My Flag is up Again

The Block O hangs proudly in my driveway once again. There are only a few things more fun than flying a helicopter. And one of those things is watching Ohio State stomp the life out of Michigan.

All these SEC fans down here sneer when they see scarlet and gray. I suppose it's because they know that their teams will never come close to being this good. GO BUCKS!!

A Close Call

So there I was, fat dumb and happy, flying along at 800 feet and 90 knots, enjoying the view.

Suddenly, the helicopter yawed to the right, the nose dropped, and the controls began to shudder violently. Audio alarms screamed at me to return the aircraft to normal flight or it would soon lose irrecoverable energy from the rotor turning overhead.

Only seconds ago, the ground was 800 feet away. Now it is 500 feet and rapidly approaching the windscreen. Despite my herculean efforts to return to level flight, the nose only pitched down further. Crap!! It dawned on me that I may not recover from this incident - and I didn't.

Then the instructor paused the computer, turned up the lights, and asked me what had just happened to my aircraft. Welcome to day one in the simulator: emergency procedures.

If any of you are still wondering if I'm alive, I am. However, if this was a real-life emergency, I would be nothing more than a smoking hole in the ground. That of course, is one purpose of the simulator - to expose student pilots to in-flight malfunctions that could very well occur on any day.

To sum things up, I won't be flying in the air very much for the next few weeks. Instead, I'll be participating in an expensive, full-motion video game and hopefully building my skills with respect to aircraft emergencies.

If you're wondering what happened to my aircraft in the above emergency, I lost components from the tail rotor - not a good day by any means!

Below is a picture of the helicopter simulator. It's a full-motion video game with a 270 degree field of view. Despite all the advanced technology that goes into making the simulator as real as possible, it is nearly impossible to hover, land, or take off! Nothing beats the real aircraft.

Option 3: Osprey

This post expands on the last of three airframes that I may receive upon graduation from helicopter training: the CV-22 "Osprey."

The Osprey is brand spankin' new. It replaced the MH-53 "Pave Low" (shown below). The Pave Low is massive - bigger than the Osprey. The picture does not do it justice. Despite its smaller size, the Osprey came online because it flies quieter, farther, and faster than the Pave Low. However, it carries less troops and does not have any means of self protection (i.e. guns!)

The Osprey is not a helicopter; it is actually a tilt-rotor. The two rotating propellors on the outer edges of the wings are called nacelles. They are initially positioned for vertical take off. As the aircraft leaves the ground, the nacelles rotate and the "helicopter" transforms into a propellor-driven airplane. The process reverses itself for landing. In other words, it's kind of like a transformer!

See it in action here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OI3oE422C4Y&feature=related (This is the Marine's version of the Osprey, the MV-22. It still flies the same as the Air Force version).

What would you do as an Osprey pilot?

Currently, the Osprey is used for infiltration & exfiltration. These are fancy names for picking up and dropping off combat troops - usually in hostile environments, behind enemy lines. Many of these troops will be special forces from all service branches.

At less than two years old, some of the first operational CV-22 squadrons are in the process of being deployed. Only time will tell if this aircraft can stand its own ground. It certainly has some big shoes to fill.

Where will you be stationed?

Since the CV-22 is new, the only Air Force location with an operational squadron is Kirtland AFB, New Mexico (near Albuquerque). This will change as more squadrons are stood up at different locations. As these birds begin to deploy, they'll spend most of their time in sandy and/or mountainous environments.

Do you have your flag up?

This post has nothing to do with flying. It has to deal with something far more important - Ohio State football.

If you're reading this post and you're not an Ohio State fan, do me a favor and leave now. Only fans from Ohio State are allowed. I don't want any non-believers stinking up my blog.

Now that that's out of the way, the Buckeyes have managed to overcome Iowa and secure a trip to Pasedina. However, we all know that the most important game still lies ahead: Michigan. The season is not complete until we crush those weenies from up north.

O - H !

Oooh! ... a new set of rotors

I forgot to mention this when I first started flying the UH-1H "Huey" out here. The schoolhouse is in the process of converting these pieces of history into something a bit more modern: the TH-1. Let me explain.

The UH-1 helicopter is shipped off to the factory where it is stripped of just about everything. Keep in mind, it was originally built in the late sixties - so it's no spring chicken. The factory beefs up the engine and transmission, taking the horsepower from 1400 to 1800. The steam gauges from the stone age are replaced by three slick multi-function displays. They also give it a sweet paint job.

