Army Aviation Digest - Dec 1970

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    UNITED saTES ARMY AVIATION

    OF ARMY AVIATION , ACSFOROF THE ARMY

    BG W i lliam J . Maddox J r ., U. S . ARMY AVIATI O N SCHO O L

    MG Allen M . Burdett Jr .ASST COMDT , U . S . ARMY AVIATION SCHOOL

    COL Bi ll G . SmithDIGEST STAFF

    LTC Robert E Luckenbill Ch iefRichard K. Tierney Ed itorCPT Edward A Bickel

    lT Kenneth G. KitzmillerlT Joh n H. Zwarensteyn

    CW2 Kenneth l. C a varaWilliam H. S m ithl inda McGo wanBrenda R HarpBetty S . Wallace

    GRAPHIC ARTS SUPPORTHarry A. PickelDorothy l. CrowleyAngela A Ak in

    DIRECTOR , U. S . ARMY BOARD FOR AV IATI O NACCIDENT RESEARCH

    COL Eug e ne B ConradUSABAAR PUBLI CA TIONS AND GRAPHICS DIV

    Pi er ce l Wiggin , ChiefWi l li am E. CarterJack De loneyTed KontosCharle s M ab iusPatsy R. Thompso nMa ry W . Windham

    ABOUT THE COVEROur thanks to

    CW4 Bill C Waltonfor cover photography

    DECEMBER 197 VOLUME 16 NUMBER 12Views From Readers 1Non Destructive Inspections 2Gunslinger Or Combat leader? 6Aeromedic 8Hook Up Safely 1The MAST Program 12Ice Roulette 14Maintenance Matters 16The Aircraft Electrical Repairman 18Potpourri 21Pipeline 22Charlie And Danny s Write-In 24TAC -X 26It Will Happen To You 3Miscellaneous Ramblings On Automotive Safety 32An Obligation To Crew Members 36Hot Refueling Operations 39Review of Basic Helicopter Instruments 4laugh And learn 46Two Takeoff Accidents 5Undergross, But Overgross 54Short Stories 58USAASO Sez 64

    The m ission of the U. S. ARMY AVIAT ION DIGEST is to prov ide informati on of an operationalor funct ional nature concern ing safety and a ircr aft a cci dent pr e ven tion , tr a ining , ma intenanceoperation s, resear ch an d deve lopme nt , av ia ti on me d icine , and other related data .The DIGEST is an off ic ia l Dep ar tm en t of the Army pe r iod ical publ ished monthly under thesuperv ision of the Commanda nt , U. S. Army Av iat ion School. Views expressed he re in are notnec essar il y those o f Department of the A rmy or the U. S. Army Aviat ion School. Photos areU. S. A rmy un less otherw ise specif ied . Material may be rep ri nted p rov ided c red it is g iven to theDIGEST a nd to the a uthor , unless otherw ise ind icated .A rticles , photos , and items of in te rest on A rmy avia t ion are inv ite d . Direct commun ica tion isautho rized to : Editor , U. S. Army Avia t io n Digest, Fo rt Rucker , A la . 36360.Use of funds for pr int ing th is pu b lica t ion has been ap p roved by Headquarters , Departmentof the Army , 3 November 1967 .Ac t ive A rm y uni ts rece ive d istr ibu t ion under the pinpo int d istr ibu tio n system as ou tli ned inAR 310-1. Comp lete DA Form 12-4 and send d irectly to CO , AG Pub lica tions Center , 2800Eastern Boulevard , Baltimore , Md. 21220 . For any ch a nge in dist ri b ut ion requirements , initiate arev ised DA Form 12-4.National Guard and Army Reserve un its under pinpoint distribution also should submit DA Form12-4. Othe rs shou ld subm it requ irements through their State adjutants general and U. S. ArmyCorps commanders respectively.For t hose not e lig ib le fo r official d istribution or who de s ire personal copies of the DIGEST,

    paid subscript ions , 4.50 domestic and 5.50 overseas , are available from the Super intendent ofDocuments , U. S. Government Printing Office , Wash ington , D. C. 20402.

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    JEWSROME DERS

    Sir:I am writing in regard to the Potpourri article in the AVIATION DIGEST,August 1970.After a year with a Cavalry unit, Ifind the information about revetmentsvery interesting. Moving from basecamp to base camp at the rate of onceevery 2 months or so, we were alwaysfaced with the decision to build ourown revetments or take our chances,usually parking the aircraft in mudfields or in parking lots.We finally found a revetment that canbe built by five to ten men in a day'stime. We stack up 16 x 16 timbersfive high for UH-ls and three high forLOHs in an L shape. To preventtheir demise by rotor wash, we drive in5 to 10 8' engineer stakes on both sidesto a level flush with the top of therevetment.What I'm now wondering is how effective are these revetments? How muchprotection does 16 of wood afford theaircraft? CW2 Richard L MathewsHQ, 1/ 11 ACRAPO San Francisco 96257

    The DIGEST referred CWl Mathews'letter to the Department of the Army'sWaterways Experiment Station, Corpsof Engineers, Vicksburg, Miss., and received the following reply:The Nuclear Weapons Effects Division of the Waterways Experiment Station is currently engaged in a researchproject for the Office, Chief of Engineers to develop and evaluate revetmentand overhead cover-type protective shelters- for parked Army aircraft. Thus far,we have developed some designs forthin (U-inch thick) earth-filled revetments which should be easier to buildand require less time and equipment toconstruct than existing thick 4 foot andmore) revetments. These thin revetmentshave stopped all fragments from stati-

    DECEMBER 1970

    cally detonated 81, 82, UO mm and4.2-inch mortar, and 107 mm rocketshells detonated 5 feet away. The 122mm rocket shells have not been testedat the 5-foot distance as yet, but therevetments have defeated fragmentsfrom this size weapon at a rocket-torevetment distance of 10 feet. Theserevetments will be subjected to additional weapons effects tests as well asoperational tests using several types ofhelicopters.

    In addition to the work on revetments, we currently have under construction one 80-foot-diameter (for theCH-54) and two 10-foot-diameter (forthe UH-l and AH-l) arch-type shelterswhich will be covered with concrete andfitted with end walls and closures. Thesebuildings are designed to withstand direet hits from mortar and rocket shells.

    In regard to the inquiry from CW2Mathews concerning his design for atimber revetment, our opinion is asfollows:a. t is believed that the 16-inchsquare-thick timber (particularly i f i t isa hardwood) will defeat a great majorityof fragments from the inventory ofweapons we have tested. Our tests haveshown that 11A inches of plywood isvery efficient at stopping fragments at30 feet and it appears reasonable to

    ~ s u m e that the much thicker timbersshould be proportionally more effective.f CW2 Mathews can describe the typeof timber he is using, we can probablytest similar timbers to determine theeffectiveness of the material in defeating fragments.

    b. It has been observed that the thinsoil-filled revetments must be well supported and structurally sound or theywill be displaced by the blast from thelarge shells such as the 4.2 inch or 107mm and U2 mm even though they willstop the fragments. As CW2 Mathewshas been building his revetments bytacking the timbers and anchoring tbemwith engineer stakes, it seems possible

    that they may not be sufficiently securedor supported to resist the blast effectsof a near-miss. Consideration should begiven to supporting the timbers againsttimber or steel posts placed in theground inside the revetment and pinningthe stacked timbers together with driftpins. These modifications would causethe revetment to behave as a unit shoulda shell detonate at a close range.We are very anxious to learn aboutthe types of aircraft protective systemsbeing used by units in the field. Weknow there are some very good ideasbeing generated and some which warrant further consideration and development. We appreciate this opportunity toadvise and would like to make ourselvesavailable to future problems whichcome to your attention.Sir:I am writing to ask the policy regarding the number of copies of the AVIATIONDIGEST which an Army National Guardunit may request.I feel the DIGEST is an importantpublication to Army pilots, whetheractive or reserve. As training officer formy unit, I'd like to put a copy in everypilot's hands if this is in keeping withdistribution policy.

    f you would be so kind as to tellme how many copies we can get, I willsee that a requisition is placed throughthe state AG's office. Thank you verymuch.CPT Jerome G. Bode, MSCArizona ARNG8721 Placita PlayaTucson, Ariz. 85715

    U S. Army National Guard andReserve units having pinpoint distribution accounts can obtain the DIGESTby submitting DA Form U-4. TheDIGEST office does not have any information concerning the various states'National Guard quotas. However, unitsare not to ask for more copies than areneeded.

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    onestru tive

    nspe t ionsONE REASON for the giganticstrides made in aviation safetyover the years can be attributed tothe intensive and painstaking research devoted to improving theaccuracy of inspection methods.

    During the 1930s it became apparent in aviation circles that newand improved inspection techniques were needed to keep pacewith rapid technological advances.The necessity of non destructiveinspections NDI) led to the development of magnetic particle inspection for ferrous metals, andthe flourescent methods of inspection for nonferrous metals. WorldWar II brought an increased needfor new advanced non destructiveinspection methods. By 1943 aircraft production demanded evennewer techniques including radiography and limited usage of eddycurrent inspection methods andeven automatic inspection machines.At first, these new and sophisti-

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    Robert R rauerDirector Aeronautical EngineeringPage Aircraft Maintenance Inc. Ft. Rucker

    cated inspection methods weregenerally confined to the aircraftmanufacturing industry with verylittle emphasis being placed ontheir use in general aviation forroutine maintenance of aircraft.But, during recent years the airlines and general aviation havetaken a great deal of interest innew concepts and applied themvigorously to aircraft inspection.The results are obvious. The general public s acceptance and confidence in air transportation, bothprivate and commercial, is a testimonial to the effectiveness of aviation safety achieved through modern systems of detection and correction which uncover faults thatotherwise could not be foundthrough visual inspection processes.

