This document is the November 1976 issue of the U.S. Army Aviation Digest. It contains articles on various topics related to Army aviation including increased responsibilities for Army aviators, a speech from Major General Eivind H. Johansen on aviation safety, an article on aircraft maintenance, and pieces on aircraft survivability, stress and fatigue, aviation engineering and flight testing programs, and new aircraft and equipment. The issue also includes brief updates and notes.
This document is the November 1976 issue of the U.S. Army Aviation Digest. It contains articles on various topics related to Army aviation including increased responsibilities for Army aviators, a speech from Major General Eivind H. Johansen on aviation safety, an article on aircraft maintenance, and pieces on aircraft survivability, stress and fatigue, aviation engineering and flight testing programs, and new aircraft and equipment. The issue also includes brief updates and notes.
This document is the November 1976 issue of the U.S. Army Aviation Digest. It contains articles on various topics related to Army aviation including increased responsibilities for Army aviators, a speech from Major General Eivind H. Johansen on aviation safety, an article on aircraft maintenance, and pieces on aircraft survivability, stress and fatigue, aviation engineering and flight testing programs, and new aircraft and equipment. The issue also includes brief updates and notes.
This document is the November 1976 issue of the U.S. Army Aviation Digest. It contains articles on various topics related to Army aviation including increased responsibilities for Army aviators, a speech from Major General Eivind H. Johansen on aviation safety, an article on aircraft maintenance, and pieces on aircraft survivability, stress and fatigue, aviation engineering and flight testing programs, and new aircraft and equipment. The issue also includes brief updates and notes.
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USAARL
SCt SUPPORl CEN1ER
PO BOX 620577 fORl RUCKER, AL 36362-0577 - ~ ---...;.;; ~ - ~ . c : : : : : : . : . . s : ._ - __ __ 1\ l-l.- - - ~ --=-- --..::::::::.--::-.- ----- -- - - ---- ._------- -- UNITED MG James C. Smith COMMANDER U. S. ARMY AVIATION CENTER A major activity of the U. S. Army Training and Doctrine Command COL Keith J. Rynott COMMANDER U. S. ARMY AGENCY FOR AVIATIO SAFETY A major activity of the Inspector General and Auditor General of the U. S. Army Richard K, Tierney EDITOR U. S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST ABOUT THE COVER The DIGEST thanks Mr. John Kuzyk of the administrative Support Division, Eustis Direc- torate, Ft. Eustis, VA, for the cover art. See "Army Aircraft Survivability" on page 6. ARMY AVIATION NOVEMBER 1976 VOLUME 22 NUMBER 1 Increased Responsibility For Army Aviators, BG Charles E. Canedy A Commander Speaks To His Aviators On Aviation Safety, MG Eivind H. Johansen Spotlight On Maintenance, Ted Kontos Army Aircraft Survivability, MAJ N. I. Patla Stress And Fatigue: One Point Of View, LTC John J. Treanor, M. D . OPMS Corner: Aviation Engineering And Flight Testing Program-A Challenge, MAJ Thomas M. Walker New Transmission Removal Stand ................ . New Horizons Revisited, MAJ Clifford Thomas Views From Readers ............................ . Optical Exposure: A Look At The Horizon, 1 1 1, 2' Steve Kimmel 2 Alcohol In Aviation: A Problem Of Attitudes, CDR J. A. Pursch. 31 Three-Bladed H uey, MAJ Ralph E. Riddle Jr. 3: Briefs That Teach ................................ 41 AH-1S Avionics, Peter Boxman 4: I FR, CW2 Alvyn Chapman 4! Pearl ............................................ 41 ATC Action Line ................................ ~ The mission of the U.S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST is to provide information of an operational or function nature concerning safety and aircraft accident prevention, training, maintenance, operations, research a ~ development, aviation medicine and other related data, The DIGEST is an official Department of the Army periodical published monthly under the supervision of It Commanding General, U.S. Army Aviation Center. Views expressed herein are not necessarily those of It Department of the Army nor the U.S. Army Aviation Center. Photos are U.S. Army unless otherwise specifi8j Material may be reprinte provided credit is given to the DIGEST and to the author, unless otherwise indicated Articles, photos, and items of interest on Army aviation are invited. Direct communication Is authorized I I Editor, U.S. Army Aviation Digest, Fort Rucker, AL 36362. This publication has been approved by The Adjutant General, Headquarters, Department of the Army, December 1975, in accordance with AR 310-1. Active Army units receive distribution under the pinpOint distribution system a8 outlined in AR 310- Complete DA Form 12-5 and send directly to CDR, AG Publications Center, 2800 Eastern Boulevard, Baltimorl MD 21220. For any change in distribution requirements, initiate a revised DA Form 12-5. Controlled circulati paid at Atlanta, GA. National Guard and Army Reserve units under pinpoint distribution also should submit DA Form 12-5. Oth National Guard units should submit requests through their state adjutant general. Those not eligible for official distribution or who desire personal copies of the DIGEST can order the magazi from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402. Annual su scription rates are $15.70 domestic and $19.65 overseas. The sophisticated future family of helicopters, AAH (contenders shown above, Bell at left and Hughes), the UTTAS and ASH, in conjunction with the stresses of flight in the NOE environment will task flight crews and ground support personnel to the limit Brigadier General Charles E. Canedy Deputy Direct or of Operati ons and Army Avi ation Off icer Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operat ions and Plans Washi ngton, DC T ODAY ARMY aviation, like other components of the combined arms team, is faced with con- straints which pose considerable challenges for today's Army Aviator. The ever increasing cost for hardware and training compared with con- stant or reduced budgets, as well as reduced man- power ceilings during a period when we see greater demands for 24- hour operation on a high threat battlefield, make responsibi lity weigh heavy on the shoulders of the Army Aviator. Our current doctrine is oriented toward a high threat batt lefield. As the threat changes or is rede- fined, tactics and hardware must be developed to provide a high assurance that successful operations can be conducted. Both quality and quantity of enemy air defense weapons have forced Army aviation from altit udes out of the range of small arms fire down to the nap-of-the-earth (NOE) environment. Aircraft operation in the NOE environment is the most demanding and fat iguing scenario our Aviators NOVEMBER 1976 have been placed in to date. Every step in aircraft operation from planning, prefl ight, mission execution and post flight demands a 100 percent professional performance of the ent ire cr w as well as ground sup- port personnel. Anything less is unacceptable and lays the groundwork for an incident, accident and/or un- successful mission. Flying NOE is a serious business and we would not be flying at this altitude if it were not dictated by the threat. The potential for disaster is sharply increased with the reduction of identification and reaction time. A chaffed hydrauli c line that is not discovered on preflight and subsequently fai ls inflight creates much less of a problem at 500 feet than it does at 3 feet. Your responsibi lity for a t horough knowledge of emergency procedures is paramount. (With approximately 5 seconds from indication to touchdown-you better be right!) An incomplete crew briefing by the pilot may not be as critical when performi ng a service mission at Continued on page 9 2 Key extracts from an address by Major General Eivind H. Johansen, Commanding General, USAAVSCOM, to aviators in his command A COMMANDER SPEAKS TO HIS AVIATORS ON AVIATION SAFETY T HIS IS NOT THE usual after dinner or luncheon speech. It will not start or end with a joke- because my subject's too serious for that. It's about "you" and aviation safety. I wanted to talk to you personall y-as individual aviators- for the simple reason that flying safety begins and ends with the individual aviator. First, let me say that I know that your job is inherently dangerous . It may be viewed as exotic by some, but I know that it's one of the most professionall y demanding jobs in the Army. I'm aware of additional personal burdens, such as extra insurance you carry, and I appre- ciate the fears and stresses that your family may have from time to time. All of these thi ngs, most urgent ly, argue for the utmost care and caution in the aviation busi - ness. It demands the most positive Major General Eivind H. Johansen, Commanding General of the U. S. Army Aviation Systems Command, has been vitally concerned with the safety of personnel and equipment of the military services for many years. Previous assignments have included duty as Director of Supply at DARCOM Headquarters, and duty with the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics-where he became the Army's expert on the redeployment of U.S. troops from Vietnam and the Army's Vietnamiza- tion logistics program. He attended graduate schools at Harvard and George Washington Universities, receiving his Master of Science degree in International Relations from the latter in 1968. U.S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST A COMMANDER SPEAKS attitude toward flying safety. It demands discipline. It demands that we follow correct procedures. It 's "attitude " that I particularly want to stress. I 've carefully evaluated the facts surrounding recent aircraft accidents-looking at each accident in- dependently-and they all add up to the same conclu- sion. Pilot error has been a major or contributing cause in every accident in our organization. As you know, I 've initiated a series of actions, designed to-very frankly-get the attention of all aviators; and to firmly establish procedures and standards to bring us up to a state of disciplined professionalism. About this time some of you are thinking" He's not talking to me-he's talking to the guy next to me! " Wrong! I'm talking to you, you, and YOU! Let me emphasize the context in which I'm using the word "discipline." It means self-discipline. It means never deviating from the fundamentals of goo.d judgment, precise control and prudent safeguards. It means following procedures a nd avoiding risky shortcuts. Now let's get back to "attitude. " I recently es- tablished a board of senior aviators in the command to check out our testing and safety programs . They, too, agree that we must police ourselves and that we must begin with "attitude." By attitude, I mean the aviator's view of himself, your view, if you will, in rela- tion to the flying environment. It boils down to this: If you can't objectively analyze your percep- tions-you're a problem! If you feel that your status as pilots, or flight engineers, places you above the standard rules-you're a problem! If your ego prevents you from strict compliance with safe procedures-you're a problem! And if you don't think we have a problem-you're really a problem! Again, some are probably thinking, "He's not talk- ing about me! I'm not a problem! "Wrong again! I am talking about you-about us-and our accident ex- perience, which needs improvement. I well recognize that there s more involved than the points I've just made. Other related issues are involved-engineering analysis , safety of flight releases, preflight inspections, command supervision, control of remote operations, pilot proficiency and standardization. These issues have all been brought out by accident investigation boards, collateral investigations, my own board of of- ficers and, most recently, a team which is in- vestigating the safety situation at contractor activities. Through this mass of fact and detail the same story can be gleaned over and over agai n. We've become 4 complacent. We have a problem and that problem must be corrected without delay. I expect action. Ac- tion to get ourselves right with the world. Action to ensure safety. Action to stop accidents. If any aviator can't discipline himself-if it 's too hot in the kitchen- then it 's time for that aviator to turn in his badge. That 's basically the situation-plain and un- varnished. Now let me add-you're not alone. The accident profiles throughout the Army are not good. The whole Army has slipped. This tells me something. Something important. We, the Army, have a job to do, to bring our flying safety standards back up to an acceptable, professional level-to improve attitude) to improve discipline) to improve and follow procedures . This, then, is my direction to you: a. I do not want you overworked. It's tough enough for you to do your job without being fatigued. Crew rest is important. b. I do not want you to take unnecessary risks. Your work is hazardous enough, without cutting the odds by imprudent , unwise or downright foolish actions. c. I do not want you to feel , in a ny way, that you've passed beyond the need to practice fundamental skills. d. I do want you to plan your operations carefully- Use backup safeguards. Be fit to fly. Be sens ibl e. Be safe. e. I do want you to be proficient - Know emergency procedures. Fly only in proper weather, within the capabi li- ty of your aircraft and your ability. f. I do want you to know what you're doing in any test flight situation. Thoroughly understand the test before you start. If you don't, don't fly. You have my support. I want you to know that I un- derstand and appreciate the extra hazards of your business . I want you to understand my concern. And knowing that , you' ll understand my sincere deter- mination to spare no effort in making your job a safe one. Your dedication-of which I am assured-is the final , overall , most important element necessary to succe s. Now, t ake a moment and think about what I 've said. I 've given you-restated-in my own words , nothing more than the cardinal rules for safe flying. You learned those rules as student pilots. In short, gent lemen, you've only to practice the most fun- damental precautions-and you ' ll be safe and successful - rather than sorry. U.S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST < t 1 ~ } ~ Ted Kontos ~ Publications and Graphics DIvIsion USAAAVS U. S. Army Agency for Aviation Safety NOVENIBER 1976 Fly-it-and watch-it attitude resulted in fractured link of silent chain, loss of antltorque control and crash. SPOTLIGHT ON MAINTENANCE ,- WHILE TAKING HIS evening stroll, \ a man came upon a young boy who was on his hands and knees apparently searching for somet hing in the grass. "What are you looking for, son?" the man asked. The youth stopped what he was doing, turned his head toward the stranger, and replied, "I lost a quarter and I'm trying to find it, "Well, drawled the man, "where did you lose it?" "Over yonder, " the boy retorted, point- ing with his finger, Chuckling, the man made one further inquiry, " If you lost it over there, then why are you looking for it over here?" " Because the light is a lot better over here," came the reply, Although this tale comes from out of the past, it does have something of value to Continued on page 34 5 Within the past decade, U.S. Army aircraft have been re- quired to perform combat roles where they have been exposed to extremely diverse air defense threats. In general, these threats in various combat operations have been comprised of auto- matic weapons (7.62 to 14.5 mm), antiaircraft artillery (23 to 57 mm), surface-to-surface antitank weap- ons, surface-to-surface missiles and airborne interceptors. It should become increasingly ap- parent, then, that Army aircraft survivability, and the means to achieve it, can and must be pur- 6 sued if the Army's combat and combat support aircraft are to continue to operate on the modern battlefield, which may include undefined future threats. Addi- tionally, aircraft survivability means that an active and com- prehensive research and devel - opment effort must be maintained to ensure that the Army can deal with all of the current as well as anticipated enemy threats. This article is not intended to reflect t hose concepts or describe those features which will serve as a remedy for non- survivability. Rather, it is intend- ed to express the philosophy, approach, problems, issues and current status of this highly challenging field. The above aspects, as well as those follow- ing, reflect the author's personal research, experience, knowl- edge and appreciation gained while serving as a research and development coor- dinator/aerospace engineer for the past 3 years with the Safety and Survivability Technical Area of the Eustis Directorate, U.S. Army Air Mobility Research and Development Laboratory (USAAMRDL), Ft. Eustis, VA. u.s. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST ROTE Program Descriptions Aircraft Survivability Concepts: This project is directed toward advanced development of passive aircraft survivability equipment for Army aircraft when operating in a hostile air defense environment composed of radar, infrared (IR) and optically directed weapons. Air craft Survivability Equipment: Objectives of this task are engineering development, test and type classification for production required aircraft survivability systems composed of selected aircraft survivability equipment which have demonstrated feasibility in advanced development. Aircraft Electronic Warfare Self-Protection Equipment: Objective of this project is to estab- lish the technical feasibility and military potential of electronic countermeasures equipment and electronic warfare support measures equipment for protection of Army aircraft In a hostile air defense environment composed of radar, infrared (IR) and optically directed weapon systems. Aircraft Electronic Warfare Self-Protection Systems: The objectives of this project is the engineering development of airborne aircraft self protection electronic warfare equipment to deny or degrade the enemy the use of his electromagnetic anti-aircraft weapon directing devices. Joint Survivability Investigation: This project supports the Army posit ion of interservice efforts of the Joint Technical Coordinat ing Group on Aircraft Survivability (JTCG/AS) to reduce vulnerability of aeronautical systems in a non-nuclear threat environment. The JTCGI AS effort is intended to complement ongoing separate service work, to provi de a vehicle for cross service aircraft survivability exchange a'nd to develop design and specifica- tion criteria and standards for further aeronautical systems survivability equipment development. M I SSILE, MISSILE, missile," crackled across the radio from a staccato-voiced fireteam member, but the warning was too late. The cracking thud, together with a concussion, knifed through the operational orientation of the gunship aircraft commander. The armed gunship, with the tailboom severed, entered a brief period of combined roll and pitch oscillations as the pilot instinctively entered autorotation, Miraculously, the crew survived to tell this story of an encounter between a 1960- technology helicopter and an infan- try, handheld, infrared (IR) seek- NOVEMBER 1976 ing Grai l missile in a near mid- intensity (high threat) Vietnam en- vironment (see "Missile, Missile, Missile," April 1975 DIGEST) U.S, military analysts took note, In October 1973, war broke out again between Israel and its traditional enemies of Syria and Egypt. This latest (mid/high inten- sity, highl y armored) air-oriented war further highlighted the weapon system capabi li ties of the Warsaw Pact nations. New weapon systems appeared on the battlefield as well as systems that were known but not battlefield tested. These systems, Continued on page 12 Major N. I. Patla Aerospace Engineer Eustis Directorate U. S. Army Airmobility R&D Laboratory Ft. Eustis, VA 7 / /
