Army Aviation Digest - Nov 1977

8/12/2019 Army Aviation Digest - Nov 1977

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UNIT RMY VI TI O N

1 G E S

MG James C. Smith

COMMANDER

U.S. ARMY AVIATION CE T R

A maior activity of theU S. Army Training and Doctrine Command

COL Keith J. RynoH

COMMANDER

U.S. ARMY AGENCY FOR AVIATION SAFETYAm' or activity of the

Inspec tor General of the U.S. Army

Richard K nemey

EDITORU.S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST

BOUT THE COVER

Illustration by Fred Martin, FortRucker, AL. How To Kill A

'ZSU' " story starts on page 2

NOVEMBER 1977 VOLUME 23 NUMBE

90th ARCOM Has A New Training-Flight FacilityComplex, MAJ Ray Dery .... . ....... . ....... .. ... ... . ... . .... .. ... .. .. .. .... .... .. .

How To Kill A " ZSU , COL John C . Bahnsen .. ...... . . ... ............Army ' s YAH-64 : Survivable Tank Killer, John N . Kerr ...Aircraft Maintenance In Cold Regions,

Mai De nnis P. Vasey and CW2 James Fitzpatrick .........................

Aviation Safety Awards ......... .....................................................Name That Bird Black Hawk

Mark E. Barkley and MAJ Richard R. Wolker .

Black Hawk Dedication, Courtnay Welton .Dual Track 17 5 / 40 IERW Course, CPT Dona M. Young ... ..OH-58 Scout Pilots Awarded New ASI. ....... ................. ....OPMS Corn e r: Aviator Notes, MAJ James M . Gass .. .. .. .. .... .EPMS Corner : Homebase/Advanced Assignment

Program (HAAP), SFC Thomas L. Bice .... .. ....... .............. .. .. ..Flight Line Diplomacy, CPT Joseph Buchheit ........ . .. ........ .. .. ....Mountain Flying Skill And Know- How ...... .........................The Copilot ............. .................. ....... .... ........................... ...............

Forgotten Species? ........ .......... .............. ................................. ....A Spy In The Company ................................. ............ ............. ...Guard Aviation In Action ........................ .................................PEARL . .......... .......... ........................ ........................ ................ ........I Want To Hear From You,

MG Ja m es C . Smith .................... . ............. .... .. . ...............................

ATC Act ion Line ......... ........................... ................... ......Back C

Th e m iSSIOn ofthe V S RMY VI TION DIGEST is to provide informatio n of an operational. functionanature con ce rning safe ty and aircraft accident prevention . training. maintenance. operations . researchand dev elopm ent. av ia tion medicine and other relate d data .

The DIG E T is an official Departme nt of the Army periodica l published monthly under the supervision ofthe Commanding General. U.S. Army Aviation Center . Views ('xpressed h erein are not necessarily those ofthe Dep artment of the Arm y nor the U.S. Army Aviation Center . Photos are U.S. Army unless otherwisspecified . Material ma y be reprinted provided credit is givt'n to the DIGEST and to the author. unleotherwise indi cated .

Article s . photos . and item s of interest on Army aviation are invited. Direct o m ~ u n i c a t i o nis authorizeto : Editor . V S RMY VI TION DIGEST Fort Rucker. AL 36362.

This publication ha s been approved by The Adiutant General. Headquarters. Department of the Army.Dece mber 1975. in ac cordance with AR 310-\.

Activ e Army units receive distribution under the pinpoint distribution system as outlined in AR 310Complet e DA Form 12-5 a nd send directly to CDR . AG Publications Center. 2800 Eastern BoulevarBaltim ore . MD 21220. For any change in distribution requirem('nts . initiate a revised DA Form 12 5.

Na tional Guard and Arm y Re serve units under pinpoint distribution also should submit DA Form 12Oth e r :-.iational Guard unit s s hould sub mit requ ests through their state adiutant general.

Tho e not eligible for offi c ial di stribution or who desire personal copies of the DIGEST can orderma gazine from the Superinte ndent of Document s . U.S. Government Printing Office. Washington . DC 204

Annual s ub cription rates are 1 5. 70 domestic and 19.65 overseas.


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90th R OMHa ew

Training FlightFacility Complex

Major Ray DeryAssistant Public AHairs OHicer

eadquarters, 90th U. S. Army Reserve Command

Son ntonio, TX

NOVEMBER 977

The 300th Aviation Company 90th ARCOM wasselected by the Army Aviation Association ofAmerica AAAA) as Notional Aviation Unit of theYear in the Reserve component category. The Dal-las, Texas unit received this prestigious award a tthe AAAA annual meeting in Washington, DC lostmonth

F YOU WANT to see Department of

Defense's total force in operation, visitthe Dallas Naval Air Station.The station is home for Naval and Marine

Corps Air Reserve and Coast Guard Reserveorganizations as well as a new, recentlydedicated U S Army Reserve tra ining cente r andflight facility complex.

And, later this year the Texas Army NationalGuard plans to dedicate formally a new facilitynext door to the 90th U S Army ReserveCommand complex.

Navy and Marine Corps Reserve aviators have

been using the station's facilities for decades.The Coast Guard moved in 5 years ago.

The Army Reserve now has moved in and hasbeen in operation since January 1977. Theformal dedication ceremony took place in March.

The 3.9 million complex houses the 90th U SArmy Reserve Command's (ARCOM's) 300thAviation Company (Assault Helicopter) and the244th Tra nsportation Com pa ny (Ai rcraftMaintenance) (GS).

The flight facility also services the AviationSection of the 493d Engineer Group (Construction), an element of the 420th EngineerBrigade.

Both the 300th and 244th conduct aggressivetraining programs aimed at the readiness expected of such units should they ever bemobilized.

The 300th was the first Reserve unit to reach100 percent of its aviators qualified in nap-ofthe -earth (NOE) flying. It beat the 31 December1976 deadline set by higher headquarters.

As for those personnel entering the unit now,the 300th has two training programs for pilots.When an individual joins, a local area andcurrency checkout is in order.

Then there follows an instrument trainingprogram to include ground school and flying. Whenthe latter is completed then it s NOE - duringthe weekend inactive duty training (IDT) andfollowed up during annual training (AT) iffacilities and location allow it.

Contin ued on poge 20

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O I II I TO i l l AI Z 5 U *T HE PRIMARY threat to theat tack helicopter on the nextbattlefield will be the ZSU 23 4 orits ll ow on replac ment. Current thr at doctrine places ZSU

well forward with tank andmec h an ized regiments. There-

fore. il is imperat ive lhal theU.S. develop sound tact icallechnique s to destroy the ZSUsearly in a helicopler ver us tankflight.

Thereafter il should make lankkilling a piec of cake

Colonel John C Bahnsen

Certain lactic and techniquesappear rea onable to get thistouchy tank killing business donemost effectiv ly . Th thought Ipresent h re are ba ed on results

of recen t tact ics d velopm ntontin ued on

TR DOC System Manager pronouneed ZFor Th e tt a ck Helicopter

Fort cker L


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This article is unclassified and is based on dataand charts provided by TRADOC ulletin No . 4 dated January 1976. Opinions are solely those of

the author and do not necessarily representthose of DOD or other U.S Government agencies.


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DECEMBER 1976 ,Hugh es H e l icopt e r s wa announced a th e w inner in an intensive -month protot y p aircraft co mp e tition [ Pha se I ] forfollo w -on. full-scale e ngin e ri n gd ev e lopment [Phase II ] of anAr m y advanc e d attack he licopt e r(AAH ). Des ignate d the Y AH-64. itis s pec ificall y d ig ne d to deliv e rantiarmor and ar a s uppressiv efir e under da y, night and adversew ather c onditions.

Th Y AH-64 , in th e words ofColonel ( P ) Edward M . Bro w n .AAH Program Mana ge r , r e pr esents an optimization of he licopt e r t chnology for th mo d e rntank -heav y battlefi e ld e nvironment. I t will contribute gr at l y

John N Kerr

H Pr o gram Di r ec to rHugh e s H eli co pter s Culv e r Ci t y C

to th e Army s ability to fight.o utnumb e re d , and w in .

In di s closing sele tion of theHu g h AAH over the Y AH-63,Edward A. M ill er , then Ass ist a ntSecretary of t h e Ar m y for R esearch and Developm nt. no t e dtha t th e YAH-64 wa cl ar lysuperior in all essential par am -

te r s durin g th Ph ase I airframequalification pr o g ram .

Th e Pha se II p r ogram w illfocu on fabrication of three additional fli g ht tes t protot y pe s ,completion of subsys tems development - mi ss il e. ca nnon ,rock et , target acquisit ion andde s ignation syst m s - and th ir

Hughes YAH-64 advanced attack helicopter with HELLFIRE missile system mockup . HELLFIRE isbeing developed as an antitank weapon by Rockwell International


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inte g ration into the YAH -64 .Th e initial Phase II contract

c alled for a $317.7 million , 50 -month pr o g ram that would culminate in a production deci s ionfor 536 aircraft , to be producedat a rate of about eight units amonth. First deliveri es to theArmy inventory are scheduled tobegin in mid-1982. In February1977 , however , the amended fiscal year 1978 budget reducedfunding for the AAH program.This will result in yet to be determined adjustments.