    In the 1960s the military buildup in the Republic of Vietnam wasparalleled by an equipment buildup at the U S Army AviationSchool and Center at Ft. Rucker,Ala., which soon was operating the

    largest concentrated fleet of Armyaircraft in the world outside ofVietnam. This spawned a need atFt. Rucker for a reassessment ofaircraft maintenance and inspectionpractices to determine their adequacy and seek improvements thatwould guarantee the required reliability and availability requirements. A study resulted in the development of non destructive inspection concepts and the acquisition of equipment that would detect faults or otherwise assure theairworthiness of equipment.

    Aeronautical engineering personnel of Page Aircraft Maintenance,Incorporated (PAMI) at Ft.Rucker began in 1968 to developmethods and uses of NDI and toacquire the latest non destructiveinspection equipment. Painstakingefforts and hundreds of hours devoted to research resulted in thesuccessful use of ultrasonics, radiography, sound and vibration andeddy current inspection methods to

    U S ARMY AVIATION DIGEST

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    Within general aviation maintenance great stridesto improve aircraft inspection methods have re-sulted in the introduction of n entirely new tech-nique: non destruct ive inspection NDI)_ Since theend of World War II, the ten revolutionary methodssuch as eddy current inspection and radiographywere confined to the aircraft production industry.it is only recently that general aviation main-tenance, stimulated by commitments to keep aburgeoning industry airborne, has begun to adoptthese methods for use in the field. The result isthat both the reliability and speed of the inspec-tions have been immeasurably enhanced. Anothernotable consequence is the elimination of tedioushours of disassembly and reassembly which hasgreatly increased aircraft availability and dollarsavings. Some of the inspection methods pres-ently employed are pictured on this page. Topleft: Maintenance personnel evaluate a defectfound uring magnetic particle inspection. Topright: A radiograph of n engine made with iridium192 is being examined. Bottom: Tubing is ispected with portable magnetic particle equipm

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    on estructive nsaugment the proven magnetic partical and flourescopic inspectionmethods.

    Since NDI methods are relatively new to the vocabulary of Armyaviators, a brief review of theseconcepts is in order: Radiography usually referred toas X-ray, is a method of non destructive inspection used to examine components and aircraftstructures without disassembly. Aradiograph is a shadow picture ofan object placed between a sourceof radiation and X-ray film. Twodifferent sources of radiation areused X rays and gamma rays.Both produce radiographs, but areproduced and used in differentways. X-rays originate in an X-raytube when electrons traveling athigh speeds collide with matter.Gamma rays are emitted from thedisintegrating nuclei of a radioactive material isotope) about thesize of a cold capsule. The radioactive material is sealed in a small,shielded container to prevent radioactive contamination of the objectand area. Radiography is beingused to inspect the structural integrity of numerous parts and willshow internal cracks, corrosion andother defects without disassembly.

    ddy current inspection is theprocess of inducing small circulating electrical currents into a conductive material using a coil tocreate a magnetic field. f the magnetic field around the test coilchanges, the indication will change.Numerous types of eddy currentinspection equipment are used inthe aircraft industry.Some of the advantages of eddycurrent inspection are: accuratemeasurement of conductivity; highspeed inspections; immediate indications; detection of small discontinuity areas, as small as 0.00006square inches; and portability.The eddy current inspection

    e tionsmethod has disadvantages or limitations. These are: specific natureof the discontinuity is not clearlydefined; depth of eddy currentpenetration is restricted to depthsof less than 1;4 inch in most cases;and testing of ferromagnetic metalsis sometimes difficult.

    Application of eddy current inspections are confined to tubing,cylinders, sheet metal extrusionsand plating thickness on variousobjects and is considered one ofthe most reliable methods of inspecting rotary wing spars . Eddycurrent inspection methods arevery adaptable to automatic production inspection. Ultrasonics is another form ofnon destructive inspection used tolocate defects in metals. By transmitting sound waves into an objectwith a transducer, the return signalis read on a cathode-ray tube whichdisplays the sound wave pattern asit passes through the object. In thisway any distortions in the objectundergoing inspection are seen asdiscontinuities on the cathode-raytube. Ultrasonics are rapidly becoming one of the most practicalmethods of in pecting aircraft components. Several reasons for thesuccess of ultrasonic inspection arethe speed at which the inspectionmay be performed; the accuracy ofinspection; the economy; the reliability; and portability.

    At Ft. Rucker the ultrasonic inspection technique is used on TH13T tail rotor blade cuffs, OHITH-13 cooling fans and UH-1series tail rotor yokes. Sound and vibration analysis hasbecome one of the most reliablemethods of troubleshooting and inspecting rotary wing aircraft forvibrations. By pre-establishing thenormal vibration frequencies ofeach component at operating rpm,harmonic variations from normalvibrations are detected using a

    sound and vibration analyzer. Mostoften the high frequency vibrationsinherent in rotary wing aircraftcannot be isolated to any specificdynamic component by the humanear because the audible range formost people is very limited. Thus,an instrument with a very widefrequency range is needed to eliminate the guesswork in isolating thedefective or vibrating component.Maintenance and inspection requirements of Ft. Rucker aircraftrepresent one of the most difficulttask in the aviation industry. Lastyear there was an average of 997aircraft as igned. These aircraft

    Much time and effort is saved whencomponents are inspected without dis-assembly Here bearings are inspectedwith vibration analYSis equipmentflew 895,148 hours during the yearfor an average of 897.8 flyinghours per aircraft.There are 14 different types ofaircraft assigned to the Ft. Ruckerfleet, each requiring maintenanceand inspections tailored to the specific type aircraft. This results inabout 183,546 scheduled inspections annually. Additionally, some18,700 non destructive inspectionswere conducted on live aircraft and

    U. S ARMY AVIATION DIGEST

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    Left Ultrasonic inspection equipment often discovers dis-crepancies which would be missed using other techniquesRight Portable radiograph equipment adds depth in versatil-ity as well as improved accuracy of field inspection techniquescomponents during maintenanceand overhaul of major components.

    The ultimate benefits of themore sophisticated inspection methods and techniques is infinite andhas just begun to be realized. Efforts to create more reliable inspection methods using iridium isotoperadiography cameras have led toresearch in internal turbine engineinspections that can be accomplished without engine disassembly.The first exposures were taken atFt. Rucker 12 November 1969using a 100 curri iridium isotope.Preliminary findings have revealeda whole new approach which maybe used to perform turbine engineinspections. This may lead to thecapability of performing scheduledengine inspections in the field determining the internal conditionand sending engines in for overhaul only when needed-thus eliminating the wear and tear on thecomponent by disassembly inspection and reassembly during scheduled inspections and overhaulperiods.

    In the same manner radiographyEfficiency is greatly increasedby using microfilmed indexes ofcomponent parts and materials

    DECEMBER 1970

    equipment makes it possible to in-pect aircraft structures hidden byupholstery and other obstacleswithout disassembling the aircraft.By placing film over the outsideskin of the aircraft and using a360-degree radiation emission x-ray tube expo ures of the structureare taken. Technicians can accurately detect cracks loose or improperly installed fasteners etc.by reading the radiographs muchas a doctor examines the X-ray exposure of a patient.Since these NDI concepts wereimplemented in 1968 there hasbeen a significant reduction in aircraft downtime with a proportional increase in availability. Im-

    provements in reliability have resulted as NDI locates defectiveparts which ordinarily would havegone undetected. For example lastyear ultrasonic inspection of theR 1 tail rotor yokes resulted inthe rejection of 402 yokes out of

    4 874 yokes inspected. Withoutultrasonics it would be difficult toestimate how many cracked tailrotor yokes would have gone backinto service or how many couldhave resulted in accidents.The importance of non destructive inspection concepts should beevident to all aviators as one ofthe most significant advancementsin aircraft maintenance and aviation safety in recent years.

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    G

    SLI

    GER THE TROOP COMM NDERwalked into his room, droppedhis chicken plate in the corner,stored hi s flight gear and ploppeddown in his plastic Vietnameselawn chair. Every fiber of his bodyached from the long hours of beingstrapped into the command andcontrol helicopter It had been one

    of those rare days when combatactivity had been slow, yet he feltas though a disaster was about tostrike his unit. One thing of whichhe was sure was that disaster wasabout to strike two of his younglieutenants.Why? Why did he feel this eeriefeeling of double disaster? The twoU. S RMY AVI TION DIGEST

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    OR COMBAT L E D E R ~A unit commander needs more than courage and aggressiveness to be a leader

    lieutenants were the last strawas there were many underlying factors that had been building up during the 3 weeks since he hadassumed command of the aircavalry troop. His ire had forcedhim to tell the lieutenants to reportto his quarters in 45 minutes ratherthan immediately. This delay wouldallow him time to think out theproblem.Both of the young officers wereflight section leaders. One had ascout section and the other a gunsection. That day each had failedto comply with established policy,but each in separate incidents. Onehad tactically violated policy whilethe other had administrativelystruck down a subordinate.The commander had observedthe gun section leader leading hissection low level the entire 40 milesfrom the area of operation to the

    base camp. It was unit policy thatenroute low-level flight was prohibited unless the tactical situationdictated otherwise.The scout platoon section leaderhad submitted an efficiency reporton one of his subordinates that basically said, George flies helicopters. And he had neglected tosubmit recommendations to thetroop commander for two valorawards for members of his sectionwho had heroically participated ina combat action 3 months earlier.Both section leaders had outstanding individual combat records,so where was the problem? Thecommander answered his own question because they re gunslingersrather than combat leadersWhat is a gunslinger? He is ayoung, dynamic bundle of unlimitedDECEMBER 1970

    Maior ichard H Marshall

    potential that plans to conquer theworld with sheer boldness. He hasmore courage than the average,loves beer, war stories, deviationfrom the prescribed military uniform, sun bathing, movies, parties,floor shows featuring an all girlcast, motorcycles, guns, chatting onthe radio and, last but not least,hotrodding aircraft. His greatestpleasures in life, to mention a few,are flying low level, out-of-groundeffect, and in and around theenemy. He enjoys shooting anykind of aerial weapon and loves tohear his own ordnance explode. Helikes all his platoon members andlets them know by the first namebasis that he has established. Hehates paperwork, maintenance, getting up early, briefings, corrections,military publications, regulationsand cleaning weapons.