/ / / ./ ./ / LTC John J. Treanor, M.D. Chief. Education and Training U. S. Army Aeromedical Activity Ft. Rucker. AL ONE POINT OF VIEW S TRESSES CA USE fatigue and fatigue causes aircraft acci- dents . There is some excellent guidance in AR 95-1 telling you how to avoid fatigue accidents. It is general guidance and there is a good reason for it not being more specific; attempts to be more specifi c would be misleading rather than hel pful. Some commanders have been asking for more specific guidelines . What they need are more flight sur- geons to help them observe their Aviators. Unfortunately the Army wi ll never have enough flight sur- geons, especially in the near future. Commanders never enjoy it when fatigue is named as a con- tributing cause of a fatal accident. I t is particularly unpleasant when it is obviously due to the com- mander having overcommitted t he unit in search for promotion ahead of the zone. Some of them shout for more specif i c flying hour limit at ions so that they can be sure fati gue can be avoided. Aviation medi cine is tasked with producing these" magic numbers " to ensure safety. Be assured t hat these magic numbers do not exist! Fatigue tends to defy q uan- titative description. Recognition of fatigue is an art form, not a science. Happily it does not have to be a difficult art. It has usuall y been well mastered by peo- ple like your parents who can tell if you are tired by just looking at you. To convince you that it is a waste of time and effort to try to publish more specific guidelines, see the box (page 17) for the number of variables involved in producing fat igue. All of these var iables have been proven to influence how eas il y a given case might have fatigued while fl ying. In addition to these there remains the fact that people are not all the same. Some just tucker out easier than others. How in the world can you come up with Continued on page 17 UTT AS contender by Sikorsky Aircraft. O[J1) @[i@@@@@ Continued from page 1 altitude as opposed to flying NOE. (Don't read between the lines-I am not saying thorough crew briefings are required only if you are conducting operations.) Successful NOE operation simply cannot be conducted without study; physical and mental con- ditioning; individual , crew and unit training. We continue to pay a high price for NOE training and qualification. Our blade strike incidents are relatively high and blades that can attack a tree and come out the winner will not be in the field for many months. The philosophy expressed by a few that ac- cidents are unavoidable in combat is just as unaccep- table in planning and conducting an NOE operation as it was 'in the Republic of Vietnam. As the operator in this environment your responsibility is indeed great. You must know your individual ability and capability as w.ell as that of your 'crew, for teamwork more than ever before is the key to success. Your greatest responsibility is to continually work to enhance your ability. We no speak of aircraft cost in terms of thousands of dollars, but rather in terms of millions of dollars. Looking to our, future family of helicopters-with the advanced attack helicopter (AAH), tactical transport aircraft system (UTTAS) and advanced scout helicopter (ASH)-the research and development and procurement costs alone run into the hundreds of millions of dollars. Combine this with the yearly operating cost for fuel and repair parts and the cost for personnel, and you see that Army aviation is truly an' expensive proposi- tion. I t is essential that you realize that the machinery you operate represents a significant portion of the Ar- my's total budget. If you own a 10-year-old Volkswagon, the degree of tender loving care (TLC) you exhibit is much less than if you own a new Jaguar. The TLC devoted to the Jaguar is what w'e need transferred to our aircraft and maintenance equip- ment. As you know our future family of helicopters is engineered and designed to provide greater sur- vivability not only against the threat of enemy weapons, but also many problems faced when flying NOE. Greater standoff range for aerial weapons systems also is designed to enhance survivability. The projected tank threat on the high threat requires enhancement of the attack helicopter fleet , and this is being accomplished by modifying existing systems to the Cobra-TOW (tube-launched, optically-trackeq., wire-guided) configuration. The price for increased survivability and improved aircraft systems is not cheap. I have addressed responsibility for system operation but would like to reinforce the point. The increase in responsibility becomes apparent when you think about firing a $10,000 missile as opposed to a $100 rocket. While planning for the future is necessary we must be capable of operating successfully on high threat battlefield with what we have in the inven- tory right now. During Army aviation operations in Vietnam, Army Aviators continuously demonstrated that they were the best in the world. Today's challenges are different , tactics are different, fiscal constraints are different. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that Army Aviators will to demonstrate that we are the best in the world. .and the competitor from Boeing- Vertol A RE YOU interested in the de- velopment and acquisition of new aircraft? Do you like the re- search and development field? Do the technical aspects of aviation excite you? If the answer to anyone of the above questions is "yes, " oppor- tunity is knocking right now for qualified Army Aviators to par- ticipate in the Army's Engineering and Flight Testing Program. The growth and development of Army aviation has opened many doors to the career Army Aviator-com- mand opportunity, advanced schooling, and research and development-to mention only a few. The door that leads to a career as an Army test pilot is open wider than ever and tenders challenging assignments and unique oppor- tunities to Army Aviators who qualify for admission into the program. Test Pilot Program Prereq- uisites: Army Aviators in the grade of major and below can apply for the program. While grade criteria may be waived, the follow- ing prerequisites are less flexible: Must be a rated Army Aviator on active duty and on flight status. Must be fixed and rotary wing rated with a minimum of 1,500 hours military flying time. The in- dividual must have at least 500 hours rotary wing and 130 hours 10 Officer Personnel Management System Aviation Engineering And Flight Testing Program -A Challenge Major Thomas M. Walker Aviation Management Branch Professional Development Division Officer Personnel Management Directorate fixed wing aircraft time. Must be twin-engine fixed wing and turbine-powered rotary wing qualified. The aircraft q ualifica tion requirements in- clude - but are not limited to- UH-l Huey, OH-58 Kiowa, CH-47 Chinook and OV-l Mohawk aircraft. Aircraft re- quirements ~ y be waived; however, the applicant (if selected) will receive qualification training enroute to test pilot school training. Must possess current instru- ment rating. Must have completed college algebra, physics and calculus with above average grades. A college degree in engineering is desirable but not required. Selection and Training: Selec- tion of Army Aviators for participa- tion in the program is made by an Officer Personnel Management Directorate (OPMD) board. Representatives of the OPMD Aviation Management Branch, OPMD Grade Divisions, Naval Test Pilot School (NTPS) , and also the Army Engineering Flight Ac- tivit y are included as board members. Only those applications of of- ficers who are recommended by their respective grade division are considered. Once selected and prior to attending NTPS, officers are sent TDY to the Army Test Pilot Orientation Course at the U.S. Army Aviation Engineering Flight Activity (USAAEFA), Edwards Air Force Base, CA. The orientation course length is about 60 days and is designed to provide academic and flight refresher train- ing. Academic subjects include college math through calculus, physics, aerodynamics, engineering slide rule and technical report writing. Flight orientation includes high altitude environmental train- ing, flight test techniques and familiarization in a number of air- craft used at NTPS. The NTPS course consists of about 11 months of rigorous flight and academic training. Classes are held twice a year beginning in January and July. The Army's training quota for NTPS is nine per year (five in January and four in July); however, the number of of- ficers trained is a function of re- quirements. Upon successful com- pletion of the NTPS course, graduates are assigned to USAAEFA for duty as engineering test pilots or in staff positions in- volving decisions affecting the type, design and configuration of Army aircraft . Officer Professional Develop- ment: Heretofore commissioned officer Aviators have been reluctant to participate in the test pilot program for fear that specialization U.S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST ~ ~ - --- ------- - would limit their ultimate professional development. In reali- ty nothing could be further from the truth. Under the Officer Per- sonnel Management System (OPMS), test pilots are eligible to fill a wide range of research and development (R&D) requirements. Following initial assignment at USAAEF A, test pilots are geared to the R&D field and are not limited to filling only test pilot positions . Their experience and skills repre- sent a high dollar cost investment and require a Closely monitored program of utilization and professional development. R&D test pilots are qualified for and will be assigned to both R&D and avia- tion (Specialty 15) positions. Like all OPMD managed officers, their careers will be managed under the dual specialty concept with school assignments, cpmmand opportuni- ty and promotion potential being a function of how well they perform in each specialty. Opportunities In Space Shut- tle Program: The Space Shuttle Program will usher in a new era of space transportation in the 1980s opening the way to routine operations and expanded ex- perimental investigations in space. This program is designed to provide the United States with an economical capability for delivering payloads of men, equipment, supplies and other spacecraft to and from space by reducing operating costs and order of magnitude below those of present systems. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) recently announced that applications for space shuttle astronaut pilots and mission specialists are now being accepted. A review of the selection criteria clearly indicates that test pilot per- sonnel are excellent candidates for the program. The Army's position in terms of program support and selection procedures for Army per- sonnel is under study at Depart- ment of the Army (DA) and should be announced to the field in the im- mediate future. Army test pilots-whether work- ing on a staff or performing engineering test flights-have both a challenging and rewarding military career. Army aviation is markedly influenced by their ac- complishments in the aircraft research and development field. When a prototype finally becomes part of the Army's aircraft inven- tory, test pilots know their hard work helped put it there. To become part of this elite group of Army Aviators, qualified officers should contact their respec- tive OPMD grade division regard- ing application for the program. Additional information concerning the Aviation Engineering and Flight Testing Program can be ob- tained through contacting the Avia- tion Management Branch, OPMD, AUTOVON 221-0727/0794; com- mercial (202) 325-0727/0794. New Transmission Removal Stand H ELICOPTER maintenance men will be happy to learn of an improved transmission and main rotor removal stand which was suggested and adopted a few months ago. Designed and built initially by James I. Balough of the Army Aviation Mainterance Support Ac- tivity (AA.MSA-28) at Los NOVEMBER 1976 Alamitos, CA, use of the new stand has reduced by more than 80 per- cent the manhours required to remove a UH-l helicopter trans- mission from the aircraft. The Sweeney stand formerly used involved a total of 23 manhours for removal of the hub and blade assembly whereas with the new (Balough) stand the process takes only 3 hours. The time difference results in large part because all main rotor components can be placed in the new stand without removal beforehand. This includes the following assemblies: hub and blade; stabilizer bar; scissors and sleeve; swashplate and the support assembly. According to the designer and in- formation available, material cost for fabricating the Sweeney stand was in the vicinity of $1,700, while for the new stand the material cost just about 6 percent- or a total of $95. The new stand has been used successfully for the past 2 Y2 years by the AAMSA-28 maintenance personnel. Material costs for fabrication may be higher now than indicated, however, the estimated savings computed at the same time for removal of 20 transmissions per year-$2, 115 also will have in- creased. Another advantage that cannot be measured, said the designer, is the adaptability of the new stand for use with other types and sizes of helicopters by making only minor modifications. ~ 11 Continued from page 7 engaging both air and armored targets, demonstrated various levels of success as well as limitations. U.S. military analysts again took note. The future challenges facing Army aviation were amplified in the later stages of the war in the Republic of Vietnam (RVN) and were brought into better focus on Middle East battlefields. The sur- vivability of the U.S. Army helicopters must be enhanced. Future Army air systems must be capable of living, fighting and sur- viving on the new battlefield! Will Army aircraft survive on the next battlefield? This article ad- dresses that subject by first looking at the existing threat; then by dis- cussing ways to overcome the threat; and finally, by analyzing the unclassified- r survivability features of the newest helicopters that will provide combat support into the 1990s . . Aircraft survivability describes measures, active and passive, which will allow the aircraft to avoid be- ing hit, but if hit will allow the air- craft to continue its mission. This includes those design and perfor- mance features that enable an air- craft, by avoidance or techniques, to degrade a hostile force's ability to use its weapons effectively. With this description in mind, it is important to understand just what is taking place within the U.S. Army to enhance the sur- vivability of helicopters in future conflicts. The Army, recognizing the place of the helicopter on the future highly mobile battlefields, has un- dertaken the development of a total helicopter support system. This system includes a small advanced scout helicopter (ASH) in concept formulation; the utility tactical transport aircraft system (UTTAS) in prototype develop- ment; the advanced attack helicopter (AAH), also in 12 prototype development; and last, the improved CH-47 Chinook medium lift helicopter (MLH) entering modernization. The present generation of Aviators might ask themselves, "What good are all these new helicopters and aircraft if they are all going to be shot out of the sky?" A skeptic might ask, "How long will Army aviation last as a viable support element in a mid/high in- tensity war?" Some have theorized that existing Army aircraft in Europe would suffer 50 percent losses in the first 24 hours of full- WEAPONS will planners alter the mission to fit equipment designed for other pur- poses. Today the systems approach dictates an examination of all in- terrelated aspects of performance, reliability, maintainability and sur- vivability. It calls for a balancing of the applications of these concepts within the constraints of what technology can produce, what the Government can afford, what the military needs (mission) and what the probable threat is. What, then, is the probable threat? The 1973 