UNITED ARMY AVIATION

DIRECTOR OF ARMY AVIATION, ACSFOR

DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
COL Jack W. Hemingway
COMMANDANT, U. S. ARMY AVIATION SCHOOL
MG Delk M. Oden
ASST COMDT, U. S. ARMY AVIATION SCHOOL
COL M. H. Parson
DIGEST EDITORIAL STAFF
LTC Robert E. luckenbill , Chief
Richard K. Tierney, Editor
William H. Smith
CPT F. J . lewels
Marlan Jones
linda McGowan
GRAPHIC ART SUPPORT
Harold G. linn
Harry A. Pickel
Dorothy l. Crowley
Angelo A. Akin
DIRECTOR, U. S. ARMY BOARD FOR AVIAnON
ACCIDENT RESEARCH
COL Russell P. Bonasso
USABAAR PUBLICATIONS AND GRAPHICS DIV
Pierce l. Wiggin, Chief
William E. Carter
Jack Deloney
Ted Kontos
Charles Mabius
Patsy Thompson
Mary W. Windham
27TH ANNIVERSARY COVER
Army aviation was born on 6 June
1942. A few months later--on 9
November 1942-the late Colonel
Ford E. Allcorn became the first
Army aviator in combat when he
flew his L4 from the USS Ranger
during the invasion of North Africa
JUNE 1969 VOLUME 15 NUMBER 6
36
VIEWS FROM READERS
COMBAT NIGHT AIR ASSAULT, COL Kenneth D. Mertel
CLIMB TO FAME
THE CARE AND USE OF THE AIRCRAFT REPAIR
TECHNICIAN (NON-RATED) CW2 Robert R. Vaughan Jr.
HANGAR FL YI NG! WHY NOT? I nstructor Pilots
ANNUAL MINIMUMS, LTC Roger D. Byrd
DEVELOPMENTS IN AIRMOBILITY IN THE UNITED STATES
ARMY, LTC Donald F. Harrison
TRACO, MAJ Richard H_ Seignious
AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL SCHOOL, MAJ Peter H. Mitchell
THE ARMY'S W-STOL, Bill Herman
AVIATION WO CAREER PROGRAM, CPT F. J. Lewels
CRASH SENSE-UNIT TRAINING SENSE
MAJ Chester Goolrick
TELL IT LIKE IT IS, COL Robert M. Hamilton
UNBELIEVABLE! Pierce Wiggin
PEARL'S
COLLATERAL-TO HANG OR DECORATE
LTC H. L. "Rip" Collins
USMSO SEZ
The mission of the U. S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST is to provide information of an operational
or functional nature concerning safety and aircraft accident prevention, trainin9, maintenance,
operations, research and development, aviation medicine, and other related data.
The DIGEST is an official Department of the Army periodical published monthly under the
supervision of the Commandant, U. S. Army Aviation School. Views expressed herein are not
necessarily those of Department of the Army or the U. S. Army Aviation School. Photos are
U. S. Army unless otJterwise specified. Material may be reprinted 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 to: Editor, U. S. Army Aviation Digest, Fort Rucker, Ala. 36360.
Use of funds for printing this publication has been approved by Headquarters, Department
of the Army, 3 November 1967.
Active Army units receive distribution under the pinpoint distribution system as outlined in
AR 3101. Complete DA Form 12-4 and send directly to CO, AG Publications Center, 2800
Eastern Boulevard, Baltimore, Md. 21220. For any change in distribution requirements, initiate a
revised DA Form 12-4.
National Guard and Army Reserve units submit throu9h their State adjutants
general and U. S. Army Corps commanders respectively.
For those not eligible for official distribution or who desire personal copies of the DIGEST,
paid subscriptions, $4.SO domestic and $5.50 overseas, are available from the Superintendent of
Documents, U. S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D. C. 20402.
1
2
8
10
14
17
20
25
28
32
35
36
49
54
58
60
64
ViI ws FDoMR
AD s
History is sometimes summed up as
the dead facts of yesteryear-interest-
ing but of little value. Although we
should not live in the past, neither
should we try ,to live in the future. To
do so makes for an unrealistic present.
Yet, to some extent, today and tomor-
row are based on yesterday for, as
human beings, we evolve ideas slowly
and progress is rarely made by great
leaps forward. Progress is, in the main,
empirical and history allows the past
to point the way to the future. .
In Army aviation, our heritage is
most important. We can take pride in
everyone's contribution to our pro-
gram.-::from Thaddeus Lowe and his
balloon to Ford Allcorn and the L-4s,
from the historic happenings in the
Korean War up to the most recent
event five minutes ago in Vietnam. The
significant events become our heritage
and form that precious moral valUe.
caned pride. Pride is part of esprit and
esprit is the catalyst which holds a
fighting force together.
Unless this heritage is documented
faithfully and passed on to succeeding
generations in Army aviation, a vital
part of their education is neglected.
Each year the AVIATION DIGEST
dedicates an issue to the vital conn;.bu-
tions which constitute our heritage.
We trust that you will enjoy this one.
The Editors
* * *
CW4 J. P. Ervin, who helped estab-
lish the pending world altitude records
(see page 8), is not only an accom-
plished aviator, but also an excellent
photographer. He has provided the
DIGEST with the three outstanding
photographs iIIu trating the article
"Physical Fitne s" in the April issue
and the back cover of the January is-
sue. Also, Mr. Ervin contributed the
photos which were elected for the De-
cember 1968 and February 1969
DIGEST covers and many others which
have been slated for publication in
future issues.
Good photography, as wen as good
constitute a continuing need
for the DIGEST and are most wel-
come at any time. Mr. Ervin's deep
interest in Army aviation is indicated
by the time and expense incurred by
him in his efforts to give the DIGEST
the best possible photographic cover-
age. With Mr. Ervin's retirement last
JUNE 1969
month, the taft wishes to publicly
thank him for the many hours of his
own time he ha given to support the
DIGEST, and to wish him every suc-
cess in future endeavors. The Editors
* * *
Sir:
Reference your November issue
showing a Du toff ship with its medic
standing outside in short sleeves, with
no gloves, etc., which drew con ider-
able criticism from other reader, i.e.,
January jab by Major Don MurphY. I
happened to be the aircraft commander
of that ship in late 64 or early 65 when
the picture was taken. The oldtimers
remember when you wouldn't be caught
dead with your sleeves rolled down.
Our weapons were the initial issue of
AR-15s and everyone flew with an old
.45 holstered in a cowboy pi tol belt
tucked between your legs for an added
sense of security. We didn't have sur-
vival radios with voice capability and
only one out of maybe 200 pen gun
flares would work (the supply officer
and I fired the entire stock one day
and didn't get one to light). Agreed,
we weren't too smart in those days, but
the H-21 had all been turned in and
Army aviation wa growing.
Time have changed and equipment
has improved. Techniques have changed
and support has gotten better (wish we
had arty preps in the LZ before we
landed at Dong Xoai and at Hotsville).
This means that we have had to change
also, not only in the sense of a little
more grey hair and a few more ankle
biters around the house, but aloin
the professional attitude that we take
toward this war. The old APH-5 (vin-
tage 1964) which was so comfortable,
took an AK-47 round which entered
the front and exited over my left ear.
The old green gal has been reverently
placed away and now I wear a ballistic
hat that hurt like hell after a few
hours of wear, but I strap it on so
tight that I have permanent indenta-
tions. I use, and in i t that my pilots
and crews use, all equipment avai lable
to them. We con tantly di cuss and
work on flying technique to outwit
"Charlie" becau e if a Du toff ship
loaded with " per onnel went down
coming out of an LZ it would be a
terrible morale bu ter. As a result,
they can hover that beast down in
between the trees with mi"nimum clear-
ance, in pitch black darkness, under
fire and still laugh about it at breakfa t.
Professionalism is a real challenge to
all of u whether it' wearing available
equipment, developing and using new
technique , improving radio procedures,
insuring that a complete pre-flight is
done or any of the other myriad thing
which we mu t do to protect and ad-
vance the image of Army aviation.
Heard a Ma ter aviator a while back
state that we have done the impossible
so long that the ground tribes expect
it daily and he proclaimed that we have
completely over-extended Army avia-
tion. Can't disagree with him more and
we will prove him wrong if we con-
tinue in a strict professional manner
and learn from our mistakes just as I
have since the picture was made back
in the old days. So if the AVIATION
DTGE T wants to keep up with the rest
of us, I would suggest a file cleaning
and get some current picture , i.e., your
January issue had a fine article entitled,
"Combat Infantryman or Aviator? (Or
Both)." The tall , handsome, captain
aviator, with sleeves rolled up, sun
shades on, wearing a per onal sidearm,
who spent more time in country than
Ho Chi Minh, i a Dustoff pilot by the
name of LTC Paul Bloomqui t, known
much better by his nickname of BUB
(Big Ugly Bear ). The picture must
have been made in 64 or 65 when the
Dustoff mob shared the west end of
Tan Son Nhut with the UTI (new
guys, try to figure -out which unit that
is now). We are keeping up, DIGEST,
how about you?? Need any current
pictures? Come visit us at Cu Chi.
Major Douglas E. Moore
159th Medical Detachment
(Hel Amb)
APO San Francisco 96353
Ouch!-Major Moore has discov-
ered our Achilles' beel, which is a distinct
lack of an adequate input of current
photos with which to' illustrate articles
in the DIGEST.
We need all types of photo ; terrain,
weather, personnel, air-to-ground, etc.
and from wherever Army aviation per-
sonnel and aircraft are based, to in-
clude such exotic spots as Iran, Turkey,
Ethiopia and Greece.
We depend on you field types for
support so please get your cards and
photos on the way-and thereby help
us avoid those slings and arrows.
The Editors
1
Night Air
The author asserts that airmobile units capable of conduct-
ing good daytime operations, which have good SOPs and effi-
cient commanders can execute effective night air assaults ...
F
EW NIGHT AIR assaults
were employed in the Vietnam
War prior to arrival of the 1 st
Cavalry Division (Airmobile) in
II Corps Tactical Zone in August-
September 1965. The first two
night air assaults under fire were
conducted by a single company in
one battalion of the 1st Cav. The
following combat examples detail
the specifics of those two night air
assaults, the first on 3-4 Novem-
ber 1965, the second 30 March
1966.
These night air assaults set the
stage for further night operations
against the Viet Cong (VC) and
the North Vietnamese Army
(NVA) , not only in the 1st Cav
but in other U.S. and South Viet-
namese Army units in Vietnam.
B altle of I a Drang: The battle
of 3-4 November 1965, in which
"A" Company of the Jumping
Mustang Battalion (1st Bn, Abn
8th Cav) executed a first night
combat air assault into an :!nemy
held landing zone under fire, was
the first in Vietnam, first in the 1st
Cav and first in the history of the
United States Army.
"A" Company was released to
operational control of the CO, 1st
of the 9th Cavalry Squadron, to
move to Duc Co at 1815 hours.
The mission was to initiate a
night air assault in support of the
1st of the 9th.
2
Colonel Kenneth D. Mertel
The action of the 1 st of the 9th
Cavalry on the Ia Drang River,
part of the Ia Drang Campaign, l
began with a mission from the
assistant division commander di-
recting a reconnaissance in force.
A patrol base was established in
the afternoon, north of the Ia
Drang River, close to the Cambo-
dian border. It was anticipated
escaping North Vietnamese Army
units would use the several with-
drawal routes and excellent trails
that paralleled the Ia Drang River
and led across into Cambodia.
Three ambushes and two observa-
tion posts were set out along these
likely routes.
At 2105, the south ambush was
triggered. The ambush force was
then withdrawn to the patrol base
and occupied the southern sector
of the base perimeter.
Shortly after, at 2200 hours,
the first NV A attack was initiated
against the patrol base. It was fol-
lowed by four additional attacks
at 2315, 0030, 0115 and 0330
hours. In the intervals between at-
tacks there was constant sniper
fire. During the first attack it was
obvious to the commander on the
ground that if his small force was
not immediately reinforced it
would be overrun.
The commander of the 9th Cav-
alry Squadron, alerted "A" Com-
pany, Jumping Mustangs, for im-
mediate employment to reinforce
the patrol base. In addition all re-
maining ambush platoons were or-
dered to return to the patrol base.
The 3rd Platoon of "A" Com-
pany was alerted for an immediate
air assault. .It was lifted off in six
UH-1D transport helicopters pro-
vided by a Blue Team,2 1 st of the
9th Cavalry, escorted by armed
helicopters (Red Team
3
) from the
squadron.
A flare was dropped from a
C-47 aircraft to illuminate the
landing zone, since a night landing
had not been attempted in that
area before and normal landing
aids were not available. The illu-
mination provided adequate visi-
bility and the platoon was landed
at the fire swept patrol base at
2345 hours. As the lift helicopters
touched down, they came under
intense ground fire which hit every
helicopter in the lift but did not
disable any.
119 Oct 65--12 Nov 65, first major
action of the 1st Cav against an NVA
division
2Blue Team. Rifle platoon with UH-1D
transport helicopters
3Red Team. Two UH-IB armed heli-
copters
U. S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST
The 3rd Platoon took moderate
casualties in assaulting enemy po-
sitions. They advanced to the
southern edge of the landing zone
(LZ) to take up defensive posi-
tions and reinforce the existing
perimeter. This action resulted in
an estimated 30 percent casualties.
Wounded personnel were evacu-
ated under fire to the middle of
the LZ to await further evacuation.
Tube artillery support was not
within range. Consequently Aerial
Rocket Artillery (ARA) had been
requested and were scrambling to
join the mission from, bases near
the Stadium ( code name for
Catecha, a tea plantation).
At 2400 hours the situation was
reported as still deteriorating. The
remaining elements of "A" Com-
pany were committed to conduct
a company air assault, reinforce
the perimeter and hold until the
JUNE 1969
enemy withdrew or reinforcements
could be landed at daylight. On
landing, the already committed
platoon of "A" Company would
revert to parent company control.
The 2nd Platoon and command
group were loaded on the next
available lift helicopters. The air-
craft lifted off and landed in the
LZ under fire at 0020 hours. This
lift was again subject to heavy
ground fire from a range of less than
100 meters, however, none of the
ships were damaged to the point of
not being flyable. This was partially
due to the fact that illumination
was not employed. Pilots stayed
on the ground longer to unload
troops in order to take on casual-
ties of the already committed 3rd
Platoon and evacuate them to safe-
ty. This proved to be the only
method of medical evacuation for
the remainder of the night.
North Vietnamese probes in-
creased in frequency and strength
and several final protective lines
were fired in portions of the perim-
eter. The 81 st Mortar Platoon fired
mortars without firing tables or
plotting boards. All corrections
were made by turns of mortar
hands wheels. During course of fir-
ing, two complete basic loads of
ammunition were fired without in-
flicting friendly casualties. Ammu-
nition supply became critical at
0130 hours and all available am-
munition was received from Duc
Co and other units that could be
reached by helicopter.
The helicopter pilots again
landed in the perimeter under fire,
kicked off ammunition, took on
casualties and lifted out. ARA
from Catecha arrived on station at
0300 hours and after identifying
3
the perimeter executed a profes-
sional job reinforcing fires of the
81 mm mortars.
At 0430 hours contact ceased
with only an occasional burst of
fire at suspicious targets by troops
on the perimeter. Friendly person-
nel moved more freely and began
carrying dead and their equipment
to central locations and began, for
the first time, to make an accurate
assessment of casualties.
At first light, "A" Company as-
saulted from its perimeter in a
walking "mad minute."4 The as-
sault moved several hundred
meters out and halted. Observa-
tion posts were left at the limits of
the assault and the remainder of
"A" Company completed its mis-
sion. It had reinforced and held
the perimeter until reinforcements
landed.
This action was the first violent
attack "A" Company had partici-
pated in since arrival in Vietnam.
This full scale baptism by fire oc-
curred in as difficult a situation as
could be imagined. This reinforce-
ment action was the first air assault
in the history of the United States
Army conducted at night by heli-
copters while a unit was engaged
in direct contact with the enemy.
