Rotor Review Spring 2009 #105

Number 105 Spring 2009

Spring 2009 Number 105

To Be or Not To Be Super JO? That Is the Question.

Safety Statistics and Military Helicopter Risks.

30,000th Winging: A Naval Rotary Wing Milestone

MH-60R

Here and Now

A new bird is prowling the skies. Protecting the battlegroup. Operating with confidence in the complex environments our nation’s sailors face daily. The MH-60R is here. An all-new aircraft.

Armed with sophisticated equipment. Including integrated systems able to detect undersea objects at three to seven times the range of current helicopters, and track 10 times as many surface targets. And that’s just for starters. Future technology upgrades will make the MH-60R even more net-centric, more lethal, and more capable. MH-60R. The right helicopter, right now.

The cover is Digital Imagery was done by George Hopson, NHA Art Editor.

Naval Helicopter Association

Number 105 / Spring‘09

©2009 Naval Helicopter Association, Inc., all rights reserved

Features

Editor

Keep The Marine DIs at OCS Ms. Elizabeth Hawes Unangst

11

A Dedicated Naval Special Operations Air Asset ENS J.J. Risner, USN

12

The Good, The Bad, and The Lucky LTJG Jacquelyn Felber, USN

17

Jack of all Trades!

LTJG Michael “Sweaty” Weber, USN

18

V-22 Faces Mission Capable Rate Issues Bettina H. Chavanne, USN Aviation Week Staff Writer

20

LT Doug Hale, USN

Pantera, Pantera, Pantera LTJG Carlos Oroza, USN

21

HSL/HSM Editor

Old School meets New School AWCS Lindaleah Johnson, USN

22

USMC Editor

Gauges Green, Clean LT Justin Letwinsky, USN

23

USCG Editor

BASH CONDITION LOW LT Chris Grande, USN

24

To Be or Not to Be a Super JO? That is the Question LT Doug “Spooner” Hale, USN

25

Safety Statistics and Military Helicopter Risks Peter B. Mapes, MD, MPH, BS

27

LCDR Kristin Ohleger, USN

Design Editor George Hopson

Aircrewman Editor

AW2 Kenny Sevenello, USN

Page 11

HSC / HM Editor

LT Sandra Kjono, USN LT Julie Dunnigan, USN

HS / Special Mission Editor

LT Anthony Amodeo, USN

Page 21

Capt Vanessa Clark, USMC LTJG Todd Vorenkamp, USCG

Book Review Editor

LCDR BJ Armstrong, USN

Technical Advisor

Page 36

LCDR Chip Lancaster, USN (Ret)

Focus

NHA Photographer

CONOPS Here and Now...2009 Symposium Hightlights

CDR Lloyd Parthemer, USN (Ret) LTJG Todd Vorenkamp, USCG

Historical Editor

CAPT Vincent Secades, USN (Ret) Page 44

Printing by Diego & Son Printing, Inc San Diego, California

Rotor Review (ISSN: 1085-9683) is published quarterly by the Naval Helicopter Association, Inc (NHA), a California nonprofit corporation.

NHA is located in Building 654, Rogers Road, NASNI, San Diego, CA 92135. Views expressed in Rotor Review are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the policies of NHA or United States Navy, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard. Rotor Review is printed in the USA. Periodical rate postage is paid at San Diego, CA. Subscription to Rotor Review is included in the membership fee in the Naval Helicopter Association or the corporate membership fee. A current corporation annual report, prepared in accordance with Section 8321 of the California Corporations Code, is available to members on request. POSTMASTER: Send address change to Naval Helicopter Association, P.O. Box 180578 , Coronado, CA 92178-0578

Rotor Review # 105 Spring ‘09

CONOPS Here and Now...Symposium in Review LT Doug “Spooner” Hale, USN

36

Keynote Address...Kicks Off...Symposium LTJG David Thomas, USN

37

Maintainers in the NHA? AM2 Michael B. Bisher, USN

38

Catching Up With Old Bubbas and Making New Ones LT Ashley “Mary Kate” Church, USN

38

All the Rules, All of the Time LTJG James Thomas, USN

39

NHA Symposium Awards Luncheon LT Julie Dunnigan, USN

39

2009 NHA Symposium Sports Day LT Dan Teeter, USN

43

The Strong Revealed AW1(AW/SW) Kristofer M. Camarro, USN

44

Captains of Industry 2009 LTJG Todd Vorenkamp, USCG

44

No Beating Around the Bush: A Spirited Admiral’s Discussion LTJG Jeff Foulds, USN

45

Perspective of the 2009 Symposium RADM Gary Jones, USN

70

1

Naval Helicopter Association, Inc. Correspondence and membership P.O. Box 180578 Coronado, CA 92178-0578 (619) 435-7139 / (619) 435-7354 (fax)

Corporate Associates

The following corporations exhibit strong support of rotary wing aviation through their sponsorship of the Naval Helicopter Association, Inc

AgustaWestland Inc. BAE Systems / Electronics & Integrated Solutions BAE Systems / Mobility and Protection Systems Bell Helicopter Textron, Inc Binghamton Simulator Company Boeing Aircraft & Missile Booz | Allen | Hamilton Breeze-Eastern CAE Inc. Delex System, Inc G.E. Aircraft Engines Goodrich Corporation, Fuel & Utility Systems Harris Corporation Lockheed Martin Systems Integration-Owego L3 Communications / D.P. Associates Inc. L3 Communications / Ocean Systems L3 Communications / Vertex Aerospace Navy Mutual Aid Association Northrop Grumman Integrated Systems Pen Air Federal Credit Union Raytheon Naval & Maritime Systems Robertson Aviation LLC Rockwell Collins Corporation Rolls-Royce Corporation Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation StandardAero Telephonics Corporation Whitney, Bradley and Brown Inc.

In appreciation of our advertisers Lockheed Martin Systems Integration-Owego University of San Diego Navy Mutual Aid Association USAA Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation

Page

C2 26 35 48 C4

NHA Scholarship Fund President......................CAPT Paul Stevens, USN(Ret) V/P Operations.........................................................................TBD V/P Fundraising ...............CDR Richard O’Connell, USN V/P Scholarships ..........CDR Gregory M. Sheahan, USN V/P CFC Merit Scholarship.............LT Nate Velcio, USN Treasurer....................................LT Price Balderson, USN Corresponding Secretary..................LT Sharon Stortz, USN Finance Committee.............................CDR Kron Littleton, USN (Ret)

Rotor Review # 105 Spring ‘09

National Officers

President....................................... CAPT Donald Williamson, USN V/P Corp Mem......................... CAPT Mike Middleton, USN (Ret) V/P Awards ............................................CDR Mike Dowling, USN V/P Membership .........................................CDR Chris Mills, USN V/P Symposium 2009.......................CDR Shaun McAndrew, USN Secretary..................................................LT Daniel Morreira, USN Treasurer ......................................................LT Chris Grande, USN “Stuff”.................................... ................LT Jen McCollough, USN Executive Director.................Col. Howard Whitfield, USMC (Ret) Admin/Rotor Review Design Editor........................George Hopson Membership/Symposium ............................................. Lucy Haase

Directors at Large

Chairman........................RADM Steven J. Tomaszeski, USN (Ret) CAPT Mike Baxter, USNR (Ret) CAPT Chuck Deitchman, USN (Ret) CAPT John McGill, USN (Ret) CAPT Dave Moulton, USNR (Ret) CAPT Mike Reber, USN (Ret) CAPT Paul Stevens, USN (Ret)

Regional Officers Region 1 - San Diego Directors.……………….....................CAPT Frank Harrison, USN CAPT Buddy Iannone, USNR CAPT Donald Williamson, USN President..…................................. CDR Robert Buckingham, USN

Region 2 - Washington D.C. Director ..…………...………….............CAPT Bill Lescher, USN CAPT Andy Macyko, USN President .................................................LCDR Eric Bower, USN

Region 3 - Jacksonville Director ...................................................... CAPT Carl Bush, USN President...................................................CAPT Neil Karnes, USN

Region 4 - Norfolk Director ..............................................CAPT Steve Schreiber, USN President ...........................................CDR Christopher Rapp, USN

Region 5 - Pensacola Directors........................................CAPT James Vandiver, USN CAPT Jim Pendley, USN CAPT Steve Truhlar, USCG

President ..........................................CDR Chris Heaney, USN

Far East Chapter President ......................................CDR Stephen McKone, USN

2

Departments Number 105 / Spring ‘09

4

Editor’s Log LCDR Kristin Ohleger, USN

4

Chairman’s Brief RADM Steve Tomaszeski, USN (Ret)

5

President’s Message CAPT Donald Williamson, USN Page 9

6

NHA Scholarship Fund CAPT Paul Stevens, USN (Ret)

Executive Director’s Notes

6

Col Howard Whitfield, USMC (Ret) Page 31

View from the Labs, Supporting the Fleet

7

CAPT George Galdorisi, USN (Ret)

8

Industry and Technology Historical

Page 55

Page 64 Articles and news items are welcomed from NHA’s general membership and corporate associates. Articles should be of general interest to the readership and geared toward current Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard affairs, technical advances in the helicopter industry or historical anecdotes. Submissions should be made to Rotor Review with documents formatted in Microsoft Word ® and photos formatted as high-resolution JPEG and/or PDF by e-mail to: editors@navalhelicopterassn.org or

by FEDEX / UPS on a MAC or PC formatted CD to Rotor Review / NHA, BLDG 654, Rogers Road, NASNI, San Diego, CA, 92135. Also, comments, suggestions, critiques and opinions are welcomed, your anonymity is respected. Send to: by email: rotorrev@simplyweb.net, by mail: Naval Helicopter Association, Inc., P.O. Box 180578, Coronado, CA., 92178-0578, call (619) 435-7139 or FAX :(619) 435-7354 .

H46 over Baguio LCDR(Ret) Joe Gardner, USN

31

CSAR Stories... Sea Services Helicopters Go To...

Korean War LCDR(Ret) Tom Phillips, USN

32

There I Was

49

Change of Command

50

Regional Updates

53

Squadron Updates

57

Book Review

68

A Salute to Our Fallen Heroes of Naval Helicopter Community

69

Stuff

72

Editors Emeritus

Wayne Jensen John Ball John Driver Sean Laughlin Andy Quiett Mike Curtis Susan Fink Bill Chase Tracey Keefe Maureen Palmerino Bryan Buljat Gabe Soltero Todd Vorenkamp Steve Bury Clay Shane

The Rotor Review is intended to support the goals of the association, provide a forum for discussion and exchange of information on topics of interest to the rotary wing community, and keep membership informed of NHA activities.As necessary, the President of NHA will provide the guidance to the Rotor Review Editorial Board to ensure the Rotor Review content continues to support this statement of policy as Naval Helicopter Association adjusts to expanding rotary wing community.

Rotor Review # 105 Spring ‘09

3

Editor’s Log

W

elcome to Rotor Review 105! As you may notice, just like every spring issue, we are again focusing on the Naval Helicopter Association’s Annual Symposium. While we try to make each issue of Rotor Review focus on new and exciting topics in our Naval Helicopter community, the editors believe that it is important to keep the tradition of reviewing the highlights of the event in the magazine.

This year’s Symposium was held out here in sunny San Diego and is highlighted in color in the center section of the magazine.

For those of you who were able to make it out here and even those who weren’t

Chairman’s Brief

I

n the spirit of full disclosure, I’ve never attended an NHA Symposium I did not enjoy.

That said, I believe the 2009 Symposium set a new standard for professionalism, camaraderie, tactical dialogue and fun! Following the benchmark success of 2008’s Norfolk Symposium, Region 1’s Symposium Committee (led by CDR Shaun McAndrew) had their work cut out for them. As everyone who was there knows, they were more than up to the challenge.

The most vivid moment for me was prior to the Flag panel. I was about to introduce our panel members when I had the opportunity to recognize 1967 Vietnam H-3 CSAR Navy Cross winner, Neil Sparks, who was in the audience. The spontaneous standing ovation was unexpected (by him) but sincerely, emotionally appreciated. And there we were, the 2009 Rotary Wing community honoring a legacy hero. In our audience that day were our past, present and future: LT Sparks, whose flight helped establish our heritage; CDR Sunni Williams, H-46 driver and record-setting astronaut; and our current membership, naval aviators, aircrew and maintainers, executing the

Rotor Review # 105 Spring ‘09

so lucky, you will find that these articles captured some of the great presentations given and other events from the Symposium.

I would like to take the opportunity to thank two of our community editors for all of their time and effort put in to making Rotor Review the great magazine that it has become over the last few years.

Both LT Sandra Kjono and LT Kevin Colon will be leaving us to pursue other opportunities outside of the Navy. We wish both of you luck and thank you for all of your hard work you have given to this magazine.

You will both be missed. With that

being said, I would like to welcome LT Julie Dunnigan and LT Doug Hale to the staff. If you have any questions for the HSC/HS community submission, please contact them.

As always this issue has a lot of squadron updates and a few scary ‘There I was’ articles. Please continue to submit articles to your community editors as the magazine wouldn’t be what it is without your support.

I hope you enjoy this magazine as much as I have and I look forward to reading about you and your squadrons in the future.

most diverse mission-set we’ve ever known. That’s what I will remember about NHA San Diego 2009.

This 105 th edition of Rotor Review is dedicated to the Symposium here is my brief recap: - Board of Director’s/Trustee meeting: Volunteers all, we review what is working, what could be improved and take stock of our future. Our focus remains on supporting interaction between and recognition of our active duty membership and promoting an appreciation of naval rotary wing aircraft.

Bottom line: voluntary membership is at record numbers and is growing; our finances, even in these difficult times, are solid thanks to wise, conservative investment; our tactical and strategic relevance to our Navy and nation has never been more appreciated. VADM Kilcline joined us for the BOD meeting.

He shared his vision for Naval Rotary Wing Aviation and the important future for all aviation associations.

My sincere thanks to our national and regional NHA leadership and our pilot/ aircrew/maintainer members. You are all responsible for our success and influence

as an association.

- Members Reunion: 503 in attendance at the Admiral Kidd Club, a new “unofficial” record.

The fact that only 265 of you pre-registered was OK…. LT’s. Lembo and Hacker were flexible.

One unexpected re-union had former squadron mates meeting for the first time in 36 years; one other case was a happy re-union of shipmates who hadn’t seen each other since last summer.

It’s all relative. Heard one XO say “is that my schedules officer talking to the air boss?” You always hate to see this event end; remains one of NHA’s signature events.

- Keynote Address: Our “air boss”, VADM Kilcline. Spoke to us with an in-depth knowledge of current operations, rotary wing TTPs and he can hover, too. Since ’93, he’s flown the 60 B, F, H, R & S. Took questions from the audience and provided direct, unambiguous answers. We are increasing our “fleet footprint” from 35 to 41 Navy helicopter squadrons. The air boss re-stated he sees an air wing commander in our future and an air boss. Yes, an air boss. He knows and greatly appreciates our warfighting contributions to the fleet. We contribute, we perform, we execute.

- Awards Luncheon (LT Dunnigan): Every year I stand in awe of the accomplishments of our national award winners. Family, friends

4

LCDR Kristin Ohleger, USN

Rotor Review Editor-in-Chief

Continue on page 5

Continued from page 4

and squadron mates join NHA’s industry and uniformed leadership to recognize professional achievement. I have the pleasure of reading each regional award submission. I wish we could publish them all in RR. They are simply inspiring.

A unique coincidence occurred during this year’s ceremony honoring the USCG Aircrew of the Year from Alaska. The presentation was made special by the presence of RDML Ostebo, USCG, who joined his heroic CG crew at the podium. Why special? Well, 20 years ago, LT Ostebo was the HAC of an Alaskan H-3 crew who were awarded NHA “Crew of the Year” honors in 1989. Can you top that! Yes, you can if you were one of the multiple NHA scholarship awardees. Capt.

Paul Stevens did the honors; see his Scholarship report inside.

- Sports Day (AWCs Deaton and Norman, AW1 Santini, LTs Anderson, Brown, Balderson, Hacker, Uhl): The Aircrew competition, 5K run, golf, and Sports B-B-Q. Golf at NAS North Island was a treat but what’s with the limit on buying Mulligans?

There were prizes for everyone; I know even last place scored $25 gift certificates. See more inside on the results of our competitions.

- Spouses Luncheon: Always a most elegant affair. Held this year atop NAS North Island’s

Island Club and well organized by the Helicopter Officer Spouses Club. By all accounts a grand success with guest speaker Lee Silber delivering entertaining remarks.

- Captains of Industry Panel: Corporate leaders come to NHA to hear what you have to say and once again they were not disappointed. Executives from Telephonics, CAE, Raytheon, Sikorsky, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman formed our panel moderated by RDML Grosklags, USN. UAV’s, ASW, crew served weapons, acquisition efficiency and brownout technology were some of the topics covered.

- Flag Panel: SRO, always. Moderated with style by RADM McGrath, USN. 90+ minutes of Q & A with the leadership of Naval Aviation. Professional, candid dialogue across the spectrum of issues important to our community. This forum never lacks for enthusiastic audience participation. RADM Jones delivered inspiring Symposium closing remarks to conclude the panel. They are re-printed within this edition of RR.

Final thoughts: The Symposium edition of RR was a benchmark in professional association publications. George Hopson is responsible for that. There is no finer association magazine in Naval Aviation today.

Thank you, George!

This year’s guest speakers and topics were exceptional. CVN integration, anti-piracy, safety, personnel detailing, and our own astronaut….priceless. My only regret was the one star list had not yet been released as all 3 selectees were in attendance. Congratulations to: RDML (sel) Lescher, Roberti and Scott!

Yes, the 2009 Symposium was an unqualified success. Tip of the Blade to: Commodore Williamson and his hard working staff and Symposium workshop committee members; our 28 corporate sponsors without whose year round support this all would not be possible; our NHA HQ staff Col. Whitfield, Lucy & George; and YOU, each member of NHA. Your service underwrites our continued success. BZ! And see you in Jacksonville in 2010. Until our next brief, fly well and…Keep Your Turns Up! RADM Steve Tomaszeski, USN(Ret) NHA Chairman

President’s Message

N

HA Members, Thank You! I think you would agree this year’s NHA National Symposium was one of the best in recent memory. This issue of Rotor Review is dedicated to the symposium and is full of great stories and photographs that highlight the great professional symposium we all shared.

I would like to personally thank those that made this year’s symposium possible. I’d like to start by thanking our corporate sponsors.

Quite frankly, without the support of our industry partners, the annual NHA Symposium would not be possible. Not only do they underwrite much of the cost, they also bring their hardware to display for all of us to see.

As you can tell, running the NHA Annual Symposium is big business – and it is a complex business. I’d like to thank our NHA professional staff for their enduring dedication to NHA. COL (Ret) Howard Whitfield, Mr. George Hopson and Mrs. Lucy Haase put together another first-class event

Rotor Review # 105 Spring ‘09

this year. These three pro’s provide the month-to-month and year-to-year continuity for our organization that allow us to continually make our Symposiums better. COL Whitfield provides the oversight and business plan. Mr. Hopson, with the support of our Rotor Review Editorial Staff, has done wonders with our magazine and has made it a top-notch national publication. Mrs. Haase does a terrific job coordinating our membership and keeping track of our databases.

Next, I’d like to thank the 2009 Symposium Committee for their fantastic work. This committee of over 30 First Class Petty Officers, Chiefs, Senior Chiefs, Master Chiefs, Lieutenants and Lieutenant Commanders, all under the charge of CDR Shaun McAndrew, coordinated every detail of the symposium schedule of events with precision. Thanks to all of our Active Duty volunteers that helped make this past Symposium such as a success! The symposium would not be possible without the dedicated service of all our volunteers.

5

Last, I’d like to thank all of you our NHA Members - for your participation in this year’s symposium. From Commanding Officer to junior enlisted, I think this year’s symposium had something for everyone. I appreciate the CO’s taking an “operational pause” to allow your Sailors the time to attend the symposium. I’d also like to thank all those that traveled from out of town to attend. This year’s “Member’s Reunion” was the most well attended reunion we’ve ever had. It is you, our Active Duty membership that sets NHA apart from other Navy associations.

Although Tailhook has a membership base of about 10,500, both Tailhook and NHA have the same number of Active Duty members – right around 3,000 members. Our close relationship with Active Duty Fleet helicopter aviators is what continues to make NHA a vibrant and successful organization. Thank you!

Keep your turns up!

CAPT Donald E. Williamson, USN

NHA President

NHA Scholarship Fund

W

hat a great

symposium!

Clearly the health of our Association and the rotary wing community has never been better. Many thanks to all who contributed to our Scholarship Fund through this raffle, golf tournament and with individual donations. We raised more than $1200 during the Symposium and networked some promising leads in the corporate world that may pay big dividends in the coming year.

BZ to all for your support!

During the Awards Luncheon, we announced this year’s Scholarship winner and we’ve included them in this edition of the magazine.

We also recognized our most consistent corporate donors whose generous gifts help fund our scholarships each year. They are: Raytheon, DP/L-3 Associates, Lockheed Martin and Sikorsky. I can’t say enough about how important they are to the viability/growth of our Scholarship Fund.

We’ve made a few personnel changes on

Executive Director’s Notes

T

his year ’s Symposium w a s a resounding success, some thought it was the best we have had. Major credit goes to our President, CAPT Willie Williamson and Symposium Vice President, CDR Shawn McAndrew. CAPT Williamson was involved from the beginning in all aspects of the planning. CDR McAndrew and her committee of volunteers were very thorough in all their preparations and follow through.

The Member’s Reunion at Admiral Kidd Club had about 550 attendees, which is one of the best turnouts we have had. We had some special speakers this year, VADM Kilcline gave our Keynote Address, RDML

Rotor Review # 105 Spring ‘09

the Scholarship Committee this past month. I’d like to thank two members who moved on: LT John Anderson who was the glue that held the Committee together for the past two years as our executive secretary and CDR Greg Sheahan, our VP for projects. Both did an outstanding job in administering the Fund. Taking their place is LT Sharon Stortz, CDR Eric Pfister and Lt Jim Scharff. Thanks for volunteering for this important work!

The health of the Fund remains quite good. You will soon see a revised website and along with that, new scholarship eligibility rules that will more closely target our rotary wing community. We have also started to recover some of our market losses and are optimistic about the potential for new growth this year. If you are retired and looking for a way to give back to the community, please consider joining our scholarship team. I am looking for a retired representative in each of our Regions to work with regional leadership on Scholarship issues/initiatives. Please also consider making our Scholarship Fund part of you charitable giving plans this year. With our new eligibility rules, your donations will be directly serving our rotary wing community. Hold fast.............

CAPT Paul Stevens, USN (Ret)

NHA Scholarship Fund Chairman

McKnight gave us the latest on anti-piracy actions, CAPT (ret) Dick Healing gave our Safety Briefing, and CAPT Sunita Williams inspired us with her experiences as an astronaut. We had great weather for the three sporting events, Aircrew Competition, 5K Fun Run and Golf Tournament. The Enlisted Panel, Captains of Industry panel and Flag Panel were equally informative and challenging. See more about our speakers and panels in the Symposium section of this issue. Next on NHA’s major event calendar is the Fleet Fly-In at NAS Whiting Field, October 20-23. Next year’s Symposium will be held May 24-27, 2010, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Jacksonville, Florida.

Consolidated Membership Report

Year May 2008 1 year 1002 2 year “nugget” 509 3 year 714 5 year 485 Other* 123 Total 2,833

May 2009 1105 533 809 518 124 3,089

* Honorary

Military Membership Active Duty & Reserve Retired

May 2008 1,953 449

May 2009 2,214 446

Col. Howard M. Whitfield, USMC (Ret) NHA Executive Director

6

A View From The Labs... Supporting The Fleet “What Will Tomorrow’s Helo CONOPs Look Like – and Who Will Write It.”

T

he focus of this issue of Rotor Review is “CONOPS Here and Now.” Before I even begin to try to address this issue, I want to strongly suggest that every naval rotary wing aviator read Commodore Don Williamson’s outstanding Helo CONOPS article in the 2009 NHA Symposium program. For those of you deployed or on the “right coast” or who otherwise haven’t seen his article the text box introducing his superb article is worth repeating:

“As we gather here in San Diego for the 33rd annual Naval Helicopter Association Symposium, we stand at the threshold of a new chapter in rotary wing aviation. This year’s NHA Symposium theme, “Helo CONOPS: Here and Now!” could not be more relevant than today. The first Carrier Air Wing to deploy with the MH-60R and the MH-60S team of helicopters is currently at sea. Carrier Air Wing NINE, embarked in USS JOHN C STENNIS (CVN-74) is the first air wing to deploy with two helicopter squadrons – with its complement of the newest and most capable helicopters in the world. Helo CONOPS truly IS here and now!”

Commodore Williamson packs an enormous amount of punch in his relatively short article. Those of you who have been at this a while – the active duty and retired helo flag community, those involved in the helicopter R&D, requirements, and acquisition process, and especially those many wing commodores – past and present – who have advocated and lobbied for this CONOPS, know this concept was envisioned as long as a

Rotor Review # 105 Spring ‘09

By CAPT George Galdorisi, USN (Ret) quarter-century ago and has, indeed, been a long time coming.

The organization, doctrine, business rules and other procedures extant in the naval helicopter community all-butensure that the lessons learned from this first-ever deployment will be captured, reviewed, discussed and analyzed, and that future deployments will be even more successful than the current John C Stennis deployment. Our community has never lagged in its ability to do just that, and today’s wing commodores will lead that effort.

But as we go through this important process and improve the warfighting capabilities operating with this CONOPS delivers to the naval aviation, to the Navy writ large, and ultimately to the Joint force today and tomorrow, our community must also keep a weather eye on how this CONOPS will evolve to support not just tomorrow’s Navy but also the Navy-after-Next.

One of the best ways of doing this is to stay abreast of what Navy, Defense and Intelligence community professionals are telling us about what the future is likely to hold, what kind of military forces will be needed for that as-yet-dimly-perceived future, and perhaps most importantly, what the Joint force CONOPS for that future force will be. Only by embarking on this journey will tomorrow’s Helo CONOPS be the most effective one for our community.

Some of that forward-looking process is embodied in The Joint Operating Environment 2008: Challenges and Implications for the Future Joint Force we talked about in the last issue of Rotor Review. The JOE is the U.S. military’s well-nuanced look at the future and represents the culmination of years of work on the part of JFCOM, the Joint Staff and the Combatant Commanders.

Hand-in-hand with The JOE is the Capstone Concept for Joint Operations, the “top tier” publication of the Joint Staff. While The JOE, published by the

7

Joint Forces Command, represents the “problem statement” regarding what challenges the U.S. military and its coalition partners will face in the future and informs all subsidiary Joint publications, the Capstone Concept for Joint Operations represents the Chairman of the Joint Staff’s “solution to the problem,” that is, how the Joint force will fight and win in the future.

While no forward looking publication can be prescient and address all the challenges tomorrow’s U.S. military will face, the Capstone Concept for Joint Operations does represent the collected wisdom of the United States military and intelligence communities regarding how the Joint force will deal with future challenges. And because the U.S. Navy is virtually irrelevant to the extent it does anything other than support the Joint force, the Capstone Concept is the best “crystal ball” regarding how the Navy will fight on and from the sea in support of the Joint force.

For this reason, both The JOE and the Capstone Concept for Joint Operations bear reading and understanding on the part of our entire naval rotary wing community, but especially by those of you involved in the helicopter research and development, requirements generation, and acquisition processes, and especially by those wing commodores representing the top leadership of our community. That will enable them to begin to imagine, debate, and eventually write tomorrow’s Helo CONOPS. It took a quarter-century from the time a few rowdy junior officers imagined today’s Helo CONOPS to the John C Stennis deployment this year. The time to begin the journey that will ultimately result in tomorrow’s Helo CONOPS can’t begin tomorrow, it must begin today.

Learn more about JOE 2008 by going to http:// www.jfcom.mil/newslink/storyarchive/2008/

JOE2008.pdf

Correction “A View from the Labs...” in RR104, page 7: The photo with the SuperCobra landing is an AH-1W, not an AH-1Z, and the ship is the USS Harpers Ferry (LSD - 49).

Industry and Technology

L-3 Avionics’ Trilogy™ Makes All-Glass Part 23 Cockpit Possible Press Released by Michelle Stevenson Marketing Manager, L3 Avionics Systems

L

-3 Avionics Systems announced that its new Trilogy™ ESI1000 Electronic Standby Instrument is currently on schedule to be certified and available in July 2009. Designed as a backup for glass cockpit avionics, Trilogy is the first solid-state integrated standby system created specifically for Part 23 aircraft.

“Modern glass cockpits are still backed up by decades old standby technology,” said Larry Riddle, vice president of sales and marketing for L-3 Avionics. “Trilogy replaces those instruments with new technology, and, for the first time, makes a truly all-glass cockpit possible for GA aircraft.”

Trilogy combines attitude, altitude, airspeed and optional heading data on a clear, 3.7-inch diagonal Active Matrix LCD display. The instrument fits easily into a standard 3–ATI mounting cutout. With an integrated air data computer, solid-state attitude sensor and optional external magnetometer, Trilogy presents accurate flight information

independently of other systems.

In the event of a primary glass failure, Trilogy facilitates a smooth transition from primary to standby instrument because it provides a common format to today’s primary flight display.

It enhances safety by reducing workload and making the transition easier for the pilot.

An ambient light sensor is integrated for automatic brightness control on both the screen and keyboard.

Trilogy units will be calibrated to 400 knots and 55,000 feet, with the ability to store aircraft configuration and options at time of installation. The model will be available through OEMs as well as for retrofit to modernize both glass and traditional cockpit configurations.

Trilogy was developed from L-3 Avionics Systems’ advanced knowledge base and performance in strap down attitude determination, which has made the company a leader in electronic standby instrument systems for highend aircraft. Now, Trilogy makes this technology a smart and affordable option

For more information, please visit the company’s Web site at www.L-3Avionics. com.

Headquartered in New York City, L-3 Communications employs over 64,000 people worldwide and is a prime contractor in aircraft modernization and maintenance, C3ISR (Command, Control, Communications, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) systems and government services. L-3 is also a leading provider of high technology products, subsystems and systems. The company reported 2008 sales of $14.9 billion.

for all general aviation pilots.

L-3 Avionics Systems has been helping pilots fly for more than 45 years and provides completely integrated cockpit solutions. The company’s SmartDeck® Integrated Flight Controls and Display System is a glass panel suite that features a revolutionary user interface designed to make flying safer, easier and more enjoyable. In addition to customizing SmartDeck for upcoming aircraft programs, L-3 Avionics continues to provide a wide array of avionics safety technologies, such as the GH3000 electronic and J.E.T.® standby instruments, SkyWatch® collision avoidance system and Stormscope® lightning detection system, among others.

Trilogy™ ESI-1000. Image courtesy of L-3 Avonics Systems.

Guess what has a new look?

Join NHA/Re-new membership online with Paypal • More Feature Articles online & A Rotor Review Blog • much more. Experience It ! Go to www.navalhelicopterassn.org

©Naval Helicopter Association, Inc.

Rotor Review # 105 Spring ‘09

8

Industry and Technology

Telephonics Receives $9.5M Order for Additional MH-60R Radar Spares Press Released by Telephonics Corporation

T

elephonics Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Griffon Corporation; announced today that received a $9.5M order from Lockheed Martin to fund long-lead purchase of subsystem spares for the AN/APS-147 Multi-Mode Radar and Identification Friend or Foe Interrogator System.

The integrated system is deployed on U.S. Navy MH-60R multi-mission helicopters whose principal mission is to protect the fleet from submarines and surface vessels. The radar provides the helicopter with long-range search, imaging, and tracking of surface vessels, and includes an advanced periscope detection mode. The IFF identifies other aircraft in flight.

The award covers the procurement of spares to support the U.S. Navy’s Lot 7 purchase of 30 MH-60R helicopters for delivery beginning in 2012. The spares are part of a $1.065B multi-year contract awarded to Lockheed Martin in 2007 to integrate the avionics and mission systems onto 139 MH-60R aircraft through 2013.

“The AN/APS-147 MMR is an outstanding system that will bring unprecedented mission performance and brand new capabilities to the U.S. Navy’s rotary wing community,” said Joseph J. Battaglia, president of Telephonics. “We look forward to a long and successful program supporting Lockheed Martin and the U.S. Navy.”

About Telephonics. A subsidiary of Griffon Corporation, Telephonics’ high-technology engineering and manufacturing capabilities provide integrated information, communication and sensor system solutions to military and commercial markets worldwide. Telephonics specializes in aircraft intercommunication systems, wireless communication systems, radars, identification friend or foe products, integrated security systems, air traffic management systems, aerospace electronics, and the performance of threat and radar system analyses. Griffon Corporation is a diversified manufacturing company headquartered in Jericho, NY with operations in three business segments: Garage Doors; Specialty Plastic Films; and Electronic Information and Communication Systems.