Mideast War provided an arena within which AND COUNTERMEASURES Figure 1 Survivability scale hostilities. To answer these quest"ions and refute speculation, COL Jack L. Keaton, Project Manager for Air- craft Survivability Equipment (PM-ASE), in support of a concept of fielding survivable aircraft, has initiated RDTE (research, develop- ment, test and evaluation) pro- grams of survivability design and development to be incorporated into all new aircraft systems (see box on page 7). Further, the tics and- methods of control that will maximize Army aviation com- bat effectiveness are being developed and tested today for application to present aircraft as well as to future systems. No longer many of the latest Russian antiair- craft systems appeared. For pur- poses here, it can be assumed that the normal variety of weapons through 12.7 mm can and will be expected in a mid-intensity en- vironment and may very well in- clude systems from 23 mm through the 57 mm S-60 towed or track- mounted antiaircraft gun. Given the constraints of technology, cost effectiveness and mission, the 23 mm weapon generally is considered as the upper limit threat for design purposes. The ZSU-23-4 is a system that accounted for numerous Israeli air- craft losses. This system consists of four 23 mm guns mounted on a U.S. ARMY AVIATTON DIGEST tracked, armored vehicle and fired together under the guidance of a radar, whose very narrow beam provides excellent tracking while being difficult to detect and evade. At nominal altitudes the modern battlefield also will present missile threats to helicopters, including the SA-2 Guideline, the SA-3 Goa, the SA-6 Gainful and the SA-7 Grail. In addition, the SA-8 Gecko and the SA-9 Gaskin (fully mobile, self- Reduce Visual Reduce Aural IR Signature EM Signature Radar Cross Section Harden Components Shield Components Redundancy New Concepts contained air defense systems) still under development can be expected to be fielded eventually. Because the SA-2 and SA-3 are relatively difficult to move on the modern battlefield and since the SA-8 and SA-9 have not yet been fully in- tegrated into the Russian inven- tory, only the SA-6-the most for- midable threat-will be discussed. The Soviet Union, like the United States, is concerned with the future battlefield and the re- NOVEMBER 1976 quirement for mobility. This con- cern has resulted in the develop- ment of a tracked-vehicle-mounted SA-6. The Gainful is a low-to- medium altitude missile that is radar guided and incorporates a unique propulsion system. It is mounted on a tracked vehicle with three missiles to a launcher assembly and an acquisition track- ing radar in an accompanying tracked vehicle. Dynamic System Structure Pilot protection, countermeasures and tactics combine in a sound triangular form to increase sur- vivability. However, it should be understood that as the threat level increases, technology can only do so much. Ultimately the field com- manders and pilots must rely more heavily on doctrine and tactics (i.e., terrain flying, night operations, etc.) if they are to survive. It is important now that we ex- Flight Control System Navigation Propulsion System x ~ l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l i l l l i l l l l l l i ~ l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l i l l l l l l l l l l ~ ~ l l l l l l l l l l l i l i l l l l l l l l i l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l i l , : x x x X x X X X Figure 2 Protection The systems previously discussed are typical of the level of threat that 1980 Army aircraft can be expected to face on the battlefield in the low altitude environment. However, there are a variety of ways to cope with a given threat. The probability of an aircraft's survivability when exposed to a hostile threat is primarily depend- ent on the likelihood of detection, being hit if detected and knocked down if hit. Figure 1 depicts how x x x x X X amine the areas within the sur- vivability triangle to determine the general makeup of each. Figure 2 is a matrix showing areas (X) where work is being done or has been done in the area of protection. To bring the myriad of programs that have been conducted into focus, some of the work currently being accomplished will be reviewed to see where it fits into the' overall picture.' Visual and aural cues which 13 might key an enemy to the presence of a helicopter are considered together because the typically noisy helicopter stimulates an enemy to orient in the direction of the sound and then initiate a search. Problems of sun reflection or glint have been attacked as well as the noise problem. Under Government coritract, studies and flight tests of an experimental model helicopter successfully demonstrated a reduc- tion of rotor-induced sound pressure levels for a medium lift helicopter. Similarly, a more exten- sive treatment of a total system was subdued. The overall result is a substantial reduction in the time allotted for an enemy to detect, locate and engage an aircraft. With respect to the IR signature of engines, the SA-7 threat in Viet- nam stimulated several rush programs to counter this threat. Systems were fielded which provid- ed most of the aircraft sufficient protection for continued operations. Ideally, however, the IR signature reduction system should be built-in rather than at- tached, as is now the case. Work in this area is ongoing and includes the development of techniques to reduce the signature of secondarily important helicopter components such as intermediate and tail rotor gearboxes as well as oil coolers. Similarly, current efforts are under way to reduce the electromagnetic signature of helicopters and to develop navigation and weapons systems that, to the greatest extent possible, minimize detectable radiation signatures. Since most Doppler-based radar sensors are velocity gated at higher than helicopter speeds, even in a hover flight mode, they do sense moving rotor blades. The emphasis today, then, is on reducing the signature of aircraft through geometric shaping, using scatter plates and energy absorbing coatings, and applying transparent metallic films to windscreens and canopies. In addition active 14 countermeasures such as electronic radar jamming may be necessary to deal with the remaining radar cross section. In the area of vulnerability reduction one can add protection to aircraft by burying vulnerable com- RELIABLE and rotor blades. Furthermore, the traditionally vulnerable flight con- trol system now can be made mechanically redundant and ballistically tolerant. Additionally, the tactical aircraft guidance system (TAGS) demonstrated a ACCURATE Figure 3 Weapons ponents behind invulnerable ones, by concentrating vulnerable com- ponents in a small area, or by providing for redundancy or com- ponent hardening. Typical of the earliest approaches was to provide shielding in the form of armored vests and seats for crews, and parasitic armor for certain flight- essential components in the propul- sion and other critical systems. To- day, armor is still being used for those areas that cannot be harden- ed to withstand projectile impacts. Present day technology, however, has developed to the point where techniques exist to make ballistical- ly tolerant structures, drive shafts fly-by-wire flight control system (FCS) for application to larger helicopters which provided triple redundancy and demonstrated the technical feasibility of eliminating long, large and heavy mechanical linkages in big helicopters, as has been proven by the recent heavy lift helicopter concept. Another innovative concept was a study designed around total en- capsulation of crew and critical components within protective ar- mor. The armored aerial recon- naissance system (AARS) , as it came to be known, utilized a com- pletely armored fuselage which acted as a primary structure and a U.S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST maSSIve counterrotating rotor system, inherently ballistically tolerant, which contained the con- trol tubes concealed within its rotor mast. With respect to protective technology a vast research and development effort has expanded the technological base from which new systems can draw survivability concepts for application in helicopter design. To this point the emphasis has been principally passive protection. Now let us turn to active means for defeating enemy threats or active electronic countermeasures and tactics, the second and third elements of the s urvi vabili ty triangle in figure 1. The primary consideration here is upon weapons and the tactics used to maximize the- effectiveness of weapons employed against a heavily mechanized enemy threat. Figure 3 depicts five desirable characteristics that weapons systems should have with respect to operations, with all five receiving emphasis within a variety of programs. Reliability will not be addressed specifically, as each pro- ject provides for the individual assessment of this characteristic. Tests of the extended range TOW (tube-launched, optically-tracked, wire-guided) missile conducted in June 1973 are indicative of the con- stant effort in striving to reach the enemy at the longer ranges in ex- cess of 3,500 meters. The disadvan- tages of the TOW missile which require aircraft system exposure during the flight of the missile are being bvercome with the develop- ment of terminal homing weapons or fire-and-forget systems such as the Helicopter Fire-and-Forget (HELLFIRE) missile. Also under test for application to turret- mounted helicopters is the 30 mm gun system, to be coupled with ranging and sighting devices to en- sure first-round hit capability. In 1971, AH-1G HueyCobras were tested in Germany to deter- mine the adequacy of low light level NOVEMBER 1976 TV as part of a Cobra night fire control system (CONFICS). Because of the inherent advantages of this unique capability, work is now under way to dramatically im- prove night vision systems in the far infrared part of the spectrum in the hopes of achieving a range in excess of 2,000 meters in 1976, with longer ranges obtainable in the 1980s. Further, new and improved optical sighting mechanisms employed with various weapon systems have been ,upgraded substantially with the addition of laser rangefinders which can be fitted with passive IR for night employment. This technique is a short step from providing a laser seeker mode that could be coupled to a standard op- tical tracker which would enable a ground-based laser target designator to guide air launched missiles to targets. These advances in weapons, target acquisition and a future battlefield. The U.S. Army Combat Developments Experimen- tation Command (CDEC), Fort Ord, CA, has tested a variety of helicopter night operational techniques aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of the helicopter on the battlefield. The Modern Army Selected Systems Test, Evaluation and Review (MASSTER) activity at Fort Hood, TX, has established itself as a leading integrator of state-of-the-art survivability con- cepts with current fleet helicopters and is a prime requirements generating agency. In field testing of products which incorporate prototypes of candidate systems, these organizations frequently have identified concepts that merit further study and development ef- fort as well as those that should be discarded. The following programs are typical of the types of testing ac- Figure 4 Tactics weapons delivery systems un- doubtedly will have substantial payoffs in future combat sur- vivability. Many agencies are involved in the testing of new products, tactics and weapons systems in an attempt to assure that the three elements contained within the tactics triangle in figure 4 are achieved on complished. CDEC has conducted experiments that have demonstrated that qualified pilots can function at night in limited night low level operations. The Combat Air Vehi- cle Navigation and Vision Study (CAVNA V) evaluated the use of night vision devices in the terrain flying environment for Army heli- copters. The MASSTER test of a 15 surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (STAR) platoon incorporated a variety of candidate night-oriented systems is typical of the unit level testing that can and has been accomplished. This test unit contained a variety of night systems,. including an active radar countermeasures system, and tested both tactics/employment as well as the systems themselves. The testil1g of more advanced systems/ tactics will undoubtedly continue if the Army is to meet and counter both existing and future enemy threats while enhancing its combat effectiveness. The AH-56 helicopfer, an original prototype of an ad- vanced attack helicopter, received criticism from many quarters; one reason advanced for its eventual demise was a lack of survivability features. As a result survivability has become a key consideration in all current Army helicopter developments. As a typical example the AAH will combine structural redundan- cy,' noise twin-engine propulsion, accurate long-range guns; and missiles matched with ' suitable "visionics)) devices that, together with high maneuver capabi1ity, should enhance sur- vivability on the battlefield. The major design criterion of the AAH was to permit maximum sur- vivability against the anticipated air defense threat. In keeping with this criterion one competitive prototype AAH will incorporate a rotor concept featuring a strap retention system with blades of laminated stainless steel straps providing redundant load paths. A second competitive prototype concept will employ blades with a multispar construction where one spar can be severed without a catastrophic failure. Further, one p10del will have a tail rotqr gearbox capable of withstanding a 12,7 mm direct projectile hit and a dual rotor drive shaft for redundancy. Both 16 models will meet stringent maneuverability and, one-engine- out performance requirements. The ultimate AAH is likely to in- corporate active and passive in- frared countermeasures (IRCM) to counter the heat-seeking missile as well as passive electronic countermeasures (ECM) against radar directed antiaircraft weapons. Furthermore, canopy reflection from s un glint and possibly radar are to be minimized by the use of flat plate surfaces, while nonreflective and paints will be used on the fuselage. Armor and self-sealing tanks will protect critical and fuel, respectively. As is evident from these highlights, extensive research to date been applied to the within cost con- straints, to ensure the survivability of the AAH. The UTT AS is also a twin- engine vehicle. Engine vulnerability was a major consideration in engine selection, though not overriding, and the final engine selected was an improvement in survivability design over many of its competitors (including ballistic and environmental tolerance), Both competitive UTT AS prototypes in- corporate significant survivability design considerations, including passive IRCM, ballistically tolerant/redundant flight controls, and highly survivable tail rotors and transmissions that can accept ballistic impacts and penetrations up to and including 12.7 mm pro- jectiles. Additionally the structures of both aircraft will provide for redundant load paths and will in- clude low silhouettes for minimum radar cross section. It is the intent that since both competing prototype systems are compatible with the AAH, the ultimate UTI AS will provide the desired mutual support in all future air- mobile operations. The CH-47 Chinook moderniza- tion program is an effort presently limited to product improvements that will incorporate limited ad- vancements in survivability. The primary improvements involve bal- listically tolerant fuel tanks, fuel lines and self-sealing hydraulic lines. To supplement these limited improvements a spec'ial aircraft survivability equipment (ASE) pro- gram is underway to significantly reduce the vulnerability of the CH- 47 as well as the entire fleet of current Army aircraft. This pro- gram will involve extensive surviva- bility design features in many ar- eas, including radar reflectivity reduction, threat warning, IR,opti- cal and vulnerability and the concepts generated will be ca.