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.

What are you going to fly?

I get this question a lot. While I can't answer it yet (I won't know until I graduate in March), there are three possibilities. This post will simply highlight the three options. Future posts will dig deeper and show you a bit more about each airframe.

1. UH-1 "Huey"

- Missile support operations (Wyoming, Montana, & North Dakota)

- Top secret mission at Andrews AFB, MD

- Assist with survival school at Fairchild AFB, WA

- Hueys are more of a "9 to 5" assignment. They do not normally deploy. After a tour or two in Hueys, most pilots are eligible to transfer over to HH-60's.

2. HH-60 "Pavehawk"

- Combat search & rescue, medevac, special operations, personnel recovery

- You have to be pretty good to get into this aircraft

- This is the quintessential helicopter mission, but you are gone a lot

- Examples: Hurricane Katrina rescue support and rescuing troubled sailors off the coast

- Afghanistan, South America, the Middle East...you name it & Pavehawks have been there

- Operate primarily at night and air-refuel on most missions

3. CV-22 "Osprey"

- Infiltration & exfiltration of special operations forces

- Quieter than a helicopter with a longer range

- Brand new - still working on deploying first squadron

- Technically a "tilt-rotor" - not a helicopter

- Usually, only one of these is given out per class and the top-ranked student gets it...if they give one out at all!

Do You Have the Monkey Skills?

So my first phase of training, the "contact" phase, is officially complete. During this part of training, we basically develop and refine our "monkey skills." Simply put, you learn how to fly a helicopter without crashing. You do this in the simplest and most forgiving environment - on a long, wide, flat runway; in broad daylight with an experienced instructor.

Now that my hand and eye coordination are up to standards, I progress onto the next phase of training, the "remote" phase. Now we start to see what a helicopter can really do. Runways have no use during remotes. Essentially, we try to land the helicopter in a field (see picture below). Simple, right? Yeah, that's what I thought.

You have to consider a lot of factors before deciding to set your bird down in a field. All of these factors must be considered in the air on the fly. Although it's pretty cool to land in a remote area, the margin for error narrows considerably.

For instance, what looks like flat terrain from the air can actually turn out to be quite rugged once you set your bird down. Stumps can be hidden by long grass. Trees don't look nearly as large at 500 feet. All of these things are waiting to mess up your skids or roll your helicopter.

Despite these threats, landing in a field is going to be super cool. I can't wait! I'll tell you more about remotes as I progress.