Lethal and Survivable : TheY AH-64 i the Army's first roundthe-clock, adverse weather attack helicopter with the ability tofight, survive and live with groundforces in the fut ure .. fron tlineba t t lefield en viron men t. Toachieve these objectives, Hughesplaced a high priority on the following objectives:

Flight Performance The bestmeasures of helicopter performance, a t a prescr ibeddensity-altitude , mission, weightand endurance, are vertical rateof climb from hover , cruise speedand agility (the ability to avoidenemy fire , or obstacles when innap-of-the-earth f l ight) . TheY AH-64 excels in all of thesecharacteristics. t offers 800 fpmvertical rate of climb , 146-knotcruise speed , 1.83 hours endurance , and maneuver load factorsof 3.5 g positive and 0.5 g negative , all at 4,000 feet, 95 degreesFahrenheit.

Firepower The primary pointtarget weapons of the AAH is theHELLFIRE Anti tank MissileSystem. Area weapons fire isprovided by 30 mm cannon and2.75 inch rocket subsystems.Phase I firing of 250 rockets - insalvos of up to 76 - and 1,350rounds from the HughesHelicopters-developed 30 mmATM -230 Chain Gun proved theY AH-64 to be an exceptionalweapons delivery vehicle.

The primary AAH mission re -

NO VEMBER 1977

2400 .......... ............. ~ ~ ~ . LOOO

4 JOIl

2COO +

'0000

--

S.

1600

~-8000

' ,000 Y HodAXI MUM

146 KNOTS

1000

BOG

4000

40095 F

, 000

1l0 40 80 120 160

li \ .IE I HT t 5 F,lRWAR,) SPEfD KNOTS

Performan ce charts show the YAH 64 will exceed the Army 's minimum requirements

Figure

quirement is a 450 fpm verticalrate of climb (VROC) with eightHELLFIR missiles and 320rounds of 30 m m ammunitionwith 1.83 hours endurance atArmy hot day cond itions. TheY AH-64 will exceed that requirement (figure 1) . Alternatemission loads can include up to16 HELLFIRE missiles, 76 2.75inch rockets or 1,200 rounds of 30mm ammunition.

Survivabil i ty The high degreeof survivability of the AAH is derived mainly from its ability tomaneuver with high agilitywithin the protection of the terrain [in the nap-of- the -ear th(NOE) J. The AAH is in effect ahighly mobile ground vehicleand derives benefits accruingtherefrom: Target area approachis out of line of sight , allowing surprise as to location when attack ismade , usually masked from radar(and can quickly remask) , etc.

Other measures to reduce detection are provided such as alow flicker rotor; low glintcanopy; low noise; metal and

See Glossarypage 9

engine heat reduction; and thehelicopter is small and compactto further reduce radar and visual detection. Operating in theNOE can be performed withhigh survivability to the crew incase of helicopter damage with a95 percent probabil i ty of withstanding a crash of 28 mph.

Additionally, the HELLFIREmissile range of more than 4,500meters permits the AAH to standoff beyond the major threat effective range of about 3,000 meters and obtain a high degree ofsurvivabi l i ty under mostbattlefield conditions .

Fur ther guaran tees of su rvivability are afforded theY AH-64 through:

Rugged construction ballistically tolerant of hits by 23 mm HEIand virtual invulnerability to 12.7mm armor-piercing incendiary(API) rounds.

Redundant flight control systems.

Self-sealing fuel cells .o tinued on page 6

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i r c r a f t Maintenance

n tato RegionsMajor Dennis P VaseyU . S . rmy Military Pers o nnel Cent e rlexa ndria , V

A QUICK GLANCE a t the world's climatic re -gions will show that a large portion of our land massareas are subjected continuously or partially to arctic or arctic-like environmental characteristics. Thesouthern limit of the arctic regions is in the 50 -degree Fahrenheit F) isotherm 1 for the warmestmonth, excluding areas with mean annual temperature above 32 degrees F It fairly closely coincideswith the northern limit of trees. Arctic-like areas arefound in the desert and mountain areas of Oceana,North America, South America, Africa, Asia andEurope .

CW2 James A. FitzpatrickHH C , 4 / th F PROV)

Fort Campbell, KY

Photos byCW3 Lyle M. Rizk

Fort Woinwright , AK

The term cold regions includes not only polar,arctic and subarctic regions , but also encompassesall parts of the Earth where severe winter conditionsoccur on a seasonal basis. These regions, characterized by snow, ice, frozen ground, and below freezing temperatures, cover 65 percent of the Earth's

.. In isol ted undev eloped cold region areas ... a irmobile opera tions are theon l y sensible options for defense. ..


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Un ' . r f , o f Akl . o ,

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- 4 0 I - - - - - - - I RIKOO d ' II" a nd L"'"193 , J on 19 7 4

Jan Feb Mar Apr May J un Jul Aug Sept Oc t N ov Dec Jan Feb Mar Ap r M ay J un

Figure 1

***** **************************************

land area, including all of Greenland, Canada andAlaska; 60 percent of the remainder of the UnitedStates ; 70 percent of Eurasia and high mountains a tall lati tudes.

Many of these areas , particularly in Canada andAlaska, lack sufficient roads and railroads to support modern operations during any season of theyear. In summer, muskeg, myriad lakes and rivers,and rough mountainous terrain make cross-countrymovement by ground vehicles virtually impossible.In winter, deep snow, ice, extremely low temperatures, long hours of darkness and poor visibilityhamper ground mobility during much of the time butcreate an ideal environment for airmobility.

As a result of technological advances in helicopter design and Howze Board 2 formulation of the

airmobility concept, the Army integrated all thefunctions of combat - reconnaissance, firepower,logistics, t roop movement, and command and control - into one package. Consequently, arctic andarctic-like regions, once isolated and looked uponas worthless expanses, became both accessible andof strategic importance, particularly in the northernhemisphere. In isolated, undeveloped cold regionareas such as Alaska and much of Canada, airmobile operations are the only sensible options fordefense.

Implied in all airmobile operations is the requirement for a well planned and carefully executedmaintenance program. Under ideal conditions aircraft maintenance is a complex and difficult taskthat places emphasis on precision, attention to detail and a high degree of professionalism. Vietnamproved conclusively tha t good aircraft maintenanceis not impossible when both the geography and climate are harsh. The continuum of dust, mud, heatand humidity presented many obstacles to effectivemaintenance. However, the climate of SoutheastAsia seems mild when compared to the extreme coldof winter in the arctic, subarctic and even the continental climates of the mid-latitudes. For example, inthe "Greater Interior" of Alaska below freezingtemperatures occur annually from August throughMay.

Attempts to plan arctic or arctic-like airmobileoperat ions based on mean annual temperaturescould be fatal The Hartman Graph (figure 1) showsrecord high and low air temperatures as well asnormal highs and lows and the average temperaturefor the entire annual cycle. For easier reading, thegraph extends for an l8-month period. This comparative data shows the Fairbanks, AK, mean an -

ontinued on page 8

See Footnotes

page 187


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NAME UTILITY TACTICALTRANSPORT AIRCRAFT

THAT SYSTEM (UTTAS)BIRD BLACK HAWK

Mark E BarkleySupervisory Operations Research A na lyst

and

Major Richard R WalkerLogistics Officer

Black H awk Project Manage r's O fficeSt. Louis, MO

IN EARLY 1977 permission was granted to theU. S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST to establish andpublish a Name That Bird" questionnaire tosecure candidate popular names for the UH-60Uti l i ty Tactical Transport Aircraft System( UTT AS from the U. S. Army com m unity atlarge. The March 1977 DIGEST featured anarticle entitled Name That Bird" to obtainrecommendations for an official name for theUTTAS. That event marked the official beginningof the search for a name for the aircraft . That

AVIATION DIGEST article disclosed guidance asto the kind of terms which were permissible inthe renaming of an Army aircraft. Generalguidance for naming Army aircraft states that aPOPU LAR NAME for them must be an AmericanIndian term or the name of an American Indiantribe or chief. . The "Name That Bird" story for the UTTASmotivated 600 individuals to submit 268 distinctpopular names. A tabulation was made showinghow many participants suggested each name.

The initial list of most popular candidate nameswas researched in the UTTAS Project Manager

Office (PMO).The resulting list of candidate names forrenaming the UTTAS was forwarded toMr. C. M. Went, Trade Mark Division, U.S.Patent Office; Dr. Ives Goddar, Smithsonian Institute; and Mr. Tom Oxendine, Bureau of IndianAffairs, to establish whether the candidate nameswere official Indian terms and acceptable to theinvolved American Indian tribes. Through theefforts of these men, many of the more popular

terms such as Commanche and Apache wereeliminated because of their association with othercurrent aircraft systems.

Among the more interesting candidate namesthat were submitted for renaming the UTTASwere: Aleut, Cree, Frog, Hopi, Kaw, Kickapoo,Mohican, Nakoa, Opeechee, Popogou, Pomo,Puma , Sachem and Yaki. A complete list ofnames submitted and a bit of interestingbackground concerning some of the recommended names will be carried in a future issue ofthe DIGEST. One suggestor submitted a poemalong with the candidate name. It goes as follows:

Copters are female , like ships in the nightWith their heads in the clouds andtheir frames out of sight .Little support is needed I'm toldexcept where they sag as they tend to get old.

Put one handsome pilot in her cabin to runAnd you'll find it is worth a I the joy andthe fun

The names on the li st were further reduced bythe PMO in accordance with previous guidanceand for appropriateness. This effort resulted in aprioritized list of three candidate names: BlackHawk , Tecumseh, and Shoshoni. On 22 July1977 , these candidate names were forwarded toU. S. Army Materiel Development and ReadinessCommand (DARCOM), Directorate forDevelopment and Engineering, Systems

Development Division for approval. The namesBlack Hawk and Tecumseh previously wereused. Sikorsky Aircraft, Stratford, CT , hadcopyrights to the name Black Hawk andTecumseh Products Company, Tecumseh, MI,had copyrights to Tecumseh. But both gave theU. S. Army permission to use the names.

