Rotor Review Spring 2012 #117

Number 117 Spring 2012

INCLUDING

VIRTUAL FLIGHT ACADEMY

AMERICA’S DETACHMENT IN THAILAND

Rotor Review # 117 Spring ‘12

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HELICOPTERS IN THE EARLY DAYS

SOME THINGS YOU NEVER LEAVE TO CHANCE. MARITIME SECURITY IS ONE OF THEM.

Maritime security demands the most advanced multi-mode anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare helicopter. One with a sophisticated mission system that provides complete situational awareness.

One with network-enabled data links that allow information sharing and instant decision making.

One that is operationally proven and in production.

www.mh-60.com

MH-60R. The right choice for Maritime Security.

Rotor Review # 117 Spring ‘12

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Cover art by George Hopson, NHA Art Editor.

Naval Helicopter Association

Number 117 / Spring ‘12

©2012 Naval Helicopter Association, Inc., all rights reserved

Features Editor

LCDR Kristin Ohleger, USN

Design Editor George Hopson

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HSC-3 Trains for Fire Season MC2 Gabriel Weber, USN

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MH-60S Armed Helicopters: The Way Forward for the Amphibious Ready Group LT Clinton Johnson,USN

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America’s Detachment in Thailand LTJG B. Luke Scripture, USN

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NHA Active & Retired Special Events Dinner CAPT Vincent C. Secades, USN (Ret)

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Aircrewman / Special Missions Editor

AWCM Carl T. Bailey II, USN (Ret)

HSC / HS / HM Editor LT Chris McDonald, USN

Focus Page 21

HSL/HSM Editor

LT Scott Lippincott, USN LT David Terry USN

USCG Editor

LT Shannon Whitaker, USCG

Page 41

Technical Advisor

LCDR Chip Lancaster, USN (Ret)

Historical Editor

CAPT Vincent Secades, USN (Ret)

Page 58

Printing by SOS Printing, Inc San Diego, California

Rotary-Wing Aviation’s Next 100 Years: Symposium Highlights 2012 NHA Golf Tournament LTJG Francisco Arboleda

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Exhibit Hall Review LTJG Pat Leahey, USN

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NHA Keynote Address LTJG Pat Leahey, USN

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NHA Safety Symposium in Review LTJG Pat Leahey, USN

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2012 NHA Awards Luncheon LCDR Steve Mielke, USN

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Fishing Vessel Midnite Sun Rescue Author

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Sand Trials: The 2012 NHA Symposium 5K and Aircrew Challenge LTJG Clay Collier

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NHA Member’s Reunion LT Aaron Willmarth, USN

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NHA 2012: Senior Enlisted Panel LTJG Devin Sedlak, USN

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NHA 2012: Captains of Industry Panel LTJG Devin Sedlak, USN

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NHA Flag Panel LTJG Daitra Pierson, USN

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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 # 117 Spring ‘12

In appreciation of our advertisers Lockheed Martin University of San Diego Navy Mutual Aid Association Hovergirl Properties USAA Robertson Fuel Systems L.L.C. Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation

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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 Bell Helicopter Textron, Inc Boeing Integrated Defense Systems Breeze-Eastern CAE Inc. Delex Systems, Inc EADS North America ExxonMobil Aviation Lubricants FLIR Systems, Inc. G.E. Aircraft Engines Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Sensors LSI, Inc L3 Communications / Crestview Aerospace.

L3 Communications / D.P. Associates Inc. L3 Communications / Ocean Systems L3 Communications / Vertex Aerospace Navy Mutual Aid Association Northrop Grumman Integrated Systems Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems Robertson Fuel Systems L.L.C. Rockwell Collins Corporation Rolls-Royce Corporation Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation Telephonics Corporation UTC Aerospace Systems

National Officers

President................................................. CDR Michael Ruth, USN V/P Corp Mem......................... CAPT Don Williamson, USN (Ret) V/P Awards .......................................CDR Matt Niedzwiecki, USN V/P Membership ........................................CDR Jason Burns, USN V/P Symposium 2013............................................................. TBA Secretary........................................................LCDR J.J. Mott, USN Treasurer ....................................................LT Ryan Klamper, USN “Stuff”.........................................................LT Gabe Stevens, USN Senior NAC Advisor.........................AWCM David Crossan, USN Executive Director.................Col. Howard Whitfield, USMC (Ret) Admin/Rotor Review Design Editor........................George Hopson Membership/Symposium ......................................... Colby Shearer

Directors at Large

Chairman........................RADM Steven J. Tomaszeski, USN (Ret) CAPT Mike Baxter, USNR (Ret) CAPT Chuck Deitchman, USN (Ret) CAPT Greg Hoffman, USN (Ret) CAPT John McGill, USN (Ret) CAPT Dave Moulton, USNR (Ret) CAPT Dennis Dubard, USN (Ret) CAPT Paul Stevens, USN (Ret) CAPT Bill Personius, USN (Ret)

Regional Officers

Region 1 - San Diego

Directors.………………..............CAPT Shoshana Chatfield, USN

CAPT Jeff Hughes, USN President..…............................................... CDR Tres Dehay, USN

Region 2 - Washington D.C.

NHA Scholarship Fund President...................................CAPT Paul Stevens, USN(Ret) V/P Operations........................................CDR Chris Hewlett, USN V/P Fundraising .......................................LT Sutton Bailey, USNR V/P Scholarships ........................CAPT Kevin “Bud” Couch, USN V/P CFC Merit Scholarship.............LT Jennifer Huck, USN Treasurer..................................LT Brad Davenport, USN Corresponding Secretary..................LT Sam Wheeler, USN Finance Committee.............................CDR Kron Littleton, USN (Ret)

Director ..…………...…………........CAPT Steve Schreiber, USN President ..................................................CAPT Dan Fillion, USN

Region 3 - Jacksonville

Director .....................................................CAPT Dan Boyle, USN President................................................CDR William Walsh, USN

Region 4 - Norfolk

Director ................................................ CAPT Paul Esposito, USN President .....................................................CDR Pat Everly, USN

Region 5 - Pensacola

Directors.............................................Col James Grace, USMC

NHA Historical Society President...................................CAPT Bill Personius, USN(Ret) COO..........................................CDR Lloyd Parthemer, USN (Ret) Secretary ...........................CDR Joe Skrzypek, USN (Ret) T r e a s u r e r. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J o e P e l u s o

Rotor Review # 117 Spring ‘12

CAPT Thurman Maine, USCG

President ...........................................CDR Paul Bowdich, USN

2012 Fleet Fly-In.........................................LT Spencer Allen, USN

Far East Chapter

Director................................................CDR David Walt, USN

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Departments Number 117 / Spring ‘12

Editor’s Log

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Chairman’s Brief

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President’s Message

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Aircrewman‘s Corner

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NHA Scholarship Fund

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Executive Director’s Notes

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View from the Labs, Supporting the Fleet

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Letters to the Editor

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Industry and Technology

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LCDR Kristin Ohleger, USN RADM Steve Tomaszeski, USN (Ret) CDR Michael Ruth, USN

AWCM David Crossan, USN Page 15

CAPT Paul Stevens, USN (Ret) Col Howard Whitfield, USMC (Ret) CAPT George Galdorisi, USN (Ret) Page 26

There I Was 25

The Desert Hawks’ VIPFER Redemption LTJG Stephen Mattingly, USN

Historical Page 68

Page 77 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: rotorrev@simplyweb.net 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., 921780578, call (619) 435-7139 or FAX :(619) 435-7354 .

HELICOPTERS IN THE EARLY YEARS:The Joys of Driving a New and Unique Machine, Part One CDR Robert A. Close, USN

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2012 NHA Scholarship Winners

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Change of Command

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Squadron Updates

67

Engaging Rotors

77

Pulling Chocks

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Stuff

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Editors Emeritus

Wayne Jensen John Driver Andy Quiett Susan Fink Tracey Keef Bryan Buljat Todd Vorenkamp 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 # 117 Spring ‘12

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J ohn Ball Sean Laughlin Mike Curtis Bill Chase Maureen Palmerino Gabe Soltero Steve Bury

Editor’s Log

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elcome to Rotor Review 117!!

As we close out our year of celebrating 100 years of Naval Aviation, we look forward to what the next 100 years will bring. This year’s Naval Helicopter Association Symposium focused on just that: Rotary-Wing Aviation: The Next 100 Years. As with every Spring issue of Rotor Review, we will be reviewing the highlights of this year’s Symposium and its great success. I’m not going to go too much into that as many of our other contributors will discuss it in their columns.

I would like to thank CDR Carlin, LT Carlos Oroza, and LT Anne Crawford for all of their help with this issue of Rotor Review.

I cannot begin to explain the difficult task it is to plan all of the events for the Symposium,

let alone getting articles written on them. Without their help, this magazine would not have made it to your doors.

Those who volunteered to cover each of the events did a wonderful job and for those of you who missed this year’s Symposium, you will find that their articles will make you feel as if you were there too. Thank you all again, the Rotor Review team could not have done it without you.

Of course this issue has a few more articles than just the Symposium highlights.

I would like to bring attention to an article titled, Helicopters in the Early Days. It might be a long read, but it is well worth it. If the rest of you are like I am, you will love the sea stories and it will make you think of how easy we have it now. We have several squadron updates and a great

Industry and Technology article that I’d like to bring attention to as well.

This year’s symposium focused on what is to come in the future. Just like the rest of Naval Aviation, Rotor Review is about to change a little too. Out with the old and in with the new… I think we’ll wait and talk a little more about that in the next issue.

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

LCDR Kristin Ohleger, USN Rotor Review Editor-in-Chief

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he theme of our 2012 NHA Symposium in Norfolk, VA., was Rotary Wing Aviation: The Next Hundred Years. Our Symposium committee (over 30 strong officer/enlisted volunteers), were led by Skipper “Marvelous” Marv Carlin, HSC-2, and his assistant (in a returning role) LT Anne Crawford.

The team planned, coordinated, and executed a superior symposium whose objective was to sustain the enthusiasm and momentum from our Centennial San Diego symposium. Mission accomplished, in spades! This 117th edition of Rotor Review is dedicated to NHA’s Symposium and our 831 registered attendees.

Chairman’s Brief

My Debrief

highlight of the Reunion was the 1. Members Reunion: (LT Anne number of retired members who Crawford, OIC): Over 900 members attended. While space does not and industry partners in attendance allow me to mention them all, it at a new venue, the Half Moone was grand to see Rear Admirals: Cruise & Celebration Center in Christenson, Roberti, Jesburg, downtown Norfolk. Once again, Ruehe, Grannzzo, Hall, Jones NHA was treated to Red Bull’s and Duffy; and an honor to host Aerial Sports Helicopter flight Navy Cross awardee Captain Bill demonstration despite threatening Young, USN (Ret). Also, Captain weather. The Red Bull helicopter, Joe Purtell, USN (Ret), one of piloted by Chuck “Malibu” Aaron, NHA’s founding fathers, traveled took off between squall lines and all the way from Melbourne, FL. performed an incredible acrobatic to enjoy the entire Symposium. flight demonstration over the It was a Reunion well worth the Norfolk skyline. Front page picture effort. in the Norfolk paper the next day.

Chuck is the first - and only - civilian 2. Keynote Address: (LTs Pfeiffer pilot ever to be licensed to perform and Koetter): Our “own” VADM helo aerobatics in the U.S. and Kendall “Huck” Card, Deputy he joined us later at the Reunion.

Chief of Naval Operations The majority of us had to ensure for Information Dominance/ our spouses and friends that we Director of Naval Intelligence. would never do anything like the He addressed the impact naval rotary wing aviation has flying Chuck performs!

Even better Rotor Review # 117 Spring ‘12 6 had on the fleet as only an unrestricted news is that Red Bull has agreed naval aviator can. He covered to perform for us in 2013. Another

how UAVs would complement manned aviation, the potential of multi-sensors on aircraft, how chip atomic clocks on weapons were going to work, pirates, nuclear disaster relief and air ambulance missions, the pivot to the Pacific and what that means to us as a community. “Helicopters keep the fleet safe, effective and potent.” After commenting that no other community in naval aviation has experienced the “growth and expansion” of rotary wing he went on to acknowledge the contributions each community makes to both the fleet and joint forces. Our senior Navy helicopter pilot then took Q & A’s from members that ranged from deployment lengths, acquisition strategies and what “Information Dominance” really meant. It was an impressive opening speech that set the tone for the Symposium.

3. Awards Luncheon (CDR Niedzwiecki, LCDR Mielke and LT Lewis): If I Continue on page 5

Continued from page 4

could only attend one Symposium to this day for many of my squadron event, this would be it. Whether it’s colleagues and me. witnessing squadron/ family pride in All that is to say I believe in the mission “their” award winner, hearing remarks and purpose of the Naval Helicopter from our “Lifetime/Service to NHA Association and to the extent that I have Award” recipients, or meeting one opportunities to be a small part of the of three newly winged unrestricted organization going forward, making an aviators whose dad you served with impact in the vertical flight community (Lars Wallis), the Awards Luncheon as well as in our Navy families, I intend is a tough ticket to beat. Every year to take advantage of those opportunities. the audience is awed listening to the Many thanks again for the honor and unbelievable individual or crew acts of privilege of being a small part of the courage, competence and execution legacy of NHA.” under pressure. The accomplishments Well said, Don, and congratulations of our national award winners are again from us all. Mr. Dennis Corrigan, representative of our community. We Don’s successor as President of L-3/ fly like we train…just some flights D.P. Associates, received the award challenge us more than others. on Don’s behalf with an entertaining During the Awards Luncheon Captain impersonation of Don! Paul Stevens, president of the NHA 4. While space does not permit my comment on each Scholarship Fund, announced our Individual Brief, some were 2012 scholarship winners. Paul is extraordinary. John Piasecki soliciting retired members to step up presented Piasecki: Pioneer in each region to help him expand of Vertical Flight. First hand our scholarship program. Please see historical memories. Many his Scholarship report inside. Rear members had never heard this Admiral Bill Shannon was presented presentation about John’s father with our Lifetime Service to NHA before. The Future of Rotary award. The admiral retired 20 July Lift by Colonel Paul Ryan was 2012 after 37 years of service. I know candid and informative. Who for a fact the admiral will remain a would have guessed OSD strong supporter of NHA. Our Service was “philosophically behind” to NHA Award, presented to one who rotary wings’ Capabilities has contributed “most significantly to Based Assessment completed the goals of NHA” was presented to in 2010? The Power brief Captain Don Patterson, USN (Ret). was a showstopper as were Don could not be with us to accept presentations from the Bureau. the award but sent the following letter, HSC/HSM CV integration was abbreviated below: enjoyed by those not familiar with “Thank you so much for your CONOPS; the Helo ESC, while gracious letter and notification that I will not open to general membership, be the recipient of the Service to NHA award was very productive. The Safety for 2012. I am humbled and surprised that Symposium and Enlisted Panels my involvement in NHA over the years merits were also well attended and this degree of recognition. Please extend my provided experienced insights. heartfelt thanks to the Board and others who 5. Board of Director’s/Trustee were involved in the selection process. meeting: This is the business Steve, some of the fondest memories of my end of your association. Twice 9 years of active duty and 24 years in the a year we meet in person to Naval Reserves was the excitement that I review the “State of NHA”, experienced as a junior officer in HS-11 and what could be improved and HSL-33 in the 70’s anticipating the annual how to effect that change. Our NHA symposium. For a few days we shared focus remains on responding a camaraderie and unity of purpose and to our membership, supporting spirit that has not been replicated in either interaction between our pilots/ my naval or civilian careers. We enjoyed and maintainers/aircrew and industry, were proud of the professional components of and promoting an understanding the symposium and the fellowship promoted Rotor Reviewflight # 117 Spring endures ‘12 7 rotary and appreciation of naval within the vertical community

wing aircraft. We had 51 volunteer directors and trustees present for the 3.5 hour meeting. In summary: voluntary active duty membership, the foundation of NHA, remains the highest of all Navy aviation associations; our finances, even in these austere times, are conservatively invested and stable; our tactical impact and strategic relevance to our maritime/ joint services has never been more appreciated. The BoDs meets virtually by mid-August to vote on: 1) the incorporation of the Naval Helicopter Historical Society into NHA as the NHA Historical Society; establishing “Legacy” regional presidents to increase retired membership; adding a senior aircrew advisor to each region; maintaining symposium locations at fleet concentration areas (in retrospect a wise move now that travel budgets have been reduced 30% and airlift support to aviation symposiums curtailed). Let me take this opportunity to thank our national and regional NHA leadership, our uncompensated directors and trustees, for your devotion of personal time to NHA and our community. Your advice, counsel, diligent work and friendship are the foundation of NHA. And farewell to Mr. Mike Baxter who has served on our board for 3 decades. Welcome Aboard new board member Captain Greg Hoffman, USN (Ret)!

6. Sports Day (LTs Dunlap, Brannen, Trombly, Berger, AWSC Flowers & Crowe, AWSCM Davis): Golf was held on the Symposium’s first day in Norfolk and followed by 5k Run (Tues) and Aircrew Challenge (Wed). This was greatly appreciated for our industry partners’ travel/business efficiency. PostSymposium consensus was favorable in support of this change. Hats off to all Sports’ organizers for arranging the Sports BBQ, Aircrew competition, the 5K and running a flawless shotgun start for 288 golfers at NAS Oceana. See more inside on the results of our competitions.

7. Spouses Luncheon (LT Vitalis): Held this year at the Founders Inn. The guest speaker was Barbara Wyatt Huff, famed author of We Came Home - POWs of Vietnam. Another well attended, popular event.

8. Captains of Industry Panel: Capacity crowd. Our industry partners know what to expect from our technically astute Continue on page 6

Continued from page 5

membership: candid dialogue, challenging interaction, probing questions. Executives from CAE, Sikorsky, Telephonics, GE Aviation, L-3, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman formed our panel moderated by NHA’s Capt. “Willie” Williamson, USN (Ret). The future of RW UAV’s, ASW, ISR, R & D investments, weapons, acquisition efficiency and airborne networking were some of the topics covered.

Mick Maurer, president of Sikorsky Aircraft, reminded the audience we were essentially flying the same engineering that had been developed 50 years ago. It was an energized panel (4 of 7 were first time panelists) that answered some difficult questions and also challenged the audience.

Question Snapshots: o Sequestration’s potential impacts? o 53E future WRT 53K? o Slow time of our procurement cycle not keeping up with technology? o How does the Naval Aviation Requirements Group (NARG)) address our priorities? o How does industry address increased power and increased survivability in the near term? o Future of Vertical Lift: what do you see by 2030? o Is industry optimally manned to meet RW technology of future? o Hybrid UAVs the future?

(manned one day, unmanned the next) o Is government eroding the industrial base in US? o What is the future of flight simulation look like for RW? 9. Flag Panel (LTs Pierson/Sedlak): SRO. Moderated again with grace and style by RADM Paul Grosklags, PEO (A), Naval Air Systems Command. Senior panelist: RADM Ted Branch, commander Naval Air Force Atlantic. 1.5 hours of discussion and Q & A (31 questions asked).

Question Snapshots: o Panel began surprising RADM Shannon with the Sikorsky Aircraft sponsored Golden Helix award recognizing the unrestricted naval aviator with the earliest designation date (10 Dec 76). o Pacific Rim pivot; what’s the anticipated change in tactics? (focus on ASW) o How can we improve the process to hold government personnel accountable for their performance on par with military personnel accountability? o Expeditionary Squadron manning shortfalls.How can we fix? o H S C t r a i n i n g f o r S O F missions but not recognized

by SOF as qualified as HSC 84/85. Why not? o Can we increase E-9 AWCM billets in more Type 2 echelon 1 commands?

o o o o o o o o o o o o o

COTS products…”speed to fleet” challenge. Why so slow?

142 flag meetings to get one Analysis of Alternatives nearly approved.

Why? Why can’t we follow the K-MAX model? 9 months from contract to deployment.

RADM Moran comment (N-98): “Test kills us in terms of time.”

What are the characteristics of an effective “white paper?”

Why the 24 yr CMC requirement for Fleet/Force CMC level billet? Makes most aviation CMCs ineligible.

Why HSC ROC? POE manpower decrease?

When can we wear flight suits in public? When will flight suit black tee shirts go away?

HSC 85 question: When will the decision be made on what airframe we will fly? J to T? S ?

H-53 AMCM mission future?

How long will we be doing IAs? (1500 from Navy next year, mostly reservists) How do HSM (Mayport) and HSC (Norva) work with synthetic training to integrate with each other?

WRT “Joint” how are we (Navy rotary wing) progressing with working with inter-government agencies during national emergencies?

Yes. NHA presents a well prepared, engaged audience.

Final thoughts: The NHA Board of Directors recently approved the cooperative work agreement of the Naval Helicopter Historical Society with NHA, becoming NHA Historical Society, retaining its 501 (c) (3) non-profit status, similar to the NHA Scholarship Fund. In addition, two bylaw changes were aprroved. The first was that regional presidents will select a Senior Naval Aircrewman Advisor from among volunteers in each region who will assist in encouraging and coordinating aircrew involvement with NHA. The second was that Region 6, will now become the Pacific Region, which includes, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard rotary wing units in Alaska, Guam, Hawaii, and Japan, with a Captain/ Colonel (O-6) Director.

There is nothing more satisfying than when a plan comes together. The attention to detail, innovation and enthusiasm of this year’s Symposium team was inspirational. Tip of the Blade to: Commodore Esposito, NHA’s host commodore; CDR Carlin, Region 4 president and future Bataan air boss; all our volunteer lieutenants, the “MVPs” on Skipper Carlin’s team; our entire Symposium staff and workshop committee members; our 25 corporate associates without whose year round support this all would not be possible; and our NHA HQ staff: Col. Whitfield, Colby & George. BZ! See you at the Fleet Fly- In at Whiting this October and in San Diego in 2013. Until our next brief, fly well and…

Keep Your Turns Up! RADM Steve Tomaszeski, USN (Ret) NHA Chairman

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President’s Message

H

elo Bubbas!

Ok, lots going on. First off, thanks to Commodore Esposito, Skipper Carlin, and his team of superstars for an outstanding NHA Symposium in Norfolk. USMC, USN and USCG helicopter accomplishments, perspectives, and “pointed” opinions were alive and echoing throughout the Marriott Norfolk Waterside. It was a beautiful thing. Great job to all!

It’s time to tip our caps to HS-10 whose history goes back to 1 July 1960. It really is hard to believe they will be shutting their doors for good. As I write this, the merger of HS-10 into HSC-3 is actively underway. HS10 memorabilia, photos and history will be proudly displayed throughout HSC-3 squadron spaces. The legacy of HS-10 will live on forever.

A hearty thanks goes out to CAPT Dave Bouvé, whose outstanding leadership has guided NHA to new levels of success. Great job “Bouver” and best wishes to you at CHSMWP. You are leaving big shoes to fill!

The Naval Helicopter Association is a professional organization that is all inclusive. Membership is growing, but we can do better. With access to over 6000 active duty pilots/aircrewmen on the Navy side, and then adding our USMC and USCG brothers and sisters, along with thousands of retired unrestricted Naval Aviators and you end up with a formidable group of great Americans who all share a common bond. As we move forward we will be working hard to find ways to increase membership and improve NHA. Expect to see more social media information from LinkedIn to Facebook/Twitter and others. Connecting and Networking across our growing communities is key to keeping everyone appraised of the latest in our fast-paced (and I’ll say it) “short-attention-span” world.

“It all starts with membership.” I am proud to be part of NHA and you should be too. Spread the word. I look forward to seeing many of you at the Fleet Fly In at NAS Whiting Field this October.

I’m going flying!

CDR Michael “Babe” Ruth, USN NHA President

Aircrewman’s Corner

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elcome Fellow Aircrew!

I would first like to thank all of our Professionals who participated in, or behind the scenes of the 2012 Symposium! What a great showing in Norfolk, as well as the hard work that put it together. Sincerely – Thank you to you all.

We continue to grow, transition, and expand in our Airframe Capabilities, Missions, and Execution in the Rotary Wing Communities.

Although we still have a way to go, so far, each of you are embracing the changes, adapting to new capabilities, and forging a path forward that will continue to shape the future.

The 2012 Symposium was a great success, and for the Enlisted Aircrew Leadership, eye opening for the future of Rotary Wing Aviation. From the Flag Panel, to the Enlisted Panel, to each brief, to behind the scenes, our Communities are blurring the lines of separation in favor of cooperation. Common CVN Standard Operating Procedures between HSC and HSM Communities, as well as future integration and review of common Missions, Tactics, and Tasking, all tell a tale of transition into Multi-Mission Helicopters, flexible and professional Aircrews, doing great things, in training, and on the tip of the spear.

Not surprising at all from our point of view, but to realize we continue to cross pollinate and work together more strongly than ever before, at the highest levels, is another positive indication that we are headed toward greater things to come.

Our Rotary Wing Industry Partners also continue to significantly contribute to the cause. As evidenced by the Displays, Exhibits, and representation shown at the 2012 Symposium, it was great

Rotor Review # 117 Spring ‘12

to meet with them as we walked around the wide range of support.

Most are not strangers to Naval Aviation.

As we participated in the many venues, I was proud to see Aircrew Representation growing as each day progressed. The Aircrew Competition was another complete success! The myriad of Teams, composition, depth, experience, and fun was a great combination to watch. Every participant that arrived was challenged to different limits, but in the end, we were able to celebrate the day with a few smiles, few injuries (other than pride in some cases), and a great Awards Presentation, followed by great eats! Again, my personal thanks to all of those behind the scenes who managed to make it happen, and to the competitors for making it a great showing!

The 2012 Symposium and venue also provided the forum for continued and greater visibility to Enlisted Aircrew: Adding Senior Naval Aircrewman Advisors to each Region in the efforts to continue to close any potential gaps in the future of the organization. It is new territory to explore for us, but already rewarding and paying benefits to the Enlisted Aircrew Force.

Speaking of new territory (for some, but not all) NHA on Facebook is on the streets! I encourage each of you to “Like” it.

Updates, links, and routine posts will be forthcoming at a fevered pitch very soon. Please be patient with some of us “older” Crewmen though. It’s not as hard as slicing fresh pineapples and opening coconuts, but to some, it’s still a foreign concept of living an hourly life of status updates.

Finally, and most importantly - Keep ever vigilant, expect the unexpected, and train to be the best at what you do!

Fly Safe AWCM David W. Crossan USN NHA’s Senior Naval Aircrewman Advisor

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those who made this possible including the folks at DPA/L-3 Communications, Lockheed Martin, Sikorsky, Raytheon, the Ream family, our parent, the Naval Helicopter Association that sponsors our active duty scholarships and our NHA Regions whose fund raising events provide much of the funding for our 5 Regional scholarships. New scholarships awarded this past year were made possible by the Kaman Family Charitable Trust, Mort McCarthy Memorial and the Naval Helicopter Historical Society. Finally, fund raising efforts by the San Diego’s Helicopter Officers’ Spouses Club, HSC25 (Lt Hescock memorial) in Guam and all those who contributed through the Combined Federal Campaign made a huge difference in our ability to meet Fund objectives. Thank-you one and all for your contributions to “NHA’s most worthwhile endeavour” Next I’d like to introduced a new member of our Scholarship Committee,

NHA Scholarship Fund

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reetings from the desk of your NHA Scholarship Fund! I’d like to begin our 2013 scholarship cycle by recapping last year’s results and milestones. We started off the year with the primary objective of increasing the number and award levels of scholarships and the total assets that the Fund held. Thanks to our investment manager, Kron Littleton and the generous contributions from Corporate and a host of private and individual donors, we were successful in meeting those objectives. Rest assure, my first priority has always been to meet the financial needs of as many of the applicants that we can even at the expense of asset growth. That said, am pleased to report that this past cycle we increase the number of scholarships to 18 with awards totalling more than $35, 000, all this while achieving growth in our investment portfolio. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention

CDR Chris “Hewy” Hewlett, PCO of HSM35 has replaced CDR “Weeds” Weeden as the Fund’s VP for Operations. Thanks “Weeds” for all your help in keeping the Fund viable and responsive to the needs of the community and welcome aboard CDR Hewlett.” I am confident that the Fund will greatly benefit from your expertise and leadership in the coming year.

