevisions based on studentresponses, an experiment wasdesigned to test the effectivenessof the training.Method The experimentalapproach consisted of threegroups of 27 subjects each. Theexperimental group received anacademic pretest, judgmentground and flight training, anacademic posttest and anobservation flight at thecompletion of the trainingprogram. The flight control groupreceived only the observationflight. The academic controlgroup received the same writtenpretest and posttest as theexperimental group.The subjects were all studentsat Embry-Riddle AeronauticalUniversity and were randomlyselected from basic flight coursestudents.Judgment training consisted of

FEBRUARY 983

study of student textbooks onjudgment in aviation along withguidance from the student'sjudgment program flightinstructor. Flight trainingconsisted of three 2-hour flightsduring which the flight instructoradministered in-flight exercises tomeasure the student's judgment.Discussion The data indicatedstatistically significant differencesbetween the performance ofexperimental and control groupsubjects. This was true both in theacquisition of judgment conceptsand in the skills performance asmeasured during judgment flightsituations. The experimentalgroup evidenced an increase inknowledge of the judgmentconcepts while the control groupshowed no significant change.Also, the experimental groupevidenced a markedly betterperformance on the posttreatment judgment skills

observation flight than did thecontrol group.One of the major tenets of theprogram is that students mustmaster judgment concepts beforethose concepts can be applied injudgment flight situations.Concepts of the judgmenttraining were not only taughtduring the ground school, butwere constantly reinforced duringflight training and during preflightand postflight briefings. Althoughit cannot be said that a directcausal relationship was proven toexist between the judgmentground training and theimprovement of judgment inflight as measured by theobservation flight, it appearsevident that the integratedground training and flight training

did have a positive effect onsubject performance in judgmentflight situations.One pleasant aspect was thatthe subjects participating in theexperimental group held stronglypositive attitudes about thebenefits of the training program.A substantial majority of thegroup responded favorably to allof the questions posed by the attitude questionnaire. Theyreported that: (1) they would paygreater attention to judgmentconcepts in their own futureflying, 2) they believed theprogram to be a good idea," and3) they would like to seejudgment training material bepart of the required studies for aprivate pilot license.Two potential limitations to thegeneralization of the program'spotential effects as indicated bythese results should be: first, thesubjects involved were a relativelyhomogeneous group. This givesrise to the question as to how theprogram might transfer to a moreheterogeneous group of thesubjects. Second, the trainingperiod was compressed, coveringonly one month. A finalconclusion cannot be drawn as tothe effectiveness of the programwhen integrated into longertraining periods.This effort at improving pilotjudgment is, of course, just abeginning, but I believe that itshows that it can be modified.Now we must turn our attentionto developing improved programsfor the various categories of thepilot community. . ,- adapted by permission fromEastern Air Lines FLIGHT LINE

9


22/32

VIEWS ROM RE DERSEditor:

The October issue of viation Digestwas among the finest yet. I particularlyenjoyed Richard K. Tierney's continuingseries Forty Years of Arnly Aviation,even though I take exception to one ofhis comments. Talking about MAST,he commented that the program wasnot related to tactics and training forcombat on the high threat battlefield,thus a casual reader might question theprogram's validity.Dick, you fell victim to a kind ofthinking that we face all too often fromthose who don t clearly understand theMAST program or who ha\'en't activelyparticipated in it The FORSCOM AmlSTeam, among others, has the samedifficulty so you're in good company. Isubmit that it's good pilot training to beout at om hours, in marginal weather,trying to get to Forks. W A, to pick up acritically injured patient. It's particularlygood training for those who must operateover long distances in small fornlationsor as a single ship in the AirLand Battle2000 scenario.Picking up a state trooper. burnedover 60 percent of his body following ahigh speed chase and crash, simulateswhat we will see when one of our tanksgets hit on the North Gernlan plain.Flying into a tiny hover-hole high in theOlympic Mountains to pick up a loggerwho suffered a severed leg when asnaking cable broke. taxes all of a pilot'sskills. Keeping the patient and his severedlimb alive for the 8O m ile flight to Seattlewhere surgeons successfully reatt achedit is a credit to the medic and crewchiefwho might see the same thing followinga close 122 mm round in the mountainsof Korea.I. for one, argue loud and long thatthe MAST program must be kept inthe proper perspective or the medevac