A New Vibe in Simulation Article by LT Wesley Yancey, USN

O

n April 9, 2009, the ribbon was cut on the newest MH-60S Knighthawk tactical operational flight trainer (TOFT) at Naval Air Station Norfolk. The tactical designation of the traditional OFT simulators is a result of integration with the MH-60S weapons tactics (l-r) CAPT Steven Schreiber (Commodore, trainers (WTTs) which allows HELSEACOMBATWINGLANT), CDR for a comprehensive training solution for all crew stations Jeffrey Barnaby (PMA 205), CAPT Darryl on the aircraft. The latest “Spike” Long (PMA 205), Mr. John Lenyo addition to the fleet of TOFTs (President and General Manager CAE is the first of several MH-60S USA). simulators under contract with CAE USA to feature a six degree-of-freedom (DoF) full-motion system along with a three-DoF cockpit vibration platform. Degree-of-freedom in a mechanical threedimension framework describes a systems ability to translate along the three linear axes (up/down, left/right, forward/backward) and rotate about the respective axes

(pitch, roll, yaw).

The streamers from the severed ribbon had not even settled before the beeping alarm, preceding the retraction of the walk bridge leading to the simulator, sounded and the under-carriage beacon light illuminated, giving warning that the machine was coming to life. Akin to a scene out of the movie “Star Wars”, the walker-like white giant began to rise on its six hydraulic legs, known as a hexapod or a Stewart platform. The juxtaposed box and distorted bubble simulator cabin appeared to be suspended in air and with the backdrop of computer systems humming and the swish of the hydraulic cylinders moving, the large obtuse object glided around in an effortless manner.

The lead up to this moment required years of preparation, untiring energy and effort by a team of dedicated Continue on page 10

Rotor Review # 105 Spring ‘09

9

Industry and Technology Continued from page 9

members from NAVAIR and CAE USA. Captain Steven R. Schreiber, Commander, Helicopter Sea Combat Wing Atlantic, began the ribbon cutting ceremony in front of a small audience of members from the NAVAIR and CAE team, and a mix of aviators and staff from the local HSC community and squadrons. Commodore Schreiber acknowledged the hard work by so many involved with achieving this new generation in simulator technology. He underscored the far-reaching positive impact this new system will have on our mission capabilities, effectiveness and flight safety.

Commodore Schreiber introduced the event guest speaker, Captain Spike Long, Aviation Training Systems Program Manager, PMA-205.

Captain Long highlighted some of the behind-thescenes efforts integral to getting this program to the Fleet. He emphasized the importance of integrated involvement from the program management level to the end user (Fleet aviators) in order to get a quality product to the community. With the new simulator up and running, Captain Long encouraged and challenged the members of the audience who would be employing this new training tool, to remain engaged with these programs and provide feedback to the managers to make improvements and set the stage for the next generation systems.

Before the final cut was made, John Lenyo, President and General Manager of CAE USA, gave a few remarks regarding the importance of the team effort and cooperation accomplished across the agencies involved. He also presented a scale replica of the new simulator. “How does it fly?� you might ask. The full-motion definitely adds a new dimension to the seat-of-the-pants-feel of the traditional simulators known to the HSC community. The cockpit vibration platform adds a distinctive element of fidelity by providing a realistic vibration, equivalent and proportional to the phase of flight. The vibration system is a three-DoF motion platform on which the cockpit seats and lower console ride. The platform elevates and remains suspended during operation and provides cockpit vibration cues validated with actual helicopter data. These added features should offer new and seasoned aviators some additional sensory input on how the aircraft handles and flies with the end goal of a more prepared and well trained aviator. That being said, there still is no substitute for the real thing!

Rotor Review # 105 Spring ‘09

TOFT 6 in all its glory, poised to take on the world from one of several simulator bays housed in building SP-250 at Naval Station Norfolk. Picture looking from base of staircase leading up to the walk bridge going to the simulator cabin.

10

Features

Keep the Marine DIs at OCS Article by Elizabeth Hawes Unangst

T

he Cradle of Naval Aviation is much quieter now that the Navy’s Officer Candidate School has moved from Pensacola to become part of the Navy’s vision for NAVSTA Newport as a “center of training excellence.” Officer candidates have traded the fire ants, sand spurs, and black-flag days of Florida for the goose droppings, snow, and wind-chill restriction days of Rhode Island. But soon Newport will be a quieter place, too, for the Navy is moving quickly to remove or severely limit the role of Marine Corps drill instructors at OCS. This would be a grave mistake, for Marine Corps DIs are the key to more than half a century’s success for OCS. The Navy began using Marine DIs to train its aviation officer candidates in Pensacola in 1947. The idea was for the AOCS DIs to put candidates through a rigorous program that was both a training ground and a weeding-out process: learn to think and perform under pressure, quickly, and don’t waste further training and resources—or, potentially, aircraft and lives—on those who can’t, was, and still is, the goal.

This program has always proved wildly successful.

Flight school instructors routinely report that OCS commissions consistently arrive better prepared for the rigors of flight training than their Naval Academy or ROTC counterparts.

Similarly, OCS commissions enjoy a higher success rate at Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training than other commissioning sources. Even the intelligence community prefers OCS commissions at its schoolhouse: Naval Academy and NROTC commissions may not directly select intelligence

Rotor Review # 105 Spring ‘09

as a career designator.

Why does it work so well? OCS’s brevity and intensity sharpen candidates like no other commissioning source. And the source of that intensity is the pressure applied by the Marine DIs. Marine Corps DIs are themselves exhaustively—and professionally--trained to push their charges far beyond the limits of their own expectations. Furthermore, not only are they steeped in military lore and a deep awareness of their own warrior traditions, they are possessed of a burning desire to impart them to their charges. Their legendary zealous fervor is unmatched across the service branches.

Yes, OCS has stepped up the involvement of the Navy Chief Petty Officers in recent years, and yes, the chiefs have added a much-needed naval presence to the program, particularly in the Candidate Officer phase. But it is still the dedication and motivation of the Marine DIs that turns candidates from sloppy civilians to fighting-fit officers in a mere 12 weeks.

And it would be wrong to step up the training role of candidate officers to indoctrination candidates to, say, that of senior midshipman to plebes at the Naval Academy. Training stress applied by a group of twenty-somethings who are merely applying the training stress giving them a short time ago by other twenty-somethings is far less effective than training stress applied by a professional Marine DI. Finally, the Marine Corps has trained naval officer candidates for decades without return, so to speak, on its Continue on page 12

11

Features: Keep The Marine DI at OCS Continued from page 11

investment: USNA and NROTC midshipmen, all of whom receive limited instruction from Marine DIs, have a Marine Corps option upon commissioning, but OCS has no Marine Corps option. The DIs’ legendary success—and the healthy inter-service respect that their training bestows among Marine officers and OCS-trained Navy officers—is the Marine Corps’s only reward for over 60 years of sustained excellence at Navy OCS. Why make OCS the only Navy commissioning source that doesn’t benefit from Marine DI involvement?

I write from experience (OCS Pensacola Class 19-97, Class Drill Instructor GYSGT John E. Crouch, USMC). I was the only female in my class the entire thirteen weeks we were in Pensacola. Were the Marine DIs and their training methods loud, sweaty, often bewildering, and, at times, intensely scary? You bet. Were they abusive? Never. Was I pushed to greater victories than I had ever thought possible? Absolutely. Though I am now a 41-year-old suburban housewife and mother of two, I count my Navy OCS commission as my proudest life achievement—more than the other five years of my naval service, more than any of my academic degrees, more than any other successes I’ve had, save my marriage (to an AOCS graduate) and family.

Perhaps the Marine DIs’ ear-shattering, sometimes otherworldly-looking, and often messy methods of training run counter to Newport’s staid, New England enclave-ofadmirals image of itself. And, maybe, students at the Training Center of Excellence’s other programs—and civilian diners in the naval station galley—are shocked by the glimpses they catch of the DIs at work. It would nevertheless be a mistake for the Navy to discontinue or diminish the Marine DIs’ role at OCS. The Marine Corps operates as part of the Department of the Navy, and the Navy would be foolish to ignore the most powerful weapon in its officer-training arsenal: the Marine DI.

A Dedicated Naval Special Operations Air Asset Expanded Version of 2008 Proceedings Article “Fish or Cut Bait” Article by ENS J.J. Risner, USN

T

his proposed unit’s focus would be to work solely with special operations, enabling highly qualified pilots to train with the teams and become proficient in mission specific qualifications. Similar to the reserve Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC)-84 with extensive service in Iraq, the dedicated unit would be an active-duty expeditionary squadron. With Helicopter Combat Support Special Squadron (HCS)-5 dissolved, the reservists of HSC-84 now carry the full burden of supporting the special ops mission. Special ops is a growth industry and the Navy needs to field a complete suite of capabilities. The Navy must become a player in special ops even if only for their own survival.

The Need Navy Reserve leadership disestablished HCS-5 in 2006 despite the increasing demand for special ops support and the ongoing CENTCOM request for forces. The short sightedness of this decision cannot be understated. In fact, not even a full year had passed when it was recognized by the Navy as a huge misstep and an OPNAV sponsored working group was formed to investigate different courses of action for increasing Navy helicopter support to special ops. The group ended up recommending a COA that stated basically to “do the best with what we have.” Currently CNAF is

Rotor Review # 105 Spring ‘09

unwilling to write the check to create an NSW-dedicated squadron. This is where the Navy must realize that its core mission set has been undergone a phase of transformation to include components of irregular warfare. The Global War on Terrorism had not started when the Helo Master Plan was originally conceived. Adding a second squadron would allow for the OIF detachment to be passed between squadrons.

Failure to recognize that the GWOT, as it moves out of a mature theater, is a war where rotary-wing is a critical enabler.

The Navy has to find a way to maintain its blue water strength, but also recognize and address this shift in responsibility.

With the increased level of helicopter casualties in combat operations, helicopter pilot training must resemble combat operating conditions. Despite stringent qualification requirements for combat and special operations, Navy helicopter pilots need to be better prepared to deal with combat conditions outside typical mission responsibilities. As important as antisubmarine warfare and vertical replenishment operations are to overall Fleet support, special operations helicopter crews need specific training to address conditions found in their missions that allow little to no margin for error.

With operations shifting towards Afghanistan, helicopters will continue to be the critical link. Recent reports highlight Continue on page 13

12

Features: A Dedicated Naval Special Operations Air Asset Continued from page 12

the shortage of rotary wing aircraft available to support the intra-theater medical evacuation mission. Although the air ambulance mission traditionally falls to the Army, the magnitude of the mission at hand has required a non-standard solution requiring the Navy to deploy forces to meet the shortfall.

SOF helicopters are rapidly becoming high-demand, lowdensity resources. In Vietnam, a critical shortfall was identified and helicopters were tasked. Although Army pilots initially performed these missions, Navy crews were indoctrinated and the HAL squadrons were formed. Not only did they meet the need for a critical force of their capacity, but they were able to support the Navy’s SOF mission. In CNO Guidance 2006: Meeting the Challenge of a New Era, the Chief of Naval Operations directed the development and deployment of riverine and naval expeditionary combat forces to meet the merging challenges in the global War on Terror.1 Despite the acknowledged request for dedicated airborne support, little has been done to identify the necessary capability operational doctrine.2 While the likelihood of global conflict is greatly reduced, there is an increasing chance of regional conflict.The Navy’s composition and operational posture reflects this, having changed from a blue-water to a littoral emphasis, and “Heloair is helping to lead the Navy’s transformation.” Much of the fighting that the U.S. military will have to do in the foreseeable future will require special operations skills: quick reaction, night-vision capability, and low-level overland flying. To accommodate this, the Navy must examine how to best employ and deploy its Sailors and equipment.

Just as the submarine community adapted its traditional mission to include special operations support, the aviation community must shift as well, reflecting the changing needs of today’s missions. Air maneuver over land, over water, and in the littoral is a critical enabling capability in both current and evolving U.S. doctrine.3

The Missing Link Special operations missions demand close-knit units with the individuals working as one, each knowing how and when the others are executing their missions. The assigned helicopter unit should be no less a full partner. An organic helicopter detachment trained and interoperable with SEALs and Special Warfare Combatant-Craft (SWCC) is the missing link in naval special warfare operations. Just as traditional surface warfare officers do not drive the combatant craft, aviation crews working with special operations would be trained solely to support those teams.

To qualify, pilots should be at least SWTP level-three strike warfare qualified, a third tour LT/LCDR(sel), NATOPS current in H-60F/H/S TMS, and have the strongest recommendation from previous CO emphasizing the applicants tactical acumen. Selection for the proposed squadron should fall on a pilot’s dissociated tour. Not only

Rotor Review # 105 Spring ‘09

will helicopter crews add to their experience with mission critical hardware—especially the much needed low-level over-land NVG operations—but also with the teams.

Knowledge and trust in each other’s abilities that is built on this interaction contributes to overall mission readiness, morale, and effectiveness.

The squadron would support a wide range of aircraft but consist primarily of SH-60s and MH-53s, which by themselves provide a significant range of lift capability. A possible replacement for the MH-53 due to its maintenance intensive record is to incorporate several of the Marine Core Ospreys. The Navy needs to address the SH-60s range and aerial refueling limitations. The issue becomes finding a platform that has extended range capability, sufficient self defense armor and armament, and is supportable from the smallest of the Navy’s air capable vessels.

The SH-60 component should have the most capable airframes for their mission. The MH-60S combines the best of the proven design features of the Army’s UH-60L Black Hawk and the naval variant SH-60B Seahawk. It merges the basic structure of the Black Hawk—which provides larger cabin volume and double-doors needed for cargo and passenger transport, enabling troops to embark and disembark quickly. Its forward-looking infrared capability is one the Army has at a limited capacity. With the added weapons capability of the Sierra model, the Navy will have the ideal helicopter to fit the special warfare role.

Implementing key changes in production Sierras would enable retrofitting with in-flight refueling capability, engine upgrades (combat thin air problems 160th 60’s are having issues with), ditch the Hellfire, and keep the FLIR. Adding a data link capability would provide a suitable comm relay from the team below, back to the ship or fire base. The Sierra’s common airframe with its potential upgrades, will provide the squadron with an aircraft that can climb to 10,000 ft, refuel, come back down to put troops in zone, remain on station to act as an organic command and control, and support the guys on the ground if necessary.

The Navy helicopter community is currently not structured to develop and maintain proficiency in low-level special operations missions requiring the use of night-vision goggles (NVG) over land. It takes several years of training to become skilled and proficient in this, and by the time a Navy pilot becomes qualified, he leaves the squadron. Army special operations helicopter pilots are primarily warrant officers who fly in the same battalions for years. Many have more flight time with night vision devices than Navy helicopter pilots have total flight time. This further supports the Navy’s need for such a dedicated unit.

A Question of Ownership Significant concern swirls around the word “authority.”

Who would “own” the Navy’s special operations helicopter

13

Continue on page 14

Features: A Dedicated Naval Special Operations Air Asset Continued from page 13

detachment? Who would have the authority to commit them? The SEALs are controlled by the Special Operations Command (SOC) and the Navy helicopters in a theater are controlled by the Fleet. If the SEALs are working a SOC exercise or mission with a need for the Navy helicopters, but the Fleet commander also needs them—and they “belong” to him—they would be assigned to the Fleet mission. It wouldn’t take too many occurrences such as this before the special ops commander uses only those assets he controls.

The combat commanders in a theater, in this case a two-star in special ops and a three-star in the Fleet, normally request assets from each other only if absolutely necessary because such support is conditional.

Operationally, the proposed unit would be under the control of the Navy Special Warfare Command with the air units detached to the teams and their missions as required. Under NSW, it would be similar to the setup with USASOC with the 160th SOAR. When working up and deploying, they would receive team assignments just as the SEAL Delivery Vehicle teams and Mark Vs are assigned with the SWCC teams. This squadron would not be responsible for any traditional Fleet roles, and would report to the authority in charge of the special operations units in a region. Once in theater, the squadron would be responsible to the theater special operations commander and no one else, ensuring air support for the SOC teams on the ground.

Who pays for this unit? The lines are difficult to distinguish between Title-10 and Major Force Program-11. The Navy and SOCOM must come to a compromise. In response to the failed rescue of U.S. hostages from Iran in April 1980, the Joint Chiefs of Staff established a commission to examine special operations issues. The commission identified deficiencies in organization, planning, training, and command and control and recommended the creation of a permanent joint special operation capability to overcome the deficiencies. The U.S. intervention in Grenada in 1983 and the U.S. response to the terrorist hijacking of a Trans World Airline aircraft and the Achille Lauro cruise liner in 1985 focused congressional attention on the capabilities of special operations forces and raised questions concerning whether the capabilities were sufficiently integrated.4 When Congress created the Special Operations Command, it identified theater search and rescue as a special operations activity insofar as it related to special operations. Under joint doctrine, each service must provide forces capable of combat search and rescue in support of its own operations. With a force already spread thin in HSC-84, and with the Pentagon’s demand to increase the number of SEAL’s through 2010 the Navy has to look internally and ask itself if it is actually capable of meeting operational demands in a safe and effective manner.

The Navy needs to adapt to its changing mission role and dedicate the needed funds for this unit. The ideal location for the squadron’s base is North Island in San Diego, allowing

Rotor Review # 105 Spring ‘09

them to closely work with the SEAL and SWCC teams in Coronado. The Navy would benefit from more SEAL and Marine Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC) support by having the organic tactical mobility. The Navy must inculcate the necessity for its own NSW force, and antiup.

Hand-in-hand with command and control over the proposed unit are funding issues. Special operations missions are SOCOM’s responsibility, and it is funded to take charge of all logistics involved with their operations. Would the command help with funding the establishment of a naval special operations helicopter unit? The answer is predictably no, as they most likely do not have extra money to dedicate to a support unit, especially with the Navy trying to streamline its expenses. Both SOCOM and the Navy must come to realize that the Navy’s change in mission focus and the ever growing dependence on special operations, the proposed unit will benefit both. Some options to counter funding criticism include: • Realize the need for change, and allocate the appropriate funds.

• Re-establish HCS-5 back to an active duty role as the dedicated squadron, following the expeditionary squadron model.

A Navy SOF rotary wing squadron has habitual capability operating off ships and working the littoral areas with SEALs, much more so than anyone else.

Possible Solution An ideal funding and unit reallocation would be to reestablish HCS-5, and reassign it as an active-duty unit, and commit it to serve as the dedicated squadron.The proposed squadron would be modeled after a Helicopter Sea Combat expeditionary squadron with a very large home guard. A ten-helicopter pool would enable a detachment of four and two aircraft each to be out simultaneously while the remaining four would be available for training or detachment. Detachments would be deployed as needed by the special operations commander.

HCS-84 has become, of necessity, a hybrid between Reserve and Active forces. This is a compelling model if used and structured properly. The HSC-84 model keeps command authority in the Reserve Component and so the culture better accommodates RC as active and leading participants.

In the HM model, they tend to be inactive and supporting participants.

Another possible interim solution rather than standing up a new squadron would be to specialize the HSC Expeditionary squadrons. Have one dedicated to logistics, another Gator SAR, and another would handle NSW. A third viable option is to expand HSC-84. They could take over fleet HH’s to expand their size until enough block 3 Sierra’s are available. The infrastructure is already there, Continue on page 15

14

Features: A Dedicated Naval Special Operations Air Asset Continued from page 14

bodies can come from the active component, FTS, or RC, and funding would come from AC and RC budgets, possibly even SOCOM. Enabling a shared stand up would help everyone meet a critical shortfall of operational forces in a time of need.

Part of the squadron could take up permanently in Southern California in order to support West Coast ops.

Career Progression Career track concerns cannot be taken lightly. Stepping off the track to pursue a specialized field raises the question as to whether or not it would hurt an individual’s chance for promotion. Commitment to this specialized squadron cannot be lightly regarded as they will be flying critical air support missions for the Navy’s special forces. This squadron would have to be its own specialized community under Navy Special Warfare Command. Those assigned would receive a special warfare aviation designation rated as Special Warfare Air Operators. This would eliminate concerns about being a promotable junior officer against pilot peers , the exact dilemma that SEALs and combatant craft crewman once had to deal with before receiving their own ratings, Special Warfare Boat Operator and Special Warfare Operator.

Options for personnel concerns include allowing crews to rotate in and out of the squadron on extended tours—two to three times as long as a traditional tour. On completion of their tour they can return to traditional missions or request an extension. An additional option will be to use something similar to the IA road map which would enable them to remain competitive. Individuals are currently being sent on IA, and their records reflect this keeping them competitive for both promotion and command. In accordance with NAVADMIN 276/08, section Bravo: FOR FUTURE SLATES, THE OFFICER WILL RECEIVE IA “SLATING PAGE 06 RUCOMFA0635 UNCLAS CREDIT,” WHICH RANKS AN OFFICER WHO HAS COMPLETED AN IA ASSIGNMENT ABOVE PEERS WITH SIMILAR QUALIFICATIONS/ FITNESS REPORTS. HSC-84 needs continuity in its officer and aircrew cadre. This will ensure those vital combat lessons are not lost as people transfer.

Mission Capacity To validate the Navy special operations helicopter unit, its mission capacity must be defined taking into account the Navy’s traditional blue-water mission, its green- and brownwater littoral missions, and over-land responsibilities. How will Navy units operating with special operations forces, primarily over land, continue to uphold the Navy’s mission?

How is this not the Army’s responsibility? The bottom line is that the Navy must be capable of successfully supporting its own special operations units over both land and water.

The Navy must dedicate themselves to a CSAR/SPECWAR mission take the time, training, and resources to become good at it. WTI at Fallon is 6-8 weeks long, where the USAF FWS

Rotor Review # 105 Spring ‘09

in Nellis is 6 months long. A shift in priorities is a must. There are only two options for mission capacity. The Navy can either adapt to the shift in mission focus, create the dedicated squadron, and enable them to fully benefit the Navy’s special warfare community, or it can’t and, therefore, fail to fully support its units and combat operations. (A command structure is in place to create this unit. Bases with the logistics capabilities to make this a reality exist on both coasts, at Norfolk and San Diego.)

The squadron must be tied to special ops in order to be effective.

Not only does a dedicated squadron have modified equipment, but the way they fly is almost a black versus white.

A dedicated air unit under NSW would enable the Navy to take a look at how to best accomplish their missions and fill their capacity to the fullest. The Navy does not need to be the 160th, but rather must take some of the positive attributes in order to set themselves up for success. Looking out into a dust cloud, versus looking down into a dust cloud may be one of the many changes the Navy can implement to allow their units to fly with their doors off.

Although many are reluctant to change, a climate change has now become a necessity.The Navy is moving forward with a dedicated mixed unit from the conventional side; however it is a short term solution and does not take into account how they will fill the demand to match operational capability. The HSC wing proposal will have X number of HIRST events, and will in no way match the current capability. Another example lies with the round qualifications for crewman, as most are Tactical level II qualified, requiring up to 100,000 rounds for qualification, where as the projected capability with the standard HSC squadrons will not have the means to cover the cost. Point being, a couple of syllabus events in the strike syllabus will not fit the bill with regards to precision as well as being a confident squadron that can meet the demands and needs of SOCOM. The Navy must want an elite unit, and it must come under NSW. According to a former Commander of the Special Operations Command, support for conventional search and rescue operations significantly reduces the readiness of special operations forces. For example, night flying restrictions by a host nation adversely impacted the ability of special operations aircrews stationed in that country to maintain night flying proficiency, thus degrading their readiness. In addition, special operations aircrews were unable to participate in scheduled training exercises due to conventional search and rescue missions, which could further impact readiness. With the Navy moving towards multi-capable HSC squadrons, this will have a direct impact on a squadrons readiness to execute NSW operations.

The core that the Navy pilots and equipment bring is the ability to deploy on shipboard operations and work in the maritime environment. There are significant engineering differences between Navy & USMC aircraft and those of the other services. Many of these relate to crash worthiness and corrosion control requirements, not to mention training and familiarity with shipboard operations for all hands. There Continue on page 16

15

Features: A Dedicated Naval Special Operations Air Asset Continued from page 15

is also a significantly different view of the role of the pilots as mission commanders. All Navy pilots are commissioned officers. A commissioned officer is a decision maker and is “commissioned” by the Commander and Chief to carry out foreign policy within the officer’s allowed span of command authority. When acting as mission commander, that span can involve adherence to weapons release ROE. We put decision makers in the seat because the nature of maritime operations can place the officer out of communications with other command and control authorities. That is a key difference, as our officers are more than just pilots.

Why Not the 160th?

The Night Stalkers, the Army’s 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, is a special operations force that provides aviation support for special operations teams. SOCOM has recently added a fourth battalion to the 160th, although their placement in Washington state, twelve-hundred miles away from Coronado is questionable. Why not the Navy? The service needs to demonstrate what it can bring to the table to earn inclusion. The Navy can learn a great deal from some of the challenges the 160th currently faces with aircraft shortages.

The Navy needs to acknowledge the existing difficulties before it goes down the wrong road, and ensure that they do it the right way.

There are multiple reasons that make it viable for the Navy to maintain a squadron. With the loss of the 20/21st SOS without a real replacement in line, as well as the NV22 taking some of the MC130 missions, the demand for SOF helicopter support will only grow. With the current GWOT, the need for SOF has been a substantial growth area. SOCOM has grown on the naval side, with the MARSOC. Primarily, the issue of trust with SOF customers has not received diligent attention. HCS-84 has established themselves after proving themselves over time, but any other unit would require a trust period. Yes, conventional Navy helicopters have NSW as a mission area, however there would need to be a significant workup period to gain customer and chain of command trust, as seen at the start of OIF, HS squadrons versus HC-4/HM. Naval aviators have shipboard capabilities and flight over water time that are reason enough for the Navy to take care of their own business. Navy pilots rotating from this squadron back to traditional squadrons will be able to infuse some of their special operations flight knowledge and experience into the overall cadre. Eventually, this would create the potential for an air wing to have enough pilots with SOF specialization that it could take charge of an operation. The Navy should forgo another carrier and stand up a special ops aviation squadron, so they can participate in the GWOT in a more relevant way where this capability is sorely needed.

The Navy does not need a squadron of magnitude such as the 160th, but something proportional. Similar to them with regards to their geographical orientation, one squadron West

Rotor Review # 105 Spring ‘09

and one East, but scaled to the needs and demands of NSW.

Negate the Negative Much criticism—based on mission capacity, funding, the Navy helicopter community’s ability to maintain proficiency in NVG over-land special operations missions, interoperability, ownership of the detachment, and operational deployment—is directed at the proposal of a dedicated helicopter squadron for Navy special operations. All this can be positively addressed.

In the interim, the Navy should take steps to provide its helicopter crews the opportunity to train with naval special warfare. The best immediate response is to expand HSC-84 as discussed previously under “Possible Solution”.

While it may not require a full helicopter squadron to deploy with NSW, a detachment (two helicopters, three crews) within a squadron for each theater could be so designated. The special operations detachment would be given work-up and readiness requirements to train with deploying NSW squadrons. It would conduct special operations training instead of logistics, ASW, ASUW, or other standard helicopter war fighting skills during work-up. Squadrons that have taken the initiative to detach themselves from the air wing to go ashore have already carried out this practice and support operations on the ground. The main requirement would be NVG over-land time, in addition to the helicopter being outfitted with specialized equipment.

The authority would be under SOCOM best suiting the needs of the Navy.

The U.S. military will continue to require strong special operations support, and the Navy must adapt to this combat environment. With NSW desperately needing aviation support, and having the 160th spread thin, the question becomes whether the product of an HSC syllabus will be adequate for the requirements and expectations for SOCOM soldiers and sailors. A dedicated Navy helicopter squadron under NSW will enable both SOCOM and the Navy to successfully fulfill their mission roles and overcome the challenges they may face in the future.

1.

2.

3.

4.

Mullen, ADM Mike. CNO Guidance for 2006:Meeting the Challenge of a New Era. Global Security.Org. “Joint Helicopter Command: The Purple Evolution of Rotary-Wing Aviation by LCDR Hayes, USN “Joint Helicopter Command: The Purple Evolution of Rotary-Wing Aviation by LCDR Hayes, USN NSIAD-94-105 Special Operations Forces: Force Structure and Readiness Issues

16

Features

The Good, The Bad, and The Lucky Article by LTJG Jacquelyn Felber, USN

HSC-28 AUTEC DET practices simulated HVBSS approaches to the AUTEC’s RANGER. Photo by LT Bobby Holihan

T

here are few sayings that I have heard more in my short Naval career than “timing is everything.” For as many times as the proverbial “swiss cheese” aligned itself to create a set of circumstances so random that a hallucinogenic dream could not compete, there are times when things simply fall into place.

That time happened for HSC-28 in March, 2009.

When members of the command heard the rumor of a SWTI class culmination training and graduation tasking in AUTEC, Bahamas, we promptly began the appropriate discussions with the appropriate people to recommend our assets for the exercises. We assured that the command would benefit from the tasking. Prime candidates for a cross country and subsequent tactics training events on Andros Island were all four H2Ps from the DET 5 Voodoo Knights. These eager souls were now HACs in the middle of their SWTP Sea Combat Level Three syllabus. Little did we know that flight hours and funding would take a drastic cut the following month, placing most tactics syllabus events to the end of the priority list.

In the preceding months, HSC-28 as a command placed a heavy emphasis on the Sea Combat tactics syllabus.

New pilots checking in from the FRS were quickly placed in level two ground school, and H2Ps returning from detachment were swiftly scheduled for their level three flights. The flight schedule was heavy with tactical tasking, flight hours were high, and pilots were steadily achieving their qualifications.

Since the beginning of the third quarter, however, HSC-28 has not flown a single Sea Combat Level Three event. This is due partly to the restrictions in flight scheduling and emphasis on simple proficiency flights, but mostly because we haven’t a

Rotor Review # 105 Spring ‘09

pilot left still in need of the qualification!

In just 79.1 training hours, the AUTEC detachment flew 29 pilot and aircrew syllabus events, qualifying five pilots and four aircrewmen as SWTP Sea Combat Level Three. Events included a day and night live-fire gunnex; helicopter visit, board, search, and seizure (HVBSS) practice operations to the AUTEC Range; and simulated maritime air support (MAS), fast rope operations, and combat rubber raiding craft deployment in the various waters and cays on Andros Island. All of this was completed in the last two weeks of the second quarter, just days before the drastic cut in flight hours.

Though the knowledge that was gained during our training at AUTEC may take time to reciprocate in the tactical environment, much of the lessons learned can be applied to daily proficiency flying. The difficulties of operating in the “simulated” environment in which the instructor must create a scenario and then articulate it to his co-pilot in such a way that he can paint his own picture, internalize it, and react accordingly carries over to local area flying. We, of course, simulate things all the time: engine failures, SAR scenarios, the proverbial “what would you do” and “where would you land” discussions come up on all proficiency flights. While the emphasis has changed in HSC-28’s scheduling, it still rings true that the command is expected to produce combat ready crews for deployment and provide tactical air support for pop up tasking. The qualifications that HSC-28 achieved during its ten day training on Andros Island has allowed the command to comfortably and confidently support all tactical tasking and properly man future detachments.

17

Feature

Jack of all Trades!

Article by LTJG Michael “Sweaty” Weber, USN

I

was once told in flight school by a SH-60B pilot to join the HSL community. He said that they were, “Jacks of all Trades, and Master of None.”

Interestingly enough, during my next flight with a SH-60F/ HH-60H pilot, he said the exact same thing about the HS community. Both instructors tried to sell me on their respective communities by telling me about their experiences during their deployments to the Persian Gulf in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM (OIF). As a student naval aviator, I was impartial and did not lean towards any helicopter community. I found their missions very similar. During my first deployment to the North Arabian Sea, in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM (OEF), I was fortunate to be able to participate in FOCUSED OPERATION MARITIME SWEEP (FOMS). This operation gave me a brief look into the multi-mission capability of the HS and HSL communities.

My squadron, HELANTISUBRON THREE the Tridents, were embarked on the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) from September 2008 through April 2009. In January 2009, HS-3 was directed to detach three HH-60Hs to the USS San Antonio (LPD 17) to support Combined Task Force 151 (CTF-151). CTF-151’s mission was to disrupt and suppress piracy in the Gulf of Aden (GOA). Our squadron immediately began planning for the detachment and conducted training to be ready for the “new” mission, which was simply referred to as “counter-piracy.” In addition to the HH-60H detachment, CTF-151 included a robust array of capabilities, including two visit, board, search & seizure (VBSS) teams, one law enforcement detachment (LEDET) from the Coast Guard, multiple translators, a full surgical team from USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7), and part of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit . The Coast Guard LE detachment essential to enforcing international maritime law as well as training VBSS teams on the newest techniques in suspicious vessel boardings.

After arriving on the San Antonio, the HS-3 detachment focused their training for VBSS over-watch and intelligence, surveillance & reconnaissance (ISR) missions. During the month of January 2009, HS-3 conducted over-watch and ISR for the boarding of six vessels. The HH-60H was able to provide extensive fire cover carrying M-240 (7.62mm) and GAU-16 (.50 caliber) machine guns. Each crew was augmented with two US Marines; one scout sniper and one spotter. The HH-60H also carried the fast tactical imaginary (FTI) system, which enabled the helicopter to record Forward Looking IR (FLIR) video and transmit imagery in near real-time to provide feedback to the task force commander and VBSS teams.

At the beginning of February 2009, the detachment cross-decked to the USNS Lewis and Clark (T-AKE-1) and the USS Vella Gulf (CG-72) took over as the CTF-151 flagship.