So what’s next? The Fund will start taking new scholarship applications in September and our next major fundraising event will be the Combined Federal Campaign. For all those reading this post, please help us get the word out that our scholarship fund is rotary wing centric. We provide graduate and undergraduate scholarships for individuals and their family members who are serving or have served in the naval rotary wing community.

We are a 501 (c) 3 non profit and as such, donations are tax deductible. We look forward to another successful year serving our rotary wing community.

CAPT Paul Stevens, USN (Ret)

NHA Scholarship Fund President

Executive Director’s Notes

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he theme of this year ’s Symposium was, “Rotary Wing Aviation — The Next 100 Years”. The theme article in the Symposium Program, “It Is Time for the Next Generation Vertical Lift Aircraft”, by Dave Weller, outlined the Department of Defense (DoD) program (also available on the NHA website).

Preceding new aircraft development are a number of stepwise paper studies.

In 2008 the Congressional Rotorcraft Caucus sent a letter to the Secretary of Defense expressing their concern about the lack of a Strategic Plan for improving the state of vertical lift aircraft and the related U.S. industrial base in the United States. On May 21, 2008, the Secretary of Defense directed the Office of Undersecretary of Defense for Logistics and the Joint Staff to begin supporting analysis efforts, specifically by leading development of a Capabilities Based Assessment (CBA) that would outline a Joint approach to the future

development of vertical lift aircraft for all the military services. To conduct the CBA, a Future Vertical Lift (FVL) Capabilities Working Group, Science and Technology Working Group, and a Strategic Plan Working Group were tasked. The FVL working groups were Joint and developed the three major parts of the DoD Strategic Plan for FVL aircraft. The CBA, supplemented with details of a strategic plan, a science and technology plan, and a plan for joint management were packaged and the FVL Report to Congress was forwarded on August 26, 2010.

At the 2011 Symposium there was a briefing by John Milliman from NAVAIR on, “The Naval Aviation Center for Rotorcraft Advancement” (NACRA) perspective.

At this year’s Symposium there was a briefing by Colonel Paul Ryan, USMC, on DOD’s FVL perspective.

Through the years there have been a number of common rotorcraft bought by the different U.S. military services, including the H-1, H-34, AH1, H-46, H-60 and H-53. Most, if not

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all, of these rotorcraft were selected by the individual service (versus directed by DoD) and modified if necessary, as a more cost effective option than developing a unique rotorcraft for their needs.

Since the FVL Report to Congress was delivered, the US Army, as the lead service for this Joint effort, is heading the development of a Joint Initial Capabilities Document (ICD). To complement the DoD concept design effort, the Army has awarded four Concept Trades and Analysis (CT&A) contracts to Boeing, Sikorsky Aircraft, BellBoeing Team, and AVX Corporation. The Army has also focused its aviation and technology effort towards a Joint Multi-Role Technology Demonstration program that plans to develop two flying demonstrators for first flight in the 2017 timeframe.

NHA active duty Rotor Review readers may want to comment on how their current missions might benefit from increased speed, combat radius, payload or passengers?

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

A View From The Labs... Supporting The Fleet

By CAPT George Galdorisi, USN (Ret)

What Are Our Seniors telling us about the Future Direction Of The Navy, Marine Corps And Coast Guard?

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ith naval helicopter aviation providing warfighting, peacekeeping and humanitarian support deployed forward in support of the Nation’s Combatant Commanders, it’s vital for our community to have near-first-person knowledge of what is being said at the highest levels of our three Sea Services.

The annual Navy League Sea-Air-Space Symposium is the largest gathering of Sea Service senior leaders. This year’s event was held at the Gaylord Center from 16-18 April 2012 in National Harbor, Maryland.

This year’s event was entitled, “Naval Expeditionary Forces: Preserving Global Economic Stability and National Security.” The event included keynote addresses, roundtable panel discussions, floor speaker sessions, technology demonstrations, and exhibitions.

Participants included: NAVSEA, NAVAIR, ONR/NRL, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Coast Guard, Defense Security Cooperation Agency, JPEO JTRS, NAVSUP, BUMED, SPAWAR, and numerous industry partners.

So what are these leaders saying about the future of the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard – and what matters the most to us? While it’s not possible to capture this entire event in just this short column, here are the high points, I’ll surf the wave tops to hit the most important info. For those of you reading Rotor Review online, you can activate the links below, underlined in blue, by holding down the Control key while clicking on the link. This will provide and additional richness of information.

Admiral Greenert spoke about the importance of articulating the Navy’s message for attribution, and that “the public needs to hear from us.”

Consistent with his Sailing Directions,

he emphasized forward presence, stating “We need to have our ships and forces where it is most important to have them – forward.” This forward presence is outlined in his March 2012 Posture Statement as well in his November 2011 blog. He noted that to have one ship forward we need four ships (one on station, one returning, one working up to go, one in depot maintenance.)

Consistent with the Defense Strategic Guidance (DSG), Admiral Greenert spoke about the rebalance to the Asia Pacific and Middle East.

He emphasized that the primary near-term focus is in the Arabian Gulf and the need to give General Mattis the forces he needs to deter Iran. In support, Admiral Greenert commented on the importance of minesweeping and mine warfare. He also noted that there will be a two carrier strike group presence in the Gulf at least through the end of the fiscal year, with the low likelihood that it would decrease substantially

Rotor Review # 117 Spring ‘12

after that. Furthermore, Admiral Greenert discussed the Asia Pacific presence and the importance of continuing to hone and expand our partnerships, such as those with Japan, Australia, and India. He noted that what is occurring in North Korea “is our biggest concern.”

Admiral Greenert also discussed his three Tenets outlined in his Sailing Directions and Navigation Plan, which are: Warfighting First, Operate Forward, and Be Ready. As previously blogged, each of these tenets are consistent and aligned with the Defense Strategic Guidance (DSG).

The Navigation Plan provides additional details for the Sailing Directions and the FY13-17 budget. As outlined in his March 2012 Posture Statement and his November 2011 blog, the Navy has 50,000 personnel deployed on 282 ships with about 145 at sea at any given time, and about 100 of those are deployed overseas. Of those, approximately 30 ships are in the Middle East and 50 ships are in the Asia Pacific. These numbers are expected to increase to approximately 34 and Continue on page 10

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58, respectively by FY20 (for a total of 295 ships in FY20). CNO Greenert outlined the importance of operating at the “chokepoints” and the “global crossroads.” He spoke about “bases” which facilities operate from and “places” that provide opportunities for rest and resupply. Consistent with the DSG, the Asia Pacific “rebalance” is “for the long term,” but presence in this region is not new as the Navy currently conducts over 170 exercises a year there. Admiral Greenert emphasized that while the Navy has been busy in the Mideast over the past decade, the Navy’s long term focus was in the Asia Pacific region.

General James Amos, Commandant of the Marine Corps made remarks consistent with the 35th Commandant of Marine Corps (CMC), Commandant’s Planning Guidance and 2012 CMC Posture Statement, General Amos emphasized the importance of “the ability to respond to today’s crisis with the force of today”, and the USMC’s return to its expeditionary operations roots. General Amos outlined his beliefs for the future security environment over the next two decades, which includes: competition for resources (water and food), natural disasters, social unrest, hostile cyber activity, violent extremism, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and advanced weaponry in terrorist hands. The littoral areas will play a critical role as “at the geo-strategic level, it’s all about the littorals.” For example, 95% of communication is via underwater cables; 95% of commercial cargo is transported through the littorals; 95% of the world’s commerce travels by sea, and approximately

42,000 trading ships are underway daily.

“Forward presence matters. If we’re not there, we’re not there.”

Admiral Robert Papp, Commandant of the Coast Guard, Admiral Papp spoke about “Navigating through uncertain and stormy seas,” the 2012 USCG Posture Statement, and USCG Strategy. Admiral Papp highlighted the importance of having a signed Convention on the Law of the Sea treaty, of maintaining a sovereign presence on the high seas, and the Arctic.

He spoke about continental shelf claims beyond the exclusive economic zone and how the U.S.’ lack of signature on the Law of the Sea treaty is restricting and setting the U.S. back in establishing relationships. He also highlighted the USCG’s acquisition plans.

Vice Admiral David Architzel, Commander, Naval Air Systems Command is the SYSCOM Commander responsible for all of naval aviation.

Vice Admiral Architzel spoke about NAVAIR’s focus on being a “full service SYSCOM, thereby reviewing platforms in terms of capability.”

Admiral Architzel believes his biggest challenge is his current undertaking as he’s “never had such a huge transition in aircraft from legacy to new capability.”

He is looking at budget pressures and controlling costs on procurement, sustaining legacy aircraft longer, as the new future capability is brought on.

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Finally, looking to the future from a development standpoint, the Honorable Sean J. Stackley, Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research, Development & Acquisition) spoke about meeting the Defense Strategic Guidance (DSG). Forward presence is a fundamental core to the defense strategy.

Global presence at sea is critical and will be maintained. The DSG increased the responsibility on the DoN, and ultimately calls for ship numbers larger than 282. Secretary Stackley stated that we need to take “greater care in what we buy and greater prudence in how we buy what we buy.” He continued by stating, “Controlling costs and delivering strategic requirements are priorities for the Department.” He noted that the DoN is reshaping ships and aviation, including balancing capacity, capability, and affordability. As Secretary Stackley stated, “we are attacking rising costs aggressively.”

“The numbers in the 30 year shipbuilding plan are compelling,” Stackley stated. Regarding specific ships, he stated the Navy is continuing to press forward with DDG 51 (hopefully through multi-year procurement), VAclass submarines, LCS, CVN 78, and the Ohio-class submarines. Specifically, Secretary Stackley discussed the LCS dual contract award to build 16 ships in the FYDP. He stated that the Navy and contractors are committed to block buys, whereby the 10th ship delivered will cost approximately ½ of the lead ship. Furthermore, the Navy is pressing forward with developmental test of the mission packages. Mr. Stackley believes the CVN 78 costs to build are “unacceptably high.” As a result, the Navy is working to reverse cost trends for CVN 79 through addressing lessons learned and leveraging opportunities for competition. Regarding the Ohioclass submarines, Secretary Stackley noted the procurement shift from FY19 to FY21, deferring $8.5B in costs. He assured the audience that the current ten ships will meet the requirements with manageable risk.

That’s it for now….

The 60 Degree Initiative

the program office could make it happen, but such an effort would be in direct competition with other priorities on the horizon, such as data links for real time video, forward firing rockets with imaging seekers, etc.

Fleet pilots should view the current 45 degree AOB limit in the same light as TGT limits on the engine, they are both there to bound and preserve the predicted life of components; if contingencies arise where the safety of the aircraft or operational necessity demands exceeding either, then aircraft commanders should employ the full capability of the aircraft to do so, while still being cognizant of the impact such exceedances have and properly documenting via Maintenance Action Forms.

CDR Eric Soderberg 60S Class Desk

Dear Editor; I am sympathetic to LT Sherman’s point of view. The MH-60S can certainly be safely flown at AOB greater than 45 degrees given sufficient Ps and/or altitude. The Initial Flight Clearance (IFC) for the MH-60S allowed for transients up to 90 degrees, and was taken there during Developmental Testing (I had the good fortune to be on those flights). Arguments 2, 3, and 4 from LT Sherman’s article are specious and such considerations were not factors in setting the current AOB limit.

There is some validity to argument 1 that the limit would reduce aircraft wear and tear.

As background, airframe life limits “Many thanks to CDR Soderberg for are typically determined by instrumenting the well-reasoned explanation. Sounds an aircraft with strain gauges to collect data like the 60-degree angle of bank limit is as it flies maneuvers representative of how it something we could obtain, but only if will be used in the fleet using a “fleet usage we decide we want it badly enough. spectrum”. The measured strain during these tests is used to extrapolate airframe life Very respectfully, limits. The assumed usage spectrum for Navy LT Chris McDonald Seahawks, and test data collected during CT/ HSC/HS/HM Editor DT, was predicated on a 45 degree AOB limit. Therefore, even if it was decided that increasing the flight envelope out to 60 degrees Push for NHA AOB was worth some decrease in the life limits of the airframe and dynamic components, we The following is an excerpt from an e-mail don’t have the data to quantify just what that regarding NHA Membership: decrease would be.

Fellow Warhawks, In order to open the envelope to Contrary to what our fearless 60 degrees AOB and accurately capture what leader suspects, I am not against professional the impact would be to life limits, additional organizations that build cohesion and help to instrumentation, test, and analysis would be build a common voice that might speak to required using an updated usage spectrum, the interests of a particular community. i.e. time, money and test assets. This is I think the more that we think in certainly feasible; if the fleet pushed this to the terms of Naval Rotary Wing aviation instead of Rotor Review 117 top of the NARG list # and was Spring supported‘12

by N88 HS, HSC, HSM, the 53 guy, those13 damn Sierra

guys... the more the Navy and other armed forces will take us seriously. My personal opinion is that our Naval Rotary Wing Community is somewhat fractured when compared to the jet community; organizations such as NHA are a means to partially solve the problem. As long as we fight constantly amongst each other, we will never have nice things. Think of NHA as a sort of support group for the PTSD associated with not selecting jets.

More importantly, many of us will be heading to jobs where far from the squadron life where we will be wishing we were back in staunch debates on how common traffic frequencies should be a reasonable substitute for VFR “see and avoid”. But alas, we will have some crap desk/ship job where we will need our NHA membership to get a one week per year TAD reprieve from the even bigger idiots we will soon be working with outside the aviation community. (The reprieve I am referring to is of course to the annual NHA Symposium) V/r, Soapbox

CoC Correction Fellow Rotor Review Readers, My sincerest apologies to all the Easyriders of HSL-37 for the error in the Change of Command announcement in Rotor Review #116. The squadron was incorrectly labeled as the Island Knights. We strive every issue to make sure all content is complete and accurate but we unfortunately missed this one.

Thanks for the catch!

Very Respectfully, LT Scott Lippincott HSL/HSM Community Editor

We Would Like to Hear From You If you would like write a letter to the Editor, please forward any correspondance via email at rotorrev@simplyweb.net or by mail at the following address: NHA c/o “Letter to the Editor” P.O. Box 180578 Coronado, CA 92178-0578

Industry and Technology

US Navy gives go-ahead for Fire-X Article courtesy of Rotorhub.com

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ccording to Northrop Grumman, a $262 million contract signed on 23 April will see the joint venture produce an initial branch of UAVs with additional plans for the navy to acquire a further 20 aircraft under a rapid development effort.

The news follows the US Navy’s decision to ground its fleet of 14 MQ-8B Fire Scouts following two recent incidents.

Earlier in the month, the navy said system performance and operational procedures were being reviewed following the ditching of a Fire Scout off the coast of West Africa and a separate crash in North Afghanistan.

In June, another Fire Scout was lost in Libya during operations after being launched from the USS Halyburton, which had been diverted from counter-piracy operations to support the mission in North Africa.

Based on Bell’s 407 airframe, Northrop Grumman said the MQ-8C Fire-X would provide ‘greater range, endurance and payload capacity to ship commander ’s intelligence-gathering efforts’.

Duke Dufresne, VP and GM for unmanned systems at Northrop Grumman said: ‘Through our companyfunded Fire-X demonstration effort we proved that using the mature unmanned systems architecture developed for the MQ-8B Fire Scout paired with the Bell 407 helicopter would provide greater capability efficiently and affordably.’

This issue is in an electronic format now. Go to www.navalhelicopterassn.org and see how you can get your digital copy today.

Powered by

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Development of Fire-X started in 2010 with a prototype completing its first autonomous flight at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona within the first year. The aircraft is designed for ISR missions as well as cargo resupply with a payload capacity over 3,200 pounds.

Sources have told Shephard that the UAV would be capable of conducting ISR missions up to 16 hours in duration.

Industry and Technology:

US Coast Guard to purchase SAR helicopter for Malta Article courtesy of Rotorhub.com

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he United States Coast Guard (USCG) has launched a programme to buy a secondhand SAR helicopter for use by the Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) it has been revealed.

The deal, tendered on 16 May reveals that the USCG plans to award a single firm-fixed price contract for one used rotary-wing aircraft ‘suitable for land and sea operations.’

Tender documents say the helicopter must be a multi-engined aircraft with a marinised airframe to deal with operations over water. It needs to

have sliding doors on one or both sides of the cabin and a floor attachment ‘that makes it possible to install a removable light machine gun (7.62mm) door pintle mount.’

The aircraft needs to have tricycle-wheeled landing gear allowing for shipboard operations as well as flotation devices for overwater operations. Maximum gross weight should not exceed 4.99 metric tonnes and the overall length of the helicopter should not be more than 17.5m.

Only a handful of aircraft currently available fit this requirement.

These include the Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin and the EC155, Sikorsky’s S-76 family and the A109 Grand.

The tender documents do not reveal when the helicopter needs to be delivered.

The Maltese Armed Forces have been updating their fleet in recent years with the addition to two Beech King Airs for maritime surveillance and patrol.

SAR is currently provided by the Italian Air Force who fly a pair of AB212 helicopters from the island’s Luqa airport.

U.s. Marine Corps Confirm Apkws Use In Afghanistan

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statement to Shephard from the Third Marine Air Wing (Forward), based at Camp Leatherneck in Helmand Province, said that the ‘3D MAW (FWD) began supporting marines on the ground with the APKWS (Advanced Precision Kill Weapons System) in March,’ but would not confirm the date of first firing or the sort of targets it has been used against.

The USMC declared initial operating capability of the system on March 27.

The statement added: ‘It was specifically chosen for employment

due to its low collateral damage characteristics, which is important in the current operational environment.’

The use of the weapon is believed to be the first operational use of a laser-guided rocket system in an operational theatre. APKWS is currently cleared for use on the AH-1W Cobras and the UH-1Y Venoms, these types are being flown in theatre by HMLA-369 Gunfighters.

APKWS is essentially a guidance system screwed onto the end of an unguided rocket. Once fired, four

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spring-loaded vanes open revealing the laser seekers, which then look for the splash of the laser on the target. The weapon can be fired from any helicopter or fixed-wing aircraft that can launch 2.75-inch rockets.

The US Navy is also working toward integrating the weapon on the MQ-8B Fire Scout unmanned helicopter in 2013.

NHA Gulf Coast Fleet Fly-In NAS WHITING FIELD October 23-26, 2012

65 Years of Marine Corps Rotary-Wing Aviation For more information, contact LT Spencer Allen at spencer.allen.usn@gmail.com Rotor Review # 117 Spring ‘12

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Industry and Technology

Virtual Flight Academy Exposing a Flawed Model and a Call for Virtual Instructors

Article by Ron Folse, Francis Johnson, Robert Park and Dave Rannells. Photo and Illustration courtesy of the Virtual Flight Academy.

Naval Aviation fully claimed this position irtual Flight Academy (VFA) is during World War II. proposing the use of state of The largest number of Naval Aviators in history the art simulation to attract, were trained at this time, nurture, prepare and train interested and we have yet to see students to future aviation careers. training numbers even come remotely close since.

During that time, strategies and approaches were Clean Sheet for the 2nd developed for training Naval Aviators that set the fundamental model of how Century of Naval Aviation Naval Aviation entry training occurs.

There have been advancements, aval Aviation just celebrated improvements, and changes made 100 years of incredible over the following seven decades, and accomplishments and service to our country. yet the core model of “when” we start Starting with a bold flight in the San Diego training has remained the same for the Bay, Naval Aviation was truly a disruptive last 70+ years. In an age of information innovation that transformed a once battleship- technology, Aviators still begin training centric force. Those who could only see when they show up at flight school in the Navy through battleship glasses viewed their 20s. We believe the core model those early fliers as bizarre and by some even has become outdated and fundamentally a joke. Today, the power and force of the flawed in light of today’s technology. aircraft carrier and her squadron of power What once made sense during WWII no is recognized around the world. To many, longer serves us efficiently and wastes it stands as the leading symbol of America’s millions of taxpayer dollars.

In no way is this a condemnation ability to project power abroad and maintain of the hard working men and women security.

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that run our flight training program today.

They and those before them have worked intently to make the model they inherited run as efficiently as possible. Nor is this a bold condemnation of senior leadership.

There has never been a time in the entirety of the human race that has seen technology develop as quickly as we’ve experienced in the last 20 years. Can any of us imagine a world without email, Google, the Internet, and GPS? These changes have created significant hurdles for corporate leaders of large companies; how much more would it challenge a senior flag officer inside a large and often bureaucratic organization who rarely sees even three years at a single command? To even the most ambitious, determined, and capable leader, it is a daunting task to make the kind of advancements/ changes that require altering entire models in which a significant portion of the organization operates. For perspective, the sharing of information through technology that exists today (computers, cell phones, etc) has made many layers and processes obsolete in the operations of companies and military institutions alike. A major validation of this is “the flattened staff concept” in wartime Continue on page 16

Industry and Technology: Vertical Flight Academy Continued from page 15

units. Many levels of communication and organizations are made moot by the ability to send information seamlessly from the lowest level of unit to the highest. In the combat environment, we have accepted this warfighting capability because it enabled us to beat the enemy better. However, in the garrison mode and training commands there is much less impetus to make such dramatic changes to structure, let alone processes. Until now. With the onset of the fiscal situation and pending issues, this is increasingly coming to a head with the DOD. They can no longer hold off progress in the name of tradition and institutionalization. To understand the challenge of change management and innovation, the free marketplace has the ongoing pressure of competition that puts companies out of business and even then, that is sometimes not enough.

Consider Borders closing, Blockbuster disappearing, Encyclopedia Britannica no long publishing, Apple at one point being valued higher than Exxon and you will recognize the challenges companies face in adapting to this technology rich era.

Nonetheless, the time has come for a clean sheet review of how we attract, select, and train our naval aviators in starting their careers. And, more importantly, when we attract, select, and train. We could never imagine starting the training of a pro football player or an Olympic athlete at the age of 22. Yet, we accept this as the everyday norm for the young men and women who will

regularly fly highly complicated aircraft worth millions of dollars, sometimes in harms way. What if we were to design a new approach starting from scratch, pretending military flight school didn’t exist? In light of today’s highly capable and inexpensive, if not free technologies ...

A More Appropriate Approach for the 21st Century Virtual Flight Academy (VFA) seeks to explore how much of the first 18 months of flight training can be accomplished before an individual physically arrives at their formal flight training command. VFA proposes that real-skill training opportunities should be made available at a much earlier age.

Mr. Johnny Weissmuller, expert on Air Force pilot selection and entry testing, pointed out in his article about Virtual Flight Academy for ICAO (the United Nations agency for civilian aviation) that it is in middle school and early high school when many aspiring military aviators decide to pursue aviation.

However, we currently have nothing tangible for them to do to prepare until years later. Weissmuller appropriately calls it the “Lost Decade”. Malcolm Gladwell, author of “Outliers: The Story of Success”, is very specific in regard to this period of ten years. He proposes the question: is it genius that drives people like Bill Gates to become who they are or is it the 10 year digestion period some are privileged to have?

Gladwell shares from his research that it takes around 10 years to become proficient in a particular occupation. Bill Gates followed this pattern and benefited from wealthy parents that enabled him to have cutting-edge technology in junior high. So, if data analysis shows that young people play thousands of hours of games before graduating from college, how can

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this be leveraged for career development so the decade of training can begin? Could any of us imagine someone saying they wanted to be a pro football player and yet only being allowed to watch games on TV… not touch a football, walk on a field, play informal games, let alone compete until their early 20’s?

That’s today’s reality. And even when aviation candidates receive their flight orders, they have to wait. Recently, a United States Air Force Academy graduate arrived in Pensacola for primary flight training. He had to wait weeks to begin Aviation Pilot Indoctrination (API) and then be posted to a training wing. And again, he waited there.

It is true that the factors which contribute to many of these training delays are unavoidable, such as Academy and ROTC graduations and aircraft and instructor availability. However, VFA holds that these waiting times could be capitalized on. This particular student had the unique opportunity to be exposed to what VFA is currently offering. He excelled through primary flight training, finished in the top of his classes, and is now assigned to Luke AFB in F-16 advance training. If low-cost PC flight sim stations were available at military training locations, or at other locations where these officers are “stashed”, the result would be more efficient training and great cost savings in both time and money.

The time has come to develop the “Eagle Scout” equivalent for military aviation. We need to take the best of how we prepare Olympic athletes and combine that with the power of training technologies and low cost PC simulation. Technology serves as the bridge to live instruction versus strictly being used for stand-alone training.

VFA provides free training to aspiring young aviators by working with volunteer instructors out of the former military aviator community and making it possible for them to virtually train students in any state in the country.

Ironically, for training content and structure, VFA seeks to use as little creativity as possible. Seven decades and untold millions were spent developing a solid training process that includes a combination of ground school classes and flight training.

On that incredible foundation, Virtual Flight Continue on page 17

Industry and Technology: Vertical Flight Academy: Continued from page 16

Academy’s has two roles: 1) to take that exact same training process and move as much content as possible to the left, offering it years earlier, and 2) to use technology to virtualize those training components so a young person at any location across the country can join a class taught by a former military aviator. These training opportunities also provide potential for mentoring relationships that reinforce the value of good grades, s p o r t s , team work, leadership skills, and overall strong character. Additionally, it allows our former military aviators to continue putting their years of experience to good use by helping prepare the next generation of pilots. This is where VFA brings the greatest asset to bear, moreso than the technology and information sharing. Mentoring is woven into the entire program built upon truly experienced former military aviators with thousands of hours of flight time.

For flight instruction, no one is arguing that simulation can completely replace flight training in an actual aircraft. Nevertheless, a great deal is capable of being learned when flight simulation is properly utilized. This is even more true when it is used as a conduit for a live flight instructor to fly virtually with their student in the same virtual cockpit, one being in California and the other Virginia. Again, the use of the technology is not to replace the human instructor but rather to drastically increase a live instructor’s reach and capability.

Furthermore, with the addition of our custom scenery, planes, and multiplayer engine on virtual replicas of the first airfields, flying areas, and aircraft used in the first 18 months of Navy and Air Force flight training, we

can make group flying/training possible.

Eventually, we will be adding Army flight-training as well. This means students and instructors could join this virtual environment from points all across the country while experiencing the same shared-virtual cockpits and seeing other student/instructor pairs flying at the same airfield. We already have replicas of military aviation entry training airfields and aircraft, thanks to the support of people such as Jim Dhaenens, retired Navy who has created virtual models of a number of the Navy training airfields. We also have support for live humans in the role of tower and air traffic control in this virtual environment. Some may know this as the high-brow term Live Virtual Constructive (LVC). This is now being done a fair amount in the military; however, VFA is proposing to do this with a $30 piece of software that we have highly modified to our needs versus the typical multi-million dollar set-ups seen in most LVC deployments.

The best part of all this is that the training is provided for free to aspiring aviators from 13 years of age all the way through the ROTC and Academy years. Done correctly, we will reduce training costs by millions, have far more prepared aspiring aviators arriving at the first day of training in Pensacola, and open up the career of aviation to be more realistically available to a wider crosssection of youth. This does not take into account the application of this model to the coming UAV operator career tracks, where the differential between the PC simulation and the actual operation of a UAV is dramatically closer than that of a live aircraft and flight simulation.

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*Uncle Sam Needs You!* VFA needs volunteers!

Former instructors, enjoy going back to memories of flight school as you are training an aspiring aviator over virtual Whiting Field, Pensacola, and Corpus Christi. Grab the opportunity to work with other former Naval Aviators as the VFA Instructor Corp (VIC) grows, develops an operational drumbeat, and learns best practices for applying the real-world training flights to a multiplayer virtual flight simulated world.

The first effort we have underway is to teach the initial six classes of Navy flight training currently taught when individuals first arrive at Naval Aviation Schools Command, the Navy API classes. VFA already has trainers for three of these classroom courses and is looking for three more volunteer instructors in the San Diego area. In time, VFA will be able to have classroom trainers from any virtual location, but for now that is only possible for our inflight instructors.