On 25 August 1977, the name Black Hawk wasdesignated for the UTTAS. This term had beensuggested by Mr. John T. Matlock, AVSCOM, St.

U S ARMY AVIATION IGEST


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Louis, MO; Mr. Harold J Bean, 17th Battalion,4th Brigade, Ft. Knox, KY; Major Dennis RBrightwell, 669 Beth Lane, Lexington, KY;Captain Bill Davison, 7th Aviation Battalion, FortOrd, CA; and Lieutenant Colonel Frank J KleinJr., Operational Test and Evaluation Agency

OTEA), Falls Church, VA. The term Black Hawk

was chosen over the other candidate namesbecause it provokes one s imagination, brings tomind effectiveness, and is easy to pronounce andrecall. Additionally, it reminds Americans of itsnamesake, Chief Black Hawk, a highly respectedsoldier and patriot, whose name is written in theannals of these United States of America.

Our congratulations to those who submittedthe selected name.

With a Gamma Goat in tow , the UH-60A Black Hawk displays its slingload capability. More than 600 persons participated in the "Nome ThatBird contest o n d u t~ d by the DIGEST. Five persons submitted the

winning nome which was chosen from some 268 offerin;ls

NOVEM ER 977

Chief

BlackHawkBL CK H WK was born in 1767 at the Sauk village of Saukenuk , , near Rock Island . He died3 October 1838 at a village on the Des MoinesRiver, Iowa. The nome Black Hawk refers to adescription of a bird or sparrow hawk or a bigchest.

Block Hawk fought for the British in the Warof 1812 . He distinguished himself as a fighterand leader. On 13 May 1816 the Sauk Indianssigned a treaty at St. Louis confirming their earlier cession to the Government of most ofnorthwestern Illinois, southern Wisconsin, andport of eastern Missouri.

" I touched the goose quill to the treaty," oneof the chiefs named Block Hawk said later , " notknowing, however, that , by that oct, Iconsented togive away my village." As settlers pushed into theterritory , driving away the game and plying theIndians with alcohol , it soon become apparent toBlock Hawk that the white settlers intended to havehis village of Soukenuk. _

Keokuk, a servile young Sauk, urged peaceable compliance with the treaty ; but BlockHawk's will stiffened when he returned from afall hunt in 1828 to find Saukenuk occupied bywhite settlers . In 1830 he attempted to rallysupport among other Indians, and in 1832 hewent on the warpath. While Illinois militiamenwere shooting Sauk and Foxes to persuade themto stay west of the Mississippi, in accordancewith the terms of a dubious treaty , the So uk andFox leader, Block Hawk, was becoming a notional celebrity . Defeated and captured at theend of this futile campaign - glorified as BlockHawk's war - the Sauk chief bowed to the in

evitable and moved to Iowa . After his capture atthe end of the war, he was taken on what canonly be described as a triumphal tour of thecities of the East. In on epic poem written in hishonor he was compared, " s soldier, patriot,soul magnanimous," with Napoleon and Wellington:

nd sure they had o better cause,Than fight or country, kindred, laws

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From the DARCOM point of fully eq uipped combat troopsview , the project was significant and a crew of 3 at a top speed ofbecause it proceeded on time , 185 miles per hour to awithin cost constraints and re- maximum range of 370 milessulted in a superior aircraft. under extreme conditions. In

The history of the Black Hawk that capacity it can carry a fullgoes back to 1965 when the first rifle squad , something the Hueyrequirement document was ap- cannot do , in addition to the inproved. In 1971 the Army went to creased speed and rangethe aircraft indust ry for designs capabilities.and in 1972 competitive contracts In another role , the helicopterwere awarded to Sikorsky and can operate for medical evacuaBoeing-Vertol. The f irst pro- tion and carry four pati ents on littotype-flights were made in 1974, ters with attendants and completewith a total of more than 6,000 medical equipment for inflighthours of flying time between the care. It also can lift a 105 mm howtwo versions. Sikorsky received itzer, a gun crew of 5 and 50 roundsthe production contract in De- of ammunition.cember 1976, for a projected cost Throughout its design and deof $2.9 billion over the 8-year velopment great attention waspurchase period. paid to a number of lessons

Production of the new model learned. Many of its specific abegan last month , with the first tions were written for hotdelivery set for August 1978. All weather , high altitude operationtold , the Army plans to purchase and other considerations inmore than 1,100 Black Hawks. cluded survivabilit y in a hostile

As a new generation of environment , crash survivabilhelicopters , the Black Hawk has ity, flight reliability and ease ofincreased capabilities over the maintenance.Huey. It is designed to carry As evidence of its crashwor-

thiness , GEN Guthrie recountedan incident during the testingphase in which one of thehelicopters had an engine failureat night at 300 feet and crashedinto trees with 14 passengers andcrewmembers aboard. All 14walked away. The next day newrotor blades were installed andthe helicopter took off under itsown power.

Several other characterist icsof the Black Hawk are indicativeof its advanced technology anddesign. t is designed to be invulnerable to small arms fireand able to survive numeroushits from other weapons. This isdue to its armor and the use ofredundant systems that compen

sate for damage to the helicopter . For example , the BlackHawk 's main transmission canoperate for at least 30 minuteswithout any oil.

t is also much quieter thanother current helicopters , can flyclose to the ground and can defeat heat-seeking weaponry ,making it harder to detect andshoot down.

left: Gerold J. Tobias left) , president of Sikorsky Aircraft, and Carl Thorpe unveilthe Block Hawk emblem photo by Zack Richards). Below: Black Hawk conducts

naJ?-of-the-earth flight photo by Sikorsky)

NOVEMBER 1977 13


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aptain Dono M YoungT raining Management Branch

Department of Resident Training ManagementFort Rucker L

O N 13 JUNE 1977 the firststudents entered the new DualTrack 175 /40 Initial Entry RotaryWing (lERW) Course at For tRucker , AL. The course is theresult of almost two years of extensive research and replacesthe 180/20 IERW program.

Developed at Fort Rucker by theTrain ing and Doctrine Command s Aviation Training StudyGroup, the new course is designedto improve the graduate s capability to survive against -and defeatthe threat. The course also increases the aviator s capability tooperate around the clock in allweather conditions .

Consisting of 175 flight hours and40 hours in the UH -l flightsimulator UHIFS) (as comparedto 180 flight hours and 20 flightsimulator hours in the old program), the 34-week course is divided into six phases: preflight.primary, UH-l transition, instruments , night qualification andcombat skills.

The 2-week preflight providesthe student with an overview of the

IERW course and presents theacademic fundamentals whichprepare the student for the aviation environment. Included areclasses in aviation medicine andlife support.

Actual flight training begins inthe TH 55 Osage helicopter. During the 8-week , 50-hour primaryphase of training the student istaught the basic flight skills: hovering, straight and level flight ,takeoff and landing , autorotationsand other maneuvers associatedwith rotary wing flight.

Following the primar y phasethe student moves into the 4-week ,25-hour , UH-l transition phase oftraining. Using the basic skills developed in the TH-55 , the studentprogresses through the requirements for UH-l transition. Thefledgling aviator becomes knowledgeable in the working systemsof the UH-l and demonstratesflight proficiency in all flightmaneuvers , procedures and operational checks required for theUH-l. During this phase the student is exposed for the first time to

confined area, pinnacle andslope operations .

Instrument training makes optimum use of the UHIFS duringthis 8 weeks of t raining. Theunique capabilities of this deviceprovide the student with an integration of simulator and aircraftthat maximizes the use of thetraining time available .

Initially , the UHIFS providesthe student with the basics of instrument flight. When the capability to plan an instrumentflight rules (lFR) flight and tofly VHF omnidirectional rangeVOR), automatic direction find

er (ADF) , instrument landingsystem (lLS), and ground controlled approach GCA) has beendemonstrated , the student beginsalternating flights in the simulatorwith flights in the UH-l. The 20hour UH-l , 35-hour UHIFS phaseof training culminates with a2-hour check ride conducted on thefederal airway system.

The night qualification phase oftraining was developed to augment the requirement for aviators

U.S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST


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assignment out of these two specialties and createan experience gap in one or the other of the twospecialties.

The Aviation Career Incentive Act and its expected aviation utilization rate of 50 percent alongwith military /civilian schooling periods ,mathematically leave a marginal amount of timefor experience in a CA specialty when comparedwith nonrated officers.

Those who have acquired successful experience in both CA and aviation specialties will havegreater opportunities for commands at thelieutenant colonel level as they can compete forboth .

Army funded advanced schooling will not bepossible for the CA /15 specialty combination. TheArmy trains officers at the graduate level only inthose disciplines which are considered shortage(Operations Research /Systems Analysis (ORSA) ,

automatic data processing (ADP) , engineering ,etc) and officers selected for school must havespecialties associated with those disciplines. Al-most none of the Army s shortage disciplines areassociated directly with CA or aviation.

As you can see , the CA /aviation CA /15) combination will be extremely difficult if not impossiblefor an officer to sustain. There will be very limited numbers of officers in YG 71 and later whowill be designated CA/15.

Even knowing this , we feel that those of you inYG 71 and later who desire and who have the opportunity should serve time in CA positions, company /troop command if possible. This experience,if acquired , will enhance your value t o ~ h Armybecause of the broad experience base; not to mention the value to you as an individual in the development of your overall leadership capabilitiesand experience.

Enlisted Personnel Management System

Homebase/ dvancedssignment Program HAAP)

A R E YOU GETTING ready to go to Korea ? Orare you thinking of submitting a volunteer appli

cation to go to Korea? Do you know or think youknow about HAAP? I f so , the following information may pertain to you.