    In contrast, what is a combatleader? His likes are basically thesame but he learns to blend themprofessionally. He flies his aircraftwithin prescribed limits and hisown capabilities and ensures thatthis standard is complied with byall of his subordinates. He readilyaccepts his mission and then applies whatever procedures and techniques are required to accomplishthat mission. He ensures that hedoes those things that he dislikes.After he acquires a knowledge inthese subjects, he replaces his dislike for them with job satisfaction.He gets to know the capabilities,limitations and the problems of hispeople rather than just their firstnames.The commander's temper coolsand he smiles to himself when herecalls that there were times not

    too many years ago he might havebeen classified as gunslinger.How in the world do we becomegunslingers, or for that matter combat leaders? A gunslinger is bornout of the male ego and a desirefor adventure. A combat leader isdeveloped from knowledge, maturity and a desire for missionaccomplishment. Both have anabundance of courage, determination and initiative, but one controlshis actions while the other reactsfrom impUlse The combat leaderperceives danger and calculateshis every move. He thinks teamwork and acts accordingly. Thegunslinger does not have the abilityto perceive unsafe conditions andis inclined to become a one-manshow. Often his last act in life isto mark his position with the smokeof his burning aircraft. One continues to learn and mature whilethe other plays.A combat leader is a professional that applies his professionalism to all that he does in preparation for combat or during actualcombat. A gunslinger is a statisticmoving without direction. Thecombat leader accepts the additional responsibility of promotionwhile the gunslinger accepts onlythe prestige of promotion. The combat leader will recommend whilethe gunslinger criticizes. Actuallythey are both the same one withguidance and the other without.A knock at the door reminds thecommander of a very importantprimary duty: guidance to theyoung leader. He tells the two offi-cers to come in, leaves them atattention and asks, What is agunslinger?

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    ~ 1 0 \ O AtCO, ,OU~ E I E R A G E S ~ N O ORUGS

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    T o the air crew member: Theobjective of Army aviationmedicine is to promote the opti- u health, well-being, safety andfitness of all air crewmen. It is notmerely to promote conditions thatwill decrease the likelihood of disease or infirmity, nor simply treatyour daily ills. What will you doto help us achieve this end?You should:

    Stop smoking because you rekilling yourself. Oh, it may not beright away, just slowly. A littlepremature heart attack followed bya big premature death. Perhaps apulmonary (respiratory) cripple atan early age unable to stagger10 steps without becoming incapacitatingly short of breath. Ormaybe a little mild cancer ofthe lung. But don't worry, theseprobably won't interfere with yourflying career . . . at least not rightaway.

    Stop stuffing your face becauseyou re complicating your futurewith disability, discomfort anddrugs. o maybe you smoke, too.DECEMBER 1970

    Why not enjoy your heart attack?Make it a big one. Or perhaps youwould prefer a little diabetes orhigh blood pressure . . . then youcan count your pills and your daysbecause they are numbered.

    Stop laying around, you reguaranteeing future inactivity. Whyworry? You'll be well-practiced forthose extended periods of incapacitation. People with histories ofexercise and activity are thought tobe less likely to suffer heart attacks.Further they are less likely to haveserious complications even if theyare destined to suffer one. Butthat's too far in the future to thinkabout, right? Why should you begin an exercise program? It's sodarn boring and time consuming.o what if it increases your performance, productivity and generalvigorous enjoyment of life? So whatif it increases your tolerance tosome of the stresses in the aviationenvironment? Stop bending your elbow.You're going to send yourself spinning. Why worry though? You'vealways been able to handle a littlebooze. You're tolerant, right? Orhave you just learned to controlyourself better under the influencethereof? o the next day you feela little sour, groggy or just plainblah. Why worry though? Yourjudgment and coordination is notcritical in the Army's low and slowbirds, right? o what if your internal gyro or balance organ ismore sensitive to disorientation foras long as 36 to 48 hours after 3to 4 ounces of alcohol? No Armyair crewman would drink that much

    the night before a mission, wouldthey?Granted, some people are predisposed to some disease processesby inheritance of certain tendenciesfrom their ancestors, but this canbe minimized. It is better to develop disease and disability 10years late than 10 years early. So,let's not hasten disease and disability along. Optimize yourchances for a productive and enjoyable life and successful careerin Army aviation.STOP SMOKING.CONTROL YOUR DIETEXERCISE DAILY.AVOID ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES AND DRUGS.To the flight surgeon: The in-dividual air crewman generallyknows the consequences of theseself-imposed stresses. However, itis easy to forget or ignore the lessthan immediate consequences. As

    a flight surgeon, you must constantly ensure the continued motivation of each and every air crewman toward minimizing thesestresses. By your leadership andexample, weight control and exercise programs can be established.These programs cannot just beattended by lip service. They require active, dynamic and regularparticipation or observance. Yourfrequent counseling regarding theother stresses can take the shape ofeducation during individual sickcall visits as well as by carefullyprepared and enthusiastically presented lectures on health and safety.Are you doing your job? IttIiI I

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    ookUp afelyMany aviators h ve n unfounded dislike of extemal loads Withmore experience they soon discover the advantage of externalover internal loads i a few simple precautions are followed

    To ACHIEVE the fulfillmentof Army aviation's mission, thesupport of the ground troops, it isa necessity that every rotary wingrated Army aviator be capable ofsafely conducting external loadoperations. Every Army aviatorgraduating from the U S ArmyAviation School at Ft. Rucker,Ala., receives training in externalloads as a part of the tactical training syllabus. For many this is a firstand last encounter with externalloads. For others, particularlythose assigned to the Republic ofVietnam, this training may proveto be invaluable.My year in Vietnam was spentwith the 48th Aviation Company(Assault Helicopter) which is located on the coast of the II Corpsarea between Tuy Hoa and NhaTrang. External load operationsplayed an important role in the performance of the company's missionwhich was direct aviation supportfor the 9th Republic of KoreaDivision. Approximately 95 percent of our forward area and reararea resupply for the Koreans wasaccomplished by utilizing externalloads.Many Army aviators have anunfounded dislike for externalloads. This negative attitude ismore than likely due to the limitedexposure to them during flightschool. As in any situation though,experience formulates an enlightened point of view and the advan-

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    CW2 Raymond A. Gruetzner

    tages of external loads, as opposedto internal loads, soon exceed thedisadvantages.A ground commander can moreefficiently use a helicopter and itscrew assigned to him for resupplyby utilizing external loads. Loadsthat have been assembled andrigged before the aircraft arrivesreduce time consumed on theground during the loading and unloading process.With regards to safety, externalloads again have the advantageover internal loads. In event of anengine failure, it is much easier tojettison an external load. Duringforward area resupply, using external loads reduces exposure toenemy fire. This is particularly truein the absence of a prepared landing zone which means that considerable time must be spent unloading an internal cargo from a hover.Hovering over double or triplecanopy jungle for an extendedperiod of time is indeed a precarious situation which none of usrelish.When working with externalloads there are certain additionalsafety precautions to be taken.Safety begins with the pilot's initialpreflight of the day and, when useof the cargo hook is anticipated,this too should be thoroughlychecked.Begin the cargo hook preflightwith a check of all visible parts forgeneral appearance and condition.Ensure that the nylon ring and

    bumper directly above the hook assembly itself are installed. Alsoensure that the three restrainingsprings are installed between thecargo suspension shaft and the airframe. These springs should allowthe entire cargo suspension systemto move fore and aft and laterallybut prevent it from twisting orrotating.Check operation of the hookwith one man under the aircraftand one man in the cockpit. Tumthe battery switch on and place thecargo release switch in the ARMposition. Apply downward pressureon the lip of the cargo hook whilethe man in the cockpit checks bothelectrical releases and the manualrelease. Next, give the hook assembly lip a sharp blow with a clenchedfist The cargo hook should notopen. Return the cargo releaseswitch to the OFF' position andtum the battery switch off Againgive the hook assembly lip a sharpblow to ensure that it will not open.f any part of the cargo suspensionsystem is missing or does not operate properly, do not use the aircraft for external loads and makethe proper writeup concerning the

    fault on DA Form 2408-13.The preflight of the cargo hookdoes not constitute the end of thecheck. At the hookup area, beforepicking up a load visually checkthat the approved flexible loop isattached to the cargo sling as youhover toward the load. After theload is hooked and a hover checkU S ARMY AVIATION DIGEST

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    Chinook li ting 1 5 mm howitzer with its basic load of ammunition to new site

    has been performed with the load3 feet above the ground, place thecargo release switch in the OFFposition and depress the electricalcargo release button (pilot's andcopilot's) . The cargo releaseswitch is then returned to theARM po sition. f the hook mal

    functions and the load is releasedwhen moving the cargo releaseswitch from ARM to OFFand back to ARM , or when theelectrical cargo release buttons aredepressed with the cargo releaseswitch in the OFF position, theaircraft cannot be used for externalloads and ag2 in the fault shouldbe entered on the 2408-13. Thisprocedure is to ensure that there isno stray voltage which will accidentally release a load whileswitching from ARM to OFFand back to ARM and also thata load cannot be accidentally released while the cargo releaseswitch is in the OFF position.