These courses will be taught in a physical classroom, while also being streamed online to interested youth who will participate realtime from anywhere in the country. VFA is already working with senior leadership of the Naval Sea Cadet Corps (NSCC) to make these classes available to NSCC cadets.

VFA is also looking for individuals who would consider being flight sim instructors. VFA brings all the expertise for computer hardware, controllers (sticks, throttles, & rudders), as well as the custom add-on scenery, aircraft, and a multiplayer engine.

The program also has former military aviators that are experienced “flight simmers” who can help you get comfortable with PC simulation. VFA simply needs your willingness to help.

One specific event coming up in the flight sim arena is supporting the Naval Helicopter Association’s Annual Whiting Field Fly In. This event exposes Marine and Coast Guard helicopter aviation to student Naval Aviators at Whiting Field. Simultaneously, VFA will conduct a version of this event over a virtual Whiting Field and stream it online, increasing the exposure to students in ROTC units, the Naval Academy, JROTC units, and NSCC. Continue on page 18

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Industry and Technology: Vertical Flight Academy

Continued from page 17

Lastly, for those in the San Diego area, VFA invites you to join them for a demonstration of instruction at Kearny High School featuring virtual simulation of Whiting Field, Corpus Christi, and Pensacola. Kearny High is a partner in San Diego who has purchased 3 flight simulation stations as part of their VFA Aviation Careers Program. For those interested, see the contact information below.

Final Thoughts This project gives rise to many q u e s t i o n s . Virtual Flight Academy’s

leadership remains open to any and all conversations which might include areas of concern such as: training the bad guy, negative training, only covering unclassified levels of training, nonprofit entity versus government entity for the organizational model, consistency of training quality by volunteer flight instructors, and proper respect/fear when flying a real aircraft. These are all relevant questions that have been considered and should continue to be discussed in future venues.

You can learn more on our beta web site at www.virtual-flight-academy.org,

via email at admin@virtual-flight-academy.org, or by calling (760) 436-0028.

VFA hopes to see some of you flying with us soon in the virtual skies!

Click below to watch VFA’s Fleet Fly-In video

The VFA Authors Robert Park - retired Marine KC-130 pilot, entrepreneur in the cell phone app and renewable energy industries and VFA Advisory Board Member.

CDR Ron Folse, USN (Ret) - retired Navy pilot, former VT-2 squadron CO Over 2000 hr instructing in the T28., commissioned a “Virtual Air Wing”, VCVW 8 (http://www.carrierpilot. com) “flying” the FA18E in FSX, training Naval Aviation flight enthusiast the “Navy Way” to fly, and senior Navy flight instructor for Virtual Flight Academy. Mr. Folse led on the first cadets VFA trained in partnership with the Air Force Academy Falcon Foundation. These youth were at Wentworth Academy.

Capt Dave Rannells, USN (Ret) – former Navy helicopter pilot and now Naval Sea Cadet Corps, National Headquarters Representative, Pacific Southwest Region.

Scan to Learn

Francis Johnson – Retired Navy Intel officer, civilian pilot, leader with FSX Blue Angels, and VFA Congressional Relations Director more about VFA

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Article and Photos by MC2 Gabriel Weber, USN

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he approaching summer months mark the start of the fire season in southern California, and pilots and aircrew assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron Three (HSC-3) are training to assist California firefighters to combat the ever-present danger.

When wildfires devastated San Diego County in 2003 and again in 2007, helicopter assets from Naval Air Station North Island helped fight the fires from the air using “Bambi Buckets” slung beneath the aircraft, used to scoop water from the ocean and douse the flames. In June of 2011, the Commander, Naval Air Forces, VADM Allen G. Myers, directed additional helicopter squadrons in the area to begin training crews to help protect the local communities from the fire threat.

“The community’s interests are our interests as well,” said CDR Ryan Carron, the Commanding Officer of HSC-3 at the time. “That’s why we’ve put a lot of energy into making sure that we got this capability.

Within a month, we had fully-qualified crews to go and fight fires, and we are maintaining qualified crews throughout the year.”

AWS1 Jason Lessley, an aircrew instructor, said one of the most important aspects of aerial firefighting involves learning to operate with local agencies. During each training cycle, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) provides courses to help the pilots and aircrew gain a better understanding of multiagency response efforts.

“It gives us basic knowledge of how the whole evolution works,” Lessley said.

“We learn about the order of how things happen, how to work with CAL FIRE, and how the ground units support the air units

and vice versa.”

Maintaining an effective working relationship with CAL FIRE is a critical component to performing firefighting missions, said LT Matthew Sevier, the HSC-3 instructor pilot who was entrusted with developing the squadron’s aerial firefighting program.

“They provide a really great perspective because they’re the ones who are going to be controlling the area,” he added. “If we were to be activated for this mission, an expert or liaison with CAL FIRE would fly with us to coordinate with the ground crews. There’s a really good working relationship with CAL FIRE.” While the pilots control the aircraft, the crewmen release the water from the bucket. Because of this, the teamwork of a tightly knit helicopter crew is essential to the successful training and execution of the airborne firefighting mission, according to Lessley.

“Situational awareness has to be extremely high, so I think that crew coordination and communication in general was the most important takeaway from our training,” he said.

Fighting fires from the air presents unique challenges for the crew, said Sevier, whether it be hovering low over the water to fill the buckets or

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here are so many missions that we can perform, and they’re all important... As part of our big Navy mission, there’s a humanitarian part and we help out with that all the time. This just falls right in line with that.

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Features

HSC-3 Trains for Fire Season

enduring the harsh conditions in the vicinity of the fire.

“Something we can’t simulate in training is that the fire is going to have all kinds of effects,” he said, “Higher power requirements, the visibility with the smoke, and all the traffic; some of that stuff is tough to simulate in the training.

The pilots and crew of HSC-3 that are qualified to fight fires stand ready to help protect the residents of San Diego County, but their skills may be called upon well after they transfer to another region.

“Actually, I did this on my first sea tour with HC-4 out of Sigonella, Sicily,” said Carron. “We had ‘Bambi Buckets’ with the MH-53E. I actually got to fight a real fire out in Sicily in the local area.”

“I initially learned this at HSC-25 in Guam,” added Sevier, “We’re the only helo asset out there, so we were constantly being tapped for fire operations.”

Continue on page 20

Features: HSC-3 Trains for Fire Season

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aintaining an effective working relationship with CAL FIRE is a critical component to performing firefighting missions... They provide a really great perspective because they’re the ones who are going to be controlling the area...

If we were to be activated for this mission, an expert or liaison with CAL FIRE would fly with us to coordinate with the ground crews.

Continued from page 19

Even for a training squadron such as HSC-3, which does not deploy, maintaining the capability to positively impact the community is important, according to Carron.

“I think we have to have some operational relevance in order to be effective in what you do,” he said. “If we can be operationally relevant to the community of San Diego, I think that’s exactly where we need to keep our focus. You’ve got to keep that knife a little sharp even while you’re here on shore duty.”

“There are so many missions that we can perform, and they’re all important,” agreed Lessley. “As part of our big Navy mission, there’s a humanitarian part and we help out with that all the time. This just falls right in line with that.”

HSC-3, now commanded by CDR Michael S. Ruth, is the U.S. Navy’s largest helicopter squadron, providing training to pilots and aircrew reporting to Navy MH-60S squadrons worldwide. HSC-3 surpassed 37 years and more than 238,000 Class Alpha mishap-free flight hours and is the model manager for seven Chief of Naval Operations programs.

MH-60S Armed Helicopters: The Way Forward for the Amphibious Ready Group Article by LT Clinton Johnson, USN

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he HSC Community is constantly evolving as the MH-60S Armed Helicopter becomes the standard across the fleet. The aircraft offers a broad set of mission capabilities which have enhanced the breadth of the HC & HS communities as they have merged over the past decade to replace three airframes. If you read the first page of the MH-60S NATOPS, you will find a lengthy paragraph of 13 broad mission areas a Sierra pilot could be expected to perform. Each mission area has multiple subsets which lay the foundation for an expansive training and

tactics regimen.

HSC-23 deploys MH-60S detachments consisting of two aircraft onboard LHA/LHD-Class Amphibious Assault Ships and USNS-Class Ships to support WESTPAC deployments with the primary missions of Plane Guard, SAR, ASUW, PMC, VERTREP, and MEDEVAC. The MH-60S Armed Helicopter has greatly enhanced the mission capabilities of Expeditionary HSC detachments onto the ASUW and SOF mission areas which encompass SSC, ATFP, SCAR, CAS, ISR, MIO, HVBSS, and SOF insert/extract.

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While deployed from November 2011June 2012 onboard USS Makin Island (LHD 8) with two MH-60S Block 3B aircraft, my detachment provided the ARG with a vast array of capabilities they are not yet accustomed to compared to the traditional “SAR detachment” of years past. Over the past two years, as each Amphibious Assault Ship has begun to embark their first MH-60S Armed Helicopter detachment, it is apparent the ARG, MEU, Ships, and Expeditionary HSC Community have not collectively standardized the integration of the Armed Helicopter concept into the battle plan.

HSC Expeditionary detachments continue to Continue on page 21

Features: MH-60S Armed Helicopters: The Way Forward for the ARG

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hile deployed ... onboard USS Makin Island, my detachment provided the ARG with a vast array of capabilities they are not yet accustomed to compared to the traditional “SAR detachment” of years past.

Continued from page 20

push to gain a foothold in the fight as we communicate our expanded capabilities within the ARG. Organizationally as the Expeditionary “SAR detachment” we fall underneath the Ship’s Commanding Officer attached to the LHD. Our primary tasking is to maintain a 24-hour SAR readiness posture in addition to the SAR boat to meet the LHD NATOPS SAR matrix standards. With three crews and two aircraft dedicated to supporting around-the-clock SAR coverage this leaves little time or resources for the enhanced mission capabilities that the

Armed Helicopter brings to the ARG. Amphibious Expeditionary detachments deployed with three or four aircraft and the corresponding number of crews would allow our detachments more operational flexibility to promulgate the Armed Helicopter’s improved mission capabilities. This would enable us to train and support enhanced overwater and overland missions encompassed within the ASUW and SOF spectrum.

By having more assets onboard this could allow an organic ARG asset more latitude to support SOF and Anti-piracy missions that are not uncommon in the FIFTH Fleet region.

It seems there are several courses of action the Expeditionary Helicopter Community could take in the years ahead as the USNS CLF Detachments migrate to CVW

squadrons, the Air Ambulance mission comes to a close, and Amphibious support becomes our specialty. These changes will reduce operational commitments of HSC Expeditionary squadrons and allow us to reallocate our aircraft assets across the fleet.

I would like to present two ways forward as we continue with the Expeditionary Amphibious support mission.

First, evaluate the ARG air asset roles and mission expectations to mitigate overlaps and formally incorporate the MH-60S Armed Helicopter enhanced mission capabilities into the battle plan. Second, continue to cultivate the Amphibious Expeditionary helicopter concept by augmenting Detachment size, therefore enabling us to conduct specialized missions in the ASUW and SOF spectrum while forward-deployed as modern day war tactics shift toward the SPECOPS mission set.

America’s Detachment in Thailand Article and Photo by LTJG B. Luke Scripture, USN

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NNUALEX was over.

The wardroom was slowly filling with people for the daily OPS/ INTEL brief. It was the end of another day on the USS Lassen (DDG-82). We had just detached from USS George Washington Strike Group as it headed in to Hong Kong for a port call. Our tasking was to conduct DC (Damage Control) drills and general ship maintenance for several days before resuming escort duty with the Carrier group on its way back out of Hong Kong. So my curiosity was piqued when the Operations Officer was setting up his presentation and I caught a glimpse of a few of the slides we were about to see. I wondered, “Why are we getting a brief on the rank and insignia of the Royal Thai Navy?”

We quickly learned that we had received new tasking. We would be leaving the USS George Washington,

Warlord 716 flying over Bangkok heading south around the tip of Vietnam and up to Thailand. The widespread flooding in central Thailand was not going away and the United States was sending some of its assets to assist Thailand, one of our oldest allies.

As the USS Lassen steamed

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towards its new destination, the Warlords of HSL-51 Detachment ONE “America’s Detachment,” prepared for the missions we expected to be tasked with upon our arrival.

We began to learn more specific information about our assignment in Thailand and we Continue on page 22

Features: America’s Detachment in Thailand Continued from page 21

soon found out that we would be moving our aircraft, aircrew, and maintenance personnel off the USS Lassen and “shore-basing” at a Royal Thai Navy Airfield in the town of Utaphao about 90 miles SSE of Bangkok.

From Utaphao, we would be flying up to a Royal Thai Army installation in Bangkok, picking up our passengers, and taking them to observe and survey the flooding throughout the area north of city. We would be carrying a variety of passengers, from senior American and Thai military officials to civil engineers and surveyors who needed to see the full extent of the flooding in order to effectively plan the cleanup efforts.

On the morning of November 16th, Warlord 716 lifted off the flight deck of the USS Lassen and headed to Utaphao. The rest of us from “America’s Detachment” set about making sure we were ready to offload all the tools, equipment, and supplies we would need to operate out of the airfield for the next week or two. Here was our first challenge. We were moving off the ship, but for how long we did not know. There were rumors floating around that our relief would arrive in just over a week, but without any definite word, we were preparing for an indefinite stay. When the brow went down in the port of Laem Chebang, the trucks and buses were waiting for us to load up and head to Utaphao. After a two-hour bus ride, we went straight to work unloading the trucks. In just a few hours, “America’s Detachment” had set up shop in Thailand.

Two days later LCDR Marshall Chastain, Det ONE OIC (Officer-in-charge), AWR2 Conrad Jutras, and I took off for the first mission in Thailand. Air Traffic Control procedures around Bangkok are a bit different from back home in the US or at our home base in Atsugi, Japan. We flew through a network of VFR checkpoints, reporting each one, along with our next intended point, to the controller at New Bangkok International. We landed on the

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e were able to fly right down the runway centerline because, to our surprise, we could see the runway markings down through the 6’ of water covering the entire airport.

parade grounds at 11th Infantry Barracks just east of downtown Bangkok, picked up our passengers, one of whom was Brigadier General Crenshaw USMC, Commander, U.S. forces conducting flood relief operations. After takeoff, we snaked our way through the towers and high-rise buildings in downtown Bangkok and out to the western outskirts of the city. It was not long before we began to overfly businesses and homes that were now under water. The further from downtown we flew, the worse the flooding was. Our first checkpoint, an intersection of two highways, had become an intersection of two canals.

We followed the “canal” to the north, passing dozens of trucks plowing through the water, toward the severely flooded region north of Bangkok. The extent of the damage was incredible. As far as we could see in every direction roofs, overpasses, palm trees and power lines were all that could be seen of the sprawling neighborhoods below.

We circled back towards Bangkok from the northeast, toward our final point of interest and the focus of the flood relief effort - Don Mueang International Airport. While Don Mueang is no longer the principal commercial airport in Bangkok it still serves as a major airport for commercial cargo carriers as well as domestic travel. Reopening Don Mueang was the priority for two reasons. First, the flooding had severely damaged the Thai economy, and reopening the airport for cargo traffic would be a major step toward recovery. Secondly, all flood relief plans required the airport to serve as the center of operations for the entire region. With the airport closed, we shot a low approach down the runway in order to get a closer look at the damage to the airport. We were able to fly right down the runway centerline because, to our surprise, we could see the runway markings down through the 6’ of water covering the entire airport. There were still cargo and passenger aircraft parked in front of the abandoned terminals with engines removed to save from the flooding.

We landed at 11th Infantry

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Barracks to disembark our passengers, and returned to Utaphao. When we landed there was already a message waiting for us from the General. He thanked us for our help and assured us that the missions we were flying would prove invaluable to the flood relief effort. Appreciation is not something we hear expressed often in the community, so it was satisfying to know that we were making a significant contribution to the effort to assist the people of Thailand.

Over the next several days the story was much the same. Crews from “America’s Detachment” flew surveyors, photographers, and a Major General of the Royal Thai Army.

In what felt like no time at all, the day came for Det ONE to close up shop and head back to the USS Lassen. November 24th, after a delicious Thanksgiving dinner of Pad Thai and chicken fried rice, Warlord 716 lifted off from Utaphao for the last time. The ship was still pulling away from the pier in Laem Chebang so we had a couple hours to fly before we could rendezvous with the USS Lassen. It was a great opportunity to get some overland VFR training that is hard to come by out at sea while taking in some of the beautiful Thai countryside. When we hit the flight deck on the USS Lassen, the maintainers of Det ONE were already back in the rhythm of shipboard operations. Except for a few sunburns no one would have known the routine had been disrupted at all. A few short hours later, with the flight deck clear and the bird stuffed (folded and moved into the hangar), the USS Lassen steamed into the night headed for whatever adventure lay in store.

“America’s Detachment” may seem like a rather arrogant, self-awarded title. It began as a joke by one of the Lieutenants on the detachment. However, during our time in Thailand it was appropriate. We were not the first American military personnel to arrive in Thailand, and we were not the last to leave.

But while we were there we were the only U.S. aircraft assets operating in support of the HAST (Humanitarian Assistance Survey Team) Operations in Thailand. So for just over a week, HSL-51 Detachment ONE was literally “America’s Detachment” in Thailand.

Feature

NHA Active & Retired Special Events Dinner Article by CAPT Vincent C. Secades, USN (Ret)

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he NHA Special Events Committee held its spring Active and Retired dinner at the NAS North Island Club on 19 April 2012. Arnie Fieser, as always, put together a magnificent event. A group of more than fifty members had the opportunity to socialize with old friends, savor an excellent meal, and enjoy a very interesting and entertaining talk by the guest speaker, retired U.S. Navy CAPT George Galdorisi.

Howard Whitfield introduced the guest speaker. CAPT Galdorisi is a U.S. Naval Academy graduate. After earning his wings of gold, he served his first squadron tour with HS-16, at NAS North Island, flying the SH-3H helicopter. He then attended the Naval Postgraduate School, where he obtained a Master of Science in Oceanography.

During his following tour, he flew the SH-2F with HSL-32 at NAS Norfolk.

Advance studies at the Naval War College followed. Upon graduation, he reported to the LAMPS MK III Program Office in Washington, D.C., where he served as Test Director. Another squadron tour followed, this time with HSL-43, NAS North Island, flying the SH-60. Subsequently, he served as ASW Officer in the staff of the Commander, Cruiser-Destroyer Group THREE (COMCRUDESGROUP-3). He next returned to HSL-43 as its Executive Officer (XO). He assumed command of the squadron in 1987. He then served as XO of USS New Orleans (LPH-11).

CAPT Galdorisi’s outstanding career performance earned him a bonus tour as Commanding Officer (CO) of HSL-41.

He screened for deep draft command and became the CO of USS Cleveland (LPD-7). He next assumed command of Amphibious Squadron SEVEN. Upon completion of this tour, he reported to COMCRUDESGROUP-3 as the Chief of Staff. He was the head of the U.S. delegation for navy-to-navy talks with the Chinese Navy that produced the first memorandum of understanding between the two navies for safe navigation and communications during at-sea operations. Upon retirement, CAPT Galdorisi continued to work in the

military systems planning and acquisition field. He is currently serving as Director, Corporate Strategy Group, Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center, Pacific, involved in the developing of Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance systems. CAPT Galdorisi is a highly accomplished writer, with over 200 articles and eight books to his credit. The readers of Rotor Review have enjoyed his A View From The Labs… Supporting The Fleet articles for many years.

CAPT Galdorisi started his presentation by elucidating the rationale that drove him and Tom Phillips to tackle the immense task of writing Leave No Man Behind: The Saga of Combat Search and Rescue. In this book, a work of encyclopedic proportions that took four years to write, Galdorisi and Phillips tell the story of the development of airborne Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) capabilities, command organization and doctrine, achievements and setbacks from its beginnings during the Great War, to the ongoing Global War on Terrorism. The book relates the stories of innumerable feats of heroism, giving

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the readers gripping descriptions of scores of extraordinary acts of courage. The authors underscore the problem that has beleaguered CSAR throughout its history. When hostilities end, CSAR loses its priority and suffers a degradation of capabilities. Lessons learned at a high cost have to be relearned in the next conflict, and the cost paid again. It is a purpose of the writers to bring this problem to the attention of military planners. In his talk, Galdorisi made emphasis of the fact that the need for highly capable CSAR forces is even more imperative in the wars our forces are fighting today, struggles in which they are facing a savage enemy that, if it takes prisoners, it is only to execute them in the cruelest way possible.

In the next topic of his presentation, Galdorisi related the sequence of events that led to the making of the movie Act of Valor and its novelization in the book by the same title, which he wrote in collaboration with Dick Couch, another retired Navy Captain. After the tragic events of September 11, 2001, it soon became evident to the military leaders that the U.S. Special Forces needed to be augmented.

With the goal to increase the number of SEALs by 500, the Navy issued a request to the advertising media to produce a recruiting Continue on page 24

APT(Ret) George Galdorisi and co-author CDR(Ret) Tom Phillips received the 2012 NHHS “Mark Starr” Award for work with Leave No Man Behind: The Saga of Combat Search and Rescue, the story of the development of airborne Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) capabilities, command organization and doctrine, achievements and setbacks from its beginnings during the Great War, to the ongoing Global War on Terrorism.

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Feature: NHA Active & Retired Special Events Dinner Continued from page 23

commercial. The project was later expanded to that of producing a documentary. The Bandito Brothers were selected to produce the documentary. They were invited to film actual SEAL combat training. After recording many hundreds of hours over a period of two years, they completed the first cut of the documentary. While reviewing the spectacular footage they had produced, the idea germinated to add a plot line to it and make it into a movie. To produce and market this movie, the Bandito Brothers needed new infusion of investment capital. They partnered with Relativity Media. The work was completed by April 2011. Galdorisi and Couch, the latter a retired Navy SEAL, were invited to see a preview of the film. Although the cast consisted of just Navy SEALs, with no professional protagonists appearing, the movie carries an enormous dramatic impact.

The action scenes are breathtaking. Galdorosi and Couch were so deeply impressed by it that they decided to write its novelization.

With only a verbal agreement with the movie producers, that summer Galdorisi and Couch began to write. Tom Clancy saw a preview of the film and wanted to get involved. His name recognition would enhance the marketability of the movie. Thus its title became, Tom Clancy Presents: Act of Valor. Consequently, Tom Clancy became also a party in the book deal. After the contractual negotiations were completed, the time was running out to get the book completed before the movie release

date, 17 February 2012. Galdorisi and Couch rose to the challenge and worked tirelessly for several weeks. The book Tom Clancy Presents: Act of Valor was released on January 10. It has been in the top-ten ranking of the New York Times best-seller list ever since. The movie was actually released on 24 February. It opened at the top of the box office, earning $24.7 million in its first weekend. The moviegoers’ reaction has been highly positive. With this movie, the Navy Special Warfare Command reaps the benefits of a powerful recruiting advertising tool at no cost to the government.

To cap his presentation, Galdorisi introduced to his audience his next major work, the book The Kissing Sailor, which he wrote in collaboration with Lawrence Verria. On 14 August 1945, V-J Day, Life magazine photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt took about 40 photos of people gathered in New York’s Times Square celebrating the end of WWII. Among those photos there was one, depicting a sailor’s spontaneous kiss of a nurse, which would become one of the most famous photographs in history. Eisenstaedt could not tell who the sailor and the nurse were. He just snapped pictures; he did not interview his subjects. The identity of the sailor and the nurse remained a

mystery for many years. After 67 years of suppositions, controversy, and false claims, in their recently released book Galdorisi and Verria elucidate the mystery with convincing proof of the couple’s identity. The writers also disclose the photographer, sailor, and nurse’s brushes with death, any of which could have prevented their serendipitous meeting in Times Square that made this famous photograph possible.

At the end of the talk Galdorisi answered several questions from the audience before Howard Whitfield presented him with a Naval Aviation Centennial hat as a small token of appreciation for his immensely interesting presentation.

The Special Events Committee will soon be planning the next dinner. If you have not received past dinner notices and want to be included, please contact Arnie Fieser at akfieser@cox.net. Hope to see you at the next dinner.

SCAN

AND

LEARN MORE

Read more about George Galdorisi at www.georgegaldorisi.com

Read more on Leave No Man Behind on www.leavenomanbehindsite.com

George Galdorisi Books on Sale at NHA $1500

$1500

$600 To order you copy, please call NHA Office at (619) 435-7139 Shipping and Handling will be added to the total price.

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We accept

Article by LTJG Stephen Mattingly, USN

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There I Was

The Desert Hawks’ VIPFER Redemption

here is no greater feeling diverse military, civilian, and foreign crews were growing impatient and than accomplishing agencies in a very humbling manner. it was apparent the General’s staff the mission. Whether With the DD1801s filed and the was as well. After sitting at the it is a local area familiarization flight, PPRs confirmed, three helicopters taxied hold short for 45 minutes, General a scheduled PMC run in the Arabian for takeoff at Bahrain International Mattis cancelled the mission. A Gulf, or a Level III HVBSS flight, safe Airport in the wee hours of a standard somber silence fell over the radios mission completion is something that all Arabian Gulf morning. Desert Hawk 70 as the three aircraft taxied back to aviators strive to accomplish. If we did and Flight were told to hold short because Base Operations. The time slot had not, we would not be in this business. Bahrain Approach had to coordinate expired and the General had to move So when the HSC-26 Detachment ONE their clearance. After spinning for on to his next event. Just after the decision Desert Hawks of Fifth Fleet were tasked 30 minutes on deck and having the had been made to turnaround, Ground Control with transferring General James Mattis, duty officer verbally confirm all of the advised us that our clearance had been Commander of United States Central flight plans again with each controlling accepted by Approach Control and we could Command, we jumped at the opportunity agency, the takeoff clearance was finally immediately launch to the ship. Mission to prove our capabilities and complete a granted by Bahrain Tower. Within an Lead told the formation that the decision had mission of such high priority. hour Desert Hawk 70 and flight were been made and we would continue to taxi In December of 2011, the safe on deck in Qatar. back to Base Ops to disembark the General Desert Hawks received a and his staff. The mission was a break from their standard ission accomplishment is what failure; although the flight crews PMC runs in the Arabian Gulf knew they had done everything in sets Naval Aviators apart from their control, it was still a matter to execute the VIPFER (VIP their civilian counter parts. Day of pride. passenger transfer) of General Mattis. General Mattis was On the flight back to one of flight school we are trained visiting units throughout Bahrain, the formation frequency to do everything we can to complete was clobbered with questions from the Fifth Fleet AOR and the the mission in a safe and effective all three aircraft, “What happened?

Desert Hawks were to provide his transportation from Qatar manner. Failure is more than a lack of Where was the disconnect? Why to the USS John Paul Jones completion status for Naval Aviators; it could we not take off?” Everyone (DDG-53). Veterans of DV wanted an answer; even if it was is a loss of pride, and not being able to our fault we wanted an answer. logistics moves, a threestand behind your word and reputation. No professional aviator will accept helicopter VIPFER to and from a Flight I DDG would failure without a firm justification. be a piece of cake. In the In the days following the mission days leading up to the move, the pilots After shutting down to refuel, it was discovered that there was a disconnect assigned to the mission began working CENTCOM and his staff were ready between controlling agencies, and that Doha on flight plans, diplomatic clearances to depart on the short 25-minute flight Approach (Qatar’s primary controlling to enter the country, and the general to the USS John Paul Jones. As Lead agency) required very strict protocol to logistics of flying three US Navy approached the hold short to request allow aircraft to enter and depart their helicopters into a foreign country. In permission to takeoff, Tower responded airspace. With Qatar not being our home addition to the paperwork, numerous with “Approach does not have your base, we thought that filing IFR in and out conference calls were conducted with clearance, please contact your operations of the airspace would alleviate all problems, Air Terminal Operations Center, Bahrain and file again.” These are not the words and that if anything came up we could just Approach and Tower, Doha Approach, any aviator wants to hear while you coordinate with whomever we were talking and Tower to confirm they had received have a four-star General onboard your to at the time. The outcome of the mission the appropriate information. Operating aircraft. Disgruntled thoughts began proved otherwise. Anyone can play Monday out of Qatar, we would be working to emerge in each aircraft. Flight plans morning quarterback, but the fact was the outside of our local operating base at were filed and verbally confirmed, where mission was a failure and no one knows Bahrain International Airport. While did the disconnect lie? this better than the crews involved. As we occasionally fly into Qatar and Mission Lead spent the next most “Type A” aviators are, we do not take were using published procedures at our 40 minutes on the radio with Ground failure lightly. We want to succeed, we want disposal, we rediscovered the unique Control trying to coordinate and re- to be the best, and we want to complete the challenges of coordinating between file the international flight plans. The Continue on page 26

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There I was: The Desert Hawks’ VIPFER Redemption Continued from page 25

mission.