- pable of being retrofitted on the existing aircraft fleet or incorpq- rated into new aircraft development programs. ASE essentially then will increase the Army's combat effec- tiveness by reducing or eliminating the enemy's ability to detect, hit, damage or destroy Army aircraft on the modern battlefield; will increase the useful combat life of the current fleet aircraft; and will provide an advanced level of combat surviva- bility for the fleet. It is impossible in one article to cover every aspect of such an ex- panding field as survivability. The important factor to remember is that survivability features are available and effective. Considering the present as well as anticipated threat, Army unit COIl1- manders, pilots, safety officers and maintenance personnel must con- tinue to be oriented toward sur- vivability and must maintain the tradition of providing the required vertical lift support for future military operations. In keeping with this tradition it is vital that aviation personnel in the field ap- preciate and understand where, in the overall plan, various research and development efforts lie within the matrix of programs designed to ensure mission accomplishment with a balance of risk and sur- vivability design features. U.S, ARMY AVIATION DIGEST 1 I Continued from page 8 the number of an Aviator can fly without being fatigued? AR 95-1 would be t he size of the New York City telephone directory and require two statisticians per operations sec- tion to interRret it. Simplify the problem by select- ing only six of the variables to scientifically analyze. Which six? How many different combinations could you come up with? Thirty-six things considered six at a time calculates to 1,947,792. Almost two million combinations! Not so sim- ple after all! By now even the most "scien- tifically" inclined commander might be discouraged. The light should start that we are Variables Contributing to Fatigue Altitude inducing varying amounts of hypoxia, cold, hyperventila- . tion and dysbarism Velocity and proximity of terrain Ambie"t temperature Protective equipment, from Nomex to vests Accelerations of maneuver, from grey-out to nausea Vibrations trom teeth rattling to visuai interfetence Instrument ease of reading, ,from red light to tripie dials Equipment location reliabiiity , Visibility, invol,ving reflection and field of view Seating, from plush to hard board ejection Lighiing, both daytime and night, inside and out 'Noise ievels Aircraft type, from T -42 Cochise to AH-1 Cobra Weather ' Work/rest Meals and accommodations Resppnsibility, from Peter 1'ilot to instructor pilot to Experience, from exhausted, novice to. relaxed Master Army Aviator; total, recent, Organi,zation of ground support; from good to awfui Leadership, from inspirational to nonexistent from reiiable tq scary Psychological iniiuence of a known h!gh accident rate . FrUstration due tQ reduction in force or 'promotion probiems of confidence, varying from nervqus to stiff Family problems, from i.,-Iaws to borrowing cousins Administration, from pay errors to duty roster from needing new glasses to getting an ulcer Diet, ftom too much to too little " from volleyball to "extra-hot" dates Booze, from under the influence io hung over PT programs,from ,no,ne at all to airborne ranger , Smoking; from none to 15 percent carboxyhei'hciglobin Drugs, from aspirin ,and Gelusil to marijuana Moonlighting, from none to an exira 60 hours per week Commuter distance, from living on post to an 8-hour drive (interstate fatigue syndrome) Social obligations, from none to the "cocktail circuit" NOVEMBER 1976 on the wrong track. The right way to make this diagnosis is for . the commander and staff, especially the operations officer and safety of- ficer to suspect it in the first place and then use good common sense and, if lucky enough to have one, use the flight surgeon to keep an eye on the Aviators. Periodicall y the argument is resurrected that our sister services have defined crewrest periods and crewwork periods for each day. Other services have different mis- sions. Its urprises me that anyone would want a regulation to further hamstring commanders and not let them use their judgment instead of another confining set of rules. After reading this article take the time to read those few paragraphs in AR 95-1 again. They are beautiful. Have the good sense to follow that guidance. If you are determined to have a new regulation why not write one that prohibits accidents? If would ' make about as much sense, . , 17 place in training literature with the establishment of a "camera-ready" capability at the U.S. Army Avia- tion Center, Ft. Rucker, AL. This capability at installation level allows subject matter experts, writers, artists and visual informa- tion specialists to work side by side during the development of a publi- cation. Through the use of equip- ment similar to that used in the publication of newspapers and magazines, the book is developed completely at the Aviation Center. It then is forwarded through appro- priate channels for mass printing and distribution. This new capability gives the Aviation Center two major advan- tages: It reduces time required to get the book to the field for use. The target time for dispatch of a prepared publication in camera- ready format to field units is about 90 days. There is a vast improvement in design. The use of color and meaningful illustrations is a ma- jor factor in increasing the usability of publications. Several new publications under development deserve a short discus- SIOn. The first group of publications you will receive is the "preparation" series. These books are required because of the need to train at night, both with the aided NOVEMBER 1976 and unaided eye. Each of these publications is hardware oriented and designed to complement the cornerstone of night flying-TC 1- 28, "Rotary Wing Night Flight" -and to aid units in con- ducting realistic training in accor- dance with both FM 90-1, FAt 1-1 Terrain FlYing "Employment of Army Aviation Units in a High Threat En- vironment" and FM 1-1, "Terrain Flying." Two of the series, TC 1- 29, "Preparation of the UH-l for Night Flight" and TC 1-30, "Preparation of the AH-1 for Night Flight," are available for field use. TCs 1-31 (OH-58), 1-32 (CH-47) and 1-33 (OH-6) will be available for distribution to the field by the spring of 1977. A second group of publications is the "sense" series. This group is basically a resurrection of the "sense" pamphlets of the sixties. You "old, bold" Aviators have ,read these many times while you were in ready rooms or sitting on a tire waiting for your passenger to return. The subjects contained will be expanded and current doctrine and philosophy applied. The publications will be relatively short, highly illustrated and have impor- tant messages and "flying tales" to tell. They will be TC 1 1 0 ~ "Moun- tain Flying Sense"; TC . 1-11, "N ight Flying Sense"; TC 1-12, "Cold Weather Flying Sense"; and TC 1-13, "Hot Weather Flying Sense." The first of the series, TC 1-10, will be available in the spring of 1977. The third group under develop- ment is the "standardization" series. This group is a direct out- growth of the need for worldwide standardization of aircraft opera- tion and procedures. The "father" of this series is TC 1-34, "Qualification in Army Aircraft." Although now on the streets, it will be republished-incorporating the latest changes required by the ARs and addressing the newer model aircraft joining the inventory. The next 12 books, TC 1-35 through TC 1-46, will relate to standardization in the active inventory aircraft. The first of the series, TC 1-35, "Qualification Training and Stan- dardization (UH-1)," is available. TC 1-36, "Qualification Training and Standardization (OH-58)" TC 1-11 Night FlYing Senae and TC 1-39, "Qualification Train- ing and Standardization (CH-4 7)" will be on the streets by about 1 April 1977. The remaining publications are to be fielded in the near future. Now that the "groups" are covered, let's discuss some "in- dividual" affairs. TC 1-88, "Avia- tion Recognition Manual," is a book born of necessity. It grew by hard work and loving care. TC 1-88 will be a ready reference which can 19 be used by the Aviator, aerial observer and others to assist in the recognition and identification of equipment that may be found on and in the vicinity of the forward edge of the battle area. This will in- clude friendly, ,Allied and potential enemies. The peculiarity of this book is that it addresses all types of equipment that can be seen and identified from the air and that possesses a threat to the over-flying aircraft. This publication also will be available in the spring of 1977. Another new publication due next spring is FM i-iS, "Aviation Reference Data.)) This is a com- posite book of FM 1-15, "Aviation TC 1-34 Qualification . Arm In Y AViation Company, Battalion and Brigade" and ST 1-100-1, "Aviation Reference Data.)) The best of both publications were coupled together and the data completely updated to show the current organization, mis- sion and functions of each unit. The book will be in two volumes. The first will contain data that will re- main relatively constant while the second volume will contain more volatile data. This publication will prove invaluable to the aviation planner. FM 90- 1, "Employment of Army Aviation Units in a High Threat Environment," the capstone manual in the U.S. Arrny Training and Doctrine Command's" How to Fight" series for Army aviation units, became available last month. 20 It is designed to provide a broad doctrinal foundation for future pub- lications which will be specifically oriented toward employment of TC 1-88 AViation Recognition Manual type aviation units. Through the means of short tactical vignettes and various battlefield scen-flrios, FM 90-1 provides the commander specific examples of how to employ type aviation units . Combined arms employment is stressed throughout. Total integration of the ground and aerial capabilities is FM 1-15 A Viation Reference Qata provided to show commanders the wide variety of tactical alternatives. Some new publications coming down the pike are FM 1-2, "Air- craft Battlefield Countermeasures and Survivability" ; TC 1-3, "Army Aviation Unit Operations in a Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Warfare Environment"; and TC 1-7, "Helicopter Defensive Aerial Tac- tics ." These publications are com- pletely new, dealing with difficult and to a limited degree, untested subjects. Anticipate these at your loc;:t l pinpoint distribution center in late fiscal year 77 or early fiscal year 78. Well , ' we have revisited New Horizons. The items here are just as dynamic and progressive with doctrinal thoughts and training requirements as the books discuss- ed last time. The authors of these publications want to support you in the field. Drop us a line or give us a call- let us know your problems and needs. Certainly we will res- Ii. TC 1-7 el,cOPter Deli . Aerial T ~ n s v e aChcs pond to our utmost . Our address: Commander U.S. Army Aviation Center ATTN: A TZQ-TD-TL Ft . Rucker, AL 36362 AUTOVON 558-7120/ 2482 The ball ~ s rolling- gathering speed every day. A new technique, a new piece of equipment, a better way to train-these items must be addressed and we are doing this by using the proven method of the written (and illustrated) word. With the emergence of sophisticated equipment in con- junction with a well equipped _ and trained potential enemy, the train- ing mission becomes more difficult. With a professional attitude by professionals, we can train and win the big battle. S , U.S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST ------- ------ ---------- ----- - --- _ . JEWS ROM EADERS The DICEST's July 1975 cover (see photo) served to generate the following comments. For those to whom this applies - pass the word that power tools are not to be used in repair of com pressor blades. Editor Sir : The cover photograph on the AVIATION DIGEST, July 1975, was a striking picture indeed. One month before, June 1975, this unit had a slight disagreement with our sup- port on just how compressor blades were to be repaired. A OA Form 2028 was submitted by this unit requesting a special note pertaining to the non-use of power tools to prevent any NOVEMBER 1976 misinterpretation or not reading far enough into paragraphs. This was done as backup after a telephonic inquiry and reply at the t ime of the incident .... Approximately 2 months after this inci- dent we received the July issue of AVIATION DIGEST. When I glance thru back issues of the DIGEST this picture keeps coming out larger than it is and I decided to write this letter. I think that pictures, cover or otherwise, unless titled should not be us- ed. The incident with our support is a good example. If one of our crewchiefs had not been with the aircraft no one would have been aware of the mistake and this photo could have reinforced the belief that power tools can be used throughout the engine. I would like our unit designation left out of any further use of this letter. A day's smile between using units and support is worth more than a minute's grumble or growning. The followi ng information was provided by the Director of Maintenance, AVSCOM. It is recommended that the July 1975 A VIA nON DICEST picture not be used in the future to depict maintenance on the T-53 engine. TM55-2840-229-24, chapter 7, forbids the use of power tools when removing defects in compressor blades; the subject photo has led to some misunderstanding in this area. The sergeant first class should be in- formed that the answer to the DA Form 2028 dated 12June 1975 is still valid. The TM and chapter cited above have ex- plicit instructions saying that power tools are not to be used in the repair of com- pressor blades. These instruction remain in effect. Sir: The oldest Skycrane company in the U. S. Army recently celebrated its organization day with a picnic and honor ceremony. Guest of honor was MSG (Ret) Jim Isom, the unit ' s initial first sergeant when it was organized as the 478th Flying Crane Com- pany 13 years ago. 21 The 478th Aviation Company (Heavy Helicopter), 34th Medical Battalion, Ft. Benning, GA, began its life as a Quarter- master Truck Company in 1944 and was changed to a Transportation Corps Truck Company in 1946. In 1963 the Army procured a CH-54 Skycrane helicopter and the 478th was redesignated as the 478th Fly- ing Crane Company to provide the test unit. JEWS OM ADERS August 1965 to October 1972 when it stood down and returned its aircraft to CONUS. The unit colors were returned to Ft. Ben- ning where the unit' was reactivated in November 1972. Among its awards and decorations, the unit received the Viet- namese Cross of Gallantry with Palm and the Vietnamese Civil Action Honor Medal, 1st Class. The concept was thoroughly tested and proven as part of the 11 th Air Assault Divi- sion, including a world record lift of 86 combat-equipped troops and 4 crewmen at Ft. Bragg, NC, in October 1964. The 478th then became a part of the 1st Air Cavalry Division and its name was changed to the present designation. CW4 BILL C. WALTON Public Affairs Officer 478th Aviation Company (HH) Ft . Benning, GA It served in the Republic of Vietnam from The 295th's CH-54 Skycranes In Europe IN THE SPRING of 1967, at Henry Post Field, Ft . Sill, OK, the 295th Aviation Company (Heavy Helicopter) began a most im- pressive era in the history of Army aviation. It was to be an era of the CH-54 Skycrane and the people associated with them. Activated in April of that year, the company started its building in personnel, equipment and the new CH-54. Its first mission was to organize and train CH-54 elements deploying to the Republic of Vietnam. Interestingly, the first award won by this fine aviation unit was the Award for Outstanding Marching Unit of the Artillery Aviation Command. Its first permanent commander was Major Vernon L. Sawvell. Support and training for CH-54 platoons deploying to Vietnam continued into 1968, with Major Ronald A. Jones commanding. This fledgling company also was now providing support to the Ar- tillery and Missile School and conducting its own CH-54 aircraft transition course. The unit also was called upon to perform other missions within the United States, challenging them still further. Towards the end of the year the unit was notified it, too, was to be deployed. To top the year off, two CH-54s and their crews were sent to Europe for participation in Reforger I. Vigorous unit training for deployment became the mandate in January 1969, with emphasis on quality maintenance training. While still providing helicopters and crews throughout the United States, the 295th Aviation Company achieved outstanding ratings on FTX and the A TT. Deployment came in May to Finthen Army Airfield, Germany, under the command of Major James E. Rogers. The 295th had joined the 15th Aviation Group (now the 11 th Aviation Group). With much of Finthen AAF facilities still under construction, field maintenance had to be set up to support the helicopters. The first assigned mission came quickly, calling for flight demonstrations for the services, VIPs, and the German press in order to acquaint them with USAREUR's newest capability. Local area orientation for all Aviators was completed by 15 June and the company was mission ready. Throughout Europe missions began to develop calling for aircraft recoveries, precision placement of bridge sections, movement of heavy equipment, troop hauls and airshows. Letter after letter was received at the company attesting to its outstanding service, professionalism and international goodwill. General James H. Polk, commanding general of USAREUR, visited the 295th and praised them for their progress since their arrival in Germany. After only 4 Yz months in Germany, the company had successfully passed its AGI, while still maintaining a high aircraft availability. The 295th ~ v i t i o n Company had set a new pace for USAREUR aviation units. . ,The pace has continued through the years. The 295th routinely fulfilled the mission of providing airlift for troops and heavy equip- ment. The diverse and professionally demanding missions became the order ofthe day. With their faithful Skycrane, they built dikes in 22 the Netherlands, set large air-conditioning units on top of tall buildings, sling-loaded fighter aircraft in Spain, recovered crash- damaged aircraft of many types throughout Europe, moved Sno- Cat plows to mountaintops, set towers in place to build ski lifts, mounted large TV antennas to provide television service to U.S, Forces in Germany, and also were used as an airborne fire fighting vehicle dumping thousands of gallons of water to extinguish forest fires . The unit also contributed immeasurably to better relations with their German neighbors. A unique idea was nurtured and developed wherein each of the Skycranes was formally christened and named after selected cities throughout Germany. Recognition of these events still continues with the exchange of greetings with the Lord Mayors during the Christmas season. These accomplishments have resulted in the selection of the 295th Aviation Company and/or its supporting 326th Transporta- tion Detachment for the coveted honor of USAREUR Aviation Unit of the Year in 1969, 1971, 1972 and again in 1974. They are justifiably proud of these achievements. Recently, the thrust has been directed toward survivability in a mid-intensity environment. To this end, the unit has been develop- ing their skills in terrain flying techniques, low level both day and night . As a result, aircrews are prepared to meet the challenge of tomorrow. Flying safety is always of foremost concern in any aviation unit and the 295th has a very enviable flying safety record. Since its ac- tivation in August 1967, it has only experienced one aircraft acci- dent and that was inJuly 1970. The company has since