HAAP is the Army abbreviation for thehomebase / advanced assignment program. I tapplies to Soliders in grades E5 and above whoare scheduled to go to a dependent restrictedarea. Most of you know these assignments asshort - or unaccompanied - tours , usually 12months in length.

Many noncommissioned officers (NCOs) thinkthat HAAP and homebase are the same. At Military Personnel Center (MILPERCEN) we often receive calls from NCOs wanting to know what their

homebase will be if they volunteer for Korea , orwanting to know i f they can change theirhomebase. Many Soldiers also are under the impression that if they go to Korea, they can get assigned to their place or area of choice. These areall misinterpretations.

HAAP means that ( i f you are in grade E5 orabove) when you are placed on assignment instructions to a short tour area, you will know before you depart for overseas where you arescheduled to return in Continental United States

NOVEMBER 1977

SFC Thomas L. BiceCareer Advisor, viation Branch

U . S . rmy Military Personnel CenterAlexandria, V

(CONUS) upon completion of the short tour. Thereis a very big difference between a homebase assignment and an advanced assignment.

A homebase assignment means you arescheduled to return to your previous permanentCONUS duty station - that is, to the same installation you were assigned to before you receivedorders for the short tour.

An advanced assignment, on the other hand,means you are scheduled to return to a sta-tion/location other than your previous permanentCONUS duty station - or simply to an installationdifferent from the one to which you were assignedprior to going on your short tour.

HAAP was initiated to help the Army reducepermanent change of station (PCS) costs. Fromthe individual Soldier s viewpoint, it helps in making personal plans which could result in savings,fewer household moves and improved familystabilization. Anyone who has been on a short tourknows what a hassle it can be to move your dependents to one place and then a year later move

continued o inside b ck cover

17

d

.-


20/52

Aerial view of Ft. Wainwright, AK following ice fog

nual temperature as 25.7 degrees F and qualifies theGreat Interior " as an arctic area . When these

temperatures are coupled with a windchill, chart(figure 2) , equivalent temperatures may dip to 100degrees F at anytime from November throughMarch.

The effects of theselow

temperatures result inpremature mechanical failures of aircraft , causedby cold-induced embrittlement of metal 's and plastics; malfunctioning of lubrication systems; improper functioning of fluid systems; excessive wearcaused by differences in the coefficient of thermalcontraction; and expansion of materials within asingle system.

The effects of cold on aircraft are severe , but theeffects on men are even more so. There is the everpresent danger of frostbite and hypothermia : , but ofeven greater significance is the fact that arcticclothing , which must be worn for protection against

cold injury , is cumbersome and bulky. As a result,relatively minor tasks become difficult and timeconsuming. Many tasks requiring unencumberedmanual dexterity such as fine tuning adjustments ,removal of nuts and bolts and replacement of smallparts , cannot be accomplished while wearing protective arctic mittens . Also , metals at low tempera-tures cannot be handled with bare hands without therisk of frostbite , and gloves thin enough to permitmanual dexterity offer protection for only a veryshort period of time. Areas of aircraft which areaccessible in normal clothing become inaccessiblewhen wearing heavy and bulky arctic clothing;

hence , such mainten ance cannot be performed untilFOOTNOTES

1 An isotherm is a ine connecting points of equal temperature.2In 1961 Mr. McNamara , Secretary of Defense , directed theArmy to take a new look at the ways the Army could useaircraft, specifically the helicopter , in enhancing the Army's mission.3Hypothermia is a lowering of the body core temperature.4When a piece of equipment reaches an ambient air temperature of 0 degrees F and lower throughout.

18

the aircr aft is placed in a warm hangar or shelter. Asa result , many manhours are consumed in hangaring and warming " cold soaked " 4 aircraft. Rotorsmoothing , a routine task in warm climates whichgenerally can be accomplished in several hours , incold tempera tures may consume a day or longer and

require hangaring for each adjustment. Further, itis not uncommon to shear an unheated trim tab whileattempting a minor adjustment. In extremely coldweather there is the temptation to neglect fine adjustments or postpone them until the weather iswarmer.

Unfortunately , in planning arctic or arctic-likeairmobile operations the aviation commander cannot take advantage of a recent caution to job seekerswhich appeared in several newspapers: f you ' reconsidering a move to Alaska , bring enough moneyfor a round trip in case your plans don'tmaterialize. ' ,

Fieldcraft , i.e. , basic survival requirements , andthorough indoctrination of personnel is a key factorin any cold weather operation. t may be a vestigialmemory of the last ice age lingering in the humanmind that causes people to regard the cold with anattitude bordering on irrational terror despite thefact that a human organism is more easily parboiledthan frozen.

In the long term implication for the planner , manual dexterity might be improved through the use ofheated gloves. Think , lightweight heated parkasmight be a solution to the cumbersome , bulky parkas which block access to many repair areas .Lightweight , easily erectable shelters or inflatableshelters offer interesting possibilities. Modulesshould be designed so that tools and wrench applications are not required. Finally , metal and plasticcomponents shou ld be incorporat ed in all areas thatresist cold temperature embrittlement.

Perhaps in the final analysis , planning should in-corporate what the planner knows about the cold andhow it affects, or could affect , the mission. f theplanner knows nothing , nothing should be planned



21/52


22/52

; 9 th RCOM ontinued from p ge 1With the help of the 4150th USAR School of

Dallas enlisted personnel can be trained ashelicopter repairers. This means spending lOT inclass and then 2 weeks of AT at Fort Rucker.

The 244th also has personnel attending the

repair school which is 70 hours in length.Additionally, the 244th has people attending anavionics communication equipment repairerscourse offered by the 4105th. This is an aO-hourcourse which includes an AT phase at FortGordon, GA.

The 244th has a unique on-the-job trainingprogram involving surplus parts and equipment.

About 2 years ago the unit obtained a salvagedUH-l B training aid and with Reservists workingon the aircraft rebuilt i t completely to flyingstatus last November.

And, to further maintain proficiency the unithas obtained salvage component parts from theCorpus Christi, TX Army Aviation Depot. Theseinclude an engine, transmission and tailboomassembly.

At this writing the 244th also was attemptingto obtain a salvage U-S fixed wing plane to servetraining purposes.

The 244th is only one of six USAR generalsupport transportation companies in thecountry. There is only one on active duty.

The 300th, 244th and 493d moved to theDallas NAS located in Grand Prairie, TX on thesouthwestern fringes of Dallas, from Oak GroveAirport in Fort Worth. There they operated inleased buildings.

Ultra-modern and spacious best describe thenew com plex.

The training center is a one-story structure ofthe 400-personnel variety. It has an area of23,510 square feet and includes a largeassembly hall; 1,000-inch indoor r i f le/ pistolrange; fully equipped kitchen with separate food

storagearea;

supply and ordnance storagerooms; classrooms and administrative offices.The assembly hall is used as a messhall during

weekend t r i n i n ~assemblies. Foldablemesstables are removed and stored easilyfollowing use.

But what is really impressive is the flightfacility itself, 35,122 square feet of space. Itincludes a 42-foot high hangar which is 240 feetlong and 75 feet deep. The 39 helicopters ser-

20

Photos by MSG Tom Ph illips HQ 90th RCOM P office

viced at the flight facility all can be accommodated in the hangar. The flight facility includes

separate shops for engine, propeller and rotor,sheet metal, paint , machine, avionics and gunrepair.

The most popular of the rooms, however, isone used for breaks and lunch time . It containsjust about every type of vending machineimaginable including a money changer.

A motor vehicle maintenance shop is attached to the hangar. It is a three-bay facilityoperated by the Area Maintenance SupportActivity (AMSA) subshop which is responsiblefor motor vehicle maintenance for all U.S. ArmyReserve units on the naval station and in FortWorth.

And, of course, the 35.7 acres of land includesample parking for private automobiles, taxiwayand spacious aircraft parking apron.

U.S. Senator John Tower of Texas, speaking atthe dedication ceremony, marveled at thecomplex calling it a splendid facility.

The senator spoke about the total force policyand about the importance of Reserve forces intoday's era of an all-volunteer military force .

We never know when we're going to get in onsome kind of dustup that's going to require thatwe supplement our regular military forces withour Reserve, he said, adding, Because we donot initiate war as an instrument of nationalpolicy we must be ready when it comes ..whatyou do here is enormously important and thisfacility gives us the kind of modern assetrequired to maintain these companies with thekind of preparation they will need at such time

U.S. ARMY AVIATION IGEST


23/52

ove: Senator John Tower does the honors during the troditional ribbontting assisted by left to right) MAJ Gerard Stokley 300th commonder;G Warren E. Myers 90th ARCOM commonder; LTG Allen M. Burdett 5th Army commander; Chaplain COL) Arthur B Ingalls 362d C Bri-

gade ; and MAJ James Armacost 244 th commanderft: Size of the flight facility hanger is exemplified in this overview ofe dedication ceremony . In the background is a new Cobra gunship AH-

1S) which was on display

as they may be called on to perform in a veryactive role ...

Another highlight of the dedication ceremonywas presentation of two aviation safety awardsto the 300th Aviation Company.

LTG Allen M. Burdett Jr., commander of FifthU.S. Army, presented a plaque emblematic of theDepartment of the Army Aviation AccidentPrevention Award of Excellence and the ForcesCommand (FORSCOM) Commander's Trophyfor Aircraft Accident Prevention to Major GerardStokley, the 300th s commander.

The 300th earned the first award for recording 72 consecutive months of accident-freeflying and in doing so logged 23,000 hours,ending 30 June 1976.