I lL \ \ ~W ha.t

unit can begin thinking it is their onlymission. I would submit that trainingfor combat and the MAST programcan complement each other and providethe very best in team training opportunities for the pilots, medics and crewchiefs. An added benefit is the goodpublicity the Army gets. as Mr. Tierneymentioned. but it is a far cry from what

we are in the MAST business for-totrain for combat.COL Douglas E. MooreChief. Plans and Operat ions DivOffice of the Surgeon General

I couldn't agree more and Iapologize to everyone in the MAST program for missing the point so badly.Editor.

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

2 u.s. RMY VI TION DIGEST


23/32

Aircraft Maintenance OfficersCourse AMOC) Phase IINumerous AMOC Phase II school quotas are stillavailable in fiscal year FY) 1983 in the OH-58 Kiowa,CH-47 Chinook and AH-IS Cobra aircraft. Maintenance personnel who have attended AMOC PhaseI may request quotas by calling SGM Serrano, AUTOVON 221-8156.Gate StatisticsDuring FY 1982 70 percent of those eligible commissioned officers passed their 12-year gate while 98percent of the eligible warrant officers passed theirs.

or the 18-year gate, 57 percent of the commissionedofficers and 91 percent of the warrant officers passed.

FEBRU RY 983

A viation Pre-Command CourseThe U.S. Army Aviation Center at Ft. Rucker, AL,conducts an aviation course designed specifically forthose officers selected for command of an aviationunit. This course has been modified to better meetthe needs of aviation commanders in the field byenhancing their aviation management abilities andmaking maximum use of available resources. Thiscourse will greatly assist all newly selected commanders.Senior commanders in the field are encouraged tosend command designated officers and executiveofficers to this 2-week course. Quotas may be obtainedby submitting a request to Commander, MILPERCEN,ATTN: DAPC-OPA-V, 200 Stovall Street, Alexandria,VA 22332; AUTOVON 221-8156/7/8. .=

2


24/32

u s RMY

Directorate of Evaluation StandardizationR PORT T THE FIELD VI TIONST ND RDIZ T ION

IP quivalencyWhat It Is, How It Works

LITTLE MORE THAN a decade ago, Armyregulations did not require unit instructor pilots (IPs)to be graduates of a formal instructor pilot course(IPC), although such courses were being conducted.The policy was changed and the result was that therewere not enough school trained instructor pilots tomeet the needs of the Army. Therefore, the Armyestablished an alternative method for qualifyingaviators to be designated instructor pilots. One methodwas to attend a formal IPC conducted at the U.S. Army Aviation Center (USAA VNC); the other was tocomplete an instructor pilot equivalency evaluation asauthorizd by Army Regulation (AR) 95 1 and the air-crew training manual (ATM).The Directorate of Evaluation and Standardization(DES) at Ft. Rucker, AL, regularly receives questionsfrom individuals seeking information on the equivalency process how and what to train, what tests are tobe administered, how many checkrides, to name a few.Neither the ATM nor AR 95 1 specifically indicateswhat the equivalency evaluation consists of, so thearea has become a little gray.An individual seeking initial IP qualification inc tegory may receive an evaluation by challenginga course of instruction offered at USAA VNC, such asthe UH-l Huey or CH-47 Chinook. He must successfullycomplete all the academic and flight evaluations thatmake up the particular course. This has led to thecoining of the phrase, challenging the course.All of the IPCs conducted at Ft. Rucker havecommon areas in the academic blocks of instruction.These are: Instructor pilot fundamentals and general aviationsubjects. Aerodynamics. Aeromedical subjects (fixed wing only).