flown near- ly 12,000 accident-free hours and in July 1976 the company qualified for the new "Department of the Army Aviation Accident Prevention Award of Excellence" for achieving 72 months of accident-free flying. What have been the major contributing factors to the success of the 295th? One has been a love affair developed in the beginning between the people and the Skycranes. Maintainability and reliability have helped this unit to consistently provide outstanding service to support units. Second, the unique characteristics of the CH-54 have provided many unusual and professionally demanding missions that would otherwise have to be accomplished by other means. Finally, and most important, has been the attitude of the personnel. They live for the challenge of tomorrow. They are con- vinced that any mission can and will be accomplished. "Can-do" is their byword. Moreover, they will do it professionally, safely and better. CH-54 "Skycranes" silhouetted against the Oklahoma sky. At the time, the helicopters were assigned to Fort Sill U.S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST ~ I THE 6TH C/\ VALRY Brigade (Ai r Com- bat) has dedicated its new modular gym- ' nasium in honor of the late Brigadi er General Joseph B. Starker. The dedication honored the former 1st Cavalry Division ass istant division commander, one of the great pioneers of modern day aviation, with the unveiling of a memorializat ion pl aque and portrait of the late general. More t ha n 300 6th Cavalry Aviat ors, Ft. Hood comma nd ers and special guests ,attended the dedicati on for General Starker, ,who was killed in an a utomobil e accident in Dear AVIATION DIGEST Reader : I have been tell ing everyone I can about my recent tr ip to visit Army aviation units in the Orient. That is why I'm writing this letter to you through the Views From Read ers column of the AVI ATI ON DIGEST. Have you ever heard the slogan, " Red Carpet Service for Honshu "? T hat 's the motto of the U. S. Army, Japan (USARJ ) Aviation Detachment at Rankin Army Air- field, Camp Zama, Japan. The motto is ap- propriate for this detachment which, although not large, performs two most im- portant, time critical missions. If you have never been to the Tokyo/Can- to Plains area, It-'s hard to reali ze how in- Starker Memorial San Antonio, TX, in july 1975. Lieutenant Ge n era l Rob e rt M . Shoemaker, III Corps and Ft. Hood com- mander, described General Starker as a professional Solider " in every sense" who laid the foundation for the air cavalry com- bat brigade concepts which became a reality through the activat ion of the 6t h Cavalry. "He was a mover," Ge neral Shoemaker said, "a doer. J oe got involved and he was intensely loyal. .. this is why this gym- valuable the helicopter is there in its transportation role. For example, it takes more than a n hour to drive a car 8 to 10 kil o meters. You ca n bet that th e d et ac hment 's eight UH-l Hueys are providing " red carpet service" to both USARJ 's- and IX Corps ' requirements to coordinate U.S. Army activities in Japan. The detachment contributes immeasurably to maintai ning strong U.S.-j apanese ties. A good examp l e is that two o f the detachment's ai rcraft are dedicated to the medical evacuation role. This transl ates into an overseas military assistance to safety a nd traffic (MAST) mission in many regards . It was about 15 years ago that I was in the Tokyo/Canto area. I thought it was heavil y ~ I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I ; I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I ~ NOVEMBER 1976 IIln nas ium is so fitting. I know joe would be happy to know this building with his name was being used for the purpose of developing physically fit Soldi ers who are carryi ng on th i s very important work th at he pioneered. " The Starker gymnasium is located in building 87010 in the 6th Cavalry Bri gade modular complex. Included in the 21 ,956- square foot building are a gymnasi um floor large enough for basketball and volleyball to be played simult aneousl y, badminton courts and one squash court. industrialized a nd popul ated then. But now the area is engulfed with visibility restri c- tions associated with huge industrial com- plexes and the population is so concentrated that a ny autorotation would have to be to someone's roof. Has anyone been trained for such an autorotation? LTC j essie J ames is doing an outstanding job commanding the USARj fli ght det ach- ment. My compliments to all in the detach- ment for an excellent job supporting LTG john R. Gut hrie and his most demanding job as commander of the U.S. Army in j apan. And, how about the detachment 's proud accompli shment of no acci dents in 5 years! In Korea things are booming. Would you believe driving at 70 mil es per hour on a beautiful interstate highway from Seoul to Pusan? Or how about fl yi ng Korea Ai r Lines in ei ther a Boeing 747, DC-I0 or A300B Air Bus with some of the finest ser- vice in the world. Such ext raordinary ac- complishments in Korea spri ng from the rapid growt h of Korea 's gross national product. I did not have time to visit all of t he units in Korea. But I did spend time with the 17th Aviation Group and the 2nd Infa ntry Divi- sion, which has the 2nd Aviation Battalion and D Troop, 4t h Squadron, 7th Cavalry. At Camp Stanley I had a most enjoyable visi t with MAJ William D. Collar and the members of his 11 7t h Assault Helicopter Compa ny. They have set up, and conduct a fine training program. They recognize that in t he event of hostiliti es limited U.S. Forces in Korea dictate that most Army Aviator mi ssions would be in supportof the Army of the Republic of Korea. All of the com- manders I talked to have stepped up train- ing for this mission. There is interest ing news to report from the 2nd Division which is converting its ar- mored cavalry squadron to an air caval ry squadron. When this is done - and it 's scheduled for completion in the fourth Continued on page 28 23 A LMOST A DECADE has passed since the first laser successfully was demonstrated as a new dimension for Army tacti- cians. With its inherently high countermeasure (CM) resistance and extremely high range and azi- muth resolution, optical sensing was seen as a solution to many Army requirements. . - Optical o Look 01 The U. S. Army's Harry Dia- mond Laboratories (HDL) at Adelphi, MD, has applied this laser technology to a host of sensors, techniques and systems for even- tual use by today's modern Army. Coordinated with elements of the U. S. Army Materiel Development and Readiness Command, these research and development (R&D) projects have resulted in a portable laser signalling beacon; an inter- visibility beacon for determining when ah optical line of sight (LOS) exists between two moving vehicles; an engagement simulator; a slant range fuze; and most recently a tunable infrared (IR) laser. To ac- complish such a wide range of laser developments, HDL conducts a physics research program that to- day is investigating integrated op- tics, atmospheric effects on optical beams and subminiature optical sensors . In recent years, HDL's laser- related program has exceeded $1 million per year with a fiscal year 77 estimate of $1.5 million. As a result of these end item oriented projects, the modern Soldier soon may be afforded an improved op- tical capability on many major weapons systems. . Historically, HDL's expertise began in the mid-60s with a diverse
24 Known as a visible laser beacon. this portable. battery powered helium-neon laser was conceived as a laser signalling device for emergency and, military uses Ste Public It Harry Dia A research program aimed at a better understanding of solid-state and gas lasers, short ra.nge . laser .rangefinders and atmospheric effects. By the early 70s a small, portable, battery-powered Helium- Neon laser, known as a visible laser beacon, was conceived as a laser signalling device for emergency ahd military uses. Complete with batteries, the device weighed about 2 pounds and was shaped much like a commercial flashlight. In good weather conditions the com- pact beacon could be seen over a . 1,OOO-square mile area by a search aircraft flying at 30,000 By 1973 HDL had aesigned a prototype intervisibllity. beacon system. The system was developed to provide the U. S. Army's Com- bat Developmerit,s Command (CDEC) with a means of obtaining dqta on the time dur- ing which an LOS exists between two opposing tactical units in a battlefield simulatiori. The collec- tion of such data was necessary to """""""'" 1 refinement in l(l impact army 1 vanced, """""""'" .............. U.S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST
heHorizon bystander personnel. LATHES components are eye-safe at zero range. The basic concept of the LATHES system is to provide eye- safe equipment capable of realistically simulating the tactical characteristics of a laser terminal homing engagement. As such the LATHES system allows test or training of tactical proficiency (command and control, tactical fire control , selection and utilization of tactical position, etc.) as opposed to technical proficiency (operator tracking capability, operation of the G LLD controls for ranging, etc. ). immel tion Officer Laboratories i, MD evaluate factors which influence weapon system performance during target acquisition and to assess the riumber and frequency of engage- ment opportunities which may ex- ist on the battlefield. In the past CDEC has relied on separate side experiments to obtain information on the distribution of LOS and the degree of exposl:lre between two op- posing forces. This _had been time consuming, costly and often resulted in incomplete information to fully evaluate experimental results. The HDL concept automatically indicated in realtime whether an optical LOS existed between two players in field experiments. The eye-safe system was designed to be installed on air and ground mobile vehicles. Currently, HDL is developing a laser terminal homing engagement simulator (LATHES) for the U. S. Army Operational Test and Evalu- ation Agency. It is designed for test and training exercises involving laser r technology will iation with ad- ated weaponry NOVEMBER 1976 terminal homing systems such as the copperhead, formerly the can- non-launched guided projectile (CLGP); helicopter launched fire and forget (HELLFIRE) missile system; lightweight laser desig- nator (LWLD); ground laser loca- tor designator (GLLD); airborne target acquisition and fire control system (AT AFCS); and airborne laser tracker (AL T). The most important feature of LATHES is that it allows field simulation of a tactical laser ter- ininal homing engagement without using any components that pose a hazard to the eyes of user or The LATHES system consists of three major subsystems-the designator simulator, the target pallet and the receiver. Together the LATHES hardware is designed to allow the simulation of the elements of the engagement that in- volve active interactions between the designator, target and seeker (from initiation of designation to The Laser Terminal Homing Engagement Simulator (LATHES) target pallet mounted on an Army jeep. It includes an eye-safe laser target simulator .. ... ... . "/1,
25 An eye-safe LATHES in use at Ft. Hood, TX, during Phase II of the Joint Services Test of Laser Guided Weapons in close air support, April 1975 the end of the engagement). The LATHES desig'nator simulator provides a visible light beam to cue to the target when designation is in- itiated and to confirm the existence of a clear optical LOS from the designator to the target. The LATHES target simulator, turned on upon the cue provided by the designator simulator, generates a coded laser target signature fully compatible with tactical seekers and search/track systems. In addi- tion the LATHES receiver provides a low-cost simulation of a seeker or search/track system with full DOD standard decoding capability. Simultaneously, HDL is in- vestigating a broad range of techniques for hardening laser ter- minal homing systems against countermeasures. This is in support of the Preci- 26 siOh Laser Designator Product Of- fice and the HELLFIRE Missile System and Cannon Artillery Weapons Systems (CAWS) Project Office. These investigations range from studies of potential CM and cou nter-countermeaS\lres (CCM) all the way to the design and fabrication of CCM hardware and its use in operational field tests. Specific CCM activities include digital signal processing of coded laser signais; passive optical CCM techniques to protect the laser target-designator; active optical CCM devices; and participation in the planning and execution of CM/CCM field tests. In another area HDL is adapting laser optics to the fuzing of weapons. As the battlefield of tomorrow becomes more sophisticated, Army Aviators may need to activate flechette munitions at precise ranges from the enemy. A little more than a year ago, the U. S. Army Aviation Test Board [now designated the U. S. Army Aircraft Development Test Ac- tivityJ, Ft. Rucker, AL, conducted its first functional test of a slant range optical fuze. The HDL design was developed to be compatible with the Army's selected effects armaments sub- system on the 2.75 inch rocket and uses a 30-watt gallium arsenide (GaAs) injection laser. The fuze is basically a narrow beam optical radar whose semiconductor laser radiates a pulsed narrow beam which is reflected from the target. The receiver, as well as the laser, is located in the fuze; thus when the fuze determines that it is at the U.S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST desired distance away from the the laser transmission properties of an oriented submunition round. target, the warhead is initiated. the atmosphere The goal of this project is to reduce Also announced within the past for secure short-range com- the sensor 's cost to less than $2 and year was the success of one of munication links occupy a space less than 1 cubic HDL's in-house sponsored physics for isotope separation inch. If achieved, the sensor will research projects that resulted in This new tunable laser develop- permit a new family of oriented the first spin-flip Raman laser us- ment will provide the basis for even submunitions with an improved ing mercury cadmium telluride further improvements in military lethiality over c urrent s ub- material. For their efforts, three laser systems. munitions, especially over rough physicists received the U. S. Army Currently, HDL is attempting to terrain or vegetation. Research and Development reexamine the use of low-powered The significance of these R&D Achievement Award for 1975. laser transmitters and IR receivers projects are but a sampling of the Potential applications for this as a substitute, and also as an ad- horizon for Army optical systems. wavelength tunable laser are: junct, for shooting li ve ammunition As the experience and knowledge of as a local oscillator for IR for both rifle and tank training laser technology becomes refined, it heterodyne receivers courses. is the modern Army that will as a high-brightness, high- Other efforts include a sub- benefit with improved sophisticated resolution source for determining miniature optical sensor for use on weaponry and tactics. l ....................................... The optical slant range fuze functioning was first tested .................................... ... by the U. S. Army Aircraft Development Test Activity, Ft. Rucker, AL, . more than a year ago SELECTED EFFECTS ARMAMENT SUBSYSTEM (OPTICAL SLANT RANGE FUZE) (SEAS) t r;--- SYSTEMS SeQUENCE <D FUZES.ET- TlNG REQUIRED FUZE MEASURES SLANT RANGE TO TARGET @ FlECHETTE DET- ONATES AT OPTIMUM STAND OFF NOVEMBER 1976 , / / (j) 27 JEWS OM ADERS Continued from page 23 quarter 77 - the 2nd Division and 1st U.S. Republic of Korea Group will be a ble to provide air cavalry support to virtually all of the Korean peninsula. Incidently, this con- version is being accomplished mostly from assets within Korea. I regret that time ran out on me before I was able to visit with those of you in the 2nd Aviation Battalion or the 4/7 Cavalry. But I am sure that we will be hearing great things from you. You can't miss with MG Morris J . Brady as the head Aviator in your division. At Pyongtaek it didn't take long to learn that LTC Frank Estes and his 19th Aviation Battalion are not wasting any time. The 19th has two CH-47 Chinook companies, an ~ s s u l t helicopter company, an OV-1 Mohawk platoon and is picking up the 145th Army Security Agency (ASA) Com- pany. While at the 19th I flew one of its CH- 47s at low level with a sling load through a most realistic and challenging training course. It's not often that units are commanded by lieutenant colonels. But that's the case with the 284th Aviation Unit (Air Traffic Control) . LTC Billie Dooley's 284th has a unique and demanding mission. In Korea, there is no host nation air traffic control or regulation for tactical aircraft. Tower sup- port, flight following and regulation are the responsibility of the 284th and it is doing a firstcl ass job even though it has severe per- sonnel and equipment shortages. The 284th is officially designated as a battalion level command and rightfully so! Hopefully it soon will be designated a battalion. "Tropic Lighting" is its nickname; Hawaii is its station; and Army aviation is one of its most important assets. Of course, I'm referring to the 25th Infantry Division which has one of the largest aviation organizations of any regular U. S. division. The 25th's 3rd Squadron, 4th Calvary, com- manded by LTC Mike Harvey, is the only active air cavalry squadron rounded out with a National Guard air cavalry troop - E Troop, 19th Cavalry. There also is the 25th Aviation Battalion, commanded by LTC Jerry Childers. The battalion has all of its organic assets plus both the 118th Assault Helicopter Company and the 147th Assault Helicopter Company. While the 25th Infantry has one of the finest duty stations in the world, its training areas are not ideal. But, the division makes maximum use of ranges