Historical

In January of 2012 the Desert Hawks received tasking again to transfer General Mattis. This time it would be from Qatar to the USS Carney (DDG64). This was our chance to redeem ourselves, make up the pride lost weeks ago and complete the mission.

After numerous meetings and one long teleconference with representatives in Qatar, the wheels were put in motion again. The Desert Hawks sent two helicopters, two full crews, and five maintainers for a RON flight to Qatar.

This would ensure that on the morning of the 16th everything would be checked and double checked prior to the General setting foot on the airfield. We arrived on the 15th and immediately went to Base Operations to ensure our flight plans were filed and would not be disapproved

by Approach Control. While talking to

representatives in Base Operations we learned vital information about filing flight plans in and out of a country with such strict regulations. Filing into Qatar, Doha Approach is easier to work with if you fly VFR in and IFR out, and filing a flight plan for each individual aircraft rather than filing as a formation.

On the morning of 16 January both aircraft stood spinning on the VIP line as General Mattis and his staff arrived. As CENTCOM stepped into the aircraft, we called Ground for our clearance to taxi and takeoff. “Cleared as filed” was the response from Ground Control and we taxied to the active and took off. We arrived at the USS Carney at our scheduled overhead, dropped of the passengers, and took our positions in the starboard and port deltas. When the call from Tower came that the passengers were ready, both aircraft landed one

after another, picked up our passengers and headed back to the airport. Approach Control cleared us in and Tower cleared us to land. We taxied back to the VIP line and CENTCOM disembarked the aircraft. The mission was a success.

Mission accomplishment is what sets Naval Aviators apart from their civilian counter parts. Day one of flight school we are trained to do everything we can to complete the mission in a safe and effective manner. Failure is more than a lack of completion status for Naval Aviators; it is a loss of pride, and not being able to stand behind your word and reputation.

When obstacles are placed in our path we use CRM, ORM, and exhaust all available resources to overcome the obstacle. Although the Desert Hawks were not successful with our first attempt at transferring CENTCOM, we used our “lessons learned” to correct the mistakes and complete the mission.

HELICOPTERS in the EARLY DAYS

The Joys of Driving a New and Unique Machine (Part One) Article by CDR Robert A. Close, USN (Ret)

Introduction

I

entered the U.S. Naval Academy in July 1941, right out of High School. My class, class of 1945, actually graduated in June 1944. During my one year WWII duty, I served aboard heavy cruiser USS Louisville (CA-28) as an eightinch gun turret officer. As part of MacArthur’s Navy (7th Fleet), in October 1944 we participated in the invasion of Leyte, fighting the Japanese during the Surigao Straits portion of the Battle for Leyte Gulf. Here, RADM Jessie Oldendorf, embarked on Louisville, commanding a task force of old battleships that had been sunk or damage during the 7 December 1941 attack and since repaired, and a group of heavy cruisers, crossed the “T” and defeated the Japanese admirals Nishimura and Shima. During the invasion at Linguyan Gulf, Louisville was hit by two suicide planes. The Japanese had just begun to employ kamikaze tactics. After repairs at Mare Island CA, Louisville joined the invasion of Okinawa. There we took another kamikaze hit. This time we went to Pearl Harbor for repairs. While in Pearl, I left the ship with orders to flight training. WWII ended while I was on leave at home in Cincinnati. I reported to NAS Dallas for Flight Training in September 1945, about three weeks after the end of the war.

After flight training at Dallas, Corpus Christi, and Pensacola (where I carrier-qualified flying the SNJ), I took operational training at NAS Jacksonville in SB2C-4Es. After CarQuals in the “Beast” aboard USS Wright (CVL-49) off Pensacola, I was off to AirLant (Naval Air Forces, Atlantic) in Norfolk, and assignment to VA-5B, later changed to VA-64.

Continue on page 30

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L-3 Comms / DPA 1000 Pts of Light

Lockheed Martin

Luis Marroquin

Alexis Lawless

University of California Santa Richard Stockton College Psychology Barbara

Sikorsky

Ream Memorial

Raytheon

Marshall Walker

Texas Christian Unversity Economics

Robert Burns

Edward Martin

Engineering

Politics and International Relations

U.S. Naval Academy

New York University

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

The Following NHA Scholarship Recipients not pictured are:

Charles Karman Memorial Scholarships

CAPT Mark Starr Memorial Scholarship

AT1 Nicholas Lingenfelter San Diego State University

Kaitlyn Dowling

Brittany Hardin

CDR Mort McCarthy Memorial Scholarship

Danielle Karnbach

Charles Karman Memorial Scholarships

NHA Active Duty Scholarships

NHA Graduate Scholarship

Kimberly Beach

Emporia State University Teaching English to Speaker’s of Other Language

College of Charleston Statistics

Entrepreneurship

Maj Michael Long, USMC

LT James Bell, USN

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University of California, Los University Angeles Master in Business Adminstration Master in Business Adminstration in Aviation

LCpl Kent Fitch, USMC University of Phoenix Business

NHA Region TWO

NHA Region THREE

NHA Region FOUR

Julie Bolton

Rebecca King

Andrew Bonn

Timothy Metzger

San Diego State University Master in Mathematics

Rampo College of New Jersey Journalism

Naval Academy Major (To Be Determined)

University of Virginia Biology

NHA Region ONE

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AZ1 Mariko Sai, USN Ashford University

Health Care Administration

NHA Region FIVE

Kara Brusoski

Universityof Florida College of Dentistry

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Rotor Review # 117 Spring ‘12

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Historical: HELICOPTERS in the Early Days Continued from page 26

Thus, from April 1947 to April 1949 I was a Curtiss SB2C-5 Helldiver and a Douglass AD-1 Skyraider dive bomber pilot operating from USS Coral Sea (CVB-43), USS Midway (CVB-41), and USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVB-42). On my last Midway cruise we had one of the first helos aboard, flown by an Academy friend from class 44, Chuck Meshier (helicopter pilot #43). He made four hairy rescues in a two-month trip to the Mediterranean. Our airgroup’s Grumman F8F squadrons had been grounded and replaced by two Marine squadrons flying cast-off F4U-5 Corsairs, real clunkers with a tendency for engine failures. It was on this cruise that I got intrigued by helicopters.

At the end of my tour in VA-64, in April of 1949, instead of going to scheduled shore duty, I put in for helicopters. At that time all helicopter training was done at HU-2 in Lakehurst, NJ. I reported in April 1949, and was designated helicopter pilot #153 on 31 May 1949.

Several of my classmates, all former VO/VSC float plane pilots, were there: Jim Braun; John Mullen; Bill Pledger; and Bromo Schmeltzer, killed in July 1960, supposedly in front of his family on a fly-in from an ASW cruise. Of the first 250 helicopter pilots, the Naval Academy class of 1945 had more than any other class.

There are many sea stories from my cruises to many places and on many ships – Norfolk, Key West, the Med, Norway, France, Gitmo (Guantanamo Bay Cuba), USS Missouri, USS Midway , USS Palau, etc. The point I want to make first is that my experiences were very routine for the time and stage of helo development. We were all volunteers. Most times we were the first helo on the ship, or to visit a town or country. As very junior officers and detachment O-in-Cs, we were the “experts” and were proud of never missing a flight and always being willing to see just how far we could push the machines. The pilots who manned the machines on the Icebreakers for seven months in the Antarctic for the annual International Geophysical Year Expeditions, or the five months in the Arctic, or to Africa and South America on the hydrographic survey ships like USS Tanner – they are the ones with the most hairy survival stories. You must remember, our helos had no control boosts, no ASE (automatic stabilization equipment), only a turn-and-bank indicator (useless), no artificial horizon (useless in a helo since aircraft attitude is no indicator of flight path), one VHF radio (good for about 15 miles at our usual over-water altitude of 100 feet), no directional gyro – just an automobile-like magnetic compass sitting on top of the dash board swishing back and forth some 30 degrees.

Here are some of my more interesting sea stories.

Unintended Aerobatic Maneuver In June of 1949, with a total of 24 helicopter pilot hours, I was riding in the back seat (no controls) of a Sikorsky HO3S1. I was being checked out to take over an electronic position locator project the Army was running from a laboratory in Asbury Park, NJ. The object was to fly about four or five miles around the lab while they pinpointed our position through interrogation of special electronic gear installed in the helo baggage compartment. The pilot, T. D. (I will only use his initials), had maybe 20 hours more than me.

In turning his head to holler something at me, he let the helo’s nose drop. I pointed forward to call to his attention the unintended dive. He turned back around and pulled the nose up. The nose popped through the horizontal and kept going up in spite of full forward cyclic stick.

We were well into an Immelman when the machine rolled off to the left and into a dive.

I had released my seat belt to jump when I remembered we didn’t carry chutes. Thus, I jammed my weight forward so that, as the nose started coming up again, T.D. had enough stick authority to stop it level. We started at 800 feet, our assigned altitude for the test, and ended up at 200 feet. There had been a great popping and

rending and twisting of the blades, so T.D. immediately set us down. He was so shaken he wouldn’t fly. After inspecting the machine, I decided, “What the devil, I didn’t lose anything in Asbury Park,” so I flew us back to Lakehurst – very slowly and gingerly.

Needless to say, the squadron was disturbed over this “unknown” loss of control. Finally, after a few days, Sikorsky technical representatives discovered that the 50 lbs of special electronic gear in the baggage compartment moved the center of gravity (cg) back beyond the design limits. Only 1.1 inches of cg travel was allowable to maintain full controllability.

Thus, in that machine controllability was limited to a speed of about 55 knots. The HO3S-1 normal speed was 55 to 60 kts, with a maximum of about 80 kts if you had another person squat over the right rudder pedal in the nose.

We had exceeded our 55 kts limitation in our little dive. Anyway, after that incident we were very much aware of the need of loading to insure adequate cyclic stick authority. As a matter of

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routine, detachments went aboard ship with two iron-bar weights, one of 25 lbs and one of 50 lbs, each in a canvas case. Flying with no passengers, both weights went forward alongside the pilot. With three passengers, both weights went into the baggage compartment unless it was so hot that you couldn’t get airborne, not an unusual occurrence, in which case you dumped the weights on the ground.

If you couldn’t recover the weights, that meant in the future, if you carried three passengers ashore and left them, you had to shut down and find rocks or something to put alongside you for the trip back, or flutter along at 25 kts.

Ever tried finding rocks in a camel yard in Sfax, Tunisia, while sidestepping camel dung? More on the camel yard later.

My First Cruise My first cruise was with a two-helo detachment with a complement of three pilots and eight enlisted men, aboard the Battleship USS Missouri (BB 63), CAPT H. Page Smith commanding. Helo pilots were: LCDR Chris Fink (HU-2 Maintenance Officer and helicopter pilot #23), ENS Willie Williams (#155), and Continue on page 31

Historical: HELICOPTERS in the Early Days Continued from page 30

me. This was a Midshipmen summer cruise to Cherbourg, France, and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, lasting from 1 August to 22 September 1949. The commander was RADM Allen E. Smith, a runty little bantam rooster of a man. When entering or leaving the helo, he always stood alone on the rear step of the machine, facing outward, sternly surveying the sky while the official photographers on the ship ground away with their cameras.

Once pictures were taken, he would duck into the helo and a crewman could approach to strap him in.

On 21 August, an official visit to the ancient monastery of Mont de Saint Michelle, in France was laid on for members of the ship and embarked staff. Both helos were to be used. The three of us flipped coins to see who would make the trip. Our O-in-C, LCDR Chris Fink, lost the toss. Thus, Willie (ENS Williams) and I did the flying. I carried CAPT Mendenhall, Chief of Staff, representing the Admiral, who was down with dysentery, and the Sous Prefec (like a City Manager) of Cherbourg. Willie carried CAPT Smith, “Big MO’s” Skipper, and CDR Lamar of the staff. In spite of the boiling hot weather, we pilots were ordered to wear dress blues.

Everyone else was in civvies. The monastery sits atop a granite island out in the tidal flats about 60 miles south on the western side of the Cherbourg peninsula. The town nestles around the base of the island. The sea tide moves in and out of the flats a distance of 12 miles. There is a long causeway connecting the island to dry land. We landed alongside the causeway at the dry end.

I will now quote from a letter I mailed home dated 25 August 1949: “We were met by an honor guard of the French Army, the Mayor and the Sous Prefec of Saint Michelle, another Sous Prefec, and several other dignitaries. During the landing, the introductions, passing the honor guard, and signing ‘The Golden Book’, newsreel cameras were grinding away. Willie and I were the only ones in the party in uniforms, blues, and it was hot!

We had been worried about a guard for the planes while we visited. We shouldn’t have.

Ten policemen marched out, five surrounding each helo and, standing at attention, faced the spectators with very grim looks.

“After the formalities, we piled into two cars and were whisked across the

T

here are many sea stories from my cruises to many places and on many ships ... The point I want to make first is that my experiences were very routine for the time and stage of helo development.

We were all volunteers. Most times we were the first helo on the ship, or to visit a town or country. As very junior officers and detachment O-in-Cs, we were the “experts” and were proud of never missing a flight and always being willing to see just how far we could push the machines. The pilots who manned the machines on the Icebreakers for seven months in the Antarctic for the annual International Geophysical Year Expeditions, or the five months in the Arctic, or to Africa and South America on the hydrographic survey ships ... they are the ones with the most hairy survival stories. causeway to the main entrance of the monastery. The car horns were twoblocked all the way. I shall not attempt to describe the monastery, often called ‘The Eighth Wonder of the World’. It is magnificent. Needless to say, by the time we had walked, or rather climbed, the 300 feet up into the building, my blues were soaked.

“About the last bit of the tour was climbing up to the top of the surrounding battlements by means of a ‘single-file width’ rock stairway running up the face of the battlement wall – no railing. As the group started up, I stayed at the bottom. CAPT Smith turned and said, ‘Aren’t you coming?’ I said, ‘No Sir. I have acrophobia and cannot stand heights. I’d fall off.’ He gave me a startled look but followed the others up. When they came down, he pulled me aside and asked how the devil I could be a pilot with acrophobia. I explained that it only kicked in if I was on the ground or connected to it. I am not sure if he was convinced, but he didn’t say anything.

“At the end of the tour, the Mayor escorted us to a restaurant in the village at the foot of the rock. The restaurant is the original Madame Poulards, one of the most famous in France. The table was reserved and the dinner previously

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ordered. We sat down and commenced the most extensive and delicious meal I have ever eaten. The first course consisted of trays of shrimp, langoustine, and tiny clam-like shellfish, along with a white wine. Having to fly afterwards, I stuck with one glass. After resetting the table, the next course was two very large lobsters. I contented myself with one claw and one tail. Next, came new dishes and an egg omelet soufflé. We figure that that was the main part of the meal. But No! A whole leg of Mutton, swimming in thick gravy and potatoes followed. Red wine came with this course. One glass only for me. This completed the main meal. The first dessert was assorted French pastries. The Mayor of Michelle, sitting on my left, did not rest until he had convinced me to eat three of them. Next came a bowl of fresh peaches, followed by a very creamy, yellow ice cream with red cherries on top. Then, it was a bitter un-coffee-like coffee with individual silver drip coffee makers on top of each cup.

Finally, there came Champaign for a round of toasts. The meal took well over two hours, even though we rushed as much as courtesy allowed, so that we could get the Captains back to the MO for a 500-person reception scheduled for 1700. Oh yes, all during the meal French photographers were grinding away with cameras for newsreel and TV. Continue on page 32

Historical: HELICOPTERS in the Early Days Continued from page 31

“We had another hair-raising ride back to the helos through a crowd of about 2000 spectators seeing their first egg-beater.

We made two circuits of the monastery before heading north. At CAPT Mendenhall’s request, I hovered alongside the giant gold statue of Saint Michael that stands atop the dome of the building, so he could take photos. A most enjoyable day.”

At the end of the cruise, 22 Sept 1949, the MO dropped anchor in Annapolis Roads to off-load the several hundred midshipmen by motor launch. LCDR Chris Fink, O-in-C, flew ashore in the morning, picked up RADM Sponagle at the Academy, and brought him aboard. Chris then took one helo and headed back to his wife at Lakehurst. That afternoon, a typical 97-degree, humid, absolutely dead-stillair Annapolis day, I was told to take Admirals Smith and Sponagle to the Naval Academy.

I warned them in fairly strong terms that in current conditions, carrying two passengers made for a chancy take-off. Smith, a black shoe (non-aviator), wasn’t happy about a LTJG bus driver telling him what he could or couldn’t do, but he did ask if I was sure I could make it.

I said yes, figuring “Columbus took a chance, why not me.” At worst we would get wet.

Incidentally, since this was an official visits exchange, we were all in dress whites.

Even doing a rotor over-speed modified jump takeoff, I couldn’t get translational lift fast enough to compensate for the lost of ground cushion going over the edge of the deck. Rotor rpm fell off quickly and the engine was popping. With no choice, I flared the machine into the sound until the water was just below the door sill. This relieved enough weight so I could milk the rpm back up. I was able to get enough rotor over-speed to pull out of the water, coast along on ground cushion, get into translational lift, and finally up to flying speed and get into the Academy successfully. When they left the helo, neither admiral said a word – I think their vocal cords were frozen. The cap to the story was that a month later my CO at HU-2, CDR Francis Foley (later a VADM), called me into his office and shoved a letter at me. Allen E. Smith had written a formal letter from ComBatt/CruDiv Atlantic, to CO HU-2, accusing me of stealing his 50 cent pair of white cotton gloves on that flight. Francis asked, “What the hell is this?”

When I related the almost-dunking, he burst out laughing and said not to worry, he’d take

care of it. No repercussions followed, and nothing appeared in my record. I assume that Allen E. had left his gloves in the machine and the crew, in cleaning out, had thrown them away. It was just Allen E.’s way of thanking me for scaring the bejesus out of him.

Midshipmen Follies On another Midshipmen cruise, two summers later, also in the “Mighty MO,” I was O-in-C of a one helo detachment with two pilots: myself and Chief Aviation Pilot Vaughn. The cruise force consisted of two battleships (Missouri & Wisconsin), heavy cruiser Albany, eight destroyers, three transports, and one oiler. The Force Commander was RADM James Holloway, Jr. (his son, James L Holloway III, became the Chief of Naval Operations). CAPT George Wright was skipper of the MO. We visited Oslo, Norway, Cherbourg France, and Gitmo. The cruise, for me, lasted from 3 June to 26 July 1951. The group picked up 800 Midshipmen at Annapolis on 9 June, returned to Norfolk for several hundred Reserve Middies, and finally started the real cruise on the 12th of June. We pulled into Oslo on the 18th. The crossing was a storm-tossed stinker – even worse than a horrible crossing in USS Midway to Gibraltar in 1948. The day after leaving Norfolk the wind picked up and the first round of several low-pressure-area storms caught us. The seas heaved round and boiled until even the MO, as big as she is, was rolling her main deck under and taking solid spray over the Bridge. My helo was lashed down on the starboard part of the fantail and appeared to be underwater most of the time. After this storm, there were two rough but clear days. My crew spent the time cleaning the helo, repainting areas stripped by the storm, replacing a blown out window, and pounding out a bashed-in side.

Also, the engine oil cooler had corroded through, dumping the oil onto the deck.

It took 24 hours to find the spare cooler and one hour to install it. I made one guard mail flight before the next storm hit. On the 14th, one of the destroyers lost a propeller and was detached under

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escort to return to Norfolk. When that storm was over, we found that the magnesium-cast main wheels on the helo had frozen to the brakes, and the aircraft couldn’t be rolled. It took serious pounding with a sledge hammer to get the wheels off, which, of course, ruined the brakes. Without brakes, landings were fun on a rolling deck.

We arrived in Oslo on Monday the 18th, anchoring in the Fjord off the Akers Shus section of town. That evening I attended an Embassy reception. On Tuesday the 19th, it was a formal dinner at the Assistant U.S. Naval Attaché’s home. On Wednesday the 20th, I performed a flight demonstration around the ship and over the town for a big reception held aboard the ship. Again, on the 21st I flew more demonstrations over the town and at the local airfield.

Midshipmen, being kids and overly enthusiastic, tended to do dumb things.

First of all, while horsing around the fantail, frequently, one of them would run into the tail rotor of the parked helo. Because of the rubber cushion blade stops, the blade would rebound and knock the Middy flat. I didn’t care about the Middies getting hurt, but those tail rotors were relatively fragile. Finally, I had to put a crewman on blocking duty whenever the middies were horsing around. One day, while at anchor, the ship was using a flock of Middies to move a dolly stacked three high with 50-foot motor launches. As usual, the dolly was resisting and the Bo’s’n was cursing the Middies. Finally, with one big heave they got the mass moving and with great enthusiasm pushed the stack into the trailing edge of one of the main rotor blades on my helo. I let out a roar. I never saw so many bodies disappear into so many holes since WWII, when a typhoon flooded my JO bunkroom at 02:00 and 20 Ensigns went through a 30-inch scuttle hatch, all at once.

The rotor blades were constructed with a round, tapered steel spar with wooden ribs every few inches to give the necessary wing shape. From the spar to the leading edge the blade was covered with thin plywood. The pointy trailing edge was a thin steel cable. The whole blade was covered with canvas. The stacked motor launches had crushed about 15 inches worth of wooden ribs flat against the metal spar. This was during those great days of the military-hating Secretary of Defense Louis Johnson. There were insufficient spare Continue on page 33

Historical: HELICOPTERS in the Early Days Continued from page 32

sets of blades for all ships having helos.

Naturally, the MO didn’t have a set.

The other battleship in the Midshipmen cruise force, the Wisconsin, had a spare set of blades, but no helo – and she was off somewhere else. Solution (remember, we prided ourselves on never missing a flight) – we used our hands to smooth the busted ribs and fabric back into reasonable aerodynamic shape and bandaged the wound with masking tape (no duct tape in those days). A test flight indicated it worked well enough, except the vibration made it hard to read the instruments. We had to change the bandage after most flights since the blade would go increasingly out of track as the flights progressed. We flew that way for two weeks until we met up with Wisconsin and made an at-sea transfer of their spare set of blades.

Also, on this same cruise, en route home, the Missouri received a plea for assistance from the Panamanian registered merchant tanker Marcella, some 150 miles away.

She had a crewman with a ruptured appendix aboard. The Commander decided it would be cheaper to send the cruiser USS Albany off at high speed to deliver a doctor. Thus, I flew over to the Albany with the doctor and a crewman, and off she went full bore (notice, I didn’t use the fly-boy phrase “balls to the wall”). The Captain agreed to let me go when I calculated that we were at a distance from the tanker in which, if I found her, dropped the doctor aboard by hoist, waited 15 minutes to get a report, and headed back to the Albany, which would still be heading towards the tanker at 30 knots, I would have 15 minutes of reserve fuel. Luck was with me, I didn’t get lost flying out 50 miles at 65 knots on a magnetic compass, no radio. Everything worked as planned.

Just as my 15 minutes were up at the tanker, the doctor came running out on deck and waved for the hoist. He was really fuming. Turns out the crewman did not have a burst appendix but was in the midst of alcohol-induced convulsive detoxification.

After getting back to the MO safely, via the Albany, the doctor and I

reported to the Captain. He too began fuming – all that extra fuel roaring up the stack, a navigationally dangerous helo flight; all for a drunk. I finally suggested that the MO continue towards the tanker, and at 30,000 yards engage in a little night 16-inch gunfire practice.

The Captain thought this a wonderful idea, relaxed and returned to his usual good humor.

The Peripeteias of a Mediterranean Cruise Another very interesting trip was a five months Mediterranean cruise in the then straight-deck USS Midway, CAPT Wallace Beakley commanding, starting in January 1950. LT John Cole, helicopter pilot #125, was O-in-C of our one helo detachment. Incidentally, he was killed two years later in a Super Constellation AWACS plane crash en route to the Azores to join a new squadron. In mid-February, John was put in sick bay with a raging case of flu, so I got to do all the flying. On a visit to Sfax, Tunisia, the ship had to anchor a long way out, I guess due to shallow water. I had flown RADM J.J. (Jocko or Indian Joe) Clark, ComCarDiv4; his Chief of Staff, CAPT Henry; and CAPT Beakley to the beach. For some reason, the landing area was a camel yard. Jocko ordered me back to the ship, 20 miles out in the Bay, and to return at a certain hour to pick up only the two Captains.

The Admiral would be staying ashore.

Back on the ship, I gassed up for two passengers, and returned to the camel yard at the appointed time. Naturally, Jocko had decided not to stay ashore.

I explained that I was too heavy for three passengers but would be happy to make two trips. He waved the other two into the machine, climbed in himself, punched me in the left shoulder, as he always did, and growled “GO!” I tried three times to get high enough to get over the wall surrounding the yard. I tried the usual over-speeding of the rotors and all the other little tricks we used, but no go. All the passengers disembarked the helo. I flew the machine over the walls out of the yard to the sand, shut down, crawled under, and drained high

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octane aviation gasoline out the petcock for 20 minutes. I then cranked up again, expecting a nice big boom from the gasoline-soaked sand.

The Gods were with me that day; the fumes did not ignite. Anyway, I jumped over the wall into the camel yard, they all climbed aboard, and we made it back to the ship. The elapsed time was about the same as if I’d made two trips. But, as Jocko said, “When I tell you to take three people, you’ll take three people.” Great fun.

We left Sfax on 24 Feb 1950. John Cole was still in Sick Bay with the flu; I was still doing all flights. The Admiral was anxious to get the air group flying, even though the weather was marginal. The wind was blowing from the west at 25-30 kts. For those old helos without flap restrainers on the blades, 30 kts of smooth air was the absolute limit for engaging blades.

If higher, on engagement the first advancing blade would cone up about 40 degrees before centripetal force could overcome lift. When the blade rotated forward, it would drop down, possibly hitting the deck, and surely cutting off the tail cone. On this day, the ship was heading north, the wind burbling badly up the port side and over the flight deck. With the helo pointed into the wind. Pri-Fly ordered, “Start the helo.”

I radioed back, “Wind too gusty to engage, request ship turn down wind.” The word came back, “We record only 25 kts; start the helo.” I sent back, “Wind burbling up under the blades, please turn downwind.” In the meantime, of course, 50 aircraft were sitting just behind me with their props churning. The word came down, “The Captain orders you to start the helo!”

Our SOP orders from our squadron were to try two refusals, then obey a direct order from the Captain, even if it trashed the machine.

I started the engine. The crew, expecting a turn downwind, removed the tie-downs in preparation for pushing the helo around as the ship turned for the start. However, apparently CAPT Beakley was so pissed at my delaying the launch that he threw the ship into a full rudder port turn to get into the wind. The ship heeled over to starboard and the helo, chocks, brakes and all, started sliding backwards towards the starboard catwalk. I had two choices: to fall over backwards into the drink upside down, or to try to get airborne. I whipped my right hand to the crew chief on deck to jerk off the blade boots – each of the three blades had a tip boot with a line to a man on the deck to restrain the blades until engagement. I slammed full Continue on page 34

Historical: HELICOPTERS in the Early Days Continued from page 33

throttle as the boots were pulled, and, as expected the first advancing blade coned, then slammed down to the deck, but unlike normal, hit so hard that it bounced over the tail cone.