22

In addition, the student receives instruction and istested on maintenance subjects that pertain to hisparticular aircraft and also takes an open bookoperator's manual examination. Therefore, any aviatordesiring to challenge the course will face writtenexaminations not only pertinent to the particular aircraftbut also to those common subjects relevant to thecategory in which IP designation is sought.Most rotary wing students will take four writtenexams (UH-60 Black Hawk students take six writtenexams), while the fixed wing students will take fiveexams. The following is a detailed list of writtenexams the aviator seeking IP equivalency will face:

BOTH CATEGORIESOpen-book operator's manual (specific aircraft andseries).Closed-book maintenance subject (specific aircraftand series) (two for UH-60).ROTARY WING

*Rotary wing aerodynamics.*IP fundamentals and generalaviation subjects.*Doppler/CIS (UH-60 only).FIXED WING*Fixed wing aerodynamics.*IP fundamentals and generalaviation subjects.*Aeromedical subjects.

Additionally, an oral and flight evaluation will beconducted in accordance with Chapter 7 of theappropriate ATM. Flight tasks to be evaluated willcorrespond to those that are evaluated in appropriateIP course evaluations. Finally, the individual who is a



25/32

successful challenger is designated a Departmentof the Army DA) instructor pilot, not only for mission,type and design aircraft, but for aircraft category aswell. Once qualified in category, the individual canbe redesignated as an IP in any aircraft in that categoryfollowing an appropriate aircraft training program andevaluation by a standardization instructor pilot SIP).

The IP equivalency has proven to be an effectivetool in alleviating shortages of IPs in the field. Inmany cases, it is the only method for IP qualification,since there are requirements for IPs in aircraft forwhich USAAVNC does not conduct an IPC. Theaverage equivalency examination takes 2 or 3 days.This takes cons iderable effort, involving the previouslymentioned written exams, plus oral and flight evaluations.

The commander, USAAVNC, has designated DESto administer all IP equivalency evaluations. A unitcommander desiring an IP equivalency evaluationmust forward a written request for the evaluation toDES in accordance with procedures outlined in chapter2 of the ATM, or make telephonic coordination withDES Plans and Operation s Branch by calling AUTO-VON 558-2244/3617. The evaluation is normallyaccomplished at Ft. Rucker, but through prior coordination can be accomplished when DES is onsite, such asduring an annual Aviation Resource ManagementSurvey (ARMS) visit. DES evaluators have often

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

traveled to continental United States locations forthe sole purpose of conducting IP equivalency evaluations; however, the local command must fund thistravel, furnish the aircraft or provide funding for useof USAAVNC aircraft. Additional requirements thatmust be met by the requesting unit and the prospectiveIP include:

A training record showing completion of allacademic and flight training requirements outlined inchapter 2 for IP qualification. DA Form 4507-R seriesgradeslips will serve this requirement.

The IP conducting the flight training must completea final DA Form 4507-R and recommend the individualfor IP qualification. This gradeslip must indicatesatisfactory completion of all academic and flighttraining. The best method is to indicate the cumulativetraining time in the total flight time block on thefront side of the gradeslip and to make a generalstatement on the comment slip that all flight andacademic training requirements have been completed,since the training record will show the specific train-ing that has been completed.

This is just another way to receive an initial DAinstructor pilot qualification when IP courses or quotasare not available to the unit. f the training programoutlined is followed, then IP candidateswill be preparedfor their evaluation.

36362; or call us at AUTOVON 558-3504 or commercial 205255-3504. After duty hours call Ft Rucker Hot Line AUTOVON558-6487 or 205 255 6487 and leave a message

viat ion Center Training nalys is and ssistance TeamUPD TE O TR INING IDS

ISSUE: Television tapes and other training aids forequipment that are no longer used by the active Army, but still maintained by the National Guard, require updating to align their use with the applicableaircrew training manual ATM). A tape explaininghow to conduct an out-of-ground-effect hover wascited by the unit as an example. The tape stated themaneuver would be completed at 35 feet above groundlevel AGL) while the ATM states 50 feet AGL is thecorrect height.

FEBRU RY 983

COMMENT: The video tape cited on the out-ofground-effect hover was identified early in 98 as aprogram that needed updating. On 9 February 1982,five up-to-date nap-of-the-earth scripts, including thissubject, were given to Educational Television Divisionfor production. They were completed and validatedin the first quarter of fiscal year 1983 and are beingfielded. Reserve and active duty request the tapesthrough their local TASO. National Guard needs arehandled by the ARNG Multi-Media Group, Ft.Rucker.