and training areas on Oahu and Hawaii. Army aviation assets for the 25th are at Wheeler Air Force Base (which should be Wheeler Army Airfield) and Barbers Point . This report would not be complete without pointing out that COL Paul Smithey and LTC Tony Miklinski have very important Army aviation jobs in Hawaii . COL Smithey is the U. S. Army Support Keep It Coming To You 28 To keep getting the DIGEST you must su bm it the new DA Form 12-5 dated February 1976. The Adjutant General Publica- tions Center has stipulated that all pinpoint accounts must be re- newed now, or else the subscrip- tion will be cut off. Check with your unit adminis- trative staff for the DA Form 12-5. The mailing address and basis of distribution for publi- cations are shown on the form. Command Hawaii Staff Aviation Officer. That means he is the "big daddy" for all Army aviation coordination on the island. LTC Miklinski coordinates the activities for the U. S. Army CINCPAC (Commander-in- Chief, Pacific) Support Group, which is the Department of the Army interface for plan- ning with the CINCPAC. This trip, and others I've made, have sur- faced many matters which are discussed un- der the " bullets " below. But, before I get into them, I want to touch on the matter of the "threat. " I am convinced that the overall recognition and appreciation of the threat, and the tactics required to counter it, have vastly improved among our units. They are talking and thinking more and more in terms of training to counter the threat and win that all important first battle of the next war. I found a lack of senior grade (CW3 and 4) warrant officers in the really hard avia- tion jobs. These experienced people are migrat ing to higher headquarters' flight detachments. I have nothing against these jobs, but we cannot ignore the fact that the attack/air cavalry troops and assault/sup- port helicopter companies require this ex- perience level to be fully combat effective. The Department of the Army is working on this problem now. I think the answer may be to designate and require CW3 and 4 Aviator positions in these designations. When Aviators arrive in a theater they are not nap-of-the-earth or instrument qualified. In some cases they are not series or model rated. This is true both overseas and in the Continental United States. Regul ations are clear on this matter. Losing units are responsible for ensuring that Aviators arrive at new units fully qualified. This is an un- derstandable policy but it is not workable. The policy should be supplemented by re- quiring t he transferring Aviators to go through the U. S. Army Aviation Center at Ft. Rucker, AL, before reporting to their new units . This program is being pursued with the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC). People are concerned about instrument qualifications (and renewals) just about every place I've been, worldwide. It seems this is especially true in units that have little need to apply their instrument qualifications (such as scouts and attack helicopters). I have found no one questioning the require- ment to gain full qualification on in- struments during flight school. But a ques- tion frequently asked is " why waste 20 hours of blade time (for those stations not equipped with the 2B24 [UHIFS]) main- taining instrument proficiency when that is not part of a unit 's mission?" We can solve this problem when we get the proper simulators. I believe we also should be authorizing instrument checkrides in the simulators. The commercial airlines do this, why can't we? I have been concerned about the manage- U.S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST Sir: Recent significant events in the 71st Aviation Company and the 295th Aviation Company are related below [and on page 22]. Hope they are of interest to your readers. CPT Stephen D. Sanford 11th Aviation Group (Combat) Assistant, S-l USAREUR Aviation Conference DURING THE recent United States Army, Europe (USAREUR) Quarterly Aviation Conference hosted by the 11 th Aviation Group in Schwaebisch Hall, Germany, the 71st Aviation Company (Assault Helicopter) sponsored a "State of Training" demonstra- tion for Colonel Crawford Buchanan, USAREUR Aviation Officer, and other attendees. The demonstration took place at the Kulsheim Training Area and consisted of a fire fighting demonstration by a CH-S4 Crane; a nap-of-the-earth (NOE) demonstration utilizing a UH-IH Huey inserting a tube-launched, optically-tracked, wire- guided (TOW) squad; a static display; and an AH-IQ Cobra per- forming night NOE and sim4lated TOW firing. The demonstration commenced on a wet note as a CH-S4 moved into view of the audience and dumped some 1,200 gallons of water to the immediate front of the bleachers. Captain Craig, from the 29Sth Heavy Helicopter Company, explained that the system was developed to fight range fires in impact areas at military training areas in Germany. The system consists of a CONEX container suspended from the two forward attaching points and the hoist on the Crane. Captain Craig further explained that to empty the bucket the pilot either hovers or flies over the fire and extends the hoist. As the hoist extends the bucket tilts to the rear and allows the water to spill on the fire. A bit of humor was added to the demonstration as the 29Sth had installed sirens and flashing blue lights, thus converting the CH-S4 into a flying fire truck. The second demonstration consisted of a UH-IH delivering a ground mounted TOW squad. Using NOE tactics CW3 Cormack and 1 L T Lowery inserted the TOW squad in front of the bleachers without the spectators being able to observe the flight route. The TOW squad dismounted and moved to a firing position while the ment of the flying hour program for a long time. In Korea I gained some meaningful in- formation. Take a look at a quarterly breakout of the flying hours (below) which I obtained from a crack airmobile company: Total Quarterly Flying Hours .... 2,279 Training Missions. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 39% Service Missions ... . .. . ......... 61 % The training missions represent readiness. But I have a difficult time supporting the 1,400 hours that went to service missions which might perhaps be better described as "ash and trash." Sure, some service missions contribute to unit readiness but it takes a skillful and imaginative commander to gain this benefit. We must police our flying hours soon or you can be sure someone else will step in and do .it for us. When missions don't contribute to training individuals and the units- don't fly the mission. BG CHARLES E. CANEDY Deputy Director of Operations & Army Aviation Officer Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations & Plans Washington, DC NOVEMBER 1976 Huey moved into a defilade position to await pickup of the squad. The TOW squad demonstrated its capability by engaging and destroying two tanks . The firing was simulated but success was evi- dent as red smoke was seen billowing up around the "destroyed" tanks. As the TOW squad was moving back to the pickup point , another CH-S4 came into view carrying a palletized FARE (forward area refueling equipment) system consisting of a 100- gallon-per-minute pump, a filter separator, two SOO-gallon fuel "blivets " and associated hoses. The guests were invited to inspect the packaged system and another operational FARE system as it was used to hot refuel an AH-IQand ,the UH-l which participated in the NOE demonstration. I . An equipment static display was provided consisting of an AH-Q, TOW Cobra, a ground mounted TOW, the FARE, and a UH-l with its navigation and cockpit lights taped for night flight. By far the AH-l Q received the most attention as the guests were allowed to sit in the gunner's seat and use the TOW sighting unit to track a vehicle located downrange. The highlight of the demonstration was the night NOE and simulated firing of a TOW missile by CW2 Billows and CW2 Farmer in an AH-IQ. The guests were able to listen to the conver- sation between the scout ship and the AH-l Q as the scout directed the Cobra into a firing position. Using the night vision goggles and flying blacked out, the AH-IQ was able to engage the target (guests) without being detected. Following the simulated missile launch the OH-S8 and AH-l Q conducted a demonstration of night NOE using the night vision goggles. The demonstration was most impressive as visual contact was not made with the aircraft until they were within 30 feet of the bleachers. The guests were returned to Schwaebisch Hall via the 11 th Avia- tion Group's night low level training course. The course was flown at varying altitudes but remained at least 200 feet above the obstacles along the various legs. The AH-1 a Cobra Tow. During the USAREUR conference night NOE and simulated missile firing by this model helicopter highlighted the demonstration 29 ALCOHOL IN AVIATION initiations; and free wine at "beef and burgundy night." At birthday balls we drink our door prize if we had the lucky ticket . Part of the . reason Jor the high incidence of alcoholism must be our drinking customs as a society. In terms of its chemical effect we tend to use alcohol as a stimulant , antidepressant, sedative, analgesic, tranquilizer, aphrodisiac, and soporific (drug or agent which sleep). The National Council on Alcoholism, Inc., con- siders alcoholism to be the fourth most serious public health problem after heart disease, cancer and mental illness. If alcoholism remaIns unchecked, the affected persori gradually experiences severe in the abilIty to work and in physical and mental Although it would seem that nothing .is really known about alcoholism, I think that there are perhaps three factual statements that we would all agree on: Not everyone who drinks alcohol becomes an alcoholic. There has never been an alcoholic who did not drink too much alcohol when his disease was at its height. No ethnic, racial, religious, occupational or sexual group is immune to the disease of alcoholism. The two prerequisites for acquiring the disease are: (1) that you are human and (2) that you have somehow, sometime, begun drinking alcohol. The Bureau of Naval Personnel estimates conser- vatively that there are more than 30,000 alcoholics <?n active duty in the U. S. Navy. Since pilots are humans who are in almost daily contact with alcohol, itseems plausible that some of them cquld acquire the disease. To get a preliminary look at this possibility, I recently began a stu,dy bf tq.e alcohol histories of 70 pilots who were hospitalized for a on Neuropsychiatric Service 'of Bethesda Naval Hospital during the period 1960-1970. A review of their hospital records revealed the following preliminary findings: 22 percent were diagnosed as having chronic alcoholism. 35 percent were drunk or toxic from some other drug (Linprescribed) during the admission physical examination. 54 percent were heavy drinkers by history. Most of the patients in this group were under- diagnosed. Had more stringent diagnostic criteria been used, the incidence of alcoholism would have 32 been around 40 percent. Although the phenomenon of underdiagnosing could be the SUbject of a separate study, I will offer three speculative observations: Physicians have since time immemorial looked upon compassion and "doing no harm" to the patient as orie of the noblest traditions in the art of medicine. And since alcoholism is a stigmatizi ng disease, we tend to underdiagnose. Most physicians don't really know much about alcoholisni. (The National Council on Alcoholism, Inc., estimates that Qnly about 1,000 physicians in the country are really knowledgeable about alcoholism.) .If the physician himself, or a significant person in his own private life, is an alcoholic in some form, then the physician probably has an unconscious bias which hampers his diagnostic ability of the disease. To show how the ideas I have advariced here apply to real life situations in aviation, I will cite the highlights of three case Cas. 1. This 40-year-old commander, an aviatdr, was hospitalized because he was unable to get into his airplane for a scheduled flight. He carrie from teetotal- ing parents and had always considered himself only a social drinker. Because of his wife's drinking problem, he began drinking heavily to control his. anger, depres,;. sion -and inability to sleep. This led to deterioration in his work, frequent absences from home and an un- satisfactory fitness report. He joined Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and became almost totally absti- nent , but relapsed a short time later to uncontrolled drinking. When he was finally unable to get into his airplane because of depression, nausea and dry heaves, ,he was sent to the hospital with the diagnosis of Adult Situational Reaction (psychologically in- capacitated due to life stresses without significant un- derlyjng psychiatric disease). While iIi the hospital , he and his wife began atten- ding AA again; After two months of hospitalization, he was discharged, not as an alcoholic but with the diagnosis of Adult Situational Reaction. For the first four days after discharge, he drank no alcohol. On the fifth day he took a few drinks, then realized that his drinking had become uncontrollable. He could no longer drink like other people and he could not stop even though he wanted to. He was un- able . to care for himself and was brought to the hospital by a friend. During his second hospitalization he was more honest with himself and with his therapist. Eventually he came to the conclusion that he was an alcoholic. He attended Alcoholics Arionymous regularly and was eventually referred to a Physical Evaluation Board with the diagnosis of U.S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST Chronic Alcoholism. Among the telltale signs which might have raised the SU!:ip'lcion of alcoholism were teetotaling parents, symptomatic drinking (drinking to control depres- sion, rage and insomnia), deteriorating work perfor- mance, crumbling marriage, going on the wagon fre- quently, alcoholic gastritis and, finally, uncontrolled drinktng. As it was, the patient haq to get much sicker and be hospitalized a second time before the proper diagnosis was finally made. Case 2. This 48-year-old Air Force pilot, a lieuten- ant ' colonel, was hospitalized because of head trauma and convulsions. He described himself as a moderate drinkei until several weeks before admission wh'en he noted an increase in his drinking and an increase in his alcohol tolerance. On the day of admission, he fell out of his chair at work, struck his head and was thought to be having a convulsion. While being ex- amineq by a physician at the station hospital he had a documented grand mal seizure. He developed hallucinations, became delusional, disoriented, com- bative, and atteI'T1pted to from the intensive care unit. He slowly recovered and was discharged, fit for full duty three weeks later with the diagnosis of Situational Reaction. Although this patient was given the diagnosis of Situational Reaction, there is strong evidence here that a drinking problem of addiction proportions ex- isted. Case 3. This 42-year-old commander, a Naval aviator, began drinking 'heavily when his first marriage ended. He continued drinking and his work, repu tation and second marriage deteriorated. Although his wife and his superiors were aware of his excessive drinking, they said nothing to him about it. On his next tour of duty he flew in combat from a large aircraft carrier, although his drinking had become so excessive that he was repeatedly cautioned about it. Nevertheless, he received a brop.ze star and promoted to commander. On his next duty sta- tion he began drinking every morning before going to' work. He ' continued drinking heavily, got an un- satisfactory fitness report, and was hospitalized with the diagnosis of Comp41sive Personality. On admission he was tremulous, had hypertension and abnormal liver function tests. He denied alcohol excess and felt that a change of duty station would solve his problems. In the hospital he l'11ade a superficial adjustment, then went AWOL and telephoned several of his previous commanding officers to learn whether they had considered his drinking excessive. They con- NOVEMBER 1976 firmed his fear that they considered him to be an alcoholic. After two of heC!-vy drinking, he returned to the hospital. For the first time he seriously considered himself to be alcoholic, began to with his therapist , worked with Alcoholics Anonymous and willingly took the drug Antabuse. After three months he was discharged to duty with the diagnosis of Chronic Alcoholism. This patient ' s alcoholism was obvious by a long history of drinking, deterioration of his work, dissolution of two marriages , morning drinking, repeated hospitalizations for alcohol-related problems, aqnormal liver function tests, and breaking through of antisocial behavior in an effort to maintain his heavy denial. My experience as a flight surgeon and psychiatrist suggests to me that the incidence of alcoholism in the Armed Forces and among pilots is probably higher than our current statistics indicate. About one in eight current VA hospital patients suffers from alcohol- related disabilities; ' and alcohol-related disorders treated in VA hospitals doubled between 1965 and 1969. Yet the disease continues to flourish because of our own ignorance about alcoholism; because we sometimes naively rationalize that to help a patient deny his treatable illness is the same as being com- passionate; because we mistakenly concern ourselves with the stated amount of his drinking rather than with the destructive effects which the qrinking has on health and his professional and social functioning; and because we ourselves may be developing the same illness-and the denial enables both us and our patients to keep the disease going. Alcoholics are sick people and the higher the patient's rank or prestige, the better chances' are that the patient will not get proper treatment, or even a cor- req diagnosis. In this way we lose some of our best people at the height of their productive years. We have a responsibility to patients with drinking problems. We must learn new information about alcoholism just as we update our about other diseases which might have been dealt with scantily when we went through medical school , and we must learn the 2\.rt of tactfully and firmly confronting the patient with his illness. If we do this, we will discover that there i!:i real prokssional satisfaction in treating this disease because, numerically speaking, alcoholism is the most untreat ed treatable disease. Most alcoholics, if treateq successfully, become very productive, happy, grateful people, even more so than other patients who have recovered from other qiseases . 