Operation LINCOLN: The sec-
ond combat night air assault in the
history of airmobile warfare took
place on the night 30 March 1966.
"A" Company, 1st of the 8th,
again was the Infantry unit, this
time in a pre-planned night air
assault mission-the first actual
planned night air assault in Viet-
nam by the 1 st Cav and the sec-
ond to be executed by this airmo-
bile company.
'A technique for discouraging infiltra-
tion of enemy personnel to within
effective ranges of friendly troops. It
consisted of each soldier spraying his
sector of fire to include trees at a
specified time, usually just after dark
or slightly before dawn
The second phase of Operation
LINCOLN required an assault be-
ginning 1 April into Chu Pong
which is a large mountain mass
south of the la Drang River, near
the Cambodian border, in which
large numbers of NVA and VC
were believed to be hiding. This
action was a combined operation
of three brigades: the 1st Airborne
Brigade; 3rd Brigade; and the 3rd
Brigade, 25 th Infantry Division.
The 3rd Brigade of the 25th
operated to the north of the Chu
Pong, our 3rd Brigade on the east
of the Chu Pong mass and the 1 st
Airborne Brigade in the south. The
1 st Airborne Brigade moved in,
encircled its portion of the moun-
tain for the assault of the massif
itself. By use of airmobile tech-
niques, troops were landed on all
high peaks with the usual tech-
nique of working down the slopes,
searching for VC and NVA.
On the afternoon of 30 March,
the 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry
attempted to extract a rifle platoon
(Blue Team) of the 1st of the 9th
Cavalry that had landed south of
Chu Pong to capture three VC.
The VC were located first by a
White Team (OH-13 Scouts) .
They called for reinforcements and
a Blue Team moved in to capture
the VC. The platoon ran into at
least an enemy company and were
soon heavily engaged.
"A" Company, 1st of the 12th,
was committed to secure and ex-
tract elements of the cavalry troop,
and continue the mission to de-
velop the situation and destroy the
enemy in that area. The rifle pla-
toon of the cavalry troop was ex-
tracted, however "A" Company
became heavily engaged and suf-
fered a number of casualties.
In the meantime, four UH-IDs
from the cavalry squadron were
shot down, three of them total
losses. An effort was made to ex-
tract the rifle company, however
Troops are unloaded on high peaks and work their way down t he slopes
one CH-47 attempting a landing in
the only available small LZ was
seriou ly damaged by fire. It man-
aged to land safely, blocking the
LZ, but could not be flown out
again.
The brigade commander made
the decision to leave the company
in position for the night. A spo-
radic fire fight continued through-
out the early hours of the evening.
Ammunition resupply was dropped
in by low level parachute extraction
from cargo planes that executed
low passes over the LZ prior to
dark.
During the early part of the eve-
ning, it was obvious more enemy
were in the area than anticipated.
It was possible "A" Company
would run into trouble during the
night, as the VC reinforced its
positions. The company was out of
range of tube artillery and was
depending entirely on ARA and
tactical air support. Although
ARA fire was directed effectively,
Few different problems are in-
herent in the logistics aspects. Re-
Combat Night Air Assault
it was still essential to have tube
artillery available.
Plans were made to execute a
night air assault of one rifle com-
pany from the 1 st of the 8th, se-
cure an LZ close enough to the
area of operations to move an
artillery battery by Chinook to pro-
vide tube artillery support for the
engaged rifle company.
"A" Company, 1 st of the 8th,
was in reserve, and thus selected
to make the second night combat
air assault in the history of the 1 st
Cav.
"A" Co, 1 st of the 8th, air as-
saulted into the area without any
prior reconnaissance, either by
company or battalion commander,
and most important, without prior
reconnaissance by aviators of the
227th Assault Helicopter Battal-
tion unit and the airmobile Infan- supply and medical evacuation
try company or battalion. There is must all be planned as in any nor-
little real difference in the conduct mal air assault operation.
of an air assault at night in com- Intelligence and reconnaissance
parison with one important in the initial
conditions. The same . to obtain best available
movement, firepower, command bout the enemy, spe-
and control, intelligence and re- the pro-
connaissance 0 istics still ap-
ply. As in any TIl tion,
however, little things are
portant and detailed planning,
hearsals and a good standard
procedure are most es-
sential.
'A , .
made under the most a v
weather conditions possible in or-
der to take advantage of the
weather for the assault and gain
surprise on an unsuspecting enemy.
Illumination may be used, how-
with navigational aids and
Pathfinder operations inherent .
the 1 Cav today, illumination
not . Naviga
included in ini
t'I"",,,,,,,,,,,o.. in order to
either fi
light or ctar'km:ss:'
The activities and operations of
"N' Company, 1st Battalion, 8th
Cavalry, on 3-4 November 1965
and 30 March 1966 are ample
proof that night air assault opera-
tiop.s are practical and can be suc-
cessfully conducted. They have set
the stage fa r numerous night
conducted not only
JUNE 1969
Hi-I'm Charlie Check-
list. Me and my big
brother Danny Dash 10
will be appearing in the
AVIATION DIGEST when-
ever you have questions
for us to answer or when
we have information to
pass on concerning sta-
tus of and latest changes
to DA checklists and
dash lOs. Look for us in
future issues.
Questions regarding dash lOs
and checklists should be di-
rected to:
Chief, Evaluation Division
Director of Instruction
ATTN: Charlie Checklist
U. S. Army Aviation 'School
Ft Rucker, Alabama 36360
7
Climb To
Fame
"TWA 291 this is ATe, be
advised there's a
at your 9 o'clock position
descending out of 27,000
feet at a rate of 4,000 feet
per minute"
A
s 1968 DREW TO A CLOSE
two Army warrant officers en-
tered a race with time and ended
the year with four new world al-
titude records which have been
verified by the National Aeronau-
tic Association.
CW 4 James P. Ervin of Pt.
Rucker, Ala. , and CW3 William
T. Lamb of Pt. Sill, Okla. , were
asked to attempt the new world
marks at the Sikorsky plant in
Stratford, Conn. , in an off-the-
shelf CH-54A Flying Crane.
Ervin explained the Crane was
basically the same as any CH-
54A in the Army's inventory.
"We had very little modifica-
tion. The APP hoist and four-
point load-levelers were removed to
reduce the weight by about 2,000
pounds. Also, both hydraulic sys-
tems were pressurized, even though
the only probable adverse effect
would have been a slower response
to the controls without equalized
pressure.
On 24 Dec. Ervin and fonner
Army aviator and Sikorsky test
pilot John J. Dixon made their first
attempt to set time-to-climb rec-
ords and a new maximum altitude
record.
"We set the 3,000 meter (9,762
feet) record in 1 minute and 48.5
seconds and the 6,000 meter (19,-
Chief Warrant Officer James P. Ervin
(right> and Chief Warrant Officer William
T. Lamb stand next to the CH-S4A Flying
Crane in which they set four official
altitude records
U. S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST
524 feet) mark in 4 minutes .8
second. When we went through
28,000 feet we had an increase of
800 pounds in the second stage
hydraulic system so we aborted
our attempts for the 9,000 meter
(29,286 feet) and maximum alti-
tude records," Ervin said.
The next record attempts were
made on 29 Dec. by Ervin and
MAJ James H. Goodloe of Ft.
Sill, Okla. They were after the
5,000 kilogram (11 ,023 pound)
payload-to-altitude record and had
reached feet before adverse
winds and excess fuel set them
back. Despite several later attempts
they were unable to take the record
from the Soviet Union who estab-
lished the record 23,461.2 feet on
26 May 1965 in a Mil 10 heli-
copter.
On 30 Dec. Ervin and Lamb
attempted to break the horizontal
flight altitude, 9,000 meter time-
to-climb and absolute altitude
records.
Lamb piloted the Crane to more
than 9,000 meters but was .2 sec-
ond shy of the 3 percent excess
required for time-to-climb records.
He held in level flight for 2
minutes and increased his speed
from 34 knots to 45 knots. Reg-
ulations require that level flight be
maintained for at least 90 seconds
and airspeed must be increased.
After the level flight, Lamb climbed
to 34,500 feet, and mape another
level run and increased his air-
speed.
The altitude, however, was not
sufficient to set a new absolute
altitude record and the camera ran
out of film so the horizontal flight-
at-altitude record was established
at 31,280 feet, the lower level
flight run.
N ext Ervin and Goodloe were
to another 5,000 kilogram-
to-altitude run.
Ervin said the temperatures
were cool and the total amount of
fuel had been reduced to 2,400
pounds; 3,200 pounds of fuel had
JUNE 1969
been carried on the previous at-
tem pt. The men flew the aircraft
to 22,217 feet which was still too
low for the record.
Ervin and Lamb teamed up
again for another try at the 9,000
meter time-to-climb and horizontal
flight-at-altitude records.
Ervin said he had sad memories
of the previous run which could
not be substantiated because the
camera ran out of film. Since
photo certification is needed on
all official record attempts he was
determined he wouldn't turn the
camera on until the very last
minute.
In order to establish a precise
timing for taking off, a light is
mounted in one corner of the
photo panel. This light is con-
nected to an external power source
by means of an easy disconnect
coupling. Once the aircraft lifts,
the coupling disconnects, the light
goes out and the camera will show
the precise second ground was
broken by recording the time on
the stop watch in the first frame
that the light is not illuminated.
Ervin commented that he waited
to turn the camera on until the
coupling was connected. Then the
tower advised him there would be
a short delay, so he continued to
hold off turning on the camera.
"We got the 9,000 meter time-
to-climb and a higher level flight
record. As we were descending
Lamb scanned the gauges and
asked, 'Jim, did you turn the cam-
era off?' Then I realized we had
made the run and I had not turned
the camera on," Ervin stated. As
a result they did not set any official
new records on that run.
The final flight for the series was
an attempt to beat their own time-
to-clim b records for 3,000 and
6,000 and to set a new 9,000 meter
mark.
Ervin remarked that prior to
this time they had used Sikorsky's
published best rate of climb charts.
"I thought it over and decided
that the cleanest air you can get
is that which is coming straight
down, through the top of the disc.
So I decided to try a totally verti-
cal ascension," he said.
Ervin piloted the ship straight
up at vertical speeds exceeding
6,500 feet per minute with zero
forward airspeed through 10,000
feet. He then switched to Sikor-
sky's published climb data at
20,000 feet.
Of the published official records
only the U. S. Navy's F4 Phantom
jet has a faster time to 3,000
meters.
When Ervin went through
30,000 feet he was still climbing
at a rate of 995 feet per minute
but it was too late and dark to
try for the absolute altitude record.
On that single run Ervin set new
records for all three altitudes.
His new marks are: 3,000 me-
ters, 1 minute and 36.8 seconds;
6,000 meters, 3 minutes and 31.5
seconds; and 9,000 meters, 7
minutes and 36.4 secon4s: The
Navy Grumman F8F Bearcat, con-
sidered to be the fastest climbing
U. S. aircraft in World War II,
took two minutes to reach 3,000
meters.
Ervin said that while the at-
tempts carried a lot of pressure
and anxiety, there were lighter
moments too.
Planes were detoured around
the test area by the Federal Avi-
ation Administration's regional air
traffic control center and all radio
communication was tape recorded.
In listening to one of the tapes,
Ervin said ATC radioed a com-
mercial airliner flying at 17,000
feet to "be advised there's a heli-
copter at your 9 o'clock position
descending out of 27,000 feet at
a rate of 4,000 feet per minute."
Ervin said there was a brief
pause, then the airline pilot ex-
claimed, "Good lord, you mean
they're up here now?" Another
pilot could be heard to ask, "What
kind of helicopter is
9
The Care And Use Of
The Aircraft Repair Technician
( non-rated)
The white knight, when properly used, is one of the most
effective of all the chess pieces. Skillful employment of
the knight is the mark of a good commander as is judi-
cious use of the non-rated aircraft repair technician
C
OLONEL John Hargity
(Ret.) put the custom-made
chess set on the polished mahogany
table in front of him. He opened
the case, removed the delicately
carved pieces from their individual
felt-lined compartments and placed
them carefully on their respective
squares on the chess board.
He bought the set in the Phil-
ippines in 1932, while he was as-
signed there as a lieutenant of
Cavalry. All the white pieces were
of ivory and the black were onyx.
It was one of the colonel's most
prized possessions.
. "Good evening sir," Major Jack
Thomas said as he joined the
colonel in the lounge of the Offi-
cer's Club. "I'm sorry I'm a little
late, but I am having some prob-
lems with replacement personnel."
"Quite all right major," COL
Hargity replied. "I'm not so long
retired from the Army that I can't
understand administrative prob-
lems."
MAJ Thomas began arranging
his chess pieces for the game. He
picked up a black knight and
looked at it. It was a beautifully
carved figure of a knight in full
armor, astride a pawing stallion.
10
CW2 Robert R. Vaughan Jr.
"You know," he said, "this is cer-
tainly beautiful workmanship to be
wasted on a knight."
"Eh? What's that you say?"
COL Hargity barked. "Wasted on
a knight?"
"Yes sir, the knight is such a
fine-looking chess piece, but he is
probably the most useless on the
board. Even a pawn can be pro-
moted."
COL Hargity held the knight in
his hand. He tested the point of
the raised lance with the tip of his
finger. "MAJ Thomas, the knight,
when properly used, is one of the
most effective of all the chess
pieces. Skillful employment of the
knight is the mark of a good com-
mander."
"Really sir," MAJ Thomas
laughed. "Commander? Isn't that
stretching things a bit far to equate
a man's ability to play chess with
his ability as a commander?"
"N ot at all. I specifically said
that skillful employment of the
knight is the mark of a good com-
mander. Chess is the oldest game
of conflict known to man, except
for war. A good chess player,
therefore, is a good commander,
and a good commander is able to
utilize all his resources, especially
men, to the maximum advantage."
"I believe I can see your point
sir," MAJ Thomas answered, not
wanting to get any more deeply
involved.
The two officers played their
game, both men truly savoring
every move and deriving great sat-
isfaction from well executed plays.
It shaped up as a pretty even bat-
tle for a while until the colonel,
after having placed MAJ Thomas
in check, reached down to his
knight, and hooked it into MAJ
Thomas' king. "Mate," COL Har-
gity said with a smile.
"Touche," MAJ Thomas an-
swered. "You underscored your
point quiet effectively."
The two men settled back in the
leather chairs, to drink their drinks
and conduct a post-mortem of the
game. After a while COL Hargity
pulled out a cigar.
"Tell me Jack," the colonel
started as he held the match to the
end of his cigar, "what type of
administrative problems are you
having?"
MAJ Thomas declined the offer
U. S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST
The Care And Use
of a cigar. "Maintenance officers,
sir. I'm trying to get a mainte-
nance officer, and DA wants to
send me a 671B. Well, I told them
right off I don't want a 671B un-
less they send me a 062B a well."
"You will have to forgive me,
I'm afraid that I'm not current on
MOS codes."
"A 671B is a maintenance offi-
cer, he is a non-rated aircraft re-
pair technician; a non-rated war-
rant officer. What good i a main-
tenance warrant who can't fly?
That's why I won't accept one un-
less I'm given a pilot as well."
"In other words major," COL
Hargity spoke without removing
the cigar from his mouth, "you're
unable to make u e of your man-
power, so you're seeking twice as
many. That smacks of your reason-
ing of the abilities of the knight. "
"With all due respect colonel, I
feel you may not understand the
problems of the aviation comman-
der. If I accept a non-rated repair
technician I'm carrying dead
weight. I could utilize a 671C, a
rated technician much better."
MAJ Thomas stirred the ice
around in his drink, and avoided
COL Hargity's eyes.
"Horse feathers major," the
colonel exploded. "I understand
maintenance, and I understand
command. It i just as I said ear-
lier this evening, a good comman-
der is one who makes the best use
of his resources and personnel.
Good maintenance is the backbone
of effective utilization of resources,
whether the resources be helicop-
ters or horse saddles."
"But it isn' t the arne thing sir.