3


26/32

THAT IS THE greeting youwill hear when the soldiers of DCompany, 7th Combat AviationBattalion salute their officers. Whatcauses this spontaneous response,this exchange that epitomizes theunit s esprit de corps?D Company (Attack Helicopter)was originally a separate ForcesCommand attack helicopter company designated the 155th AviationCompany. Long associated with theCombat Developments Experimentation Command, in June 1980 thecompany retired its colors and became D Company, th CombatA viation Battalion, th InfantryDivision. The unit has a long historyof participation in aviation experiments which have pioneered tacticsand techniques of employment forthe aviation community over thepast decade. But possibly the mostchallenging was the unit s preparation for and participation in theAdvanced Attack Helicopter Operational Test (OT) II conducted

Captain P) Lawrence E. CasperCaptain Casper is aide-de-camp to thecommanding general, 7th Infantry Division and Ford Ord, CA. When he wrotethis article, he was commander, DCompany, 7th Combat Aviation Battalion, Ford Ord.

24

AH 64 Apache at left) and AH-1 R Cobra

at Ft. Hunter Liggett, CA.In August 1980 the unit begantransitioning into the AH-IS fullymodernized (FM) Cobra, leavingbehind the antiquated AH-l G. Simultaneously, the company wasselected as the unit to test the AH-64A Apache during the operationaltest. Resources were quickly inventoried and priorities established.There was a tremendous amountof individual and collective trainingwhich had to be accomplished andonly a short time to do it.

The first step was to train theaircrews on the AH-IS FM, andqualify them on the weapon systems.Additionally, all the maintenanceand armament personnel requiredextensive training. With the aid ofthe Cobra NETT (new equipmenttraining team) and an aggressiveaerial gunnery program at Ft. Irwin,CA, the first objective was accomplished. The operational test plancalled for all of the participatingaviators to be night vision goggles(NVG) qualified. This requirementled to the next training phase, andthis too was accomplished on schedule in the fall of 1980 at YumaProving Grounds (YPG), AZ, withthe help of the Development TestTraining Detachment (DTTD) personnel. Concurrently, crew selectionwas being conducted to determinewho would pilot the Apache, and

who would pilot the Cobras thatwould be compared to the AH-64s.These Cobras, coupled with theirscout aircraft, were known as thebaseline team. The results of thatselection provided a cross sectionof Army aviators ranging from 21years old with little more than 600total flight hours to aviators in theirmid-thirties with more than 4,000flight hours.In December 1980 and January1981, those aviators selected to flythe AH-64 were sent to YPG toreceive training on the pilot s nightvision system (PNVS) surrogatetrainer (AH-IS with nose-mountedPNVS). Again, members of DTTDprovided quality instruction that wasfollowed by extensive ground schoolon the Apache and related systems.Yet another selection process wasconducted - this time to determinewho would occupy the front seat(copilot/gunner station) and whowould occupy the back seat (pilotstation) of the AH-64. (Note: Because of the expense involved andthe shortage of available trainingtime, the AH-64 crewmembers weretrained in only one station of theaircraft. Normally, the aviators wouldbe trained in both pilot and copilot/gunner stations.

The scout pilots for the AH-64departed Ft. Ord in February forColumbus, OH, by way of YPG to



27/32

receive training and qualificationin the Airborne Target Acquisitionand Fire Control System (AT AFCS)aircraft (AH-1G/R) and the HELLFIRE missile system. They were tobecome the eyes and ears of theApaches, simulating the advancedscout. These aviators, as did all ofD Company aviators, received extensive training in tactics, threat,communications and combinedarms employment from instructorsdirect from Forts Knox, Sill, Blissand Rucker. Additionally, anumber of maintenance and armament personnel commenced withweeks of technical training on theAH-64 by Hughes Helicopter inCulver City, CA. Petroleum, oiland lubrication personnel were sentto YPG for special training, and inApril the baseline scout pilots weredispatched to Ft. Hood, TX, toreceive their checkout in theOH-58C Kiowa.In April 1981 Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) sentan evaluation team from Ft. Knoxwhich administered an Army Training and Evaluation Program (ARTEP)to validate the baseline platoon'sfighting capability, both day andnight. During May, the AH-64 platoon developed new techniques ofemployment for the Apache. Thiswas necessary because we now havea fighting machine that can killfaster and at greater ranges than ourcurrent attack helicopter.On 1June 1981 the first all-Armyaircrews climbed into three AH-64s and flew them from YPG to Ft.Hunter Liggett to mark the beginning of advanced attack helicopter(AAH) OT-II.In June, TRADOC evaluatorsfrom Ft. Knox returned to administer another ARTEP, this time validating the AH-64 platoon's fightingcapability and setting the stage forthe force on force trials. Thesetrials were the most demanding partof the test and consisted of a maximum of two ATAFCS and three