33 Continued from page 5 SPOTLIGHT ON MAINTENANCE offer to the present, particularly when it is applied to the area of maintenance. How often have we been guilty of examining the broad area of maintenance, more or less, in the dark by either looking at individual problems for correction or by overlooking any implications maintenance may have had in causing some mishap? How often have we focused the bulk of our attention on pilot or other fac- tors associated with some particular mishap, and given only cursory attention to any maintenance- related ones that, perhaps, were indirectly involved? Yet, had these maintenance deficiencies not been pre- sent, the mishap may possibly have been averted. For example, the aircrew of a UH-l departed an LZ without receiving a weather briefing, and consequent- ly did not know the density altitude or the exact wind conditions. With passengers aboard, the gross weight of the aircraft was more than 9,000 pounds. Density altitude was 9,400 feet. Although the pilot could have repositioned the air- craft 300 additional feet away from the tree line, he did not and takeoff was begun from a point ap- 34 proximately 295 feet from the trees. When about 100 feet away from the tree line, the pilot entered a left turn. Rpm decayed and the aircraft struck some trees. Flight was continued but altitude could not be main- tained and the aircraft descended, struck additional trees, then crashed. The aircraft was destroyed and several occupants were killed. Besides the obvious factors involved in this acci- dent, another one showed up during the accident in- vestigation: Needed engine power was not available at a critical time because of severe compressor erosion-erosion that was not noted when maintenance was performed on the turbine blades a few flight hours before the accident. In addition, acci- dent investigators suspect that required information not recorded from the TEAC may have contained in- dications of engine problems associated with the ero- sion found. The fact remains that while maintenance factors are not predominant in the majority of mishaps, they are often decisive ones in many of them. How often and how decisive? For these answers we need to pull U.S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST Inadequate lubrication caused tail rotor hanger bearing failure Maintenance checks revealed no cause for engine malfunction symptoms and aircraft was continued in operation-until engine failed maintenance out of the background and put it in the limelight where we can take a good, hard look at it. During the past fiscal year (1 July 75-30 June 76) 203 mishaps resulted from maintenance-related cause factors. Of these, 13 were major accidents; 3, minor ones; 14, incidents; 14, forced landings; and 159, precautionary landings. Collectively, they resulted in 12 fatalities, 11 major injuries, 6 minor injuries and the destruction of 8 air- craft. The dollar cost for damaged and destroyed equipment totaled nearly $3 114 million. Although in many of these instances proper action by crewmembers could have prevented the mishaps, the fact remains that had maintenance discrepancies not been present, the mishaps would not have occurred. Consider the single, maintenance-related ground accident that occurred during this period. When per- forming a maintenance operational check, the pilot of an OH-58 failed to ensure the throttle was closed, and started the engine with it in the open position. When the engine started, the pilot realized the throttle was open but could not abort the start because Nl was NOVEMBER 1976 binding in the open position. The engine accelerated rapidly, rotating the aircraft 45 degrees on its pad. The pilot finally shut the engine down by means of the fuel shutoff valve-but not before the aircraft had sustained damages of approximately $26,500. The importance of turning the "spotlight" on this particular mishap lies in that it points out the absolute necessity of keeping the established system of checks and balances intact. In this instance, the mechanic had replaced the N1 bolt. However, he had over- torqued it, causing binding of the controls. The tech inspector checked the bolt for correct installation and safety but failed to check for freedom of movement. Finally, as related, the pilot not only failed to ensure freedom of movement but also neglected to note that the throttle was open before he started the engine. But often-times, the pilot plays no active role in the maintenance-related events that lead to a mishap. In such instances he unwittingly becomes an unsuspect- ing victim. This type of thing recently happened to one pilot. While a UH-1 was in a normal climbing turn follow- 35 SPOTLIGHT ON MAINTENANCE ing a missed approach, the short shaft failed. The result was one major injury, one minor one, and a destroyed aircraft at a cost of more than $293,000. The cause? Lack of lubrication. Investigation showed no evidence of lubricant. Then of course, there are those mishaps caused primarily by the mechanic. Fortunately, most of these are precautionary landings. In one instance, the mechanic left the battery filler caps loose and the cockpit became filled with an odor similar to that emitted by an overheated electrical component. In another instance, the ram air door of a U-BF was im- properly adjusted and induction inlet icing occurred. Other problems included overheated batteries caused by improper servicing or -by voltage regulators being set too high, and compressor stalls resulting from im- properly adjusted variable inlet guide vanes and bleed bands. One minor accident resulted after both alternators failed on a T-42. This placed a heavy drain on the battery, and caused total electrical failure, necessitating that the gear be extended manually. Failure of the pilot to ensure the gear was fully extend- ed resulted in the accident. Inspection revealed a broken field wire on the left alternator. The bearings and bushings on the right alternator were worn and the belt was loose. This particular mishap points out a maintenance problem area that often does not receive the attention it deserves. It concerns the potential hazards that are permitted to exist-not by errors made during the performance of maintenance work-but by the failure of maintenance to take suf- ficient action to identify existing discrepancies for cor- rection. This situation . is sometimes compounded by failure of other personnel, such as aircrews, to perform their duties as required. Consequently, an aircraft with serious shortcomings may be operated for lengthy periods of time by crewmen unaware of any existing deficiendes-until some emergency arises. A case in point concerns a UH-1 that had to be autorotated over "unsuitable" terrain after the engine failed abruptly. Although crewmen escaped injury, damages to the aircraft totaled nearly $BO,OOO. Inspection revealed the metal spray material installed during depot overhaul separated from the centrifugal compressor housing and jammed the centrifugal com- pressor. This caused the breaking away of sections of the in- ner walls and housing and heavy wear of the com- pressor vanes, resulting in major heat damage to the hot section and seizure of the compressor rotor. Separation of the spray coating was caused by corro- 36 Engine failed after mechanical malfunctions had been evalu- ated by "questionable and unsound procedures ... " sion between the material and the housing and most probably resulted from improper surface preparation prior to the spray process. However, maintenance had several "trys" at this engine before it failed, as symptoms that all was not well had been noted by pilots and written up in the DA Form 240B-13 on numerous occasions. Unfor- tunately, when routine checks did not reveal the problem, maintenance personnel did not pursue it further. Consequently, inadequate troubleshooting procedures allowed the cause to go undetected until the engine failed. What makes this accident even more significant is that the supporting unit had an outstanding reputa- tion in the area of maintenance. As a matter of fact, an inspection conducted shortly after this accident revealed no maintenance discrepancies. However, it did reveal related ones. These included non- compliance with test flight requirements, non- compliance with DER/HIT checks and 7 -day runups, and in the case of the aircraft involved in the accident, noncompliance with 7-day runups and engine preser- vation requirements for a period of 4 months at another facility where the aircraft had undergone retrofitting. A similar accident involving an aircraft from another unit had more tragic results. The crash that followed engine failure resulted in multiple fatalities and destruction of the aircraft. Once again, engine problems had been written up but maintenance had not taken proper and timely action to determine the cause. A third major accident occurred after the tail rotor hanger bearing assembly of a UH-1 failed. This acci- dent resulted in fatalities and the destruction of the aircraft. The failure was of a progressive nature and was caused by lack of lubrication. A minor accident involving a fixed wing aircraft oc- curred when the landing gear failed. Maintenance U.S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST ------ ----- personnel had not made a thorough inspection of the landing gear following a previous ground mishap and did not note cracked components. Sometimes a special problem is posed when some assembly or component is functioning properly but has a history of failures and replacement. Such was the case of an aircraft that was destroyed after a frac- ture developed in one link of the tail rotor silent chain, jamming the antitorque control. The aircraft had a history of chain failures and the policy adopted was "fly it and watch it." This crash resulted in major in- juries to all occupants. Then we find those instances that can properly be attributed to negligence. In this particular one, the master caution light of an AH-1 G flashed inter- mittently. Following the precautionary landing, in- spection revealed the chip detector had not been in- stalled after an oil sample had been taken. In addi- tion, the 90-degree gearbox chip detector was found . disconnected, and both retaining ears were found broken on the 42-degree gearbox chip detector. One thing that becomes clear is that we must ex- amine the role that maintenance plays in safety in conjunction with the entire safety program and not apart from it. It is not so much that "poor" maintenance causes mishaps as it is that effective maintenance can prevent mishaps. As harsh as this may sound, it isn't enough to say: "This maintenance-related mishap is the first one our unit has had in more than 4 years. Look at all the hours we've flown." That is somewhat like the man who started an auto trip from the west coast to the east, and as he neared his destination, his car skidded into a telephone pole. What if he then said, "Well, look at all the poles I missed" ? If he could have missed that one too, then his reasoning was not exactly overflow- ing with logic. Granted, some special situations sometimes arise that negate our best efforts to prevent mishaps. A re- cent precautionary landing was made after the master caution light of a UH-1 flickered and the pilot noted a decrease in transmission oil pressure. Inspection revealed that a loose clamp at butt line 14, station 166, water line 21, allowed the DC trunk wire bundle to chafe against the oil tube assembly, causing loss of transmission oil. This area is not subject to routine maintenance and is virtually impossible to see. But with few exceptions, we can prevent mishaps from maintenanc;:e-reJated causes. Where does the answer lie? A computer readout cannot furnish recommendations nor can it even provide such data as physical and mental condition of NOVEMBER 1976 maintenance and related personnel and their habits. It cannot show whether they are working in a field of their choice or in one they may simply have been assigned to, perhaps against their wishes . We can go on and on about what a computer readout cannot do. The important thing is that it can show us the problem areas as they relate to the entire safety program. Beyond that, the solution lies with us. And it is about as old as Army aviation itself. It begins with the old cliche of maintenance by the book- not just during any particular maintenance job but in all areas . For example, consider the stipulation for 7 -day engine runups and engine preservation requirements. These requirements have not been arbitrarily es- tablished. Yet, we sometimes overlook them. Would we go into a grocery store, buy a package of frozen fish, and then contrary to the instructions printed on the label-to store in the freezer until ready to cook- would we place the fish in the pantry with our canned goods? After all, we plan to cook them in a day or two. Yet, when it comes to thousands of dollars worth of engines-and our own safety-we somehow feel it will be all right to let the matter ride for just a few days. Well, that's where it aTloegins-with technical manuals and related publications. But we have many more factors to consider. What about the training and experience level of the mechanics? Are they experi- enced on the type aircraft and equipment they are maintaining? How are they kept current of changes in procedures or equipment? Is any type of OJT program in progress? If so, is it efficiently ad- ministered? Is ample supervision provided in every area of maintenance? Does this supervision also con- cern itself with human factors as well as with maintenance policies and procedures? Is necess ary supporting and test equipment available ? Is it proper- ly maintained? The same general type of questions can be asked about quality control personnel. And what about the pilots? Do they support maintenance by always performing thorough preflight inspections and cockpit and operational checks ? Finally, does command supervision ensure there is no breakdown among the functions of maintenance, quality control and aircrews so that the system of checks and balances remains intact ? These are just a few of the questions we can ask ourselves. The answers we get can effectively point out problem areas for correction. And now is the time to turn the spotlight on maintenance, identify deficien- cies, determine needs and take positive corrective ac- tion-before additional mishaps can occur. , 37 38 T H ~ r t Major Ralph E. Riddle Jr. DbASES HHC 12th Aviation Gro.u .... p .... .. . .. p.: .. .... ::. . ....... : .. Fort Bragg, NC . .: HtlET U.S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST ,....., HE TITLE "Three-Bladed Huey" implies ".I.. increased aerodynamic efficiency. However, in this tale, the three-bladed UH-l significantly reduced aerodynamic efficienc::y to the point of near disaster. One December morning in the Republic of Viet- nam, a lieutenant inspected a UH-ID in for a milk run to a nearby outpost. The mission was to deliver five salvageable main rotor to be used in construction work. After preflight, the lieutenant walked over and in- spected the unusual sling load-fiye blades fastened together by iron construction rods drjven through the blades and the rods crimped together. of aerodynamic forces acting upon the blades when pass- ing through effective translational lift flashed through the lieutenant's mind. However, this thought was par- tially after inspecting the iron rods to see that they were securely holcling the blades. The lieutenant told the crew chief to constCj.ntly monitor the load after Since it was a short flight within the local area, was used anda maintenance supervisor flew left seat. During runup checks, the lieutenant determined that the electrical sling release was inoperative, so a number of mechanical release checks were made to ensure proper sling release. The helicopter to a hover and a hover check was completed. After the load was hookeq up, the helicopterslowly: rose to bring the main rotor ' blades from the. horizontal position on the ground to a vertical with the blade tips still on the ground absorbing blade weight. Power was brought in and takeoff was initiated with a slight margin of reserve- power remaining. ' . Before translational lift was reached, the crew chief reported "load stable." Passing through translational lift, the aircraft began rocking and the lieutenant heard a garbled cry over the intercom that sounded like, "blades separating!" At that mOf!1ent, with airspeed about 50 knots, a NOVEMBER 1976 loud crack was heard from the right side and the air- crafrbecame mpmentarily uncontrollable. The cyclic tried to sweep the cockpit and the aircraft roc:ked violently as it yawed sharply to the right. The lieutenant, who ass\lmed that the load haci up and contact with both the main rotor system and tail rotor system (waking the tail rotor system inoperative), had two priority (lctions in (to say it mildly)-to jettison the load which was done manually, and to get inore forward of suspected tail rotor failure. The aircraft became fairly stable but vibration became more severe with increased air- speed. The lieutenant accepted 50 kn'ots and checked tail rotor pecials, surprisingly finding the could be cQntrolled. Because of severe vibration througho!lt the aircraft and 'knowing he had tail rotor control, the lieutenant elected to make a forced land- ing straight ahead into a rice paddy. On the vibration lessened as airspeed decrcCj.sed and landing was made without incident,but with a great sigh of relief. After shutdown it was qiscovered that one of the main rotor blades ha<i been hit and was badly damag- ed two-thirds of the way out from the main rotor hub. According to people who watched from the ground, after passing through translational lift, the aerodynamic force of the blades was' great enough to straighten out the crimped , steel rods that were holding them together. . When the rods straightened out, the five main rotor blades opened up like a fan under the aircraft and began flying. One of them flew up on the side and tried to enter the rotor system, but luckily it deflected downward after _ contact . A three-bladed Huey is not very efficient. I tell this tale (yes, that lieutenant was me) only of the old ad<ige: "Experience is the best teacher and to learn and gain experience from others is golden." Take heed and beware of unusual sling loads. ' . 