As an aviation unit commander I
have mission commitments. I fre-
quently need every pilot I can get
just to meet these commitments. I
can't be detailing my mission pilots
to test-fly aircraft. Also, by having
a rated maintenance officer I can
12
have a pilot in reserve for mission
emergencies. "
"In other words, you're putting
mission commitments over mainte-
nance requirement. You don't
want a maintenance officer, you
want a pilot. The temptation will
always be there to u e your rated
maintenance officer as a pilot. He
will be doing more and more fly-
ing, and less maintenance. When
this develops who will mind your
store?" COL Hargity flipped a
long ash off the end of his cigar
then studied it for a minute before
speaking again. "I know the Army
Warrant Officer program is de-
signed to utilize the specialties of
uniquely qualified persons. A per-
son who gets a direct appointment
Because his prime responsibil-
ity is maintenance, the non-
rated aircraft repair technician
has more time to develop an ef-
ficient maintenance operation
as an aircraft repair technician for
example, ha proven himself to be
especially effective in aircraft main-
tenance. He has no other purpose
in life. Maintenance is not merely
an additional MOS, acquired al-
most as a second thought to sup-
plement his flying.
"Figure it thi way. Because his
prime respon ibility i strictly main-
t nance he will have more time to
develop liaison with supply. He
will be better able to supervise the
hop and won't be as prone to
jump to conclusion in diagnosis.
"Also, being military, you have
to think about mobility. What if
your unit had to move? He would
be available for supervi ion of the
move, rather than having to fly one
of the aircraft. He can conduct
training and, just generally speak-
ing, because his time is not divided,
he can keep current with the unit's
activities firsthand, without an
after-the-fact briefing," the colonel
concluded.
"I'm sure that the non-rated
maintenance warrant i effective,
as long as he is as igned ome-
where like a depot, but I would
rather have flying warrants in the
field,' MAJ Thomas replied,
holding hi ground.
"I'm S ~ r e there are advantages
to havi ng flying warrants, but I'm
equally certain your non-rated
warrants offer some advantages.
For example, I'm sure that flying
i almost a full-time profession in
itself. I'm not a pilot myself of
course but I've worked with them
for many years. I know that you
must devote a great deal of time
to maintaining pilot proficiency
and so forth . Your maintenance
warrant devotes thi additional
time to maintenance proficiency.
"There is another factor to con-
sider. I recently read a report
which stated that 70 percent of all
Army aviation personnel have less
than two years experience. It stems
in part from the rapid growth of
aviation over the last few years,
but it encompasses all phases of
aviation from the enlisted ranks
through the officer ranks. If this is
the case, then it would appear to
me that the non-rated repair tech-
nicians would provide some much
needed experience for those units
lucky enough to get them. I know
young officers who have graduated
from flight school and attended a
brief maintenance course are doing
a marvelous job, but in many cases
they' re trying to learn two very
important professions at the same
time: flying and maintenance. I'm
sure that they would be among the
fir t to welcome the stabilizing in-
fluence of a maintenance officer
with proven maintenance expe-
rience."
MAJ Thomas had listened re-
spectfully during the colonel's
U. S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST
monologue. He chose his words
carefully, because although he
didn't wish to offend the colonel,
he still disagreed with him. "Per-
haps what you say is true sir, how-
ever, I just don't believe that a
maintenance officer who does not
fly, can be as effective as one who
does. Regardless of their relative
experience. "
"Have you ever heard of Colin
Chapman?" COL Hargity asked.
"No sir, I can't say that I have.'"
"He designs builds and super-
vises the maintenance on his rac-
ing cars. Very fine racing cars as a
matter of fact. Hi cars have estab-
lished many records in internation-
al racing."
"I don't get the connection sir."
"Perhaps there is none, just al-
Iowan old soldier to ramble for a
bit. By the way, does your wife
drive?"
"Yes sir," MAJ Thomas an-
swered. He was glad that the
colonel had finally changed the
subject, albeit a bit abruptly.
"So does my wife," the colonel
answered. "She is a pretty good
driver too, very careful and quite
safe. But bless her heart, the only
thing she knows about a car is how
to make it go and how to make it
stop."
"That's just the way it is with
Linda. I guess most wives are
about the same there," MAJ
Thomas agreed with a chuckle.
"Wouldn't know a fuel pump
from a hub cap," COL Hargity
laughed.
"That's right sir, that's truly
right," MAJ Thomas agreed "I
remember one time I had Linda
convinced that she needed to
change the air in her tires every
5,000 miles," MAJ Thomas an-
swered, remembering the look on
the service station attendant's face
when Linda asked him to do it.
He had gotten quite a chuckle
over that.
COL Hargity joined in his
laughter. "You would think," he
JUNE 1969
paused a wipe a tear from the
corner of his eye, "that the very
fact that they can drive would
make them a little more cognizant
of the maintenance, wouldn't you?"
MAJ Thomas suspected a trap.
"Of cour e now, you take Colin
Chapman. " The colonel had
stopped laughing, and ground his
cigar out in the ash tray. He looked
at MAJ Thomas with a twinkle in
his eye. "There he is building all
those fine racing cars, but he never
drives them. "
MAJ Thomas sat silently for a
few minutes, then leaned over and
picked up the colonel's victorious
white knight. He carried it over to
the phone and dialed a number. He
admired the grace and beauty of
the piece while he waited for the
phone to be answered at the other
end of the line.
"Lieutenant Pretorious, this is
MAJ Thomas. I've been thinking
about that 671B, and I believe that
he may be just what we are look-
ing for."
"Yes sir," LT Pretorious an-
swered from the other end. "Inci-
dentally sir, what made you change
your mind?"
"Lieutenant, would you believe
a white knight?" 1iiiilr
With all due respect colonel, I feel you may not understand the
problems of the aviation commander
13
Hangar
Flying!
why
not?
Instructor Pilots
Branch II, Flight VI
Adv Inst Fit Div
Dept of Rotary Wing Ins
Ft. Rucker, Ala.
I
N DAYS OF YESTERYEAR
there was little written in the
way of pilot handbooks or acquired
data about the science of airfoil
aerodynamics and the correspond-
ing flight envelopes for the then
existing flying machines. Those
were the days when the "takeoff"
was described as a direct defiance
of the laws of nature, and a "land-
ing" was accomplished in accord-
. ance with the laws of gravity.
Those were the days of bronzed
and wind-burned pilots who gained
reputations as much by luck as by
knowledge, skill and experience.
Hangar flying was a principle
14
pastime in those days and pilots
eagerly welcomed the opportunity
to participate. During those bull
sessions, ideas were avidly ex-
changed and a portion of the gap
created by non-existent handbooks
and technical publications was
fiiled. The field open to discussion
was unlimited and experiences
w ~ r exchanged without fear of
exposing an individual's ignorance.
It was accepted that pilots who ask
questions usually have a pertinent
opinion of their own.
The art of flying has progressed
vastly in the last half century, yet
the field for discussion remains un-
limited. V olumes of experiences
and ideas unfortunately go un-
written and untold.
As a point of discussion ... in-
structor pilots were recently asked
to relate lessons learned from ex-
perience. The subject question was
basic, though broad in scope:
"How can aircraft accidents and
resultant personal injury be
averted?" The response was instan-
taneous and the replies certainly
proved the field for discussion was
unlimited. Some were verbose in
their replies, others short and to
the point; as if it may have been
yesterday'S moment of sheer terro-r
U. S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST
volumes of experience sometimes go unwritten
and untold
or perhaps tomorrrow's nightmare.
All were thought provoking and
deserving of being flown again ...
this time IN THE HANGAR.
Here is what our hangar flights
consisted of:
-"The time was 0330 . . . the
ceiling could not have been more
than 400 feet . . . and the air was
heavy with moisture. Trail was
calling lead that his flight of 10
slicks was airborne in a loose trail
formation. With a tired but crisp
'roger' the platoon leader turned
the flight toward the staging air-
field. Five minutes later lead
spotted a break in the overcast
and decided to go 'VFR on top'
to avoid enemy fire. As we climbed
upward, the hole began closing and
the tops were not in sight. Sud-
denly the lights of the other air-
craft were our only visible horizon.
With my copilot on the controls,
I kept my eyes on the other air-
craft to avoid a possible mid-air
collision. Suddenly, I sensed that
something was wrong when the
aircraft began to feel mushy. A
quick glance at the instruments re-
vealed we had decelerated to 20
knots and were ascending through
4,000 feet. Peering outside ... the
lights of the other aircraft were
gone. Returning to the instruments,
I decisively said 'I've got it' and
gently nosed the aircraft forward
regaining aircraft control. Estab-
lishing normal cruise flight, I re-
turned to the home base radio bea-
con and let down to a safe landing.
"What had happened? Inadver-
tent IPR and a new pilot with in-
experience had allowed the aircraft
to slow to a near disastrous con-
dition. But, what about me? With
fixation on the other aircraft and
my head well out of the cockpit, I
had gone to sleep at the switch!"
JUNE 1969
-"Several times I have saved
myself a potential accident by mak-
ing a thorough preflight. Experience
has shown that a searching pre-
flight inspection is especially im-
portant during periods of extreme-
ly hot or cold weather; for it is dur-
ing these periods that line crews
usually overlook items in their
haste to return to the comforts of
a cooled or heated office. Had I
not checked my aircraft complete-
ly, I may have become an accident
statistic. "
-"I experienced difficulty in low-
ering the collective during a prac-
tice autorotation due to items con-
tained in the lower left pocket of
my flight suit. A half lowered col-
lective with decaying rotor rpm is
hardly the time to try and free a
recent copy of PLAYBOY from your
pocket. Items wrongly placed in
pockets or on the surface of a flight
suit may not only present a poten-
tial flying hazard, but could addi-
tionally induce personal injury in
the event of an accident."
-"I think a professional attitude
is important and remaining current
with the ever-changing regulations,
publications and directives which
influence my flying is a necessity.
I will not indiscriminately exceed
the operating limitations without
regard to the urgency of the mis-
sion. When the situation deems it
necessary to exceed known limita-
tions or if I should do so inadver-
tently, I will so enter it in the air-
craft log book. Not once have I
been criticized for any such entry
and as a result someone else may
have been spared an accident.
When it comes to flying, I consider
myself my most conscientious
critic; a consideration truly essen-
tial to being a professional avia-
tor. "
-"One of the most difficult
questions which I have had to an-
swer when encountering marginal
weather is, 'Should I continue or
turn back?' In this respect I have
continually disciplined myself to
observe a number of fundamental
phrases, which I repeat often. (1)
The weather moves faster than the
reporting system. (2) The weather
is liable to get worse before getting
better. (3) Many a beautiful cloud
has a rocky lining. (4) The safest
and wisest flight maneuver is often
the 180 degree turn. (5) Think
of the gust spread, not just the
wind velocity. ( 6 ) Large metro-
politan areas mean smog and haze.
(7) One pair of eyes looking out-
side the cockpit is worth two pair
scanning thG instrument panel dur-
ing cruise; and four" pair watching
during climbout or descent. (8)
Every pilot has the aut40rity and
is duty-bound to recall these
phrases before and during each
flight."
-"I consider planning and stay-
ing ahead of my aircraft a most
crucial element of safe flight. Con-
tinually, I am ready with a course
of action should I lose an engine
during a flight. Don't rely on in-
stinct; expect trouble and plan
ahead. Not only do I have my re-
actions ready, I also maintain a
constant awareness of my position
and keep the radios tuned to the
frequencies which can best afford
assistance in time of emergency
need."
- "You do not have to look at
me very long to tell that I have
experienced the horror of fire and
can authoritatively offer many do's
and don'ts. ( 1) Do not remove
your helmet prior to exiting a crash
involving fire. (2) Keep the helmet
visor lowered to protect the eyes
15
A half lowered collective during an autorotation is hardly the
time to try and free a copy of a magazine from your pocket
from being seared. (3) Do not
wear synthetic clothing, such as
nylon shorts, socks or the Vietnam
style jungle boots. This material,
when subjected to extreme heat,
will melt and adhere to your skin
and cause more serious burn in-
juries. (4) Wear your gloves with
the gauntlets up, and free of rips
or tears as protection against flash
fire and hot metal. ( 5 ) Avoid
breathing the superheated air when
exiting through a fire as it may
mean the difference between
scarred or healthy lungs. (6) Wear
a fire retardant or resistant flight
suit. (7) Keep the sleeves of your
flight suit rolled down. (8) Depart
the aircraft upwind if possible to
lessen your exposure time to heat,
flames, smoke and fumes.
"I wish 1 had known all these
points before 1 had my fire. Maybe
you will!"
Well, as you may have already
sensed; when it comes to HAN-
GAR FLYING, the field is wide
open. All pilots have acquired a
tale or two to relate; usually an
experience evolved which was new
and which they would rather not
duplicate.
Army aviation is a profession as
demanding as any you will ever
find and lest you forget, there is a
Weekly Aircraft Accident Sum-
mary that is guaranteed to jolt
your memory into focus.
You who wear the wings have
the necessary ingredients ... good
judgment, balanced personality and
nerves a great deal stronger than
twine. Now that it is known you
have what it takes, let's ask our-
selves the age old questions. (1)
Am 1 ready to react promptly and
intelligently under pressure? (2)
Do I have a reasonable course of
action in mind if I encounter any
unexpected situations?
The answer to the first question
should be "yes" for any given flying
day. However, if the answer is
"no," you should not attempt a
flight u ~ t l the answer is resolved in
the affirmative.
You can best answer question
two and decrease the probability
of disaster by adhering to the fol-
lowing: (1) Know your capabili-
ties to fly in all situations including
instrument flight and never exceed
these capabilities. (2) Listen to
the voices of experience and heed
their good advice. (3) Learn all
you can about your aircraft and
weather. (4) Plan your flight care-
full y. (5) Keep a weather eye out.
( 6) Master temptation with good
judgment, for avoidance of a po-
tentially dangerous act may spare
you from becoming an accident
statistic.
HANGARS are where flying
should start and end. Why not
start your own hangar flying serv-
ice today? Someone may plant a
rose in fertile soil and all will be
delighted by the result. The experi-
ence gained from the hangar flying
is free.
What will your next experience
cost? ~
16 U. S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST
Annual Minimums
Some aviators in waived areas return to CONUS with little or no concept of what is
required of them to meet their semi-annual and annual minimums. By planning ahead,
these aviators can avoid the last-minute-rush traffic and also a possible confrontation
with a flight evaluation board Lieutenant Colonel Roger D. Byrd
W
ELCOME! GLAD to see
you back. Now that you've
returned from Vietnam, one of the
"things you -are probably interested
in -is where you stand with annual
minimums. If you're not, you
should be as you might have to
make an appearance before an
FEB (Flight Evaluation Board).
What seems to be such a simple
thing on the surface sure does
cause a lot of misunderstanding.
So let's take a look at it.
Department of the Army has
waived portions of annual mini-
mums for certain areas of opera-
tions. These are the requirements
for night (N), instrument or hood
(I) and cross-country (X-C). The
total time of 30 hours semi-annu-
ally and SO hours annually is not
waived. It is important to note
that the requirements will be pro-
rated.
Aviators fall into two groups for
computation of minimums require-
ments. (NOTE: These groups are
only intended to simplify this arti-
cle and are not used elsewhere.)
They are:
Group I-Those aviators who
departed for a waived area in
one fiscal year (FY) and return
in another. For example: An avia-
tor who arrives in the Republic of
V ietnam on 1 Sep 67 and returns
to CONUS signing in for duty 1
Oct 6S.
Group II-Those aviators who
depart and return in the same
fiscal year as often happens when
- an aviator is wounded and returned
to CONUS. For example: An avi-
ator arrives in Vietnam 1 Oct 6S,
is returned to CONUS for some
JUNE 1969
reason and signs in for duty 1 Apr
69. The key dates to keep in
mind are:
One, the date of arrival in the
waived area, as this begins the
waived time.
Two, the date the aviator signs
in at his new duty station in
an unwaived area .c CONUS,
USAREUR, etc.) as this termi-
nates the waived time.