The other blades had enough centripetal force to hold them out. Of course, the machine was still skidding towards the catwalk and everyone was running away like blazes. Just as the wheels hit the metal ridge at the edge of the flight deck, the rotor rpm wound up to the lower red line. I two-blocked the collective pitch to get airborne. The burble took control and flipped me nearly 90 degrees on my side to the left and spun the machine end-for-end as I was being blown to starboard. As I passed just barely above and to the front of the bridge – if I hadn’t been nearly vertical, my blades would have shredded on the bridge – I had the pleasure of looking straight down through my left side window and seeing the whole bridge crew, including CAPT Beakley, hit the deck.

Once blown clear of the ship and just before hitting the water, I got the machine straightened out. I ran a control check and found everything working pretty well, except for some unnatural vibrations. Thus, I eased on back to my plane guard station and watched the launch of the air group. It had all happened so fast, I wasn’t particularly bothered by the near miss.

However, once the launch was over, the ship returned to its original heading and the word came up, “Charlie the helo.”

Politely, I think, I advised that it should be obvious that the ship’s course was not safe for starting and stopping the helo; would they

please turn downwind. The word came up, “Captain says, land!” I guess I lost it a little then, because my answer was, “If the ship is not downwind in five minutes, I will land in the water.” The ship gently turned downwind for my landing and shutdown, not only for that flight, but for each flight that day, and with not a word. But, when I touched down after the last flight that evening, the flight deck bullhorn was blasting in its nastiest tone, “Helicopter pilot, report to the bridge!”

I think it was the tone, not the expected order, which made me blow. I went steaming up the island and past PriFly. The Air Boss, Fitz Palmer, saw the look on my face and tried to grab me as I went by to cool me down, but I shook him off and stormed to the bridge. CAPT Beakley, an outstanding gentleman, and I started hollering at each other until we both started running out of breath. I finally asked him if he knew how many people he had almost killed with that dumb turn. He answered, “You’re paid to take that risk.” I looked him square in the eye and said, “It’s not the helo pilot that gets killed but the people on deck.

And in this case I would have wiped out the bridge.” There was a quiet pause while everyone held their breath. His answer was a calm, and most surprising, “You all are worth your weight in gold to us (we had pulled four people from the water by then) and just let me know what you want.” What a man! I know if I had

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n another Midshipmen cruise... I was O-in-C of a one helo detachment with two pilots: myself and Chief Aviation Pilot Vaughn. The cruise force consisted of two battleships (Missouri & Wisconsin), heavy cruiser Albany, eight destroyers, three transports, and one oiler. The day after leaving Norfolk the wind picked up and the first round of several low-pressure-area storms caught us. The seas heaved round and boiled until even the MO, as big as she was... My helo was lashed down on the starboard part of the fantail and appeared to be underwater most of the time... When that storm was over, we found that the magnesium-cast main wheels on the helo had frozen to the brakes, and the aircraft couldn’t be rolled.

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been him, I would have court-martialled the snotty-nosed JG (me) for shouting at him the way I did. Amazing! And, at the end of that five-month Med cruise, both CAPT Beakley and Admiral Clark wrote, not only beautiful concurrent fitness reports on John and me, but most unexpectedly, each wrote separate letters of commendation on each of us.

While I don’t wish to emphasize this cruise over others, this one is interesting from the standpoint of the number of very important people who risked their lives in those somewhat primitive machines we were flying. Both John and I flew Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten from the Midway to Valetta, Malta, and back. The then Princess Elizabeth (Prince Philip was XO of a destroyer in the area) wanted a ride, and actually was in the helo ready to go when her guards decided against it. We flew both, Rita Hayworth, and her husband, Ali Khan, from the ship to their place on the Riviera. Jocko Clark’s wife was staying at their house. In addition, there was the usual number of Ambassadors, etc. In those days, many of the places we visited had not seen a helo before.

It was always wise to fly into the local town square or airfield and give rides to the senior military and civil officials. That way, as very junior officers, we always received invitations to the very swanky official and non-official functions. Our attendance was possible because we didn’t fly at night.

Going back to Jocko and his wife, she had flown out from the states near the beginning of the cruise. When the ship went to Naples, she was to be flown by an Embassy Beechcraft into the commercial airport on a plateau back of town. Jocko had me fly him up to the field from the ship.

We landed as scheduled but the Beechcraft had not arrived. Jocko had me shut down to wait, since he needed a ride back to the ship after his wife arrived. He went over and sat in an Embassy car to wait. I was sitting in the helo half asleep when the plane arrived.

Jocko jumped out of the car, gave his wife a big smooch, said a few words and the next thing I knew he had climbed into the helo and was punching me in the shoulder grunting “GO! GO! I’m late.” I jerked alive, pumped the throttle, turned on the magnetos, and hit the starter. The engine fired, and with one smooth, professional motion I engaged the rotors and pulled the helo into a hover, Continue on page 35

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ready to do a hot-dog transition into forward flight and scream across the field to really impress the natives. Unfortunately, I had failed to turn on the gas. Fortunately, I was barely in forward flight when the carburetor ran dry and a sudden silence fell. I gently dead-sticked to the ground, reached down, turned on the gas, fired the engine and departed, this time with no hot-dogging in mind. Jocko never said a word.

One final incident with Jocko. When the ship pulled into Cyprus (north side), only one flight was supposed to be authorized, and that was to take Jocko and CAPT Beakley on their official calls into Nicosia, the capital. John Cole made the flight. We then got permission for the two of us to make liberty at the same time, something that usually only occurred when in a place where we couldn’t fly. Air Force Captain Ghormley, the air intelligence attaché on Cyprus, drove us the 50 or so miles from the coast into Nicosia. We arrived back at the ship (I don’t remember how) about two in the morning, really snockered. At 0500 we were awakened by a loudly pounding Quartermaster, who informed John that Admiral Clark and two others needed to leave the ship at 0600 to fly to Nicosia. John merely pointed up to my bunk and said, “Get him.” The poor Quartermaster literally dragged me out of the top bunk and stood me up until I got both eyes open. I sent him off to wake up the helo crew while I tried to get myself going. I put on the same set of blues that I’d worn into town the night before (we always flew “official” in blues or whites, no flight suits). I was almost up to the helo when I remembered I didn’t know where Nicosia was

Historical: HELICOPTERS in the Early Days from the ship. And we had no maps.

I went below and shook John awake enough to ask him where Nicosia was.

He said, “Head south until a highway and railroad converge. That’s Nicosia.”

Then he went out again with a groan.

When Jocko and his Chief of Staff got in the helo, I was having trouble keeping my head from flopping from side to side and my breathing was very shallow to hide the booze fumes.

Anyway, we got airborne, and I found south and headed inland. I had no idea of how far it was to town or how long it should take to get there. I eased up to 1000 feet (usually we never got above 500 feet because we didn’t carry chutes) in order to see better. I was getting sober and panicky at the same time, since I couldn’t see a road or railroad. Finally a road came easing in from the right out of the morning haze, and eventually a railroad from the left. Sure enough, when they met I was over a town. I let back down to 500 feet and then realized I had no idea where the airfield was. I just kept flying across and out of town.

All of a sudden, Jocko punched me in the shoulder and hollered, “Aren’t you going to land?” and pointed straight down. I was right over the middle of the airfield! I stammered something about, “Yes sir, just checking wind direction,” and honked the machine around and landed next to an official car. Jocko and the C/S left saying to be back to pick them up at noon.

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A customs official in uniform came out to get a look at the helo, took one look at my ghastly face, and invited me into the customs shack for tea. He kept me there for about an hour, pouring tea in me until he decided I was alive enough to fly. About this time, the Air Force Attaché, Ghormley, arrived looking pretty bad. He asked if he could ride out to the ship with me since he had never been on a carrier, or ridden a helo.

Of course, I said yes. Once over the town, he asked if I would fly by his apartment so he could wave to his girl friend. Feeling somewhat chipper by this time, although not able to show good judgment, I eased the helo down between the buildings and crept up the street to hover alongside his apartment.

His girl rewarded the show by appearing on the balcony, naked and waving with great abandon. We eventually got back to the ship.

By this time I was in agony with a screaming hangover. I climbed into the sack and died.

Fortunately, John was alive and well so he could go in and pick up Jocko as scheduled.

To my knowledge, this is the only time in my life I flew stupid and half drunk. If I had been less numbed, I would have refused to fly. My and Jocko’s guardian angels were on duty that day.

Read More of “HELICOPTERS in the EARLY DAYS. (Part Two)” in Rotor Review, Issue 118.

Focus

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INtroduction

t was often wondered if any NHA Symposium could top the one last year paying homage to 100 years of Naval Aviation. But this year, HSC-2 Skipper CDR Marv Carlin and the Symposium committee pulled out all the stops to make “NHA 2012” the greatest NHA show ever. The future role of the naval helicopter community was the scope for this year’s Symposium.

The focus on rotor-wing aviation for next 100 years was alive and the enthusiasm for this future echoed throughout the halls and boardrooms of Marriott Norfolk Waterside. Just like the Symposium before this one, the 64th annual event continued to showcase the growing components and tasks of the helicopter community. This vision, however, is not without challenges. In these present times with overseas tasking expanding while manpower decreases and pursestrings tighten, innovation will be required as we deploy with new equipment in new environments. This year’s audience was able to walk away with a better understanding of the direction of naval helicopters as a whole while community cooperation continues.

The next few pages of this focus will highlight some of events that took place that week…

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Day One

STARTS ON PAGE 38

Day Two

STARTS ON PAGE 43

Day Three

STARTS ON PAGE 55

Last Day

STARTS ON PAGE 62

click to see More

O n Fa c e b o o k

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Day ONE...

2012 NHA Golf Tournament Article by LTJG Francisco Arboleda, USN

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his year’s installment of the NHA Golf Tournament featured a strong field, a bit of jet noise, and of course, “No Hook Required!” As always, the event was a great place for its participants to find raffle prizes, good food, drinks, and of course 18 holes of golf! Helo amigos made new memories with each shot and recalled old shenanigans while riding their carts through the Tomcat or Hornet golf courses at NAS Oceana’s Aeropines Golf Club.

As I entered the range early dynamics, and depicting a 3D profile Monday morning, I could smell the for every shot. LTJG Chris Drost from fresh cut grass and hear the swings of HSC-9 impressed the field early by the early risers. The morning started showcasing his talents in both the with a great demo/warm-up sponsored Titleist and Nike challenges.

by Titleist and Nike.

Golfers were As tee time approached, able to test out the sponsors newest everyone could feel the excitement in clubs and drivers while preparing for the air. The clubhouse was a nest of the competition. The Nike Demo also activity after registration with teams included the FlightScope Challenge. receiving their goody-bags, finding The iPad ran, FlightScope Doppler radar their carts and, of course, preparing system allowed competitors to put their refreshments.

Competitors were own clubs up against Nike’s VRS series. also able to purchase mulligans, Unfortunately, the system would not allow string by the foot and raffle tickets. A for a coupled approach to the green. multitude of great prizes were on the Rotor Review # 117 However, it was an eye Spring opener‘12 when line: Oakley sunglasses, 40 golf clubs, capturing trajectories, measuring golf ball Bose speakers, an IPad, Kindles

and other goodies including a Nike bag and driver bought with the raffle money!

LTJG Otis “Potis” Dunlap, the event director, awarded some early “motivation” before the start and the course marshal ironed out the rules. Hosted by the Tridents of HSC-9, the course frequently provided a CVN advantage with a plethora of pointy-

Continue on page 40

CDR Jesus Rodriguez (r) attempts a “kneeknocker” while LCDR Ryan is calling it “shifty.”

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Focus: 2012 Symposium Hightlights (Day ONE)

(l-r) Steve Miller, Peter Keuss, Carlos Oroza, Joshua Miller

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t was a real privilege as a fairly new member of the helicopter community to experience this day of real sportsmanship, friendliness, and camaraderie. CAPT Gil Birklund and his three teammates played with over 100 years of combined helicopter tradition in their foursome.

Continued from page 38

in their foursome. They were nosed touch-and-gos. Mulligans were a solid demonstration of what able to pull shots from the water, but this event is all about, enjoying feet of string proved no help to balls good company, atmosphere, brought to the beach as only shots onto and nice cold refreshments that kept the green were eligible. Threatened the required level of performance early by a menacing TAF, the weather throughout the game.

At the end of the day we guessers were thankfully incorrect all enjoyed a great All-American and the event continued in VMC. The hamburger and hotdog BBQ, while two courses were both par 72 and raffle tickets were drawn and the featured forgiving rough and inviting winners for closest to the pin, longest pin placements with a few aggressive drive and the tournament itself were doglegs. The intertwining of the courses announced.

Finishing 1st on the and strategically placed refreshment Hornet course was Master Chief stations led to some doubling back Rod Ashby, Chief Paul Fulsom, and and a lot of playful banter between old LTJG Chris Drost from HSC-9 with friends on opposing foursomes.

It was a real privilege as a a score of 53. The lowest score of fairly new member of the helicopter 55 on the Tomcat course was community to experience this day of posted by Drew Koelsch, Jeremy real sportsmanship, friendliness, and Leiby, Scott Walsh, and Ken Marion. camaraderie. CAPT Gil Birklund and his Those that did not win a trophy or three teammates played with over 100 a prize still won a great day for golf Rotor # 117 Springtradition ‘12 42 and good times. years of Review combined helicopter

First Place TOMCAT winners RESULTS 1st PLACE HORNET: Rod Ashby, Paul Fulsom, Chris Drost Score =53 1st PLACE TOMCAT: Drew Koelsch, Jeremy Leiby, Scott Walsh, Ken Marion - Score = 55 2nd PLACE HORNET: Paul Angleson, John Angleson, George Kemp, Score = 54 2nd PLACE TOMCAT: Glenn Doyle, John van Brabant Score = 56 3rd PLACE HORNET: Patrick Leslie, Eric Cabana, Mark Desehenes, Justin Eckhoff / Score = 56 3rd PLACE TOMCAT: Adam Cook, Mike Clark Mike Nemcosky, Score = 57 Click to see More Longest Drive HORNET: Mark Desehenes Longest Drive TOMCAT: Scott Walsh On you Tube

Focus Focus: 2012 Symposium Hightlights (Day ONE)

Exhibit Hall Review Article by LTJG Pat Leahey, USN

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viation industry representatives began filtering in early Monday morning to start setting up their booths showing off current and up-and-coming technologies pertinent to the naval helicopter community. More importantly, they began organizing the keychains, posters, pens, stickers, and recyclable bags to tote it all around, affectionately known as “Stuff We All Get”, or SWAG. NHA Symposium attendees were able to check out the displays in their down time between scheduled presenters and events throughout the week. From life-size models of the Northrop Grumman MQ-8 Fire Scout to Sikorsky/Lockheed Martin’s touch screen display of the future of the Presidential Helicopter VXX program, hours could be spent in the exhibit hall without fully experiencing what every presenter had to offer.

One of the notable “hands-on” stations included the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) by BAE Systems. The display included a 2.75 inch diameter model (I hope) rocket complete with pop-out wraparound and guidance fins embedded with 4 laser seekers to lock on and navigate to a target. Integration onto the MH-60 platform is possible through the use of a pod installed on the existing external wing pylons. Its operational performance has been proven by the Marine’s AH-1W Cobra and the Army’s OH-58D

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Industry reps with the latest technical information and SWAG

Focus: 2012 Symposium Hightlights (Day ONE)

Continued from page 41

Kiowa helicopters in both hovering and fast attack flight regimes.

Another popular display in the exhibit hall was the virtual MH-60 common cockpit complete with keypad, trackball, and TV screen duplicate of the MH-60 mission display. The Lockheed Martin Common Cockpit avionics suite is one of the many key upgrades in the MH-60S and MH60R helicopters that allow aircrew a userfriendly way to perform the many diverse missions demanded of the SEAHAWK

platform. The Common Cockpit boasts commercial-off-the-shelf technology combined with an open architecture. Exhibit Hall roamers could sit down and navigate all the familiar menu functions of the MH60 mission display with the not-sofamiliar integrated trackball assembly that will replace the common keyset and miniature joystick.

The award for the most artistic display in the exhibit hall goes to the Twelve O’clock High

model aircraft table. Every type, model, and series aircraft was on display to appeal to just about every pilot and aircrewman attending the Symposium. Models were handcrafted and hand-painted from mahogany wood with every detail meticulously accounted for down to the side number and BUNO. My biggest complaint with the display? Despite my best effort at fitting one in my SWAG bag, the models were apparently not free for the taking.

Special Thanks to

for their generous donation for the 2012 NHA Swag Bag

Sikorsky displays the company’s Orange County Chopper at Rotor Review # 117 Spring ‘12 this year’s Symposium

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Continue on page 43

NHA Keynote Address

Day TWO...

Article by LTJG Pat Leahey, USN

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fter a day of golf and barbequing on Monday, the NHA Symposium officially kicked off Tuesday with the keynote address from Vice Admiral Kendall L. Card. VADM Card is a native of Fort Stockton, Texas and a graduate of Vanderbilt University, US Naval War College, and the US Naval Test Pilot School. He served operationally at sea from 1979 to 2006, accumulating over 3,900 flight hours in the SH-3H Sea King, SH-60F Seahawk, and the S-3A Viking aircraft. He commanded Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron 15, USS Ranier (AOE 7), and USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72).

Selected as a flag officer in 2006, Vice Adm. Card currently serves as Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Information Dominance, and the 64th Director of Naval Intelligence. order to relate to how the more junior flyers today have to adapt in an everchanging field, VADM Card spoke of his days in HS-3 just prior to Desert Storm. Night Vision Goggles had yet to be approved for operational use and VADM Card and his squadronmates scrambled to tape over every caution light and any other source of pesky bright cockpit light they could find. As a result of their ingenuity, HS-3 was able to get permission to fly with the aid of NVGs in Desert Storm.

Transitioning from the past to the present and future state of the growing community, Vice Adm. Card made it clear that helo flyers are here to stay. 31% of all winged naval aviators are helicopter pilots, a number that will likely reach 50% by 2017. Anticipating the inevitable question on ADM Card made it clear from the start the role of unmanned that his address was not directed systems in at the “old timers” but at the new the future flyers in the audience... by urging the junior and their i m p a c t officers and aircrewmen, whether in for on those one tour or an entire career, to invest in sitting in the NHA and the helicopter community for the a u d i e n c e , A D M length of their naval service and beyond. V Card made it clear they

VADM Card made it clear from the start that his address was not directed at the “old timers” but at the new flyers in the audience, stating that it is this demographic that will be affected most by the changes on the horizon for naval helicopter aviation.

VADM Card urged the junior officers and aircrewmen, whether in for one tour or an entire career, to invest in NHA and the helicopter community for the length of their naval service and beyond.

Flashing the familiar shot of Igor Sikorsky’s first helicopter prototype on the projector screens on either side of the stage, VADM Card outlined the history of helicopter aviation in the Navy. Knowing the audience and their familiarity on the subject, he skipped ahead to the start of his operational career. In

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are “complementary” rather than “competing” systems. Unmanned helos like the infamous MQ-8 Fire Scout boast increased situational awareness, expanded overthe-horizon distance, and lower operational costs compared to their H-60 counterparts. Their role is not to replace, but to allow manned critical thinking assets where they are really needed.

Despite the constant flux and inevitable change that has always been associated with the helo community, there is increasing need throughout all theaters of operation for naval helicopter aviation. With all the excitement the future of naval helicopter aviation has to offer, VADM Card said he would switch spots with any of the more junior pilots in a heartbeat. Well, as long as he could keep his O-9 paycheck, he joked.

Focus: 2012 Symposium Hightlights (Day TWO)

NHA Safety Symposium in Review Article by LTJG Matthew “Tubs” Paul

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his year’s NHA Safety Symposium was proudly sponsored by the Dragonwhales of HSC-28 and featured RADM Brian C. Prindle, Commander of the Naval Safety Center, as its speaker and guest of honor. A P-3 pilot by trade, RADM Prindle has previously served as the Commanding Officer of Patrol Squadron 46 and Patrol Squadron 30. He assumed command of the Naval Safety Center in June 2011.

RADM Prindle led his presentation with a snapshot of the history of Naval Aviation safety. He stated that the Navy and the Marine Corps have come from having one mishap per every 465 flight hours in 1920 to one mishap in almost 100,000 hours today.

The Admiral had particularly high praise for rotary wing aviation. He applauded the Navy’s helicopter community for not having a single class-alpha mishap during fiscal year 2011— the first such year in community history. With that “touchdown,” as the Admiral put it, the community can no longer say that the zeromishap benchmark is an unobtainable goal.

RADM Prindle noted that the helicopter community as a whole has been making good risk decisions, which he believes is ingrained in its culture. He highlighted the decreasing number of helicopter mishaps in spite of personnel and fiscal constraints in the past twenty years.

The main point of RADM Prindle’s speech focused on a word sometimes

overlooked regarding aviation talked about the upcoming introduction safety: leadership. The Admiral of the Military Flight Operations Quality contends that leaders at all levels Assurance Program (MFOQA), and its have a huge impact on both potential impact on operational safety. occupational and recreational safety While the MFOQA program’s constant within their commands, stating, monitoring of pilot performance may “Without leadership leading the way and he Admiral also talked about the demonstrating how Safety Center’s renewed focus we use all of these on human factors, specifically tools all the time, then we are not going to pilot fatigue. He noted that fatigue make the progress can, in some cases, approximate the that we want to make.”

These effects of being legally intoxicated, and “tools” are work- that deliberate ORM must be used in related programs order to combat this potential killer. such as ASAP, which brings focus and funding to issues coming directly seem Orwellian in concept to some pilots, from the fleet, and off-duty ventures RADM Prindle insisted that the software, like motorcycle safety courses once implemented, will be used to identify that protect the Navy’s number potential causes of mishaps rather than one readiness asset, to “grade” a flyer’s performance on a he Navy and the Marine Corps its people. The largest specific flight. The Admiral also talked have come from having one mishap influence Admiral Prindle about the Safety Center’s renewed sees in the successful focus on human factors, specifically per every 465 flight hours in 1920 implementation of safety pilot fatigue. He noted that fatigue can, to one mishap in almost 100,000 hours programs within the in some cases, approximate the effects today. The Admiral had particularly helicopter community are of being legally intoxicated, and that squadron commanding deliberate ORM must be used in order to high praise for rotary wing aviation. [ officers. The “tone” and combat this potential killer.

I applauded ] the Navy’s helicopter “command climate” COs RADM Prindle concluded his community for not having a single class- set, he said, directly presentation by stating his philosophy affects the safe conduct on safety, saying that it “isn’t the number alpha mishap during fiscal year 2011— of their unit’s assigned one goal, but a tool in making good risk the first such year in community history. mission. decisions when operating.” With this The Admiral also understanding, the Admiral hopes that With that “touchdown...” the community can no longer say that the zero-mishap mentioned several Naval COs and others in leadership positions Safety Center initiatives will take the attitude that safety isn’t benchmark is an unobtainable goal. of particular interest Rotor Review # 117 Spring ‘12 46 to something that their commands do, but Rotary Wing Aviators. He rather it’s how they do things.

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Focus: 2012 Symposium Hightlights (Day TWO)

2012 NHA Awards Luncheon Article by LCDR Steven Mielke, USN

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n Tuesday, 15 May over 300 Officers and Enlisted of the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard attended the awards ceremony to honor the achievements of a select group of their peers, friends and family. Flag Officers in attendance included Rear Admirals Butt, Duffy, Hall, Mayer, and Shannon. Hosted by RADM Tomaszeski who kicked off the ceremony with a heartfelt reflection on the many deployed service members and invited LT Phillip Coffman of Naval Station Norfolk to lead the invocation, the luncheon officially began. As attendees put the finishing touches on their dessert CDR Niedzwiecki of CHSCWSP and LCDR Mielke of HSC-22 began reading the citations defining the achievements of the awardees. A testament to the awardees, the crowd emoted awe, laughter, applause, reverence, shocked disbelief, and even several standing ovations during the ceremony.

The Commander of Naval Air Forces annual Helicopter Aviation Award Winners for 2011 were: • • • • • • •

CNAP Pilot of the Year: LT James S. Ackerman, of HS-4 CNAL Pilot of the Year: LCDR Mathew Wright, of HSC-84 CNAP Top Enlisted Aircrewman of the Year: AWS1 (AW/NAC) Sevenello, of HS-14 CNAL Top Enlisted Aircrewman of the Year: AWS2 (AW/NAC) Hidalgo, of HSL-48 Admiral Jimmy S. Thach Award Winner: HSM-70 Captain Arnold Jay Isbell Trophy Award Winners: HSC-4, HSM-77, HS-5, and HSM-70 Aviation Squadron Battle Efficiency Winners: HSC-9, HSC-4, HSC-28, HSC-23, HSL-42, HSL-37, HSM-77, HM-15

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The Bill Stuyvesant Best Scribe Award was presented to LT John Ruggiero for his original and candid article on career growth and the leadership lessons he learned. This award was presented by CAPT Dave Bouvé T h e a RTIC L E

The Service to NHA Award was presented to Mr. Donald Patterson, received on his behalf by Mr. Dennis Corrigan, for his lasting impression and support on the Naval Helicopter Association. This award was presented by RADM (Ret) Steve Tomaszeski

The Lifelong Service Award was presented to RADM Bill Shannon, III for having the largest and most lasting service to Helicopter Aviation and the Naval Helicopter Association throughout his active and retired career. This award was Rotor Review # 117 Spring ‘12 presented by Mr. George Higgins 47

Focus 2012 Symposium Hightlights (Day TWO) The NHA Pilot of the Year Award was presented to LT Robert Anderson of HS-15 who flew over 344 mishap-free flight hours over 126 sorties in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM and NEW DAWN, and executed an at-sea rescue of a CVN 70 sailor. In addition LT Anderson served as a Department Head and led the squadron through a successful Unit SAR evaluation as the Search and Rescue Officer. This award was presented by Tom Hills (l) of Rolls-Royce Corporation The NHA Instructor Pilot of the Year Award was presented to LT Michael Marks of HSC-2 for flying 417 flight hours, completing 165 syllabus events to include 34 standardization events, in order to deliver 265 exceptionally trained pilots and aircrewman to the fleet squadrons. His talents are well respected by both his peers and students as “The most effective flight instructor at HSC-2” and were well applauded by the crowd. This award was presented by Mr. Dennis Corrigan, President of L-3 Comms/ DPA Associates.

The NHA Training Command Instructor Pilot of the Year Award was presented to LT Sean Tingley of HT-28 who topped 75 other instructor pilots for the highest total flight hours. A murmur of appreciation could be heard from the crowd of the 790 flight hours flown by LT Tingley in completing 405 student and instructor syllabus sorties, all while performing demanding collateral duties. This award was presented by RADM (Ret) George Mayer (l) of L3-Comms/ Vertex Aerospace The NHA Shipboard Aviation Helicopter Aviation Officer of the Year Award was presented to LCDR Eric Lowry of USS Mesa Verde, received by LT Matt Billings, for orchestrating 11 aircraft onboard in support of Operations UNIFIED PROTECTOR and ODYSSEY GUARD. He oversaw the safe execution of 5,100 flight deck evolutions, 1,100 flight hours, 300 sorties, and 750 aircraft moves instrumental in the re-establishment of Embassy in Tripoli, Libya and TRAP capability supporting NATO and U.S. operations.

This award was presented by Mr. Chris Dumphy (l) of Raytheon Naval and Maritime System The NHA Aircrewman of the Year Award was presented to AWS2 Nicholas Hidalgo of HSL-48, received by CDR Tyrel Simpson, for his performance in flying over 130 hours in support of counter-piracy operations. With textbook gunnery skills he laid down suppressive fire neutralizing pirates engaging a motor vessel and the aircraft. In addition, AWS2 Hidalgo acted as the Search and Rescue Instructor supervising 250 hours of in-water training enabling the command to achieve an Outstanding on the Unit Search and Rescue Evaluation. This award was presented by George Higgins (l) of L3Comms/Ocean Systems.