Additionally, a detachment of HELANTISUBRONLIGHT FORTY TWO, the Proud Warriors, was embarked in the USS Vella Gulf, which significantly increased CTF-151’s helicopter

Rotor Review # 105 Spring ‘09

capability. I was not part of the initial detachment aboard the San Antonio; however, the cross-deck to the Lewis and Clark provided the opportunity to swap out a few pilots and expose more personnel to the counter-piracy mission. The day prior to the cross-deck, my commanding officer called me into the ready room to inform me that I was to take the place of one of the Lieutenants on the detachment. Due to space constraints on the USNS Lewis and Clark the detachment was reduced in size from 8 officers, 42 enlisted, and 3 HH-60Hs to 8 officers, 25 enlisted, and 2 HH-60Hs. The next morning I left the Theodore Roosevelt and checked into my new stateroom onboard the Lewis and Clark. The first thing any member of an HS squadron would appreciate (and easily adapt to) is the living conditions on a USNS ship. The Lewis and Clark had ample work out facilities, individual staterooms, multiple laundry centers, and the ability to walk throughout the ship without hurdling knee-knockers.

Although a USNS ship is designed for a two helicopter vertical replenishment (VERTREP) detachment, it was never outfitted for combat operations. Unlike a logistics mission, the counterpiracy mission required more robust communications ability.

Additionally, the ship’s crew had to adapt to a continuously evolving flight schedule. To the credit of the civilian mariners onboard the USNS Lewis and Clark, they quickly adapted to the mission and overcame every challenge CTF-151 presented.

They also provided amazing hospitality to our detachment.

Many of them were former uniformed members of the U.S. Navy and welcomed the new mission.

The difference between deploying with your entire squadron versus a detachment was very interesting. While embarked upon an aircraft carrier, most of the squadron does not directly interact with one another on a daily basis. On a detachment, daily interaction was a must and having different rates working together to accomplish the daily flight schedule is essential. It was not unusual to see PRs working on aircraft.

Gone were the days of, “that’s not an AE thing, that’s an AT thing.” Simply put, each maintainer took an added interest in ensuring each bird was ready to fly. Our sailors quickly learned each other’s daily tasks, which ensured maintenance was both thorough and completed in a timely fashion. The aircrews were able to work with the same maintenance personnel and aircraft each day, enabling an ongoing dialogue concerning aircraft status and maintenance challenges.

In order to conduct their mission, CTF-151 looked to the air to lead the charge in countering pirate tactics. The ability to find suspected pirates was given to UAVs and armed helicopters. The first part of the job was undoubtedly a team effort. The surface search radar capability of SH-60B and the Vella Gulf enabled quick contact of suspected pirate skiff over a large area of open water. Once suspect radar contacts were identified, HH-60H helicopters were tasked with positively Continued on page 19

18

Feature: Jack of all Trades Continued from page 18

identifying the contacts. Positive identification was essential because of the similarities between fishing dhows and pirate vessels. This helicopter combination along with the added capability provided by UAVs from the USS Mahan (DDG 72) proved very successful. The boarding of the suspected pirate vessels was led by the VBSS teams onboard the Vella Gulf, which were covered from the air by HSL-42 and HS-3 aircraft.

CTF-151 ended up apprehending 16 suspected pirates.

The first month of the detachment onboard the San Antonio, the detachment was mainly tasked with counter-piracy and VBSS over-watch missions. During the second month, onboard the Lewis and Clark, HS-3 was additionally tasked with ensuring the media was granted full access to the counterpiracy mission. It was stated early in the mission that the GOA was far too extensive for the maritime shipping companies to rely solely upon coalition forces for their protection. Each vessel was encouraged to take active steps in securing their own defensive measures. In less then a month, reporters from NBC, CBS, ABC, and the Wall Street Journal all embedded themselves with CTF-151 and reported from the GOA. HS-3 conducted countless logistics runs to the Vella Gulf and multiple coalition ships to provide extensive media coverage. This extensive logistics mission was made possible in large part by the carrying capacity of the HH-60H. The media involvement played a major role in reassuring the maritime shipping community that coalition forces were helping to ensure their safety. Throughout the month more and more maritime shipping companies were seen taking the active self-defense precautions requested by CTF-151.

Rotor Review # 105 Spring ‘09

The helicopter community showed its flexibility again when requested to conduct multiple VERTREP missions. Both HS-3 and HSL-42 worked in unison to ensure all logistics requirements were fulfilled, including VERTREP operations to move our detachment’s equipment from the San Antonio to the Lewis and Clark, move the Marine security detachment’s equipment (a distance spanning over 25nm from Djibouti), and conduct normal logistics operations for the Lewis and Clark to fulfill its Military Sealift Command (MSC) mission.

At the beginning of March 2009, our detachment departed the GOA and left the Lewis and Clark to rejoin the Theodore Roosevelt. The next day, I conducted an antisubmarine warfare (ASW) syllabus event; and just like that I was back to concentrating on my ASW training. As I look back to flight school, I wondered which instructor was correct.

What community is “Jack of all Trades?” The answer is that if you are Naval helicopter pilot, regardless of community, you are and should train to be “Jack of all Trades.” Undoubtedly, the future of helicopter aviation is always changing and we must be prepared to change with the environment and meet new missions. We must all be “Jack of all Trades” and more importantly, “master of the one needed right now.” As our two communities transition to the MH-60R and MH-60S, we must continue to work together to take advantage of each platform’s unique capabilities and each crew’s strengths to successfully meet all mission requirements.

19

Feature

V-22 Faces Mission Capable Rates Issues Article By Bettina H. Chavanne

Released by www.aviationweek.com Artwork by Chris Cosner Digital Imagery by George Hopson, NHA

I

t may be flying every mission in theater, but the MV-22 is still facing reliability issues due to inaccurate predictive modeling, according to Lt. Gen. George Trautman, U.S. Marine Corps deputy commandant for aviation.

“We’re working on it, but that’s one concern I have in the Osprey program,” Trautman told Aerospace DAILY April 30. Reliability and maintainability are “not meeting my full expectations yet.”

The V-22 was sent into combat “sooner than we should have,” Trautman said. Typically, an aircraft is deployed only after its has passed its Material Support date, which the Osprey did Oct. 1, 2008. The first squadron was deployed a year prior, in October 2007. That early deployment had an effect on the way the Marine Corps purchased spare parts for the aircraft.

With 55,000 flight hours on the V-22, it has become evident that early predictions of mean time between failures on certain parts were inaccurate. “If [mean time between failures] is worse on the kinds of spares that have a long lead time, you start getting into a problem of how you dig out of that hole,” Trautman said. The goal then is sparing models based on reality, not predictions. “We’re struggling with that a bit,” he said.

The Marine Corps has told Bell Boeing that by 60,000 flight hours, the service would like to achieve 80 percent mission capable rates. Trautman is pleased with the company’s response. “The good news is they’re standing behind the product, they’re engaged,” he said.

Sustained shipboard deployment of the V-22 also has posed a slight challenge to the service. It was discovered that on smaller deck amphibious ships, heat from the downwardpointing nacelles could potentially warp the stringers underneath

Rotor Review # 105 Spring ‘09

the deck plates. “We’re concerned with heat on the LPD and LSD decks because the steel is so thin,” Trautman said, adding that the service has “worked through that challenge.”

One solution is to tilt the nacelles forward slightly, which gives 35 minutes of operational time on deck.

The other option is deck plates that provide protection up to 90 minutes. The Marine Corps is working with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the Office of Naval Research to find coatings for the deck, particularly in light of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF). The exhaust from the JSF’s auxiliary power unit has the potential to cause similar heating problems, so the joint program office is working on the issue now, Trautman said.

MV-22s in a row aboard USS Wasp. Photo courtesy of NHA Archives

20

Feature

Feature

PANTERA PANTERA PANTERA Article by LTJG Carlos Oroza, USN

F

or Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron TWO SIX detachment TWO (HSC-26 DET 2), the 29th of April marked the midpoint of UNITAS GOLD and the rare opportunity to photograph aircraft participating in a SINKEX. This year marked the 50th anniversary of UNITAS, the longest running multinational exercise in the world. UNITAS was designed to develop coordination amongst a multinational force and improve interoperability through realistic scenarios. As the exercise got underway, I quickly learned the importance and difficulties of training in a joint environment.

The first hurdle to jump was the language barrier; the second was getting everyone actively and correctly participating in the Air Plan.

However, the biggest problem we experienced during UNITAS was communication. Many of the foreign aircraft only had one radio, and after figuring out what frequency they were operating on, conveying instructions proved difficult at times. As UNITAS progressed, improvements were made, but I had my doubts about our ability to execute the SINKEX as scheduled for the 29th of April. Our mission was to film two partner nation helicopters, a Colombian Fennec (call sign “Pantera”) and a Mexican Bolkow, firing ordnance at the ex-USS Connelly (DD 975).

After experiencing the operational difficulties associated with multinational operations first hand, the Helicopter Aircraft Commander (HAC) made sure to meet with the pilots of the two aircraft a few days prior to hammer out every detail of their planned live firing runs. The SINKEX was to be the most challenging mission of the operation; it required precise timing and coordination between the 11 partner nations to ensure everyone could participate safely. Our chief concern was radio communication between us (the US Navy aircraft) and the two participating multinational aircraft. The entire crew entered the NATOPS brief with a mixture of excitement and uneasiness. The HAC established that our go-no-go criterion was positive communication with the live-fire aircraft before we would proceed on the firing leg.

We preflighted our MH-60S and decided to launch ten minutes early to ensure we would be overhead the Colombian ship (Almirante Padilla) before the Fennec took off. We met overhead at 0855 and contacted the Padilla on their land/launch frequency. We were pleasantly surprised to find the Fennec preparing for break down and launch right on time. Unfortunately, that was the last we heard from them for what felt like an eternity.

After hearing the Fennec report “Ops Normal” with the Padilla, we joined up with them on their starboard side in combat cruise formation and began calling them on Red Crown for check in.

Rotor Review # 105 Spring ‘09

“Pantera, Charger 70.” There was no response. Thinking that they may have skipped ahead and contacted Range Control, I tuned our second radio and made another attempt. “Pantera, Pantera, Pantera, Charger 70 on Range Control, how do you hear?” Once again, we were met with silence. The flight then became an exercise in Crew Resource Management (CRM). We decided to each take a radio and coordinate with Range Control and Red Crown to see if they had established “sweet comms” with the Colombian aircraft. As we continued to trouble shoot, we could see the Colombian pilots working furiously in the cockpit and looking back occasionally. As the HAC continued to maintain form, I tried switching antennas and hailing them in Spanish to no avail. To add to our frustrations, the Fennec would call Red Crown and Range Control sporadically with their call sign, but would not respond to the queries that followed. As we approached the boundary of the range we began to discuss the possibility of having to abort the mission.

Luckily, the Fennec finally called Range Control and we were back in business. We also had success in establishing good communications with the Mexican Bolkow for the second live-fire run.

Although neither the Fennec nor the Bolkow conducted their firing run as briefed, the rendezvous and approach went as planned and we were able to maintain a safe distance and complete the mission.

UNITAS GOLD proved to be an invaluable experience. I learned that face to face coordination in the brief, in-depth mission planning, and a good bit of adaptability/flexibility are required for most missions – but are essential for safely completing a multinational Charger 70 filming a Columbian exercise. Although there Fennac launching ordnance at were many challenges to the ex-USS Connelly (DD-975). overcome, each mission Photographer unknown. was completed successfully, and I left with increased confidence in our own abilities and those of our allies. Our PHOTOEX yielded phenomenal photographs for the exercise and a once in a lifetime experience for me.

21

Feature

Aircrewman shooting a M240 while wearing the HGU-84 helmet. Photo courtesy of HSC-22 Public Affairs Office.

Old-School meets New School Article by AWSC Lindaleah Johnson, USN

W

hether you’re doing VERTREP or acting as gunner, the Gentex Maxillofacial Shield is optional equipment for aircrewmen using the HGU-84 series helmet assembly.

It’s designed specifically to protect the lower facial area from flying debris and assist the aircrewman with communication during landing, takeoff, cargo operations, gunnex or tactical maneuvers, but the face mask is great for all helicopter aircrewmen1. When I first saw an aircrewman at my squadron wearing a shield, my first thought was, “Great, another young aircrewman with ‘bling’.” It’s true when they say change is hard to accept, because my next thought was, “Why can’t they just get in the aircraft and do the mission like all of us old school guys?” It wasn’t until I was on deployment (a good year and a half after seeing that young crewman with the shield) that the aircrewmen in my detachment coaxed me into fitting a shield onto my helmet. Let me tell you, my opinion changed in one flight.

I first used the shield during a gun shoot during work-ups.

The ease of wearing the shield while shooting the M240 was priceless.

With the face shield on, I was able to key the ICS with the foot button and use both hands for maneuvering the weapon. But it wasn’t until I did a vertical replenishment (VERTREP) that I began to wonder, “Why didn’t we use these years ago?” The flight was a VERTREP to the USS Theodore Roosevelt while operating in the Gulf of Oman.

One aircrewman was on either side of the cargo hook and both doors were open. If you’ve ever been in the H-60S with both doors open, then you know that it’s like a wind tunnel. Before the shield, I was

1

Rotor Review # 105 Spring ‘09

constantly cupping my hand over the mic piece so that my calls would be audible for the pilots. But with the shield, the mic piece fits perfectly inside; I just had to key the mic and did not have to worry about my calls being drowned out by the wind’s noise.

I am a prior Phrog crewman and when we use to VERTREP, we would lay on our stomachs on either side of the cargo hook (the “hell hole”). One aircrewman would lay toward the cockpit and the other would lay head toward the tail section. The second crewman would typically lay toward the cockpit for two reasons: first, to make sure they had the “left” and “right” calls correct, and second, the amount of wind coming through the “hell hole” gave you a constant rush of wind up your nose, requiring you to cup your mike to get audible calls to the pilots in the cockpit. If we had used the shield back then, it may have been one of the few luxuries we had when we were in Phrogs. (I could come up with a lengthy list of what I would call a ‘luxury’ in a Phrog, but if you weren’t an H-46 crewman, you just wouldn’t understand).

During deployment, there wasn’t a flight deck I landed on where a helicopter aircrewman didn’t ask the question, “Chief, why do you guys wear that mask and how can we get them?” So here I am, with our debut of “Aircrew Corner” in Rotor Review, answering that question for those, both old school and new school, that have seen us out there. No need to wonder where you, too, can get some of that aircrew ‘bling’.

22

NAVAIR 13-1-6.7-3 section 8-5 Maxillofacial Shield. The Gentex Maxilliofacial Shield, P/N 05D12001-2(medium/large) P/N 05D12001-3(large/x-large)

Feature

Gauges Green, Clean Article by LT Justin Letwinsky, USN

M

ost NATOPS manuals make use of the phrase, “cross check all performance instruments and report ‘gauges good.’” That phrase - in practice, vice print - has been modified over the years, to be “gauges green, clean.” This well known ditty within the aviation community is commonly used as its substitute.

Changing the words around, making them rhyme and be easier to remember isn’t that big of a deal. Or is it?

I first heard the phrase in flight school, and later at the Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS). Before long, this phrase soon became engrained in my vocabulary. It always seemed fitting since the expression itself confirms that all gauges display green instrument range markings, and the Caution/Advisory Panel is clean of any abnormal cautions or advisories.

While aboard a U.S. Navy frigate, in a combined U.S. Coast Guard counter-narcotics trafficking exercise in the Eastern Pacific, I served as the “Helicopter Second Pilot” of an SH-60B helicopter. It was my first deployment, and we were about to conduct another joint operation on a clear March evening. The Aircraft Commander and I launched from the ship like any other day. Of course, like all previous flights, during take-off I looked over all the gauges and the Caution/Advisory Panel and reported, “Gauges Green and Clean.”

After giving our “Ops Normal” call to the ship, we commenced with the Maritime Interdiction Operation (MIO) exercise. The ship launched the Ridged-Hull Inflatable Boat (RHIB) with the Coast Guard crew onboard, and the training began. The boarding team members practiced driving alongside the ship, as in a real counter narcotic boarding, while the helicopter provided cover. During the event, the sun was starting to set, and everything in the aircraft felt and seemed normal. About one hour into the flight, flying alongside the ship, the Coast Guard Boarding Team finished their last run. Once “FINEX” was called over the radio, concluding the exercise, we broke off, and the ship declared that they were going to begin recovering the RHIB.

Upon departing, I gave a fuel status call and reported to the Aircraft Commander, “Gauges Green and Clean.” The Aircraft Commander verified the gauges as well and noticed a split in the Engine Oil Pressure gauge. The #2 Engine was reading about 10-15 psi lower than the #1 Engine. With the #1 Engine showing about 45 psi, and the #2 Engine flickering from 30 to 35 psi, all gauges were still in the green, but I failed to notice the split. From five miles away, we turned immediately back to the ship, while declaring an emergency and executing the “Engine Oil Pressure Low” emergency procedure.

As we were heading back to the ship, I pulled out the Pocket Checklist to make sure all items were completed and to

Rotor Review # 105 Spring ‘09

read any warnings, cautions, or notes. It states the “ENGINE OIL PRESS” caution light is triggered by the Visual Display System oil gauge positions and cannot be used as secondary indictions of a malfunction. In other words, the Visual Display System itself triggers the light, not a separate mechanism or switch that is sensing the pressure. At this time, I also begin noticing that the #2 Engine Oil Pressure dropping further. It was reading now between 27-30 psi, but again still in the green.

On the ground we always review the importance of “CRM,” and how critical it is to delegate tasks to each member of the crew during any regime of flight—especially during an emergency. One interesting thing I noticed was that no delegation was needed. Each crew member instantly took on the responsibility of various tasks on their own, in order to safely land the aircraft. The Aircraft Commander continued flying towards the ship, while coordinating emergency flight quarters with ASTAC. I was hawking the gauges, reporting what I saw, and coordinating our landing with the Airboss and the Landing Safety Officer (LSO) over UHF. I described the nature of our emergency, and continued to provide updates, while ensuring the crew completed the landing checklist in preparation for a “green deck” to land. We were about two miles away from the ship at this point, and the #2 Engine Oil Pressure was now flickering in and out of the amber range, reading about 22-26 psi. Additionally, the “Master Caution” and “#2 ENGINE OIL PRESS” light began flickering as well—gauges were no longer “green and clean.” As the tension began to rise in the aircraft, the Aircrewman made sure that everyone was remaining calm.

To add to his reassurance that we were going to be fine, I even stated, “There’s nothing to worry about. The worst thing that could happen is the #2 Engine quits… we still have #1.” A single engine landing to a ship at night, although far from ideal, still provided us with the fact that a safe landing could still be made—which brought the anxiety level down a bit. We actually discussed securing the #2 Engine on our own, since the NATOPS flight manual mentions to perform the “Single-Engine Failure Procedures” if secondary indications are present; but again the caution light did not serve as a secondary indication, and temperature and torque indications were still normal.

Additionally we were close to the ship.

Meanwhile, the LSO was relaying communications, expediting the FOD walk-down, and getting the ship to turn and make best speed into the wind in case of a single engine landing. At about one mile out, we received a “green deck” to land. On final, at 200’ AGL and 0.5 miles from the ship, the Aircrewman continued with closure calls, while I called out altitude and engine oil pressure, which was already in the Continue on page 24

23

Feature: Gauges Green, Clean Continued from page 23

red range. The aircraft had a “MASTER CAUTION” light that I cleared, and a steady “#2 ENGINE OIL PRESS” light at this point. Upon crossing the deck edge, only one red cube remained, and that was flickering between one cube and no reading. The Aircrewman called the aircraft into position over deck, and we landed safely, with no reading on our #2 Engine Oil Pressure gauge. Immediately the Aircraft Commander told the LSO that he was securing the #2 Engine. The aircraft was shutdown using normal shutdown procedures. Upon thorough inspection, it was apparent that the oil in the #2 Engine had completely leaked out. Although no apparent cause for the leak was discovered, the #2 Engine was replaced due to operating below the normal pressure range for longer than 60 seconds.

The safe landing is credited to everyone involved.

Although the acronym “CRM” was never actually verbalized in the aircraft, each crew member knew his role and remained calm while focusing on it. Everyone maintained excellent situational awareness and executed sound judgment, while using clear, detailed communication, and feedback.

The one issue however remained with the phrase “Gauges Green and Clean.” I realize in hindsight, that there is more to “cross checking all performance instruments” than just verifying gauges in the green range, and no abnormal cautions or advisories. Although all the gauges were green, the Aircraft Commander noticed the split between the two engine oil pressures, and with enough time to execute a safe landing before secondary malfunctions occurred. I also realize the importance of every word published in the NATOPS manual.

Not only does it state to report “gauges good,” (not just that they’re in the green range), but the verbiage also refers to checking other performance instruments as well, not just those pertaining to the engines.

The specific instructions set forth in NATOPS are to be followed to the letter for a reason. It is important that procedures are continually reviewed, and that the aviation community understands why they are published the way they are. Sometimes what seems initially like a good technique could actually be a detrimental, bad habit.

BASH CONDITION LOW Article by LT Chris Grande, USN

A

s more Navy Helicopter Pilots become familiar with the tactical environment and spend time downrange, many of us have learned the reactive procedures to defeat a missile in flight.

Fortunately, I have never had to put these procedures to use in combat, but I may start employing them more often, as my various aircraft have been struck four times thus far. Luckily, the flying projectiles that hit me were birds. My bird strikes happened in San Diego, over the coastal waters of Indonesia, and once over the desert sands of Kuwait. So far, none have resulted in serious damage to man or machine, but this may not always be the case.

The earliest reported fatality due to an airborne bird strike occurred in 1912, and despite many improvements in aviation safety, birds remain a threat today. With the amazing water landing of U.S. Airways Flight 1549 into the Hudson River, bird strikes have received more attention worldwide and it made me wonder what I can do as a pilot to avoid this potentially fatal hazard.

As a flight student, I recall being taught only two techniques to help resolve the bird hazard. One was to always climb when a bird is near you as they tend to dive around

aircraft, and the other was to duck your head if you saw a bird in your windshield so it didn’t hit you in the face. Both of these tips only come in handy if you see the bird ahead of time, but for all of my bird strikes, no one in the crew saw the bird until it was too late to do anything but blurt an obscenity. The question then becomes twofold: how can we spot birds sooner; and how do we avoid flying where the birds are?

Seeing small, fast, and erratically moving animals in the sky is not easy, but there are some things aviators can do to help themselves out. First, it helps to know your battlefield.

The United States Air Force has developed the United States Avian Hazard Advisory System, a tool to be used in the flightplanning stage that helps predict how much bird activity you will encounter along any given route of flight. While that could be useful when conducting cross-country route planning, many of us in the Rotary Wing aviation business are working in local coastal regions with dense avian populations, and our routing options are becoming increasingly limited due to noise restrictions and more crowded airspace. Still, the U.S. Avian Hazard Advisory System is one more tool for the toolbox, offering estimates of bird hazard based on populations and migratory activity that will assist air crews make better choices Continue on page 25

Rotor Review # 105 Spring ‘09

24

Feature: BASH CONDITION LOW Continued from page 24

about flight routes and altitudes.

Another tool I have used lately is the report of the BASH Condition on ATIS. BASH is an acronym for Bird Aircraft Strike Hazard, and usually the BASH Condition is Low. The BASH Condition scale starts at Low, continues on to Moderate, and peaks at Severe. It seemed odd to me that the BASH Condition of my home field was “Low” when I could clearly see birds flying all around the field, but after some research I learned that this meant there was “normal bird activity on and above the airfield with a low probability of hazard.” Naturally, there is a low probability of hazard when helicopter crews are doing all they can to avoid a strike, but is certainly does not mean the threat does not exist. So take this warning with a grain of salt, but if you hear the reported BASH Condition of Moderate or Severe, be prepared for significant bird activity.

The last way to know the whereabouts of heavy bird activity is from flight crew reporting. This makes perfect sense: the best weather reports are always PIREPS (Pilot Reports), and if another air crew reports significant bird activity, it should definitely raise the interest of other crews flying in the vicinity. On more than one occasion I have been operating in areas with an uncomfortably dense bird population, and have relayed information on the hazard to Tower. Unfortunately, that information was not always passed to other crews reporting in or mentioned on the next ATIS update. However, in most cases the information is passed, and I highly recommend making these advisory calls when appropriate to assist your fellow pilots.

Other approaches to mitigate the risks of a bird strike are common sense techniques. An aggressive outside scan and

active communication amongst a crew will help crews spot nearby birds earlier and react sooner. Some bird species tend to fly low to the ground in search for food, so stepping up in altitude may also help in certain regions. Bird strikes will still happen, though, as an active outside scan will be less helpful in IMC conditions, at night, or when traveling at high speeds.

As boxers are fond of saying, “you cannot hit what you cannot see,” or in this case, you cannot avoid what you cannot see.

This was most certainly the case for Hannes Arch, the Austrian pilot who hit a pelican above San Diego Bay during the recent Red Bull Air Races.

Bird strikes continue to draw attention. Senator Chuck Schumer of New York has proposed legislation that would make it mandatory for every pilot involved in a Bird Strike to report the event to the FAA. The FAA estimates that its current voluntary reporting program only captures twenty percent of all bird strikes. In addition to FAA reporting, military crews are expected to file a HAZREP. As with most of the battles we wage today, information is key. This is no less true in the war against bird strikes. Please continue to report all bird strikes and increased bird activity to the appropriate agencies.

To Be or Not to Be a Super JO? That Is the Question

H

Article by LT Doug “Spooner” Hale, USN

aving been at the HS-10 for two years I have seen, like most other FRS squadrons, the cross-pollination of communities while we continue down the path of the master helicopter plan. The Master Helo Plan transition has forced the relocation of many pilots into different airframes and communities, often to a billet that requires these officers to draw from past leadership and tactical prowess. It is not uncommon to see prospective department heads from different communities complete their syllabus and immediately deploy with their new fleet squadrons.

While they are clearly competent and experienced aviators, coming from a different community usually means they have minimal, if any, experience in airframe specific mission areas such as ASW or CSAR. A side effect of the push for master’s degrees and joint qualifications has resulted in officers being pressed for training syllabus time, forcing them to learn mission sets while running a fleet department.

Rotor Review # 105 Spring ‘09

Often new department heads arrive at their squadron during cruise or during one of the major work up phases such as COMTUEX, JTFEX or Air Wing Fallon. While some department heads might have had experience as a JO with these various exercises, others have none simply because of the community they are coming from. In this case the gaining squadron cannot use their department head as part of a combat crew which can seriously affect the squadron’s readiness.

Additionally, without mission level qualifications or significant experience in those areas previously mentioned (to include CVN boat operations) the squadron is short one instructor when it comes to training junior pilots for their mission qualifications.

All of this discussion is assuming there is just one department head from a different community, much less a squadron with two from a dissimilar background.

Continue on page 27

25

Rotor Review # 105 Spring ‘09

26

Continued from page 25

Feature: To Be or Not To Be a Super JO?

Given the unique circumstances surrounding the merger of our communities and with new squadrons standing up, the role of the “Super JO” is more crucial now than ever for both squadron readiness and training. Having witnessed this process over the past two years inspired me to ask the Flag Panel at this year’s NHA how we can utilize Super JOs, give them a good FITREP and not disrupt first tour JOs FITREPs. Obviously this is a difficult question; one that RDML Guadagnini said was “a tough nut to crack.” Super JOs, who more often than not have remained in the cockpit for three tours in a row, are a great resource for training junior pilots as our community continues to grow at a rapid pace.

It has been clearly stated that the problem with Super JOs is their career timing and the impact on the first tour Lieutenants. The Super JO would most likely be the best

performer because they have “been there and done that.”

However, giving them the #1 EP would mean one less EP for the first tour Lieutenants. So what’s the solution? The helicopter community at large should embrace the importance and augmentation of the Super JO, especially during this complicated merger where TTPs (tactics, techniques and procedures) and differing community cultures are colorfully discussed on a daily basis. The Super JO should be a legitimate career path with a specific FITREP (albeit a 1 of 1 with a descriptive Block 41) that is recognized by department head and command screen board members for its merit in this critical time. Quite honestly…I’m attempting to garner support from my fellow helo bubbas who want to stay in the cockpit and actually reap the benefits! Who’s with me?!?!

Safety Statistics and Military Helicopter Risks Article by Peter B. Mapes, MD, MPH, BS • Cleared by Department of Defense for open publication

Introduction

T

his paper is designed to serve two purposes. The first is to provide some thoughts about the proper computation of safety statistics from an epidemiological point of view, explain what is useful versus what is not, and explain why you would want to learn about this.

The second is to introduce some risks to flight which have become apparent since we started a study looking at all 917 U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) helicopter mishaps from fiscal year 1985 through fiscal year 2005. It included outcome analysis of over 3,800 souls on board those helicopters and is hosted at the web site of AHSI at http://www.vtol. org/safety.html We restricted our analysis to flight mishaps, which were severe enough to be designated as Class B mishaps or higher. Mishaps to towed arrays or items damaged in hoist operations not involving damage to the helicopter or injury to the crew were excluded. All of these mishaps resulted in damage to property in excess of $200,000, destruction of the aircraft and/or disability or loss of life. The Institutional Review Boards at the Uniform Services University of the Health Sciences and the USAF School of Aerospace Medicine found the use of this data to be exempt from human use concerns. All of the views expressed in

Rotor Review # 105 Spring ‘09

this paper are those of the author and do not constitute the opinion or policy of the Department of Defense or any other organization.

Aircraft Mishap Analysis From An Epidemiological Point of View Aircraft mishaps are, in the terms of the statistician or epidemiologist, rare events. They usually occur at intervals of approximately one every 25,000 flying hours at the class A or B level. Some aircraft have been notably worse; the Air Force H-53 suffered a class A or B mishap nearly every 5,086 hours. Others like the Army UH-1 define the opposite end of the curve with a mishap every 119,047 hours. Each mishap is an important event which garners a lot of resources designed to prevent recurrence but mishap rates, or other statistics may not achieve statistical significance. Why, you may ask, should we care about statistical significance and what is statistical significance anyway?

Statistical significance quantifies the likelihood that a particular event or condition reported as a statistic is occurring by chance alone versus as the result of a definable process. This is a very important concept be cause making a decision about an event occurring by chance is gambling but making a decision based upon an event occurring as the result of a defined process is employing critical thinking and good stewardship. I

27

like to describe it this way: Imagine that you scatter several handfuls of colored (red, blue & yellow) marbles across the floor of a dark room. Standing in the middle of the room you position yourself to gaze at the floor through the cardboard tube from a roll of paper towels like those commonly used in the kitchen. An assistant briefly illuminates the room and you get a peek at the floor through the tube with one eye. In your field of view, there are three red marbles. You are now asked to draw a conclusion about what you see and you note that the floor is likely contaminated by red marbles. Your assistant now hands you a funnel and you hold the narrow end up to one eye with your other eye closed. The room is once more illuminated and you discover that the view through the funnel reveals seven red and two yellow marbles. You revise your conclusion to a new view that the floor is contaminated by marbles of both red and yellow color but that the red marbles outnumber the yellow ones.

You now discard your funnel and your assistant illuminates the room for a third time but now your binocular vision is unimpeded and you gaze about the room long enough to make a precise count of every marble on the floor. Your result is 25 marbles of each color: red, blue and yellow. Your first two estimations were incomplete (and wrong) because you Continue on page 28

Feature: Safety Statistics and Military Helicopter Risks Continued from page 27

lacked enough view of the exposure variable (the floor area) to gather enough information to form an accurate sample of the number and color of marbles contaminating the surface. Your final view took in the entire universe and provided the most complete view possible, it also pointed out the insufficiency of your first two samples which were complicated by the fact that the marbles were not distributed uniformly across the floor, but were more or less clustered by color creating a skewed distribution. If you had the training, you could represent the likelihood that each sample represented an accurate view by calculating the p-value or the chance that the number you measured was generated by chance alone and not by the situation that actually existed on the carpet. In general, we are only willing to accept a 5% chance that a number we calculate is due to random chance so p-values must achieve values of 0.05 or less to be viewed as significant.

The relative infrequency of most helicopter mishaps means that an annual mishap rate is meaningless because each type of helicopter does not accumulate enough exposure to generate statistically significant data. Our largest fleet, composed of Army Blackhawks has numbered, on average, about 1,500 aircraft but its combined Class A & B mishap rate is 2.56 per 100,000 flight hours, or one mishap every 39,000 hours. Generally, one needs eight to ten mishaps to achieve a statistically sound estimation of the mishap rate. If we assume that each Army Blackhawk flew 200 hours a year, that would generate an annual total flying exposure of 300,000 hours per year and between seven and eight mishaps (7.68 actually). Therefore, our largest fleet of helicopters is just short of being able to achieve statistical significance for its usual mishap rate in one year. What would a high mishap rate helicopter look like if it had a small fleet size? A good example of this is the recently retired Air Force H-53 which sported a fleet of 36 aircraft and flew roughly 300 hours annually for each aircraft, or 10,800 hours annually for the fleet. Its class A and B mishap rate was the highest in recent history at 19.66 per 100,000 flight hours. At a rate of two mishaps per year, the Air Force H-53 fleet would take four or five years of exposure data to generate statistical significance.

Historically, our safest operational (non-training) aircraft has been the Army UH-1 with a mishap rate of 0.84 Class A and B mishaps per 100,000 flying hours. On average, this was a large fleet with roughly 1,600 aircraft flying

200 hours a year each or 320,000 hours a users a measure of that significance by which year during its heyday. The UH-1 would the accuracy of the sample estimation can be have roughly 2.7 mishaps annually so it measured. Given a choice, no commander would take three to four years to achieve would elect to go into battle with information statistical significance for an estimation known to be inaccurate. Why then would force management decisions be made based of the mishap rate.