After you have determined your
minimums you want to know if
you have accomplished them fully.
Remember, all that has been
waived is a portion of the require-
ments. Here we have two, possibly
three, requirements to meet. These
are:
Those required for the first
half of the FY. Unless, of course,
the entire first half was spent in a
waivered area.
Those required for the second
half of the FY.
Those required to satisfy total
annual minimums.
A II flight time accomplished during
the year, no matter where it is done,
applies toward the annual require-
ment. A II flight time accomplished
during the appropriate half of the
FY applies toward semi-annual re-
quirements for that half. For ex-
ample: All flight time flown during
the period 1 July through 31 De-
cember will apply to satisfying re-
quirements for annual minimums
and for semi-annual minimums for
the first half of the FY. This time
cannot be applied towards satisfy-
ing semi-annual minimums for the
second half of the FY. I know this
sounds simple and basic but you'd
be surprised at the number of avia-
tors who don' t realize this.
Now, after all this discussion,
let's get down to using the chart.
First, directions on how to use the
chart and then some examples.
FOR GROUP 1 AVIATORS: De-
termine requirements as follows:
1. Determine date ip Column 1
nearest to date subject person
signed in for duty from waivered
area.
2. Read across for appropriate
semi-anpual and arinual flight min-
imum requirements.
Ne2Ct apply flight time accomplished
as follows:
1. Any time flown during the
fiscal year will apply towards com-
pletion of annual requirements.
2. Any time flown during the
first six months of the fiscal year
will apply towards semi-annual
minimums required during the
first half.
3. Any time flown during the
second six months of the fiscal year
will apply towards semi-annual
minimums required during the sec-
ond half.
FOR GROUP II AVIATORS.
Determine requirements as fol-
lows:
1. Determine semi-annual min-
imums by entering at date in first
column nearest to date signed in
for duty from waived area. Read
across for semi-annual minimums
remaining.
2. Determine annual minimums
as follows:
a. Enter Column 1 at date
nearest to date of arrival in waiv-
ed area. Read across to annual
17
mmunums. Subtract these figures
from the figures in parenthesis at
the top of the columns.
b. Enter at date in first column
nearest to date signed in for duty
from waived area. Read across
for annual minimums requirement
remaining.
c. Add the results of a and b
above. These are the annual mini-
mums required.
Apply flight time accomplished as
in GROUP I.
Let's take three examples and
follow them through. (NOTE:
Since cross-country time figures
work the same as instrument, they
have been omitted to gain some
clarity. Just remember to compute
your X-C.)
Example 1 (GROUP I TYPE).
Aviator A arrived in Vietnam on
1 Sep 67. He completed his tour,
returned to CONUS and after leave
signed in at his new duty station
on 5 Oct 68. Requirements for first
and second half semi-annual and
annual minimums need to be de-
termined. Entering on line 1 Oct
and proceeding across we see that
Aviator A's requirements are:
2.5 hours of night and 3.5
hours of instrument/ hood for first
half semi-annual minimums.
Second half semi-annual re-
quirements are not changed from
the normal.
11.3 hours of night and 15.0
hours of instrument/ hood prior to
1 Ju169.
Next applying the flight time he
had flown in July and August (1.5
night and 1.2 hood) prior to re-
turning to CONUS, we find that
A viator A must fly:
At least 1.0 hours of night and
2.3 hours of instrument/hood prior
to 1 Jan 69.
Normal semi-annual mInI-
mums between 1 Jun 69 and 30
Jun 69.
At least 9.8 hours of night
and 13.8 hours of instrument/hood
prior to 1 Ju169.
A rotal of at least 9.8 hours
18
of night and 13.8 hours to satisfy
all requirements.
Example 2 (GROUP II TYPE).
Aviator B arrived in Vietnam on
6 Oct 68.
From 1 J ul 68 through 5 Oct
68 he had flown 2.5 hours of
night and 3.5 hours of hood.
From 6 Oct 68 up until the time
he was wounded, he had flown 4.1
hours night and no time instru-
ment/ hood. In December he was
wounded and was returned to
CONUS. After several months in
the hospital and leave, he reported
in to his new duty station on 3
Apr 69. Requirements for second
half semi-annual and annual mim-
imums need to be determined.
First entering on line 1 Apr we
see:
1. 2.5 hours of night and 3.5
hours of instrument/hood are re-
quired for second half semi-an-
nual minimums.
2. 3.7 hours of night and 5.0
hours of instrument/hood are re-
maining for annual minimums.
Second, since he arrived in Viet-:-
nam on 6 Oct 68, there are some
additional annual minimums to be
computed. Entering on line 1 Oct
we find under ANNUAL RE-
QUIREMENTS 11.3 night and
15.0 instrument/ hood. Following
the directions and subtracting these
figures from those in parenthesis
at the head of the column, we have
2.7 night and 5.0 instrument/hood.
Adding these to the remaining
annual minimums determined in 2
above, we determine Aviator B's
annual minimum requirements are:
6.4 hours night and 10.0 hours
instrument/hood.
Next applying the flight time flown
from 1 Jul68 until he was wounded
(6.6 night and 3.5 hood) we find
that Aviator B must fly:
1. 2.5 hours of night and 3.5
hours of instrument/hood to satis-
fy second half semi-animal mini-
mums requirements.
2. No hours of night and 6.5
hours of instrument/hood to satis-
fy annual minimums requirements.
3. A total of at least 2.5 hours
of night and 6.5 hours of instru-
ment/ hood to satisfy all require-
ments.
We also note that if A viator B had
continued in Vietnam and not
flown any instrument/ hood, he
would NOT have accomplished his
prorated annual minimums. He
had satisfied first half semi-annual
with his 3.5 hours of hood but for
the annmil minimums, 5.0 hours
were required.
Example 3. A viator C arrived in
Vietnam 6 Mar 68. During the
period 1 Jul 68 through 31 Dec
68, he flew 9.3 hours night and
1.5 hours instrument. From 1 Jan
69 through 6 Mar 69, he flew 0.6
hours night and 1.0 hours instru-
ment. He completed his tour, was
transferred to Germany, arriving
there and signing in at his new duty
station on 10 Apr 69. Require-
ments for the second half semi-
annual -and annual minimums need
to be determined. Entering the
chart on line 15 Apr, we determine
Aviator C's requirements to be:
2.1 hours night and 2.9 hours
instrument/ hood for semi-annual
minimums.
3.1 hours night and 4.1 hours
instrument/ hood for annual mini-
mums.
Applying the flight time flown from
July 68 through March 69, we see
that Aviator C must fly:
1.5 hours of night and 1.9
hours of instrument/ hood to satis-
fy semi-annual minimums require-
ments.
No hours of night and 1.6
hours of instrument/hood to satis-
fy annual minimums requirements.
A total of at least 1.5 hours
night and 1.9 hours instrument/
hood to fulfill all requirements.
A lot of ground has been covered
here. I suggest you pick out only
your particular situation to follow
through, it's less confusing. Above
all there are several important
points I would make.
U. S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST
Annual Minimums For Waived Area Returnees
Semi-Annual Annual
Requirements Requ irements
1st Half 2nd Half N lor X-C
DATE N lor X-C N lor X-C (15) (20)
15 Jul 4.6 6.4 5 7 14.4 19.2
1 Aug 4.2 5.8 do 13.8 18.3
15 Aug 3.8 5.3 do 13.2 17.5
1 Sep 3.4 4.7 do 12.5 16.6
15 Sep 3.0 4.1 do 11.9 15.8
1 Oct 2.5 3.5 do 11.3 15.0
15 Oct 2.1 2.9 do 10.7 14.1
1 Nov 1.7 2.3 do 10.1 13.3
15 Nov 1.3 1.7 do 9.4 12.4
1 Dec 0.9 1.1 do 8.8 11.6
15 Dec 0.5 0.6 do 8.2 10.8
1 Jan None do 7.5 10.0
15 Jan 4.6 6.4 6.9 9.1
1 Feb 4.2 5.8 6.3 8.3
15 Feb 3.8 5.3 5.6 7.4
1 Mar 3.4 4.7 5.0 6.6
15 Mar 3.0 4.1 4.4 5.8
1 Apr 2.5 3.5 3.7 5.0
15 Apr 2.1 2.9 3.1 4.1
1 May 1.7 2.3 2.5 3.3
15 May 1.3 1.7 1.8 2.4
1 Jun 0.9 1.1 1.2 1.6
15 Jun 0.5 0.6 0.6 0.8
N = Night
I = Inst, Hood or Synthetic Trainers (No attem pt has been made to separate Synthetic Trainer
time.)
X-C = Cross Country
Compute your requirements
well ahead of time either going to
or coming from a waived area.
Then get out and get the time. It
could save you time, embarrass-
ment, arguments, money and may-
be a visit to your local FEB.
While in a waived area
try to get some of that night and
instrument/ hood time. Instrument
rated aviators in Vietnam fly-
JUNE 1969
ing helicopters with instruments
(UH-ls) on some of the admin-
istrative flights can get hood time.
Of course, there are times when it
is virtually impossible to do any of
this. All I suggest is, get it when
you can.
Remember you have two
requirements to satisfy, semi-an-
nual and annual. And as you have
seen, accomplishing the annual
does not necessarily mean you
have completed the semi-annual.
And one final point which
wasn' t discussed above but which
is quite important. That is to be
sure you have taken the latest
annual written examination. Hav-
ing taken last year's writ in the cur-
rent fiscal year is not satisfactory.
In other words you must take the
1969 writ during FY 69.
19
-----Developments In Airmobility-----
T
RANSPORTATION through-
out the ages has significantly
affected the outcome of famous
military campaigns. Victory has
usually gone to the armies which
have been able to move most
swiftly and to get there "fustest
with the mostest," as Nathan B.
Forrest expressed it.
Consider the mobility afforded
by Alexander's phalanx, Hanni-
bal's elephants, and Genghis
Khan's cavalry. Consider the great
foot marches of the French Revo-
lutionary Army, or Longstreet's
now famous detachment from Lee's
army to join Bragg at Chicka-
mauga-by railroad. Consider the
use of Paris taxicabs that brought
two fresh regiments of French In-
fantry to General Maunoury. Con-
sider those surprised Russian sol-
diers, knee deep in tundra mud, as
20
Lieutenant Colonel Donald F. Harrison
Office, Chief of Military History
ski-borne Finns swooped upon
them with blinding speed. Con-
sider General Guederian's panzers
and General Maxwell Taylor's
parachutists.
The dynamic consequences of
ignoring the time and space factor
have not been lost on the modern
commander. The nature of the tac-
tical atomic battlefield dictates
widespread dispersion in the de-
fense. But in the attack, the critical
factor is the ability of an army to
mass quickly for a maneuver, then
revert to its former posture of dis-
persion. During such operations the
side possessing the greater ability
to cross obstacles has an enormous
advantage.
Several methods of achieving
this mobility advantage have been
advanced. One is the parachute
which can drop equipment with
considerable accuracy, but spreads
troops over large areas and leaves
them woefully immobile.
Gliders were used in an effort to
boost mobility in World War II,
but suffered too many casualties.
However, the helicopter soon was
on the scene and proved infinitely
more efficient. It did not require
an airstrip for takeoff and landing
or expensive and time-consuming
parachute training. The troops it
carried into battle needed little
more orientation than it takes to
teach a man to fasten his safety
belt and leap out the side door. If
a soldier is unfortunate enough to
become a casualty, this remarkable
machine can quickly evacuate him
to a hospital and greatly increase
his survival chances. The helicop-
ter can introduce fresh supplies to
the battlefield as easily as it had
U. S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST
In The United States Army-------
The 11th Air Assault Division demonstrated its potential when it
was pitted against the crack 82nd Airborne Division in maneuvers
carried in the first troops. It is an
aerial truck, an ambulance, a
weapons platform, and it needs
neither road nor bridge.
Relatively speaking, rotary wing
aircraft are aviation youngsters.
Their lineage runs back to the
autogiro which was first success-
fully produced and flown by a
Spanish inventor, Juan de la
Cierva y Cordornia, in the 1920s.
Basically, Cierva's design resem-
bled a standard biplane with the
upper wing removed. In its stead
was a large, rotating propeller-like
wing, mounted vertically on a shaft
just in front of the pilot's cockpit.
Cierva added a clutch arrange-
ment between the shaft of the front
propeller and that of the rotating
wing so that in taking off he could
switch the power for a few seconds
to the rotating wing, thus pulling
JUNE 1969
the machine upward as well as
forward and enabling it to be air-
borne within 5 to 10 feet of run-
way. Once in the air, with power
applied to the forward propeller,
the rotating wing turned with the
air currents and complemented the
lower wing with aeronautical lift.
Interest in Cierva's machine
soon took root in the United States.
Harold Pitcairn, a Cierva engineer,
brought a model to America and
secured rights to manufacture it.
By 1930, three firms were pro-
ducing models. Two of these firms,
Kellett and Pitcairn, sold experi-
mental models to the U. S. Army
Air Corps for testing. Enthusiasm
spread throughout the military over
the dramatic possibilities of this
new machine, particularly among
artillerymen. The 108th Field Ar-
tillery, a Philadelphia National
Guard unit, tested an autogiro at
Indiantown Gap Military Reserva-
tion in the 1937 encampment and
found it uniquely suited to adjust-
ing and shifting artillery fire. But
violent and unexplained in-flight
vibrations forced the Army to can-
cel tests in 1942.
Although similar to the autogiro
in appearance, the helicopter op-
erates on a different principle.
Autogiro engine power is trans-
mitted to the forward propeller in
level flight and air currents passing
over the rotor act upon it as a glid-
ing wing. In the helicopter, engine
power is transmitted directly to the
main rotor. There is no other wing
or forward propeller.
The first successful helicopter
was produced in 1937 in Germany.
Piloted by the now famous Miss
21
An Air Force R-S rescue helicopter evacuates a casualty from an
Army unit at the front in Korea early in the war
Hanna Reitsch, the craft made a
spectacular demonstration in the
Berlin sports arena, a building
comparable to New York's Madi-
son Square Garden. Later it flew
cross-country from Bremen to Ber-
lin at an average speed of 75 miles
per hour. In other tests, it reached
an altitude of 11,700 feet.
The success of the German heli-
copter helped spark interest in the
United States where Congress ap-
propriated money to develop rotary
wing technical know-how both dur-
ing and after World War II. Manu-
facturers came up with several
working models.
The Army Air Forces initially
evaluated the R-l (Platt-LePage);
the R-2 and R-3 (both were made
by Kellett and were modifications
of autogiros); and the R-4 (Sikor-
sky). The Sikorsky proved most
practical and the Army obtained
over 400 (models R-4 through
R-6) for war service.
Most of the Sikorsky helicopters
were retained in the United States
for testing, but some performed
valuable service in air-sea rescue
duty.
By a circuitous route, four
Sikorsky R-4s eventually reached
the China-Burma-India Theater,
where the first known use of the
helicopter for medical evacuation,
certainly the first from behind
enemy lines, occurred. In late 1942
or early 1943 a light airplane
carrying three casualties was forced
down behind enemy lines. An R-4
belonging to 1st Air Commando
Group commanded by Colonel
Philip D. Cochran, managed to
rescue the men one by one. This
triggered the regular use of the
R-4 in the medical evacuation role.
Others R-4s found their way to
the Philippines, where, in the lat-
ter stages of the campaign, the
38th Infantry Division used them
to evacuate sick and wounded from
inaccessible mountain positions,
obviating the need for dangerous
and tiring stretcher-bearing.
When the Korean War started,
the U. S. Air Force had most of
the helicopters; only a few models
(Bell OH-13s) were organic to
the Army. Terrain and tactics in
Korea made helicopters particular-
ly desirable. The landing strip
problem was bypassed; choppers
could land almost anywhere and
anytime at the pleasure of the
pilot. Regimental and battalion
commanders found that they were
able for the first time to move
back and forth between their head-
quarters and the front lines several
times a day. This enabled them to
have accurate, firsthand knowledge
of the fighting.