The unit won the Commander's Trophy incompetition with other Reserve aviation companies during fiscal year 1976. The 300th spilots flew 4,123 hours without an accident orincident during that period.

MG Warren E. Myers, 90th ARCOM commander, \ was master of ceremonies at thededication and the previous day presented ArmyCommendation Medals to five personnel for

actions concerning the saving of lives.Honored were Major Stokley, CWO Danny E.Goss, and Specialist Fives Carl E. Bonifas andWalter L. Croom, all of the 300th ; and CWO BillyJ. Choate of the 244th Transportation Company.Also presented an Army Commendation Medalin absentia was CWO George R. Bryant of the300th.

MAJ Stokley, CWO Choate, and SP5s Croomand Bonifas were cited for rescuing two men

NOVEMBER 1977

from a rain-swollen creek in Tarrant County, TXin April 1976. Two helicopters had to be used,one to pull the men out using a rescue basket,and the other to provide visual assistancebecause of electrical wires and trees.

CWOs Bryant and Goss were on a routinetraining flight in February 1977 when they

sighted a house trailer afire near Crowley, TXand seeing no assistance at the scene decided toland their helicopter.

While landing they spotted a man leaving thetrailer from a window and collapsing nearby.They rushed to his aid, pulled him to safety,rendered first aid and returned to the blazingtrailer to shut off the gas.

On the advice of an emergency medicaltechnician who arrived with the fire department,the/ helicopter crew then flew the injured man toa Fort Worth hospital.

At the time the chopper carried fourpassengers who assisted. They were two activeArmy ROTC advisors and two ROTC cadets fromBishop College in Dallas.

Because the 300th s primary mission is totransport personnel rapidly for deployment on amid-intensity battlefield, the unit s trainingprogram is geared towards the high threatenvironment.

For example, the company's annual trainingprogram calls for 100 percent instrument andNOE qualification. And, throughout individual,platoon and unit training the advancedtechniques which would be used in combat areemployed and perfected.

The best test of the company's capabilities onthe mid-intensity battlefield occurred at FortChaffee, AR during August when it supportedthe Arkansas National Guard s 39th InfantryBrigade. The 300th, as part of an active component aviation battalion from the 101st Airborne Division, helped the Brigade conductArmy Training and Evaluation Programs (ARTEPs) for its Cavalry squadron, Infantry battalion and support battalion.

The unit s helicopters were used throughoutthe annual training period for air assault andother troop carrying missions using the latesttechniques including the contour and low flyingNOE concept. The 300th worked with Pathfinders and conducted several night missions.Also scheduled were briefings on the high threatenvironment and enemy capabilities.


24/52

Continual from page 3and evaluations (TDEs) thathave given the Army new insights into how to fight usingattack helicopters versus armor.Only lately have articles begunto appear on this subject. And,not everyone agrees with whathas been written - just as thereare those who will differ withthoughts I present. But, lookupon this article as openers, ifyou like - a think piece intendedto stimulate discussions. Constructive contrary opinions arenot only sought, but also encouraged, solicited and will beprinted.

Charac te r i s t i c s O f A ZSU:First, aviators need the ZSU'scharacteristics and habits firmlyin their data banks before goingafter the beast. A tank battalionor a motorized rifle battalionnormally will have two ZSU-23-4s1 section) loca ted within 400 to 500

meters of the lead elements of anattacking formation. Eachweapons system has four 23milimeter (mm) automatic

weapons and a fire control (GunDish) radar mounted on a lightlyarmored, full tr acked vehicle [see.. Self-Propelled AntiaircraftGun, March 1976 I GE STJ Theradar range of the weapon is 3,000meters plus and its optical range

exceeds 2,500 meters. It has a 360-degree traverse capability.Helicopter crews should also

avoid being at ranges between2,000 and 2,500 meters i f they areexposed to the ZSU for more than35 seconds. The weapons lethalitydrops off at ranges farther than2,500 meters although radar andvisual acquisition is possible atconsiderably longer ranges. Atranges less than 2,000 meters, thelethality of the ZSU is extremelyhigh, and in this area aviatorsmust avoid any exposure to theweapon.

ZSU-23-4 Effectiveness In ANutshell:

The ZSU is a highly lethalweapon.

Its effec t iveness falls offsharply beyond 2,500 meters.

ZSU-23-4 can acquire lock on

and fire t target in about 35 seconds.

ZS U is less effective againsta maneuvering helicopter thanone that is hovering.

ZS U s effect iveness is re -duced as target s exposure time

is decreased.Other Vulnerabilities Of The

ZSU: There are several distinctvulnerabilities of the ZSU thatcan be used to our advantage.First, the Gun Dish radar makesit a distinct signature vehicle ina formation of tanks or Sovietpersonnel carriers. It stands outdearly and nothing else in thatarea of the battlefield will causeaviators to mistake a ZSU sidentity.

Second the ZSU is not heavilyarmored and several of ourweapons systems will destroy it.The most vulnerable part of thevehicle is the Gun Dish radarwhich can be made inoperativewith artillery fragments, mortar,rockets, 20 and 30 mm projectiles and numerous other typeweapons. But they can still kill



25/52

you with visual acquistion andtracking.

Third the capabili ty to hittargets at greater ranges dropsmarkedly if the radar is inoperative.

Fourth we know that while on

the move it is not as effective aswhen stationary (this is true fora lot of threat weapons systems .

F if th the radar gives a distinct paint on the radar warningreceivers found in U. S. Armyhelicopters.

There probably are other significant vulnerabilities, but thefive areas above give us something to work with in tactics.How To Locate A ZSU: Probably the most difficult job helicop

ter pilots will have is locatingthe ZSUs. I highlight the plural as ZSUs are employed in pairs ata minimum. So it ' s a multiplejob.

Locating the quarry falls to thescout helicopters and every otherintelligence source available inthe battle area. However , for thepurposes of discussion , le t 's limitthe job to aeroscouts.

Visual search is the primarymeans of loc ating threat vehicles. Scouts , mounted or di smounted, will do this job. Additionally , radar beams picked upby the radar warning receiver(AN / APR-39) mounted on thehelicopter provide a good indication of direction and location ofthe ZSU. However, to get such asignal, helicopter exposure isnecessary.

Keep in mind that radar acquisition is greater than the firing range so the enemy can paintyou at a longer range. When ZSUtracks you. you get its direction.Dep ending on the range from theZSU and the exposure time , thiscould be dangerous business.Two scouts working together canbe particularly effective in thisoperation. One scout observeswhile the other acts as a decoy ,attempting to either draw fire or

NOVEMBER 1977

get a paint on the radar warningreceiver. No doubt a stationary ,camouflaged ZSU is going to bethe most difficult to locate. Also ,the enemy can be sneaky byturning off the radar and usingvisual tracking. But usually this

is done only at closer ranges.Destruct ion Of The ZSU: Indirect fires are probably the mostcost effective means of killing aZSU. f the target is within rangeof supporting Artillery , the scoutc an use this firepower to get thejob done swiftly , efficiently.However, in some situations it ispossible that the ZSUs in question are out of Artillery range.This might be true in penetrationscenarios where the enemy has

moved into friendly rear areasand the situation is confused.

Close air support is the nextpossibility for attacking the ZSU.

f available, this is a quick , effective method. But the targetmust be handed off to the forward air controller and thefighters must locate the culpritin quest ion - a not easy choreon the smoke filled battlefield.However, the U.S. Air Force hasspecial mission aircraft to assistin this type mission.

Use Of At t ack H el icop te rTeams: Proba bly the sures tway to kill a ZSU is with atube-launched, optically-tracked ,wire-guarded (TOW) missilelaunched by an attack helicopter. The possible t ime lag required for Arti l lery and closeair support to get on targetmakes the attack helicopter thequickest way to get the job done.

Accuracy and time of flight ofthe TOW make it well suited forthe job. A hit will be a kill

Use of 2.75 inch rockets firedin an indirect mode is certainlypossible and definitely a saferway to go. However, the rocketsystem is an area weapon and isnot as sure as the TOW. Possibledevelopment of a 2.75 inch radarseeking warhead would make

this a more potent weaponagainst the ZSU .

During the kill phase assaulting a ZSU , attack helicopters areplaced in position to pick up thetarget handed off by the scout. Thescout then can either move to a

nearby observat ion position or actas a long range decoy to distractthe target. Of course, this decoywork is done outside the optimumlethality range of the ZSU. f at allpossible , simultaneous engagement of all ZSUs by multiple attack helicopters will get the jobcompleted best.

No doubt this is hazardousbusiness. However , it appears tobe absolutely essential for attackhelicopters to be fully effectivetank killers on future battlefields.No other threat weapons systemcan so hinder attack he licopteroperations as can the ZSU-23-4.Careful. quick. deadly removal ofthese weapons makes destructionof other enemy targets a lot safer.That is if any battlefield can edescribed as safe

Think These Points Over: The ZSU 23 4 has proven to

be an effective killer of aircraft.

.T h e U. S. Army has goodhelicopters with excellentweapons that give us a range advantage.

We must know what we arelooking for.

We must use terrain tominimize exposure.

We must operate at maximumstandoff where our weapons havehigh probability of kill and theenemy ' s weapons probability ofkill is reduced.

What Are Your Thoughts?Either write an article or letter expressing your opinions onthe tactical techniques, problems , advantages, etc., of attacking the ZSU and send them to theAV I AT I O N D I G E S T

P O

. Drawer P , Ft. Rucker, AL 36362. Youropinions will be welcomed, appreciated and responded to.

23


26/52

o

I YOU EVER walk on a flight line du ring a morning launch ? When 80 or 90 aircraftare being launched twice daily , it gives you theopportunity to see two unique scenarios - , attimes resembling a precision drill team - atothers , a daredevil meet.