FEBRUARY 983

AH-64s, or two OH-58Cs and threeAH-1Ss, pitted against a fully instrumented threat array. The threatconsisted of a tank force, appropriate command and control, and acomplement of air defense weapons.The vehicle and aircraft weaponsystems were instrumented withlasers and simulated the actual firingof the system. The vehicle hulls andaircraft fuselages were equipped withsensors providing information onkills and hits to the operators andto the main computer which monitored and recorded the entire battle.These trials, or battles, were freeplay exercises which lasted 30 minutes, occurring both day and night,with a frequency of up to four perday. The pilots became proficientin short order-thanks to the guncamera films, access to authorizedcomputer data and the daily ex-change of experiences between theaircrews.Such a demanding flight schedule,requiring virtually 100 percent aircraft availability, 7 days a week,dictated exceptional maintenancesupport The unit maintenance effortwas awesome. Including the attached aircraft, the company was responsible for maintaining 43 helicopters.This was accomplished in a fieldenvironment with daily temperatures exceeding 100 degrees Fahren-

heit while consistently being plaguedby blowing dust. The unit not onlycompleted daily maintenance in thefield for the 3-month test but alsoperformed several aircraft phasesand major unscheduled maintenance.

Throughout the unit's training,preparation and finally the executionof the test, some 2,340 flight hourswere accumulated in extremelydemanding conditions; and this wasachieved without a single aircraftmishap.

The end result? The aviators ofD Company are trained in virtuallyevery system used in the attackhelicopter business. They are ratedin the AH-64A, AH-1G/R and all Sseries, OH-58A/C, and subsystemslike NVG, PNVS, TADS (targetacquisition and designation system),ALT (airborne laser tracker), FACTSforward looking infrared radaraugmented Cobra TOW system)Cobra and HELLFIRE. They havedemonstrated their proficiency onthese systems under a myriad ofconditions. These aircrews, coupledwith the outstanding maintenanceand support personnel, have performed a wide ranging test of theworld's most sophisticated attackhelicopter and have brought theArmy one step closer to fielding anall-weather fighting machine.

AH 1 R Cobra Airborne Target Acquisition and Fire Control System


28/32

6

Dear Mom and Dad:

LETTER FROM GORGIMajor P) William F. Voth

Chief Threat BranchDirectorate of Combat Developments

U.S. Army Aviation CenterFort Rucker L

I am sorry for not writing sooner but so much has happened since last June when wewere together at Syzran for my flight school graduation. What a glorious day that wasI was so proud, Mom, when you pinned on my lieutenant bars and aviator wings and Ireceived my diploma which meant I, Gorgi Coutomanov, was now a pilot-engineer. The 4long years of aviation cadet status at Syzran and all of that difficult work in school andat the flying club all seem worth it now that I am a flight lieutenant. I was glad to hearyou enjoyed the Syzran Mom's and Pop's tour after the graduation ceremony.

Dad, 111 never be able to thank you enough for your help in convincing Colonel(Retired) Petrov to use his influence with the local military commissariat to get meaccepted in the flight program. He's been running that aeroclub since the Great PatrioticWar and is pretty set in his ways; it s amazing what a bott le of French Cognac and twopair of Levi blue jeans will do

When I arrived at Syzran I found that all of my flight cadet classmates had as muchor more flight experience from their hometown aeroclubs as I had. Also, 1 quicklylearned they were the cream of the crop of Russian youth . They all had scored as high asI did on the flight school competitive exams and all were from families which wereconsidered politically reliable. Another common feature of my cadet classmates was thatthey were all 17 to 21 years old, except for the prior service guys who were as old as 23All were physically fit and highly motivated.