As early as July 1950, Air Force
air-sea rescue helicopters assisted
Army units with aeromedical evac-
uation of wounded soldiers. Be-
fore long, the air-sea rescue service
was far busier with Army than
with Air Force requests. It didn't
take long for the U. S. Army Sur-
geon General in Washington to re-
quest, and get, Army H-13 heli-
copters in Korea for aeromedical
evacuation missions.
It was the larger troop and
cargo carrying machines that pro-
vided the cornerstone of the air-
mobile concept. Once in-country,
the twelve-place H -19 helicopters
soon began to fly cargo forward,
much as trucks do, then return
with wounded. Seventy-eight H -19s
reached Korea by January 1953.
Although too late to affect the out-
come of the fighting, their record
was nevertheless impressive enough
to warrant the personal attention
of the Eighth Army Commander,
General Maxwell D. Taylor. At
that time, H -19s were controlled
by the U. S. Army Transportation
Corps, and the current thinking
was to use them in a logistical role.
But General Taylor was particu-
larly interested in the tactical im-
plications of carrying infantrymen
into the assault.
Two helicopter companies (the
6th and 13th Transportation Com-
panies) marked an important mile-
stone in aviation history in June
f953, when they replaced one
frontline Republic of Korea ,infan-
try company with another, a tech-
nique a United States Marine heli-
22 U. S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST
copter squadron used with Marine
infantrymen two years earlier.
The advantages of transporting
troops by helicopter into combat
became clearly apparent in the
United States: As early as July
1952, Secretary of the Army,
Frank Pace Jr., recognized the far-
reaching and revolutionary con-
cepts inherent in the application of
the machine to the battlefield, and
promoted research and develop-
ment into plans for new models
and new applications. One of his
most important contributions was
to encourage the aircraft industry
to improve the state-of-the-art of
the helicopter.
Another advocate of the heli-
copter was Major General James
M. Gavin. In 1954 he pointed out
that the cavalry started out on the
back of an animal, and later
switched to armored vehicles, and
if Lieutenant General Walton H.
Walker's Eighth Army cavalry in
Korea could have been switched
to helicopters, 30 Chinese divisions
may not have been able to strike
with such complete and over-
whelming surprise in 1950.
General Matthew B. Ridgway,
as Army Chief of Staff in January
1955, reorganized Army aviation,
thus providing a sound foundation
for expansion and future develop-
ment of the airmobile concept.
Prophetically, he chose as his first
Director of Army Aviation, Major
General Hamilton Howze, one of
the leading exponents of this con-
cept. General Ridgway also spoke
to the public and had numerous
writings published. He spoke to
Congress; he briefed Army Secre-
tary Wilbur M. Brucker on several
occasions. General Ridgway's re-
organization also included the es-
tablishment of the U. S. Army
Aviation Center at Camp Rucker,
Ala., which also housed the U. S.
Army Aviation School.
Under General Howze's leader-
ship, the airmobile concept surged
forward. General Gavin's theories
JUNE 1969
led General Howze to adopt the
"sky cav" idea, really a reconnais-
sance unit mounted in helicopters.
The concept was tested under sev-
eral names, but all had the same
objective: the eyes and ears of the
commander were being extended
farther and faster to do a better
job.
Integrating the use of the heli-
copter into infantry operations was
slower in taking shape. Operation
Sagebrush, a joint Army-Air Force
maneuver in 1955, tested many
concepts, including aerial cavalry
and a limited amount of infantry
transport. But progress was slow
in coming.
By the turn of the decade the
United States changed from its
previous defense posture of mas-
sive aerial retaliation to a more
flexible response to the Soviet
threat with beefed up conventional
ground forces. To this end, Secre-
tary of Defense Robert S. Mc-
N amara, almost immediately after
taking office, ordered a study on
the condition of Army mobility
and asked for an estimate of the
equipment needed to reach a satis-
factory level.
Not satisfied with the answers he
got from this study, Secretary Mc-
N amara convened a powerful group
of officers, the Army Tactical
Mobility Requirement Board which
commonly has been called the
Howze Board after its chairman,
General Howze. The board con-
sisted of 14 generals, 6 high rank-
ing civilian research officials and
more than 30 highly experienced
but lower ranking Army officers.
Secretary McNamara gave Gen-
eral Howze the task of studying
the entire role of Army aviation
and its application to airmobility.
The Secretary advised the board
to give little regard to traditional
military doctrine. General Howze
was to study "new organizational
and operational concepts, possibly
including completely airmobile in-
fantry, artillery, anti-tank and re-
connaissance units .... "
General Howze's report to the
Secretary of Defense, a master-
piece considering limitations of
time and resources, recommended
complete integration of airmobil-
ity into the Army field force struc-
H-19's of the 6th Transportation Company (Helicopter) leave a
marshalling area in Korea in the spring of 1953 to transport troops to
the front lines
Hamilton H. H?wze (right) headed the Army Tactical Mobility
Requirement Board which spawned the 11th Air Assault Division (T) and eventually
the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) both of which
were initially commanded by General Harry W. O. Kinnard (left)
ture, in balance with other tactical
concepts. That is to say, General
Howze wanted to enhance the abil-
ity of not only infantry units to
move about the battlefield by air,
but also cavalry units, artillery
units and logistical units.
In addition to improving the air-
mobility of all Army units General
Howze recommended that special-
ized, completely airmobile divi-
sions be fomied immediately.
These divisions he called air as-
sault divisions,. their combat troops
to be 100 percent air-transpoit-
able. He recommended light air-
transportable weapons and air:
craft-mounted rockets to substitute
for heavy artillery. The recommen-
dations had the effect of doubling
the number of aircraft in the nOf-
mal infantry division (from 50 to
101) and increasing this fourfold
in the air assault division (459).
Secretary McNamara's reaction
to this recommendation in the re-
port was to order a complete field
test of the new division. For this
he selected Major General Harry
W.O. Kinnard, an experienced
and decorated. parachute officer
who had been interested from the
beginning in the possible applica-
tion of helicopters to infantry
maneuver.
General Kinnard set up the
skeleton of an air assault division
at Ft. Benning, Ga.-about 3,000
men. Secretary McNamara re-
quested an authorization from Con-
gress for an additional 15,000 men
in fiscal year 1964 to permit filling
the division. General Kinnard
worked diligently at Benning, train-
ing his officers and men from
scratch. This involved familiariz-
ing them with the aircraft. How
much could it carry? How fast
could it fly, how high and how far?
What were the best routes to use
in an attack to avoid anti-aircraft
fire? To attain surprise? To main-
tain control?
By January 1964, General Kin-
nard built his organization into
two airmobile brigades of three
battalions each. He smoothed out
the rudimentary tactical procedures
and wanted to test them. He
started maneuvering first with a
battalion, then enlarged the test to
accommodate a brigade. When he
was satisfied that the concepts and
techniques worked, he was ready
to test the entire division.
The high cost of the helicopters
being what it was, Army planners
had to be satisfied that the air
assault division' s superior mobility
would offset the taxpayers' invest-
ment. Air Assault II, the last and
most important test, pitted General
Kinnard's division against the
Army's ,crack 82nd Airborne Divi-
simi in a leased maneuver area of
4.5 .million acres, stretching from
Fayetteville, N. C. , to Columbia
S. C. All concerned concluded that
though the division was naturally
by bad weather and was
vulnerable to tank attack, its mo-
bility was characterized by a re-
markable high tempo of operation
and extremely short reaction time.
It could fight in several directions
at once, and over a unusually large
area. Secretary MeN amara was
convinced.
After three years of study, ex-
perimentation, field testing and
evaluation, the Secretary of De-
fense on 16 June 1965 gave ap-
proval for the Army to proceed
with the organization of an airmo-
bile division as part of the active
combat Army forces. The division
selected for this honor was the
famed 1 st Cavalry Division and
the test unit was renamed the 1 st
Cavalry Division (Airmobile).
Eager to prove a point, the Army
sent the division on its way to com-
bat in the Vietnam highlands by
the middle of the following month.
Airmobility is the concept of
today, although in the future it
may not employ the helicopter. As
aviation technology progresses,
some other kind of aerial vehicle
will wing our soldiers across rivers,
tree tops and swamps, maybe only
a few feet above the ground, may-
be singly or in small groups. At
any rate, the object is not air-
power; it is not aerial combat. The
object is to get our soldiers from
one point on the ground to an-
other. For that is where the soldier
has always fought and always will
fight and air travel will get him
there first.
24 U. S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST
Universal Engine
Trainer Device
This trainer can simu late engine seizu res, hot starts, engine
surges and compressor stalls-in fact, it can do everything but fly
I
N A CONTINUING effort to
provide the commander with
the best trained helicopter me-
chanics and aviators, the Army
Aviation School uses many types
of training aids to reinforce its
instruction. One new type of train-
ing aid costs $270,000.
I hope this article will help you
understand this training aid, and
realize it is worth every penny
spent for it.
The training aid I refer to is the
Universal Engine Trainer, Device
2A27B, commonly referrecl to as
the TRACO. The TRACO is
manufactured by the Trainer Cor-
poration of America located in
Buffalo, N. Y., and is presently
being used by the Department of
Maintenance at Ft.
Rucker, Ala.
The original 2A27 engine simu-
lator for the U. S. Army was
placed on contract 26 June 1962
JUNE 1969
Maior Richard H. Seignious
and also is presently in use at Ft.
Rucker. It was originally designed
for the T-S3-L3 OV-1 Mohawk
engine and has recently been up-
dated to the T-S3-L7 engine. There
is a 2A27 engine simulator at Ft.
Eustis, Va., used with the UH-1
and CH-47 for the T-S3-L11 and
T-SS-LS engines.
The 2A27B engine simulator is
designed to familiarize flight and
maintenance persqnnel with the
operation of the T -S 3 -L-13 gas
turbine engine used on the A"H-1G
and UH -1 H model helicopters and
the T -63-A-SA gas engine
used on the OH-6A helicopter.
The trainer provides instruction in
the various procedures pertin'ent
to the operation of either engine
as installed in their respective air-
craft. Provisions are also made to
demonstrate the change in engine
performance caused by changes in
atmospheric malfu'nc-
tion of the engine or system com-
ponents and improper operating
procedures. The " trainer is com-
pletely self -contained and consists
of the seven components.
The trainer's cockpit station (1)
and (4) is a replica of the actual
cockpit in the UH-1 D /H and
OH-6A respectively. All controls
relative to engine' operation, in-
cluding related flight indicators are
functional. The switches ancl con-
trols provide data for
computer and result in visual and
aural indicatiops of engine opera-
tion.
The fuel control (2) consists of
an actual subassembly
casting with internal computing
equipment. Adjustments on the
fuel control are exact duplicates
of the adjustments in the aircraft,
and thei! use causes visual and
aural responses on the display
panel simulate the responses
25
Universal Engine Trainer, Device 2427B
1. UHID Trainee's Cockpit Station 5. OH6A Fuel CO'1trol
2. UHID Fuel Control 6. OH6A Engine Uisplay Panel
3. UHID Engine Display Panel 7. Instructor's Station
4. OH6A Trainee's Cockpit Station 8. Analog Computer
of the actual engine. These adjust-
ments permit the student to trim
the engine performance and obtain
actual practice in adjusting the fuel
control unit. This also permits the
instructor to demonstrate the effect
of an improper adjustment on en-
gine operation without fear of
damaging any of the components.
The instructor's station (7) is
a console containing switches and
controls used to place various in-
puts and malfunctions into the
trainer. The controls' effects are
shown to the student on the engine
display panel. The sound system
produces aural effects consistent
with the malfunction. The sound
that a pilot or mechanic would
hear during an actual malfunction
is reproduced exactly.
There are some 39 various mal-
functions, conditions and simula-
tions that may be induced into the
trainer through the instructor's sta-
tion. Some typical examples are
engine seizure, hot start, low side
26
governor failure, engine surge and
compressor stall. These switches
must be used at the correct time or
under specific engine operating
conditions to produce the most
realism for the student. Many of
these malfunctions could not and
would not be demonstrated on an
actual aircraft because of safety
considerations or damage to the
engine. By proper programming,
the instructor can provide the stu-
dent with one of the most eventful
"flights" of his career.
The engine display panels, (3)
UH-ID, (6) OH-6, are mounted
in separate fabricated steel cabinets
connected to each other by hinges.
The panel utilizes dynamically ani-
mated and lighted cross sectional
views of the two engines together
with facsimiles of the engine in-
struments across the top of the
panel and controls on the engine
panel to demonstrate engine opera-
tion. Engine sounds are realisti-
cally simulated for normal and ab-
normal operation. Flow areas, in-
cluding the air inlet, compressor
sections, combustion chamber, tur-
bine section and the exhaust sec-
tion are presented on the panels,
suitably color coded to indicate
function and are identified by
printed nomenclatures.
A lighting system is provided in
the rear of each engine display
panel which creates an illusion of
fuel and gas flow to the engine
cross section areas of the panels.
The lights are sequenced by the
trainer computer so that the illumi-
nation appears as an accurate out-
line of engine operation. Back
lighting shows air and fuel flow
and flow rates as well as anti-icing
air flow. Appropriate lights are
sequenced by the computer to in-
dicate flow when flow commences
and the change in intensity of the
lighting, controlled by the compu-
ter, indicates pressure and temper-
ature changes. The spark igniter
plug is shown and illuminated dur-
U. S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST
ing ignition cycles, while combus-
tion is shown as an absorptive
change in color. An ice formation
display is provided for intake icing
and is controlled by altitude and
free air temperature. Various warn-
ing and caution lights are displayed
on the engine panels. All nomen-
clature is enlarged so that it is
legible from a distance of 30 feet.
The computer (8) is a general
purpose analog computer used to
program all engine instruments,
flow lighting and engine sounds.
The computer responds to inputs
from the instructor's control sta-
tion and the cockpit station. Ac-
tions by the student in the cockpit
determine the computer's response
under normal operating conditions.
In this way realistic engine perfor-
mance is obtained as a result of
correct or incorrect usage of the
controls in the cockpit. The in-
structor can select abnormal oper-
ating conditions from the various
malfunction switches on the in-
structor's console and these over-
ride the cockpit controls to accom-
plish the instructor's selected mal-
function.
The malfunction selected allows
the student in the cockpit to over-
come the malfunction by control
manipulation or determine what
other corrective action should be
taken. The engine computer is
housed in a metal cabinet. The
various computer elements have
been constructed in the form of
modules arranged to achieve the
desired engine simulation. Each
computing element is a precision
close-loop electro-mechanical servo
assembly. Each element contains
an indicating disc and test switch
that permits a fast reliable check
of proper performance.
At present, the Department of
Maintenance Training is utilizing
the trainer in support of the 67N20
Mechanics Course. The trainer
provides the enlisted student me-
chanic with an inside look at the
engine and how it functions. It also
JUNE 1969
allows the student to use such test
equipment as the vibration meter
to check for internal engine mal-
functions. The student can also
calibrate the exhaust gas tempera-
ture thermocouples on the trainer.
Enabling the student to perform
these two tests on the trainer elimi-
nates the need for actual aircraft
and if a mistake is made, there is
no worry of damaging the trainer.
The instructor may induce vari-
ous malfunctions into the trainer
and allow the student to evaluate
the indications to determine the
cause. Then the student makes the
proper adjustment on the trainer.
The student immediately can see
the results of his corrective action
and determine if his analysis was
correct. The use of the trainer
Student mechanics and pilots
are allowed an inside look at
the engine and how each con-
trol in the cockpit affects its
operation. This eliminates the
need for actual aircraft and if
a mistake is made there is no
worry of damaging the engine
provides the student with experi-
ence in engine troubleshooting
which he would normally be un-
able to receive in a school, on an
actual engine. An ease of under-
standing the operation of a gas
turbine engine has been given to
the student by using this training
aid, never available before. Show-
ing him malfunctions which could
occur is of tremendous benefit to
his training.