A midsized fleet of 500 aircraft on estimations which can be shown to have no with an average Class A and B mishap value what so ever? The next time someone rate of 3 per 100,000 flying hours being quotes a mishap rate during a given year period utilized at a rate of 300 hours per year to you, you should ask them how reliable that per aircraft would accumulate 150,000 estimation is as a representation of the actual hours per year and 4.5 mishaps. It mishap rate. If they cannot tell you, calculate would take this fleet nearly two years it yourself with a statistical or epidemiological and 300,000 hours of flying exposure to program. If you cannot afford STATA™ or achieve a reliable estimate of its current SASS™, consider using a free government mishap rate. In general, the higher program like EPI INFO™ (Available on line the mishap rate, the more hours flown from the Centers for Disease Control and per aircraft each year and the larger Prevention).

Now that we’ve provided an overview the fleet, the shorter the period before statistical significance is achieved. As of statistical significance, we can discuss safety improves, fleets shrink, utilization the use of epidemiology in mishap analysis. declines and longer and longer intervals Specifically, what can be looked for and will be required to gain an accurate what should be looked for. The holy grail of epidemiology is the mathematical establishment representation of mishap rates.

Just like our marbles, aircraft of causality. This is complicated and rarely mishaps generally follow a random accomplished. It relies on the ability of one pattern. Years are arbitrary measures of measurable quantity (the independent variable) time based on the celestial mechanics to accurately predict the result of another of our planet and its relationship to the measurable quantity (the dependent variable). sun. Aircraft mishaps are not generally Causality requires the following nine criteria, related to or governed by the passage ofto be mathematically demonstrated: a year or the alignment of celestial bodies The Bradford Hill Criteria for Causality (Horoscope developers to the contrary) so it is useless to calculate mishap rates based 1. Strength of Association. The on a measure of continuous time like a stronger the relationship between year. In fact, it is worse than useless, it is the independent variable and the misleading. Aircraft mishaps are famous dependent variable, the less likely it for occurring randomly rather than at is that the relationship is due to an extraneous variable. regular intervals. Since the denominator 2. Temporality. It is logically necessary for aircraft mishaps is generally 100,000 for a cause to precede an effect in flight hours, anyone who calculates time. mishaps rates, owes it to their customers 3. Consistency. Multiple observations, to use enough exposure to generate of an association, with different people numbers that are statistically significant. under different circumstances and with This requires adequate power. We are different measurement instruments not speaking of torque here. Statistical increase the credibility of a finding. power is the capability of a sample to Thus a meta-analysis is generally more valuable for establishing causality than represent the universe. Too small a a single study and repeated studies sample leads to inaccurate representation should generate consistently similar as does skewedness (or other non-random results. distributions). Adequate power requires 4. Theoretical Plausibility. It is easier to enough numerator and denominator accept an association as causal when data for the production of statistics there is a rational and theoretical basis having a high likelihood of accurately for such a conclusion. representing the universe as it actually exists. Calculators of data owe the Continue on page 29

Rotor Review # 105 Spring ‘09

28

Feature: Safety Statistics and Military Helicopter Risks Continued from page 28 5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

Coherence. A cause-and-effect interpretation for an association is clearest when it does not conflict with what is known about the variables under study and when there are no plausible competing theories or rival hypotheses. In other words, the association must be coherent with other knowledge.

But, one must also constantly bear in mind that previously recorded data could be wrong.

Specificity in the causes. In the ideal situation, the effect has only one cause. In other words, showing that an outcome is best predicted by one primary factor adds credibility to a causal claim.

Dose Response Relationship.

There should be a direct relationship between the risk factor (i.e., the independent variable) and the degree to which the dependent variable is demonstrated.

Experimental Evidence. Any related research that is based on experiments will make a causal inference more plausible.

Analogy. Sometimes a commonly accepted phenomenon in one area can be applied to another area.

It would be nice if we could frequently establish links of causality throughout our safety data. The ability to do so would drive valid requirements, effective training and wise operational decision making leading to low mishap rates and a high degree of safety. Unfortunately, safety data is complicated, multifactorial and difficult to use. We do not collect or preserve all of the numerator or denominator data that we need to conduct complete analyses and even if we did, the fact that we are analyzing rare events makes it difficult to gain enough power to delve deeply into any group of mishaps with a high degree of certainty during any brief period of time. Numerator data collected may not be completely factual. While we would like to think that our safety processes are inviolate, there is ample evidence of politics and influence sneaking into the mishap analysis process and the determination of cause. Many times, the message between the lines of a report, or what is not said, is as important as what is written in the report. In general the Services do as well as could be expected to nullify agendas brought into the safety investigation process but anyone utilizing

safety data must be aware that any human process is imperfect.

At this point it would be useful to discuss some of the important issues in rotary wing mishap analyses. The data I am citing comes from work done by myself, LtCol Robert Kent and LtCol Rawson Wood from original safety investigations conducted by the Army and the Air Force as well as transcriptions of safety reports from the Navy.

Variables of Concern in Rotary Wing Mishaps Velocity The speed of the helicopter at the time of impact with the ground appears to have great bearing on whether a mishap is survivable. Many individuals believe that landing is the most dangerous phase of flight for vertical lift vehicles but this is not borne out by analysis of military mishaps. The highest lethality to helicopter occupants occurs among those people subject to terrain and obstruction impacts at high velocities, specifically, those occurring above the forward airspeed at which the rotor disc begins to fly like a wing. This is also known as the velocity at which the rotor disc achieves effective translational lift (ETL) and usually occurs at a forward airspeed of 16 to 24 knots. The relative risk (RR) of fatality as a dependent variable, given cruise flight (versus hovering flight, with ETL being the breakpoint) as an independent variable reveals a RR of fatality varying from forty-three times among Air Force human factor (HF) mishaps (p < .00000001) to 2.24 times among Air Force non-human factor (NHF) mishaps (p < .0074).

This relationship holds in the Army as well where the RR of fatality given a mishap in cruise is fourteen times the risk of a fatality in hovering flight (p < .00000001) in HF mishaps and 2.97 time the risk of fatality in NHF mishaps (p < .00000001). The Naval RR of fatality in cruise is 2.43 the risk in hovering flight (p < .00000001) and the overall DoD RR of fatality given a mishap in cruise flight is 3.61 times greater than the risk of a fatality in hovering flight (p < .00000001). There is no doubt that the greatest risk to life for military helicopter

Rotor Review # 105 Spring â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;09

29

occupants is garnered through mishaps at cruise velocities which impact the ground, obstructions or other aircraft. Of these, controlled flight into terrain and obstructions (CFIT) during cruise flight contributes the greatest number of fatalities among helicopter mishaps. The take home point for operators is: if you get in trouble, slow below ETL before impact if at all possible.

Human Factor versus Non Human Factor Mishaps In the discussion of velocity, you noticed that Air Force and Army data was described as being either human factor, or non human factor data. A definition is in order. Roughly two thirds of rotary wing mishaps occur as the result of some action or inaction by a member of the crew; these mishaps are categorized as human factor (HF) mishaps. HF mishaps often have reduced visibility, distraction, task saturation, poor communication, poor decision making, or any one of a host of other perceptual or cognitive process failures to blame as the initiating factor.

The remainder of the mishaps involve either: the failure of parts, improperly forecast weather, or improper maintenance processes as the causal elements. These mishaps are termed non human factor (NHF) mishaps and comprise roughly a third of the rotary wing mishaps. In depth analyses of the differences between HF and NHF mishaps reveal roughly 20% better uninjured survival and 20% lower fatality among occupants exposed to Class A and B NHF mishaps. The hypothesis is that training is far superior for NHF mishaps. Items like engine failures and system failures are planned for by engineers and the responses to them are both engineered into the aircraft and trained extensively to the crews. HF problems are less predictable and are not given the same amount of exposure either in the simulator or the actual aircraft. As a result, crew perform much less well when confronted with HF issues and the outcomes are predictably (and now quantifiably) worse. Training has become an independent variable that modifies the outcome of NHF mishaps but has less effect on the outcome of HF mishaps. The take home message on this point is: there is ample room to improve aircrew performance and safety through HF mishap simulation and training.

Night Operations Both the Army and the Air Force demonstrate an increased proclivity for mishaps in the hours of darkness. The Air Force H-60 community has three times the risk of a Class Continue on page 30

Feature: Safety Statistics and Military Helicopter Risks of mishaps at night varying from four to over ten times the risk of a mishap during the day, depending which airframe is reviewed.

The Army numbers are on a par with the night mishap risk of Air Force fighter pilots who experience 6.67 times the likelihood of a mishap when conducting night operations. Oddly, the Navy has not demonstrated an increased risk of night operations since the mid 1990’s.

What did the Navy (including the Marines) do differently? Unlike the Air Force and the Army who try to fly in predominantly fair weather and do not plan to employ under conditions of low visibility, naval helicopter pilots are assured that when the mines need to be swept, the submarines need to be located or the patient needs to be lifted to see a doctor, the conditions will be abysmal. As a result, the Navy trains its helicopter pilots to employ under instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) and demands the highest levels of proficiency and recency.

Until recently, the Army was waiving instrument proficiency in the AOR for some of its pilots.

While the Air Force does not have a history of waiving instrument proficiency, they train at Fort Rucker in the same environment as the Army and certainly share some of the fundamentals of that training despite using different instructors and syllabuses. There are also philosophical differences in training. Army pilots are encouraged to remain in visual contact with the ground at all times. This process begins in ab initio training where they are taught to descend when confronted with a lowering ceiling and to slow down when confronted with reduced visibility. Until two years ago, the Air Force conveyed a similar strategy but now, both they and the Navy teach to climb, squawk emergency and get an instrument flight rules (IFR) clearance when they encounter IMC weather on a visual flight rules (VFR) flight. The risk of a mishap given IMC weather for the Air Force under the previous syllabus of instruction was twenty to thirty times the risk encountered in visual meteorological conditions (VMC). The mishap risks for Army and Naval rotary wing aviation in IMC could not be calculated due to a lack of denominator data. The take home message with regard to night operational risk is: Treat night operations with respect and utilize an IFR style of operating to the maximum extent possible. If you are required to fly “nap of the earth” at night, realize that night vision devices, even though they are a huge help, do not turn night into day and leave yourself some room to recover from mistakes which will, inevitably occur.

Reduced Visibility As mentioned above, instrument weather conditions convey a significant additional risk of mishaps. This is particularly apparent in two areas. Army HF mishaps ending in cruise CFIT resulting in contact with the ground had over 40% of the cases associated with IMC weather. Army HF mishaps terminating in obstructions and wires had 10% of the events associated with IMC weather. While the Army does not maintain easily accessible counts of IMC flying hours for its entire pilot force, thus making calculation of the relative risk impossible, an estimate can be obtained from the logbooks of mishap pilots who frequently have less than 0.5% of their flight time logged as actual instrument time. A crude estimation would peg the relative risk of a Class A or B mishap given IMC for CFIT in the Army at twenty to eighty times the risk of flight in visual conditions. The presence of IMC during a cruise mishap was highly correlated with lethality.

A similar picture arises among the 117 Army HF mishaps occurring below ETL (essentially in hovering flight). Ninety of these mishaps occurred at night and 48 involved actual visibility restriction, usually brownout (soil particulates entrained in the rotor wash).

During the day there were 27 mishaps and 19 actually involved visibility restrictions.

Among Army NHF mishaps, the 29 with unforecast IMC as a cause portended the highest fatality rates with the exception of main rotor failures.

In a number of different venues, the presence of IMC during a mishap sequence resulted in substantially worse outcomes for helicopter occupants. In low speed phases of flight, fatalities were over represented among mishaps with IMC exposure. Army NHF landing mishaps had eight of 21 fatalities associated with IMC. Army HF hover/taxi mishaps had nine of twelve exposed to low visibility mishaps severely injured or killed representing one of the most lethal categories among this low speed and usually survivable mishap type. In Army NHF cruise mishaps, 57 of 67 casualties died when IMC was found to be causal.

The take home message with regard to

Rotor Review # 105 Spring ‘09

30

IMC operational risk is: Gain and maintain IMC proficiency while eschewing scud running, marginal ceilings and visibilities should be dealt with on IFR clearances by IMC experienced pilots in IFR certified aircraft.

Embarked Operations A detailed look at the risks associated with naval operations elucidated a very high risk associated with helicopter operations from ships afloat. Naval helicopters experienced eight times the risk of a mishap when operated over water versus over land. One of the ‘best news’ stories to come out of the extensive analysis of the data was that the Navy has reduced the risk of drowning or being lost at sea by a factor of nearly eight times (RR 7.71, p = .00000001) by instituting some very straightforward changes.

These included the training of helicopter aircrews and frequent passengers in the ‘dunker.’

It also included the provision of emergency air sources (High Pressure Emergency Evacuation Devices – HEEDS) to all helicopter occupants, the use of exposure suits when flying over cold water, universal helmet wear and the installation of stroking seats with four point restraints in helicopter cargo compartments. These simple insertions of technology and training saved over a hundred lives between 1995 and 2005.

The Navy also set the standard for maritime operations and a number of other organizations have adopted their innovations including both Shell Oil and North Sea Oil for helicopters occupants transiting to their platforms. Here the take home message is: during maritime operations, ensure that all aboard (including passengers) are trained and equipped to egress and survive in the conditions they will encounter during a ditching. Flying people over water without dunker training is a death sentence if the helicopter ditches.

Summary The first issue this article raised is the need to view safety statistics with a critical eye and an understanding of what is useful and what is not. The detailed investigation of safety mishaps should be undertaken not with an eye to the reporting of annual mishap rates, but with the thought that the work will reveal areas where improvements can be made to save lives and equipment and prevent injuries. When the balloon goes up, our military readiness will be measured by the people and their experiences that enter combat and the number, condition and reliability of our equipment. If we have to Continue on page 31

Continued from page 30

Feature: Safety Statistics and Military Helicopter Risks

historical

buy 9% more aircraft to offset expected losses, we lose the budgetary authority to purchase weapons those aircraft could be putting on targets.

The story behind the Navy’s success in reducing casualties due to drowning and losses at sea is a great model for improvement of safety of flight across DoD. There are three overall ways to make changes that will influence safety.

The first, and presently the most important, is to place modern safety technology into DoD rotary wing systems. In the Navy example, this would be represented by the helmets, HEEDS devices and the exposure suits. At present, this has been very difficult for a number of reasons but success in this venue is critical since civil aviation has achieved record low mishap rates largely due to a revolution in safety technology. Helicopter Terrain Awareness Warning Systems (HTAWS) that provide both terrain and obstruction warnings are the highest priority systems for rotorcraft. The technology is out there. All we have to do is adopt it and adapt it to military needs. The second aspect of safety improvement is better and more relevant training. In the Navy’s case, this would be represented by the Dunker training. There is low hanging fruit available to us if we choose to incorporate human factor mishap training into our simulator and aircraft based aircrew training. Some of this

has already been proposed and rejected by the Services as too expensive but as airframe costs continue to rise, the impetus to revisit and possibly finance some of these training venues, including more capable simulators, may reappear.

Finally, the third leg of the safety triad is experience. Experience is manifested through policies and procedures from leadership and technical manuals as well as the sum of each individual crew member’s flight experience. In the Navy example, the influence of experience was manifested as the policies enforcing helmet wear, exposure suit use, dunker training and HEEDS training.

Experience is not likely to change much over the next several decades and in fact may suffer some as individual total flight hours during a career decline.

We are entering an austere and financially challenging military acquisition environment that demands we make the relatively low cost safety improvements to keep our forces intact and our combatants ready to serve. We owe it to the nation, the taxpayers and those who serve to do this with the greatest effect and the least expense.

References 1. Bluman, A. (1997). Elementary Statistics. The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2. Doll, R. (1991). Sir Austin Bradford Hill and the progress of medical science. British Medical Journal, 305, 1521-1526.

3. Hill, B.A. (1965). The environment and disease: Association or causation? Proceedings of the Royal Society of Medicine, 58, 295-300.

4. Mapes, P., Kent, R., Wood, R. (2009), DoD helicopter Mishaps, FY 85-05: Findings and Recommendations.

Defense Safety Oversight Council, Washington, D.C. 5. Remington, R. & Schork, M. (1985) Statistics with Applications to the Biological Sciences. Prentiss-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey 07632.

6. Susser, M. (1977). Judgement and causal inference: Criteria in epidemiologic studies. American Journal of Epidemiology, 105, 1-15.

H46 over Baguio

Article by LCDR (Ret) Joe Gardner, USN

T

his was one of those impulse things. Several of my JO’s and I were in the “Black Shoe” Officer Club in Subic Bay. This was during the Vietnam Conflict, and the Club was filled with Officers of all stripes and nationalities including a table of “Aussies.” They had vacant chairs, so we asked to join them. After dinner, in small talk, I suggested we fly up to Baguio (in the highlands) realizing that chances of finding open quarters in the lodges were slim to none without prior reservations. At that point, the Aussie Commodore spoke up.“If you gentlemen can provide transportation, I will guarantee the Quarters.” Done. Our H-46 could carry 20 to 25 people.

Baguio has a convenient airstrip at around 5,000 feet altitude. At the approach end is a small old hangar, a helipad, and several high voltage power lines. To the right is a pine tree

Rotor Review # 105 Spring ‘09

forest in various stages of growth. We made an easy approach and landed.

At the lodge, the Commodores Rank and a persistent attitude worked wonders so we wound up in a threebedroom house with transportation and a full evening of “night-seeing.” After a leisurely breakfast we returned to the helipad for the trip back to Subic.

In an exuberant mood, I executed a “high jump” take-off. As I passed through 100 feet I quick-scanned the instruments and was horrified to see the rotor RPM falling faster than bank stock with Toxic Assets. The only way to recover was to lower the collective pitch and give up some altitude. I couldn’t back down to the heliport as it was behind me, I had no visual line of sight with it,and it would be downwind, Straight down was sheer disaster as high power lines were

31

to be avoided at all cost. Forward and left was smack into the dilapidated hangar. To the right were the tall pine trees, through the center of which were some slightly smaller trees but it was still 1,000 feet to the edge of the Baguio highlands. I opted for the trees, lowered the collective and proceeded to chop pine trees in rapid progression. As I went along I checked in the rear view and was appalled at the treetops flying off in several directions.

In a few minutes, we broke out --- free at last --- looking down 5,000 feet of cliff to the jungle below. It went through my mind that if I lost a blade now, we would be screwed. The helicopter was shaking like a dog coming out of a sprinkler so I lowered the collective and headed for the jungle. We were looking for a clear space to land, as I was sure we could not Continue on page 32

Historical: H46 over Baguio Continued from page 27

maintain level flight and we would have to land. At about 200 feet, I spotted a gray outline snaking through the jungle , a small jungle road in the beginning stages of construction.

An opening in the trees appeared, and we made a soft slow speed run-on landing. I am not a very religious man, but I did say a few words of thanks.

What followed was a scenario out of a first class survival movie; walkie-talkies out of life vests, contact with an overhead F-105 Air Force jet and eventual contact with our ship. All of this while surrounded by native militia (with machine guns) and a limousine whose driver invited us to dine at the local Governors Bamboo Palace (which we did).

A reserve helicopter finally arrived and took the Commodore back to Subic after thanking us for providing a memorable excursion.

As I was standing the “mid-watch” about 4AM at the helicopter, I was startled to see a barefooted sarong clag beauty come out of the jungle. She walked along rice paddy dike and entered a candle lit rice straw hut for about 5 minutes. With the glow of the soft moonlight, the beauty of the girl, and the rustic rural habitat, it struck me what a wonder of wonders we had stumbled into.

For all you economy-minded souls, we did swap three rotor blades due to loss of airfoil pockets on the trailing edge of the “D” spar, but there was no reportable damage.

For the answer to what really happened shortly after lift-off at Baguio, one needs to look at the environment in which Navy helo pilots usually operate that of Sea Level. At 5,000 feet, in the thin air, it’s a whole new ball game. I will admit to a slight indiscretion, but my recovery was fault-free.

CSAR Stories...

Sea Services Helicopters Go To War:

The Opening Months of the Korean War Article by LCDR(Ret) Tom Phillips, USN

T

he devastating June 25, 1950 surprise attack by North Korea plunged American forces into fighting for which they were unprepared.1 The sad state of readiness of the U.S. Army in 1950 is a well-documented tragedy. Immediate application of air power by the fledgling U.S. Air Force could not stem the onrushing tide of North Koreans. The aircraft carrier USS Valley Forge (CV-45), in the Philippines when war broke out, raced to Korea, accompanied by the cruiser flagship USS Rochester (CA124) and eight destroyers. The small task force was within range to commence combat operations by July 3, 1950. The U.S. task force was joined enroute by HMS Triumph, a Royal Navy Colossus-class light carrier, accompanied by two light cruisers and seven destroyers and frigates.2 Together, the U.S. Navy and the Royal Navy, operating in the Yellow Sea, launched strikes on airfields, supply lines, and transportation facilities in and around Pyongyang, northwest of Seoul.3 The “Happy Valley” brought with her a single HO3S-1, which represented 100% of the UN forces’ potential over-land; behind the lines rescue capability within range of the fighting in Korea. The next day, that potential rescue capability sank to zero when the helicopter suffered an engine failure and ditched alongside the ship. The crew was picked up, but the bird was lost.4 Desperate to stop – or at least slow – the North Korean onslaught, the United States rushed naval assets to the Korean Peninsula as

Rotor Review # 105 Spring ‘09

rapidly as possible and the next weeks saw significant reinforcements pour into Korea. On August 2, the First Provisional Marine Brigade landed in Pusan and immediately deployed to the southern sector of the Pusan Perimeter. The next day, USS Sicily (CVE-118), an escort carrier, arrived directly from the States and began operations in close support of the Pusan Perimeter with a Marine Corsair squadron, VMF-214, embarked.

Two days later, USS Philippine Sea, a fleet carrier with five Navy squadrons embarked, arrived from the States and joined Valley Forge and HMS Triumph on their station. Philippine Sea had an HU-1 HO3S-1 assigned for plane guard.5 The next day USS Badoeng Strait (CVE116), “Bing Ding,” another escort carrier, arrived from the States by way of a brief stop in Japan, and began operations in close support of the Pusan Perimeter with a Marine Corsair squadron, VMF323, embarked.6 “Bing Ding” also had an HU-1 HO3S-1 assigned for plane guard.7 The carrier-based squadrons’ value was enhanced by their ability to operate close to the battle area, since the Air Force squadrons were forced to operate primarily from Japan. There was no airfield in the Pusan Perimeter that could support jets, and only a few F-51s could stage from the tiny fields at Taegu and Pohang until they were

32

expanded later in the war. Pohang would fall on August 12, 1950; further complicating Air Force support operations in close proximity to the battle lines.8 On the afternoon of August 2, 1950 the same day the Marines landed in Pusan, four HO3S-1 helicopters from Marine Corps squadron VMO-6 crossed the Tsushima Strait from Japan (where “Bing Ding” had dropped them) and landed at Chinhae, a former Japanese air base about 30 miles west of Pusan and right behind the southern end of the Pusan Perimeter, the segment defended by the First Marine Provisional Brigade.

The next morning, at first light, the helicopters began routine support of the brigade, when two of the four were sent to Brigadier General Edward A. Craig’s headquarters. These two pinwheels were relieved at noon by the other two helicopters; a daily rotation routine which assured adequate pilot rest, and gave the maintenance crews time for daily maintenance work. General Craig was delighted to have them, and he and his staff operations officer, Colonel Joseph Stewart, climbed aboard one of them and used it for reconnaissance, communication, and control for much of the rest of the first day, roaming all over the Marine sector, a pattern they would continue each succeeding day. Craig was a firm believer in the utility of helicopters - perhaps influenced in this insight by his deputy brigade commander, Brigadier General Thomas Cushman, a veteran aviator Continue on page 33

Historical: Sea Services Helicopters Go To...Korean War Continued from page 32

- and believed they would revolutionize his ability to command his brigade.

Next day, August 4, 1950, the helicopters flew their first aerial medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) of a wounded Marine, and were soon employed laying telephone wire between combat positions around the Marine lines, easily doing in minutes what would have taken long, arduous hours on foot. While Craig tasked his helicopters heavily for command and control, he never failed to relinquish them for MEDEVACs. OnAugust 8, 1950, the VMO-6 helicopter detachment’s officer-in-charge (O-in-C), Captain Victor Armstrong, conducted the first night MEDEVAC; the first of more than 1,000 night MEDEVACs the Marines would make during the war. They would MEDEVAC a total of 9,815 wounded before the end of the war.9 The most common complaint about helicopters by Marines at Pusan was that there were not enough of them.

Two more arrived from squadron headquarters in Japan on August 15, 1950, to raise the total to six, with ten pilots.

It seemed not a day could go by that the pilots of VMO-6 didn’t pioneer a new and original way to employ their helicopters. On August 10, 1950, the detachment added combat search and rescue to its growing list of firsts.

On September 9, 1950, the Marines were withdrawn from Pusan to form the storm force for the amphibious, end-around landing at Inchon, the port city of Seoul, and capital of South Korea. As the Marines embarked, VMO-6 collected its last two helicopters from Japan, bringing them up to a strength of eight birds.

The Inchon landing began on September 15, 1950 and the helicopters joined the fray the next day, VMO-6 moved ashore to Kimpo Field while the Marines were still securing it.

Because of the critical shortage of helicopters in VMO-6, and due to their stunning versatility which had now been proven beyond a doubt, Commander, Seventh Fleet decided the HU-1 HO3S-1 helicopter assigned to him was of more value augmenting the six Marine helicopters ashore after the Inchon landing than serving as his personal transportation vehicle.

That helicopter was assigned as a special rescue unit to also augment MEDEVAC operations, bringing critically wounded back from the front lines. This tasking conveniently removed the helicopter, which resided on the fantail of USS Rochester, from possible damage by blast effects from the after 8-inch gun turret during the nightly shore bombardment.

On September 25, 1950, Lieutenant Junior Grade Charles Jones flew the helicopter

into Kimpo Field, just outside Seoul, to go to work.10 Once ashore, Jones needed to return to Rochester for a brief administrative run and his regular crewman was not available; he was out scrounging to help set up the Navy’s Kimpo helicopter operation. So Jones enlisted Marine helicopter crewman and engine mechanic Corporal Larry Whittall to be his crewman for the quick run to the ship and back. Whittall grabbed his Thompson submachine gun and climbed in, anticipating some possible scrounging of his own from the well-stocked larder of the Navy cruiser.11 As soon as he arrived aboard Rochester, Jones was alerted to an emergency rescue mission to pick up a flier who was down behind enemy lines, three miles south of Sariwon, North Korea, about 150 miles from the ship. Jones considered going back to Kimpo to get his Navy crewman, but was persuaded by Whittall that time was critical, given the lateness of the day and the desperate situation of the downed pilot behind enemy lines.

They topped off their fuel and took off, uncertain whether they could get to the rescue scene and make it back to Kimpo before running out of fuel. They knew they could not make it back to the ship.

To avoid a long transit through enemy territory, Jones proceeded up the coast staying out to sea, and turned towards the coast when abeam the coordinates of the rescue scene, thereby minimizing exposure and taking the shortest distance over hostile ground to the rescue area.

Ensign William Brown and three squadron mates from VF-54 off Valley Forge had been “train-busting” when Brown’s F4U took a hit in the engine, forcing him to crash land in an area crawling with North Korean troops.12 He made a beautiful wheels-up landing on a road running through a valley of rice paddies, with his Corsair fetching up at the bottom of a small hill to the east of the north-south road. The hill was the beginning of successively higher rows of hills marching east from the valley.13 Brown was surrounded by enemy, initially distant, but in sight, and scrambled up the nearby hill. His squadron mates made repeated strafing runs to keep the North Koreans from

Rotor Review # 105 Spring ‘09

33

closing in on him. For three hours, they held the enemy at bay waiting for a rescue helicopter.14

When Jones and Whittall arrived they surveyed the valley scene. A Corsair was at the end of straight furrows on the farm road, partially covered with rice straw, with people busily trying to finish the concealment. A low hill, studded with scrub brush and about 75 feet in height, stood out to the east as a sentinel for the ridges beginning behind it. The hill sloped up gradually from the road, but had a very steep back side facing the higher ridge east of it. Atop the little hill was a hovel. The Navy Corsairs overhead directed Jones and Whittall’s gaze to a shallow depression about 20 yards from the hovel, where Brown was lying low.15

Jones moved right in from the north without delay, hoping for the element of surprise. The North Koreans in the valley around the crashed plane and other locations farther away opened fire immediately. As Jones approached the hilltop, several men sprang their ambush, bursting from the hovel and firing at the helicopter. Whittall could hear the slap of rounds hitting the helicopter, and Jones’ lower windscreen disintegrated into glass shards. He aborted the approach, breaking right, away from the high hills and toward the lower ground, as the Corsairs roared in. The men on the road were strafed and silenced by one F4U which flew directly under Jones, rocking the helicopter with its turbulent wake. The men atop the hill were wiped out by another Corsair which also flew below the altitude of the HO3S-1 in its low pass; a VERY low pass, to make sure the rounds didn’t stray over to Brown’s tiny swale.

Jones swung around for a second try, with the hoist lowered. He was forced to fly slowly and carefully because of the heat of the late summer afternoon and the elevation of the valley. If he was too rough on the controls, the helicopter would sink to the ground, for lack of sufficient power. Despite the increasing ground fire, and the natural instinct to hurry up, Jones had to maintain his disciplined approach or risk crashing without being shot down by the remorseless enemy; victim of the even more remorseless and unforgiving laws of aerodynamics.

Under intense fire, Jones eased into a hover near Ensign Brown. The Navy flier had started to get in the sling when the helicopter took several more hits. Brown dropped the sling and waved the helicopter away.

But Jones held his hover, with Whittall screaming down to Brown; “Take the sling!

Continue on page 34

Historical: Sea Services Helicopters Go To...Korean War Continued from page 33

Take the sling!” Looking down from his cabin door, Whittall saw men climbing the steep back side of the hill, hidden from the sight of the marauding Corsairs who couldn’t get to that slope because of the higher hills nearby.

He grabbed his Thompson and swept them off the hill with one long burst.

Brown drew his pistol and would not go to the sling. He waved the helicopter away again. Whittall replaced the Thompson’s magazine, grabbed the bandolier of extra magazines and threw both down to Brown.

Then he grabbed the helicopter’s Thompson and augmented Brown’s fire against the enemy closing in all around them. The Corsairs roared past again, their guns hammering. The helicopter was rattled by more hits. Suddenly the cabin and cockpit were inundated with the strong smell of aviation gasoline. That did it. To linger there in a hover with bullets smacking into the helicopter was more than Jones could stand; to stay was suicide. He aborted the hover and raced away. Faced with the frustrating refusal of the downed pilot to get in the sling, and concerned for his fuel, Jones aborted the rescue attempt and cleared the area.16

They headed back to friendly ground by the most direct route, due south.

By now it was dark and overcast. Before they got completely lost, the clouds parted and a half moon reflected in a river running south. They followed the river (IFR = I Follow Rivers/ Roads/ Railways). The smell of fuel permeated the cabin. Whittall crawled forward and examined the mixture control box below the decking between Charlie Jones’ feet.

A bullet hit had damaged the fuel mixture control and forced the setting to rich, which caused fuel to burn at an alarmingly high rate.

If they couldn’t fix it they wouldn’t get far.

Whittall used his K-bar knife to depress the control valve and successfully leaned out the mixture. Jones admonished Whittall to lean it out even more or they would not make it.

Whittall replied that if they made the mixture any leaner the engine would quit. They continued on, with Whittall forced to hold the valve in the correct position with his knife.

Along the way, Whittall and Jones tried to figure out why Brown would not get into the hoist. They were ready to free-stream him out of there as soon as he was in the sling without waiting to hoist him in before breaking away. Maybe, they speculated, he didn’t know they could fly away with him hanging out in the breeze. He must have thought they

would have to remain in a hover under that murderous fire until he was hoisted up into the cabin. After all, they figured, helicopter capabilities were not that well known and somewhat of a novelty to the fixed wing pilots. It looked like Brown had decided the helicopter could not hang there for that long and survive, and one POW was better than three. It was a helluva decision for a young man to face.17

They finally sighted the glow of the burning city of Seoul and knew there were only about ten miles to go to Kimpo. But it was not to be. The engine coughed and quit. Whittall scrambled back to the crew seat, strapped in, and braced for the crash as Jones auto-rotated into the Han River. They were just a few miles north, within sight of the embattled city.18 As the helicopter settled into the water, Jones deftly rolled it to the right to catch the rotor blade tips in the water and stop them before they could cut through the cabin as they coasted down. The cabin filled with water and Whittall was caught when his leather seat belt twisted and jammed during the violent ditching.