I was really scared at first when we were told that 33 percent of us would wash outduring the 4 years. This fear motivated me to study harder. I found out as time passed,however, that most of that 33 percent was made up of cadets eliminated for inability tomaster flying techniques and for medical reasons. Few cadets were washed out foracademic deficiencies or disciplinary reasons. I am not saying the academics were easy.We worked very hard at a wide variety of engineering and military subjec ts, includinghigher mathematics, physics, chemistry, radio engineering, meteorology andaerodynamics. There were actually more than 50 subjects A great deal of attentionwas also devoted to our idealogical development. This area was primarily directed atdeveloping dedication to Marxist-Leninist ideals and unquestioning obedience tomilitary and political authorities.

I was lucky to be accepted for flight school at Syzran; our instructors told us it is thebest of the 15 higher aviation schools. Only two schools train helicopter pilots, Syzran

u s RMY VI TION IGEST


29/32

and Saratov. The training atthe others includes pilot andcommand post air controllersfor the fighter aviation and airdefense, pilots for military transportaviation and aviation navigators.

You know I have always been crazyabout flying, so it should be no surprisethat my most memorable training at Syzranwas the actual cockpit time. When I arrived(almost 5 years ago now ) I thought my extensive aviation experience at thelocal aeroclub would put me well ahead of my classmates. I found out in a hurry I wasvery wrong I didn t realize there were more than 100 such clubs throughout the SovietUnion with about 300,000 members. There is one club in almost every large city Justlike our club, ll the clubs have their own facilities, equipment and aircraft, most ofwhich they receive from the armed forces. The technical personnel and flight instructorsat the clubs are former mili tary officers or club alumni who also are military reserveofficers. Each of the local aeroclubs, from which most of my cadet classmates came, isrun about the same. There is a very difficult preacceptance screening which is basedon superior performance ratings in school or place of work, demonstrated politicalreliability through membership in Komsomal (Communist youth organization) andpassing a strict medical examination. After being admitted into the aeroclub program,cadets attend lectures on basic aerodynamics and study aircraft and engines, flyingtechniques and other aviation-related disciplines. This theoretical course is usuallygiven in the winter months, and classes are held at night so that students may continue their studies at regular schools or hold daytime jobs. The aeroclub program isnot allowed to interfere with regular education.

Students who successfully complete the aeroclub theoretical course continue intoflight training. I remember well those glorious summer months when we lived in thecamp near the airfield from which we flew. Our cadets were divided into groups of five orsix, with one flight instructor assigned to each group. I found out that most of mycadet classmates at Syzran went through similar flight programs of instruction attheir aeroclubs. We performed about 70 landings and logged about 10 hours of flyingtime in the Mi 1 Hare with our instructor before we were allowed to fly solo. Aftersoloing we flew about 35 more hours and then the aeroclub awarded us the title ofsportsman-pilot. Some of my classmates also flew the Mi 2 Hoplite at their flying club.These guys did well in their initial flight training at Syzran because we did a lot ofour flight instruction in the Mi 2. One classmate claimed his local aeroclub flew 8,000hours in 1975 and made 16,000 landings; the club's parachutists made 3,823 jumpsFive hundred men and women were engaged in pilot and parachute training activities,and 357 completed their training program.

The flight and academic experience I got in the aeroclub really gave me a goodfoundation in flying and helped a lot when we started our flight training at Syzran. We

FEBRUARY 983 7


30/32

8

started flying in our sophomore year at Syzran and flew about 100 training hours thatyear and in each of the next 2 years. We started in the Mi 1 Hare and progressed tothe Mi 2 Hoplite and finally the Mi 8 Hip. Toward the end of flight school, we were allhoping we would be selected for assignment to an Mi-24 Hind unit. Only the very best ofus were selected. It s too bad all 300 of the guys couldn't be selected. Syzran did a lotbetter than the other helicopter higher aviation school at Saratov in the selections. I wasreally proud when my name was on that list. I was even more pleased when I got myPCS (permanent change of station) orders to the "V.1. Lenin" Helicopter Regiment inthe Soviet Union's Far East Military District.