The trainer is also being used
to support the UH-1 Officer and
Warrant Officer Rotary Wing Avi-
ator Course, the Rotary Wing
Qualification Course, the Instruc-
tor Pilot's Qualification Course and
the General Officer Rotary Wing
Aviator Course. The Department
of Rotary Wing Training uses the
trainer to teach its instructor pilots
engine-related emergency proce-
dures and functioning of aircraft
engine controls. The trainer is used
to provide the aviator with an
understanding of the operation of
the gas turbine engine and its sup-
porting systems. With the aid of this
trainer, we are better able to show
the student aviator the internal
functioning of the engine and how
each control in the cockpit affects
the operation of the engine.
The student aviator may be
placed in the cockpit and told to
fly a hypothetical flight. The in-
structor may then induce various
malfunctions such as engine surge
or high side governor failure into
the trainer. The computer is then
programmed, giving the proper in-
dications on the display panel for
the rest of the class to see. At the
same time the identical indications
are displayed on the cockpit in-
struments. Should the student make
a mistake and choose the wrong
corrective action, the instructor
may allow him to pursue his course
of action, or correct him. If the
instructor allows the student to
continue, he usually compounds
the problem which has been in-
duced into the trainer. Should the
student continue on the wrong
course of action, it will cause the
illumination of a GOOF light dis-
played on the trainer. This light
would indicate to the student he
chose the wrong solution for over-
coming the initial malfunction.
The trainer cannot be damaged
by exceeding the limitations of the
engine so the instructor can permit
the student considerable latitude in
selecting appropriate corrective ac-
tion. Allowing the student to see
what could happen if he were in an
actual aircraft reinforces his need
to learn. The use of the trainer in
this manner provides the student
aviator with experience in recog-
nizing the various malfunctions he
normally would not encounter un-
til the real thing happened.
27
28
Air Traffic
Control
School
The task of producing
top notch controllers
was given to the new
department of A TC
training in Feb 1969
Until recently, Army air traffic
controllers were trained by
the Air Force and taught
Air Force, rather than Army,
procedures
Major Peter H. Mitchell
A
s TIME PROGRESSED in the
Vietnam conflict, commanders of
units having air traffic controllers contin-
ually indicated dissatisfaction because they
felt the controllers were not adequately
familiar with Army procedures. This was
because A TC training-which was really
quite good-was conducted by the U. S.
Air Force and, consequently, Air Force
oriented. This left the Army student
U. S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST
\
,
at a bit of a disadvantage in that
he received Air Force procedures,
on Air Force equipment and with
no live tower, GCA or Army ori-
ented radio training.
Thus in March 1967, the As-
sistant Commandant of USAA VNS
directed that concepts be formu-
lated with a goal of implementing
ATC training at Ft. Rucker, Ala.,
contingent on USCONARC ap-
proval. A draft program of in-
struction was prepared by the Of-
fice of the Director of Instruction
and was coordinated with USARV
in ordel:" to insure the planned in-
struction would meet the require-
ments of the field commanders.
The basic concept called for "live"
and simulated GCA Training uti-
lizing field sites/simulation and
Army equipment. A training plan
could not be implemented at Ft.
Rucker at the time due to a lack
of radar equipment. Also, it was
not feasible to modify the Air
Force training program to satisfy
the need. Therefore, it was decided
that a small percentage of the Air
Force trained Army controllers
would be further assigned to Ft.
Rucker and provided OJT through
existing facilities at USAA VNS.
The first group of 12 graduates
arrived at USAA VNS in May
1967 to receive Army oriented
live training.
In April 1967 USAA VNS was
directed to undertake a study to
determine the feasibility of Army
training for both officers and EM.
These courses were to provide
Army oriented training on Army
equipment, and the handling of
actual "live" traffic. This study
would also determine what MOSs
would be produced and would
determine what resources would
be required, i.e., equipment, facili-
ties, personnel. All staff agencies
and Departments at USAA VNS
were directed to provide action
officers to assist the group prepar-
ing this study. The group inter-
viewed Vietnam returnees, ATe
JUNE 1969 29
personnel familiar with ATC prob-
lems, other service schools and the
Federal Aviation Administration
Academy. This study was con-
ducted in June 1967. Recommen-
dations from this study were as
follows:
The U.S. Army should con-
duct its own Air Traffic Controller
Training and that the best location
for this training would be at the
Aviation School.
Three MOSs would be pro-
posed: 93H for tower specialists,
93J for GCA specialists and 93K
for enroute specialists.
Training could be initiated in
FY 69 providing that time sched-
ules developed by the study group
could be followed.
The need for additional training
of Army personnel graduated by
the Air Force School continued,
but available resources and facili-
ties limited the number which
could be handled.
In December 1967 CON ARC
directed USAA VNS to implement
30
air traffic control training at Ft.
Rucker and that all planning and
funding should be oriented toward
a start date of 1 Jul 69. The
course of action chosen from the
study provides basically for a
course that begins with an eight
week 3
1
1'2 day basic series of sub-
jects common to all three MOSs
with necessary instruction required
to obtain the Federal Aviation Ad-
ministration Control Tower Opera-
tors Certificate of Grades. The
planned input to this would be 36
students, 49 classes per year, one
class entering each week. At the
conclusion of this basic course the
students will proceed to the ad-
vanced training stage-primarily
6 weeks of intensified field training
with 20 students going to tower
training (MOS 93H), 10 to GCA
training (MOS 93J) and 6 to en-
route training (MOS 93K).
In January 1968 it was directed
that an A TC planning group be
formed with instructions to do
whatever was necessary to effect a
1 Jul 69 start date for ATC Train-
ing at USAA VNS. This group was
to formulate programs of instruc-
tion, funding, facilities require-
ments, manning required for in-
struction and administration and
concepts of training. For control
purposes this planning group was
placed under the Department of
Advanced Fixed Wing Training.
One major problem uncovered
at this time was that simulators for
radar instruction were not avail-
able in sufficient quantities in
either Air Force or Army channels
to provide for the simulation re-
quired in the advanced phase of
instruction. Subsequently, in Feb-
ruary 1968 a letter was sent to the
Naval Training Devices Center
(NTDC), Orlando, Fla., outlining
the requirements for radar simula-
tion. Close coordination was con-
tinued from that point on between
NTDC and members of the plan-
ning group in order to insure that
the simulation would meet all re-
quirements. Various designs were
consequently submitted by several
civilian firms that not only met the
ATC requirements but exceeded
them in many areas. In mid No-
vember 1968, USAA VNS received
authority to obligate funds for pro-
curement of a simulation system.
Regardless of which manufacturer
is finally awarded the contract
the system installed at Ft. Rucker
will be the most realistic radar
simulation available for training at
any A TC school, military or civil-
ian.
In late February and early
March meetings were held with
Airfield Operations in order to de-
fine and attempt to solve the man-
ifold problems that would be gen-
erated by assimilation of student
A TC training into the existing
training environment. That this
would call for extremely close co-
ordination, concept papers and
"letters of agreement" was evident
from the very start, as it was real-
ized that an addition of a training
U. S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST
war, a rig known as the Brodie
device developed by Com-
mander (then lieutenant) James
Brodie. It was at first hoped that
it . '%uld help compat the sub-
marine ' menace, but was
modified for use in restricted land
areas as well. Brodie's idea for a
device "for use on land consisted
of four masts supporting a hori-
zontal cable providing a smooth
runway for takeoff and landing.
,A trolley with an attached sling
underneath caught a hook mounted
above the center of gravity of the
aircraft. The trolley ran along the
cable and allowed landing and
takeoff runs. The airplane could
be or lowered to' the ground
by tightening or slackening the
runway cable.
The pevice for use on an LST
(Landing Ship Tank) consisted of
a cable which was held off the side
of the vessel on two booms extend7
ing from' two pylon-like towers
near the, bow and stern. A pulley
with a nylon loop rode
the cable along with a simple fric-
tion-brake. To "land," Army pilots
simply approached the LSr's rear
boom, throttled back the engine
and engaged a p.ook mounted on
top of the aircraft to the loop on
, the cable. The aircraft then was
braked to a stop, dangling the
sea . . After that the pilot simply
taxied, or was manually pulled, to
the . forward boom which then '
swung ship inboard and down
to the deck. '
Taking 'off was just as simple,
theoretIcally . .The was swung
out on the ent! of a boom and ac:-
celerated to 'takeoff speed. When
the pilot )Vas he a
lanyard which. disengaged his hook
and freed him from. his ' hanging
runway.
The first LST used for the
Brodie operations became the only
ship of that classification to receive
an official name-LST 776 was
named the pSS Brodie.
The land use concept envisioned
the employment of a Brodie cable
to be strung between trees in small
closings where the terrain was un-
suitable fOf an airstrip, thereby
permitting L-4' operations.
It was first tested at New Or-
leans Moissant Airport and later
on the ship "City of Dalhart" in
the Gulf of Mexico.
Later in the war General Leslie
J. McNair, chief of staff at GHQ,
witnessed a demonstration of the,
Brodie device at Ft. Belvoir, V it.
He immediately its po":
tential for use with planes,
On 31 October 1944, -he directed
that traiIting ' in ,the' use Of the
Brodie device be initiated at the
Department of Air Training at Ft.
Sill, OIda.
An the device
occurred during the invasion 'of
when an urgent require-
meilt developed to set up artillery
units in' the Kerama 'Retto Islands
to shell the on nearby
Okinawa.
Photography and aerial obser-
vatiQp. were needed by the artillery
batteries, but the ' Kerama Islands
offered no suitable area for a land-
ing strip. , '
. . USS Brodie came to the
,rescue and during the invasion of
Okinawa L-4s used the Brodie de-
vice to fly numerqus sorties.
a pilot nor was lost.
Thjs little-known sequence in
Army aviation ' history came un-
expectedly to light during ' retire-
ment ceremonies for Lieutenant
Colonel Earl B. Montgomery of
the U. S. Army Combat
ments Command Materiel Drrec-
torate. Colonel "Monty," well
known in the avionics trade and a
key man in the Combat Develop-
ments Command AAFSS
was an Ai:my pioneer in World
War II in using the Navy
cailed the "Brodie Gear." As a
pilot with the 77th Infantry Divi-
sion Artillery he had to simultane-
ously learn . and teach the tech-
niques of the Brodie system.
"I was at Tacloban AAF in 194.5
when we first heard of the Brodie
system. Then op.e day this
rig was delivered and mounted on
my plane. I was told to watch for
an LST with a cable-rig sticking
over the side-and to try ' for a
landing.
"Nter about three . days, i
spotted an LST rigged with cables
Above, the Brodie device is rigged for use on land while undergoing tests in
Louisiana. Below, the booms hold the device's landingcable outboard of the
LST so Army L-4s can fly alongside and engage their hooks in the nylon
pulleyloop for a "landing." The forward boom (left) is pointing into the camera
and does not show its length as does the stern boom. The landing cable
crosses the bridge and boat deck of the LST. Two planes have landed and
been swung inboard and to the deck. "A vital part of the landing technique,"
contends lieutenant Colonel Earl Montgomery, a pioneer and instructor in
cabledangling, "was to keep your stick forward after hooking on, or the
cable'd trim your propblades off to the hub"
so I approached it, however, it
showed me a red light and the deck
began to swarm with activity.
"Finally they gave me a green
light and signalled me in. With
the ship steaming into the wind,
I approached the stern end of the
cable, lined up my hook with the
loop-and missed it clean.
"My second try was a good one;
I hung my plane on the pulley-
loop and taxied to the other boom
and was swung to the deck. Then
a voice yelled, ' Well done, Lieu-
tenant-you're now an instructor!'
Just like that! "
Montgomery, joined by two
more lieutenants as the "teaching
faculty," refined the Brodie cable-
landing technique and trained all
the Brodie Gear pilots who par-
ticipated in the Okinawa invasion.
Their program of almost simul-
taneously learning and teaching
trained enough pilots for six cable-
rigged LSTs for invasion roles be-
fore the war ended.
"Actually," said Monty about
his pioneer role, "Marine pilots
flew off the Brodie cables on sev-
eral campaigns about that time,
but they landed ashore, when air-
strips were captured or prepared.
The Army however wanted us to
get airborne before and during the
battle, fly reconnaissance, liaison
and spot artillery and get back to
the ship. So we were sort of pio-
neering the landing part of the
Brodie drill. And there were times
when the old cable looked mighty
good to us," he added.
"In effect, said Colonel Mont-
gomery, who was with the group
which flew war correspondent
Ernie Pyle off a cable to his ren-
dezvous on Ie Shima, "we were
making a fixed-wing do the work
of a rotary-wing aircraft. You
might say the Brodie cable was the
transition to the helicopter which
replaced it-and just in time. Land-
on-a-cable-between-two-trees ... ,"
he mumbled going to the CDC
signout book for the last time.
34 U. S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST
Aviation WO Career Program
A brighter career outlook is in store for aviation warrant officers
Captain F. J. Lewels
7 JULY 1969 will mark the beginning of the
only Career Course in existence for Army warrant
officers as well as the start of a new era that will
bring a brighter career outlook for some 11,000
Army aviation warrant officers.
For the Army it will hopefully result in a higher
aviation warrant officer retention rate.
A proposed $1.3 million classroom and office
facility will provide a permanent home for the new
career course.
Until now, warrants in all branches have had little
to look forward to in the way of career training.
The new program, which is designed to provide
these officers with a working knowledge of the role
of Army aviation and to prepare them to step into
more responsible and varied jobs, stemmed from a
general dissatisfaction in the warrant ranks over
career opportunities. This dissatisfaction, demon-
strated by a large number of aviation warrants leav-
ing the service, prompted the Army to initiate the
new program. The program will provide an inter-
mediate course for grades W-2-W-3 and an ad-
vanced course for W -4s.
Although the first year will produce only 320
graduates from both the Intermediate and Advanced
Courses, future plans envision a yearly total of 500
or more graduates, possibly increasing after three
or four years.
Subjects planned for the course are organization
of the Army, aircraft, airfields, aviation safety, avia-
tion medicine, civil defense, armament systems, sur-
vival, unit administration, leadership, effective writ-
ing, military justice, map reading, tactical doctrine
and methods of instruction.
Two subjects which will be given special emphasis
will be air traffic control and aviation safety. Gradu-
ates of these courses will be qualified to step into
jobs that have rarely been held by warrants in the
past. They will be able to shoulder the responsibility
of an assistant operations officer in an aviation unit,
scheduling and planning missions and performing the
multitude of associated functions.
Other duties for which they will be qualified will
include assistant maintenance officer, assistant ad-
ministrative officer, assistant supply officer, division
JUNE 1969
staff officer and special staff assistant, division level.
The warrant officer will be especially effective as
a liaison officer by com bining his expertise as an
aviator with his newly acquired knowledge of ground
operations. A graduate will have a background of
how the Army functions and exactly where aviation
fits in. He will have an understanding of the Army
organizations and functions which has not been re-
quired of him in the past.
In order to qualify for the Intermediate Course a
warrant officer must spend three years as a rated
aviator or an aircraft repair technician (non-rated).
He must be a member of the Active Army or a re-
serve component with a Secret security clearance.
Active Army warrants attending this course will in-
cur an additional two year obligation.
For the Advanced Course, an aviation warrant
officer must be either a W-4 or be selected for W-4.
He also incurs a two year obligation and must have
a Secret security clearance.
The first two Intermediate courses begin 7 July
1969 and 19 January 1970 and will last for 22 weeks
and 4 days with each having an enrollment of 100
students. The first two Advanced courses, with 60
students each, will last 27 weeks and 4 days and will
begin on 20 Aug 69 and 25 Nov 69.
Warrant officers will be on orders to Ft. Rucker
and many will attend such courses as the Instrument
Examiners Course or one or more transition courses
prior to or after completion of their particular pro-
gram course. Others may attend the Aviation Officer
Maintenance Course at Ft. Eustis, Va., enroute to
Ft. Rucker.
Selection for both courses will be made by De-
partment of the Army. A warrant officer may state
his desire to attend either course on DA Form 483
(Officer's Preference Statement) however actual se-
lection will be based on performance as reflected in
the individual's 201 file.