    Upon completing the abovecheck, execute a normal takeoffwith the cargo release switch inthe ARM posi tion. An air speedDECEMBER 1970

    of 60 to 70 knots will give thesmoothest and safest flight, but itmay be necessary to adjust the airspeed to each particular load dueto differences in size, shape orweight distribution to keep oscillation and swinging of the load to aminimum. Always employ flightpaths that will keep you clear ofas many of the populated areas aspossible--an unplanned releasemay still occur.Vietnam may introduce anotherproblem to external load operations. More often than not you willnot have trained personnel at thehookup point. Many times thereis one man to hook up the loadand no ground guide ror the pilots.This was the case in our supportof the Koreans. A situation likethis makes it necessary for the crewchief to watch the load and givedirections over the intercom system. When operating in this fashion, it is your duty to take extraprecautions to ensure the crewchief's safety.Often times the crew chief willassume a sitting position on the

    left skid to watch the load duringhookup. This is definitely a dangerous position should abrupt controlmovements or an engine failureoccur. An equally unsafe positionfor the crew chief is bending at thewaist and leaning head first out ofthe well. The only safe positionfor the crew chief to assume islying face down on the cabin floorand looking out the left cargo doorat the load. Also, he must alwaysuse the approved safety harness, ormonkey strap as it is commonlycalled.

    You ask yourself, Why should Iknow this? It's the crew chief's job,isn't it? Yes, it most certainly is hisduty. You will undoubtedly encounter as I did experienced crewchiefs who have picked up badhabits and practice them or an inexperienced one who has never hadto direct a load from inside theaircraft. In addition to flying theaircraft, it is your duty as aircraftcommander to see that your crewis properly equipped and briefedto perform their duties in the safestmanner possible. aiiilFt

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    THE

    M STPROGR M

    Specialist 5 Tom Bach

    The 507th Medical CompanyAir Amb) at Ft Sam Hous-ton Tex. has demonstratedthat helicopters can reducecivilian accident fatalitiesby providing swift aerialevacuation to hospitals

    T HE UH 1H HUEY made itsfirst sweep of the area, its crewpeering anxiously into the blackness for a marker. Suddenly a flarewas ignited, then another, then twomore and the pilot saw for thefirst time the denseness of the landing area.Trees lined both sides of thenarrow roadway. The road itselfsloped at a dangerous angle. Theaircraft commander looked at thepilot, but no words passed betweenthem. Both were experienced medevac pilots and knew it would bedifficult to land.Instinctively, there was no hesitation. A life was at stake. Theyhovered the helicopter briefly attreetop level, then slowly, carefullydescended. The huge red cross onthe UH-1 was reflected in the lightof the flares.Touchdown.The cargo doors slid open andthe crew chief and medic leapedfrom the aircraft, a litter held between them. They rushed the fewdozen yards to the man lying in the12

    road, writhing in pain, making asilent plea for help through theagony etched in his face.The crew chief nodded to themen on the scene and began tohelp the medic. The two silently,quickly and efficiently prepared theman for litter travel.Within minutes the injured manwas returned to the ship, quicklysecured and the doors closed. TheHuey rose slowly from its precarious perch, then swiftly disappearedinto the darkness.A Dustoff operation in the wildsof the Republic of Vietnam? No.This was a MAST unit at work on

    a lonely backwoods road not farfrom metropolitan San Antonio,Tex.MAST, or Military Assistance toSafety and Traffic, is a unique newprogram instituted jointly' by theU S Department of Defense andDepartment of Transportation toaid civilian authorities in their efforts to save lives by providingswift evacuation to hospitals foranyone seriously injured in trafficor other mishaps.

    The experimental and evaluationphase of the new 6-month test program is being conducted at Ft. SamHouston, Tex., by the 26 officersand 132 enlisted men of the 507thMedical Company (Air Ambulance) .Prior to receiving the MASTmission, the 507th had been pri-

    marily a trammg unit. Pilots andcrews, all Vietnam returnees, wereassigned to the unit to conducttraining and maintain a constantstate of readiness. The MASToperation put that skill, trainingand readiness to good use.Captain Samuel B McLamb,who was aircraft commander onthe first MAST mission flown on17 July, observed that it was theclosest thing to a Vietnam Dustoffmission one could imagine. It included the same tension and speed. everything but the hostile fire.Since that first mercy mission,the crews of the 507th have participated in many missions such ashospital-to-hospital transfer of a3-day-old infant who needed acomplete immediate blood transfusion and the rescue of a telephone repairman electrocuted whileworking on a cable in the hillyareas surrounding San Antonio.In each case the 507th crew wasnirborne in less than 2 minutesafter being alerted. When thatemergency phone rings, says Captain Tom Ely, MAST project officer, we're gone. We ask questionslater. Two Huey helicopters areready to go at all times, with athird available for backup.Perhaps the most severe testcame on Friday, 7 August. A request for medical evacuation wasreceived from a hospital in Uvalde,Tex., and within minutes a second

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    emergency call came from a CrystalCity, Tex., hospital.One helicopter and crew flew toUvalde Memorial Hospital to trans

    port a victim with a crushed chestto Bexar County Hospital in SanAntonio. I t stopped off first atBexar County Hospital to pick upa respirator necessary to keep thepatient alive during the flight.The second chopper took offmoments later for WintergardenHospital in Crystal City, stopping

    at the Santa Rosa Medical Centerin the Alamo city to pick up anurse and incubator needed for theinfant to be transported.While the two missions were being flown, new crews were alertedand additional aircraft were madeready in event of another emergency. In addition to the usual fieldequipment assigned to most typesof units, the 507th has a radiobeacon system; an operations vanto control air traffic on the field;a maintenance van to supply toolsand equipment for maintenance ofthe aircraft; a 5-ton wrecker; andits helicopters.

    The MAST experiment in Texasis centered in a 10-county areasurrounding San Antonio. In extreme emergencies counties adjacent to the area covered in the testprogram are included, providedthey are within range of the helicopters.Seventeen hospitals are includedin the test area. The 507th's aviators have become familiar with the

    landing situations at all of themthrough constant practice flights,under all types of flying conditions,both day and night.The MAST program can betraced to 28 April 1970 whencivilian leaders from the Ft. SamHouston area met with an interagency study group from Washington , D. C., that included representatives of the Department of Transportation; Department of Health,Education and Welfare; and theDepartment of Defense. This resulted in a proposed plan for theimplementation of the MAST program being submitted by theAlamo Area Council of Governments at San Antonio.On 5 July 1970 Secretary of

    Defense Melvin R. Laird and Secretary of Transportation John A.Volpe jointly announced the testprogram to determine the value ofhelicopters in providing medicalassistance to auto accident victimsand other persons needing emergency medical care.Since the initiation of the program, several of the hospitals in thearea have constructed either temporary or permanent helipads.Local law enforcement officialshave been briefed on the projectand given instructions on how tocontact MAST in case of an emergency. It is up to the officials onthe scene to determine if MASTshould be called in. They have tomake the judgment whether or notthe situation IS critical enough to

    call for the helicopter or if conventional land ambulances can dothe job.The 507th is not in competitionwith the ambulance services, butsituations arise when a helicoptercan get an injured person to a hospital quicker than a ground vehicleand this could mean the differencebetween life and death.The MAST program has drawnpraise from Secretary of DefenseLaird, Texas Governor PrestonSmith and numerous governmentofficials in the test area andthroughout the United States.Many physicians, medical administrators and government representatives are watching the resultsof the program carefully with an

    eye to expansion. Some have voicedthe opinion that MAST is perhapsthe most significant civilian-military cooperative effort to take placein many years.Of course the program does haveits critics, but these people find itdifficult to convince people likeDr. John Williamson that the program is not worthwhile. Dr. Williamson is the physician who attended the first MAST patient whowas brought to Baptist Memorial

    Hospital in San Antonio. Thepatient was a boy whose chest hadbeen crushed when he was run overby a truck. The swift evacuationof the boy by helicopter definitelysaved his life. The program is tremendous " Dr. Williamson pro-claims.t the accident scene, following a request for assistance,members of the 507th Medical Company administer medicalassistance before moving patient. This photo was posed)

    Crewmen deliver 3-day-old Martha De La Rosa in an incubator to the Santa Rosa Hospital. She was picked up atCrystal City, Tex., and delivered to the hospital s helipad

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    14

    Lieutenant Colonel Alfred H Kirchner

    Ice rouleHe may very well be even more deadlythan Russian rouleHe, but don t try it to find out

    J

    LTHOUGH the title of thisarticle may not resemble thefamous game Russian roulette itcertainly can be as dangerous andI m sure it has killed more qualified aviators than that suicidalgame. Looking back I can recalla few of the unfortunate and sometimes humorous encounters I havehad with icing conditions as anaviator. I am now amazed that Iever let myself be put in some ofthese situations. However lack ofexperience weather data and a desire to accomplish the missionsometimes overcomes commonsense school training and weatherbriefings.My first encounter with extremeicing conditions occurred while fly-ing a CH-34C in Greenland in thesummer of 1960. While on a routine mission carrying passengersand cargo from Camp TudoGreenland to Camp Century approximately 120 miles towardthe center of the icecap we encountered a fog condition. We wereable to barely maintain visual reference with the icecap and thoughwe had more than enough fuel toperform a lBO-degree turn andabort the mission we were unwilling to admit defeat and plowed on.