The NHA Aircrewman Instructor of the Year Award was presented to AWS1 Jose Lebron of CHSCWSL, received by AWSC Smith, for managing the NATOPS program of 20 Pilots and Aircrewman during the Unit NATOPS evaluation while flying 180 hours and teaching 120 classroom hours in support of SWTP training and qualification requirements. He also led the induction of the MH-60S Mine Warfare Primary Mission developing the syllabus and teaching Mine Countermeasure Aircrewman.This award was presented by Col Stu Knoll, USMC(Ret) (l) of CAE The NHA Maintenance Officer of the Year Award was presented to LCDR Terrence Powell of HSC-3 for his inspiring leadership and expert management of 22 helicopters and 42 maintenance programs. He was the direct driving force in the squadron accomplishing over 7,207 mishap-free Rotor Review # 117 Spring ‘12 48 flight hours and over 80,000 completed maintenance actions. This award was presented by Mr. Bob Novak (l) of BAE Systems.

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Focus 2012 Symposium Hightlights (Day TWO) The NHA Maintenance Chief Petty Officer/Petty Officer of the Year Award was presented to Avionics Electrical Technician Chief Michael Mauro of Coast Guard Air Station, Atlantic City New Jersey. During the year he had served as the Chief of the Quality Assurance, Maintenance Control, and Maintenance Scheduling programs of the largest H65 unit in the Coast Guard. He oversaw the execution of 126,000 maintenance labor hours, 4,100 sorties, and 5,700 flight hours resulting in assisting or rescuing 18 persons. This award was presented by Mr. Bob Novak (l) of BAE Systems.

The NHA Maintenance Enlisted Person of the Year Award was presented to AM2 Ricky Watson of HSC-28, received by AMC Edghill, for his performance leading 31 sailors as the Airframes Day Check Supervisor. His leadership enabled the command to achieve 4,551 mishap-free flight hours and support spur of the moment tasking for operation ODYSSEY DAWN providing two ready-for-tasking aircraft to COMSIXTHFLT. This award was presented

by NHA Chairman RADM Steve Tomaszeski USN(Ret) (l) and 2011 NHA President CAPT David Bouvé, USN (r).

The NHA Aircrew of the Year Award, Non-Deployed, was presented to LCDR Craig Neubecker, LT Mark Heussner, AST1 Claude Morrissey, and AET3 Michael Wallace in Coast Guard RESCUE 6007 of Coast Guard Station Kodiak, Alaska. The crew braved freezing conditions in 50-60 knot winds and 25 ft seas in order to rescue 5 sailors whose vessel had run aground only one rotor disk away from a cliff edge. For over 20 minutes the crew was forced to time the waves breaking over the ship to safely hoist each member of the crew off of the listing vessel while avoiding the rigging and terrain. The crowd stood and applauded the heroics of this crew and their actions This award was presented by NHA Chairman RADM Steve Tomaszeski USN(Ret) and Mr. George Barton of Lockheed Martin (l) and 2011 NHA President CAPT David Bouvé, USN (r). Read more about this rescue on page 49.

The NHA Aircrew of the Year Award, Deployed was presented to LT Scott McCann, LT John Zilai, and AWS2 Nicholas Hidalgo in Venom 514 of HSL48. Responding to a distress call from MV Artemis Glory under attack from pirates, the crew arrived on station engaging the pirate skiff. Under small arms fire the crew, through expert airmanship and aerial gunnery, was able to neutralize the pirate threat securing the safety of the 23 man crew. Elimination of the pirates also enabled the freeing of 17 mariners held hostage on the pirate mother ship; this was met with much applause and cheers from the crowd. This award was presented by Mr. Greg Hoffman (l) of Sikorsky Aircraft.

The NHA Rescue Swimmer of the Year Award was presented to AST2 Mike Heximer of USCG Air Station Cape Cod, Massachusetts. AST2 Heximers’s selfless actions saved the lives of 4 civilian mariners in frigid waters onboard a sinking vessel in 12 foot seas and winds varying from 35 to 50 knots.

Braving 30 minutes of physical struggle Petty Officer Heximer rescued the mariners one by one in debris filled water. As AST2 Heximer rescued the last survivor, the Captain of the ship, the vessel rolled inverted and sank.

Petty Officer Heximer’s action saved the lives of the fisherman and was met with a long standing ovation by the crowd of attendees. This award was presented by Mr. Butch Flythe (l) of Aerial.

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Focus: 2012 Symposium Hightlights (Day TWO) In celebration of the future of Helicopter Aviation CDR Paul Bowdich, the Commanding Officer of HT-8, took the stage for a winging ceremony of ENS Emily Wallis, 1st LT Michael Harper, and LT Mark Aguilar. Smiles were abound in the crowd as members in varying stages of their career took solace in their memories of time well spent.

The Article behind the 2012 Aircrew of the Year (Non-deployed) Award

Fishing Vessel Midnite Sun Rescue

A

t 12:41am on February 11, 2011, Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak, Kodiak, Alaska directed a launch of the MH-60J Jayhawk ready crew to assist the fishing vessel Midnite Sun, which was reported hard aground and in distress near Afognak Island, Alaska.

As relayed by the nearby Good Samaritan fishing vessel Sea Warrior, the Midnite Sun was taking on water, breaking up, and the crew was preparing to abandon ship. The duty crew of CG6007, LCDR Craig Neubecker, Pilot, LT Mark Heussner, Co-Pilot, AET3 Michael Wallace, Flight Mechanic, and AST1 Claude Morrissey, Rescue Swimmer, rushed to the hangar in forty six knot winds over roads covered by three inches of ice and blowing snow.

To expedite the launch and to avoid falling on the windswept and ice covered ramp, the pilots strapped in the aircraft inside the hangar and began prestart checks as the aircrew towed the helicopter outside. CG6007 was parked on ice chocks and into the prevailing wind, but channelized and highly turbulent “Williwaw” winds off the adjacent mountain rocked the aircraft and caused it to rotate thirty degrees before the engines started. The crew safely started the engines and rotor, but while taxiing, the turbulence and

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Continue on page 52

Midnite Sun planted on the rocks near Tanaak Cape after the storm.

Change of Command And Establishment

TACTRAGRULANT

CAPT Robert Lineberry, USN relieved CAPT Chuck Nygarrd, USN on March 22, 2012

HSM-40

HMH-461

NAB

VMM-166

SeaElk

Ironhorses

CAPT Gary A. Mayes, USN relieved Yancy B., USMC on March, 2012

LtCol Michael K. Van Nest, USMC relieved LtCol M.A. Boorstein, USMC on March, 2012

LtCol Nicholas A. Morris, USMC relieved LtCol Scott W. Wadle, USN on April, 2012

Coronado

HT-8

HSC-12

HSM-75

Airwolves

Eightballers

Golden Falcons

Wolf Pack

CDR William S. Walsh, USN relieved CAPT Clayton Conley, USN on May 24, 2012

CDR Lawrence Meehan, USN relieved CDR Monroe Howell, USN on June 1, 2012

CDR Christopher G. Bailey, USN relieved CDR Anthony C. Roach, USN on June 2, 2012

CDR Peter M. Collins, USN relieved CDR Christopher C. Westphal, USN on June 7, 2012

uscgas

HSC-2

HSC-26

Corpus Christi

Chargers

CAPT S.R. Creech, USCG relieved CAPT J.R. Pasch, USN on June 8, 2012

CDR Jesus A. Rodriguez, USN relieved CDR Jonathan P. Kline, USN on June 15, 2012

HSC-3

HT-28

HS-11

Fleet Angels

Merlins

Hellions

Dragonslayers

CDR Hugh P. Everly, USN relieved CDR Marv Carlin, USN on June 28, 2012

CDR Michael S. Ruth, USN relieved CDR Ryan T. Carron, USN on June 28, 2012

CDR Christopher Pesile, USN relieved Lt Col Mark C. Thompson, USMC on June 29, 2012

CDR Ryan Keys, USN relieved CDR Edgardo Moreno, USN on July 6, 2012

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Naval Helicopter Association, Inc Membership Application

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Online Copy Version 2011

Focus: 2012 Symposium Hightlights (Day TWO) Continued from page 49

funneling wind gusts caused the helicopter to slide sideways, nearly ground looping off the snow and ice covered taxiway. Despite these conditions, the crew chose to continue with the launch and were airborne at 0117.

Immediately after takeoff, the crew of CG6007 could hear the Midnite Sun screaming over channel 16, “Where’s the chopper? Where’s the chopper? We are breaking up and going under!” The crew realized that the urgent situation would not allow time to take the safer route around the islands. Instead they would have to fly the passes between cloud-obscured mountains if they were to reach the stricken crew in time. With LCDR Neubecker on the controls, and LT Heussner navigating, CG6007 altered course to fly the most direct route possible. Through the twenty minute transit, CG6007 encountered IMC conditions with little moon illumination. Visibility varied between one half to six miles in and out of snow showers. The crew was forced to fly between broken cloud layers varying from 200 to 3,000 feet to navigate between the terrain. Ice accumulated on the aircraft and fifty knot headwinds slowed their progress.

Violent turbulence rocked the helicopter 400 feet above and below their intended altitude. The crew battled fatigue while on NVGs and navigating via chart-based dead reckoning, radar, and GPS. As they approached the Midnite Sun’s location, the crew was forced to descend through cloud layers to affect the rescue. Still navigating via radar and GPS, the crew identified a narrow bay just south of the distress location and began an instrument letdown to sea level. Once below the clouds and visual with the water, LT Heussner was able to establish communications with the Good Samaritan fishing vessel Sea Warrior. The Sea Warrior’s captain stated that the seas where now over twenty five feet, and that the winds were gusting over sixty knots. He had been forced to move further from the scene to avoid being swept onto the rocks himself. He reported that the Midnite Sun was being overtaken by the waves, that she had rolled and she and her crew were succumbing to the breaking surf.

CG6007 navigated the waterway and made visual contact with the Midnite

Photo taken by PA3 Lally, USCG

U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (c) commends the CG 6007 crew for their efforts in rescuing the five fishermen from Midnite Sun. Sun. In order to keep the sixty knot winds off the nose of the aircraft in the narrow inlet, LCDR Neubecker was forced to fly the last half mile of the transit sidewards while the other crewmembers ensured clearance from a cliff face less than one rotor diameter behind the helicopter. This orientation provided the best chance for flyout in case of engine failure, and offered an unobstructed view for AET2 Wallace and AST1 Morrissey to assess the Midnite Sun’s condition and plan the rescue.

The Midnite Sun was dead in the water. She was violently washing onto and off the rocks, rolling thirty to sixty degrees to port and breaking seas washed over the wheelhouse and decks. One crewmember commented that she looked like a submarine sinking and surfacing; each time a wave crashed the vessel would submerge, roll to starboard, and remerge.

Enroute the crew had discussed several hoisting scenarios.

They expected to lower AST1 Morrissey to the vessel to assist the mariners, but also discussed the possibility that conditions may be too hazardous. Now hovering next to the Midnite Sun, it was obvious to all that this was the worst case scenario.

The combination of crashing seas, the violent movements of the ship,

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and the tightness of terrain demanded they affect the rescue without hoisting the swimmer.

LT Heussner established communications with Midnite Sun’s captain and discussed the mariners’ conditions and whether they would be able to place themselves in the rescue basket. The captain confirmed that the crew was uninjured and sheltering as best they could inside the wheelhouse, but that they were being tossed about as the waves crashed over the ship. It was agreed that if the helicopter could stabilize the rescue basket on the deck, that the crew would attempt to get into the basket on their own.

The CG6007 crew agreed that the best hoisting area would be the stern of the vessel on the port side. This was the area farthest from the deck crane, and gave the most clearance from the swinging rigging.

In that corner the gunnels of the vessel might also assist in holding the basket on deck as the waves crashed over the boat. Timing would be of the essence.

As the Midnite Sun rolled to port, the hoisting area was obstructed by the crane and rigging. But as each wave hit the vessel, she would momentarily roll nearly upright, clearing the hoisting area long enough to deliver the basket to the deck. LCDR Neubecker and AET3 Wallace would have only a few Continue on page 53

Photo taken by PA3 Lally, USCG

Focus: 2012 Symposium Hightlights (Day TWO)

LCDR Neubecker presents a model of the MH-60 Jayhawk to the U.S. Senator.

Continued from page 52

seconds between waves. After delivery of the basket, they would have to quickly maneuver the helicopter back and left to avoid the rigging as the vessel rolled sixty degrees to port. During this maneuver, the crew hoped the waves would sweep the basket into the gunnels and remain secured on deck.

CG6007 conducted a quick but thorough crew resource management brief, ensuring each member knew their responsibility through the hoisting evolution, and prepared to conduct the hoists.

Intermittent snow showers continued through the hoist, limiting the NVGs’ effectiveness through the “Star Wars” effect. LCDR Neubecker was forced to look under his goggles during the hoist, cross referencing the NVG image, instruments, and the swinging ship below to maintain stability of the helicopter. The sixty knot winds complicated the rescue, buffeting the aircraft, ship, swinging rescue basket, and survivors. Severe orographic turbulence from the cliff immediately behind the helicopter made it even more challenging to maintain a hover without overtorquing the aircraft. While LCDR Neubecker flew, LT Heussner managed all communications and provided situational awareness by monitoring instruments and torque which momentarily spiked to 120% as the crew battled the winds.

From eighty feet above the

Morrissey would pull the basket into the cabin and help remove the survivor and secure him inside. He also assisted the pilots and flight mechanic by monitoring and announcing approaching wave sets, assisting in timing the hoists. Once the survivors were safely aboard CG6007, AST1 Morrissey conducted triage in the dimly lit, cramped and noisy cabin, and ensured they were medically safe to fly back to Kodiak.

The hoisting evolutions were a true team effort by all members of the CG6007 crew. All five mariners were rescued less than twenty minutes from the time the helicopter arrived on scene. Physically exhausted from flying during the difficult transit and hoisting evolutions, LCDR Neubecker passed the controls to LT Heussner. The crew encountered the same blizzard conditions on their return, battling greater fatigue and a tail rotor blade de-ice system failure.

At 0225, CG6007 and survivors landed safely back at Kodiak. The Midnite Sun’s crewmembers were transferred to an awaiting ambulance, where they were treated for mild hypothermia.

water, an altitude necessary to keep the helicopter clear of the rigging, AET3 Wallace conned the CG6007 into position and placed the rescue basket precisely as briefed between swaying masts and antennas. Once the device was on deck, he would conn the aircraft back and left, as the ship rolled towards the helicopter.

During each hoist evolution, a single Midnite Sun crewmember would run from the wheelhouse and battle across the deck to the rescue basket which was washed into the gunnels as the crew had hoped. As the next wave set approached, AET3 Wallace verbally painted a picture of the scene to LCDR Neubecker, and conned him into position. AET3 Wallace simultaneously operated the hoist to recover the basket and survivor during the two to three second interval when a wave would momentarily right the ship. The crew worked rapidly, aware that the vertical wave action caused by surf slamming against the Midnite Sun’s hull was similar to that encountered

by CG6020, which had crashed in 2004 when struck by a rogue wave and vertical surge during a search and rescue case in Alaska.

During the hoists AST1 Morrissey assisted the flight Photo taken by PA3 Lally, USCG mechanic by helping to control the swing of the basket. As the survivors LCDR Neubecker briefs about the rescue during were brought to the helicopter, AST1 the U.S. Senator’s visit

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Day THree...

Sand Trials

The 2012 NHA Symposium 5k Run and Aircrew Challenge Article by LTJG Clay Collier, USN

I

t’s 0800 sharp, on the morning of May 16th, as AWSC Justin Crowe takes the stage at the outdoor theater amidst the dunes, just as the sun breaks through a gloomy overcast.

Despite civilian clothes and an easy demeanor, he cuts the lean, sharp military figure one would expect of a senior rescue swimmer and combat aircrewman. His audience has already been told to block off an entire morning and part of the afternoon just for this event, his event, the Aircrew Challenge. By now, they are expecting something big. After the usual introductions and safety information, he gets down to business.

The First Event was a “Surprise Written Exam!”

They Were not Expecting That!!

Meanwhile, 14 hours Earlier at Oceanview Pier...

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Athletics have long been a part of the NHA Symposium and a focus of the Association, but this year, by dint of the full week format and enthusiastic leadership, they achieved special prominence—or perhaps just special hardship. A number of these competitors had participated in the 5k run the evening before. That run served as the culmination of the second day’s events, and athletes who expected it to be an easy afternoon jog would find themselves running three miles on beach sand in a torrential downpour. Of the 128 members registered to participate, only 54 completed the race, starting at the Virginia Beach Fishing Pier and its associated pub (known as Point X-Ray to those familiar with Norfolk Helo Continue on page 56

Focus: 2012 Symposium Hightlights (Day THREE)

Continued from page 55

course rules), running 2.5 kilometers along the beach to the mid-point (Point Yankee), and then retracing their steps to the Pier to finish. Storm cells could be seen flickering on the horizon as the runners gathered on the pier for their start, although weather forecasters assured the race organizers that the storm was headed away from their sandy track.

The first drops of rain began to fall just as the runners departed X-Ray, however, and two minutes later, the heavens opened, dropping a gray wall of water on the competition. The first runners to round the mid-point at Yankee were already sodden, and the downpour grew so intense that most runners took shelter under a beach motel overhang.

T

he overall first-place finisher was the race coordinator, LT Sean Trombly of HM-15, crossing the line at twentyfour minutes even. Second place would go to AWR1 Bryce Williams of HSM-41, third to LT Kevin Ringelstein of HSC-9, and the rest would trickle in with times ranging from 25 minutes to an hour, giving up any hope of a personal best to the shifting sands and blinding weather.

All in all it made a fitting prologue to the following day’s tortures.

Continue on page 57

RotorLtReview # 117 Spring ‘12 SeAN Trombly of HM-15 Ahead of the Storm!!

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Focus: 2012 Symposium Hightlights (Day THREE) Continued from page 56

Chief Crowe’s written exam, as it turned out, would not impact final results, but rather would determine the start order for the thirty-one assembled teams. For this year’s Aircrew Competition, a competitive team required two pilots and two aircrewmen, though non-competitive teams of four were still welcome to participate without the chance to take the trophy. A team’s task was simple: Upon release, its members would run to the marshalling area and receive one of four assignments, to include a map of the route to the challenge location and a list of the gear they would need there. The team would then grab their gear and run from the marshalling area to the trial, complete it, receive a signature from a referee, and return that signature to the marshalling area (always on foot) to receive their next assignment. The team to complete all four challenges in the shortest overall time would be the victor.

The venue for this event would be Ft. Story, a one mile by two mile arc of coastal forest, dunes, and swamps occupying the tip of Cape Henry, north of Virginia Beach, and regularly serving as a playground for Navy EOD and SEAL training. As morning progressed, tatters of the previous night’s storms continued to sprinkle the area with light rainfall and provide a welcome shielding overcast. Such was the setting. The events to be completed were these, in no particular order: Sand and Surf: On the beach, a quarter mile from the marshalling area, the team would split into two pairs. One pair would drag by rope a six-foot log two-hundred meters along the sand, while the other pair swam parallel to them in the surf, some fifty meters out from shore. The two pairs would then trade places for the two hundred meters back to the start point. It was a choice between being winded for the log-pull or being absolutely drained for the swim.

And Then to the Third Event... the War zone where there were rolling logs...

to doing Sixty Pullups as a Team...

to firing off rounds at the shooting range!

War Zone: Approximately one mile from the marshalling area, a team would run the base obstacle course, to include a tire field, a tunnel crawl, monkey bars, a wall climb, and a crawl over elevated rolling logs, and culminating at the pull-up bars for a bracing set of sixty. A team of four was permitted to distribute the sixty pull-ups amongst its members as they saw fit. Upon completing sixty pull-ups, the team would run another quarter mile from the obstacle course to an indoor, electronic shooting range, where it would nominate two individuals to be its shooters. The range system included targets projected on a cinema screen about ten yards from the firing line, a cinema-quality audio system to provide loud auditory feedback, and real firearms fitted with invisible lasers to mark the point of aim and loaded with compressed-air cartridges to cycle the action. The $250,000 facility provides, aside from somewhat reduced recoil, a comprehensive facsimile of a live fire indoor range, without risk to life, limb, or one’s hearing. For this event, the movie screen presented a pair of paper targets. Once the targets turned to face the shooters, they had thirty seconds to pick up their pistols, load, fire five rounds, reload, and fire another five rounds, sorting any malfunctions along the Continue on page 58

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Focus: 2012 Symposium Hightlights (Day THREE) Continued from page 57

way with standard drills. For each shot outside the kill-box, a thirty second penalty would be assessed to their team’s time.

For each shot not yet fired after the thirty seconds elapsed, the team would owe twenty push-ups. Once the shooting was complete, the team would report to the exit, where the referee would exact his penance for unspent rounds and hold the team until its delay penalty had elapsed.

Sand Hill: A mile and a half from the marshalling area After the Team Moved on on to to Afterthe Theshooting ShootingRange, Range, The TEams moved (and remember, each team had to return, on foot, to the the Event...The theFourth Fouth Event... the“Bloody” “Bloody”Sand SandHill!

Hill marshal point with a signature in order to receive its next assignment), and to be reached by a very specific route, stood the sixty foot mount called Sand Hill, a steep slope of open sand on one face and two narrow, even steeper tracks through the trees on the other. At its foot, the team would meet its charge, a full weight MEDEVAC/rescue dummy, greasy with fake blood and spilled organs. The team’s task: to haul the dummy to the top of the hill by the open slope of loose sand, there to strap him to a litter and take him down by one of the two narrow forest paths to the bottom, and then up to the top again by the other narrow path, and then to un-strap him and carry him back down the sand slope to the starting point. A simple exercise in brutal climbs and rather treacherous descents, complicated not only by the ungainly dead weight but also by the 1.5 mile run at both ends. And if a team was so unfortunate as to arrive at Sand Hill by the wrong route, its members had a choice: after completing the Hill, they could either suffer a time-limited but grueling “mystery PT” session at the hands of the referees, or they could do the Hill again. This author could find no one who, given the choice, would have done the Hill again.

And The last event - overland Navigation portion, Aw3 hewitt, LTJG KroLL, AWS2 DeosambelA & LTJg Dugan (l-R) Getting Their Bearings Straight...

Lost and Found: About half a mile from the marshalling area, near the base’s southeast entrance, a team would find in a visitor parking lot a few referees and a truck full of CSEL radios and maps. The truck was parked at the head of a trail network leading into the deep woods and swamps of Ft. Story, and teams were welcome to use the trails, if they thought it would help. This would be overland navigation. Each team’s time was held, paused, until a “local guide” came available, at which point their time would resume as they set into the woods to locate a series of checkpoints (none of them located on any of the trails, of course) by their GPS coordinates. The guide provided no actual guiding, but would act only as a safety observer and a referee, ensuring that the checkpoints were reached. There would be one other complication, as well: While in transit, the team was required to have at least one man on the shoulders of another in a fireman’s carry.

Continue on page 59

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Focus: 2012 Symposium Hightlights (Day THREE)

Continued from page 58

The median time to completion of the entire Challenge was approximately three hours and twenty-five minutes. Each team covered a minimum of eleven miles of travel. The first heat set off at 0945, and the last team would not find its way to the finish line with its final signature until well after 1400 that afternoon. Non-competitive teams included several teams of all aircrewman (of which the fastest was the team from HSC-25, out of Guam, at 2:27:06) and at least one team of three. However, the final winners were…

TEAM

Mercury

LT Tom McCurdy, LT Nick Koetter, AWS1 Clint Rose, and AWS3 Dustin Childress. Finish Time: 02:32:53 !

From HSC-2, Norfolk

TEAM

LT Derek Haynes, LT Kevin Ringelstein, AWS2 Chris Wissing, and AWS2 Daniel Goodwin.

Finish Time: 02:27:00 !

TriDent Fever

From HSC-9, Norfolk

TEAM

Hooters Other events similar to “Aircrew Challenge...

Click on the hyperlink button (right) to watch You Tube Rotor Review # 117 Spring ‘12 61 Video of the Crossfit Demo at this year’s Symposium

Over seven hours elapsed, from the first arrivals to the final dispensation of awards. The sun emerged in full sometime around eleven, chasing away the last of the rain clouds. All comers were treated at the end to a feast of picnic foods (burgers, beans, potato salad, etc.) and a whole pig, slowcooked in the barbecue pit throughout the night before and ready just in time. T-shirts were handed out. Old friends reunited. New friends bonded over their hatred for Sand Hill.

Skippers rejoiced that no one had died or been hospitalized with severe heat injuries.

At long last the finishers staggered back to their vehicles, battered, scratched, sandy, and exhausted. That evening’s exhibits and the NHA Members’ Reunion Dinner still remained for them to attend.

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www.robbietanks.com

Focus: 2012 Symposium Hightlights (Day THREE)

NHA Member’s Reunion Article by LT Aaron Willmarth, USN

O

n the day of the NHA Member’s Reunion the weather was ominous with dark clouds threatening to open up and unleash a torrent of rain on the evening’s festivities.

This did absolutely nothing to dampen the spirits of the many symposium attendants as they entered the Half Moone Cruise and Celebration Center in Downtown Norfolk.

There are very few venues that can compare to the Half Moone. Situated right next to the Nauticus Museum, it overlooks the Battleship Wisconsin and the sun setting over Portsmouth Naval Hospital across the downtown river. As members entered the Half Moone they were instantly greeted by the uplifting music of the Joe Gosman Band and the smiling faces of LTJG Hoch and LTJG Gow from HSC-28. Tables from each command lined the entire room showing off their exploits of the previous year. Further into the Half Moone the hall opened into the grand room, where food and drink were provided by the Omar’s Carriage House.

As the crowds started rolling in, the skies finally opened up, threatening to cancel the aerial demo by legendary helicopter stunt pilot, Chuck Aaron. Luckily for everyone the skies cleared just in time for Chuck Aaron to arrive in his famed Red Bull Helicopter. His routine included loops, rolls,

the ever-dangerous wifferdills, and even going vertical before giving his captivated audience a wave goodbye.

Executing stunts that few helicopter pilots would even attempt but all pilots wish they could try, Chuck Aaron did nothing less than impress and inspire all. After the exploits of Chuck Aaron, friends, old and new, gathered out on the veranda to enjoy cigars by Emerson’s Cigars. The weather cleared and the night went on with JOs socializing with COs and Admirals from all over, and friends that had not seen each other since flight school enjoying drinks with one another. Conversations centered on telling stories of each other’s deployments, the difference between East and West coast, and especially the stories from those that are forward deployed in Guam, Japan, and all over the world. The night ended in the manner of traditional helicopter pilot gatherings: taking new friends and showing them to the best watering hole for more great times way into the night.

Old friends, new friends, COs, Admirals, and everyone that has ever been to the NHA Reunion can attest to the great times and great

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memories gained by the end of the night, but there will always be something missing, the friends that could not join. Whether deployed, on duty, or eternally flying and providing us with your overwatch, we are truly thankful.

Lastly, to all those that made this event a time to remember and to those that have given all, we salute you.

Last Day...

NAVAL HELICOPTER ASSOCITATION SYMPOSIUM 2012:

SENIOR ENLISTED PANEL Article by LTJG Devin Sedlak, USN

T

he final day of the Naval Helicopter Association Symposium 2012 came to a close with a series of question and answer sessions involving senior leadership within the helicopter community. The Enlisted Panel was comprised of six senior NCOs from E-7 to E-9 representing PMA-205 Aviation Training Systems, NAVPERS, Coast Guard Advanced Helicopter Rescue School, SAR Medical Technicians and the HSC/HSM community. The purpose of the panel was to inform fleet AWs of the current direction and climate of the communities, future aircraft systems and projects, and advancement/placement opportunities and bottlenecks.