He could look up out the open cabin door to his left as the dark water closed over him. He sensed Jones kicking free as he groped for his utility belt and the K-bar sheathed on it. He fought back his panic but then he found the K-bar, sawed through the leather restraint, and burst to the surface. He joined Jones clinging to the left wheel strut, the only part of the helo that was still above water.19

It was 2100 – 9 PM in civilian parlance – when their squadron mates at VMO-6 learned Jones and Whittall were down. Despite the darkness, Captain Vic Armstrong launched solo (in order to be able to lift two men) in his HO3S-1, to attempt the rescue. He held a flashlight between his knees to illuminate the flight and engine instruments he needed to control his aircraft. Armstrong seemed to be single-handedly pioneering night helicopter operations, having made a night landing after a rescue two nights before this. Although the Marine HO3S1 was not built for night flying, with no night instrumentation, nor lights for the instruments, nor, importantly, with any landing floodlight or search light, Armstrong was able to see well enough

Rotor Review # 105 Spring ‘09

34

to continue on by the illumination of the burning city of Seoul.20

Whittall could hear Armstrong’s helicopter before he spotted the dim red and green running lights. He ignited a small pencil flare to help the pilot locate them. That provoked gunfire from the riverbank. He saw the running lights blink off and on and then back off. It could only be a “Roger. I see you,” signal.

He doused the flare and flicked on the much less bright single-battery vest light for close reference. Armstrong brought his HO3S-1 to a low hover at the wheel strut and Jones began to climb aboard. Ground fire intensified, and in the opinion of Corporal Whittall, Lieutenant Junior Grade Jones was too slow in gaining the cabin. He applied all his strength to Jones’s gluteus maximus and propelled him through the door. Whittall then grabbed the wheel strut, and Armstrong broke away from his hover and faded into the darkness, leaving the gunfire probing the night where they had just been.

Whittall gained the cabin and the helicopter made Kimpo without further incident, enabled to fly at night by the flames around the horizon in all directions.21

Chuck Jones’ rescue attempt was the first by a Navy Helicopter in the war, and the Navy helicopter rescue didn’t really get going until early 1951, coincident with the UN establishing a blockade of North Korea. UN cruisers and destroyers patrolled the horizon, moving in as needed to protect minesweeping operations and shell targets in the cities and North Korean defensive positions along the coast. By late 1950, as the air war began to intensify, some of these U.S. Navy cruisers were routinely assigned a helicopter unit for rescue duty.22

By April, 1951, VMO-6 had shifted out of the combat aircrew rescue business in favor of a greater dedication to MEDEVAC. It was an easy decision for them given the existence of Navy and Air Force combat rescue capability to carry on the rescue business. To better attend the insatiable demand for MEDEVAC, they turned in their HO3S-1s, an awkward stretcher-bearer, for the HTL; the Bell “bubbletop” of MASH fame (the HTL was still suited to observation, the squadron’s other major mission).

The ability of the U.S. Navy to rapidly build up combat search and rescue capability as the Marines got out of that business and as the U.S. Air Force remained stretched thin by their combat rescue commitments is one of the untold sagas of the Korean War. The statistics Continue on page 52

In the air, at sea, or on the ground, insuring you and your family since 1879.

Covering you when and where you need it most.

No military service limitations.

■ No aviation clauses.

■ No decrease in benefits for those who deploy.

■ No sales fees or commissions.

■

Contact Navy Mutual to get the coverage you deserve. 800-628-6011 or navymutual.org.

Continue on page 36

Photo Courtesy of Dept. of Defense

Henderson Rotor Review # 105 Spring ‘09Hall | 29 Carpenter Road Arlington, VA 22212 800-628-6011 | www.navymutual.org

35

Focus 2009 NHA SYMPOSIUM IN REVIEW Article by LT Doug “Spooner” Hale Rotor Review # 105 Spring ‘09

36

Focus: 2009 Symposium Highlights

T

his year’s NHA symposium was a resounding success once again thanks in large part to our level of participation with over 630 registered attendees! The NHA kick-off party lived up to its reputation as the best helicopter reunion of the year replete with plenty of stories, laughs and libations amongst friends.

CONOPS was the subject that echoed throughout the Grand Exhibit Hall of the Town & Country Resort and Convention Center here in San Diego. It started with the keynote address from CNAF’s VADM Thomas “Killer” Kilcline, Jr with his candid remarks on CONOPS (read more in LTJG Thomas’ article below). With expanding mission areas, the Helicopter Master Plan unfolding and the standing up of new squadrons, VADM Kilcline reminded us that it is a great time to be in the helicopter community.

CONOPS was discussed further from different aspects within the community thanks to our guest speakers whose briefs were not only insightful but also incredibly timely. Each speaker gave the NHA audience a vision of the future aviation dominance with the MH-60S and Astronaut Sunita Williams (right) and MH-60R.With the Master former Air Boss (aboard USS Saipen) Helicopter Plan underway, CAPT (Ret) Jon Berg-Johnsen (left) CAPT Alton Ross (CAGcatch up on old times. Photo taken by 2) and CAPT Kenneth CDR(Ret) Parthemer, USN Norton’s (CO USS Ronald Reagan) brief regarding CVN Integration was the community’s first look at the Sierra and Romeo brethren working together effectively.

2009 NHA Symposium Exhibit Hall at Town & Country Resort and Convention Center, San Diego. Photo taken by LTJG Todd Vorenkamp, USCG

Additionally, RADM McKnight’s Anti-Piracy brief shed new light on the roles and responsibilities the helicopter community will embrace in this re-emerging threat. CAPT Sunita Williams’ Astronaut Brief made the community want to reach for the stars, as she shared her journey from naval helo pilot to astronaut with the audience. But also, she shared her vision of more helo pilots traveling through space.

The NHA Symposium and this year’s theme wouldn’t have been complete without Flag Panel, again one of the most attended events in NHA history. The panel provided the final touches of symposium, while taking the time to answer several excellent questions from the field, in addition to, RADM Gary Jones’s closing remarks (read the Perspective of NHA Symposium on page 70) .

The next few pages of this focus (pages 38- 46) will highlight the success of this year’s symposium, not only through the success of each event, but the hard work and efforts from this year’s committee, and the NHA Officers and Staff. We are already looking forward to next year!

“Keynote Speech by the Navy Air Boss

Kicks Off 2009 NHA Symposium”

Article by LTJG David Thomas, USN

I

f Stephen Decatur was a Naval Officer today, I’m pretty sure he’d be a helicopter pilot, declared Vice Admiral Thomas J. “Killer” Kilcline, Jr., Commander Naval Air Forces, in his keynote speech to the 2009 Naval Helicopter Association (NHA) Symposium held in San Diego, California.

The opening ceremony of the annual NHA Symposium was an exciting time for the hundreds of active and retired Naval Aviators and Aircrew present. After a welcome address from the President of NHA, Captain Donald Williamson, Commander Helicopter Maritime Strike Wing U. S. Pacific, the Town and Country Hotel’s Grand Hall was filled with the sound of the Navy Band playing the national anthem as the assembly observed colors in front of a gigantic American flag. After this rousing display, Vice Admiral Kilcline addressed the enthusiastic gathering of the world’s best helicopter pilots.

Vice Admiral Kilcline has served as Commander Naval Air Forces since June 22, 2007, and in that time, he has overseen the final development and employment of the latest generation of helicopters and rotary tactics. The 2009 NHA Symposium theme, “CONOPS: Here and Now,” was a subject Vice ‘09 Admiral Kilcline addressed Rotor Review # 105 that Spring with great compliments to the helicopter community.

VADM Thomas Kilcline, Jr. delivers the keynote address.

Photo taken by MC1 Richard Doolin From counter-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden to the humanitarian and search-and-rescue missions conducted at home and abroad, the Air Boss praised the increased versatility and adaptability the naval helicopter community has demonstrated in recent times. Vice Admiral Kilcline also detailed the exciting times and evolving missions that will arrive with the integration of new platforms. “You’re taking on new missions, [and] you’re on the cusp of moving into your future.”

In closing, he reminded his fellow Naval Aviators to fly safe and never stop improving their war-fighting skills.

Throughout the symposium, the excitement of everyone present, from the most junior to the most senior helicopter pilots, was evident as new and 37old friends swapped stories and renewed the camaraderie that carried on beyond the conclusion of the 2009 NHA Symposium…

Focus: NHA Symposium Focus: 20092009 Symposium Highlights

Maintainers In The NHA? Article by AM2 Michael B. Bisher, USN

S

ince 1976, the Naval Helicopter Association has been an organization primarily of Pilots and Aircrewmen. This year, however, six card carrying NHA maintainers from HELSEACOMBATRON TWO made the cross country trip to attend the April 2009 NHA symposium in San Diego, CA. We enthusiastically arrived under the impression that NHA was ready for maintenance personnel and we were not disappointed.

The opportunity to be one of the first maintainers invited to join NHA was motivating and said a lot about the organizations desire to make NHA an all inclusive organization. It offers maintainers a unique opportunity to learn about the latest and greatest in rotary wing aviation, current operations, and provide valuable input.

However, more can be done to further integrate maintenance personnel into the organization and incorporate their perspective through tailored events. Maintainers are the “backbone” of Aviation - it is just a matter of time before our opinions come to the forefront!

We were excited to embark on this journey knowing we were the first maintainers to be invited to any of the NHA symposiums. Upon arrival we felt very welcomed by the other members, but found that there weren’t very many events that catered to a maintainer’s perspective. We did learn some valuable information from the Aircrew Enlisted Board.

Despite the board being geared toward aircrewmen, we learned about the Navy crunching down on complacent Senior Enlisted personnel and what we can do to succeed. We also became more aware of the rotary wing role in Africa and piracy as well as maritime security efforts and budget constraints for this fiscal year. These are topics that aren’t normally spoken about in the maintenance wing of the squadron. There were a lot of representatives from many companies directly involved with our specific aircraft, but the consensus was that they were not able to speak to the maintenance aspect of the gear. For a maintainer, understanding the purpose of the gear is not necessarily a priority, but the ease of removal and installation is of note. Although it is good for us, as maintainers, to have a general understanding of the equipment we work on, we do not have to understand it in its entirety. Many

HSC-2 enjoying the exhibits at the Symposium. (l-r) CAPT C. Rapp, AD3 R. Moreno, AE3 N. Richardson, AM2 M. Bisher, AZ2 S. Mendez, AMAN R. Lee, AE3 R. Cline, LT J. Harding, and LT J. Parker Photo courtesy of HSC-2 Public Affairs Officer representatives were not prepared to answer questions like, “How would an all electric rescue hoist benefit our aircraft versus hydraulic?”, “What changes would we have to make to the airframe?” or “Is it a simple plug and play?”

However, NHA can benefit from our participation, too.

Companies travelled from all over the US and Europe to bring their ideas and new technologies to view. We were able to talk to the companies and look at the equipment from a different perspective. We let them know what we, as maintainers, like or dislike, the problems we are having with software, or just simple changes we could suggest, all to make our jobs a little easier and support mission accomplishment.

Overall, adjusting an organization to include maintenance personnel which have historically not been included is a challenge.

However, NHA’s look to the “Deck Plates” is a great first step to enhance professional interest in Rotary Wing aviation across the board.

See you next year!

2009 NHA MEMBER REUNION

Catching Up with Old Bubbas and Making New Ones

T

LT Ashley “Mary Kate” Church, USN

he Admiral Kidd Club served as the perfect social venue to start the 2009 NHA member’s reunion in San Diego, CA. Members old and new were presented the opportunity to catch up with old friends, address pertinent community concerns, expand professional networks, and exchange sea stories while laughter spread throughout the evening’s festivities. Of note, Commander Naval Air Forces, VADM Kilcline was in attendance to field recurring professional topics focused on ACIP bonus availability, super JO tours, GSA/IA impacts on personal and professional development, and the CVN integration shift forging a new path between the HSM and HSC communities.

Regardless of coast or command it was abundantly clear that the member support at the NHA reunion was a marked success. As our community partnerships continue to 2009 NHA Member Reunion at ADM Kidd evolve on and off the carrier, it’s evident that the helicopter portion of our Naval Aviation Club Photo by #LTJG Vorenkamp, Enterprise is a healthy band Rotortaken Review 105 Todd Spring ‘09 38of warriors enthusiastically anticipating next year’s reunion USCG in Jacksonville, FL.

NHA Symposium Safety Brief 2009

Focus: 2009 NHA SYMPOSIUM HIGHLIGHTS

“All of the Rules, All of the Time”

Article by LTJG James Thomas, USN Photo taken by LTJG Todd Vorenkamp, USCG

I

NHA AWARDS

don’t know too many people out there that don’t really want to be safe. CAPT Dick Healing, USCG (Ret.) opened the 2009 NHA Symposium Safety Brief with that simple sentiment. Captain Healing served in the Coast Guard as a gunboat skipper in Vietnam before pursuing a civilian career as an expert in the fields of operational safety, human factors, and risk assessment. Following this opening remark, he went on to add that, despite our inherent desire for safety, the fact remains that most mishaps are caused by human error, and almost all are avoidable. He pointed out that “Naval Aviation is very safe … but it can be better…,” challenging the NHA audience to strive for a safer operational culture by studying data available from a variety of sources.

While there are numerous hazards specific to military aviation, there is still much that we can learn from our civilian counterparts. Specifically, offshore helicopter operations, emergency medical services (EMS), firefighting, and law enforcement are areas of the civil helicopter industry that have lessons relevant to Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard flight crews. Captain Healing presented several case studies of recent preventable civil helicopter mishaps: an unsafe tour operator at the Grand Canyon, collisions involving single piloted EMS and news gathering helicopters, offshore accidents resulting from loss of situational awareness, and a firefighting helicopter operating in a high density altitude and high gross weight environment. If properly studied, the lessons learned from these mishaps and others like them will directly contribute to the increased safety of future military flight operations.

Civilian aviation operations have provided numerous technological and organizational techniques in use by military helicopters today. For example, Crew Resource Management

(CRM) has been used extensively to reduce mishaps by increasing situational awareness and communication inside the cockpit.

Similarly, Captain Healing praised two newer technologies that provide the data necessary to prevent future mishaps. Health and Usage Monitoring Systems (HUMS) are designed to continually provide a wealth of data from CAPT(Ret) Healing engines, rotors, and other systems in order to improve safety as well as reduce maintenance costs and efforts.

Flight Data Recorders were also specifically addressed as a means of identifying potential problems while in flight, collecting the information necessary to prevent future mishaps. The International Helicopter Safety Team (IHST) cites the information and data provided by these and similar technologies as central to its ambitious goal of reducing worldwide helicopter accidents by 80 percent before 2016.

As he concluded the lecture, Captain Healing summarized his outlook on safety by informing the NHA audience that the best opportunity for each aviator to have a long, safe, and successful career was simply to “follow all of the rules, all of the time.”

He pointed out that “present crash rates are unacceptable, no matter what they are,” stressing the imperative for a perpetual goal of zero accidents. As flight crews for the helicopters of the sea services, it is the responsibility of these Sailors, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen to constantly strive for mishap-free flight by learning from both civil and military helicopter operations, collecting and analyzing flight data, and refusing to tolerate any unsafe practices. Doing so will ensure that Naval Aviation becomes even safer in the years to come.

NHA Symposium Awards Luncheon

SERVICE

Article by LT Julie Dunnigan, USN • Photos taken by George Hopson

O

ne of the highlights of every NHA Symposium is surely the Awards Luncheon, an event in which we get to give accolades to members of our community who have stood out throughout the year. 2009 was no exception, and we had a terrific showing of both awardees and presenters.

Hosted by RADM (Ret) Steve Tomaszeski, USN, Chairman of the NHA Board of Directors, the ceremony began with the inspiring words of CAPT Stevens, President of the NHA Scholarship fund, as he proudly announced the winners and thanked the generous sponsors of the 2009 Scholarship Fund. Together with the donations of members of the community the Fund was able to raise $1,200 to award RADM (Ret) Tomaszeski as scholarships. Following the announcement of the scholarship presented Mr. Joe Peluso with winners, RADM Tomaszeski, joined by CDR Michael Dowling, the NHA Lifelong Service Award.

CO of HSC-23 and LTJG John Ruggerio, had the opportunity to present two special awards: the “Lifelong Service Award”, given to RADM (Ret) Tomaszeski Mr. Joseph Peluso for his trailblazing efforts on the H-60 from 1980 presented CAPT(Ret) Greg until the present, and the “Service to NHA Award”, given to CAPT (Ret) Gregory Hoffman, USN, Hoffman with the Service to NHA for his stalwart dedication to everything NHA. Award.

Although all of the awards were examples of superior performance, perhaps the most memorable moment of the afternoon came when the crowd had the honor of recognizing the heroes that received the 2008 Rotor Review # 105 Spring ‘09 39 Continue on page 40

Focus: 2009 NHA AWARDS

Training Command Instructor Pilot of the Year: LT Martin Griggs, HT-18 (Not pictured)

Continued from page 39

NHA AWARDS

Deployed and NonDeployed Aircrews of the Year. Coast Guard crews Rescue 6566, comprised of LT Mr Len Wengler of Sikorsky (far left) alongwith Timothy Schmitz, LT RDML Tom Ostebo (far right) presents CG 6566 Greg Gedemer, AMT2 with the Aircrew of Year (deployed) Award.

Alfred Musgrave, and AST3 Abram A. Heller, and Rescue 6007, comprised of LT Brian McLaughlin, LT Steve Bonn, AMT2 Robert Debolt, and NHA Chairman (far left) and RDML Tom AST2 O’Brien Hollow, Ostebo (far right) presents CG 6007 with the joined forces on Easter Aircrew of Year (non-deployed) Award. morning, March 23rd 2008, to execute the truly remarkable rescue of 47 mariners who had been forced to abandon ship in the 34-degree Bering Sea. These mettlesome crews overcame periods of zero visibility, vertigo-inducing snow squalls, and a –24 degree wind chill in order to save 42 lives.

Both crews coordinated with Coast Guard Cutter Munro for dropping off survivors after maxing out aircraft capabilities and for Helicopter InFlight Refueling multiple times before returning to the scene to search.

Rescue 6566 was able to simultaneously deploy their rescue basket and swimmer to effect more rescues. They were eventually forced to make the tough decision to leave Petty Officer Heller in the water and deploy the aircraft’s own survival raft to him and the remaining survivors, increasing their chances of staying alive while the rest of the crew flew 80 NM back to the CGC Munro to refuel. All eight members of those two crews were present and were given a well-deserved standing ovation after the audience listened in awe to their courageous story. RADM Ostebo, USCG Deputy of Engineering was able to stand on stage and help present the award, which he had incidentally received some 24 years ago. Following the presentation of Aircrews of the Year, RADM Tomaszeski presented the 2008 NHA Individual awards, as follows:

BRAVERY

NHA AWARDS

(picture on the left) Shipboard Pilot of the Year presented to LCDR Joseph Cortopassi (right)

(picture on the right) Aircrewman of the Year: AWS2 Aaron Hagar (picture on the left) Instructor Aircrewman of the Year presented by Mr. Stuart Knoll(l) to AW2(AW/NAC) Joseph Cummings

(picture on the right) Maintenance Officer of the Year persented by Mr. Mark Stone (l) to CWO3 William Nance Maintenance Chief Petty Officer of the Year presented by Mr Mark Stone to AMC Eugene Wilbourn.

Enlisted Maintainer of the Year presented

by RADM (Ret)Tomaszeski to AD2(AW) Herbiecharles Brown.

CNAF Annual Aviation Individual & Unit Award Winners:

Top Pilot of the Year: LT Todd Pike, HSC-25 CNAF Top Enlisted Aircrewman of the Year: AW1(AW/NAC) Kevin Furey, HSC-84 CNAP Top Enlisted Aircrewman of the Year: AWS1(AW/NAC) William Frost, HSC-85 RADM (Ret) Tomaszeski

Rescue Swimmer of the Year presented by Mr. Dave Stancil (l) to AWS2(AW/NAC) Christopher Wedding

Pilot of the Year presented by Mr. Fred Dickens (l) to LCDR James Ferguson

Fleet Instructor Pilot of the Year presented

by Mr. Gus Clark to LT Corey Fogle.

PERFORMANCE Rotor Review # 105 Spring ‘09

Admiral Jimmy S. Thach Award: HS-4 (ieft) pictured with CNAF Captain Arnold Jay Isbell Trophy: winners (middle-right) AWS1 COMNAVAIRPAC – HS-2, HSL-49 Frost and LT Todd Pike.

COMNAVAIRLANT – HS-3, HSL-44 Mr Rich Holmberg (far left) and RADM (Ret) Tomaszeski (far right) presented the Isbell Trophy to (l-r)CDR Scott Starkey, LT Peter Silva, CDR Chris Mills, and CDR Terence Hoeft

40

Continue on page 41

Focus: 2009 NHA AWARDS Host Commodores, CAPT Frank Harrison of COMHSCWINGPAC and CAPT Donald Williamson of COMHSMWINGPAC / NHA President winged LTJG Christopher Yates and LTJG Jeffrey Storer, consequently, into the naval helo community.

Helicopter Squadron Battle Efficiency Winners:

HS: HS-3, HS-2 HSL/HSM: HSL-42, HSL-45 HSC: HSC-22, HSC-21 HM: HM-14

NHA President Commodore Williamson (far right) along with RADM(Ret) Tomaszeski (far left) presented Rotor Review Editor-in-Chief LCDR Kristin Ohleger with the NHA President Award

NHA AWARDS FOR A JOB WELL DONE

Rotor Review # 105 Spring ‘09

Commodore Harrison (in the left photo) presented LTJG Yates, as Commodore Williamson (in the right photo) wings LTJG Storer

Finally, CDR (Ret.) Lloyd Parthemer, USN took the stage to present the “Mark Starr Award”, given to the person or organization who has made a major contribution to naval helicopter history. Receiving the award for 2008 was AWCM (Ret.) Frank “Bud” Nelson, for his innovation, perseverance, and major breakthroughs in Master Chief to Master Chief: Navy survival equipment AWCM (Ret) William “Red Dogg” and the Search and Rescue Moss presented the Mark Starr community. A true pioneer, Award to AWCM (Ret) Frank “Bud” Master Chief Nelson’s personal Nelson. and professional goal was the improvement of Navy SAR. In addition to working extensively with the United States Coast Guard to receive more comprehensive SAR training, he was a driving force in creating the AW rating to support the CNO’s Helicopter Master Plan. Some of his other major contributions include developing the SAR Physical Fitness Test that is still the standard today for all Navy rescue swimmers, and helping to create such vital pieces of equipment as the Tri SAR harness, drysuit system, collapsible rescue basket, and rappel harness. AWCM Nelson can truly take credit for advancing the Navy SAR community into the elite unit that it is today.

COMMITMENT

The ceremony closed with three special awards and two wingings. The “Bill Stuyvesant Best Scribe Award” was presented to LCDR (Ret.) Emmett “Chip” Lancaster, USN, for his article “Sea King Legacy,” published in the Winter 2008 Rotor CAPT Joe Stuyvesant presented the Review. The “NHA 20th Bill Stuyvesant Best Scribe award President’s Award” was to LCDR (Ret) Chip Lancaster presented to LCDR Kristin Ohleger, USN, for her exceptional service to NHA as Rotor Review Editor from August 2006 until the present.

WINGING

Continued from page 40

PIONEER

41

2009 NHA

SCHOLARSHIP Jacquelyn WaLker

AWARD WINNERS

is the award recipient for the DPA Turning Points of Light Scholarship and will be attending Oregon State University

is the award recipient for the Raytheon Scholarship Award and will be attending University of Texas Sergei Sikorsky Scholarship

Douglas Chico

Kevin Govan

Ream Memorial Scholarship

Enlisted Scholarship

Graduate Scholarship

Hilary Hughes

RomYn SaBATCHI

Cathy Taff

is the award recipient for the Ream Memorial Scholarship and will be attending Appalachian State University

is the award recipient for the Sergei Sikorsky Scholarship and will be attending U.S. Naval Academy

Region One

Mark Owens

Region Two

Christina Gancayco

is the award recipient is the award recipient for the NHA Region One for the NHA Region Scholarship and will be Two Scholarship and attending University of will be attending Duke Washington University

Rotor Review # 105 Spring â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;09

is the award recipient for the Enlisted Scholarship and will be attending University of San Diego

Region Three

DOnAld Dancer

is the award recipient for the Graduate Scholarship and will be attending Sullivan University

Region Four

Region Five

Emily Stanchi

SAmUel Corey

is the award recipient is the award recipient for the NHA Region for the NHA Region Four Scholarship and Three Scholarship and will be attending will be attending Elon University University of North Carolina, Charlotte

42

is the award recipient for the Ream Memorial Scholarship and will be attending Kansas State University

Focus: 2009 NHA SYMPOSIUM SPORTS DAY

2OO9 NHA SYMPOSIUM SPORTS DAY Article by LT Dan Teeter, USN Waiting to tee off at Sea ‘N Air. Photo taken by George Hopson

T

he 2009 NHA Sports Award Barbecue was an enjoyable event for those who attended it. The participants consumed a hearty buffet of beer, burgers, beer, hotdogs, beer and potato salad, while sharing stories and relaxing with good friends. Yet amid the sea of navy-blue golf shirts and khaki Bermuda shorts, a few individuals stood out above the rest. I am not speaking of the Admirals, or even the handful of golfers who were confident enough to wear pink golf shirts. Rather, the evening’s standouts were the winners of the 2009 Symposium’s sporting competitions. They are the men and women who ran or swam the fastest, drove a ball the furthest, hit a ball the closest to a pin, or even the aircrew team which excelled above the others at pulling a truck. The absurdities of truckpulling aside, these men and women deserve our congratulations for their accomplishments.

So a tip the hat or a raise of a glass to this year’s NHA Symposium sports winners: Other Times in the NHA Symposium Power Recovery 5K Race

Men Second Place: LT Aaron Poland, HSL-51 Third Place: LT Kris Dickson, CS-19 USAF Academy

Women Second Place: LT Jennifer McCollough, HSC-23 Third Place: Mrs. Emily Url 5K Power Recovery Race First Place - Men: LT Joe Adams, HSC-3 finished at time 00:17:59

5K Power Recovery Race First Place - Women LCDR Anna Boyd, HSC-85 finished at time 00:22:34

Golf Tournament: First Place Winners: LT Mike Sheedy, HSM-41 LT Price Balderson, HSM-41 LT Mike Jarboe, HSM-41 LT Dan Brown, HSM-41 Other Winners at the Golf Tournament at Sea ‘N Air Longest Drive: LT Todd Pike, HSC-25 Longest Drive: AW2 Mark Loomis, HSC-3 Closest to the Hole: LCDR Sara Santoski, BUPERS Closest to the Hole: Capt Doug Yesensky (Ret)

More on the NHA Symposium Sports Day on page 44.

Rotor Review # 105 Spring ‘09

43

Focus: 2009 NHA SYMPOSIUM SPORTS DAY / Captains of Industry Panel

The Strong Revealed

2009 NHA Aircrew Competition at Breakers Beach Article by AW1(AW/SW) Kristofer M. Camarro. Photo by Navy Southwest Fleet Image Command.

Photo taken by CDR(Ret) Lloyd Parthemer

C

ommander Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron Four One (HSM-41), hosted the annual NHA Aircrew Competition. Since 1996 teams from the West, East coast, Japan and Guam have competed in a variety of competitions each year consisting of anything from mini triathlons to full blown eco-challenges. This year, like a scene out of “The Guardian”, 76 Naval Aircrewmen and Pilots put their game faces on to compete in four man teams on a grueling five station course. At the start competitors swam a 1000 meter open ocean buddy tow followed by a short run to the island pool where the Aircrewmen performed a rescue with the SAR MEDEVAC litter. After dressing in PT gear the competitors ran back down to the beach to perform a 0.5 mile litter carry over the Breakers Beach sand dunes to the golf course where they found a victim with one life threatening injury. The team had to treat the injury, put the wounded in the litter and carry him back 0.5 miles.

Two aircrewmen wade Continuing on they performed a 2.2 mile run down the One of the teams makes to the top Coronado Central Beach to the Naval Amphibious Base of the incline with the stretcher in the pool during where the teams completed a total of 80 pull-ups. The SAR MEDEVAC litter teams then made the 2.2 mile run back to Breakers beach where they pulled a Ford F250 through evolution. a gravel parking lot for 100 yards. Once the teams completed the truck pull they ran to the finish line. Time did not stop until the last team member crossed the line. While the event winner received the coveted fin trophy, all who participated were cheered by spectators for demonstrating heroic lifesaving skills.

Competition between the teams were Ford Tough tough, only seconds separating them. However The Merlins of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron Three (HSC-3), based at Naval Air Station North Island, San Diego won first place in the 2009 National Helicopter Association Aircrew Competition held April 30th at Naval Base Team Merlins was presented the Coronado, San Diego, CA. Navy East and West Coast Wings were represented by crews fin trophy by 2009 Symposium from NAS Norfolk, Virginia.; NAS Jacksonville, Florida; NAS Mayport, Florida, as well VP, CDR Shaun McAndrew as the local squadrons from NAS North Island, California

(far left).

Captains of Industry Panel 2009 Article and Photos by Todd Vorenkamp

T

his year’s Naval Helicopter Association Symposium again brought a blue-ribbon panel of top industry professionals together for an enlightening discussion at the Town and Country Convention Center. Moderating the panel was Navy RDML Paul Grosklags, Deputy Program Executive Officer for Air ASQ, Assault and Special Missions Programs.

On this year’s panel was NHA regular, Mr. Joseph Battaglia, President and CEO of Telephonics Corporation, Mr. John Lenyo, President of CAE USA, Inc, Mr. Michael Charley, Vice President of Global Business Operation, Raytheon, Mr. Leonard Wengler, Vice President Navy Programs, Sikorsky, Mr. Richard Holmberg, Naval Helicopter Programs, Lockheed Martin, and Mr. Douglas Fronius, Director, Tactical Unmanned Rotor Review # 105 Spring Systems, Program Manager, Fire‘09 Scout VTUAV, Northrop

Grumman Corporation.

RDML Grosklags opened the discussion with the nowannual opening query; asking the members what they perceived as the biggest challenge facing the US Navy. Mr. Wengler said that the largest challenge, near and long-term, was bringing capabilities to the Fleet faster than is done today. He said that outsourcing has slowed the supply chain considerably. The example he provided to NHA members in the audience was that of the MH-60S which has its tail section manufactured in Turkey, the cockpit structure manufactured by Kaman in Jacksonville, Florida, and the cabin manufactured in Texas. He feels a need to speed the overall acquisitions process from the planning/requirements stage through development and supply chain management. He also commented that well-defined

44

Continue on page 45

Focus: Captains of Industry Panel / Flag Panel Continued from page 44

requirements lead to minimal changes in programs.

Mr. Lenyo sees challenges in coordinating production programs and new capabilities into the simulation world. Mr. Holmberg said that the largest challenges were corporate maneuvering in the budget world while the economy is in recession. He also mentioned (l-r) RDML Grosklags, Mr. Battaglia, and Mr. Charley streamlining integration and coordination with the Littoral Combat Ship program as well as working to keep the MH-60R and MH-60S A lieutenant from HSL-51 asked the panel a pointed question relevant in the evolving digital battlespace. about fiscal and technological accountability in contracting. He Mr. Fronius said the largest challenge was integrating mentioned that Japan’s S-70 (H-60) is much lighter than the comparable products of the future into the Navy. He said that you need to USN versions of the aircraft. Mr. Holmberg said that the system’s prime know the “right amount of technology to insert,” and added that the contractor is ultimately responsible for the end product. He mentioned “rate of change of technology is faster than implementation.” In the importance of designing components that offer increased reliability, summary, he stated that industry and government need to work to reduced cost, and lighter weight to fit into existing platforms. Mr. convert what is possible to what is affordable. Mr. Charley added Battaglia said that increased performance and technology sometimes that a huge challenge on the horizon was keeping the small-business brings an increase in weight while mentioning the APS-147 radar now contractors afloat in the challenging economic times. He said that flying with the MH-60R. There is always a tradeoff in performance, the next generation destroyer (DDG-1000 – Zumwalt Class) relies capabilities, and integration when designing new systems, he added. on over 700 different companies in the manufacturing process and, Mr. Charley said that accountability is defined by the contracts. of those, 25 percent are classified as “small businesses.” An effort The flag who heads up N82 asked about talent retention needs to be made, he said, to keep these small firms viable and that in industry in today’s fiscal environment. Mr. Lenyo noted that industry cannot do this alone. enrollment in college engineering programs is on the decline while Mr. Battaglia said that he saw the greatest challenge as simulation is a growing industry and will continue to grow as programs being uncertainty in the budgetary process. He added that the expand in capabilities rapidly. He stated that engineering is known current process makes it difficult to maintain a required workforce as a difficult path through college and this has kept enrollment down. when many long-term programs are scheduled for annual funding. CAE is offering programs to junior high school students to change With workforce management issues come problems maintaining that paradigm and get kids excited about engineering. He added that deliveries on cost and on schedule. In his experience, fixed price there is a “war on talent” that industry needs to win. Mr. Battaglia contracts have not worked well, nor has the current plan to handle mentioned that he has 15 openings for 51 engineers at Telephonics obsolescence. and that the company has grown from 600 to 1300 people over the LCDR recent past. Mr. Holmberg said that Lockheed-Martin was Brian Sandberg currently putting an emphasis on recruiting and retention of told the panel that their talent pool while offering master’s degree programs for he sees civilian employees in engineering, finance, and marketing. Mr. Charley technology in said that Raytheon is most definitely putting time and energy aviation being into getting good people and keeping them in the company. several generations Mr. Fronius acknowledged that due to efficiencies in the work ahead of what (l-r) Mr Rich Holmberg, Mr. John Lenyo, and Mr. Len place, sales have increased while staffing levels have decreased. is available to Wengler.