Even though Career Program Course selection is
competitive, it is hoped that eventually all warrant
officers with four years of service will be able to
attend the Intermediate Course. The Advanced
Course will remain more selective.
35
Major Chester Goolrick
UNIT
1'1 ,
36
cra sh sense
the following 28 pages prepared by the U. S. Army Board for Aviation Accident Research
T
HE FIRST THING a budding
salesman learns after he starts
work for Mighty Mutual Insurance
Company is that the beautifully
engraved diploma ( 18" x 16" ,
suitable for framing) he was
handed by Old Siwash does not
mean his education is over.
He will be going to school until
the day they pack him off to the
home for old insurance salesmen.
If he doesn't like the idea, he
can always get a job digging
ditches with the Streets and Sewers
Department.
Mighty Mutual has definite ideas
on the subject of education. It
foulld out long ago that one way
not to keep an insurance company
sol vent was to hire bright young
economics majors, give them a
friendly pat on the back and a pad
of policy application forms and
send them out to make their way
in the world. Nowadays, good old
M.M. runs its own school, about
as tough as the Army's basic train-
ing, one in which new boys still a
trifle damp behind the ears are
turned into hardnosed insurance
agents who can wheedle a prospect
into taking out a $100,000 policy
without even raising a mild sweat.
What's more, 25-year veterans are
pulled in from time to time to
brush up on selling techniques, to
learn new tricks of the trade.
One thing you can be sure of.
Mighty Mutual doesn't let its men
in the field develop rust and barna-
cles like a tramp steamer which
has been too long at sea. They are
put in dry dock for a thorough
overhaul before they go downhill.
Like every other business enter-
prise which manages never to skip
a dividend, Mighty Mutual also
has some ideas as to how the job
is to get done. There is no room
in the ranks for prima donnas. A
salesman either follows his hand-
book and what he has learned at
the company school, or it's back
to Streets and Sewers. Most bright
young men grasp the idea fairly
early and never lose sight of it.
This is a point of view pro foot-
ball players can appreciate. A club
can start drills in July and be com-
posed of super-stars who make Joe
N amath look like a rank amateur.
Unless it keeps up practice 5 days
a week during the season, unless it
functions as a team, its timing and
execution on Sundays is going to
be about as crisp and accurate as
a 2-dollar watch with a bent main-
spring. Only a rookie raw as an
oyster on the half shell believes
football games are won on Sun-
days. The oldtimers know it is the
hard, relentless practice on week-
days that puts points on the board
and brings in that extra $15,000
for winning the Super Bowl.
TRAINI NG SENSE
JUNE 1969 37
UNIT TRAINING SENSE
LOOK ALIVE
What has all this to do with Army aviation? A
far cry, you say, from selling insurance and playing
football , even for another $15,000, and piloting a
Huey?
Not at all. It comes to just this. If there is an
Army airman alive who thinks unit work is done by
a group of friendly fellows each getting things done
in his own style-chances are he won't be around
much longer.
Nobody in Army aviation ever really believes this,
of course. On reflection, all of us will agree that in
an Army unit, timing and teamwork from every man
jack from mechanics to pilots has to be as crisp as
it was for the Jets in the Super Bowl. Anyone who
has ever taken part in a helicopter scramble, or who
has even watched one, has no trouble grasping the
fact that it would take only one guy with two left
feet to turn the whole affair into something resem-
bling a full scale riot at the Big House.
38
So? If you don't want your scrambles to look like
a plate of underdone eggs, you train.
And you keep on training on a fixed schedule,
come hell or high water. Slack off, let down, or for-
get the whole thing and you're in trouble. It's as
simple as that.
To be sure, unit training, like most chores which
aren't in the same pleasant category as a picnic in
the park with Miss Universe of 1969, is easy to
overlook or forget or make excuses about. It is no
trouble at all to sweep the dirt under the rug or
put off fixing the roof. But don't worry. Another
form of trouble will show up eventually just the same.
Take time, for example-lack of it, that is. Under
the best of conditions, most Army units could use
another 8 hours or so every day and still feel pushed.
There never does seem to be enough time to go
around. The chaps in Vietnam, already so bone-
weary from overwork they could spot Rip Van
Winkle a 10-year handicap in a sleeping contest,
aren't just trying to goof off if they take the stand that
U. S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST
a unit trammg program, piled on everything else,
would constitute an overload enough to blow every
mental and physical fuse they still have in good
working order.
Fair enough. But hear this. A good number of
units in Vietnam do have sound training programs.
And hear this, too. In every case where you run
into a well-run training program you'll find a lower
accident rate. Not just some cases. Every case. These
are the level-headed chaps who have rejected the
hang dog philosophy that in combat you are going
to have accidents so you might as well accept them.
Stuff and nonsense, they stoutly aver. Accidents,
most of them, are preventable whether a unit is
operating in Vietnam or so far away the only action
anyone ever sees is when the town drunk gets carted
off to the pokey on Saturday night.
No matter where or when, a sound unit training
program provides a fair share of the answers to the
accident problem. Let's be honest while we are at it.
It's also hard, not very exciting work, about as
glamorous as a wheelbarrow.
But it pays off. Every time, like a runaway slot
machine.
Most Army units could
use another eight hours every day
and still feel pushed
JUNE 1969
A sound unit training program
is about as glamorous
as a wheelbarrow, but it
pays off
. ~ .... ... . ~
~ ~
39
UNIT TRAINING SENSE
40
Where there is a program in
operation, the unit's performance
and operational efficiency
is enough to bring
joy to the flinty hearts
of commanders all
the way to the Pentagon
SOMETHING FOR EVERYBODY
Where there is a program in operation, everybody
is a winner, the way some of those breakfast food
box top contests are advertised. Blade strikes go
down. Maintenance procedures become standardized.
Techniques in every department improve. A healthy
self-confidence blossoms in the unit like dandelions
on a suburban lawn. Morale is higher than Nebraska
corn at harvest time. Not the least of the rewards
is that the unit's performance, its operational effi-
ciency, is enough to bring joy to the hearts of com-
manders all the way to the Pentagon.
This is one poker game in which everybody shares
in the pot, but it may be that some rake in a few
more blue chips than the others. Younger pilots
especially. Unit training takes the place of the transi-
tional period they would go through if they happened
to be flying for All World Airways. It gives them the
firm support they need to get through those first
difficult days when, if left to their own devices, they
might begin to flounder around like a hippopotamus
caught in a bed of quicksand. And if there is one
thing the Army does not need it is one or two pilots
who start to flounder at just the wrong times.
Nothing beats a helping hand at the right moment.
A pilot fresh from Rucker has the technical skills
he needs. He is proud of his ability. He is enthusias-
tic about his job, as eager to please as a speckled
U. S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST
pup. Too eager, sometimes, if left to his own devices.
What he lacks is experience. Flying under the
hood over the peaceful country around Rucker is
one thing. Flying on instruments, unexpectedly, over
the hostile terrain of Vietnam, the rolling hills of
Germany, or Arctic terrain is another can of worms
indeed. A while back a relatively inexperienced pilot
in an overseas area ran into a sudden rainstorm at
night, got vertigo, and crashed. He would be with
us today if a careful training program in the early
stages had given him the helping hand he needed.
What makes things doubly tough for new pilots is
that they are already used to a helping hand.
Throughout their training there has always been an
instructor somewhere in the neighborhood, ready to
take over, or bail out the boat when the going got
tough. When the helping hand is removed, an in-
experienced aviator is in the same position as a man
with a freshly healed broken leg who has discarded
his crutch. It is a psychological handicap which can
keep a man from using the skills he already has to
their fullest extent.
A number of things can happen to an airman in
this fix. If he's really lucky, he'll survive by learning
in good old Hard Knocks University, with a major in
lumps and bruises-and, incidentally, perhaps also
picking up a lot of self-taught practices you'll never
find in a dash 10 and which always mean trouble
l i->o.,....,..,.- ..... , - , .... -.. _ . ........ ; ; :
JUNE 1969
The young pilot, if left to his own
devices, might begin to flounder
around like a hippopotamus in quicksand
At Rucker, there was always
an instructor ready
to take over when the going got rough
later. Somewhere along the way, he may -acquire a
dangerous overconfidence, a hard veneer which adu-
ally masks his own sense of insecurity. Or, as a re-
sult of a series of hairy episodes, he may develop
such a lack of confidence in himself that his flying
performance is a little like trying to start a Huey with
the blade tied down. Whatever the case, he'll never
become the all-around, properly confideht profes-
sional pilot Army flying demands.
Throwing a chap into the deep end of the pool is
one way of teaching him to swim. It sometimes
works, even if most lifeguards don't recommend it.
Rest assured on one point. It is no fun fot tht? poor
soul being taught. If h ~ winds up with a galloping
case of the heebie-jeebies and such an aversion to
water he won't go out in the rain, it is not his fault.
NEVER TOO LATE
When does the Army airman reach. the point at
which he can go it alone, when the helping hand is
no longer needed?
Well, to put it in as few words as possible, roughly
never.
41
UNIT TRAINING SENSE
42
The 1,000 hour man can develop
a case of over-confidence
inflated to the
pO'in" where it' s straining the seams
Never too old
to learn
Sure, experience comes with time_ Experience is
a nice thing to have. Don' t ever forget, though, that
it can be a two-edged sword, in some ways more of
a hindrance than a help. The 1 ,OOO-hour man, unless
he is checked by a consistent unit standardization
and training program, can develop a case of over-
confidence inflated to the point where it is straining
at the seams. In such a state, his techniques are
likely to grow so sloppy you could stir them with a
spoon.
Let' s take, as one example, the interesting, if
hairy, case of the aviator who develops the weird
theory that he knows more than his dash 10 does.
Or simply ignores it. One outfit lacking a training
program in some way as yet unexplained managed
to convince itself that the proper way to get a Beaver
off the ground was at 2000 rpm, pulling 30 inches of
manifold pressure. The idea was that this prolonged
the life of the engine. Nobody knows whether the
engines' lives were prolonged. The lives of the six
men who were killed in the inevitable crash weren't.
There was the Huey pilot in another unit who
came to the conclusion that the way to clear sizable
obstacles was to get down low and build his speed
up to 85 knots so that he could soar over like a pole
U. S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST
vaulter. Fortunately, wiser heads put him straight
before it was too late. He would have wound up
perching in a lonesome pine like an owl.
These are bad enough by themselves. The Army
doesn't need pilots who haven't looked in their dash
10s since they joined their outfits. What piles injury
on injury is that when experienced pilots become
infected with a set of ideas just about as murky as
a San Francisco fog on a bad day, they are likely to
pass them on to new arrivals. Younger men are
always willing to accept advice from those they
think are solidly in the know. If a veteran goes
around loudly proclaiming a Huey can be taught to
stand on its hind legs and beg for fuel , like a cocker
spaniel after a dog biscuit, sooner or later somebody
is going to believe him. What is worse, to try to act
on the advice.
We can't have that sort of thing going on, can we?
Make no mistake about it, it has happened before.
It will again-in units lacking sound training pro-
grams.
In another area, consider the matter of instrument
flying. You may have logged more time on instru-
ments than Noah did at the wheel of the ark. That
doesn't mean you can afford to get rusty. If you
JUNE 1969
don't fly instruments regularly, you are not safe to
fly them unexpectedly. What goes for instruments
applies equally to any number of other areas of fly-
ing. If there is rust in the machinery you can look
for pings.
The solution? By now you should have begun to
grasp the general idea that our basic theme is that
unit training programs can be classified as Pretty
Good Things, along with polio vaccine, baseball, and
Raquel Welch.
You're right again.
VIEW FROM THE TOP
If there is another airman who gets special bene-
fits from unit training, it is the commander. The Jets
pick up their snap and polish during head-knocking
practice sessions. At the same time, Coach Ewbank
has a chance to assess his players, to find out what
each man can or can' t do, how he can be improved,
and where he fits in best. Ewbank wouldn't be
pulling down a fat salary to pace the sidelines at
Shea Stadium on Sunday afternoons if he didn't
know the capabilities of each man on the squad
better than the player does himself.
Army aviators come in a variety of shapes and
sizes but manage, when in uniform, to look pretty
Sooner or later, someone is going
to believe him
43
UNIT TRAINING SENSE
much alike. This doesn't mean that they are alike,
not by a country mile. They differ in temperament,
experience, ability, physical reactions, and a lot of
other factors that don't show up on the surface like
buck teeth or red hair. Each man has his own par-
ticular limits and when he is pushed beyond those
limits, the trouble sets in.
One easy way to find out what a man's limits are
is to wait until the accident happens, determine what
he did wrong, chalk it up as another pilot error
crash, and tell him sternly not to do it again-pro-
vided he is around to do the listening.
An easy but inefficient method, costly in men and
aircraft and a wear and tear on everybody'S nerves,
not to mention the lumps and bruises involved. So
what's a better way?
By George, you've guessed right again! Unit train-
ing. If a CO has a well-planned program in opera-
tion all the time and keeps book on how things are
going, he soon learns exactly what each aviator can
do. More important, he knows what a man can't do
-not at this stage of his development. He may not
be aware of it, but he is in the business of prevent-
ing accidents caused by (a) inexperience and (b)
creeping sloppiness.
Here again we run into the problems of a young
pilot, perhaps 3 months out of Rucker, sometimes
already an aircraft commander and under all the
44
pressure he can reasonably be expected to handle.
The CO has his own share of pressure-so does
everybody-and our eager youngster might find him-
self handed a task beyond his capabilities simply
because, lacking a thorough knowledge of his man,
the CO makes the assumption the pilot has acquired
the necessary experience. Asked to do something,
few pilots are likely to turn it down on the grounds
that they are not up to it. When the crash occurs
and another pilot error goes into the books, whose
error was it?
CO's don't enjoy nightmares any more than the
next man. A sound unit training program is a lot
better guarantee of 8 dreamless hours in the sack
than those pills you keep hearing about on television.
NUTS AND BOLTS DIVISION
If a pilot can fall into sloppy practices or make a
mistake simply because he doesn't know any better,
it follows that the same goes for maintenance men.
Where there is a letdown in training, you are likely
to find a considerably higher incidence of the appli-
cation of Murphy'S Law than you will in a unit
where everybody is kept on his toes by training,
standardization and supervision.
One large area here is in the use, care and feeding
of tools. If a pilot is capable of ignoring his dash 10
when left to his own devices, a maintenance man
U. S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST
can allow his toolbox to reach a state where it could
qualify for a government grant as a disaster area.
This is bad enough by itself-a mechanic in a hurry
can pick up the wrong tool if nothing is where it
ought to be-but it is likely to be a symptom of
other ailments. When you see a chap whose usual
style of dress is a cut below that of the scarecrow
in The Wizard of Oz, you can usually make a safe
bet that he is just as badly organized when it comes
to anything else he is involved with.
One thing people like this are prone to do is take
what they think are time-saving shortcuts, ignoring
Where there is a letdown in
training, there is usually
a higher incidence
of Murphy's law
prescribed techniques the way pilots can forget their
dash lOs. And, shucks, as everybody knows, short-
cuts do save time. The trouble is that time is just
about all they save.
It's a sad truth that sometimes in the field, equip-
ment shortages can cause changes in prescribed
techniques. The point to be made is that changes are
okay only if they are thoroughly tested, understood
by all, and supervised. A mechanic who has been
kept on his toes by training and supervision will
never attempt a change in technique on his own.
Not only that, if somebody else-no matter who else
--changes something, your alert maintenance man
will want to know why, and if he doesn't get a good
answer, he sticks by the book.
JUNE 1969
Fine and dandy. Would it were always so. But
when you add together a unit with an inadequate
training program and a bunch of tired men operating
under enough pressure to flatten a suit of steel
armor, you come up with some results which make
the kind of story you wouldn't want to read to the
kiddies at bedtime.
Would you like to hear the sad story about the
rocket fuse which went off outside a fuselage because
somebody had lost, or failed to properly use, his
fuse wrench?
It shouldn't have happened to a dog, you say?
How true, how true.
But be assured, friend. It did, and not to a dog,
either. It could again.