AWCM Benjamin W. Miller, usn

AWCM David W. Crossan usn

AWCM Richard L Quaillo, usn

AWCM Michael H. Davis, JR, usn

HMC Scott A. Heintschel, usn

fleet. Important takeaways were the Future training simulators were differences between Placement and briefed extensively during the PMA-205 Detailers; timelines required for the presentation providing insight into where negotiation of orders and extensions simulated training events can be utilized in (which are all based on priorities the shadow of decreased flight opportunities and requisitions); manning zones; due to fiscal budget cuts. The Naval Aviation and collocation requirements (e.g.

Simulator Master Plan calls for two new when not placed through CMS/ID, simulators per site: San Diego, Jacksonville both parties must request collocation and Norfolk; that will combine pilot and and must apply by one year prior to crewmen interactivity to help foster more PRD). realistic crew resource management and Amid the manning cuts interoperability. Additionally, new systems across the board for all rates, including the Joint Mission Planning System the Search and Rescue Medical (JMPS) and Automatic Radar Periscope Technician (HM-8401) billet remains Detection Discrimination (ARPDD) are open and undermanned for any who being funded for testing at NAS Patuxent are willing to cross rate. The Coast River, MD to overcome current helicopter Guard Advanced Rescue Helicopter technological shortcomings.

School has become a cornerstone in The implementation of Career the training of Navy and Coast Guard Management System/Interactive Detailing rescue swimmers. The purpose (CMS/ID) for the procurement of orders of the school is to bridge amongRotor the enlisted community has continued Review # 117 Spring ‘12 64 the gap between training in bay areas and to improve since its inception; however, open ocean. Real time training off still lacks clarity throughout the entire

AWSC Thomas E. Wollney, usn

HMC Scott A. Heintschel, usn

the coast of Maine includes heavy surf conditions, vertical surface rescues and open ocean/high sea conditions. A mantra of their training philosophy is “if it is clear blue and 72 degrees, then training is cancelled.”

With fiscal constraints and a questionable future budget, many questions still exist as to where the naval helicopter community will be in the next several years.

Introductions of Fire Scout UAS, CV/TOC rate, cross training and operations between the HSC/HSM community involving Carrier Protection and detection for the battle group, unfunded and deteriorating SAR training gear, and recent decisions regarding future H-60 organic AMCM capabilities remain key concerns among fleet operators. Although the future of the helicopter community is somewhat gray, what can be counted on is a continued push for system/mission integration, synergy, training efficiencies and cross community interaction.

NAVAL HELICOPTER ASSOCITATION SYMPOSIUM 2012:

Captains of Industry Article by LTJG Devin Sedlak, USN

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his year, NHA Captain’s of Industry Panel focused on the challenges of a shrinking DOD budget and demand for improvements to current helicopter performance and capabilities. 2012’s panel consisted of high-ranking members (civilian and retired military), from various sectors in civilian industry that design and manufacture products for warfighters in Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard aviation. This panel allowed military aviation personnel the opportunity to pick the brains of the men and women who provide us with the aircraft, equipment and training to perform our missions.

Panel moderator and are ready to spring forward CAPT Donald “Willie” when needed. To assist in Williamson, USN (Ret) flexing, we can expect to see introduced each panel member more simulation-based training. from seven industry sectors.

One example of the move toward Joseph J. Battaglia, President simulation type training is in and CEO of Telephonics civilian aviation, when the first Corporation, Edwin P. Birtwell, time a civilian airline pilot flies Vice President Turboshaft an airframe for the first time, it Engines Military Systems is with passengers in the back.

O p e r a t i o n G E Av i a t i o n , Hitting our programs on time Dennis Corrigan, President and being successful with the L-3/D.P. Associates, John H-53K is everything right now.

Lenyo, President, CAE USA If H-53K is not going to work Inc., Mike Maurer, President on time, it will drain the budget –Sikorsky Military Systems, tremendously.

Daniel Schultz Vice President Following on to the & General Manager Ship & economic question, the panel Aviation Systems, Vice Admiral was asked how they were Jim Zortman, USN (Ret), Life going redistribute their internal Cycle Logistics and Support investments with the incredible and Site Manager, Unmanned uncertainty of the future. Panel Systems Development Center members highlighted how Northrup Grumman Aerospace they were thinking outside the Systems. box and working with foreign The panel’s first countries such as Australia and question hit home when asked India. Going into joint ventures what the biggest impact was on will no longer be abnormal. them in the current economic It will be a necessary tool to environment. The panel stay competitive and reduce talked about how important cost of our products. Another adaptability is in industry with concern of the board dealt with budget cuts looming every jobs. Government can not keep year.Rotor Also Review stressing#how at the present rate.

117 that Spring spending ‘12 adaptability is on their minds Once it slows down, so will

jobs. At some point people would have to be let go to continue to operate but be able to return quickly in the event a large contract was awarded.

Another focus of the panel is increasing current engine performance, fuel economy, and better blades for increased lift.

One interesting question originated from the front lines. Apples ipad is being purchased and used by crews in Afghanistan. The question challenged the panel on how they will capitalize on the ipad?

Due to very strict guidelines from NAVAIR, Commercial Off the Shelf Products (COTS), have to be thoroughly tested before being approved for use in aircraft, and not create a technical challenge 8-10 years down the road. This2 0 t h is a delicate situation in that if there is an unwanted, or unforeseen consequence for using COTS products in an airframe, that may lead to the quickest way to end a flight program. Furthermore, the panel challenged anyone to 65 find a better standard in the Continue on page 64

COI Moderator

Donald Williamson Vice President Telephonics Corp.

Joseph Battaglia

President and CEO Telephonics Corp.

Edwin P. Birtwell

VP, Turboshat Engines G.E. Aviation.

Dennis Corrigan

President L-3Comms/ D.P. Associates.

Focus: 2012 Symposium Hightlights (last Day)

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he panel’s first question hit home when asked what the biggest impact was on them in the current economic environment.

The panel talked about how important adaptability is in industry with budget cuts looming every year. Also stressing how that adaptability is on their minds and are ready to spring forward when needed. To assist in flexing, we can expect to see more simulation-based training.

Daniel Schultz

VP & General Mgr. Lockheed Martin.

Jim Zortman

Sector VP, Life-Cycle Northrop Grumman.

Continued from page 63

John Lenyo

President CAE USA Inc.

Mike Maurer

President Sikorsky Aircraft Corp.

business than NAVAIR. Reaching back to more economic based questions. One audience member asked what the panel is doing to dissuade the fears of the public from industry downfall? One positive outlook is the recent acceptance trials of LCS. It passed with flying colors and the CNO is fully committed to the LCS plan. LCS recently had a very successful drug interdiction role. With the LCS recent short term success, the future is paved for more to follow and industries continued involvement in war fighting products. One panel member did express concern in our nation’s small numbers of college graduates in science, math, and technology. This lack of graduates will create a vacuum that will be filled by outside entities if we are not carefull.

In closing the board was very thankful and open to hearing the questions generated directly from the operators. With uncertain financial futures, panel members are searching outside the box to ensure their stability by seeking joint ventures and international sales. Simulation based training will be, if not already, the wave of the future. Fidelity in the sim is great but still has some work. The panel highly recommended to keep recommendations coming, especially from the Junior Officers who make the bulk of the operators.

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NHA Flag Panel Article by LTJG Daitra Pierson, USN

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ach year the NHA Symposium culminates with a Flag Panel that provides members an opportunity to directly ask the Navy’s aviation leadership about today’s most pressing rotary wing community issues. The panel members consisted of RADM Ted Branch, RADM Bill Shannon, RADM Bill Moran, RDML Steve Mehling (USCG), RDML John Smith, with RDML Paul Grosklags moderating. This year’s panel was a well-anticipated success with each admiral providing their own unique perspectives from diversified leadership backgrounds.

RADM Ted Branch, USN

RADM William Shannon, USN

RADM William Moran, USN

RDML Stephen Mehling, USCG

Naval Air Forces Atlantic

Unmanned Aviation and Strike Weapons

Air Warfare (OPNAV N98)

Forces Readiness Command, USCG

Commander

Program Executive Officer

Director

Commander.

The first question addressed to vast improvement from the peak the panel was a necessary change of of approximately 10,000 personnel emphasis regarding maritime helicopter in previous years. Also, the Air tactical capabilities and training. The panel Ambulance detachments will be members concurred that a greater shift in coming home during the summer of community doctrine and focus is required, this year.

Tying closely to the manpower particularly stressing the significance of aiming training and tactics toward ASW discussion was the question of littoral and ASUW capabilities in the maritime missions. Members of the panel environment. Implementing better sonar established that currently the littoral capability, marketing sonobuoy technology, mission is not the primary focus of and making changes to the training our community and continues to be organization structure through enhanced the lesser of mission priorities. The integrated weapons training in San Diego target focus remains with the rotary are steps that will help lead to changes in wing community’s core and enduring community disposition and tactical mind-set capabilities, primarily a focus on our aircraft and Sailors. Conversely, in the future.

The hot button issue of the session RADM Mehling emphasized that appeared to be the prevailing question of the USCG consistently partners and limited manpower throughout numerous works hand-in-hand with a variety areas of the rotary wing community. With of people and missions, leaving increasing budget constraints, the general the Coast Guard open to future concern garnered from several questions possibilities.

Another topic broached by was based upon the continued expanding mission requirements matched with the the audience surrounded the lengthy steady reduction of personnel to fulfill those time for procurement of new systems requirements. With billet shortfalls, Sailors and aircraft for our community. are being re-directed from expeditionary RADM Shannon agreed that the squadrons to fulfill vacancies elsewhere, acquisition times take too long; yet also continue to deploy as Individual however, procurement involves many Augmentees. RADM Branch thoroughly layers of review and decision due to acknowledged the manpower situation the unique operating environment of and emphasized that these issues have Naval Aircraft. Salt water operation, a been recognized within the higher levels harsh electromagnetic environment, of leadership. He articulated that by e x c e s s i v e t e m p e r a t u r e s , a n d Review # 117 Spring ‘12 67the time vibration levels all play into FY13, Rotor personnel providing Army support required to safely develop and sustain will be ramped down to under 1,500; a

RDML John Smith, Jr., USN RDML Paul Grosklags, USN Joint Interagency Task Force South

Deputy Director

Air ASW, Assault/Special Mission

Program Executive Officer.

new systems and aircraft in the rotary wing community. Essentially, a better balance can be made between the requisite layers of safety involved and the levels of oversight generated for approval before procurement.

Not all of the panel questions were of a serious-minded nature, however. One question was proposed regarding the standardization of flight suits with black shirts and the possibility of wearing the uniform in public places.

The panel’s response was that although a change was in the works, current guidance prohibiting the wearing of flight suits in public was still in effect. CAPT Paul Esposito (Commodore, Helicopter Sea Combat Wing Atlantic) responded by asking whether or not flight suits were authorized for the NHA Symposium. Laughter ensued throughout the audience and the panel, given that it was the last day of the symposium and flight-suit approved events had taken place all week in downtown Norfolk.

Overall, the panel was a complete success with a wide range of issues discussed.

Other key questions and topics included whether or not first tour squadrons have the capability for special operations (SOF) missions, the transition of the USCG’s HH-60 Jayhawk into the newer Tango models, and where the MH-53E stands in terms of maintaining its Mine Countermeasures mission in lieu of the MH-60S’s Organic Mine Countermeasures.

Ultimately, the rotary wing community proudly remains a cornerstone of aviation and the Navy’s mission and will continue to develop with unlimited potential in the future.

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Article and Photos by LTJG Jonathan Andritsch, USN

Returning home from its first combat deployment onboard the USS George H. W. Bush (CVN-77) in December 2011, HSC-9 transitioned seamlessly back to life ashore. After spending some much deserved time off with family and friends over the holiday leave periods, the Tridents settled back into the training groove and welcomed the new year with the same enthusiasm they displayed throughout their deployment as the east coast’s first fully operational HSC (CVW) squadron.

While participating in its second FRS Carrier Qualification (CQ) detachment of 2012, the Tridents received some well-deserved recognition in February for the hard work and professionalism they displayed over the course of the USS George H.W. Bush’s maiden deployment. Because of the incredible performance of the Trident maintainers and the exceptional readiness maintained by the Training and Operations Departments, to include flying over 3,600 hours at the close of FY11, HSC-9 earned the Battle “E” for 2011, continuing the legacy of excellence established by the original Tridents of HS-3.

Motivated to sustain the level

Squadron Update

HSC-9 Squadron Update

with HSC-9 standing Alert SAR duty and flying Plane Guard as Evergreen International Aviation and VMX-22 conducted carrier wind envelope testing for the Puma and MV-22, respectively.

The postdeployment OPTEMPO didn’t slow for the Tridents in June as HSC-9 participated in the Bush’s “41 Drive-By.” With the carrier hosting its namesake and the former president’s family, HSC-9 completed VIP log runs to and from Walker’s Point in Kennebunkport, Maine, to pick up and drop off former President George H.W. Bush, former President George W. Bush, former Governor Jeb Bush, their spouses, and several other members of the Bush family.

The Tridents displayed great professionalism in executing the log runs without a hitch, and several Tridents got the opportunity to

of performance, which garnered the Battle “E,” HSC-9 continued to fulfill its post-deployment surge period missions, again supporting FRS and Training Command CQ detachments as spring gave way to summer. The Tridents used the experience gained from their detachment onboard the USNS Continue on page 68 Sacagawea (T-AKE-2) as the Bush participated in an ammo cross-deck to the USNS Lewis and Clark (T-AKE-1) during its three-week April and May underway period.

With the VERTREP taking two fewer days than expected, the Bush’s Commanding Officer took advantage of the free time to treat those underway to some flight deck running and to a showing of Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol on the flight deck. Several Trident pilots, aircrewmen, and maintainers watched the latest installment of the Mission: Impossible series under the stars, enjoying this Former President George H.W. Bush is escorted off unique drive-in-movie-like Troubleshooter 616 onto the flight deck of the carrier experience. The Det ended which bears his name.

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SQUADRON UPDATES: HSC-9/HSL-37

Former President George W. Bush interacts with members of HSC-9 onboard the USS George H.W. Bush during the '41 Drive-By'

Continued from page 67

meet briefly with former President George W. Bush as he interacted with the ship’s sailors. The Tridents closed out June by supporting the Bush’s last CQ underway before the ship heads into the Yards and by sending a detachment to Alpena, Michigan to participate in SOF and CAS training.

The last 7 months have been busy ones for the Tridents of HSC-9, but each of the Trident pilots, aircrewmen, and maintainers have met the challenges of a post-deployment surge period head-on. HSC-9 will continue carrying out the missions SCAN AND CONNECT assigned to WITH HSC-9 ON it until the s q u a d r o n ’s next work-up cycle, setting the standard for all HSC squadrons.

HSL-37 Det-5 Easyriders: Mission Success at Every Level Article and Photo by LTJG Leif Alleman, USN

73) supporting FIFTH Fleet operations.

During the eight uring their support of month deployment, Operation ENDURING Detachment FIVE FREEDOM and Operation performed multiple NEW DAWN, Detachment FIVE Anti-Submarine provided oil platform defense for the Warfare Exercises CTF and Iraqi Martime forces. In with Carrier Task total, the Detachment flew 353 sorties Force 50 and 57. T h e compiling over 1000 h o u r s d u r i n g D e t a c h m e n t their eight month deployment. also operated with the USS George H. W. Bush (CVN 77) and Easyriders practice Vertical Replenishment (VERTREP) at USS John C. Stennis Koa Kai and Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) (CVN 74) carrier exercises, and Helicopter Advanced Readiness MCB Kaneohe Bay, HI strike groups. During Program (HARP) 12-03 at Pacific Missile he Easyriders of HSL-37 operate their support of Operation ENDURING Range Facility (PMRF) Barking Sands. as the only Navy helicopter FREEDOM and Operation NEW Additionally, the Easyriders will celebrate squadron in the Middle-Pacific (MIDPAC) DAWN, Detachment FIVE provided their 37th anniversary on 3 July 2012. region and provide combat ready detachments oil platform defense for the CTF SCAN AND CONNECT WITH HSL-37 ON for deployment on board U.S. Pacific Fleet and Iraqi Martime forces. In total, ships. HSL-37 was recently awarded the the Detachment flew 353 sorties 2011 Battle “E,” Squadron Blue ‘M’ Award, compiling over 1000 h o u r s Retention Excellence Award, and Project d u r i n g their eight month Good Neighbor Flagship Award. Most deployment. recently, Detachment FIVE returned from Later this year the deployment aboard the USS Port Royal (CG Easyriders will be supporting

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SQUADRON UPDATES: HSC-22

HSC-22 Squadron Update

Article by LTLG Caitlynn Watson, USN and LTJG Chrisopher Babcock, USN

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elicopter Sea Combat Squadron TWO TWO proudly continued its vigilant support of fleet operations through the new year. To say the least, the Sea Knights have been busy. Late last summer, HSC-22 successfully shot six AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, qualifying six pilots. In October HSC-22 had the rare opportunity of working with the Air Force’s 724th STS (a Pararescue Jumper unit), training for CSAR and Personnel Recovery at Fort Bragg. Concurrent with the Fort Bragg detachment, a Sea Knight crew flew to NAS Whiting Field for the annual Fleet Fly-In. Over the course of four days, the crew gave familiarization flights to dozens of SNAs on the cusp of getting their wings. For many students these flights were their only exposure to the various helicopter communities. Crusader 07 lifts one of 180 loads transferred from the USS George H. W. Bush (CVN 77) In November, the Sea Knights had the to the USS Eisenhower(CVN 69) during an ammunition cross deck. chance to work with NSW TRADET in support of Combat Rubber Raiding Craft (CRRC) operations. Recently, the Sea Knights worked closely with SOF on a Link-16 mobile ground unit proof of concept exercise. This event effectively demonstrated the extraordinary utility that this piece of cutting-edge technology could provide to our Special Operations warfighters on the ground.

HSC-22 Det ONE has deployed extensively during workups in preparation for their March deployment on the USS Iwo Jima (LHD-7). In October, Det ONE traveled to Fort Bragg to complete its HARP. Over a seven-day training period, Det ONE enjoyed working with Army and Air Force Special Forces conducting live gun shoots, airborne assaults, and insertions. Local course rules capped the ceiling at 200 feet AGL so the pilots and crewmen were SCAN AND CONNECT able to get some great low level terrain flight training. Immediately WITH HSC-22 ON after returning from North Carolina, Det ONE embarked with the Iwo Jima for PMINT, successfully participating in a three-day, full-mission-profile demonstration to 24th MEU leadership. The flights demonstrated the benefits of integrating the MH-60S Armed Helicopter’s capabilities into the USMC Enhanced Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure (EVBSS) package. In November and December, Det ONE returned to the Iwo Jima ARG for COMPTUEX, providing numerous hours of amphibious SAR and SSC for various training missions that focused on blue-green team integration. One mission, a Joint Maritime Defense Exercise, incorporated Navy H-60s, Marine Corps H-1s and AV-8s, and an Air Force Command and Control platform. The exercise used Link-16 to allow the ship and air assets to communicate and share the battle space picture to effectively ward off OPFOR ships and aircraft. The detachment is currently underway for CERTEX. Back at home, three Sea Knights were recently recognized by Commander, Helicopter Sea Combat Wing Atlantic as the Wing’s Blue Jacket of the Year, Junior Sailor of the Year, and Senior Sailor of the Year. Congratulations to AT3 Baker, AWS2 Smith, and LS1 Gipson! LS1 Gipson was also selected as ASW2 Kevin Gordon leans out the side of the Helicopter a Commander, Naval Air Force Atlantic Sailor of the Year finalist. Most during an ammunition cross deck from the USS George H. recently, the Sea Knights finished up an intense AMI, passing with flying colors, and successfully completed their annual NATOPS unit evaluation the W. Bush (CVN 77) to the USS Eisenhower(CVN 69). following week.

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Squadron UPDATES: HSL-51

Commodore Transport to White Beach Article by LTJG Jess Sherwood, USN

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perating off the aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73), as a part of Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron Light FIVE ONE (HSL-51) Detachment THREE, our mission of the day was to transport our DESRON Commodore to a pre-exercise meeting with CTF 70 and various Japanese admirals at NS White Beach in Okinawa. LT Chris Plappert, AWR2 Tom Rowley, and I were assigned the mission and we spent the evening developing a plan for the following morning.

The Carrier is a constantly busy environment, which was only emphasized while trying to launch. We hot seated Warlord 703 and while waiting to re-fuel we were told that fueling had been secured due to ship engineering drills. We were then informed that it would be another hour at least before they were able to secure from drills. With around 1100 pounds of fuel we didn’t have extra time to waste and were also running up against the clock for the meeting in White Beach. Our ground personnel pointed toward a Flight I Arleigh Burke class destroyer operating near the carrier. We were able to coordinate and the DDG expeditiously gave us green deck to land while we were still spinning on the carrier. Around the same time the carrier secured its engineering drills early and commenced fuel pumping to the flight deck. The destroyer stayed at green deck until we were actually taking on fuel in case there were any other issues.

Once off deck our challenges began.

While enroute, GPS failed and our range was insufficient to pick up Kadena AFB’s TACAN. Our only remaining navigation was our radar and experience flying in and out of White Beach. Our aircrewman helped navigate the coastline using our Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR). We ensured the Commodore arrived for his meeting on time with minutes to spare.

Then it was a quick flight to Kadena AFB for fuel. The SH-60B is not a new aircraft and you cannot anticipate what will happen once you completely shut down. Due to the length of the meeting we had to shut down and wait for the phone call to take the Commodore back to the carrier.

We were in the aircraft ready to go

early and during startup our APU began to spin up, but just as quickly, it wound down. Not a good sign. We attempted a second start, but this time ended up with a low charge indication on the battery, as well as a drained APU hydraulic accumulator. Our entire crew took turns hand pumping the accumulator to recharge the system, a procedure I had only heard about in flight school. We attempted to start the APU multiple times after hooking up to external power and it soon became apparent that we would not be going anywhere anytime soon. We called the Commodore and were able to get an HS-14 helicopter in the area to take him back to the USS George Washington.

At this point we started planning to remain overnight. Our helicopter was outside parked on the tarmac and there was a typhoon warning condition in effect. Our first priority was to secure the aircraft and we worked with the Marine Corps and Air Force to make sure people knew that our aircraft would not be moving. The Air Force Black Hawk squadron on Kadena provided us with plugs and covers to secure our bird for weather. Next we obtained rooms for the crew and had to buy some basic amenities. The next day our other helicopter flew off the carrier with 3 of our most experienced maintainers and some parts that they could only guess might be the solution to our problems. They worked through the day and checked and replaced everything that they thought could be faulty on the APU, short of replacing it altogether, and it still continued to fail during startup. By the end of the second day, the APU was spraying fuel out of its seals on each subsequent start attempt.

It became apparent that we would have to replace the entire APU. After intensive coordination the next day, we were able to borrow a tow bar from a P-3 squadron, a tow truck from the C-2 detachment and

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maintenance space in the C-12 hangar. HS-14 graciously volunteered to transport an APU from USS George Washington and delivered it to our new hangar space. Our three maintainers worked tirelessly to replace the APU using a borrowed crane and complete all of the needed inspections on the helicopter. By the end of the third night our aircraft, had a brand new APU installed and a fresh daily and turnaround inspection. The next morning, we finally were ready to go and integrated back into the carrier flight schedule.

Looking back this mission was a great learning experience. We had the opportunity to work with CAGMO Carrier maintenance and supply, Navy ships, HS-14, Marine Corps, Air Force, a P-3 squadron, and VRC-30 Detachment FIVE who were shore-based in Kadena at the time. Not only did we have to make sure the helicopter stayed secure and out of the elements but we also had to do maintenance in less than optimal conditions. We quickly learned the importance of knowing when to ask for help and getting it from the right people. Our nightly “hot wash” of all the requirements for the next day in the Kadena O-club each night helped give us a list of clear priorities to work on the following day. The biggest challenges were the ones we took for granted. Getting a new APU delivered was easier than securing a ride from the BOQ to the flight line. Finding the correct tow bar and orchestrating an aircraft move over 1 mile was easier than finding the actual problem with the APU. You never know what problems will pop up when doing an out-and-in mission. But with a little bit of luck and a tremendous amount of help from our friends we were able to make the best out of a bad situation. We were able to make everything happen and get our helicopter back to the carrier where we could continue to be an operational asset.

SCAN AND CONNECT WITH HSC-51 ON

Squadron UPDATES: HSL-49

LAMPS: Alive and Kicking in Support of CSG-1 Article by LT Andrew Beasley and LT Berumen, USN

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his May, HSL-49 recovered two detachments that deployed in support of Carrier Strike Group ONE’s surge this last year. HSL-49 Det TWO Bull Gators returned home safely from a successful deployment after flying over 1,000 mishap-free flight hours. Embarked on USS Halsey (DDG 97), the Bull Gators completed a Western Pacific deployment with Carrier Strike Group ONE and DESRON ONE focusing on counterpiracy operations near the Horn of Africa (HOA). Det TWO departed on NOV 30, 2011 and after steaming west with a quick stop in Hong Kong, the Bull Gators continued west to the HOA. USS Halsey pulled into Djibouti where it embarked an international staff and became the flagship for Combined Task Force (CTF) 151. The Bull Gators proceeded to conduct Surface Surveillance and Control (SSC) protecting commercial merchant traffic along the International Recognized Transit Corridor (IRTC). Using the SH-60B’s FLIR and RADAR, the Bull Gators established a surface picture for CTF 151 in order to search for piracy tripwires.

The Bull Gators were also tasked with gathering Information, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) off the country of Somalia to search for suspected pirate camps that were deploying to the HOA. The Bull Gators flew in the HOA gathering intelligence and taking photographs of potential pirate camp sites. The Bull Gators also conducted a Pattern of Life (POL) mission, taking photographs looking for settlements and other places that may serve as locations for pirate camps. During one of the POL flights USS Halsey was informed that two Yemeni Coast Guard vessels were missing. The Bull Gators located both these vessels, saving six lives. Their position was relayed to the USS Halsey where the personnel and vessels were recovered. After three months of counter piracy operations with a brief stop in Seychelles for a port visit, USS Halsey disembarked the staff of CTF 151 in Muscat, Oman and proceeded east for a port visit in Chennai, India.

The Bull Gators visited India to participate in MALABAR, an international naval exercise between the Indian and United

States Navy.

During MALABAR, The Bull Gators participated in several Anti-Submarine Warfare exercises, Helicopter Overwatch demonstrations, and conducted several Deck Landing Qualifications (DLQs) on Indian naval ships. Following completion of MALABAR, USS Halsey proceeded south for two more port visits in Darwin and Brisbane, Australia to participate in ANZAC day and the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Coral Sea. After departing Australia, The Bull Gators assisted the Coast Guard with the Oceanic Maritime Surveillance Initiative (OMSI) to help detect illegal maritime activities in the Pacific Ocean while making their way home.

After a brief stop in Hawaii, the Bull Gators arrived home safely from a successful deployment on May 23, 2012 and all are happy to be home after being separated from family and friends. The success of The Bull Gators would not have been possible without the dedicated maintenance personnel that conducted thousands of hours of maintenance, servicing, and inspections that led to over 1000 mishap free flight hours. Their tireless dedication to the mission ensured the aircraft were ready to conduct any mission they were assigned, including five medical evacuations (MEDEVACS).

Even while conducting around the clock maintenance, Bull Gators personnel earned four Enlisted Aviation Warfare Specialist (EAWS) qualifications, seven Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals, and promoted four sailors.

Meanwhile…The Angry Beavers of Det FOUR while deployed onboard USS Bunker Hill (CG-52) with Carrier Strike Group ONE met with similar success. The Angry Beavers did not even make it out of the THIRD Fleet Area of Responsibility (AOR) before participating in a large AntiSubmarine Warfare (ASW) exercise, working with a US submarine, a P-3,

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SH-60F helicopters from USS Carl Vinson, and multiple surface assets.