Northrop-Grumman currently has 800 job openings with half of military aircrews. them being in the field of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). He He asked the guests when they felt that navigation/avionics mentioned that there is a large age gap in the workforce – many in their technology in military aircraft would catch up with the civilian 50-60s and many 20-something youngsters with little in between. A sector. The general consensus was that the government/industry challenge, he said, is keeping the 20-year old crowd around long enough procurement process no longer operates “at the speed of business” to gain real experience. His company is also working on making the in the civilian sector. Mr. Fronius encouraged government to speed workplace more flexible by incorporating telecommuting and a “design its processes to try to keep pace with technology. Mr. Wengler anywhere” philosophy which moves work to where people live, not said to be careful what you wish for in that transforming civilian vice versa. Home-based engineering for his company has increased gear to military specifications requires adding a certain level of by 15% in the recent past. robustness and hardening which leads to longer development times.

VADM Gary Jones asked the panel if there was reluctance to Mr. Holmberg stated that one problem they constantly face is the link aircraft, specifically the MH-60R/S, to strike group simulation. limits of processing power as new capabilities are added to legacy Mr. Lenyo said that such capabilities are possible today and that CAE systems. He recommends expanding that processing capability in does similar work for other Department of Defense customers, but not the early going to allow for expansion. Currently systems are not the Navy. Mr. Charley said that even though he is not a “sim jock” he able to get ahead of new requirements. RDML William Shannon, sees the need to increase integration between simulators and mission in the audience, commented on LCDR Sandberg’s question by execution where students can observe operations in real time. Mr. highlighting some recent technological demonstrations. He Fronius stated that the console for Fire Scout capable of performing mentioned Fire Scout’s shipboard trials where it landed precisely on both simulation and operational deployment of the aircraft – allowing target (within 2 inches laterally, and 4 inches longitudinally) onboard operators to run simulations or fly missions from the same console.

USS McInerney (FFG-8) and the mid-course target change of a ship CDR Chris “Purple” Hayes queried the panel on the apparent RotorTomahawk Review missile # 105 by Spring ‘09 45 launched a Sea-Air-Land (SEAL) team.

Continue on page 46

Focus: Captains of Industry Panel / Flag Panel Continued from page 45

lack of interoperability between Army, Coast Guard, and Navy H-60 airframes. Mr. Wengler said that the service requirements drive the uniqueness, commonality, and capability of the different Hawk airframes. It is difficult, he said, to make a one-size-fits-all helicopter for all the services, but Sikorsky would definitely love to do that as commonality makes more sense for business. Mr. Holmberg said that the common cockpit concept, Link 16, and a focus on the digital battlefield are great places to start when working towards commonality in airframes.

RDML Grosklags asked the guests what they thought the next step in technology was. Mr. Lenyo said that, in the world of simulation, a brighter visual using lasers and higher resolution screens were the future. He said that the “Holy Grail of simulation” was producing a visual where the user cannot differentiate between realMr Douglas Fronius take life and the virtual world. He thinks that the resolution required for that goal is only seven years away. the time for “Q&A” with Your intrepid scribe asked the panel what they thought would replace the venerable Seahawk. No member a member of the audience of the panel had a clear answer, but Mr. Wengler said that Sikorsky envisions a platform where there is a switch Photo was taken by in the cockpit where the operator can set the aircraft up for one pilot, two pilots, or zero pilots. Mr. Battaglia CDR(Ret) Lloyd Parthemer sees evolving technology greatly enhancing capabilities in the future. Mr. Fronius thinks that UAVs will grow in numbers, but not replace manned aircraft.

The Naval Helicopter Association would like to express its deepest gratitude to the members of the 2009 Symposium Captains of Industry panel.

“No Beating Around the Bush: A Spirited Admiral’s Discussion” Article by LTJG Jeff Foulds, USN In response, the panel urged the need for the most effective use of flight hours, but downplayed any move toward reducing the required number of hours necessary for specific qualifications like Helicopter Aircraft Commander. Instead, one panel member offered that changing the basis for qualification was necessary suggesting that perhaps moving the emphasis to completing a certain number of specific maneuvers, like take offs and (l-r) RADM Terry Kraft, RDML Mark Guadagnini, RDML William Shannon, RADM Gary Jones, RDML landings, and away from a more rigid flight hours-only requirement might Patrick McGrath, RADM Mark Emerson, RADM Frank Drennan, and RDML Kendall Card be an improvement. To drive home his his year’s Flag Panel Discussion went without a hitch.

Thought-provoking questions that occasionally tip-toed point, the admiral told a story about a guy who had flown around the into the provocative, coupled with thorough answers that world in 64 hours, but yet had only 1 take-off and landing.

The use of simulators to help address the current flight hours only seldomly left more to be desired made for an interesting panel discussion and a great opportunity for aircrews to meet and learn situation was put forward. One admiral pointed out that nearly $500 million has been invested in simulators over the last 7 years, but stopped from the leaders of naval helicopter aviation.

After brief introductions, the questions came quickly. The short, with the agreement of the crowd, to suggest that simulators would leading question helped set tone for the event showing that this solve the problem completely. Instead the panel asserted that simulators, discussion would not avoid the tough issues. It came from a female while increasingly helpful and technologically advanced, must be used LT asking why women, who have been flying NSW missions in other for what they are: as a valuable supplementary tool.

A simulator is no substitute for the real thing was the common parts of the military and who have flown missions into Iraq, have not been incorporated into HSC-84? The follow-on answer was largely theme. One civilian asked why there was no requirement for aircrews affirmative: one admiral put forward that the very previous day he to have any actual submarine tracking-time. “Not one minute” is had endorsed and passed up the chain a memo to assign the first required he emphasized. Despite the advancement in submarine-hunting women to HSC-84. “This has got to happen,” he explained were the technology, especially with the Romeos now on the stage, the human words of the squadron CO, wing commander, and even AIRLANT, factor still reigns supreme. These new systems “don’t find subs by and added that “it was only a matter of time” until women aviators themselves,” he said. The panel responded acknowledging that there is a need for both “synthetic training and live training,” but noted that limited would become a vital part of the squadron.

The 800 pound gorilla in the room was definitely the recent assets and money definitely diffuses any push toward more widespread flight-hours reduction and it was only a question of when the issue live submarine training. There are not “a lot of submarines around to run would come forth not if. In keeping with the no-nonsense style of rabbit,” one admiral explained. Especially with the possibility that time helicopter pilots, words were not minced and the topic was dealt and money might be wasted “on folks not proficient.” The discussion with head on. The admirals described the present time as an “era of closed, though, with agreement on the importance of live training after diminishing flight times” and further suggested that it would be a “lean someone pointed out there was at least one P-3C FRS instructor who Rotor Review Spring 46 once tracked a real submarine. period for a while.”

The#fi105 rst question on ‘09 the subject directed the topic had never Continue on page 47 onto how the hours reductions will affect obtaining qualifications.

T

Focus: Flag Panel Continued from page 46

Another question presented to the panel sought to address the future need for super JOs. If department heads were going to squadrons without any ASW time, then why not consider super JOs who do have the experience? The panel in general seemed open to the prospect of more super JOs, but noted that super JOs would be caught in a delicate balancing act. A determination would have to be made, they explained, on how long to keep a Super JO in a squadron for the best “return on investment” but yet not hurt his/her or the other squadron’s JOs career in the process. There was concern over the performance evaluation aspect. The panel put forth that given the uniqueness of Super JOs, it would be easy for them to either slip through the cracks, or oppositely, be able to easily outshine the less-experienced JOs. A topic not to be overlooked at the forum was how Navy helicopters would be moving forward in overland missions and special warfare. The question came from an HSL LCDR looking to see where the Romeos would fit into that picture. The quick reply was “bad news: [Romeos] are a very, very good platform for overwater.” To be sure, though, this admiral added that it would be “shortsighted” to plan exclusively for overwater scenarios. As others in the panel spoke up it became clear that erring on the side of caution was most important. Will Romeos be going “overland 70 miles inserting SEALs…no, probably this would be better left to other platforms” due to the lack of IR suppression. “Risk versus Success” is what it is all about. As one admiral pointed out, the Marines and Special Ops Forces only wanted to work with those trained and ready for those missions. This all being said, the panel made it clear that there was great interest in exploring the concept of rotary-wing cross-functionality.

CAPT Bill Personius mentioned that a rotary-wing cross-functional team was already a reality, and that the Navy will be looking from the “ground up” at how to appropriately incorporate varied missions across the spectrum of Navy helicopter platforms in keeping with the already well-established jack-of-all-trades style that is U.S. Navy helicopter aviation.

In all, the Flag Panel Discussion met every expectation. Hard, thoughtful questions were asked openly, received kindly, and answered fully. The event flowed smoothly albeit the dialogue was tinged by the times. The reality of shortened flight hours and budget cuts in general colored the conversation, but the group’s sense of humor helped carry the discussion through. When it comes down to it, naval rotary wing aviation will continue to rely on perhaps its greatest attribute: the ability to adapt and overcome while continuing to provide top-notch warfighting capability for the United States and its Navy.

Rotor Review # 105 Spring ‘09

47

USAA CAR INSURANCE RATES BEAT THE COMPETITION. $842

$904

$936

$957

$646

USAA

State Farm

GEICO

Allstate

Nationwide

Average Auto Premium (six-month policy) 1

Buy online and save $50 in most states.2 | 800-CAR-USAA | usaa.com/car USAA beats GEICO — saving you as much as $516 on average.1 Save with flexible payment options with no fees,3 safe driver discount and discount up to 90 percent for vehicle storage.4 USAA General Agency also offers coverage for motorcycles and boats, with year-round protection and great value. Contact your current insurer for their procedure on canceling an existing policy and start saving immediately.5

Average auto premiums/savings based on countrywide survey of new customers from 12/1/07 to 11/30/08, who reported their prior insurers’ premiums when they switched to USAA. Savings do not apply in MA. Use of competitors’ names does not imply affiliation, endorsement or approval. 2Online discount is not available in CA, FL, GA, HI, ME and NC. Discount is up to $30 in MO and MA. Discount applies to new policies only. Restrictions apply. 3Restrictions may apply to installment payment options. 4To qualify for the discount, the vehicle must not be driven and must be stored in a secure location. Other restrictions apply. 5Check with your current carrier on any fees or penalties associated with canceling your current policy.

Eligibility restrictions apply to purchase of property and casualty insurance. Eligibility may change based on factors such as marital status, rank or military status.

Applicants must meet underwriting guidelines.

Automobile insurance provided by United Services Automobile Association,48 USAA Casualty Insurance Company, USAA General Rotor Review # 105 Spring ‘09 Indemnity Company, Garrison Property and Casualty Insurance Company, USAA Mutual Insurance Company, San Antonio, TX, and is available only to persons eligible for P&C group membership. Each company has sole financial responsibility for its own products. USAA General Agency means USAA Insurance Agency, Inc., or USAA of Texas Insurance Agency. CA Lic. # 0D78305, TX Lic. # 7096. Purchase of a USAA General Agency product does not establish eligibility for or membership in USAA property and casualty insurance companies. © 2009 USAA. 91887-0509 1

A

Article by CDR Jeff “Angry” Nolan, USN

few years ago, I was deployed for OIF with HCS-5 in support of Special Operations troops under Joint Special Operations Air Detachment South (JSOAD-S). The squadron was based out at Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait and tasked with medium lift and Direct Action support to coalition forces throughout Southern Iraq, where the weather tends to be a fair bit worse than our home-port, San Diego.

In April 2003, we received tasking to fly 3 HH-60s to the outskirts of Baghdad and return with 3000 pounds of “highly sensitive” documents the local FOB had captured during their push North.

We completed the requisite flight planning, but since we were the junior crew and would be flying in the Dash 3 position, my crew’s responsibilities were very light: keep up and follow lead. In retrospect, I approached this mission with a bit of a “LOG run” mentality. We had been in the war zone for a while now flying combat missions, and we were ready for that, but this seemed more like point A to B flying.

During our planning we asked the weather guessers what to expect along the route of flight through Northern Kuwait and Southern Iraq. They forecast VFR conditions and northerly winds at 20 knots gusting to 25 -- not bad, but as I have learned this is still only a “best guess”. The winds were actually out of the south at 30 knots on the ride home. Weather patterns in the Mid-East are notoriously unpredictable and frequently on missions we would encounter weather that differed significantly from that forecast. Also, Spring is Haboob-time in the Persian Gulf; Haboobs are northerly winds that pick up every bit of dust and sand out there and carry it south. It’s also worthy of mentioning that the terrain of southern Iraq blends into the sky with the slightest amount of dust in the air. When you add 1/2 mile visability in there, it is outright painful. On NVGs, you’re flying in a big, green, ping pong ball. We were still in the combat phase of OIF at this time and JSOAD was accepting lower weather minimums since our troops needed support.

So the next night we completed our preflight planning and briefs, checked one final time with the weather folks (same results) and walked to the aircraft. It was a dark night with only moonlight illumination, but we had our trusty NVGs, so not to worry…. We launched and proceeded north, crossing the border into Iraq, going “fence in”. The mission had gone well initially, and we were performing our Dash 3 duties (keep quiet and keep up), but the weather

went downhill as soon as we crossed the border. Conditions worsened quickly, and within a few minutes our flight of three had very limited horizontal visibility and no vertical visibility. The flight could still make out the ground below 300 feet so we proceeded, but the weather had definitely made a big departure from the forecast we’d received. And this was just the beginning of the flight. We still had almost six hours to go, and as it turned out, things were just starting to go downhill.

Thus far I had been able to maintain position within the formation by following the exhaust plumes of Dash 1 and 2, until the deteriorating weather began to obscure the plumes, which began to oscillate and dim at our current separation. With no visible horizon, my only visual cues came from hazy glimpses of the ground and my Attitude Indicator (AI). From my numerous prior missions I had become very ‘goggle-addicted’; deep down I wanted to fly visually off of the other two aircraft… not easily done given the decreasing visibility which was 1/2 mile at best. As the exhaust plumes kept bouncing around I started to get an uneasy feeling, first just a sense of disconnection that quickly advanced to the distinct feeling that I was strapped upside-down to a beach ball stuck in a sensory deprivation tank filled with green Jell-o. I had vertigo at 150 feet, in IFR conditions with two other aircraft close aboard! I briefly fought the good fight to self correct my disorientation, but lost and ‘fessed up’. So being the good pilot that I am, (jokingly inserted) I calmly asked the HAC to take controls. My failure was to explain why or express any urgency; in fact, I was deliberately calm and cool. Unfortunately this allowed the HAC to believe it was a normal control swap, as his first response was to put the chart down and adjust his seat. I asked again for him to take the controls, this time with some urgency, but never mentioned vertigo. As Murphy’s Law would dictate, he immediately knocked his goggles off of his helmet (yes, we were now the Keystone Cops) and as he fought to get the NVGs reattached, my world completely fell apart. I don’t

Rotor Review # 105 Spring ‘09

49

There I Was

UPSIDE DOWN AT 150 FEET

remember exactly what was said, but it closely resembled “Take the (expletive deleted) controls! I have (expletive deleted) vertigo!”

That got the point across and he immediately took the controls, so all was well I thought.

We continued with the mission and my HAC and I recovered our composure. About 20 minutes later, a line of Iraqi wadis (channels of a watercourse that are dry except during periods of rainfall) came into view, running from the 2 o’clock to the 8 o’clock position. This appeared to us as a false horizon and in no time the HAC thought we were in a descending right hand turn. To his credit, the HAC immediately called out over ICS that he had vertigo and that we were going down, simultaneously pulling in an armful of collective. By this time I had more or less re-caged my gyros, having emerged from my Jello tank, and was able to wrest the controls from the HAC and bring us back to straight and level. I’m sure the crew already suspected that we were having a rough night in the cockpit, but after this most recent episode, the HAC told the crew we were having some vertigo issues. The crewman was able to guide us back into position with the other A/C. The funniest part of this was that we were always straight and level, just a bit high. We also called for the flight to slow down, but this only helped for a little while. The next 40 minutes felt like 3 hours, as we spent the time trading controls back and forth depending on who had the least debilitating vertigo. This technique worked and we flew out of the worst of the weather and made it to the landing zone for our pickup. It was only then that the final joke on our mission became apparent… The Army unit we had been working with had miscalculated the correct weight of boxes.

There was only about 500 pounds for us to carry back; easily held in a single aircraft and not even close to worth what we’d just been through.

Sitting on deck in the LZ, my crew were all happy to have made it through the most difficult flying any of us had experienced, but all I could think was, ‘Now we have to fly back through it again to get home.’ We lifted off after telling lead about our nerves,

Change of Command And Establishment

COMHSMWINGLANT

CAPT Carl F. Bush, USN relieved CAPT Glenn C. Doyle, USN on July 9, 2009

HSM-71

HMLA-467

Raptors

Sabers

LtCol Craig H. Streeter became the first commanding officer on October 2008

CDR Jeffrey Dodge, USN relieved CAPT M. Nortier, USN on January 9, 2009

HMLA-267

Stingers

Lt Col Paul M. Pastino, USMC relieved Lt Col Kevin M. Hudson, USMC on March, 2009

HS-6

HS-4

CDR Wesley R. McCall, USN relieved CDR F.J. Schuller, USN on April 29, 2009

CDR John Zerr, USN relieved CDR Michael Cruden, USN on May 4, 2009

Screaming Indians Black Knights

HSC-23

HS-15

HMM-466

HMH-464

Wildcards

Condors

CDR Michael G. Dowling, USN relieved CDR Gregory M. Sheahan on May 7, 2009

Lt Col R.C. Rush, USMC relieved Lt Col W.C. Bentley, USMC on May 8, 2009

HSM-41

HSL-42

Redlions

Wolfpack

Seahawks

Proud Warriors

CDR Lawrence G. Getz, USN relieved CDR Christopher Misner, USN on May 14, 2009

Lt Col Mitchell E. Cassell, USMC relieved Lt Col Roberto J. Gomez, USN on June 4, 2009

CDR Thomas C. Baldwin, USN relieved CDR Thomas A. Braden on June 11, 2009

CDR Christopher P. Failla, USN relieved CDR Dana R. Gordon, USN on June 12, 2009

Rotor Review # 105 Spring â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;09

50

Naval Helicopter Association, Inc Membership Application Date: _____________________

Member Information: Name: ____________________________________________________________________ Rank/Rate: ________________________________

Service: _______________________________

Company Name (civilian): ____________________________________________________________________ Ship/Station: ___________________________

Work Specialty: Pilot:

Military Unit/Squadron: ________________________

Aircrew:

Non-Pilot:

Warfare Specialty: (HSC, HSM, HS, HSL, etc.): _________ Aircraft Flown:___________________________ Do you wish to be listed in the On-Line Directory? Yes

Duty Status: Active:

No

If Yes, only name, aircraft & exp. date are listed (All information posted there is considered public domain.)

Retired:

Reserve:

Civilian:

Mailing Address: ____________________________________________________________________________ Street

Apt

____________________________________________________________________________________________________ City

Cell Phone No. : ________________________

State

Zip

Home Phone No. : __________________________________

Email Address: _____________________________________________________________________________ Levels of Membership: NHA Membership (Annual Dues)

1 Year: $35.00

3 Years: $95.00

Nugget Membership – 2 Years: $35.00

(Open to O-1, O2 on first tour)

Associate Membership – 1 Year: $15.00

(Open to E-9 & below)

Canadian Addresses – 1 Year: $40.00

5 Years: $160.00

International Addresses – 1 Year: $50.00

Payment Options: Payment Due: $____________________

Cash:

Check:

(payable to NHA)

MC/VISA:

MC/Visa #: ________-________-________-________ CCV_________ Expiration Date: _____________ Send your completed application to: NHA, P.O. Box 180578, Coronado, CA 92178-0578 (619) 435-7139 FAX#: (619) 435-7354 e-mail: rotorrev@simplyweb.net Web site: http//www.navalhelicopterassn.org

Annual dues (contribution) for membership in the Naval Helicopter Association for the year 2008 are as shown above. $15.00 of this amount is for a one-year subscription to Rotor Review magazine. Return this portion with your remittance. Rotor Review is mailed periodical rate (pending). Change of addresses, inquiries for membership, subscriptions, back issues, sale items, etc, should be directed to the NHA.

NHA OFFICE USE ONLY MEMBERSHIP EXPIRES: ________________________________________________

Rotor Review 105 SpringMem ‘09 Mem # Pymnt Processed Conf Email 51

Online Copy

Version 7.09

There I Was: UPSIDE AT 150 FEET Continued from page 49

but none of us suggested an alternate route.

At the very least we should have pushed the issue and moved to the Dash 2 position so we would only have one set of exhaust plumes to watch. As with most good Rotor Review articles, though, our crew didn’t take any of these actions, simply plowing ahead instead.

As one might guess, shortly after taking off we re-entered the dust cloud. This started the vertigo Fandango once again, but this time neither of us could hold it together flying in the green ping-pong ball. We couldn’t see up or down from the cockpit, but the crewmen could see the ground and started giving us directive calls. I can say without reservation that without our crewmen, Petty Officers Arteaga and Brush (now Chief Brush), none of our crew would have made it home.

They were able to call up the radar altimeter on the CDU in back and give us climbing/ descending calls based on their visual contact with the ground. I am here today because of the fine assistance these two crewmen provided.

Anyone in Rotary aviation knows that aircrew are invaluable assets as rescue swimmers and door gunners, but that night they were the pilots as well.

We made it back safely that night, but CSAR Stories....

Continued from page 34

alone are astounding. In December 1950, HU-1 had just 34 officers, 282 enlisted sailors, and 14 helicopters. By June 1951, the squadron had grown to 59 officers, 410 enlisted sailors, and 26 helicopters. By the end of the year, HU-1 boasted 89 officers, 595 enlisted sailors, and 25 helicopters distributed in 15 units deployed to the Korea area.23 By the end of the war, the Navy helicopters had made 198 rescues under combat conditions, 64 behind enemy lines, and another 166 at sea around carriers operating in support of the war. Chuck Jones went on to command HS-2, Larry Whittall went on to crew Air Force One and Vic Armstrong became a HMX-1 presidential helicopter pilot.

I was probably eight pounds of sweat lighter. Flights like that one truly put the dangers of flying in poor weather into stark relief, and have made me very hesitant to fully trust “VFR” forecasts.

Missions in conditions like those we experienced could lead to a mishap of any crew, no matter how well trained or equipped. Our NVG’s and extensive time in theater did not save us that night; our crewmen did.

We were never cavalier about any of our missions, however simple or complex, during our time in the fight, but perception is reality and this can kill an aviator. The solid foundation of instrument flying we are taught is paramount when encountering poor weather. Using NVG’s as a risk mitigator is good, but should never be the driving factor to mission accomplishment; they are a tool for our toolboxes. Use the aircraft systems we are given; altitude hold works over land too. To this day, I always use RADALT or BARALT at night -- just one less axis to worry about.

Minimums are minimums, if we have a weather minimum set then that has to be (Endnotes) 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Look for the next CSAR Story “A Hell of Way to Fight A War” by CAPT(Ret) David McCracken and CAPT(Ret) Vincent Secades in the next issue of Rotor Review.

Rotor Review # 105 Spring ‘09

6.

7.

8.

9.

adhered to, wartime or not. Finally CRM is king. This flight drove that home in dramatic fashion, and has made me an even stronger advocate of CRM. I could tell a few more bad weather stories from my tours in Iraq, but this was the first time I was “upside down at 150 feet”. Sadly, it was not my last. I thank our crewmen from that night, for their outstanding performance, and will owe them a cold beverage any time they come to visit us in San Diego.

10.

The Korean War broke out with a surprise attack by the Inman G un, the army of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea), against the Republic of Korea (South Korea). The attack was all along the line separating the two countries, with the main thrust at Seoul, the capital of South Korea, and a creative flanking amphibious landing behind ROK lines on the east coast at Kangnung.

See www.history.navy.mil/books/field/ch3b History of U.S. Naval Operations: Korea, Part 2 The Far East Command.

Four British light aircraft carriers, sometimes identified as being of the “Glory” class, served in Korean waters. These carriers operated about thirty-five aircraft formed into two aircraft squadrons, one of Fairey Fireflies and the other of Seafires or Sea Furies. HMS Triumph operated with the US Navy’s Task Force 77 during July 1950. For the remainder of the war the Royal Navy’s carriers alternated with a US Navy light or escort aircraft carrier (CVL or CVE) where they served as part of the west coast blockading force.

See: www.history.navy.mil/branches/avchr7. See also, Richard Knott, Attack From the Sky: Naval Air Operations in the Korean War (Washington D.C.: Department of the Navy, Naval Historical Center, 2004). CVG-5 aboard Valley Forge consisted of five squadrons; VF-51 (VF-5A at the time) flying the F9F Panther; VF-52 also flying the Panther; VF-53 flying the F4U-4B Corsair (fighter-bomber, not fighter but designated VF, not VA); VF-54 also flying the Corsair; and VF-55 flying the AD-4 Skyraider (just transitioned to AD and squadron designation and not yet changed to VA-55).

Korean War Air Loss Database. Date of Loss Report, 500704, HO3S-1 HU-1 Command History 1 July 1950 to 8 December 1950, (Washington, D.C.: Aviation History Branch, Naval Historical Center), p. 4.

Knott, p. 16.

HU-1 Command History 1 July 1950 to 8 December 1950, p. 4.

Knott, p. 16.

Lieutenant Colonel Ronald Brown, Whirlybirds: U.S. Marine Helicopters in Korea: Marines in the Korean War Commemorative Series (Washington, D.C.: Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps, 2003), p. 16.

52

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

19.

20.

21.

22.

23.

HU-1 Command History 1 July 1950 to 8 December 1950, p. 11.

Phone interview with Larry Whittall, June 7, 2005.

Bruning, p. 44.

Phone interview with Larry Whittall, June 7, 2005.

Bruning, p. 44.

Phone interview with Larry Whittal, June 7, 2005.

Phone interview with Larry Whittal, June 7, 2005.

Phone interview with Larry Whittal, June 7, 2005.

HU-1 Command History 1 July 1950 to 8 December 1950, p. 12.

Phone interview with Larry Whittal, June 7, 2005.

A History of Marine Observation Squadron Six, p. 18. See also, Brown, p. 26.

Phone interview with Larry Whittal, June 7, 2005. This rescue story has an intriguing sequel. Ensign William Brown was not among the prisoners repatriated in Operation Big Switch. Larry Whittall continued his military career and became a flight engineer with the Air Force One squadron.

Armstrong continued his military career and, as a Colonel, was the pilot of the President’s helicopter while flying for HMX-1.

See: www.history.navy.mil/branches/avchr7.htm for information regarding the level of effort of Navy and Marine Corps aircraft during the Korean conflict. In comparison to the forces engaged in World War II, Korea was a small war.

At no time were more than four large carriers in action at the same time. Yet in the three years of war, Navy and Marine aircraft flew 276,000 combat sorties, dropped 177,000 tons of bombs and expended 272,000 rockets. This was within 7,000 sorties of their World War II totals in all theaters and bettered the bomb tonnage by 74,000 tons, and the number of rockets by 60,000.

Korean War U.S. Pacific Fleet Operations, Chapter 5 Fast Carrier Operations and Chapter 6 Escort & Light Carrier Operations, Third Evaluation Report 1 May-31 December 1951, p. 5-52. According to the official Commander in Chief Pacific account of Korean War operations, HU-1 maintained an average of 12 detachments aboard naval vessels (including British and Australian ships) during this stage of the Korean conflict.

Region FOUR Recognizes Top Performers

By LT Jack Parker, USN

N

HA Region FOUR hosted its annual award luncheon on Friday, 20 February 2009 at Vista Point’s Flight Deck. With over 170 in attendance, the area squadrons were well represented. S. J. Tomaszeski, RADM, USN (Ret) shared the story of his son’s OCS roommate, Navy SEAL LT Michael P. Murphy, who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions in Asadabad, Afghanistan. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have touched us all. Admiral Tomaszeski reminded us that sacrifice goes far beyond the collective military that have seen their friends deploy, never to return; the war’s reach penetrates even more intimately into the lives of families all across the nation who have forever given their loved ones to the cause of protecting our freedom. The somber moment gave reflection and fond remembrances to our fallen heroes.

Many of our awardees were deployed but those who were home were congratulated for their outstanding accomplishments. While the awards are given for either one time actions or sustained performance during the calendar year, all of the region’s submissions presented phenomenal performers who earned their squadron’s nomination through years of peak performance.

2008 Region FOUR awardees are:

Aircrew of the Year (Deployed) REDWOLF 12, HSC-84 LT Dan Thomas, LT Jason Clay, AW1 (NAC) Kevin Furey, AW2 (NAC) Morgan McGrew

Aircrew Instructor of the Year AW2 (AW/NAC) Joseph Cummings, Jr., HSC-2

Aircrew of the Year (Non-Deployed) Rescue Swimmer of the Year VULCAN 552, HM-14

AWS1(AW/NAC) Lee R. Lyons, HSC-2

LT Adam T. Dickinson, LCDR Alex C. Wibe, AWS2 (AW/NAC) McKay D. Estep, AWS2 (AW/ NAC) Megan E. Harlan, AWS2 (AW/NAC) Daisy Berrini

Maintenance Officer of the Year LTJG Elouise M. Hurst, HSC-28

Aircrewman of the Year AW2 (AW/NAC) Aaron A. Hagar, HSC-84

Awardees Not Pictured Pilot of the Year LCDR James A. Ferguson, HSC-84

Shipboard Helicopter Aviation Officer of the Year

Maintenance Chief Petty Officer of the Year PRC (AW) Donald R. Gress, HM-14

LCDR Isaac A. Philips, USS BATAAN

Rotor Review # 105 Spring ‘09

53

Instructor Pilot of the Year LT Corey A. Fogle, AWSTS

Maintainer of the Year SGT Kirk D. Nash, USMC

Regional Updates

NHA Region 4

REGIONAL UPDATES: Region 1

NHA Region 1 LAMPS Holds 1st Annual Tactics Rodeo Article by Lt. Bill Robesch, USN

HSL-45’s C.O. CDR Wayne Maze (far left), LT Austin Long and AWR2 Jeff Boutin (both, far right) were presented the Air Combat Excellence Trophy by (middle l-r) Mr. Garnett “Sandy” Clark of Delex System and Col(Ret) Howard Whitfield of NHA. Photo taken by MC3(SW) David Smart

L

ong before some of us were even born, the LAMPS community held a yearly competition known as the Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Rodeo or “Wolfhunt.” These events involved week-long classroom, simulator and live range exercises in which air, surface and sub-surface West Coast teams would pit their skills against eachother in large-scale battle problems. Winning teams would receive unit awards and earn bragging rights through the year. The goal of the Wolfhunt was to maintain a sharp combat edge through healthy, fun competition. As time wore on, these competitions faded away due to shifting training priorities and resource constraints. This past February, that all changed.

In an effort to further hone the HSM/HSL community’s tactical prowess, the HSM Weapons School Pacific, Delex Systems, and the Naval Helicopter Association (NHA) sponsored the first of a new annual Tactics Rodeo in the spirit of the old Wolfhunts. This Rodeo encompassed competition in all primary mission areas and capabilities of the SH-60B and MH-60R. Each of the eight West Coast squadrons (HSL-37, 43, 45, 49, 51 and HSM-41, 71, 77) provided two pilots and one aircrewman to compete in the three-day event.

The event kicked off Feb. 24, 2009 with a written in-test. Each team had an hour to complete the exam that covered subjects ranging from Hellfire missiles to MAD hunting circles, and was designed to evaluate each crew’s knowledge of tactics, mission systems and asset employment. Following the test, the teams gathered in the Base CO’s auditorium where each crew was introduced to an auditorium full of spectators for the second event – “Tactics Jeopardy.” The Jeopardy categories not only challenged players’ knowledge of tactics, but also covered such categories as “LAMPS in Hollywood” and “LAMPS History”.

Day two of the competition began with each team having 30 minutes to prepare and deliver thorough mission briefs in front of the Weapons School’s toughest evaluators.

Each crew then applied all of their tactical knowledge and

Rotor Review # 105 Spring ‘09

preparation during a simulator event involving a passive ASW localization, tracking and attack scenario. The third day tested each crew’s decision-making abilities and quick thinking in a fast-paced urgent attack simulator event. Each crew was given 30 minutes in the simulator to localize, track and attack a hostile submarine. By mid-morning, the competition concluded and the Weapons School evaluators tallied up each team’s scores from the various phases.

As the Rodeo came to a close, it was apparent that the competition was fierce and each squadron had brought their “A” game. Each crew performed exceptionally, but in the end, it was the Wolfpack from HSL 45, comprised of LT Bill Robesch, LT Austin Long, and AWR2 Jeff Boutin, that walked away as the 2009 HSMWSP Tactics Rodeo Champions.