    The first indication that the aircraft was picking up ice was anincrease in manifold pressure tomaintain altitude and air speed.From the time we noted this increase to the time that altitude andair speed could not be maintained

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    was a matter of minutes.An approach to the icecap wasstarted and a successful landingaccomplished. However, it wasnecessary to tax all available manifold pressure to land. Upon disengaging the rotor system, it wasdiscovered that the leading edges

    of the main rotor blades and tailrotor blades had approximately 4inches of ice protruding and a thinlayer of ice covered the entire aircraft.There is no doubt that had thisincrease in manifold pressure notbeen noticed until a few minuteslater, a successful termination ofthe landing approach would havebeen impossible and a disastercould have occurred. A similar incident occurred a few days later toone of my fellow pilots, performingalmost the identical mission. Healso performed an approach to theicecap; however, on touchdown theice on the leading edge of one tailrotor blade separated and set upsuch a tremendous vibration that itcaused minor structural damage tothe tail rotor system. Had this happened in flight or on short final, Iam certain the results would havebeen tragic. Neither of us flew intoa foggy or hazy condition on theicecap again.

    The second experience I hadwith ice occurred approximately 18months later at Davison Army Airfield, Va. We had been assignedthe mission in late February to flytwo field-grade officers to Ft. Monroe and to return to Davison ArmyAirfield. The aircraft assigned toaccomplish this mission was a U-9(L-26)-more popularly knownas an Aero Commander. The aircraft commander was an instrument examiner and at the time I,as copilot, had a standard ticket.Our weather briefing indicated thatthere was a 700-foot overcast atDavison and the weather wouldextend as far south as Richmond.Pilot reports had indicated lighticing above 1,000 feet. PerformingDECEMBER 1970

    this m SS on would require flyinginto a known icing condition. However, we were convinced our aircraft had this capability and weproceeded fat, dumb and happy tofile an IFR flight plan. After takeoff, we were cleared direct toBrook omni.When passing through 2,000 feetthe cockpit of our aircraft filledwith smoke. An emergency wasdeclared and we were vectored direct from our position to interceptfinal approach course of the Davison GCA. All unnecessary electrical switches were shut off immediately. Upon intercepting final approach, we noted most of thesmoke had cleared the cockpit andwe assumed that one of the switcheswe had shut down had temporarilyrectified the situation. By this time,the temperature inside the cockpit

    had dropped well below freezing.On short final with gear down andcarburetor heat in the green, visualreference with the ground could notbe made at 500 feet indicated.When I glanced out the sidewindow, I realized that we wereVFR but the windshield was covered with approximately 2 inchof ice. Because of the approachspeed and lack of forward visibility, a go-around was commencedand we received permission to remain VFR at 600 feet in an effortto dissipate the ice so a successfulvisual landing could be accomplished.

    At approximately 600 feet altitude, 140 miles an hour air speedand in a left tum, 'the left enginevibrated violently and lost approximately 1500 rpm, placing the aircraft in an almost inverted position.A recovery was made and t wasdiscovered that the aircraft had accumulated such an abundance ofice that altitude could not be maintained, even though the right engine was increased to full power.Pointing the aircraft in the direction of a clearing and at an altitudeof approximately 100 feet, the left

    engine backfired and regained rpm.Power was increa ;ed and a pullupinitiated, but due to the weight ofthe aircraft contact was made withone of the taller trees, damagingone of the horizontal stabilizers.After 500 feet had been obtainedand we had made several passesover the field, it was evident wecould not dissipate the ice due tothe extreme cold. This time anattempt was made to restart theheater. After several unsuccessfulattempts, we tried to scrape a holein the ice on the windshield largeenough to regain forward visibility.With great difficulty, not to mention personal pain, i t was discoveredthat this could be accomplishedwith a small pocket knife. Afterseveral more passes over the field,we had managed to scrape an arealarge enough so a successful visualapproach could be accomplished.After landing, we discovered thatthe air intake for the heater hadcompletely iced over, thus starvingthe heater, causing it to flame outand fill the aircraft with smoke.

    The only explanation that couldbe given for the loss of power onthe left engine is that ice had accumulated around the carburetorintake, and when power was -creased for the go-around this icebroke off and went into the carburetor, causing a temporary lossof power which was nearly disastrous.I feel certain had we known ouraircraft better, paid attention tothe weather briefing and used alittle common sense, this near disaster and many gray hairs couldhave been prevented. I feel veryfortunate that I am able to relatethis experience and only hope thatit prevents someone else from getting gray hair.

    Don t play ice roulette. Knowyour aircraft; know your capability; listen to the weather briefing;and use your head. I think thesefour rules are worth a thousandcrosschecks.15

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    inten nceEVflcllflte EVflcllflte

    ORRE TIONSafetywiring: The September issuemade reference to TM 55-405-3 inits tip on safetywiring. This manualhas been recently superseded byTM 55-1500-204-25/1, GeneralAircraft Maintenance Manual,dated April 1970. Our thanks tothose alert individuals who notifiedus of this change.Keep Those Lights Working: Whenmaking a check of the cautionlights on the center pedestal ofyour UH-1 and one fails to illuminate, press down on either side ofthe segment and it should rotateI O degrees to expose the bulb.Check the bulb for corrosion buildup. Clean it up, reset it and recheck it. f the light still fails tocome on, replace it with a sparebulb. f you don't have a spare, remove an illumination bulb from

    one of the other controls panelson the center pedestal. Don't forgetto make an entry on D Form240B-13 that you removed a bulb.Keep t Clean: f you're in the Republic of Vietnam, especially dustyareas, during the daily inspectionof your aircraft (while your particle separator and FOD screenassemblies are removed), take aclean cloth and wipe around insidethe inlet section of the T53 (T55i applicable) engine to includestruts and guide vanes. A littleextra house cleaning might meanthat extra lift you need sometime.A dirty engine inlet section is oneof the greatest single causes of lowpower and high EGT.Just A Warning: (1) Prolongedskin contact with synthetic oils(such as MIL L 7BOB and MIL-L-

    23699) may cause a skin rash. Skinshould be thoroughly washed aftercontact and saturated clothingshould be removed immediately.Areas where synthetic oils are usedshould have adequate ventilationto keep mist and fumes to a minimum. Also, if these synthetic oilsare spilled on painted surfaces, thesurface should be wiped clean toavoid possible softening, blisteringor peeling of paint.(2) Structural damage can occurfrom turbulent surface conditions.Helicopters should be anchored ormoored if wind is expected to exceed 45 knots. f at all possible,the helicopter should be evacuatedto a safe weather area i a tornado,cyclone, hurricane or wind condition above 75 knots is expected.(3) Do not interchange fillercaps between 42-degree and 90-degree gearboxes on any UH-1helicopters. f filler caps are inter-

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    tterschanged, the 42-degree gearboxwill be pumped dry because the90-degree gearbox filler cap isvented. The 42-degree gearboxfiller cap is not vented. To aid inthe elimination of confusion, thecases of the 42-degree gearboxesare marked with a black dot on thecase and a black dot on the fillercap. The 90-degree gearboxes andfiller caps have correspondingwhite dot markings.Refueling Aircraft When refuelingaircraft be sure to ground aircraft,hose and nozzle assembly and refueling truck or station to eachother. Be sure to wipe dirt fromnozzle before fueling tanks.

    Know Your Bolts Most aircraftstructural bolts are general purposehexagon head type, internalwrenching and close tolerance. Aircraft manufacturers are sometimescompelled to make bolts of different dimensions or higher strengththan the standard types. Sincethese bolts are made for a particular application, it is extremely -portant that like bolts be used forreplacement. When such bolts arenot available and it is necessary tofabricate them locally, care shouldbe taken to use identical materialand heat treatment specified in theapplicable drawings or an authorized substitute material properlyheat treated. These special bolts

    DECEMBER 1970

    are identified by the letter sstamped on the head.Grip length: As a general rule,bolt grip length should be equal tomaterial thickness. The threadsshould neither bear on the materialnor should the shank protrude toofar through the nut. Certain variations are allowed since this is notalways possible. Bolts of slightlygreater grip length than requiredmay be used provided washers areplaced under the nut or bolt head.Aluminum alloy washers should beused, except in cases of high torquevalues or with steel bolts, to prevent corrosion. Steel washers shouldbe used with steel bolts on steelparts. Note: Steel bolts and aluminum washers should be installedwhile still wet with zinc chromateprimer.Locking or safetying: All boItsshould be suitably locked or safetied in accordance with the methodused in the original fabrication ofthe aircraft. Approved methods ofsafetying are specified in TM 55-1500-204-25/1.