The exercise was a true test of communication and coordination. As always, the detachment excelled and recorded the most successful simulated attacks of any participating unit.

Moving through SEVENTH Fleet, Det FOUR began to shift towards operational tasking. These missions were centered on detecting and protecting the waterspace around the strike group. A typical mission involved taking off with a mixed loadout of buoys and crew-served weapons, using the APS124 Radar to detect contacts, and visually identifying and classifying the contacts with the Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) Finally making their way to FIFTH Fleet, the Angry Beavers arrived at their destination for deployment. In typical fashion, arriving at the destination marked only the beginning of the variety of missions that Det FOUR undertook. The Angry Beavers supported passenger transfers between ships in the strike group, conducted SAR training with jumps and hoists of rescue swimmers, performed remote designation Hellfire training, and worked in a few crew served weapon shoots, all while meeting scheduled tasking.

Whether it be supporting the Strike Group during Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, or flying for tasking in the Arabian Gulf, Det FOUR accomplished what was needed with a 100% sortie completion rate in FIFTH Fleet.

The primary focus of their time in FIFTH Fleet was defending the Strike Group during four strait transits through the Straits of Hormuz while fulfilling an Anti-Terrorism Force Protection (ATFP) role, and maintaining an Alert ASW aircraft. The ATFP crews launched with Hellfire missiles and the GAU16 .50 caliber crew served weapon. The alert ASW aircraft stood a vigilant watch with Mk54 torpedoes, the newest airborne torpedoes in the fleet. Det FOUR was ready for whatever was needed.

Between scheduled sorties, the detachment was able to advance Naval partnerships abroad. One of the most critical allies in the FIFTH Fleet AOR is the United Continue on page 72

SQUADRON UPDATES: HSL-49 / HSL-60 Continued from page 71

Arab Emirates (UAE). Our two nations have worked well together for years, learning from each other to help keep peace in an unstable region. In the spirit of this relationship, the Angry Beavers met with UAE Naval Aviators.

The meeting saw many thoughtful insights from both sides ranging from discussions on patterns of life and normal activity in the Gulf of Oman, to unaided night shipboard approaches.

Afterwards, the pilots exchanged a few laughs and some patches, and learned that the spirit of Naval Aviation is universal.

The Angry Beavers continued to play their part advancing Naval partnerships abroad on their return from FIFTH Fleet by also participating in exercise MALABAR. As such, the Angry Beavers had an important role to play. The exercise started with helicopter interoperability events. The Angry Beavers landed on every H-60 capable platform that India sent for the exercise. After demonstrating

the ability to land on Indian ships the next stage was taking Indian Naval Officers flying during the exercise. Not only did the Angry Beavers transport passengers between U.S. and Indian ships, they also took Indian passengers on flights for tasking to gain insight into our operational capabilities. When it came to training with our Indian partners, Det FOUR excelled on a global scale.

Never being relegated to traditional missions, Det FOUR soon found itself partnered with the Coast Guard on a unique mission, Oceanic Maritime Security Initiative (OMSI).

The SH-60B is well suited to protect the waters within the Economic Exclusive Zones of smaller Pacific Island Nations from over-fishing. Although traditionally a Coast Guard mission, USS Carl Vinson became the first strike

group to take on this national level tasking.

Working closely with the Coast Guard, the Angry Beavers were able to find nine fishing vessels during this period. The photos that they took of these vessels allowed the Coast Guard to have a better understanding of the pattern of life in the region, and therefore better protect the global fishing stocks for the future. More importantly, it told any would-be poacher that we were watching them.

HSL-49 is glad to have the detachments back safely after such successful deployments, and continues to prove that legacy aircraft maintain an integral role in Carrier Strike Group operations during a transitional era in Naval Rotary Wing Aviation.

SCAN AND CONNECT WITH HSL-49 ON

HSL-60 Det THREE Seizes $6M in Cocaine Article and Photo by LCDR Cedric Patmon, USN

suspected go-fast vessel, but after hours of searching they were forced to return to the ship to refuel. While Jaguar 607 was on deck, Elrod’s combat team coordinated with partner nation assets to launch a Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) to continue the search.

The MPA was able to locate the go-fast and relay that information back to the USS Elrod’s combat information center.

Jaguar 607 locates and intercepts the “go-fast Jaguar 607 was revessel. launched and tasked with n late March, USS Elrod (FFG 55) intercepting the go-fast while the ship was on routine patrol in the western simultaneously plotted and took up an Caribbean Sea with Helicopter Anti-Submarine intercept course to catch the suspect Squadron Light SIX ZERO Detachment THREE vessel. With the help of our Dutch and Coast Guard LEDET 404 embarked when allies in the MPA, Jaguar 607 located, they received intelligence that a suspected drug intercepted, and recorded the actions of boat or “go-fast” was underway off the coast the go-fast vessel while the USS Elrod of Colombia in international waters. The alert and Coast Guard team worked to obtain aircraft, Jaguar 607, was launched into the authorization to interdict the vessel. early morning darkness and directed to find the Faced with two aircraft circling above

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and Elrod bearing down on them, the crew of the go-fast realized the eventuality of their apprehension and began to jettison their cargo.

A short time later they went dead in the water and surrendered to the Coast Guard boarding team without incident. Elrod’s combat security team provided armed cover to the boarding team while Jaguar 607 broke off to locate the jettisoned contraband.

The crew of Jaguar 607 quickly located and marked the position of the jettisoned contraband and when Elrod and her small boat crew arrived on station, Jaguar 607 vectored the RHIB in for a speedy recovery of multiple bales which later tested positive as cocaine. The combined efforts of the crew of USS Elrod, HSL-60 Det THREE, Coast Guard Law Enforcement Team 404, and our partner nation allies ultimately succeeded in the recovery of over 470 kg of cocaine with an estimated street value in excess of six million dollars.

SQUADRON UPDATES: HSC-21

Desert Gambit 2012

Article and Photo by LTJG Jeff Ryan

operations are required.

The two helicopters that HSC-21 brought to DESERT GAMBIT were part of a diverse complement of forces.

The Assault Force was comprised of Navy SEALs and members of the 125th STS. The air component was comprised of our two Alongside Navy SEALs, Air Force A-10s and MC-12s, MH-60S helicopters HSC-21 played an integral role in deployment work-ups a n d A i r F o r c e for the Air Force’s 125th Special Tactics Squadron MC-12s and A-10 Thunderbolts.

Our he global threats that are mission entailed aiding the 125th STS, the focus of today’s military alongside the SEALs, in the capture of require a dedication to joint operations. a simulated High Value Target (HVT) The Navy, Army, Air Force and Marine that the teams had been trailing out of Corps are all powerful forces on their own.

Arizona. The day prior to the mission Combined, they yield results impossible to the Blackjack lead element drove out achieve individually. The official mission to the staging base at Laguna Army of DESERT GAMBIT 2012 was to prepare Airfield to survey the area and conduct and evaluate the Air Force’s 125th Special that crucially important “face-to-face” Tactics Squadron out of Portland, Oregon for meeting with the teams. its upcoming deployment. The exercise also DESERT GAMBIT offered the served, however, as a unique training ground Blackjacks of HSC-21 a chance to train in to test the inter-dependence of our nation’s an environment quickly gaining attention Armed Forces when complex international among Expeditionary squadrons. Over

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the past few years the community has begun a shift away from its traditional role as fleet logistics support to the world of tactical mission sets. Instead of aircraft free of internal equipment in order to hold more cargo, we are now adding thousands of pounds of hi-tech gear to create more versatility, generating more freedom of action for our military, and the Special Forces community in particular.

The aircraft HSC-21 brought to DESERT GAMBIT had been equipped with Multi-spectral Targeting System (MTS) and the complementary Digital Map Kneeboards (DMK). The DMK, a tablet device that is capable of relaying images from the FLIR to crewmen and troops in the cabin, played a crucial role in the night’s exercise. When the pilots needed to focus their attention on handling the aircraft, the DMK allowed the crewmen to keep constant eyes on the target or friendly forces on the ground and build that vital aspect of every complex mission: Situational Awareness. Another capability brought to the fight was the aircraft’s dual doors. Traditionally, Special Operations Forces have been used to deploying with only a starboard cabin door for entry and egress. The MH-60S, with doors on both sides, allows ease of access and opens the possibility to make nearly any zone an entry or pickup point for the assault forces.

Continue on page 74

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. Staight 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.

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SQUADRON UPDATES: HSC-21/ HSL-42 Continued from page 73

During the mission our two aircraft would fill several roles. After inserting the teams at the suspected site of the High Value Target we would be the back-up Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) asset.

The primary ISR platform was the MC-12, orbiting thousands of feet overhead. We were also prepared for fire support with dual M240 machine guns and eight Hellfire missiles. The larger firepower was orbiting overhead in the form of the two A-10 Thunderbolts. Lastly, in addition to our insertion/extraction and NonTraditional ISR role, we were the primary CASEVAC asset for the mission.

When launch time arrived, we took off from a remote airfield with the STS team and SEALs onboard, inserting them at an LZ away from our staging point and within striking distance from the target. We took off from the zone and entered a high orbit to track their progress onto the compound using the MTS. When the assault was complete, the two Blackjack aircraft headed to a predetermined LZ and picked up the Assault Force with the apprehended HVT. In the process of this first takedown, we were called for a secondary assault on another compound

in the vicinity. As soon as the teams were onboard we were prepared for an insert to the new zone. With no clear LZ in the second compound, the decision was made to fastrope the teams in. Our helos came in one at a time and the STS team and SEALs roped down from a 30foot hover. We stood off from the target and tracked the progress of the team through the building. When an enemy position was sighted that the team could not eliminate themselves, we were called in with the M240s to neutralize the threat. This call for fire was quickly followed by requests for extraction as the compound was secured. We landed near the compound, extracted the team and headed back to the remote airfield as FINEX was called.

The training value of exercises like DESERT GAMBIT cannot be overstated. While tactics publications do a great job of detailing how to prepare for operations involving diverse DOD units, the only way to become truly proficient is through joint exercises and live faceto-face interaction. The lessons learned from our time with the 125th STS and

SEALs are already being implemented to make our helicopters a more valuable asset to the Special Operations Community and to provide globally adaptive force packaging.

As it currently stands, our community is adjusting to an ever-changing global reality. We train every day to face these new challenges, and it’s only through joint exercises simulating real-world conditions that we can truly gauge where our operational readiness stands. While HSC-21’s mission at DESERT GAMBIT was to support the 125th STS for their upcoming deployment, we came back with an experience of our own that will serve to better equip our squadron, the Rotary Wing Community and the Navy for whatever lies ahead.

SCAN AND CONNECT WITH HSC-21 ON

Men in Black Ready to Deploy Article by LT David Vasquez USN

N

aval Station Mayport, FL— HSL-42 Detachment TWO Men in Black are poised to make history again as the squadron’s first all MQ-8B Fire Scout Detachment. Following successful composite SH-60B/Fire Scout deployments on the USS McInerney (FFG-8) and USS Halyburton (FFG-40), Detachment TWO will embark on the USS Klakring (FFG-42) and operate solely as an unmanned aerial vehicle Detachment. The MQ-8B is a rotary wing Vertical Takeoff and Landing Tactical Unmanned Air Vehicle (VTUAV) designed to provide an intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) platform for U.S. Navy ships and Coalition partners. Today’s modern battlefield has a high demand for unmanned ISR, and the Men in Black will supply it to the 6th Fleet Area of Responsibility (AOR).

Detachment TWO, led by LCDR

Jay Lambert and AWSC (NAC/AW) John Chapman, consists of five officer Air Vehicle Operators (AVO), four enlisted Mission Payload Operators (MPO), 21 enlisted maintainers and technicians, and a handful of civilian Northrop Grumman instructors, technicians, and engineers.

The Northrop Grumman team has been immeasurably helpful and supportive from the detachment’s standup, and they will continue to be an invaluable asset throughout the deployment.

Similar to SH-60B workups, Detachment TWO participated in a

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Week One Work Up (WOWU) cycle, an underway Advanced Readiness Program (ARP) evaluation, and a Composite Unit Training Exercise (COMPTUEX). During COMPTUEX and under the supervision of Northrop Grumman instructors and Continue on page 75

SQUADRON UPDATES: HSL-42 Continued from page 74

engineers, the Men in Black became the first military crew in history to operate two aircraft simultaneously from a single ground control station and conduct a Dual Air Vehicle (DAV) Tactical Control Data Link (TCDL) swap in a tactical training environment. Two days later, Detachment TWO flew continuous DAV operations off the coast of North Carolina which marked the end of a historic and successful COMPTUEX. While the MQ-8B is relatively young in its service-life, the USS Klakring will embark on its final deployment after 30 years of naval service. Both the ship’s crew and the air department are looking forward to the challenges ahead as the ship sets sail for its final cruise. HSL-42 Detachment TWO is mission ready to provide ISR services, and the Men in Black will continue HSL-42’s legacy as the premier and frontline operators of the MQ-8B Fire Scout.

HSL – 42 Norsemen Reach Halfway Point Article by LTJG Timothy Sullivan, USN

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he Norsemen of Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Light FOUR TWO Detachment THREE have reached the midway point of their deployment, conducting operations in the Black and Mediterranean Seas onboard the USS Vella Gulf (CG 72) homeported in Norfolk, Virginia.

The Norsemen have executed a multitude of missions and international exercises ranging from Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) to security coverage against small boat attacks in support of the ship’s Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) mission.

Detachment THREE deployed onboard the USS Vella Gulf in January 2012.

After a transit filled with rough weather and high seas across the Atlantic Ocean, the ship conducted brief stops in Rota, Spain and Souda Bay, Greece before proceeding to the Black Sea and facing record low temperatures. The

USS Vella Gulf’s visit to this region strengthened SIXTH Fleet efforts to build global maritime partnerships with European nations and enhance maritime safety and security.

Detachment THREE conducted Black Sea operations following a transit through the Turkish Straits, arriving at its first stop, Constanta, Romania. The Norsemen hosted the Black Sea Knights of the Romanian Navy and their IAR 330 Puma helicopters. The pilots and aircrew of both nations participated in deck landing qualifications and special operations fast-roping. The Detachment’s scheduled port call to Odessa, Ukraine and subsequent deck landing period with the Ukrainian Navy was canceled due to extreme cold weather and low ceilings in the Northwest region of the

Black Sea. After departing the Black Sea, the ship joined multiple allied countries in Exercise PROUD MANTA, a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) ASW exercise, which took place from 14 – 18 February. NATO’s largest ASW exercise was held in the Ionian Sea to the southeast of Sicily with forces from Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Turkey, and the United Kingdom. The overall purpose of PROUD MANTA was to demonstrate NATO’s proficiency and interoperability in coordinated ASW, Anti-Surface Warfare, coastal surveillance and other maritime operations using a multinational force of aircraft, ships, and submarines. The Norsemen worked jointly with land-based P-3C Orion aircraft and ally surface Continue on page 76

The Next Issue of the

focuses on HS-10 Sundown Ceremony All photo and article submissions need to be no later than September 12, 2012 to your Rotor Review community editor or NHA Design Editor. Any further questions, please contact the NHA National Office at 619.435-7139 or rotorrev@simplyweb.net

Rotor Review # 117 Spring ‘12

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SQUADRON UPDATES: HSL-42 Continued from page 75

warships to prosecute and gain submarine contact time over a Greek Type 209 submarine playing as an opposing force. By utilizing the aircraft’s Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR), and electronic support measures system (ESM), Proud Warrior 422 maintained an accurate maritime picture for partner forces and demonstrated the continued strength of NATO maritime interoperability.

Upon completion of Exercise PROUD MANTA, the ship made a port call in Naples, Italy, where Detachment THREE completed maintenance on Proud Warrior 422 and gave multiple tours to senior leaders from U.S. SIXTH Fleet Command. Commander, THIRD Air Force, Lieutenant General Frank Gorenc, conducted a tour of the ship and expressed distinct interest in Detachment THREE and its SH-60B, as well as the aviationsurface ship operations required for the BMD mission.

Through over four months of deployment, Detachment THREE has flown over 250 hours, with over 50 percent of those hours being flown at night. Proud Warrior 422 has faced minimal delays in being fullymission capable (FMC) for the deployment. The unit maintains three crews capable of flying the aircraft, to provide around-the-clock readiness for any tasking the ship encounters. Detachment THREE, led by LCDR James Thompson, continues to operate onboard USS Vella Gulf in the Mediterranean Sea, and expects to return to NAS Jacksonville in the fall.

Night Furies Continue to Lead the Way Article by LT John Martin, USN

H

SL-42 Detachment TEN, Night Furies, have recently passed the halfway mark into their sevenmonth FIFTH Fleet deployment. The NAS Jacksonville-based detachment left Norfolk, VA on 12 March aboard the USS James E. Williams (DDG-95) and transited across the Atlantic Ocean as part of the Enterprise Carrier Strike Group.

Before the Night Furies entered the Mediterranean Sea they were tasked with their first of many challenging missions, a medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) through the Strait of Gibraltar to the USS Enterprise.

With weather, sea state, and ship’s distance working against the crew, they were able to deliver the patient to the USS Enterprise, saving the finger of a talented Culinary Specialist. Since then, the Night Furies have continued to display their talents flying over 400 hours with tasks consisting of Surface Surveillance and Control (SSC), Vertical Replenishment (VERTREP), Maritime Interception Operations (MIO), Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure (VBSS), and passenger transfers in support of the strike group while

operating in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman, and Arabian Gulf. The USS James E. Williams and Detachment TEN have worked diligently to improve relations with countries in the region by participating in multiple exercises including EAGLE SALUTE and PASSEX with the Egyptian Navy and INDIGO SERPENT with the Saudi Arabian Navy.

The Night Furies continue to balance operational needs, maintenance requirements, and training to continuously provide the best aircraft and aircrews possible to complete the various demanding missions. Training with the ship’s crew has allowed for practice search and rescue (SAR) litter training with the VBSS team, Helicopter In-flight Refueling (HIFRs), and forward Vertical Replenishment (VERTREP) training.

All of this has been accomplished while the Detachment’s aircraft have completed major phase maintenance inspections with subsequent Functional Check Flights.

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Diligent training continues in addition to completing maintenance work and missions, resulting in newly-pinned Enlisted Aviation Warfare Specialist (EAWS) Petty Officers, with several more in the process.

Following the results of March’s advancement exams, Detachment TEN was proud to frock three detachment members, including AWR2 Amado Vazquez, AE2 Sasha Haywood, and AT2 Warren Mercer.

With so much already experienced during their first four months at sea, the Night Furies are looking forward to the challenges that lay ahead of them in their second half of the deployment.

The newest naval helicopter pilots going out to the fleet

GRADUATING CLASS APRIL 13, 2012 First Row: CDR Jeffrey D. Debrine, USN ; ENS Anne R. Hudak-Rox, USN; ENS Leighann M. Lewis, USN; ENS Badr A. AL-Malki, RSNF; ENS Patrick C. Romero, USN; ENS Amanda M. Howard, USN; ENS Steven C. Stiles, USN; 1st Lt John P. Inabinet, USMC; 1st Lt Karen L. Kobus, USMC; ENS Jenna H. Bordash, USN; ENS Elizabeth L Janca, USN; and CAPT Shoshana Chatfield, USN. Second Row: Lt Col Mark C. Thompson, USN; ENS Tony L. Chitwood, Jr, USN; ENS Jerrid K. Stotttlemyre, USN; ENS. Drew J. Kollmann, USN; 1st Lt Christopher P. Miller, USMC; 1st Lt Daniel R. Shumaker, USMC; ENS Louis G. Bove, USN; ENS Michael B. Kaehler, USN; LTJG. Caleb C. Robards, USCG; ENS Joel R. Kunz USN; and ENS Adam D. Laakso, USN. Third Row: CDR. Matthew J. Bowen, USN; ENS Mattheau B. Willsey, USN; ENS Robert E. Ball III, USN; CWO2 William J. Burns, USN; 1st Lt Nash M. Bagby, USMC; 1st Lt. Kevin S. Minnig, USMC; 1st Lt. Devin F. Kelly, USMC; 1st Lt. Jeffrey L. Groom, USMC; ENS Ryan T. Nealson, USN; ENS J. Fleet Lawrence, USN; ENS Joseph R. Rice, USN; ENS William A. Bartek, USN; and Col. James D. Grace, USMC.

GRADUATING CLASS APRIL 27, 2012 First Row: CDR Jeffrey D. Debrine, USN; LTJG Shane K. Drennon, USN; ENS Mark A. Hlousek, USN; ENS Ashley S. Hallford, USN; ENS Chelsea L. Zuspan, USN; 1st Lt Molly A. Leblanc, USMC; ENS Brittany N. Meek, USN; ENS Nathan R. Chambers, USN; ENS Scott T. Macdonald, USN; and CAPT James L. Vandiver, USN Second Row: Lt Col Mark C. Thompson, USN; 1st Lt Tyson S. Metlen, USMC; ENS Dro J. Gregorian, USN; ENS Matthew J. K. Schwab, USN; ENS Sergio E. Lloret, USN; ENS Basil G. Daratsos, USN; ENS Kyle J. Lisowski, USN; 1st Lt David L. Tuck, USMC; and LT Matthew J. Meinhold, USCG. Third Row: CDR. Paul D. Bowdich, USN; 1st Lt Daniel J. Canham, USMC; 1st Lt Chip D. Jacoby, USMC; 1st Lt Nathan B. Nelms, USMC; 1st Lt David B. Stephens, USMC; ENS Joseph P. Lennon, USN; ENS Alexander C. Thiess, USN; 1st Lt Kyle J. Bare, USMC and Col. James D. Grace, USMC. Rotor Review # 117 Spring ‘12 79

Continue on page 78

Continued from page 77

GRADUATING CLASS MAY 11, 2012 First Row: LtCol Mark C. Thompson, USMC ; 1stLt Thomas J. Stewart, USMC; 1stLt Ryan P. Keller, USMC; 1stLt Dustin A. Pratico, USMC; LTJG Holly J. Carter, USN; ENS Jillian L. Freeburn, USN; ENS Branden T. Carpenter, USN; ENS Bryan T. Criger, USN; LTJG Fernando Mariño-Moreira SPNAV; ENS James J. Robillard, USN; LT Mark P. Aguilar, USCG; and MajGen Raymond C. Fox, USMC. Second Row: CDR Jeffrey D. Debrine, USN; 1stLt Mark J. Harper, USMC; 1stLt Robert F. Beagen, USMC; ENS. Michael K. Watkis, USN; LTJG. Colin P. McCarthy, USN; ENS Richard F. Curry, USN; ENS Andrew P. Miller, USN; LTJG Sean W. Hale, USN; ENS Gregory R. Westin, USN; LTJG Angelo M. Giannini.

ITNAV; and LT Kevin H. Murphy, USCG. Third Row: CDR Paul D. Bowdich, USN; 1st Lt Jordon J. Pierce, USMC; ENS William B.Thornley, USN; ENS Timothy J. Zakriski, USN; ENS Brent R. Spohrer, USN; 1st Lt. Daniel M. Wendel, USMC; 1st Lt. Evam S. Nordstrom, USMC; ENS Shane P. Brenner, USN; ENS Keith S. Mitchell, USN; LT Min H. Kim, USCG; and Col. James D. Grace, USMC.

GRADUATING CLASS MAY 24, 2012 First Row: CDR Jeffrey D. Debrine, USN ; ENS Anthony J. Wnuk, USN; ENS Peter R. Lindstrom, USN; ENS Gregory A. Campbell, USN; 1st Lt John A. Keldorph, USMC; 1st Lt Joshua K. Entrekin, USMC; ENS Timothy McNerney, USN; LTJG Rob Jackson, USN; LTJG Valeria Cucci, ITNAV; ENS Kari A MacLennan, USN; RADM William E. Shannon III, USN. Second Row: Lt Col Mark C. Thompson, USN; ENS Jonathan B. Berkowitz USN; ENS Gregrory J. Knopik, USN; 1st Lt Jonathan E. Will, Jr, USMC; 1st Lt Timothy C. Nolan, USMC; LTJG Ali A. Al-Obaid, RSNF; 1st Lt Devon A. St. Cyr., USMC; ENS Brian J. Hall USN; and LTJG David A. Crocker, USN. Third Row: CDR Paul D. Bowdich, USN; ENS Corey J. Sheeron, USN; ENS David E. Hicks, USN; ENS Lamont R. Johnson II, USN; LTJG Miguel Perex-Lopez, SPNAV; 1st Lt David H.Snell III, USMC; LTJG John M.O’Brien, USN; ENS Kyle B. Fitch , USN; ENS Matthew D. Tryon , USN; and Col. James D. Grace, USMC.

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Helo Bubbas who have left the Active Duty ranks for Civilian Life

CAPT John “Slots” Slaughter, USN September 1979 - January 2012 CAPT Slaughter attended NROTC at University of California, Berkeley and earned designation as a Naval Aviator in 1984 at NAS Pensacola; VT-3, HT-8, and HT-18, NAS Whiting Field, FL; HS-10 (three tours) and HS-8 at NAS North Island, CA; Commander Carrier Air Wiing, NAS Miramar, CA; Joint Staff, Washingtion, D.C.; NAVAIR, Crystal City, VA; OPNAV N88, NAS Jacksonville, FL; HS-1 and HS-7, NAS Jacksonville, FL; Executive Officer and Commanding Officer at HS-15, NAS Jacksonville, FL and at VX-1, NAS Patuxent River, MD; PMA 299, NAS Patuxent River, MD (two tours); Military Director, Systems Eng, NAS Patuxent River, MD; and Director, Naval Aviation Center for Rotorcraft Advancement, NAS Patuxent River, MD.

CAPT Arthur “Skip” Trahan, USN

November 7, 1980 - September 1, 2012

Basic Training, RTC Great Lakes, IL; Gunner’s Mate “A” & “C” School; OCT 81 - JUN82: USS Peterson (DD-969) Naval Academy Preparory School; Flight Training with VT-27, HT-18, HS-1, and HS-10; Pilot with HS-3; Instructor Pilot with HS-1; Flight Commander with 66th RQS; Naval War College; Department Head with HS-14; Team Lead at NAVAIR, PMA-299; Executive Officer / Commanding Officer of HS-15; HS Wing Atlantic/Joint Forces Staff College; Action Officer, US Northern Command/J8; OIC with Navy Central Command Forward Afghanistan; OIC with US Northern Command/ J3, Direct Support Cell.

CAPT Dave Schell, USN September 1, 1984 - June 29, 2012 Captain Schnell has logged over 3,200 flight hours. During his command tour, ht-18 received the Navy’s Meritorious Unit Award and swept all six of the major training command unit awards including The VADM Robert Goldwaithe Trophy awarded to the navy’s training squadron of the year. Following command, he was assigned to nato as the deputy chief of staff plans for Commander Maritime Air Naples Cman , Italy. From august 2007 until july 2009, Captain Schnell served as the Commanding Officer Of Naval Station Great Lakes, Illinois, The Quarterdeck Of The Navy. From August 2009 until August 2012, he served as the Chief Of Naval Operations’ Chair And Associate Professor Of Military Strategy And Logistics At The Eisenhower School For National Security and Resource Strategy, National Defense University NDU , Washington, DC. Capt Schnell retired effective 01 September, 2012 after 28 years of Naval Service. Medals he is authorized to wear include: Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion Of Merit, Joint Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service.

LT Col Mark C. Thompson, USMC Lt. Col. Thompson earned designation as a Naval Aviator in 1994 at NAS Pensacola, FL, and he trained as an AH-1W SuperCobra pilot; Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron (HMLA) 369, Camp Pendleton, CA (Two tours); Marine Wing Support Squadron 373 at MCAS Miramar, CA; NROTC, University of San Diego/San Diego State University; Marine Enlisted Commissioning Education Program (MECEP) Preparatory School, MCRD San Diego, CA; Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 163 (Rein); United States Marine Corps Military Aide to President George W. Bush, Washington D.C.; Commanding Officer Rotor Review # 117 Spring ‘12 81 of HT-28.

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