Robesch, Long, and Boutin were awarded the prestigious Air Combat Excellence Trophy and other individual prizes by Commander, Helicopter Maritime Strike Wing, U.S. Pacific Fleet, Capt. Donald Williamson, Garnett “Sandy” Clark of Delex Systems and Retire Marine Corps Col. Howard Whitfield in a ceremony held in Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 41’s Training Building June 17. The trophy is a perpetual award, and will remain with HSL-45 until the 2010 Tactics Rodeo when other squadrons can challenge the Wolfpack for the title. In attendance at the ceremony were members of the squadrons which competed, as well as several NHA representatives. At the end of the ceremony, Williamson announced that next year’s competition will also include crews from East Coast HSM/HSL squadrons, and will conclude with a fly-off between each Wing’s Tactics Rodeo champions. All squadrons look forward to the competition in 2010 and are excited about the rebirth of this LAMPS tactical tradition.

54

REGIONAL UPDATES: Region 5

NHA Region 5 30,000th Winging: A Naval Rotary Wing Milestone.

Article by CDR Chris Heaney, USN Photos taken by Mr Jay Cope and Mr.Marc Bizzell

I

t has been a year of milestones for the Rotary Wing community. In April, the NHA Symposium commemorated the realization of Helicopter CONOPS. On 19 June, Mrs. Brown does the honors another milestone was in pinning the wings on 1st Lt. accomplished at NAS Whiting Field with the Brown winging of our 30,000th Rotary Wing Aviator, 1st Lt Michael R. Brown, USMC. RADM Garry Hall presided over the ceremony and addressed the 38 newest unrestricted Naval Aviators and their families.

1st Lt Michael R. Brown was proud to receive applause for this accomplishment, but like so many grocery store onemillionth customers, he felt nothing more than pure luck to have been in line at the right time. In fact, Colonel John S. ‘Vapor’ Walsh, USMC, Commander, Training Air Wing FIVE, presented 1st Lt Brown with a p l a q u e that read: “Through no great effort of your own and by no other selection means other than being

TRAWING FIVE Commodore Col John Walsh (left) and RADM Garry Hall (middle) present 1st Lt. Brown with the 30,000th wing plaque.

Rotor Review # 105 Spring ‘09

The Brown Family and RADM Hall (far right) near the top of the alphabet during your winging class, you are hereby selected as the 30,000th Rotary Wing Naval Aviator.

Congratulations, this number should be easy to remember.”

Naval Aviation has awarded wings to graduating advanced rotary wing Naval Aviators since April 15, 1944 when LT W. G. Knapp, USNR became Naval Rotary Wing Aviator #1. Since that date, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard pilots have trained in the TH-13 Sioux, TH-19 Chickasaw, TH-34 Sea Horse, TH-1L Iroquois and the TH-57 Sea Ranger. Rotary wing training was conducted at Naval Air Station Ellyson Field until 1972 and then moved to South Whiting where the Helicopter Training Squadrons have resided since.

30,000 Rotary Winged Aviators seems like a big number, but if you look at it in light of the 65 years since LT Knapp in 1944, the number indicates a relatively select group of people. Winger number 10,000 was designated on 31 July 1968 and number 20,000 on 26 August 1988.

The future is bright for 1st Lt Brown and his peers.

They are entering the Fleet at a time when helicopters are a growth industry. Their success and the amazing stories they will add to the history of Naval Aviation are limitless and will pave the way for rotary wing designation number 40,000 and beyond.

55

Squadron Updates

HSC-8 Underway and Ready Article by LTJG Scott Crawford, USN

T

he John C. Stennis Strike Group with HSC-8 is currently underway conducting operations in the SEVENTH Fleet AOR as the first strike group to deploy with the MH-60S Armed Helicopter. These state of the art helicopters and well trained crews are demonstrating time and time again their versatility in several mission areas.

The Eightballers are taking full advantage of the tactical capabilities of the MH-60S Block IIIB, which include: LINK-16, providing a common real-time picture of the entire combat area to surface, ground, and air assets; the MultiSpectral Targeting System, with the most advanced ForwardLooking Infrared system in the U.S. arsenal, and the enhanced firepower of up to 2 GAU-21’s and 8 AGM-114 Hellfire missiles. All of these advancements increase the squadron’s effectiveness in the mission areas of Anti-Surface Warfare (ASUW), Special Operations Forces (SOF) support, Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) and Nontraditional Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (NTISR).

This deployment is also the first with two helicopter squadrons as part of a Carrier Airwing: HSC-8 and HSM-71. The two squadrons have been developing tactics and procedures to take advantage of their specifically tailored weapons systems, training for missions such as Heliborne Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure (HVBSS) with the Republic of Korea Navy during Exercise FOAL EAGLE. MH-60R helicopters from HSM-71 and MH-60S Block IIIB helicopters from HSC-8 give Commander Carrier Airwing NINE uniquely capable hunter-killer teams to project the offensive power of the strike group while retaining a close-in defensive capacity.

An HSC-8 helicopter shows off its four-gun configuration while standing alert in the 7th Fleet AOR. Photo taken by LTJG Crawford.

HSC-8 continues to support the Airwing in their Search and Rescue mission, as well as regularly performing logistics and Vertical Replenishment evolutions. In addition, the squadron has sent two detachments to Andersen Air Force Base on Guam (with excellent support from HSC-25) to continue honing their skills in the overland environment. For another first, the squadron sent a detachment to the USS Preble, proving the feasibility of operating the MH-60S onboard a Cruiser or Destroyer to conduct operations as diverse as disaster relief in the Philippine Islands or anti-piracy operations in the Horn of Africa.

This marks HSC-8’s first deployment since transitioning from HS-8 in October of 2007. The squadron is expected to return to their homeport at Naval Air Station North Island sometime in mid-2009.

HSL-51 holds Friendship Day at Tateyama Air Base Article and Photos by LTJG Chris Krueger, USN

O

n April 14, 2009, Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Light (HSL) FIVE ONE participated in a Friendship Day with the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) squadrons VX-51 and HS-21. VX51 is the operational and test evaluation squadron for the JMSDF, while HS-21 is a training, maintenance and support squadron with operationally deployable capabilities. HSL-51, based at NAF Atsugi, Japan, strives to maintain a close relationship with its sister Japanese helicopter squadrons in and around the Kanto plain.

Frequent Friendship Days are one way in which the squadron meets that goal, and this time the Blackjacks of HS-21 hosted the event at their squadron at Tateyama Air Base. Tateyama is located on the southern tip of the Chiba peninsula on Honshu, Japan.

Tateyama is host to a large helicopter training complex, and the main purpose of its activities is to facilitate the transition of JMSDF SH-60J pilots and aircrew to the newer SH-60K version, as

Rotor Review # 105 Spring ‘09

well as provide initial SH-60K training. To that end, the base boasts multiple high-tech simulator facilities in both the J and K models of the SH-60, as well as dozens of aircraft. HS-21 is divided into 2 flight divisions, or ‘hikotai’, and Hikotai 211 flies the SH-60K. The plan was to fly three aircraft from NAF Atsugi, where VX-51 and HSL-51 are based, to Tateyama. HSL-51 flew one SH-60B, and VX-51 flew two SH-60Ks with several HSL-51 pilots as passengers. The day’s activities began with the aircrew briefing together at VX-51 prior to takeoff. Upon meeting together in the Sagami Wan (or Bay), all three aircraft proceeded to Tateyama together, where HS-21 personnel hosted the combined VX-51/HSL-51 aircrew.

After shutting down the aircraft, the HSL-51 aircrews split up into groups and toured the different SH-60K and SHContinued on page 57

56

SQUADRON UPDATES: HSL-51

LT Loyd Johnson briefs Japanese aircrew on the SH60B. Continued from page 56

60J simulators. This was a great privilege because HSL-51 does not have access to any flight simulators, as they are all located in the stateside. Surprisingly, the Japanese simulators are very similar to the types of simulators used by the U.S. Navy. The Operational Flight Trainer, or OFT, is a full motion visual simulator. It is a great tool to practice emergency procedures (EP’s), instrument flight, or landing on ship. The Sensor Operator Trainer, or SOT, is similar to the Weapons Tactical Trainer, or WTT, used in the U.S. SH-60B program.

The SOT is a static trainer that simulates the aircraft cabin, and has a fully functional mission system suite that sensor operators may train on. Additionally, it can be linked to the OFT, creating a Weapons Systems Trainer, or WST, training pilots in the cockpit concurrently with aircrew in the cabin, much as the OFT and WTT are linked to create the WST in the U.S. SH-60B program. Finally, the Advanced Helicopter Combat Direction System, or AHCDS simulator, was a static simulator with a fully functional mission system that utilizes a

touch screen and joystick interface. The AHCDS offers pilots the opportunity to effectively train on the use of the SH-60K mission systems at any time without occupying a crew station in the OFT or SOT. After practicing their skills in a new simulator airframe, the HSL-51 aircrew sat down to lunch with their hosts at the Tateyama Officer Club with some traditional Japanese food. Having had an excellent meal, everyone assembled in a briefing room and were presented a series of briefs by HSL-51 on the SH-60B and the Light Airborne Multi-Purpose System (LAMPS) Mark III program, as well as HSL-51’s operating areas around Japan. At the conclusion of the briefs, the Commanding Officers of both squadrons, CDR Stephen McKone for HSL-51 and CAPT Ohara of HS-21, exchanged squadron plaques. To round out the days activities, HSL-51 demonstrated use of some of their flight equipment, including night vision goggles (NVG’s), and their anti-exposure suits, or dry suits, designed to insulate aircrew from exposure to cold water in the event of ditching the aircraft in the ocean.

The HSL-51 aircrew was thoroughly impressed by what they saw. When asked of his thoughts, LCDR Dan Fillion,

CDR Steve McKone and CAPT Ohara exchange gifts between HSL-51 and HS-21

HSL-51 C.O. CDR Steve McKone and HS-21 CO CAPT Ohara examine night vision goggles (NVG’s) with LT John Rauschenberger

Rotor Review # 105 Spring ‘09

an HSL-51 pilot, said “It was truly an eye-opening experience to be able to fly with the JMSDF and see their simulators. I think all the U.S. participants gained a deep appreciation of how professional the JMSDF pilots are, and I can only hope that we were able to bestow a similar impression.”

The Friendship Day ended as it began, with all the HSL-51 and VX-51 pilots and aircrew strapping into their respective helicopters and flying back to NAF Atsugi. Despite some foul weather, everyone made it back as planned, and looking forward to the next Friendship Day. HSL-51 is proud of its relationship with other JMSDF squadrons, and looks forward to growing and fostering a professional and friendly relationship which will pay dividends in future operations between the two countries.

57

SQUADRON UPDATES: HS-15 / HSC-84

HS-15, Back to the Desert

Article By LT Steve Macgillis, USN

Members of HS-15 detached in Balad, Iraq. Photo courtesy of HS-15 Public Affairs Office

A

fter several months of workups and training in the Naval Special Warfare mission areas, a detachment of Red Lions from HS-15 embarked on two Air Force C-5’s with four HH-60H helicopters and made the journey to Balad, Iraq in mid-March to support the Combined Joint Special Operations efforts of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. The group of Red Lions will be involved in logistics, foreign internal defense, and direct action missions for an undetermined time in theater.

With the help of many people, especially CDR Scott Gootee, Executive Officer of HSC-84 and his detachment, the Red Lions were flying missions within one week of boots on

deck. HS-15 is only the second active duty CVW squadron in recent history to have made an extended land based deployment.

The Red Lions will return to a normal CVW schedule upon their return stateside.

On May 14 CDR Larry Getz relieved CDR Chris Misner as Commanding Officer of HS-15, via conference call from Balad, Iraq to Jacksonville, Florida. Due to the forward deployed mission of HS-15, only a small group of squadron personnel were able to be present, but in keeping with tradition, both CDR Misner and CDR Getz read their orders with CAPT Whitson, Commander Carrier Air Wing SEVENTEEN, presiding.

HSC-84 Red Wolves and Navy Rotary Wing Aviation

Six Years, 10,000 Combat Hours (and Counting) Article by LT Josh Fagan, USN

T

he Red Wolves of HSC84 recently returned from a successful fiveweek training detachment to Nellis Air Force Base outside of Las Vegas, NV. The Red Wolves flew 5 HH-60H and 1 SH-60F cross-country from Norfolk, VA -- along with 25 pilots, 26 aircrew, and 122 maintenance and administrative personnel.

While there, the Red Wolves supported the Air Force’s A-10 Weapons School by conducting joint CSAR exercises in the desert mountains outside of Nellis AFB. The exercise provided valuable flight and aerial gunnery training for HSC-84 pilots and aircrew while enabling A-10 pilots to practice guiding and providing air cover for helicopters in a high-threat CSAR environment.

The Nellis Detachment was also a great joint training opportunity where up to six Navy helicopters were launching together, communicating and flying on missions with a complex air package consisting of Air Force A-10s, F-16s, AWACS controllers, and Reaper UAV operators. While on the Nellis

Rotor Review # 105 Spring ‘09

Range Complex, HSC-84 flew 439.5 flight hours, conducted 45 CSAR exercises, expended 200,000 rounds of 7.62 ammunition, and delivered 4 HELLFIRE missiles on target. The Red Wolves were also able to take advantage of a local Las Vegas SWAT complex and conducted 8 fastrope insert/extract missions with an Army ODA team while providing ISR coverage and air cover for the ground elements while they conducted target capture and convoy escort training.

Meanwhile, in Iraq, as part of a six-ship infil on the night of 14 May, 2009, HSC-84 (continuing the legacy of HCS-4 and HCS-5) crossed the 10,000 combat flight hour mark. Since 2003, HSC-84 (formerly HCS-4) has been providing support to the CJSOTF-AP Commander’s SOF units to include ODA teams, SEAL platoons, 10th Mountain Division, Iraqi SOF, and coalition SOF to include Polish GROM. This is a monumental achievement for Navy Rotary Wing Aviation, and the Red Wolves of HSC-84 are proud of the part they are playing, and for the critically needed air support they are able to bring to the fight for our troops on the ground.

58

SQUADRON UPDATES: HSM-77

Saberhawks Last Flight In SH-60B Bridges Their Transition Into A New Era Article By LT Christopher Moore, USN

T

he Saberhawks of Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron Light 47 flew in section for their last flight in the SH-60B on March 18th, 2009. CDR Jack Olive, Commanding Officer, with LTJG Chris Armas and AWR1 Steven Ballard, toured the coast of southern California, and celebrated the end of an era with a victory lap through the San Diego Bay and over the Coronado Bridge. The one and a half hour flight commemorated twenty-two years of faithful service with the venerable airframe and appropriately bridged their transition into the fleet’s newest helicopter, the MH-60R Seahawk.

HSL-47 was officially established on September 25th, 1987, and quickly built a reputation of excellence in Pacific Fleet operations. The SH-60B’s unique capabilities in antisubmarine and surface warfare allowed Saberhawk detachments to perform with distinction during operations DESERT STORM, DESERT SHIELD, and SOUTHERN WATCH during the early 1990s, operation RESTORE HOPE in Somalia, and most recently operations IRAQI FREEDOM and ENDURING FREEDOM. The brand new APS-124 radar and enhanced ESM capabilities of the SH-60B leveraged their operating environment, and further distinguished the HSL community as experts in Surface Surveillance and Control. The SH-60B gained significant surface warfare capacity with the introduction of the Penguin anti-ship cruise missile, and subsequently enhanced its ability to combat small surface craft with the laserguided Hellfire missile. In antisubmarine warfare, the SH-60B improved the squadron’s warfighting capability by leaps and bounds, integrating an advanced acoustic analyzer, twentyfive sonobuoy payload, towed magnetic anomaly detection set, and up to three lightweight torpedoes. The most important development for the airframe, however, was the introduction of the HAWK datalink, a secure, two-way communication suite that incorporated both voice and data manipulation.

CDR Oliver’s last flight as a Saberhawk. Photo courtesy of HSM-77 Public Affairs Office The Saberhawks were the test bed for numerous initiatives, and led the way with a number of firsts for the SH60B and the HSL community. In 1998, the squadron deployed the first SH-60B detachment with warshot Penguin missiles, and subsequently became the first HSL squadron to successfully fire a Penguin missile. With the introduction of the Hellfire missile, the squadron deployed the first Hellfire capable “Core B” detachment in 2000. They were the first squadron to deploy with real-time FLIR video downlink capability to LAMPS ships, and in 2001 they deployed the first SH-60B detachment onboard an aircraft carrier. Their CV detachments were the precursor for integration into Carrier Air Wing TWO, and HSL-47 was selected to lead the B2C initiative in 2004, becoming the first squadron to fully deploy within a strike group.

The Saberhawks continued their record of firsts by qualifying the first HSL Strike Leads for carrier air wing Maritime Air Support, and led the HSL community with the first simultaneous Time-On-Top Hellfire engagement, the first remote designation Hellfire engagement, and the first remote designation Hellfire and LGTR engagement in concert with F/A-18 Hornets. For their 2008 deployment, the pilots and aircrew became the first HSL squadron to deploy with all aircrews proficient in Night Vision Device formation tactics.

On April 2nd 2009, the squadron changed its name to Helicopter Maritime Strike Seven Seven (HSM-77), and will become the first operational squadron to transition from the SH-60B to the MH-60R.

(l-r)CAPT Ross (CAG-2), CDR Olive (HSM-77) and CAPT Williamson (CHSMWP) christened the new logo Photo courtesy of HSM-77 Public Affairs Office

Rotor Review # 105 Spring ‘09

59

SQUADRON UPDATES: HS-3

Navy H-60 Armed Helicopters – The Future of an Age Old Mission Article by LT Walter “Yazzi” Reynolds & LT Aaron “FUR” Berger, USN

An HH-60H flies alongside the USS San Antonio as HS-3 takes on “pirate hunting in the Gulf of Aden. Photo courtesy of HS-3 Public Affairs Office.

S

hortly after ringing in the New Year, a detachment of eight officers and 42 enlisted personnel from Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron THREE joined Combined Task Force 151 (CTF-151) to conduct counter-piracy and maritime security operations in the Gulf of Aden. With little time to prepare, the detachment packed their bags and bid farewell to their friends onboard USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) while USS San Antonio (LPD 17) steamed toward the rendezvous point and made preparations to host the Trident “Pirate Hunting” Detachment.

San Antonio, the Flag Ship of CTF-151, was on her maiden deployment and her Sailors, along with Marines from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, welcomed the Trident team. For several Tridents, this was the first experience aboard a ship other than an aircraft carrier, but the mission to “deter and disrupt” piracy was new ground for the detachment. Counter-piracy and maritime security has been a U.S. Navy role since the early 1800’s, and this was HS-3’s first opportunity to contribute to this historical mission.

In typical Trident fashion, the detachment, led by CDR William “B-I-L” Cox, hit the ground running. Unpacked and ready to operate shortly after the cross-deck evolution, the aircrew developed concepts of operation while maintenance drafted new weight and balance sheets and ensured three HH-60H aircraft were ready to respond at a moments notice.

The inter-deployment readiness cycle, including Helicopter Advanced Readiness Program (HARP) and Air Wing Fallon, had prepared the detachment well for counter-piracy mission planning. The detachment attacked the first 48 hours of their new mission with the same intensity in preparation. Pilots and aircrewmen researched, discussed tactics, and prepared briefs, while maintenance technicians ironed out the details of encrypted communications, launch and recovery procedures, ordnance loading, and maintenance restrictions onboard LPD17.

To prepare for the counter-piracy mission, the Tridents drew from several experiences from past missions. Convoy escort exercises during Air Wing Fallon provided experience with clear and concise communications with troops on the

Rotor Review # 105 Spring ‘09

ground, which would be equally important in coordinating with the U. S. Coast Guard law enforcement detachment (LEDET) and the ship’s visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) teams. Additionally, challenges of maintaining effective armed coverage of small units during convoy escort exercises correlated well to maintaining coverage of Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats used by the VBSS teams. Furthermore, combat search and rescue events during the training cycle honed the aircrew’s abilities to multi-task while flying. Keeping a vigilant lookout for suspicious activity, passing an execution checklist, and recording the unfolding events on the Forward Looking Infrared were all skills used during the counter-piracy missions.

The San Antonio was the ideal platform to host CTF151 for the maritime security mission. Her embarked crew included two VBSS teams, one U.S. Coast Guard LEDET, multiple translators, a full surgical team from USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7), and part of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit. The Coast Guard LEDET was essential to enforcing international maritime law as well as training the San Antonio organic VBSS teams on the newest techniques in suspicious vessel interception. The flight deck, with six precision spots, and hangar space for two aircraft, made multi-aircraft operations seamless and allowed the Tridents to maintain an alert 15 status, conduct functional check flights, and counter- piracy events simultaneously with relative ease.

Within 24 hours of lowering the first pallet onto the deck of San Antonio, the Tridents launched under the direction of CTF-151 to investigate suspicious vessels. Like any good HS squadron, the Tridents launched Troubleshooter 615 minutes after being notified. In addition to the normal two aircrewmen complement, the aircraft was supplemented by one combat cameraman and a U. S. Marine Corps sniper and spotter. The quick response time, ability to provide aerial imagery through Fast Tactical Imagery (FTI), which is a photo and video communications relay capability, and the ability to provide armed over-watch for VBSS teams were vital in developing “new” counter-piracy tactics.

While most days consisted of two flights focused on Continue on page 61

60

Continued from page 60

patrolling the shipping lanes, there were several opportunities for new and unique flying experiences. Media embarkation flights from Djibouti gave pilots the experience of increased distances from shore to ship in remote areas of the world. In the air, pilots coordinated with Spanish maritime patrol craft and Saudi Arabian surface units as well as civilian commercial vessels. Foreign ships hosted staff from CTF-151, which afforded the detachment the opportunity to land on a variety of air capable ships. The San Antonio served as a refueling deck for several foreign Naval aircraft, including a H-70B from Greece and German and British Lynx, giving the detachment the opportunity to view other nations’ aircraft in action.

While embarked onboard San Antonio, the Tridents assisted in the boarding of six vessels. A typical combat load consisted of a Marine .50 cal sniper rifle, the starboard GAU-16, .50 caliber machine gun and the port M-240 7.62mm machine gun. The HH-60H proved itself to be a valuable asset for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) and armed over-watch for the VBSS teams. During all VBSS events, the Tridents captured imagery of the suspected vessels with their FLIR and used the FTI to provide the information to the VBSS teams. This capability gave the VBSS teams an opportunity to study ship characteristics prior to boarding. An addition to FLIR imagery, the Tridents also provided digital pictures and verbal feedback to the task force commander regarding possible weapons and indicators of pirate activity.

These efforts were invaluable in enhancing the commander’s situational awareness and decision making ability and clearly demonstrated the importance of armed rotary wing support for counter-piracy operations.

While a suspected pirate was always the “preferred passenger,” flying with the U.S. Marine Corps and U. S. Coast Guard brethren was a true honor for LT Walt “Yazzi” Reynolds and LT Aaron “Fur” Berger. One highlight to the operations was a precision sniper competition between U.S. and British Marines. Since the round of fire was taken from the helicopter, the Trident Lieutenants were more than happy to assist in a win for the U.S. Marines.

On February Fourth, the San Antonio’s final day as part of CTF-151, Sailors and staff began their cross-deck to Lewis

SQUADRON UPDATES: HS-3 / HSL-42 Tridents from HS-3 depart the USS San Antonio to perform armed overwatch of VBSS. Photo courtesy of HS-3 Public Affairs Office.

And Clark (TAKE-1) and Vella Gulf (CG-72). Minutes into the evolution, a man overboard was called onboard San Antonio.

Troubleshooter 615, piloted by LCDR Stephen “Mulch” Merritt and LCDR Brian “Icky” Sanderson, moved on-top almost instantaneously and deployed AWR2 Steven Bonecutter into the water. One San Antonio Sailor was recovered by the Tridents, but it was quickly passed that another Sailor was still missing. The exhilaration of a successful rescue was quickly masked by angst of an extended search. Despite efforts by three helicopters, three surface units, and multiple RHIBs, the last Sailor was not found. The entire group of CTF-151 mourned the loss of a shipmate and the final Trident flight from San Antonio was a missing-man formation – a tribute to one Sailor who gave his life while serving to protect other Sailors at-sea.

Each CTF-151 Sailor and Marine, including the Trident Detachment with its rapid response firepower and logistics capability, significantly contributed to the counterpiracy efforts of the multitude of forces in the region. CTF151’s ability to safely board suspected pirate vessels and protect commercial shipping traffic was possible, in part, because of the ISR and armed over-watch provided by armed Navy H-60s from HS-3. Their efforts proved the invaluable capabilities of an armed helicopter in counter-piracy operations and the ease at which a Naval helicopter detachment can integrate with Coast Guard and Marine units. Overall, every one of the diverse units in the region formed a cohesive task force, which significantly impacted piracy attempts in the Gulf of Aden and helped keep the sea lanes of communication open. Without a doubt, Navy H-60 armed helicopters are the future of this age-old mission.

“Shedding the Load”

Article by LTJG Thomas McDonald, USN

I

t is customary for aviators to test each other’s decision making; many productive discussions begin with the simple question, “What if…” and rightfully so. As professionals we strive to be the best, and take a lot of pride in the fact that at any moment our skills and knowledge could be quickly tested in real life. In light of that fact, we owe it to ourselves and those we fly with to be at the top of our game. In preparing for the worst we in turn become the best.

The sun was still low on the horizon that morning, so the customary heat and humidity of the Somali Basin hadn’t

Rotor Review # 105 Spring ‘09

had a chance to rear its ugly head. Today’s objective was simple, VERTREP ship’s parts, that had come over during a recent CONREP, from the DDG’s forward staging area on the foc’sle to the flight deck. The air crew briefed the Captain and ship’s company the night before, everyone understood their role and expected to be a smooth operation. The forward five inch gun turn faced starboard and ideal winds were lined up off the starboard bow as the aircraft made its port to starboard approach. This profile provides Continue on page 62

61

SQUADRON UPDATES: HSL-42 / HSL-48

An H-60B VERTREPs between the forecastle and the flight deck of the destroyer. Photo courtesy of HSL-42 Public Affairs Office Continued from page 61

the aircrewman maximum visibility of the load and deck obstructions. The H2P was in the right seat at the controls, a challenging task but, one he was well trained to handle. While hovering relative to the ship the aircraft maintains a constant slide in order to maintain relative distance from the ship’s super-structure as it moves through the water, complicating the operation was the close proximity of the aircraft to the forward five inch gun. The aircrewman skillfully directed the aircraft into position for the hook up, and the unknowing observer the assumption could be made that this difficult operation was done with ease. At the discretion of the aircrewman, the H2P lifted the aircraft and its newly attached load into the air and executed a departure to the starboard side.

After the aircraft’s departure, the ship began rearranging its personnel to recover the aircraft and its load on the flight deck. Meanwhile, the aircrew established themselves in a pattern for a long final astern of the ship. The load remained steady throughout its transit, and green deck was set for the recovery. Upon crossing the deck edge, the aircrewman began

Rotor Review # 105 Spring ‘09

passing his coordinating instructions for the load placement.

Since multiple picks and drops were made during the course of the evolution, each load placement would need to be done with accuracy to allow for efficient use of deck space however, at the same moment the cockpit Master Caution was illuminated- a small light in size but one that carries large implications. The pilots checked the Caution/Advisory panel and discovered an Intermediate Gear Box (IGB) Chip light. An alarming sight for any rotary winged aviator; the tail rotor is our life-line and the last component you want to see with possible signs of impending failure, especially over the deck with a load suspended beneath the aircraft. Without hesitation the Aircraft Commander passed instructions to drop the load over its current position, declared an emergency and instructed the Tower to get the load and his personnel cleared of the deck as quickly as possible. After the load was released the aircraft assumed a perch position over the water just aft of the deck edge. Although a hover puts additional torque on the tail, failure of the IGB on transition to forward flight would make an entry into the water more hazardous and with a safe flight deck just moments away the decision was made to remain in the hover until the deck could be cleared and the aircraft safely recovered.

Now it’s not a comfortable feeling as a pilot watching the fire party run in your general direction from all corners of the ship; however, at that moments notice the welfare of our crew and our aircraft had become their number one priority. They executed their instructions with haste, and the deck was cleared in a matter of seconds. The aircrew descended onto the deck and with the landing came the collective sigh of relief for the three aircrew and 250 plus Sailors onboard.

The true result to any real world test in aviation is the safe recovery of the aircraft and its crew. In the end, the continued success of US Naval Aviation will be the direct result of quality training, a high sense of professionalism, and these unique shared experiences.

62

SQUADRON UPDATES: HSC-26

The HSC-26 Witch Doctors Bring Aid to those in Haiti Article by LTJG Lindsay Robertson, USN

A

s a pilot in HSC-26, I’ve been given the awesome opportunity to be a part of CONTINUING PROMISE 2009 onboard USNS Comfort. Over the next couple of months we’ll be supporting nurses, doctors, dentists, surgeons, and veterinarians as they travel to and from various countries providing aid and humanitarian assistance to people in third world countries. Our detachment of personnel, known as the Witch Doctors, have been preparing for this deployment for quite some time now. It’s our nineteenth day deployed on the USNS Comfort and today we’ve successfully completed our mission in Haiti.

Haiti presented numerous challenges to our group.

We knew from the beginning that Haiti is a very unstable country that has little to no infrastructure. There is a very high percentage of people living in poverty, a great deal of crime and poor law enforcement. We also knew that we would be operating in a particularly poor part of the country. Knowing these facts, we took appropriate steps to manage the risks associated with our mission. Before going in country, we were briefed on the Rules of Engagement (ROE) by the Judge Advocate General and ensured that each aircrew member read through the Special Instructions (SPINS) for the FOURTH Fleet AOR. In the event that we were presented with a Non-Combatant Evacuation Operation, we drafted a plan to handle that contingency. Along with many other aspects of the planning, we studied charts for the area, ensured that there were various ways to maintain communications with the ship, including SATCOM, and did proper fuel planning. Our detachment worked diligently to set ourselves up for success.

On April 9th, we took off from USNS Comfort to conduct our first assignment: we took a security team and various supplies into Haiti. With charts and imagery in hand, and navigational data saved in our computers, we took off for our first leg with a full load of passengers. Our destination was a soccer field located by a Coast Guard station, a short two miles from the ship. We were told that the zone would be marked, but found that to be false. It didn’t help that there were four soccer fields, all within a half mile of each other. After circling the area for a couple of minutes conducting SWEEP checks, we located the correct field and set up for our approach. There was a tower on the southeast corner of the field, and one of our crewman was able to spot a make-shift power line paralleling the field because of trash hanging over the lines. We were cleared into the zone and started to set the helicopter down. We reported ‘safe on deck’, disembarked our passengers, and made preparations to head back to the ship. From there we continued to VERTREP medical and dental supplies back to the landing zone so the medical sites could begin setting up.

Rotor Review # 105 Spring ‘09

Our crew started carrying external loads into the soccer field where a medical clinic was being established, another new experience for me. We had the crewmen ensure that the loads were properly banded and staged while the pilots discussed the best route into the drop area of the field. We kept our route clear of sail boats, buildings, and people and oriented ourselves into the wind, well clear of the tower and power lines around the zone. We were able to talk with a director on the ground, who came up on our ‘LZ Control’ frequency. We made certain that they cleared the area of their pick-up trucks and fork lifts before we dropped our first pallets. Our crew safely and efficiently completed all of our drops and provided the medical clinic with all of their supplies. In total, over 50 pallets were dropped that afternoon.

By then our fuel state was getting low. We had made prior arrangements to refuel at Port Au Prince International Airport which was 4 miles from the USNS Comfort. I tuned the Approach Control frequency in our radio and transmitted our intentions. It wasn’t easy making out their words through the heavy Creole accent. We quickly realized that the air traffic controllers were a lot more relaxed than those in the United States. They decided to keep everyone on the Approach Control frequency for the entirety of operations at the airport. After refueling, we landed back on the USNS Comfort: our first day of operations a complete success.

Keeping with the tradition of the HSC community, we’ve remained very flexible and have adapted to the dynamic environment of this mission. I know that each country will present new and different challenges, but our detachment is ready to step up to the plate. Our maintainers have already shown that they will not stop working until the aircraft are ready for every mission. They have been phenomenal. Due to their efforts, we are now able to fly both aircraft in order to help more people in need. I am excited for upcoming operations we’ll be flying in the Dominican Republic, Antigua, Colombia, Panama, El Salvador and Nicaragua. The HSC-26 Witch Doctors are proud to be a part of CONTINUING PROMISE 2009 onboard the USNS Comfort.

Haitian spectators gather to watch the Witch Doctors land Photo courtesy of LTJG Lindsay Robertson 63

SQUADRON UPDATES: HSC-26

Desert Hawks Continue To Make It Happen Article by LTJG Dave Yee, USN

T

h e Wo r l d F a m o u s D e s e r t Hawks (HSC-26, DET 1) continue to make things happen by providing logistical combat support for Allied ships in the FIFTH Fleet AOR. The mission of the Fun times with the Desert Hawks Desert Hawks is in Bahrain. Photo taken by AWS2 to provide direct support to FIFTH Justin McMahon Fleet Maritime Security Operations, the Struggle Against Violent Extremism, as well as support for Operations IRAQI FREEDOM and ENDURING FREEDOM. In just the past three months, the Desert Hawks have safely and efficiently delivered 24 tons of mail/cargo as well as 571 passengers to various destinations throughout the Arabian Gulf, including vital support to the Khawr Al Amaya Oil Terminal (KAAOT) and Al Basrah Oil Terminal (ABOT). These platforms represent a substantial percentage of the Iraqi foreign economy and their success is critical to the overall success of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. The typical Desert Hawk flight to the Northern Arabian Gulf, or “NAG run,” involves a 4.5 hour roundtrip in marginal visual meteorological conditions with high heat and humidity. Due to operational tasking, the detachment averages approximately six of these runs each week. While this repetitive routine of excellence tends to cause the flight crews to feel as though they are reliving the movie “Groundhog Day,” they always find ways to keep actively engaged throughout the often lengthy flights. Whether they are engrossed in identifying surface contacts in support of Commander Task Force Iraqi Maritime (CTF IM) collection efforts or conducting routine training, the aircrews do their most to maximize their flight time while accomplishing the mission.