Yet before the field is abandoned and the skybecomes crowded with check intercoms andsay again , all after good mornings , let 's peek

in on the wonderful world of rapport thatsometimes exists between Joe Pilot and MikeMaintenance.

Maintenance views the pilot's locker room -flight operations - with the flight commanderas head coach giving the team its half time

pep talk - su je t : Nuts , Bolts , Screws andTolerances That Will Baffle The Opponent.

At the maintenance rally , pilots envisiondouble talk classes - classes on .. How To Lieand Cheat Convincingly , speech therapy class-es and pronunciation of words such as

salaminger and kinniper pin , withoutstammering or laughing.

The maintenance goal is to turn out the safestpossible aircraft. I 'm sure no one actually believes maintenance would deliberately turn outan aircraft with known flight defects , Any flightdiscrepancy found during an inspection must betest flown first , and maintenance is not in thehabit of flying unsafe aircraft.

The human error factor is always present inmaintenance . An attempt at reducing this factor is in our system. The example of aircrafttail No. 66-00001 coming into PE (periodic inspection) will fill our needs,

Technical inspectors (TIs) initially find manydiscrepancies behind panels aviators never

have seen and in places they never knewexisted. A team chief assures the work of thosewho are correcting the faults on the TI's gi g sheet. The same technical inspector pulls an

in-progress and final inspection to assure thework of the team chief. A test pilot is assignedto the aircraft; this person ' s preflight checksthe TI.

The next stage is the crewchief performing adaily inspection. Probably the most importantcheck is the pilot 's Flight Readiness Inspection; this is a daily evaluation of the . wearand-tear on aircraft. The Flight Readiness Inspection is a maintenance aid because by find

ing faults between the 100-hour PEs , parts canbe ordered and repairs can be made , therebyreducing the downtime during PE.

The maintenance public relations program isgeared to pleasing the aviator. This is an ideatoo often overlooked for reasons sometimes excusable, but sometimes not so excusable.

Maintenance is constantly harrassed byavailability. Commanders always are screamingabout the impor tance of the number of aircraft.Eventually the launch officers become involved .

-; . , :. 24

f o~ ~

But certain pilots ,who are continually findingminor faults will dhve the launch officers to thepoint that they would rather ground the ship thanuse the 2408-13 and fly the mission.

In the same light , we have pilots who areahead of their scheduled flight times and wouldrather sit on the ground at home plate than atsome hot , dusty stagefield. Only in such a circumstance do they spend extra time preflighting in hopes of finding one red X. Little consideration is given for the efforts of the maintenance team in general or for the launch officerin particular. The rejection of one aircraft canhave some far reaching repercussions .

In the same respect , the pilot 's responsibilitylies not only in a good preflight to ensure No.66-00001 will keep flying , but also that all discrepancies are noted on the 2408-13. This -13constantly checked and corrected , gives thepilot a more enjoyable flight by eliminatingpinpointing radio problems , unusual vibrations ,or instruments spinning round and round during an instrument approach .

How many of us don ' t take the time to jotdown those annoying problems? Perhaps i theprevious pilot had had the courtesy to pencil-inthose aircraft problems , you wouldn ' t have aheadache today. .

Most units have a section called The PilotPleasers or unscheduled maintenance crew.Every launch will find one officer , one E-6 orE -7, and five or six mechanics detailed to thisduty. A good unit will use its most diplomaticofficer , its best NCO in terms of getting the



27/52

ptain Joseph uchheitrmy Transportation School

Fort Eustis , V

work done , and its most experiencedmechanics.

Why "The Pilot Pleaser ?" The reason is oneof time. Simple maintenance corrections normally can be made in one-half hour; more thanone-half hour requires replacement of the aircraft . This is where the experienced mechanicsbecome "timesavers. " By doing the job quicklyand correctly the first time , aircraft downtime

is minimized and more mechanics are available for other problems.Diplomacy seems like a strange word to use

in aviation. But is it really ?Let 's take a look at a typical launch. Time is

1300 hours . It ' s a sparkling 90 degrees and thehumidity swims at 85 percent.

Joe Pilot is sweating feverishly in his seat atf ~ i g h toper.ations. The air hangs still across thefIeld as hIS students enter the building. He ' sbeen having a rough time with student No.2;doesn ' t seem to be ahead of the aircraft.. During the question and answer period , No.2Isn't responding and it is obvious No. 2 didn ' tstudy last night. This makes Joe ' s job twice asdifficult because not only does he have to teachthe lesson while he ' s flying but he has to explain all those terms No.2 should have learnedlast night. The temperature inside Joe ' s head is5 degrees higher than outside now.

.The flight c ~ m m n d e rwalks in and beginshIS own questIOn and answer period. That ' sright .. . Joe's No.2 fails to answer two questions right off the bat. Now Joe has to see the" Old Man" and the day is getting hotter. tseems No.2 didn ' t realize how far not stUdying

NOVEMBER 1977

last night would reach.As you have guessed by now , Joe received a

lovely lecture on the influence he 's not givingNo.2. In fact , his whole family background hasbeen questioned. This sets the scene for JoePilot ' s meeting with cheerful friendly MikeMaintenance. '

Mike didn ' t have such a good morning . Therewere some bitter words exchanged over thebreakfast table . He left the house in a huff - a26-mile endurance course awaits his wheels.Around mile 4 the air conditioner belches thelast of its cold air and dies .

About now Mike and Joe are at equal tempe ~ a t u r ~ sThe next scene is the "battlefield" orfhght lme.

Joe has been looking over the rotor head ofhis UH -1 Huey for 15 minutes trying to find something wrong , when Mike walks over to the aircraft. Now the questions start flying: .. What'sthe tolerance on this trunnion ?" Feels like toomuch play here , will you check it? Is thissafety backwards ? Isn ' t this a red X? "

Mike gets the feeling Joe doesn ' t want to flyand says just thatJoe confides in Mike the story about No.2

and how they ' re "up " on time. Joe wouldrather reject the ship than battle the heatcrowds and stupidity of No.2. "Could you bepal and red X the ship for me ? I won ' t even askfor a replacement."

Che.erful , friendly Mike Maintenance calmlyexplams to Joe exactly what will happen if theaircraft is rejected. Joe tries the belligerentapproach whIch begins to boil Mike's blood.Calmly , Mike tries another approach going intogreater detail about changing parts , cost , thesupply system and any other resource he canmuster. W ~ a ta way to make a living

When pIlots have mechanical problemsso.metimes a reassuring "okay " fromfrIendly , experIenced maintenance officer canbe extremely. c o m f o ~ t i n gThere ' s nothingworse than flymg an aircraft you 're not sure issafe.

At times , convincing pilots that their aircrafta re safe can be ~ n extremely trying job. ManytImes tempers rIse and words of endearmentare exchanged .

A diplomatic launch officer c ~ nmake the difference between a flying pilot and a pilotflying his aircraftMaintenance versus pilots will not work.What is needed? A closer coordination withplenty of understanding for the system is oneans:ver. The other answers are the many waysmamtenance personnel can alleviate pilot problems together with those ways pilots can helpmaintenance to do its job.

"Good maintenance Helpful Pilots = SafeAircraft."

Will it work? Certa inly Whenever we try

25


28/52

ontinued from page

Armor protection of crit ic alcomponents.

Blast shields for crew protection (figure 2).

Ballistic survi va bility tests conducted during Phase I showed thatthe YAH-64 could take a worstcase 23 mm HEI main rotorblade hit and continue to operate10 times longer than the Armyspecification required. Further,the main transmission demonstrated that it can lose its lubrication and continue to fly for

more than an hour - 100 percentgreater than the Army specification.

Reliability, Availability, Mainta inabi l i ty : Much attention wasgiven to reliability , availabilityand maintainability duringYAH-64 design. Source SelectionEvaluation Board operationalsuitability specialists indicatedthat the Y AH-64 is the most outstanding helicopt er they haveseen for meeting the NOE mission and ease of maintenance inthe forward battle area.

Figure

During government flight testevaluation last summer , theYAH-64 demonstrated an exceptionally good availability rate.Contributing to its reliability andmaintainability are its simplicity, rugged structure , low vibration levels , fault detection /location system , static mast , lack oflubricated bearings in the rotorhead , sealed grease-packed tailrotor and intermediate gearboxes , independently removabledynamic components , and easyaccess to all inspection /maintenance points. Time to refuel ,rearm and return to battle areoptimized for maximum combateffectiveness.

Deployab i l i ty : With a ferry

Inherent survivability of the YAH-64 is reflected n this series of photos ofvarious components that were fired on during vulnerability tests and continued to operate satisfactorily: 0) toil rotor drive shaft; b) fuel cell; c)

main rotor blade; d) main rotor blade following 5-hour post-firing fatiguetest ; e) structural aluminum alloycomponent; f) electro slog remelt new steelprocess) bearing sleeve; and g) cockpit intercompartment blast shield .


29/52


30/52

awarded Rockwell International s Missile Systems Division the HELLFIRE contract.On 10 March 1977 the Armyselected from among sevenproposals those of Northrop

Corporation and Martin-Mariettafor a 3-year TADS / PNVS competition. Hughes Helicopters , asthe prime contractor , has the responsibility to integrate thesecompetit ive systems into theoverall weapon system , and toperform flight test before Armyselection for production is made.

First flight of the completelyequipped vehicle will be in early1979. The full systems-equippedship will include the 30 mm androcket area weapons systemsand the HELLFIRE point targetmissile. t also will includeTADS /PNVS as well as completefire control , navigation and thecomm unic ations systems. Thethree. new Phase II YAH 64s arescheduled to fly in early 1980 .They will be used for thoroughsubsystems and weapons sy stems qualification testing.