Above: UH-1 | Below: TH-1

What you're left with is a more rugged and powerful helicopter that has a "glass" cockpit and a nice paint job. Also worth mentioning, the seats are more comfortable than the airlines! This final product is known as the TH-1. It's what I'll be flying for the rest of my time at Fort Rucker.

Above: UH-1 cockpit | Below: TH-1 cockpit

If you want more details, here's a news story about the conversion from the old to the new:

http://www.aetc.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123026049

Anyways, I get to fly this beast tomorrow and can't wait to see how she handles. Lookin' forward to it.

Option 2: Pavehawk

This post expands on the second of three airframes that I may receive upon graduation from helicopter training: the HH-60 "Pavehawk."

Where could you be stationed? Click here:

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=105393404929987550582.00046b78ceca01bbf0b5a&ll=52.908902,-176.484375&spn=116.16377,237.304688&z=2

What will you do?

A lot of stuff. The Pavehawk mission is certainly the "tip of the spear." When Air Forces deploy behind enemy lines, the Pavehawk is often at the center of the package. Here are some examples of the many missions that a Pavehawk pilot will see.

Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR)

You may have read that Hueys participate in rescue efforts in the states. Pavehawks do the same thing, but they do it in hostile foreign territory - usually during the night.

Because they operate in hostile territory, Pavehawks have miniguns mounted in the doorways for self defense.

Pavehawks also carry pararescue jumpers (PJs). These highly trained airmen are responsible for leaving the helicopter and physically extracting the downed airman. They go through some of the most rigorous and physically demanding training of all the jobs in the military.

Notice the long probe that extends from the nose of the aircraft - this is a refueling probe. With the help of an MC-130, the Pavehawk can refuel in the air, extending its range and leading to missions of up to eight hours or more.

Military Operations Other Than War (MOOTW)

When they're not in a combat environment, Pavehawk pilots are assisting with rescue attempts elsewhere. The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina is one example.

Option 1: Huey

This post expands on the first of three airframes that I may receive upon graduation from helicopter training: the UH-1N "Huey."

Where could you be stationed? Click here: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=105393404929987550582.00046b785e72dadf2e602&ll=39.368279,-148.710937&spn=128.168635,237.304688&z=a

What will you do?

This depends on where I'm stationed. Read each number below.

1. Missile Bases

Bases in the Northwest support missile silos by moving parts and pieces around, flying security patrols, and responding to emergencies. Additionally, Huey squadrons at these locations will assist with rescue efforts in Montana, Wyoming, and the Dakotas.

2. DV Support Bases

Andrews AFB, MD and Yakota AB, Japan have Huey squadrons for moving important people around busy places. Both of these locations are nearby major cities - Washington DC and Tokyo.

3. Survival School

Fairchild AFB, WA is home to the USAF survival school. All aircrew go through this school to learn the basics of survival, evasion, resistance, and escape - should they ever be confronted with the situation. The Huey squadron out here provides survival school students with the opportunity to coordinate for a rescue attempt and practice being hoisted into a hovering helicopter. This squadron also assists with personnel recovery efforts in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest.

4. Fort Rucker - First Assignment Instructor Pilot

This is rare, but there are always a few students who are selected to return to Fort Rucker as instructors for their first assignment. The mission is pretty straightforward - teach undergraduate student pilots how to fly helicopters in a variety of environments (tactical, low-level, NVG ops, and formation). Although this may not seem as glamorous as other assignments, it is actually one of the more difficult ones. It takes a special mix of patience and skill to teach student pilots.

Remotes: Complete

It went by really fast, and I hate to see it go, but I am finished with landing in some farmer's field. Remote training is complete.

We're not wasting any time moving on to the next phase of training: instruments. For those of you who don't have much air sense, instrument flying does not require a visible horizon. You can fly straight into the clouds and navigate completely off your instruments. It's like driving without looking outside.

For those of you with a little more air sense, instrument flying is hated by helicopter pilots. It's disorienting and boring because you fly at much higher altitudes. Why would you want to fly a helicopter if you can't see the ground? It's just not nearly as exciting. However, it is a necessary evil because when the Air Force has a job to do, they're not going to wait for the weather to clear.

Before moving on into instruments, my class gets to go cross country. That's a bit of a misnomer because we're really only going about 280 miles. In an airplane, that's nothing, but that's a good chunk of flying in a helicopter. Most classes end up flying south to the beach, but our class gets to go to Columbus AFB, Mississippi. The choice was out of our hands, but we'll make fun out of the situation.