The Desert Hawks had the distinct pleasure of transporting several dignitaries over the past few months. A few of our exclusive passengers included the Commandant of the United States Coast Guard, the Second Sea Lord of the British Royal Navy, and the Deputy Commander of U.S. Naval Forces, Central Command. The Desert Hawks frequently transport these Distinguished Visitors to attend high-level meetings as well as to meet the proud Sailors, Marines, Soldiers, and Airmen stationed throughout the region.

In addition to the routine mission of passenger, mail, and cargo transfer, the Desert Hawks recently enjoyed the opportunity to conduct joint training with the Bahraini Defense Force/Ministry of the Interior personnel by supporting staticline parajumps on April 8, 2009. Additionally, the Desert

Rotor Review # 105 Spring ‘09

Hawks worked with members of U.S. Navy Special Warfare Unit 3 by providing a solid platform from which to perform freefall parajumps that same day. The training exercises took place in the vicinity of Shaikh Isa Air Base towards the southern end of the island of Bahrain. Each of the parajump evolutions were a great success and all hands received excellent operational training.

One of the virtues that truly make the Desert Hawks “world famous” is their flexibility and adaptability to always get the mission accomplished. An excellent example of this occurred when the Desert Hawks had to temporarily relocate from their home base of Bahrain International Airport to Udairi, Kuwait during the weekend of April 25, 2009, in order to maintain their obligations as a capable SAR/MEDEVAC alert asset. The reason for this move was that the Bahrain International Airport was temporarily closed due to the annual Gulf Air Grand Prix F1 Race. With coordinated prior planning, the detachment was able to efficiently transfer two aircraft and four flight crews to Udairi for the weekend and even accomplish additional training in the process. In addition, the Desert Hawks multi-mission capability was called upon to execute two time critical missions in support of anti-piracy efforts in the Horn of Africa. Desert Hawk crews provided a solid platform for the training of Naval Special Warfare Snipers. One of the more interesting missions the Desert Hawks were tasked with was the night-time transport of a SEAL to the Maersk Arkansas in order to complete critical reconnaissance that may have been vital to the rescue of the captain of the Maersk Alabama. Ironically, the mission was cancelled shortly after takeoff when word reached Bahrain that the pirates holding the captain hostage had been shot and that the captain had been safely recovered.

The Desert Hawks continue to demonstrate why they are the best in the business, while completing 552 mishap-free flight hours over the past three months while attaining a 100% mission completion rate. This feat would not be possible were it not for the intrepid efforts of our dedicated maintenance crews who diligently work to continually provide “up” aircraft in spite of the brutal weather and frequent sandstorms.

The Desert Hawks are proud to continue to serve the various logistical needs of the U.S. FIFTH Fleet. HSC 26, DET 1 is an important asset to the FIFTH Fleet based upon their 24/7 SAR/MEDEVAC posture, Sea Combat and Strike capabilities, and adaptability to accomplish a wide variety of tasking safely, professionally, and on-time. Through their actions, they repeatedly demonstrate why they are the “go-to” unit to get the mission accomplished.

64

SQUADRON UPDATES: HM-14

Bi-Lateral Operations are Business as Usual for the Vanguard Article and Photo by LT Ian McColley, USN

A

s the day’s sun reached its apex, hundreds of fully loaded and heavily armed Republic of Korea (ROK) Marines stormed from the ramps of two MH-53E “Sea Dragons” to the cheers of onlookers who, until then, were only prepared to watch an all day soccer tournament. Though the landing was on the base’s highly visible parade field, the Legion of ROK Marines quickly disappeared into the thick wooded area surrounding it, the sound of their footsteps masked only by the rumbling of their departing armored chariots.

Working jointly with allied nations is nothing new for the men and women who worked so hard to put this mission together.

The Vanguard of Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron FOURTEEN, based in Norfolk, VA, has had a detachment in the SEVENTH Fleet AOR since early September of 2007. This detachment, known as HM-14 Det ONE, has been a shining beacon of international cooperation and brotherhood from their early days at MCAS Iwakuni, Japan, to their current station in Pohang, Republic of Korea. The pilots, aircrew, and maintainers of the detachment have been committed to the spirit of goodwill and friendship, building bridges and forging lasting bonds between nations that will never be broken.

The most recent example of this bilateral cooperation was during a joint operation consisting of ROK Marine and Naval forces, and HM-14 Det ONE. Over the span of two days in early May, Det ONE was fortunate to be invited to participate in an amphibious assault exercise meticulously coordinated by ROK planners. While the exercise was primarily for the ROK Marines’ benefit, HM-14 was able to get valuable DLQ training while providing combat logistics support as well.

The first day largely benefitted The Vanguard, allowing both of their aircraft and all of the detachment’s pilots to recage their Deck Landing Qualifications. The aircraft were escorted to the DOKDO (LPH 6111), the ROK Navy’s newest Amphibious Assault Ship and similar to U.S. LHA’s, by ROK UH-60 helicopters. Once there, the Big Iron participated in a photo exercise, dwarfing the UH-60’s on deck and forcing the DOKDO’s wake to momentarily “rooster tail” as its massive frame settled onto the aft spot. The pilots then completed several historic deck landings, while the DOKDO’s tower maintained separation between the foreign aircraft without interruption or delay to flight operations.

The real test was on the horizon. The next day’s events would focus on landing on the DOKDO to pick up a total of 270 ROK Marines alongside four, 6th Air Wing UH-60’s in an amphibious air assault exercise which resulted in final delivery of ROK Marines to multiple LZ’s around Eastern Korea.

HM-14’s two aircraft broke the post-dawn quiet as both rotor heads released simultaneously, shedding the dew from their massive blades like a pair of awaking lions shaking trifling pests from their glorious manes. After a night’s slumber, the aircraft and crew

Rotor Review # 105 Spring ‘09

Vanguard’s MH-53E lined up with two UH-60s were prepared for the hunt. Released for immediate departure by their dedicated maintenance team, the aircraft throttled across the taxiway in unison, lifting into the morning mist with a roar that roused the entire animal kingdom.

It would be more than an hour until they were seen again, their next checkpoint being several miles off-shore from the Eastern Korean Peninsula. It was there, in an area commonly referred to in classified briefings as “parts unknown”, they would quickly and efficiently embark their warrior cargo, ultimately, for a low-level combat troop insertion to the landing zone. Onlookers watched the skies with nervous anticipation as the scheduled arrival time ticked closer, anxious to get a glimpse of their formidable soldiers teamed with 65,000 pounds of sovereign U.S. territory. Points to the sky were followed by shouts marking the arrival of the two aircraft thundering just over the buildings of the nearby city.

The helicopters shook Mother Earth as they passed overhead, turning in a tight formation for a flawless approach and landing on the field. The ramps lowered and the soccer HM-14 preparing to bring tournament crowd ROK Marines onboard the cheered as the ROK MH-53E Marines, with a pop in their step and fire in their eyes, stormed the field ready for battle with trade weapons in hand. The camouflaged troops disappeared into the trees as the “Big Iron” lifted into the air, shrouding themselves in a typhoon of grass, seasonal pollen and dust.

After one more run to the ship and the make-shift landing site, the day was over and considered a complete success. HM-14 Det ONE is proud to serve with their brothers in arms from their host nations, and relish the opportunity to assist in maintaining regional stability through power projection.

65

SQUADRON UPDATES: HSC-28 / HS-2

VERTREP Through Cruise!

Article by LTJG Dave Athay, USN

S

ince leaving Norfolk the last week of February, HSC-28 DET TWO has provided critical logistics support to the Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group and ships currently conducting FIFTH Fleet Area of Responsibility (AOR).

Halfway through our five-month deployment aboard USNS Sacagawea, the detachment is going strong and expects continued success until our return.

Through March and April, DET TWO MH-60S aircraft moved over 1000 tons of cargo and logged over 120 flight hours.

The maintenance personnel and aircrews were regularly hard at work several hours before sunrise preparing for Vertical Replenishment (VERTREP) operations. VERTREP allows our warships to remain on station and maintain the forward presence necessary to carry out their missions. DET TWO The crew of HSC-28 DET TWO onboard Sacagawea. maintainers completed an A-PHASE inspection, ensuring that the detachment is ready to answer the call for whatever missions TWO has also enjoyed liberty in Rota, Spain; Sigonella, Sicily; might come our way.

Djibouti; Fujairah, UAE; and the Kingdom of Bahrain. After DET TWO has provided logistical support to ships a brief stop in Souda Bay, Crete, our transit through the Suez directly involved in protecting American citizens overseas and Canal was a scenic and memorable experience. executing our foreign policy. One of our “customers”, the USS As we transition to having more of the deployment Bainbridge, was the ship responsible for the mission which behind us than ahead, DET TWO is going strong and is in safely recovered Captain Richard Phillips, of the container ship position to continue supporting our Navy’s Maersk Alabama, from the hands of Somali pirates. operations in FIFTH Fleet AOR. We miss our DET TWO Sailors continue to sharpen their minds families and loved ones, but we thank them for through regular training and work toward advancement. their support and look forward to returning to Fourteen sailors participated in Navy-wide advancement exams them with our heads held high at the end of a on all levels, and we are eagerly awaiting the results. DET successful mission.

The “World Famous Golden Falcons” of HS-2 to become HSC-12

Aric Article by LTJG Christopher Iole, USN

O

n August 6th, 2009 the Navy’s oldest HS squadron will officially be re-designated HSC-12. Since the squadron’s establishment in 1952, it has flown several aircraft, most recently the SH-60F and HH-60H. The Foxtrot and Hotel are now being retired as the squadron accepts brand-new MH-60S armed helicopters.

The squadron will lose the Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) mission but Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron TWELVE (HSC12) will continue to focus on the core mission areas of Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR), Naval Special Warfare (NSW), Anti-Surface Warfare (ASUW) and Logistics.

HS-2 has a long and distinguished history. Over the past fifty-seven years, HS-2 has been at the forefront of tactical proficiency, technological innovation, and humanitarian service among Naval Rotary Wing Aviation. The men and women of

Rotor Review # 105 Spring ‘09

HSC-12 will carry on that legacy, ever mindful of the historical roots from which they came.

The transition ceremony will be held on August 6th 2009 at 1000, in the squadron’s hangar space (Bldg 1456) onboard NAS North Island. All former Golden Falcons are encouraged to attend as we honor the men and women who have made HS-2 “World Famous”. For further information please contact the HS-2 Public Affairs Officer, LTJG Christopher Iole at 619-545-7008 or by e-mail to christopher.iole@navy.mil.

The new HSC-12 logo 66

SQUADRON UPDATE: HSC-21

“African Horn Nights” The Ballad of HSC-21 Detachment THREE Article by LTJG Greg Wood, USN

T

he Blackjacks of HSC-21 Detachment THREE are very lucky to have been designated the Search and Rescue asset to the USS Boxer. From standing an attentive Alert 5 posture through the Strait of Hormuz, to spending innumerable watchful hours flying the Starboard Delta during AV-8B operations, Detachment 3 has provided over 850 hours of vigilant SAR duty. The hours spent providing Search and Rescue for the Air Combat Element of the THIRTEENTH Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) has proven HSC-21 DET THREE to be an integral component in Combined Task Force 151’s War on Terror in the Gulf of Aden.

H o w e v e r, the accolades aren’t limited to just Search and Rescue.

HSC-21 DET THREE has performed a multitude of missions for

A Marine of the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (13 MEU carries a 50-caliber gun across the Boxer flight deck. Photo taken by MC3 Matthew Jackson, USN. the Boxer and PHIBRON FIVE. DET THREE has moved over 900 passengers throughout the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group (ARG).

Passenger, mail, and cargo (PMC) missions within the ARG have been vital to overall mission planning and effectiveness, resulting in swift movement of senior leadership and other vital personnel.

PMC sorties were not just limited within the ARG. Several missions to foreign ship decks and airfields including the Danish L16 HDMS Absalon, Bahrain International Airfield, Djbouti Ambouli, and Mombasa Moi International have represented the United States Navy and helped promote positive international relations.

HSC-21 DET THREE has also provided a valuable asset through vertical replenishment single-handedly moving one-and-a-half million pounds of cargo to and from the Boxer.

Eighty-four thousand pounds of mail were expeditiously delivered to the hard-working crewmembers by HSC-21 helicopters, which simultaneously delivered a high level of morale and welfare to the crew during this long deployment.

Performing Sea Surface Control for Combined Task Force 151 has proven to be the most unique and rewarding mission for the DET thus far. CTF 151 tasked the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group with combating piracy and terrorism in and around the Gulf of Aden. Throughout the past few months, HSC-21 Detachment THREE has been a fundamental element in the completion of the anti-piracy missions. Supporting the THIRTEENTH MEU’s Air Combat Element as a SAR asset enabled prosecution of piracy in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.

Rotor Review # 105 Spring ‘09

Armed with M240-D gas-operated, air-cooled, fully automatic machine guns, and crew served M-11 weapons, HSC21 DET THREE also enhanced the defenses and situational awareness of the Boxer by detecting, tracking, identifying and prosecuting suspected pirates in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean. Oftentimes, the DET was called upon to investigate unidentified dhow and skiff contacts within the vicinity of the Boxer, as well as merchant vessels transiting through the Gulf of Aden. This mission has deterred potential acts of terrorism throughout vital shipping lanes from the Mediterranean Sea to the Indian Ocean and strengthened the hold of Combined Task Force 151 in the area of responsibility in making the waters safe for merchant ships.

Additionally, under control of Combined Task Force 151, the Detachment has worked with a myriad of Special Operations and Special Forces. SAR Jumps plus invaluable training alongside Air Force parajumpers and Navy SEALS has greatly enhanced Detachment THREE’s aptitude for defending merchant shipping lanes from dangerous pirate assaults.

Specifically, HSC-21 DET THREE was directly responsible for the infamous public transfer of Navy SEALS to the USS Bainbridge, then flying the Maersk Alabama’s Captain Phillips to the Boxer, followed by the movement of a suspected pirate and three dead pirates from the Bainbridge to the Boxer.

Needless to say, HSC-21 DET THREE’s tactical readiness and excellent training allowed for the ability to successfully complete these missions.

The Blackjacks of HSC-21 are proud of the men and women assigned to Detachment THREE deployed aboard the Boxer. Their hard work and sacrifice have made a direct impact on the safety of the high seas.

An aircrewman from HSC-21 conducts a pre-flight inspection Photo taken by MC3 Matthew Jackson., USN 67

Book Review By LCDR Benjamin “BJ” Armstrong, USN

S

Charles Lester Morris, Pioneering the Helicopter, McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York, 1945.

Republished by Kessinger Publishing, Whitefish, MT, 2008.

eventy years ago Charles Lester Morris met Igor Sikorsky in Wasington D.C. at a meeting of private pilots organized by the editor of “Sportsman Pilot Magazine.” Mr. Morris was the guest speaker, the Commissioner of Aeronautics for the state of Connecticut, and was surprised to find the famous Russian standing at his elbow after his talk. That brief, and honestly awkward, introduction drew Morris directly into the heart of the helicopter’s development as Sikorsky told him “I would be very pleased if you could drop down from Hartford some day and give me the benefit of your advice.” Pioneering the Helicopter is Les Morris’s memoir of the years he spent with Sikorsky Aircraft as one of the company’s first test pilots. For today’s aviators it is a reminder of the not-so-distant past, when helicopter operations were not only experimental but suspect the eyes of the rest of aviation.

Morris joined the Sikorsky team in 1941, a year and a half after the first flight of the VS-300. Despite missing their first flight he rapidly became a part of the lineup and relates the history of the experiments at the Vought-Sikorsky facility in Bridgeport, Connecticut. He served initially as a consultant to the project, rapidly coming up to speed on helicopter theory and aerodynamics while providing suggestions on construction and equipment selection. It wasn’t long before he graduated to the position of Test Pilot and made his first flight in the VS-300 on May 12, 1941.

The book is made up of thirteen chapters tracing the development of the VS-300 and the R-4, the first military helicopter.

Woven into the history is writing on early helicopter aerodynamics, previous experimental craft, and introductions to the people that made rotary-wing aviation a reality in the United States. In chapter six, “I Am Fledged,” Morris discusses his first experience at the controls of the helicopter. It is fascinating reading, describing his initial frustration which turned into awe as he taught himself out how to hover and fly the aircraft. It expresses feelings that almost all helicopter pilots will recognize as they remember their flight training, even more inspiring since Morris was teaching himself in an aircraft with a single set of controls.

The development of the Sikorsky R-4 takes up the second half of the book. From the initial design considerations, to proving the bird’s capabilities to suspicious military aviators, Morris was intimately involved in all of it. In Chapter 9, “History in the Making” Morris writes about the first long distance helicopter cross-country, where he piloted the prototype R-4 from the Sikorsky plant to Wright Field in Ohio for delivery to the Army Air Force. The chapter describes the helicopter’s issues with density altitude and temperature, weather as Morris maneuvered around summer storms, as well as navigation. He described the chase car full of mechanics that made the trip with him, and in classic helicopter navigation he flew IFR…I Follow Roads…and wrote that “my maps were marked with the same route they would take,

Rotor Review # 105 Spring ‘09

Book Review

“Pioneering the Helicopter”

Sikorsky R-4. so I followed it closely, always ready to land in some little field beside the road should the slightest thing seem wrong.”

Toward the end of the book Morris briefly covers a number of the early accomplishments of the R-4. These include water landings on floats, initial flight training for the first group of military helicopter pilots and (most importantly for this journal) the very first shipboard landings. Morris describes operations aboard the S.S. Bunker Hill in the summer of 1943.

H.F. Gregory, at the time an Army Major, was at the controls as the first helicopter DLQ’s were performed on Long Island Sound. In order to test the capability the helicopter the War Shipping Administration (WSA) and Army Air Force (AAF) jointly built a landing platform on the ship and Gregory made twenty-three landings, testing wind envelopes and approach profiles. This successful operation led to other tests as the WSA and AAF, and eventually even the U.S. Navy, began to realize the possibility of using the helicopter to help protect Atlantic convoys from Nazi submarines.

In Pioneering the Helicopter Charles Lester Morris presented readers with an important first-hand insight into the development of the military helicopter. The book itself is a piece of history and the excitement of the early years of rotary-wing aviation is almost tangible. Morris’s writing style and tone are straight out of the 1940’s, but reading the book reminded me of listening to the stories of my Grandfather, a B-24 pilot in WWII. For today’s Naval Aviators the book is an important link to our past and provides interesting insights into the procedures and methods that we take for granted as the basics today.

68

The Crew of Indian 617

O

n the day of Tuesday, May 19, 2009 while conducting a routing training mission with the USS Nimitz (CVN-68), the fallen aircrew of “Indian 617,” lost out at sea off the coast of Southern California. Hundreds of families, friends, and shipmates pay homage to these fallen heroes during a memorial service on May 28 aboard USS Midway Museum. The crew included LCDR Eric “Purv” Purvis, LT. Allison “Cholula” Oubre, AW1 Samuel “G” Kerslake, AW2 Sean “Wardo” Ward, and AW2 Aaron “Ski” Clingman.

During the service, CAPT Frank Harrison, Commodore of COMHSCWINGPAC eulogized about the aircrew and described them “unique in every way… just as their (commanding officer) knows, that they would want their shipmates to strap back in and continue flying the mission – it’s what they would have done. They were all leaders, and we need to continue following their examples.”

Lucky 41

Article by LT Jennifer McCollough, CHSCWP

O

n the evening of Tuesday, May 5, 2009, “Lucky 41,” an AH-1W Super Cobra from 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing crashed shortly before midnight in the Cleveland National Forest in eastern San Diego County. The crew included Capt. Jessica Conkling, 27, of Centre, PA., and Capt.

Aaron Cox, 26, of Little Rock, AR. Both were Stingers of HMLA267, but temporarily assigned to HMM-166 (REIN) as part of the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit preparing to deploy this fall.

Captain Conkling graduated from Penn State University and was commissioned in December 2004 following Officer Candidate School. Captain Cox graduated and received his commission from the United States Naval Academy in May 2005. Both completed The Basic School in Quantico, Virginia before joining VT-2 for primary Rotor followed Review by # 105 Spring ‘09Wing Training at HT-18. flight training, Advanced Rotary Capt Conkling was winged in June 2007 and Capt Cox in November

2008. Upon completion of the Replacement Aircrew Syllabus at HMT-303, both joined the Stingers of HMLA-267. In July 2008, First Lieutenant Conkling joined HMM-262 (REIN) as part of the Aviation Combat Element of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit in Okinawa, Japan. She served as the H-1 NATOPS officer while deployed and was promoted to Captain on 1 January 2009 before returning to HMLA-267 on 12 January 2009. In June 2009, both joined the SeaElk of HMM-166 (REIN) as part of the Aviation Combat Element of the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit. Captain Cox was posthumously promoted to the rank of Captain on 8 May 2009.

Captain Conkling is survived by her father, Thomas W. Conkling, her mother, Sara L. Conkling, her sister, Amy L. Bennett, and her brother Thomas S. Conkling. In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made to the Penn State Libraries at 510 Paterno Library, University Park, PA 16802. Donated funds will be used to purchase military and culinary books in Jess’s honor, as these were her two great loves.

Captain Cox is survived by his father, Randall G. Cox, mother, Doris J. Brown and sister, Miriam E. Cox of Little Rock, Arkansas. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to The Aaron Cox Memorial Scholarship Fund (to benefit Little Rock Central High School), c/o Arkansas Community Foundation, 69 Markham, Suite 206, Little Rock, Arkansas, 72201, or The 1400 West National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, www. nchv.org.

Perspective of 2009 Symposium

NHA Closing Remarks

Excerpt of RADM Gary R. Jones’ Closing Remarks at the 2009 NHA Symposium

T

hank you for allowing me the opportunity to close this exceptional Symposium, and a special thanks to all those responsible for putting together and hosting what has been one of the finest NHA Symposiums I’ve attended. I’d like to personally recognize and acknowledge RADM (Ret) Steve Tomaszeski and Col (Ret) Howard Whitfield for their untiring dedication and service to NHA, not only during this Symposium, but all year long.

Let me also recognize CAPT (Ret) George Barton, one of the driving forces behind the Helo CONOPS, and publicly thank him for his commitment and dedication toward ensuring this masterful plan became a reality. George, to you and the many others who worked the Helo CONOPS, we are in your debt – thank you.

To all the retired Flag Officers and pioneers of the Naval Helicopter Association in attendance, a special thanks to you for your years of dedicated service to our Navy and the rotary wing community, and for your continuing support and sage guidance. (In attendance: RADM (Ret) Ron Christenson, RADM (Ret) Chris Cole, RADM (Ret) Mac McLaughlin, RADM (Ret) Bill Terry, RADM (Ret) Steve Tomaszeski, and RADM (Ret) JJ Waickwicz.)

While it feels like just yesterday, I know by looking in the mirror this morning that it has been quite a few years since I attended my first NHA Symposium. No matter the time that has passed, the ties that have been created over the years with my fellow aviators are just as strong today as when I pinned on my Wings of Gold nearly 33 years ago.

This year’s Symposium has been extraordinary, and I am exceedingly honored to make a few closing comments. This

is a special opportunity for me because it marks the last time I will address this gathering in a uniform. While I will soon be retiring from the Navy, I count my service with you, my fellow Naval Aviators and Rotary Wing pilots, as one of the greatest privileges of my life.

We use the term Naval Aviators very appropriately because the world’s finest maritime pilots fly daily in the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. Together we form the world’s most formidable maritime force!

The Centennial of Naval Aviation kicks-off in January 2011 and continues as a yearlong celebration with events worldwide.

Remembering our history and the evolution of aviation, as well as the many who sacrificed their all to get us where we are today is important.

We learn from our history.

In 1901 RADM George Melville wrote in the North American Review that neither the dirigible airship nor the powered flying machine would ever prove of any commercial value, let alone of any importance in warfare. RADM Melville called flight – “wholly unwarranted if not absurd.”

Nobody ever said making Admiral gives you wisdom!

Rotary wing aircraft have come a long way since the early days when the primary duty was logistics, SAR, and the emergency evacuation of wounded. While these missions still exist and are important capabilities, we have repeatedly demonstrated and proven the incredible viability and versatility of rotary wing aircraft to the warfighter in the maritime domain.

In the past, our Navy was primarily focused on blue-water operations that relegated helicopters to a “supporting” role, while TACAIR and other maritime assets were rightly designated as “supported.” Today, the balance has shifted toward the littorals, and the Navy now relies more heavily upon rotary wing assets to perform Continue on page 71

NAVAL HELICOPTER ASSOCIATION, INC The Navy Helicopter Association, Inc was founded on 2 November 1971 by the twelve rotary wing pioneers listed below.

The bylaws were later formally written and the organization was established as a nonprofit association in the State of California 11 May 1978. In 1987 the bylaws were rewritten, changing the name from Navy to Naval to reflect the close relationship of the rotary wing community in the Coast Guard, Marine Corps and Navy, from initial training to operating many similar aircraft. NHA is a 501 ( C ) (7) nonprofit association.

NHA Founding Members CAPT A.E. Monahan CAPT M.R. Starr CAPT A.F. Emig Mr. H. Nachlin

CDR H.F. McLinden CDR W. Straight Mr. R. Walloch CDR P.W. Nicholas

CDR D.J. Hayes CAPT C.B. Smiley CAPT J.M. Purtell CDR H.V. Pepper

Objectives of NHA Provide recognition and enhance the prestige of the United States Naval vertical flight community.

Promote the use of vertical lift aircraft in the U. S. Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard.

Keep members informed of new developments and accomplishments in rotary wing aviation.

Rotor Review # 105 Spring ‘09

70

Perspective of 2009 Symposium Continued from page 70

ASW, SUW, Mine Countermeasure, NSW, and other missions in the demanding and often perilous maritime domain.

I would charge you to remember the awesome power and responsibility of your jobs as naval aviators. U.S. naval forces are our Nation’s 911 service, and the long distance provider is Naval Aviation.

Guarding the shores of our Nation and keeping the world’s sea lanes free, open, and efficient are things that need to be done by maritime services, whether it’s the Navy, the Coast Guard, or the Marine Corps.

Everyday naval helicopters are operating with Carrier and Expeditionary Strike Groups around the globe in support of Maritime Security Operations.

I charge you to always remember that flight crews are not the only celebrities at sea. Maintenance and flight deck personnel (constant superstars in all my years of Naval Aviation) work minor miracles daily keeping our aircraft in an “UP and READY” status with minimal manning and parts – they too are heroes.

Our Navy leadership realizes that prevention of conflict and the preservation of peace go beyond traditional strength. We must be able to operate across a range of environments and circumstances, which is why in our Maritime Strategy we expanded our capabilities to include Maritime Security and Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Response.

From combat in Iraq and Afghanistan to relief operations around the globe and here at home, the Navy and Marine Corps Team has proven ready to meet any task, and answer any challenge.

Our Navy and Marine Corps are undergoing a significant transformation in readiness posture, deployment strategies, and manpower initiatives. Under real-world combat conditions, we are demonstrating the undeniable flexibility and capability to take the fight to the enemy! This is a Team sport, and in the dynamic and dangerous post-9/11 security environment, you and I must daily commit ourselves to ensure we are always playing an away game.

In my nearly 34 years of naval service, I have been uncertain about many things – but of one thing I have never had a doubt. My

career in the Navy and in Naval Aviation – in ROTARY WING AVIATION – has been a dream come true.

You should have no doubt in your minds that your careers are also the stuff dreams are made of. This truly is the Golden Age of Rotary Wing Aviation. 573 new Romeo’s and Sierra’s, growing from 35 to 41 squadrons. Helo CONOPS are here and now today! HSM 71 and HSC 8 are deployed and doing a tremendous job right onboard USS Stennis. There are 2 rotary wing aviators in command of CVN’s, and 5 more in the CVN CO pipeline. There are at least 7 rotary wing aviators in the Big Deck CO/XO pipeline. We have several more in the PHIBRON/MCMRON pipeline.

The reason for these and other significant personal and professional achievements is not due to any quota system.

These rotary wing pilots, these fellow NAVAL AVIATORS, are the best and fully qualified to lead our Sailors with imagination, and a breadth of vision and courage that has been the hallmark of Naval Aviation for nearly 100 years, and the legacy of the United States Navy for over 233 years.

As rotary wing aviators, you have countless opportunities to excel and to make a positive difference in our Navy, and for this great Nation. True professionals always welcome scrutiny and demanding competition – and we in the rotary wing community are PROFESSIONAL AVIATORS. I know the future is bright for Naval Aviation, for the rotary wing community, for our Navy – Marine Corps Team, and for our Nation. Our future is now, and it is ours for the taking.

Let me close by sincerely thanking you for your dedicated service. For at the end of the day, at the end of a Symposium, at the end of a deployment, and especially at the end of a career, it is first and foremost about service to our Shipmates, our Navy, and our Nation.

Thank you, and may God Bless.

The Next Issue of the

focuses on IA: Not Just Your Average Rotary Wing Aviator.

All photo and article submissions need to be no later than August 19, 2009 to your Rotor Review community editor or NHA Design Editor. Any further questions, please contact the NHA National Office at 619.435.7139 or editors@navalhelicopterassn.org Rotor Review # 105 Spring ‘09

71

“STUFF” ORDER FORM

DATE : ________________________

Please circle items, note the style, desired size, and indicate an alternative if possible.

Item Style Ball Caps Pilot/Aircrew Wings

NHA Logo

MH-60R/S

SH-60B/F

H-46/H-3

Color Khaki, Navy, Red, Charcoal, Sand, Black, White, Navy, Black, Light Blue, Slate Blue Khaki, Sand, Navy, Orange, Red, Black, Charcoal, White, Woven Khaki, Sand, Navy, Orange, Red Khaki/ Various Colors

Price $15.00

Polo Shirts

NHA Logo / MH-60R/S PING: NHA Logo PING: MH-60R/S NHA Wings, Pilot Wings Outer Banks: NHA Logo

Various Colors Various Colors Various Colors Navy, Ensign Blue, Gray (PING) Blue/Royal Blue striped, Red

$35.00 (Call for Sizes $35.00 on all shirts) $35.00 $40.00 $40.00

Windbreakers

NHA logo

Ensign Blue, Black, Navy

$50.00

Ladies Polos

NHA Gold Helix

White

$10.00

Misc “Stuff” Description

Glass tumbler set NHA w/logo etched (2 per set) Calculator/Calendar combo NHA License Plate Frame** Chrome

Size

$15.00 $15.00 $15.00 $15.00

Price $10.00 $10.00 $8.00**(Only this item includes shipping)

***(PLEASE ADD 15% FOR PRIORITY SHIPPING)*** NAME: ______________________________________________________________________ BILLING ADDRESS: __________________________________________________________ CITY, STATE, ZIP: ____________________________________________________________ (MC/VISA) CC # ______________________________________________EXP___________ CCV__________ CASH or CHECK_____________________________

ORDER TOTAL________________________(including shipping and handling) Gift Message / Shipping Address / Same as above: _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ Walk-In: NHA is located in Bldg 654 on Rogers Rd. aboard NAS North Island.

Mail-In: NHA, P.O. BOX 180578 Coronado, CA 92178-0578 TEL: (619) 435-7139 FAX: (619) 435-7354 EMAIL: rotorrev@simplyweb.net

Rotor Review # 105 Spring ‘09

72

(version 07.09)

Stuff

Sale

A. New Izod Polo Shirt

NHA Logo with or without wings

(Call for Sizes) Navy Blue w/black stipes $35.00

A

B. Windbreakers

NHA logo

(Call for Sizes) Ensign Blue, Black, Navy $50.00

C. Other Polo Shirts (Call for Sizes)

$40.00

NHA Wings, Pilot Wings Navy, Ensign Blue Outer Banks NHA Logo Blue/Royal Blue striped, Red

Ladies Polos NHA Gold Helix (not shown) White

$10.00

D. Ball Caps

$15.00

Pilot/Aircrew Wings Khaki, Navy, Red, Charcoal, Sand, Black, White, NHA Logo: Navy, Black, Light Blue, Slate Blue MH-60R/S: Khaki, Sand, Navy, Orange, Red, Black, Charcoal, White, Woven SH-60B/F: Khaki, Sand, Navy, Orange, Red H-46/H-3: Khaki/ Various Colors Walk-In: NHA is located in Bldg 654 on Rogers Rd. aboard NAS North Island.

Mail-In: NHA, P.O. BOX 180578 Coronado, CA 92178-0578 TEL: (619) 435-7139 FAX: (619) 435-7354 EMAIL: rotorrev@simplyweb.net **Mail Delivery: 15% is added for shipping and handling**

D B

C