    Torque values: Specific torquevalues for all bolts have not beenestablished. Friction of the bolt inthe hole and friction of the bolthead against the work are two varJ-: .able factors which prevent formation of such values. In cases wherebolts must be tightened to a torque(blind application), use experienceand good judgment to avoid over-

    tightening and overstressing thebolt. Refer to TM 55-1500-204-25 1 for specific bolt torque values.Rigging The Hook When checkingor rigging the engine controls onthe CH-47 , be sure to have thehelicopter's generators in operation. Do not check or adjust thecontrol system using battery poweror an external D.C. APU. Reasdh:The amount of voltage affects thespeed and travel of the electromechanical actuators in the system.The D.C. voltage output from theaircraft generator system, throughthe transformer-rectifiers, is a constant 28 volts D.C. and is thesource of power in normal operation. Battery voltage is too low andthat of external power units maybe too low or too high.CH 47 Chinook When installingthe stick boost actuators on theCH-47, attention should be givento tightening of lever pivot bolts.TM 55-1520-209-35 states, Leverpivot bolts must be free to rotate.They must have a m n mum of0.005 inch end play with nutMS17825-4 tightened to standardtorque. f the pivot bolt torque isexceeded the pivot arm is not freeto make inputs into the stick boostactuator. Since control of the Chinook is dependent on the flightcontrols, it would be a wise idea tocheck this item before takeoff.

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    THE GUNSHIPS followed themedevac helicopter unusuallyclose; there was no moon and thelights on all three ships were purposely left off. t would be a smalllanding zone LZ), and a hot onebut it contaiI:ed three criticallywounded men who needed to beevacuated.Nearing the LZ the gunshipslaid down a blanket of rocketswhere enemy fire had last been reported. As the medevac pilot began to flare his ship to bring it toa halt over the LZ he decided thearea was too small for landing.Consequently he maintained a100-foot hover just above the treesas his crew chief attempted tolower the harness of the rescuehoist. But for some unknown reason the hoist would not move.Fortunately another medevac wasavailable and the wounded menwere extracted but this bit of for-t 8

    Allowing the crew chief to maintainan aircraft s electrical system may bea simple solution but when a quali-fied electrician s available, use him

    TheAircraftElectricalRepairman

    Lieutenant George L Woolsey

    tune cannot always be dependedupon.The crew chief of the first ship

    and the maintenance supervisorwill forever carry the responsibilityfor this unnecessary incident; theydid not realize who should havebeen inspecting and working onthe equipment.This is one incident in a millionwhere electrical systems and equipment were inspected and main..tained by other than electrical repairmen. The extensive trainingand capabilities of these men areall too often overlooked becausesomeone did not bother to studythe varied jobs for which the electrician is responsible.Electrical repairmen are beingtrained daily at the Electrical Section of the Aviation MaintenanceTraining Department Ft. EustisVa. The instructors are probablythe best in the entire Army and

    the instruction is of the higheststandards.An individual student normallyenlists or reenlists to get to attendthe 68F20 course of instruction[Aircraft Electrician]. The eligibility criteria are: 12 months serviceremaining after graduation a scoreof 100 or better on the mechanicalaptitude tests and normal colorperception. The education levelranges from eighth grade to a college degree.On a given day there are sevenc1asses in session and from 18 to24 students in each class. Theurgently needed electrical repairmen are graduated every 2 weeksafter 14 weeks of instruction. Infact your next electrical repairmanmay be in the commencing c1assat this very minute.A clash of symbols and the bigbooming bass drum comprise thepenetrating sounds of the march-

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    tudents working o transformer rectifier

    ing band. The respective classliaison officer (normally a ratedmaintenance warrant officer) givesthis first class. t is an endeavorto motivate and stimulate the students by giving them an orientationto the mission of Army aviationand the future roles they will playin it.During the next 2 weeks the student is taught to be a basic mechanic with extensive classes on allthe forms and records used in hisfuture trade. He also is given ageneral understanding of the jobsof several other members on themaintenance team.

    The remainder of the course isdivided into four major phases:fundamentals, component repair,alternating current and troubleshooting.Often students are alarmed tolearn that much of the course istheory of electricity. The firstphase is the basic theories andprinciples used throughout thecourse. t is felt that a repairmanshould have well-rounded trainingand a thorough understanding ofelectricity. General principles of

    the operation of switches, relays,fuses and circuit breakers are presented. This commences his training in reading wiring diagrams andrecognizing the functions of eachsymbol in a diagram.The next class is pure theory;the electron theory is taughtthroughout the course. Here thestudent is confronted with directcurrent. Simultaneously, an excellent and thorough presentation ofOhm s law is given. Last in thisseries of basics is a simple circuitconstruction. The student studies a

    -very simple form of generatingelectricity with a magnet and laterlearns that this was actually a direct current DC) generator.To properly understand suchterms s resistance, amperage,voltage and so on, the student mustsee them in actual operation. Extensive practical work is done withthe multimeter, ohmmeter and ammeter. The student not only learnsthe use of his measuring instruments but also reinforces hisunderstanding of many technical

    terms. This is probably the mostessential unit of instruction in thecourse. Expanding on his use ofdifferent meters, a presentation ofseries and parallel circuits is given.This reinforces his understanding,particularly of Ohm s law and wiring diagrams.Component repair opens withbasic repair such s soldering cannon plugs, replacing terminals,tying bundles and even repairingwire bundles with bullet damage.Principles of operation of DCmotors is taught with concurrenttraining in testing and overhaulingunder close supervision. DC actuators lend themselves easily, aftermotors, to testing and overhauling.The student is presented with for-

    tudent utilizing multimeters9

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    mulas for computing power andalso typical DC ratings. He roundsout his understanding of the DCsystems with practical work andsome conference instruction onstarter systems, generators, batteries and voltage regulators. Thisincludes testing and overhaul. Although the battery is not emphasized above the other components,an excellent presentation on settingup battery shops is given. Thestudent, while able to advancefreely, is provided with expert andclose supervision.

    The alternating current (AC)phase is a tremendous challenge tomany students and a dark alley toa few. Only the best pass thisportion.Why AC? AC is becoming themore favored electrical system in-stalled in modern aircraft. Whileit is more difficult to understand itrequires less maintenance. It aisoproduces more power per unit ofweight and it coincides with requirements of communicationsequipment.This phase is almost entirelytheory. Production of AC, a comparison of AC and DC and measuring AC in circuits are all presented. The AC phase continues tobuild his basic knowledge of AC.The student is presented with threephase AC, operation of transformers and operation and testing of20

    rectifiers, filters, vacuum tubes andtransistors. It is, undoubtedly, avery demanding phase but a vitalone.How many of us have cursed thefuel quantity gauge for the deliberate lying it did? The troubleshooting phase commences with a blockof instruction on troubleshootingthe capacitance type fuel system.The use of testing equipment andmethod of calibrating and replacing the system are explained.Operation and maintenance ofthe different ignition systems (magnetos and turbine engine ignitions)are presented. Also included is extensive use of the ignition analyzer.

    AC power systems are thoroughly covered with emphasis on theCH-47 helicopter. This is followedby a block covering miscellaneoussystems such as the wiring systemof a turbine propeller, wiring ofthe rescue hoist and lighting, heating, deicing, warning and armament systems.The final 4 weeks is similar toon-the-job training. Emphasis isplaced on troubleshooting procedures. This includes maximum useof such aircraft as the UH-lCH-47, AH-IG, OH-6, 0 1 andthe U-6. Several systems boardsare used to simplify many of the

    tudent overhauling aircraft starter

    tudents working o UH ID trainer

    systems before going on to the aircraft. While there is close supervision, student initiative is remarkable. Many classes have advancedbeyond the scope of the program;one class rebuilt and completelyrewired a U -6 and another didconsiderable work in repairing acrash-damaged CH-47 and anOV-l prop feathering system. Instructors evaluate students on theirabilities to discharge their dutiesor assigned jobs during this phase.Throughout the course, of which70 percent is practical application,emphasis is placed on the use oftechnical manuals, troubleshootingand repair rather than remove andreplace.The better students from thegraduating class are retained to attend the 68F30 Instrument RepairCourse. At graduation each student's remark is the same: I wantto ride in a helicopter "s members of this elite teamof aviation we can take great pridein our electricians. And, althoughat times it may seem simpler tohave the crew chief maintain theelectrical system, the electricianhas been trained to perform theseduties. He has demonstrated hisabilities and knowledge-now let'suse him.

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    AboutFace

    READ

    Change 1 to FM 1-40, dated15 July 1970 has been published by DA and should be in thehands of using units. It partiallysupersedes FM 1-110. Next changeto FM 1-100 CDCAVNA) willcomplete supersession of 1-110.Got any gripes, complaints orother comments about aviation-type training literature? I f so,write them down on DA Form2028 and send direct to Commandant, USAA VNS, ATTN:ATSAV-DL-L, Ft. Rucker, Ala.36360. The Office of Doctrine Development, Literature and Plans,USAAVNS, is the responsibleagency for updating FMs, TMs,A TTs, ATPs and ASubjScd 's atUSAA VNS. Comments welcome.

    Army aviators, FM 1-105, ArmyAviation Techniques and Procedures, is printed in pocket-sizeformat. Remove the applicable portions for the job you are doing andcarry them in your flight suit.Change 1 is in print now. Change 2is due soon.O n 23 .October 1970 MajorPatrick H. Brady became thefirst Army aviator to receive theValor Medal originated in 1953by the American Legion Aviators'Post No. 743, New York City.

    ~ a j o r Brady was awarded theMedal of Honor last year for hisDECEMBER 1970

    daring and skilled evacuation ofwounded men in the Republic ofVietnam.The Valor Medal previously hadbeen awarded only to rated AirForce members participating in a"conspicuous act of valor or courage performed during an aerialflight." A recent change in theby-laws of Aviators' Post No. 743authorizes the presentation of threeValor Medals-to include ratedmembers of the Army, Navy andAir Force. Permission to wear theValor Ribbon was first granted in1953 by the Chief of Staff, U. S.Air Force. Paper work is beingprocessed by the Army and Navyto permit its selected member toreceive the medal on the samebasis as the Air Force. It is theonly civilian award accorded thishonor.