Hughes flight testing , as inPhase I, w ill be cond ucted atHughes Palomar Airport TestFacility, near Carlsbad , CA , withinitial weapon tests performed atthe U.S. Marine Corps CampPendleton range near Oceanside ,CA. Final Hughes tests will be atthe Army s Yuma ProvingGround in Arizona.

The Army will conduct periodicdevelopment and operational testevaluation flights at Edwards AirForce Base , CA; Fort Lewis, WA;

0 .5 9 FLIGHT PATH

o 2 4 6 8 10

4,000 95146 KNOTS

9

12TIME SECONDS

Illustration depicts ability of the YAH 64 to maneuver along terrain contoursto ovoid detection and evade enemy fire

Figureand Fort Carson , CO. Additionally , the schedule calls for climatic hangar tests at Eglin Air ForceBase, FL , and inflight icing investigations at Moses Lake. WA.

The Phase II program is intended to result in a YAH 64 thatis fully tested and qualified forprod uction. In parallel withvehicle development , Hugheswill perform a design to unit costprogram and a pre-productionengineering program (PEP) toassure that cost goals andschedules are met.

Concurrent with the hardwaredesign , Hughes is developing andtesting a support system thatwill deliver material , personneland documentation as an integrated system for turnover to theArmy with the weapons system .

The heart of this activity is aLogistic Support A,nalysis Program that assures designers andsupport personnel will participate in support system tradeoffson the drawing board where design consider ations to enhancesupportability can be made atminim um cost. The LogisticSupport Analysis team and othersupport personnel are chargedwith role playing the part of individuals and units in the field

who eventually will maintain theequipment.

These groups have a directline to top management for decision on potential support problems when they cannot be resolved at the working level.Maintenance mockups , modelsand demonstrations on the airvehicles are used to verify approaches that cannot be analytically proven or solved .

A major challenge to the designers and support personnelduring the present phase of theprogram is optimization of thefault detectionllocation subsystem. This integrated system willuse personnel (crewchiefs andflight crews) at the AVUM levelto interpret through simple diagnostics (primarily automatic)those components malfunctioning.

The actual troubleshooting andrepairs to the components will beaccomplished by specialists atthe AVIM (intermediate) levelusing automatic test equipment(ATE). The YAH-64 will be theArmy s first aircraft to be supported by ATE in the field.

In addition to developing thesupport system , Hughes willtrain Government personnel

prior to Army testing. About 11different maintenance MOSs willbe trained and about 40 Armyaviators and copilot gunners willbe checked out prior to the various engineering and development tests.

Hughes design and test engineering activities during the

Agility and responsiveness of the YAH 64enables it to operate safely and effectively

in nap af the earth environment


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development of the Y AH-64 havebeen conducted in accordancewith the System Safety Programrequirements of current militarys tandards . Various types ofhazard analyses have been conducted concurrent with all de-

sign and test activities to identify interrelated areas of degra-dation, human errors or failuresthat could potentially result inhazardous conditions. Specificactions were then taken to eliminate or control these hazards . Asa result of these efforts , safetyfeatures such as the use of ai r -

GLOSSARYAAH

ADEN

API

APUATE

AVIM

AVUM

DEFA

ECU

fpmGTVHEI

HELLFIRE

mmMOS

mphNATO

NOEPEP

RAM

TADS/PNVS

VROC

advanced attack hel-

icopterBritish version of theDEFAarmor -piercing incendiaryauxiliary power unitautomatic test equipmentaviation intermediate maintenanceaviation unit maintenanceFrench 30 mm gunsystem for fighteraircraftenvironmenta l control unitfeet per minuteground test vehiclehigh explosive incen-diaryhelicopter launchedfire and forgetmillimetermilitary occupational specialtymiles per hourNorth Atlantic Tre

aty Organizationna p of the-earthpre-production engineering programreliability , availabil-ity , maintainabilitytarget acquisitionand designation sys-tem/pilot night visionsystemvertical rate of climb

NOVEMBER 1977

AAH ARMAMENT OPTIONS=MISSION FLEXIBILITY

MISSION

ANTI ARMOR (OEFENSE)

MI D EAST 4 HF 320 4 HF 700 146 1.83PRIMARY MISSION 4000 / 95 0 F RDS FPM KTS HRS

EUROPE 8 HF 1200 8 HF OO 146 2 .5AL TERNATE 2000 /70oF RDS FPM KTS HRS

COVERING FORCE (AIR CAV)MI D EAST 4 HF 777 4 HF 450 146 1 ,83ALTERNATE 4000 / 95 0 F RDS FPM KTS HRS

EUROPE 4 HF 1148 4 HF 450 146 2 .5AL TERNATE 2000 /70oF 19 RKTS RDS 19 RKTS FPM KTS HRS

AIRMOBILE ESCORTMI D EAST (4000 / 95 0 F) 19 RKTS

416 19 RKTS 450 146 1.83ALTERNATE RDS FPM KTS HRS

EUROPE (2000 /70oF) 38 RKTS 788 38 RKTS 450 146 2 .5AL TERNATE RDS FPM KTS HRS

The YAH 64 provides a broad range of armament options to sat isfy specific mission requirements

driven pumps to reduce ignitionenergy sources in the fuel sys-tem hav e b en includedthroughout the YAH-64 design.

A recent Hughes Helicopters analysis of Y AH-64 design dataversus mishaps data covering aperiod of more than 7 years onexisting Army aircraft of similarcomplexity showed that the es-tjmated average flying hours between mishaps for the Y AH -64will be 60 percent more than the7-year overall average for otheraircraft.

Of some significance in selec-tion of the YAH-64 for the AAHrole was the 30 mm Chain Guninvented by Hughes Helicopters Ordnance Division . The ChainGun is a l ightweight , s imple ,chain driven weapon. I t has firedmore than 500 ,000 rounds in lessthan 4 years of development ,with up to 20 ,000 rounds betweenstoppages. Hughes is managingthe 30 mm ammunit ion de -velopment p ro g ram under aseparate Army cont rac t . TheArmy has specified a require-ment for a round that is interop-erable in NATO standard ADENand DEFA guns. This program

will include development and production of the t a rge t pract iceround. a high e xplosive roundand a shaped charge dual purposeround.

In managing the AAH Phas e IIprogram , Hughes will expandand improve upon a com-puterized management controlsystem identif ied as Pro jec tTEAM . Through a central izedcomputer program , Hughes willreceive from each of its subcont ractors on a weekly basis thel as tes t sta tus of program ele-ments , such as cost schedule ,proposed design changes or potent ial problem areas . Teammembers will have access totheir portions of the status updates through their own desktopcomputer te rminals . But onlyHughes will be able to ext rac ttotal program data from the system.

The Army s advanced attackhelicopter represents a new generation in technological and operational requirements. Throughinnovative design and manage-ment , Hughes Helicopters willfulfill those requirements withinArmy time and cost controls.

29


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M O ~ N T I NFLYING SK LL ND KNOW HOW

lently. The pilot rolled off throttle and the aircraftcrashed left skid low and bounced forward on theright skid.

Fortunately, neither the crew nor passengerswere injured and the aircraft sustained onlyminor damage. However , similar accidents havehad catastrophic results.

At the time of the accident the gross weight ofthe aircraft was 8 ,769 pounds, density altitude was6 100 feet , and pressure altitude was 5 900 feet.The UH-1 Operator s Manual cautions about leftpedal travel limitations above 5 000 feet. The caution on page 14-4 states that at high altitudes andloadings where directional control is marginal,simultaneous climb and acceleration takeoffs mayresult in loss of control at a height and airspeedfrom which recovery is not possible. In addition,paragraph 7-13 states there is insufficient leftpedal to maintain directional control when hovering or making takeoffs or landings in adversewinds at weights above 8 300 pounqs at 5 000 feetand lower weights at higher altitudes. Paragraph3-40 of the manual also describes directional control problems that may occur at high grossweights and density altitude. The directional control problems associated with the UH-1 at highgross weights , high altitudes and in adverse w i n ~ sdetracted from its suitability to perform this mISsion.

A qualified weather forecaster said that withthe prevailing winds and topographical features atthe crash site the winds may have been as strongas 20 to 30 n ~ t sat the edge of the mesa and windeddies both crosswind and downwind probablyexisted. The winds at the edge of the mesa wouldhave been approximately from the west northwestor from 30 to 80 degrees off the nose of the aircraft which was on a departure heading of 205 degrees. Paragraph 3-40 of the operator s manualstates that under these conditions, marginal tailrotor control of less than 10 percent may be available depending on wind velocity, density altitude,gross weight and rotor rpm.

There were several causes for this accident butthe more prominent ones were inadequate unittraining and improper supervision. Neither p i l ~ thad adequate mountain flying training or e x p e ~ -ence to fly this mission. The pilot had no m o u n t a ~ nflying experience and the copilot had not flown mthe mountains for 8 years. Although this unit operated in mountainous terrain, the commanderfailed to provide his pilots with mountain flying

32

training and briefings. In addition , the unit SOPdid not address high altitude or mountainous terrain operations in accordance with paragraph3-1c, AR 95-5. Neither pilot had read or beenbriefed on the cautions and warnings in theoperator s manu?l concerni.ng l e f t p ~ d a ll ~ m i t ations under certam gross weIght , densIty altItude,and wind conditions. They disregarded these limitations during flight planning, then used poorjudgment by continuing to fly without sufficientlyreducing their gross weight after experiencing leftpedal problems on the first two approaches to themesa. Because of inadequate training, the pilot

added unnecessary power to gain forward speedwhen taking off from the mesa which caused lossof directional control due to insufficient left pedal.