What an honor it is to be assigned to such a prestigious unit The regiment wasofficially established in 1921 but can trace its history all the way back to the very firstdays of Soviet power. Three reconnaissance aviation detachments, the 24th, the 35th andthe 49th, were organized in 1918 and served in the Russian Civil War of 1918 to 1920.The biplanes of these detachments flew more than 600 missions during the war and wereorganized into the 1st Reconnaissance Aviation Squadron in 1921. In 1924, following thedeath of Comrade Lenin, the squadron was awarded the honorific "V.I. Lenin. Thesquadron fought against the Germans during the Great Patriotic War and the Japaneseduring 1945 as a bomber unit. In the postwar period it was reorganized as a separatehelicopter regiment.

As you have most likely read in the newspapers over the last 15 years, the "V.1.Lenin" Helicopter Regiment has continually distinguished itself in Socialist trainingcompetitions. In 1968, the regiment was awarded the Order of the Red Banner. In 1969,it won the Challenge Red Banner of the Military Council of the Far East MilitaryDistrict. In 1977, after 10 straight years of receiving outstanding ratings in unitevaluations, the regiment was awarded the Pennant of the Ministry of Defense of theUSSR for Courage and Valor.

In 1978, when our late great leader, President Leonid Breznev, visited the Far EastMilitary District to observe a combined arms training exercise, we had the privilege ofbeing selected to participate. What an honor

When I arrived at the regiment in June, I was very pleased with myself and I'll admitI was a bit cocky. That didn't last very long I learned very quickly that my 376 totalflight hours, which included my aeroclub time, my time at Syzran and the small amountof private time I got in between, was very insignificant when compared to the otherpilots in the regiment. I was at the bottom again Actually I still am, but I m workinghard and gaining flying time and valuable experience slowly but surely. Soon I hope Iwill attain the minimum acceptable level of tactical proficiency and become a pilotsecond class. Right now I am a pilot third class which is the lowest category.

Before I make second class I will have to demonstrate the capability to performmissions in day, both clear and adverse weather, and at night during clear weather only.Until that time, which I hope will be soon (I've been at the bottom-third class-formore than 7 months now ), I am allowed to fly only as wingman (we always fly in pairs)to the higher class pilots. I am closely supervised by everyone and not allowed to fly in

u s RMY VI TION DIGEST


31/32

anything but clear weather. I have completed my Mi-24 Hind transition and really enjoyflying the best attack helicopter in the world. My instructor pilot, who is a pilot firstclass and has in excess of 1,000 hours in the Hind, said I fly very well and should haveno problem making second class on time.

When I finally gain enough experience and skill to become a pilot first class, whichwill probably take anywhere from 3 to 6 years and 300 to 400 operational flight hours, Iwill be fully combat capable in all weather conditions. Also, I will be eligible to become aunit flight instructor. The instructors are lucky because they can get as much as 200flight hours per year. Normally, the rest of us only get about 130 hours. Right now inour regiment, we have 65 percent of our pilots in the first and second class category, and5 percent are third class. The other 10 percent are designated the Snipers. These are the

best of the best and are considered fully qualified for any mission under any condition.This is the highest designation a pi lot can achieve. There is a lot of pressure to maintainone's proficiency since the pilot's class rating must be recertified annually.

More is at stake than just prestige, however. A pilot's pay and position depend on hisclass rating. I'm not talking about insignificant amounts either. Did you know our flightleader (who is required to be a pilot first class), as a minimum, earns three times as muchas Army officers of the same rank? Also, this salary is greater than doctors and lawyersin the Soviet society

We have been training very hard on combined arms tactics lately. t is very difficult for me to master the techniques of supporting the ground commanders. Isometimes think the Americans have the right idea in hav

Date post:	03-Jun-2018
Category:	Documents
Upload:	aviationspace-history-library
View:	217 times
Download:	0 times

Army Aviation Digest - Feb 1983

Documents