    General Andrew 1. Goodpaster,Supreme Allied Commander,Europe, recently presented the357th Aviation Detachment with aspecial award for its unblemishedflying safety record.A T ASCOM unit assigned to theNATO/ SHAPE Support Group

    US), the 357th received theaward at Chievres Air Base, Belgium, for having achieved the bestCategory Four accident- and incident-free record in USAREURthis year.The organization has received aflying safety certificate every year

    since its inception in 1966. Butthis year's presentation took onspecial significance inasmuch as theunit has amassed more accidentfree flying time than any otherUSAREUR-based detachment inthe Category Four class. The 357thhas logged over 618 hours in theair this year.

    Fash The October InstrumentCorner question concerning fil-ing IFR to a no procedure turn(no PT) fix although correct atthe time of printing, has beenchanged by Section I I of the DODFLIP dated 15 October 1970. Youmay file to a no PT fix if, and onlyif, it is depicted as an initial approach fix IAF) on the appropriate approach plate.

    Instlument DlnelQ. Why do the FLIP low altitudeenroute charts depict only somecompass locator beacons and notall?A. IACC No.1 Specifications forFLIP Enroute Low Altitude Charts-US indicates that compass lo-cator beacons sha II be shown onthe enroute chart only when usedeither as an aid to airway navaga-tion or for local control in termi-nal areas where area charts arenot available. This also is true forlocalizer courses so when plan-ning a flight utilize the IFR Sup-plement in addition to the en-route charts to obtain radio aidsto navigation.

    21

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    I ~ ~ I J P I P E L I N E ) ~ ~ ~ I+:+ ~ ~:;: ROGER THAT+ +yy y+:+ W OW THOSE who replied there are bound to be some dis- one copy of the DIGEST. Another +y y+:+ to the DIGEST s Pipeline gruntled readers. Several criticized mentioned that the only copies of +y yt survey published in August certain- the lack of specifics in accident re- the DIGEST seen by some 40 avia- :;: ly were not afraid to express ports, but publishing aircraft tail tors in his advanced course were ::;: themselves. One or two of the numbers, locations and names is two or three copies in the school ::;: comments were . . . well, ahem. . . forbidden by AR 385-40, para- library. And many wanted to know:;:;: let's say shocking. But almost all graph 1-4. A lieutenant colonel how to go about getting the :+:+ of the comments we received were said the magazine should be writ- DIGEST. These questions are an- +s +t constructive and solidly endorsed ten more plainly, while a captain swered on the facing page. +yt the magazine. stated it was written too simply The DIGEST is distributed to ac- :;: In analyzing the replies we found (what're you gonna do?). Then tive duty units under the pinpoint *:;: we had a bonanza of ideas, com- there was the chief warrant officer distribution system; that is, it is ::;: ments and suggestions on our who desires Pearl au nature/ . And sent directly from the printer to:;: hands. We learned that everyone to the captain who has never had those which have requested it on :s wanted us to expand our coverage an accident and writes that we go DA Form 12-4. These units are +t +s in the particular area in which he overboard on safety, we can only entitled to as many copies as they +y A:. was interested. For instance, main- sincerely hope that he continues to need. .y h Ay tenance types requested more on get more t an his share of luck. Now here's a look at what's in .y fi d 1 t P b bl h h l the mill: .::: mamtenance, xe wmg pI 0 S ro a y t e most eaVI yi wanted more on fixed wing, air marked area of the questionnaire For those of you who wanted traffic controllers asked for more was the reader evaluation of our more on IFR, we have initiated a +s . on air traffic control, etc. regular features such as Charlie regular but modest quiz to be in- +s y We'd like to comply with each and Danny, USAASO Sez and eluded in the Potpourri featurey As of these requests. But the DIGEST Maintenance Matters. We felt we each month with the able assistancey h As has only so much space and since ad a good thing in our features of the Evaluation Division, Direc- it is the Army's only aviation and your replies proved it. How- tor of Instruction, USAA VNS, Ft. ::i: safety magazine it cannot be limited ever, for those who bemoaned the Rucker, Ala. ::i: to one area. t must include cover- loss of Frozzleforth and Pearl More regular info on new and ::i: age of all operational aspects of please note Son of Frozzleforth revised FMs, TMs and regulations :.:. Army aviation as dictated by its who appeared in the October 1970 each month courtesy of the Office, .y A.:. mission, which is printed on the issue, and there may yet appear Doctrine, Development, Literature .:i: inside front cover of each issue. Cousin of Frozzleforth, an ace and Plans, USA A VNS. : T f d h h . A f . le maJonty 0 rea ers, owever, mec allIC. s or Pearl, plans are Several ATC articles along .:;: were pleased with the variety of indefinite at the moment. with coverage of IFR problems. ::i: subject areas now covered. In fact, Many readers stated that they Your enthusiastic response to ::i: over 98 percent of the hundreds of have trouble getting the DIGEST. the survey was most appreciated. :.:. replies received stated that the This seems to be a continuing There were many real morale +:* . DIGEST was always helpful and in- problem which has been mentioned boosters to be found in your re- .y A.:* teresting. Only 18 persons did not in every previous survey . One avia- plies. But please, please don 't wait .. I k h ( . .* 1 e t e magazme. tor a conscIentious young aviation until the next survey to make com- .:i: Naturally in a magazine cover- safety officer) said that his unit ments. Any time you feel you have ::i: ing as many areas as the DIGEST had 43 aviators but received only something to say, drop us a line. :.: .

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    .........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................t tOW TO GET THE IGESTh hh h* THE U. S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST is an off ic ia l Department of the Army monthly publi- * cat ion for those having an in teres t in Army aviat ion. Off ic ia l dis t r ibu t ion of theh magazine is handled by The Adjutant General. hh hh h+ Active Army requests for both in i t ia l issue and revisions to an account are submitted +V - VV on DA Form 12-4, Requirements for Department of the Army Administrative Publications Vi Other Than Regulations and Circulars. The completed 12-4 is submitted to the iV VV Vt Conunanding Officer tV USA AG Publications Center VX Xt_ 2800 Eastern Boulevard _tt_ Baltimore, Maryland 21220 _th hh hh hh Deta1'led t f . th f d th t t f t i i hlnsLruc 10ns or prepar1ng e orm an 0 er per 1nen 1n orma on s pro- hf vided on the back of the D Form 12-4. +T VV VV VX U. S. Army National Guard and Reserve units should submit th e i r requests for the U. S. RMY X:i: AVIATION DIGEST on D Form 12-4 - :fh ~h hh Air Force and Air Force auxi l iary elements submit requests to h~ hh h+ Headquarters, United States Air Force AFDASDC) +V Vt Washington, D. C. 20330 -:V VV VV ~ v y and Marine Corps act iv i t ies submit their requests to VV - VX Xh Director, Navy Publications and Print ing Service hf- Building 157, Third Floor +V Vt Washington Navy Yard -:: : Washington, D. C. 20390 : y ty VX Coast Guard units submit requests to Y+ tV VX Conunandant CAM) Xh U. S. Coast Guardh 1300 E. Stree t NW ~h ~h Washington, D. C. 20591 ~+ +VV Off ic ia l d is t r ibut ion is B2 made to civ i l ian organizations. The edi tor ia l off ice of VX the AVIATION DIGEST does maintain a limited number of exchange subscriptions for other Xtechnical publications and house organs. Request for an exchange should be made byV le t ter , inclosing a copy of the publication proposed to be exchanged, to the VV VV VV Editor VV Vt U. S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST tV Vt Fort Rucker, Alabama 36360 tV VV VV Paid subscriptions for the AVIATION DIGEST are avai lable from the Government Print ing VV - VV Office a t $4.50 a year for mailing to a domestic or APO address and $5.50 to a foreign Vt address. Individual copies are each. Make your check payable to the Superin- tV tendent of Documents and address your request to the VV VV VV V-:- Superintendent of Documentst Government Print ing Office t:t: Washington, D. C. 20402 :th h.:

    DECEMBER 1970 23

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    C Jollie ond DonnY s Write-InD EAR DANNY: TM 55-1520-225-10, Chl l page 4-6, figure 4-3 shows the power off autorotative glide for the OH-13S as 40 mph. I have beentaught that 60 mph is the best glide air speed. Whydoesn t the manual get realistic for once?CW2 1. S. B.Danny s answer: Charlie and I do not like to get intothe field of teachlng techniques, but we have neverfailed to answer a question regarding an operatingprocedure, so here goes. Do you have a copy of TM1-260, dated May 1965, available? I f so look atpage 5-10 and figure 5-2 which shows different ratiosof descent and air speed. For distance range it shows60 to 70 mph with 60 mph being the optimum Sinceit has the slowest rate of descent for that air speedrange. For the slowest rate of descent, disregardingdistance, the speed range is 40 to 50 mph with 45mph giving the slowest rate of descent. For the bestprecision range, w h i c ~ should require the leastamount of control moveml uts, it shows 30 to 40 mphwith 40 mph having the sh.\west rate of descent forthat particular range. So fOt the best control factorand a willingness to accept a slight increase in therate of descent, 40 mph would le the optimum speedwhen you combine the best pn -:iSion and slowestrate of descent range. I agree you 1,ight use 60 mphfor your best range until a suitable landing area isreachable; however, from that point lnd thereafteryou are going to select that partirular ail ~ p e e whichwill .give you the most time and control l f set youraircraft on your selected touchdown spot. So thefigure as quoted in the TM is correct. Hot: e thisclears any doubts that exist in your mind as to the.validity of our technical manuals.Dear Danny and Charlie: I have just been transferred to a unit that has OH-23s and was given aTM 55-1520-206-10, dated October 1965. Is thisthe latest on this aircraft? Do you have any futureplans for the manual?