39 briefs that teach 40 weather to go or not A UH-1 H with three crewmen and eight pa ssengers was to fly to locations, then return to camp. The local weather was briefed by the operations officer. This weather briefing was ground operations oriented, and was not intended to rep I ace a DO Form 175-1 weather briefing. Though a weather made a local check earl i er that morni ng, a fl i ght weather bri efi ng, wh ich would have given the foreca'st weather in the local area, was not obtai ned for that day's fl i ght. The weather at the time of takeoff from the camp was reported to be VFR ceilings at 1,500-1,600 feet agl with good visibility. However, indications were that it was deteriorating. The flight to the first location wellt well and two passengers were dropped off. The two passengers noticed that the weather in the mountains to the north, the second dropoff point, was bad. They' said the peaks wer.e covered with clouds and it was raining. The crew delayed takeoff for several minutes while they di scussed weC!ther, then decided to go. They crashed whi I e cI imbing along the contours of the mountains en route to the second LZ. Crew error was the single most significant cause of this accident. The pilot did not get a valid weather forecast for the local area nor file a local DO Fonn 175. He flew into observed marginal weather conditions, and continued to operate under these conditions as the weather deteriorated further, rather than abort th-e mi ssion. look you Jeap df his the pilot made a mental note that a UH-'1 was directly him. Dur!ng runup, he was to transmit qr on FM radio, so he used the VHF radio with "loud bl,;t di storted results." , The pilot was tol,d to depart at own di sc reti on and was rem'i n ded that a UH-l WqS behind hiryl., P,ickihg ,the aircraft up to a hover, he began movi ng to rear. The 'di stance from the OH-58 to the UH-" was 100 feet from mast to m'ast. Sixty!'two feet from where the OH-58 I'eft the its rotor blades hit the forward main rotor blade of the UH-1. The rotpr and transmis- sion were damaged, but the OH-58 came to rest upright. . The pilot's reaction to rop off the throttle and jam the collective down probablY prevented far worse qarT!age to the aircraft and possible injurY or death to U,S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST the passengers. Severa I th i ngs contri buted to th is accident. \ . -No ground guide was used even though persons were available to perfonn this service. I The pilot reacted instinctively to an i shed pattern of backi ng out of barking spaces. l Parking spaces, which were on an runway, were arranged so that a - hover was the easiest way to exit the parking area. i The pi lot arrived at the ai rfiel d 25 before takeoff, probably causing im to hurry through his takeoff duties. The nit SOP called for arrival at the airfield hour before takeoff A lack of suitable ground handling qUi pment resulted in th.e two ai rcraft being arked in a relatively hazardous position. NOVEMBER 1976
USAAAVS misfigured The copilot filed a flight plan while the pilot prefl ighted the U-8. The ai rcraft took off, made one stop to pi ck up two passengers, then fl ew for 5 hours before next stoppi ng for fuel. During the approach to the airport for fuel, the pilot had some difficulty with the nose gear. The gear was recycled. The mechanical nose wheel indicator showed down in both up and down gear positions. A request was approved for a flyby for visual inspection of the gear by the tower. The pi lot made a low approach and the tower told him that the nose gear appeared to be down. The aircraft was cleared to land. Power was advanced to takeoff and a go-around was made to return for landing. At approximately 750 feet, a right crosswind turn was in i ti ated. At th i s ti me the No. 1 engi ne sputtered, smoothed out, surged and quit. The pilot banked right to line up with the long axis of an open field and the No.2 engine quit. The aircraft crash-landed with gear extended and propel I ers unfeathered. Fuel exhaustion was due to improper preflight planning. Fuel consumption was computed for cruise flight at the appropriate altitude and temperature as prescribed in the dash 10. However, ground operations, takeoff, and cl imbs were not included in the planning. Fuel exhaustion occurred nearly three-fourths of an hour before the pilot's esti mated ti me. , 41 AAH ADF ADI CONUSJ:: :J". CRT Jr: ,', FM GS HSI ICS IFR ILS IR IVSI kHz LOC MHz NOE RF RMI VHF VOR 44 GLOSSARY advanced attack helicopter automatic direction finder attitude director indicator COntinental United States Acathode ray tube frequency modu,lated glide slope horizontal situation indicator intercom control station instrument flight rules instrument landing system infrared instantaneous vertical sri' indicator kilohertz localizer megahertz nap-of-the-earth radio frequency'" radio magnetic compass indicator tube-launched, optically-tracked,
Itra high frequency "Utytacticaltransport aircraft "tern ery haghfrequency VH F omnidirectional range destination in kilometers, angular deviation from the course and relative bearing to the destination, all displayed on the HSI via the HSI control panel. Bec,\use, '9 liJ:Uited copilot/gunner panel space the the VHF radio when used. All Co bras have provisions for a low altitude altimeter which will be installed as soon as altimeters become available. The radar altimeter located directly to the right of the pilot's TOW steering indicator will present altitude from o to 1,500 feet with a meter movement and a digital readout with adjustable high and low warnings. As with the radar altimeter theAH-1S will have a radar warning receiver as soon as it is available. The radar warning receiver has a3,-i!!ch CRT dis- play and will be located directly totlieright of the IVSI. This device will alert the pilot tfia! is not only being illuminated by hostile radar but it also will provide the relative strength and the direc- AH-1S Pilot's Instrument Panel and Console U.S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST tion of the source. Even with this new avioriics/instrum The avionics that are retained from' AH- IG/Q Cobras essentially are the transpoddferand compass system, but e'ven that for long since the transponder will be replaced with a di,versity type transponder (AN/APX-I00) 66 AH-1Ss. Diversi- configuration, future are being , to add equipment such as fire controlms; raQ-Jrng airborne laser tracker, low range om- niaitpctional airsE"eed indicator, proximity warning device,JR suppressor and IR jammer. Eventually all s will be brought up to the ty means that the treansponder has t\V,o RF inputs from two antennas, one on top ani! ,J#' on the bot- tpmof the aircraft to prevent airfra masking of , he transponder signals. ' configuration of t roauction Until the UTTAS and AAH are AH-1S " " i@y@% qpbra will carry the .Army's most advanct;d IFR CW2 Alvyn Chapman Department of Undergraduate Flight Training Ft. Rucker, AL H IGH TOWER, Army copter 12345, one five southwest for landing, over." "Army copter 12345, this is High Tower ; be advised the control zone is IFR, weather 800 broken, visibility one mile, ground fog and haze, GCAs are available; request your intentions." . "High Tower, Army copter 12345, please stand by, over." How many times have you been in thi s situation and turned to your copilot and said, " Let 's request a special VFR; we don' t have the time. " ? Why do Aviators request a special VFR (visual flight rules) clearance in a situation such as this ? They probably didn't stop to think when was the last time they made an instrument approach, or for that matter even a GCA (ground controll ed approach). In fact , may be these Aviators turned down the GCA because there was some doubt in their minds about' their profi ciency and their ability to complet e it. Can you remember the last time you were trying to make it NOVEMBER 1976 'onics and instrumentation. home flying VFR in marginal weather conditions and found the weather progressively getting lower and lower? The ground was coming up fast and the ceiling was coming down faster. You found yourself 200 feet AGL (above ground level) , then 150 feet AGL, 100 feet - visibility decreasing rapidly. We all have found ourselves in this situation at one time or another. The point is what are we doing down there when we could be at a much higher and safer altitude. An Aviator naturally feels safer when he has visual contact with the ground, and the thought of going IFR (instrument flight rules) creat es great a nxiety when he is un- prepared. Wh ate ver happened to the possibility of a precautionary lan- ding when flying VFR in marginal weather, with or without minimum fuel? Could it be some Aviators think it would be embarassing - what would their peers think? When all the requirements are met, what is so difficult about filing IFR? Could it be we are trying to avoid a little more flight planning a nd waiting a few extra minutes for an, IFR clearance? Possibly you could be required to enter one of those dreaded holding patterns somewhere, which is highly unlike- ly. AR 95-1 at this writing states: " All aircraft assigned to active Army units which are instrumented for IFR fli ght a nd have an instrument- rated Aviator in command will operate on IFR Flight Plans .... " There a re exceptions to this re- quirement , but how many of us take advantage of these " loopholes " and use them for excuses for not filing IFR? Once Aviators become more a nd more familiar with IFR proce- dures they will find the advantages of fl ying on an I FR clearance will definitely out balance the few mi- nutes delay. Some of the safety advantages gained by an IFR clear- ance are aircraft separation a nd radar coverage. All Aviators are required to log a minimum number of hours of hood or weather time , and the plain truth is that most of them put that H on the das h 12 just to fill t he re- quirements whether t hey had a hood on or not. Much benefit can be obt a ined from that hood time if us ed properly and on an IFR cl earance. The objective of the Army avia- tion instrument training program as outlined in AR 95-63 is " . . . to have each Aviator obt ain and main- tain a n instrument qualification. " Just because you have a current in- strument ticket doesn't mean you are proficient at flying instruments. The point is that the only effective way to maint ai n total instrument proficiency is to fil e and foLLow IFR flight plans whenever practical. If you do this, when the time comes when it is necessary for you to enter in- strument conditions, you wiLL be ready . 45 If you have a question about persona 46 U.S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST or rescue/survival gear, write Pearl, USAAA VS, Ft. Rucker, AL 36362 NOVEMBER 1976 PEA L'S Personal Equipment & Rescue/ Survival Lowdown New Style Coming Army aviators can expect a new style Nomex flight jacket and trousers in the future. However, this new style will not become standard until existing stocks of the present Nomex are depleted. The velcro hook on the present jacket has presented a problem as the sleeve cuffs rub on the velcro hooks when the hands are inserted into the pockets. Pocket flaps are being added to the new jacket and the hooks are bei ng relocated to prevent fraying of the cuffs. The standard velcro fasteners on the pant cuffs are being replaced by drawstrings . This change, however , does not affect the recommended method of wear. Pant legs should extend over the boot down to the ankle area and the drawstrings pulled tight and tied. To ensure proper length, pants should be long enough not to ride up above the boot top when the wearer is in a "full squat " position. Nomex is designed for a loose fit to provide the best fire protection. Therefore, the drawstrings should not be removed in an attempt to sew on velcro, as the cut of the pant legs is such that sufficient material is not availabl e for any unautho- ri zed alterations. Butane Lighter Fire Starter The Lifesaver survwal fire starter has instructions on how to refiLL it. Could you supply me with the NSN j or the nozzle with adapter and the butane can. The lighter is a throwaway item when empty. No refill components were purchased. If your lighter is empty, reorder the ent ire system, using the following information: Fire Starter, Butane Lighter, NSN 9920- 00-999-6753. Unit cost at this time is $4.15. Fireman's Boots Boots, Fireman's, rubber, black, 13 Yz inches high, in sizes 4,5,6, 7,9, 11 , 12, 13, 14 and 15, are not li sted as an adopted Army item in chapter 8 of SB 700-20. However, sizes 8 and 10 are listed under line C-07571. Action is being taken to adopt all sizes for Army use. Availability and requisitioning instructions will be listed in the Supply Information Letter when pub- lished by Defense Personnel Support Center. 47 W HA T SAYS that the wind direction transmitted by the tower to a pilot shall be mag- netic while wind information from teletype reports is refer- enced to true north? T he sources a r e t he Federal Aviat ion Admi ni strat ion (FAA) Ha ndbook 7110.65, ch apt er 1, p arag r a ph lk ; t h e Fede r a l Meteo r ologica l H a n dboo k- l, chapter A- l0, paragraph 3.5; and t he FAA Maintenance of T raffic Control Equi pment MTC 3.4.7.5, par agraph 4.3. 3. 1. Magneti c direct ion has more meaning to a pil ot landi ng or dep arti n g since h ea ding and runway dir ecti ons are in magnet ic degrees. Telet ype weather repor ts normall y ar e used in fli ght plan- ning and t r ansmitted via long lines to ma ny locations. It is extremely diffi cul t to convert the tr ue direc- ti on to magneti c when t aking into account t he many variations t hat must be consider ed. Since the General Planning (GP) document only comes out twice a year, how is it updated? T he G P is designed to cont ain the most stabl e informat ion and, therefore, is publi shed semiannual- ly wit h no chedul ed Pl anning Ch a nge Not ices (PCN). Minor changes to the GP normall y will be carri ed on t he inside front cover of appropri ate Area Planni ng (AP) Publications (AP 1, 2 or 3). Special not ices in e ith e r Enr o u te Suppl ements , NOT AMs or Fli ght Informati on Bull et ins (FIBs) also may ca ll attention to such changes . This is not t o say that a signifi cant number of changes could not generat e a PCN or even a complete interim publi cati on if changes to t he syst em warrant it . The FAA LOC BC Rwy 10 Ap- 4K proach Procedure, Gainesville, Muni, Gainesville, FL (Vol 9, TLUS) (see figure) depicts a holding pattern in lieu of a procedure turn at Hague Intersection. Is Hague Int ersecti on con- sidered an initi al approach f i x (IAF)? Why is a normal procedure turn not prov ided? Hague Int er secti on is an IAF. FAA in the past felt t hat instru- ment pilot s would know t his and did not provide t he IAF identifica- ti on on chart s. Recent act ion by t he U. S. Army Air Tr affi c Cont rol Ac- t ivity has res ul ted in a n FAA deci - sion to full y ident ify each of these type procedural I AFs. IAFs will appear on such charts when revised for some ot her p ur pose. T his sched ul e will reduce t he cost of change a nd manhours involved. I / T j " (1M) BRANfORD. CROS,S I ./'/ CITYQ' \ I 20001 063 0 (23 .5) \ I \ \ \ \ \ \
The holding pattern is used t o con- serve airspace. T he standard 1- minute pattern holding area is protect ed by air traffic control (ATC) for your holding operati on. Pr oced ur e t u r n ma n e uver ing should be prescribed for holding pattern oper ati ons so as t o re main in t he small er area. When a holding patter n is used t he mi nimum holding alt itude must be within 300 feet of the fi nal approach fix alti t ude. This is to ass ure you have an abilit y to arr ive at minimum descent alt itude in a posit ion fo r landing wit hout exceedi ng stan- dard descent rat es. When the 300 feet crit eria cannot be met due to obstruct ions in t he holding area, a tandar d procedure tur n is provid- ed. ATe will t hen provide separa- tion for the greater area invol ved even though restrictions t o ot her t raffi c might result. / / / -- ---- One Minute Holding Patt .... n HAGUE INT I 1 MISSED APPROACH 1 Climb to 2000 direct to Windsor NOB I LOM ELEY 152 " I and hold. 101 4. 8NM _ _ _- _"" _ii _________ -_J..f-troJm In! * 225 1700 T ---- ....... " ..... A202 U.S. ARMY AVIATION DI GEST A Thanksgiving Prayer O GOD, make us worthy of the trust You have placed in us. You have planted freedom in our hearts, and have put in our minds and hands the tools with which to achieve it. You have entrusted this good land to us, and blessed us as no other nation has been blessed. Help us to count our blessings, to name them and to express our gratitude in the responsible way we exercise our freedom. Grant us the courage to live what we believe, and wisdom to be good stewards of Your blessings. Amen CH (LTC) Harvey J. Mills Office of Center Chaplain U. S. Army Aviation Center Ft. Rucker, AL ALtO OL IN AVIATION I