Aircraft p ~ r f o r m a n c eis affected by varying altitude , temperature , wind and aircraft load. Inaddition to knowing the direction and velocity ofthe wind an aviator must vary his aircraft loadto correspond with altitude, temperature and windconditions . Because winds are extremely trickyand dangerous in mountainous areas , every effortshould be made to determine existing conditionsbefore takeoff and while en route. Weatherforecasters can provide general information , butaccurate information for the specific area of op

eration is not available through this source. Inareas of operation where ground communicationsexist aviators should contact those on the groundto determine the existing wind conditions.

Windsocks are the next best avenue for determining wind conditions and should be installed atLZs where repeated operations are conducted.Unfortunately, these sources are not alwaysavailable so the aviator must use visual cues to estimate wind direction and velocity.

Next to the windsock , smoke grenades providethe most accurate indication of wind direction andvelocity. In light wind, smoke will rise v e r t i c a lwith very little horizontal movement whereas m

strong winds it will disperse horizontally withvery little vertical m o v e m e n ~ .Unusual atmospheric condItIons m mountamous

areas are the rule rather than the exception. Anaviator who operates in the mountains ~ u s tknowthe capabilities and limitations of the aIrcraft heis flying, must have acquired precision inhandling the controls, and must have mastered thebasic techniques of flying to the extent that theyare instinctive with him. Without this know-howand skill, safe mission accomplishment is questionable.

U.S. RMY VI TION IGEST


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I IT HAD not been for my copilot , this mishapcould have easily terminated in a major accidentinstead of an incident. After we lost hydraulics ,the controls were so difficult to move that I had tohave his assistance to make a significant change.But more importantly , he tuned the radios andmade all the emergency checks listed in thechecklist. He had been monitoring my navigationand when the emergency arose , he assumed navigation and directed me to the nearest suitablelanding area ...

I always leave the flaps down until I reachabout 300 feet after takeoff. Much to my surprise ,we had barely become airborne when the copilotraised the flaps. By the time I reacted , we hadlost so much altitude that I almost hit the perimeter fence ....

Who is this individual we call copilot who , in onesituation , saves an aircraft and crew from disaster while , in another , triggers the events that leadto an accident? When is he required? What are hisduties ?

The prefix o is a shortened form of com-,meaning together with , as in co-operation. Logically then, the copilot is the assistant pilot. Underprovision of AR 95-1 he is required for all fixedand rotary wing aircraft being flown into knownor forecast instrument conditions. (This requirement is waived for OV-l aircraft when missionrequirements d ictate otherwise.)

But since a major portion of our flying is accomplished with a copilot on board , what are hisduties? f you are expecting a laundry list , I'msorry to disappoint you , but there is none - not atthe Department of the Army level , anyway. How ,then , is the copilot to know what is expected ofhim ? To answer this question, let's first considerthe pilot 's duties.

AR 95-1 states that the commander places full

NOVEMBER 1977

t ~ ~U S V S

responsibility on the designated pilot in commandwho is final authority for all aspects of the operation , servicing , security , and hangaring or parking of the aircraft. That statement embraces a lotof territory - preflight , use of checklists , flyingthe aircraft within its envelope , passenger briefings ,compliance with regulations -you name it. It 's thepilot 's responsibility. What he requires of his assistant , the copilot , depends on the particularsituation. That's the way it should be. Only afteran analysis of his own experience and proficiency; the experience and proficiency of hiscopilot; and the area of operations , flight conditions and mission requirements can the pilot logi

cally determine the appropriate duties for hiscopilot. Some general and specific duties could beappropriately included in local SOPs as copilot responsibility. This inclusion might be of particularvalue in areas where aviators regularly fly thesame type , model and series aircraft on similartype missions.

General duties might require the monitoring ofengine and flight instruments , as well as thepilot's navigation , and watching out for other aircraft. Specific duties might include the clearing ofweapons systems (using checklist) prior to entryinto cantonment areas, tuning and operatingradios during emergencies and disembarking and

monitoring refueling operations.But regardless of the duties assigned a copilot ,one point must be emphasized: he key to properuse of copilots is briefings These briefings mustbe conducted in a thoroughly professional manne r , and they must be programmed into the pre-f l ight planning phase - not conducted in thecockpit as an afterthought or , worse, neglected.This procedure will eliminate or reduce confusionin the cockpit , promote competence and fosterconfidence between the pilot and his key man, thecopilot.


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.

: ~ l , : ~ ~ ~~

Intersection takeoffleft insufficient runway for safe landing after . 1 engine crankshaft sheared

forgottenspeciesW HAT HAPPENS when the incidence of somecommon disease suddenly rises to epidemicproportions? Or when some new strain of virussurfaces? The medical profession musters itsforces in an all-out assault. Pathologists , medicalresearchers , technicians and a variety ofspecialists join in the battle to determine causes ,develop cures and devise preventive measures.

We follow the same basic approach when Armyaviation safety is threatened , concentrating ourefforts in those areas of greatest need. This is asit should be. However , this procedure diverts ourattention from other routine responsibilities. four attention is diverted long enough , problemsmay arise in areas that were virtually problemfree . Worse yet) these problems can develop sosubtly, without trigge ring any alarm , that we mayfail to notice them until they become formidableones. The process is much like corrosion that begins so slowly as to go unnoticed until , suddenly,it envelops the object it attacked.

In Army aviation , it is a relatively simple matter to identify a problem area after it reaches acritical point. The trick , of course , is to spot trouble during its incipient stage - before it can establish a toehold. To do this , one of the principaltools we rely on is statistics. For example i ffigures show we are having an abnormally highnumber of tail rotor failures associated with a par-

4

ticula r model helicopter , even though these failuresmay be occurring in widely dispersed avia-tion units , we can be reasonably certain we have

a trend - and a problem. But it is much more difficult to identify a potential problem area when it is ageneral one in which mishaps have no particularcommon denominator . A look at some recent statistics can serve as an example.

During the period 1 October 1976-12 August1977, Army aviators were involved in 69 accidentsthat resulted in 23 fatalities , 43 injuries , and a costof nearly 14 million for destroyed and damagedequipment.

The helicopter was involved in 56 of these mishaps and fixed wing aircraft in 13. Heading thelist was the UH-l , with 24; followed by the OH-5B,12; AH-1, 9; TH-55, 7; and CH-47, 4.

In the fixed wing department , we find that U-21,U-B, T-42, and OV-1 aircraft were involved in 3 accidents each; and the U -lO in 1 for a total of 13.

During this period , helicopters logged nearly 7times as many flight hours as did fixed wing aircraft , and made more than 17 times as manylandings.

On examining these figures , we can readilyconcede that, in the interest of safety, operationsinvolving rotary wing aircraft should demand thegreater part of our attention. After all, these aircraft comprise the bulk of the Army inventory of

u.s. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST


37/52

< d ~ ~

aircraft , log the greatest number of flight hours ,subject themselves to a wider variety of risks anddo so almost routinely . In addition , consider the

types of missions in which they may be employed:training and field exercises , reconnaissance ,rescue , troop carrier , cargo transport , administrative , assault and ground support , to name a few.Further , the very nature of their operations in lowlevel , contour , and in more recent years , nap-ofthe-earth flight greatly increases the risk of mishaps , and as statistics show , we can expect thehelicopter to be conspicuous in a greater numberof accidents than its counterpart.

In contrast , the fixed wing aircraft represents arelatively stable platform. As a rule , it requiresless maintenance than a helicopter and , with theexception of the OV-1 , is used primarily in train

ing and administrative type missions. These aircraft log a small portion of the total flight time ofall Army aircraft , fly at relatively high altitudesas opposed to low-level operations , have superiorweather capabilities, and most are twin-enginecraft capable of single-engine operation. Consequently , they are not subjected to nearly asmuch risk as are rotary wing aircraft. Logically ,then , we can expect them to be involved in feweraccidents and to demand less of our attention thanhelicopters.

But let s examine our statistics a bit more

NOVEMBER 1977

U B V B

Aerial and close-up views of U-8 that crashedafter fire caused engine to fall freefrom mount

il cons stored in adjacent comportmentformer battery comportment prior to aircraft

modification) leaked oil and helped feed fire

closely. While the helicopter was involved in a little more than 4 times the number of accidents asthe fixed wing , it flew nearly 7 times the number

of hours and made more than 17 times as manylandings - despite greater exposure to risk. Buteven this is only part of the picture. Delving a bitdeeper into statistics, we note that the 13 fixedwing accidents resulted in 12 fatalities for a rateof .92 fatalities per accident as opposed to 11fatalities produced by the 56 rotary wing mishapsfor a rate of about .20 fatalities per accident.

Although we may be tempted to take heart inthat no nonfatal injuries resulted from the fixedwing mishaps while the rotary wing ones pq)duced 43 , we ca n t in clear conscience do eventhat; for while all nonfatal fixed wing accidentsproduced no injuries, every fatal one left no su r

vivors. In these accidents , either no one was hurtor everyone was killed . Could it be that we haveallowed ourselves to be distracted too much andtoo long from this important area of operations?Has the fixed wing aircraft become the forgottenspecies? Maybe it s time to take a closer look atthis accident experience.

In one fatal accident , a fixed wing aircraftcrashed uncontrollably after an engine failed internally and caught fire. The extreme heatweakened the supporting structure, allowing theengine to fall free, causing loss of aircraft control.

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Minutes after takeoff U-8 m de unscheduled landing bec use of fuel e

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Army Aviation Digest - Nov 1977

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