    W01 A I SDanny s answer: Your letter appeared at a perfectmoment. The manual you have is the latest; however, the dash CL antI the dash 10 are being rewritten and new ones should be distributed in thenear future. Anyone having a suggested change tothe 1965 manual is urged to send it in as soon aspossible. As y u can see from the date of the manual,not too many of your buddies either read or care24

    ooPS

    about it being up-to-date. How about building a fireunder them? Your assistance is needed and desiredon maintaining all manuals. So submit a changewhenever you th ink it s appropriate regardless ofthe date of the manual.Dear Danny: In reading TM 55-1520-210-10, chapter 2, on the engines it lists L-ll and L-IIB engines.What is the difference and how can I tell which oneis in my aircraft? CPT G. E. P.Danny s answer: A good question and I had to dosome digging myself. There is no difference in theexternal dimensions of the L-l l or L-IIB enginesall of it is intemal. The L-ll engine has a K-2 gearreducer with 24 teeth. The L-I1B has a K-4 gearreducer with 26 teeth which is much stronger andmore sophisticated than the K-2 gear. The L-IIBalso has a larger output spline shaft. The L-IIBinternal assembly can absorb more shaft torque andhas a longer life factor. The only way you can teUwhich one is in your aircraft is to check the modelnumber on the data plate of the engine. We hopethis answers your question satisfactorily.Dear Danny: I understand that on the A, C andD model Mohawk external stores located at stations 5 and 6 cannot be jettisoned with the emergency stores release handle if the detonator squib isnot installed in the Aero 15 rack. Is there any way

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    that I can determine during preflight whether thesquib has been installed?MAJ J. C. M.

    Danny's answer: You can't. Neither can you tellwhether there's powder in your ejection seat cartridge. You'll just have to trust that the maintenancetypes d ld their jobs.Dear Danny: We just received the new U-6 operator'-s manual and think it's great, but why were allthe takeoff and landing distances with 30-knot windsremoved? J. P. W. , DACDanny's a1)swer: You must be a ground school instructor. In practice, the only time Peter Pilot"could use that information is when he's flying off anaircraft carrier, and there just are 't many Armytypes flying l.J.06s off flattops these ~ v s Seriously,wind information on t a k e o ~ n d landing charts isnext to useless and will not appe on revised chartsappearing in the operator's manual.Dear Danny: In Mohawk flight school we wentthrough a ground emergency exit drill in which theIP stopped the aircraft and we scrambled out as fastas possible using the side hatches. I a friend

    / _ _ '_ _

    D E C E ~ E R 1970

    O ,to who was involved with testing of the modified ejec- :tion seat and he says that getting out through thetop hatch is best under crash conditions. f this iscorrect, why isn't this information in the TM?

    CPT G. W. L.Danny's answer: Your question is very valid andbased on the research that it stirred up, an emergencyegress p r o ~ e d u r e will be included in the next changepf the OV-l TM and CL. Joint tests conducted bythe manufacturer and the Army show that the fastestway to gef out under most emergency conditions(i. e., gear up, nose or belly on ground, fire, etc:) isthrough the escape hatch. The new CL will r.eflectthe following procedure: Brakes (if applicable)-SET. Props-FEATHERED. Fire handles-PULLED. Escape hatch-JETTISON. Rocket jet fittings-DISCONNECTED.

    Leg lines-DISCONNECTED. Manual override lever-LIFT. Abandon aircraft.

    * * *ound up all those skeptics in your outfit and makethem payoff for telling you it wouldn't do any goodto write.

    1,

    AHA TH CHECKLISTDOESN'T CALL FOR THA

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    TH T CTIC LCL SSROOMTAC-X the final phase of rotary wing training a t FtRucker requires the student rmy aviator to utilizeall the knowledge and skills he has learned Thestudent plans and executes airmobile missions whosesuccess or failure depends solely on his own abilities

    Major Rush R Wicker

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    THE MOTTO We Try Harder is not just a saying for thepersonnel assigned to the TAC-XBranch of the Department of Tac-tics, U. S Army Aviation School,Ft. Rucker, Ala. -it s w y tlite The instructor pilots who areassigned to this branch are all com-bat veterans who have served inthe Republic of Vietnam and offernew and better ways of employingthe helicopter in counterinsurgencywarfare. As a result of these ex-periences, the program as it istaught represents the very latest inairmobility concepts. I t is the re-sponsibility of these experiencedaviators to teach the student pilothow to apply his newly acquiredflying skills in a tactical environ-ment.

    The student pilot who enters theclassroom for his initial briefing atLowe Army Airfield is greeted bya sign welcoming him to the branchwhich reads: Welcome to TAC-X,the tactical classroom of the ArmyA viation School, known through-out the world as the birthplace ofthe Army tactical aviator. I t isn'tlong after entering that the studentbecomes aware that the course ofinstruction will require him to putto use all the knowledge and skillsthat he possesses as a student Armyaviator. Even more significant isthe fact that his leadership abilityis being put to the test. Upon thecompletion of the briefing, studentsfrequently admit that the challengewhich is before them is greaterthan any requirement that the AnnyA viation School has presented.

    For those who have been ap-pointed to command positions thereare many long hours of planningfor the combat assault which willbe conducted on the first trainingday. The environment is no longersolely academic; the decisions madeby these students will either result

    he TAC-X facilit ies located 5 milesfrom Ft. Rucker recently were enlargedDECEMBER 1970

    in the successful accomplishmentof the mission or its failure. Thestudent leader must concern him-self with all aspects of the missionsuch as route of flight, location ofartillery base camps, enemy situa-tion, weather conditions, time ontarget and the utilization of as-signed gun teams.The first operation the studentsbecome familiar with is the execu-tion of a platoon size assault witheight helicopters into an area whichhas been reported as an enemyinfiltration route. After departingfrom the staging area at LoweAAF, and while enroute, the stu-dent aviator is required to contacthis artillery coordination center toensure that his route of flight willnot cross the gun target line. Con-tact also is made with the airbornecommand and control aircraft topinpoint the position of his flightand the estimated time of arrival.Although preparatory artillerystrikes are programed, it is at thistime that the flight is advised thatartillery is firing into the landingzone. It becomes increasingly im-portant for the student to exert

    positive control over his flight andassigned gun teams.Through careful planning thestudent leader attains separationwithin the flight, for he knows thatthe landing zone will only safelyaccommodate one helicopter at atime. The first lift should be settingdown 15 seconds of the sched-uled H hour. Dropping off troopsand departing as rapidly as possi-ble is a very important teachingpoint and is soon realized when thetrial helicopter calls on short final.Additional troops have been pre-positioned in a nearby secure pick-up zone (PZ) for insertion into thelanding zone (LZ). As each heli-copter drops his troops he immedi-ately proceeds to the PZ, picks upmore troops and returns again. Anoverall view of the exercise showsaircraft landing in the LZ, pickingup troops in the PZ and others enroute to these two locations. Thisoperation is called a daisy chainand is a common occurrence inVietnam.Within the area of operationsfour missions involving 48 helicop-ters are conducted simultaneously.

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    Students practice rapid refueling during operations t the ungle Warfare School

    Every effort is made to recreate asnearly as possible an actual combatsituation. Artillery simulators aredetonated on the ground, aggressortroops play the role of enemy soldiers and gunships report positionsof enemy fire. This plus the addedcomments of the instructors, contribute to a realistic and effectivetraining environment.

    The requirements that have beenplaced upon the students are difficult and in many cases result in anunsuccessful mission. It is onlythrough this experience that thestudents are able to profit by theirmistakes.Throughout the initial week oftraining students are confrontedwith basically the same type ofmissions outlined. As the programadvances the problems become increasingly more difficult and lessassistance is provided by the instructor pilots. The climax of thefirst week of training is reachedwhen the students are required toconduct the entire mission solo.The operation is entirely planned28

    and executed by the students. Theresults are reassuring since the operations are normally well plannedand conducted in a professionalmanner.Flying helicopters and conducting combat operations are onlypart of T AC-X's contribution tothe student's education. Locatedsouthwest of Ft. Rucker is an

    rmy base camp typical of thosefound in Vietnam. It is here thatstudents are exposed to a fieldenvironment. The students live intents and eat at a field mess. Activities such as operational briefings concerning anticipated combatoperations, physical training andacademic instruction occupy thestudent's time.A true Vietnamese atmospherewould not be complete without analert. On the fourth day of trainingin the field the base camp is hitby the enemy and students arebriefed ahead of time as to wherethey must report. Less than 30minutes after the alert has beensounded the rotors of 48 helicop-

    ters are turning in preparation fora night combat assault.On Monday of the second weekthe operational area shifts from theimmediate vicinity of Ft. Rucker tothe Jungle Warfare School located25 miles northwest of Fort WaltonBeach, Fla. Here, students learn toconduct actual troop lifts. Information is received that aggressorforces are about to overrun theRanger camp and that the 130thAviation Battalion will provide theairmobile assets to counteract thisthreat. With this information thestudents are required to plot theircourse and establish their command and control procedures. Liftoff is planned at first light. Twocompanies of 24 helicopters eachparticipate in the exercise. Thetrip, which takes an hour's flighttime, is quite educational for manyof the students find navigation atan altitude of 100 feet difficult.On arrival in the area of operation, the helicopters land at asecure staging field where the students practice hot refueling. Th