45
UNIT TRAININ'G SENSE
THE NITTY GRITTY
Even Jedediah McPoolball, the official village idiot
of Back-of-Beyond, Okla. , wouldn't have much trou-
ble deciding after hearing the arguments for the
defense that sound unit training is a joy and a bless-
ing for all.
Everybody can agree on the why of the subject.
The hows and the whens come a little harder, even
for aviators with mental horsepower ratings far
above poor J edediah's.
How in tunket can a unit undertake a training pro-
gram when it is already in the red on its time allot-
ment and the airmen are loaded to the gunwhales
with workloads sufficient to make any self-respecting
worker throw down his tools and walk off the job?
It ain't easy, as the circus sword-swallower said
when asked about his trade. But it can be done and
it is being done, even under the toughest conditions.
Always with that gratifying drop we've noted in the
accident rate, which makes the whole thing seem
worthwhile, no matter what the extra effort required.
One sound procedure for the man undertaking a
project is to copy somebody who is already doing
the same thing successfully. As a starter, then, let's
peer in on a unit which has a training program going
full steam ahead without having had to pass any
major miracles, wave magic wands, or call in a team
of high-priced efficiency experts.
Someone has given a lot
of thought to every 5uccessfu,1
unit training program
The first thing you will note is that somebody-
the commander, maybe, or the safety officer-has
given a lot of thought to the program. He has ,con-
sidered the particular terrain, weather and opera-
tional conditions the outfit finds itself in at the mo-
ment. He has taken a hard look at the mishaps of
the past few months, noting any changes in pattern,
any particular type of mishap the unit seems to be
in the habit of making more than others. He has
evaluated the personnel. He has considered the
operational workload.
Once he knows what the program ought to aim
for, the next problem is getting on target. There are
about as many ways to hit it as there are to get rid
of the weekly paycheck. Here are just a few of the
items on the agenda of a training-conscious unit
which likes to boast about its bright, shiny A-I acci-
dent rating.
1. They keep one Huey set aside at all times for
training purposes. This, again, ain't easy. The normal
temptation to anyone who spots a Huey napping in
the shade while everybody else is working is to find
a job for it. These lads keep their's surrounded by
barbed wire and plastered over with No Hunting
Allowed signs.
2. They require a 90-day proficiency instrument
check for all aviators, no matter whether they have
been flying 1 year or 20.
3. They encourage their airmen to take advan-
tage of every opportunity to train. On the way back
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ - - - - - - - - - - - ~
: : \ ~
- - - - - - - - - - - - ~ ~ = = = = = = ~
46 U. S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST
from a mission, for instance, pilots take turns flying
instruments and looking out for other aircraft.
4. They insist on high standards of performance.
This means that in addition to top-notch flying and
maintenance techniques, personal equipment, such
as first aid kits and survival gear, is always handy
and in apple-pie order.
5. Whenever possible they hold informal safety
get-togethers at which aviators and maintenance per-
sonnel sit down and talk over their problems. They
have learned that a mechanic who has noticed some-
thing wrong-improper writeups for instance-will
speak up in an open meeting when he might not
want to tell the pilots themselves. They have learned,
too, that once pilots develop a full appreciation of
the fact that maintenance men have as many prob-
lems as they do, and sometimes more, they develop
an understanding spirit which can make things easier
for all concerned.
6. Standard procedures are a must. Pilots know
and respect their dash 10s the way young mothers
do their books on baby care. Mechanics' toolboxes
are as orderly as West Point's Baker Company, First
Battalion, on parade. Everybody goes by the book
and when an emergency or an equipment shortage
forces a change, all hands feel their way along with
the caution of Admiral Perry crossing the ice to the
North Pole.
7. New men in all categories are given special
attention by those who have been around for a while
JUNE 1969
and know the ropes. Nobody is asked to do some-
thing unless it is dead certain he can do it. Nobody
gets pushed or overextended.
8. They are picky about the little details which can
cause big trouble if overlooked. Aviators would no
more go without their Nomex flight clothes, helmets,
and gloves than they would be caught at high noon
on Main Street wearing nothing but a fig leaf and a
foolish grin. Everybody is aware of the importance
of the survival kit, of the proper use of tools, and of
keeping all equipment hale and healthy. They are
not only aware of it, they are not allowed to forget
it. The training program sees to that.
9. They have a program to meet new conditions.
When they are transferred from the lowlands to a
base high in the hills, brushing up on new approach
techniques gets top priority for awhile.
It wouldn't be hard to go on to add a few items.
In fact, you could probably keep at it for a day or
so and still not cover all the special areas a particu-
lar unit's training program might cover. A training
program is like a $250 suit. It has to be tailored if
it is to fit properly and not pinch at the waistline.
No two programs will ever be exactly alike. The one
a unit has thought out will be different from the one
another unit has in operation a half mile or so down
the road. And they are constantly being adjusted, the
way our friends the Jets set their defense to meet an
off-tackle slant. If the defensive captain is calling
them correctly, nobody ever gets mousetrapped.
47
UNIT TRAINING SENSE
ON rHEIR TOES
Alertness is one of the prime requisites of a train-
ing program, too. When you run across a unit which
has no program worthy of the name, you'll discover
one which is suffering from a severe attack of Creep-
ing Complacency, an ailment which can be fatal if
not diagnosed in time. Army aviation, in or out of
combat, is a risky enough trade without making
things worse. Sure, we all know that nothing we can
do will probably ever result in all accidents being
eliminated. We can at least give it a whirl.
A sound training program is about the most effec-
tive instrument yet devised to keep airmen and
mechanics on their toes, their performance up to,
but not beyond the level of, their capabilities. Left
entirely on your own, you would have to be super-
human not to let down bit-by-bit, to slack off in some
areas, to resort to dangerous shortcuts, and to de-
velop a few lefthanded notions about techniques
48
you'll never find ,in any TM. We all need a little
prodding now and then to get along in life. A train-
ing program does just that.
Safety depends on efficiency. A man is efficient in
Army aviation only when his reflexes, procedures
and have been honed to a sharpness that
would turn blade manufacturers green with envy.
When accidents happen, they happen in a hurry. The
poor soul whose reflexes are covered with barnacles
is the one who gets it in the neck. .
Hard work? Sure. What isn't these days? But
necessary! Is there a dissenting vote in the house? If
you do happen to have a few lingering doubts, all
you need is a little imagination. Just imagine your
unit's next accident and then put yourself in the
cockpit. Or imagine it and then imagine that it was
caused because you used the wrong tool or failed to
follow the book on some maintenance procedure.
Now start imagining how that accident can be
prevented.
You won't have to imagine very long.
U. S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST
Colonel Robert M. Hamilton
COL Hamilton. Chief, Aviation Division, Military Operations and
Reserve Forces, USCONARC, was director of USABAAR from June 1962 to
June 1965. He is a dual rated master Army aviator and his past
assignments include assistant commandant of the Army Aviation School,
Ft. Sill, and aviation officer for the 7th and 8th U.S. Armies.
L
ET'S TAKE ANOTHER hard look at Army
aviation safety! It seems, unfortunately, that
most of us associated with the Army aviation busi-
ness become complacent from time to time, al-
though accident cause factors, safety tips, fatality
rates and other words of wisdom expostulating the
safe way punctuate many of our official publications.
Of growing concern is the fact that excellent articles,
briefings, technical papers and similar vehicles de-
signed to disseminate the word are being partially
TABLE 1
Worldwide Army Aviation Accident Experience
(From the USABAAR Files)
RATE AVERAGE COST
FISCAL (per 100,000 PER ACCIDENT
FATALITIES
YEAR flying hours) (less injury cost) PILOTS OTHERS TOTAL
1964 26.0 $ 70,103- FW 23 29 52
...
RW 22 41 63
TOTAL 45 70 115
1965 21.6 $ 77,125 FW 10 4 14
RW 24 42 66
TOTAL 34 46 80
1966 20.0 $105,908 FW 19 13 32
RW 36 109 145
TOTAL 55 122 177
1967 22.1 $120,069 FW 13 9 22
RW 60 159 219
TOTAL 73 168 241
1968 20.4 $113,310 FW 24 25 49
RW 118 261 379
TOTAL 142 286 428
JUNE 1969
TELL IT
LIKE
IT IS
a hard . look at Army safety
ignored. This outlook is distressing at best, has no
place in a professional community, and undoubtedly
contributes to loss of life and equipment. This sug-
gests it might be time once again to frankly discuss
the real problems facing us in aviation safety. With
that in mind, let's consider a few facts:
Table 1 shows the aircraft accident rate on a
worldwide basis. As you can see, while the rate has
decreased since FY 1964, it has remained fairly
constant for the past 4 years, but the average cost
TABLE 2
USCONARC Army Aviation Accident Experience
(From the USABAAR Files)
RATE AVERAGE COST
(per 100,000 PER ACCIDENT
FISCAL YEAR flying hours) (less injury cost) FATALITIES
1964 24.5 $73,812 FW 21
RW 26
TOTAL 47
1965 20.8 $67,994 FW 6
RW 32
TOTAL 38
1966 13.8 $64,285 FW 8
RW 10
TOTAL 18
1967 10.8 $57,330 FW 9
RW 49
TOTAL 58
1968 10.3 $48,385 FW 13
RW 36
TOTAL 49
49
TELL IT LI KE IT IS
per accident and the number of fatalities have risen.
Table 2 shows CONARC experience. Here, the rate
and average cost per accident show a downward
trend. Of course, the reason for this is that most of
the costlier aircraft are overseas. Also, in CONUS,
we enjoy a more controlled environment.
On the fatality side, there is a continuing upward
trend on the worldwide basis, with a staggered pat-
tern in CONUS, due again to exposure, supervision
and environment.
It might be well to comment on the manner in
which we analyze what we do and how we do it by
using a rate based on a number of accidents per
100,000 flying hours. It is questionable whether we
are not kidding ourselves into believing that when
the rate is low we are doing well and when the rate
is high we are not doing so well. I wonder if this is
really true. As many readers will agree, the Army
aircraft accident rate at one time was much higher
than either the Air Force or the Navy. This was due
to a difference in criteria. It was extremely notice-
able in those type aircraft common to all three
services.
Using the U-6 as an example, any crash that re-
quired over 50 man-hours to repair constituted a
major accident in the Army. In the other services,
it required 400 man-hours of repair before it became
a major accident. By tri-service action, it was agreed
that standards for comparison on like type aircraft
should be the same to present a true picture. As a
result, the Army rate for that particular aircraft was
reduced considerably.
AIRCRAFT
TABLE 3
1968 Total Cost of Army Aircraft
(Less Armament)
COST ADDITIONAL
So a rate based on variable criteria can be
manipulated to show almost anything you want. This
poses the question: "What does it tell the com-
mander?" Are we comparing superior performance
between units? Are we comparing mediocrity? Or
are we comparing unsatisfactory performance? And
does a low rate really tell a commander that he is
doing OK? Wouldn't it be better if we told the com-
mander that aircraft accidents this month cost his
command this many thousands of dollars, that so
many people in his command were killed, and that
his combat readiness posture was reduced a certain
percentage? Quite possibly, more emphasis on the
effects of accidents in terms of money, lives, and
combat readiness, rather than on rate, is in order.
Now a little about the cost of modern Army air-
craft. Table 3 shows only the modern fleet. Obvi-
ously, costs are going nowhere but up. One of these
days- it started about a year ago-we are going to
have to live with fewer dollars, and, according to
popular military opinion, we cannot afford to lose
one single modern helicopter at the going rate of
well over a million dollars per copy.
Let's take a look at the cost of all Army accidents
on a worldwide basis and on a CONARC basis.
Table 4 shows the total Army costs from accidents,
the aircraft losses, and the percentage of the total
attributed to aircraft losses. Thinking should not be
confined to the fact that these losses might be less
than the Air Force or the Navy, but we should face
the fact that we, in the flying business, contributed
84 percent of the total cost and 66 percent of the
TABLE 4
Direct Federal Costs of Army Accidents
(Less Injury Costs)
Worldwide
AIRCRAFT LOSS
(REPAIR AND AI RCRAFT % OF
ARMAMENT COST
FISCAL YEAR TOTAL ARMY LOSS REPLACEMENT) TOTAL ARMY LOSS
OH-6A $ 79,420
*1964 $ 62,171,000 $ 24,757,000 40%
*1965 $ 39,447,000 $ 24,402,000 62%
OH-58A 81,204
1966 $ 98,644,000 $ 52,636,000 53%
1967 $109,242,000 $ 96,415,000 88%
CH-54 1,843,461 1968 $137,942,000 $118,523,000 86%
CH-47C 1,537,200
USCONARC
1964 $ 20,412,000 $ 17,416,000 85%
OV-IC 1,058,540
1965 $ 19,535,000 $ 15,236,000 78%
1966 $ 13,586,000 $ 10,958,000 81%
UH-lO 249,285 1967 $ 11,852,000 $ 7,800,000 66%
AH-IG 365,254 $133,052 (XM-28)
1968 $ 15,721,000 $. 10,315,000 66%
*Less RVN Accidents
50 U. S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST
"
CONARC cost last year. It would appear extremely
difficult for any of us to answer the question, should
it be posed by some congressman: "What are we in
the Army doing about this loss?"
In the interest of honesty, we would have to say
that we aren't doing enough. It is revealing to note
that what we have really lost in the way of assets
could have been used very effectively in the aviation
p r o ~ r m in various places. As shown by table 5, the
118 million dollars lost last year would buy 412
UH-IB's. equivalent to 16 airmobile light companies ;
67 CH-47's, equivalent to four medium helicopter
companies; or 56 CH-54's, equivalent to six heavy
lift companies. The Army could do a much better
airmobility training lob if these assets could be
turned to a more productive area.
The real problem is to analyze the reasons for
accidents. Table 6 shows the main areas of concern.
We must start to look at a nebulous and unpredict-
able area known as people. Apparently, we have
never learned how to manage aviation people suc-
cessfully. These comments are not aimed at the per-
sonnel types, because it is recognized there are con-
gressional restraints, there are do-gooders, there are
Army regulations, there are hardship cases and they
all contribute. But the fact remains that out of 112
aviation units deployed to RVN in the last 3 years,
not a single one met its POSD, which is the starting
date for meaningful training.
While on the subject of people, I think there are
a few other areas that could be looked into. Why is
it that if you rack up a vehicle through careless oper-
TABLE 5
FY 1968 Army Aviation Accidents
Resulting in a Loss of $118,523,010 Represents:
ation, you get an opportunity to buy a part of it?
Yet, in aviation, we can hover a helicopter into a
lightpole free of charge. I feel we should also take
a look at our so-called privileged information which
is tied up in accident reports, and ask ourselves
whether or not the testimony of a pilot given on the
basis of preventing other accidents could not be used
in any other form of action against him. Is this a fact,
or is it not a fact? Part of the people problem is the
attitude taken by too many people.
There is no question that the aggressive attitude of
a recent graduate aviator is a great asset. But, at the
same time, another question comes into focus. Have
we overdone this indoctrination? And if we have,
what can we do about it? In the Vietnam operation,
from an aviation viewpoint, as far as fatalities and
accidents are concerned, the VC have not been the
principal enemy. In short, we have killed more of
each other than Charlie has ever managed to do, and
somehow we have got to stop it.
As aviators, we are normally the proponent of
what is to be done in the aviation safety program.
Consequently, it might be deduced that if we don't
police ourselves, somebody else will do it. And this
is not a satisfactory solution to the problem. The
accident record in Vietnam, and reference is made
only to the nondivisional units, has been under the
cognizance of Army aviators. Unfortunately, it has
remained fairly constant for the last 3 to 4 years.
There is no question that command emphasis plays
an important role in the safety program, and it must
be consistent if desired results are to be attained.
TABLE 6
Worldwide Established
Army Aviation Accident Cause Factors
(From the USABAAR Files)
56 CH-54's = 6+ Heavy Helicopter Companies
*Other cause factors include: psychological, physiological , design, facilities, per-
sonal equipment, weather, acts of God, etc.
JUNE 1969 51
I
TEll IT LI KE IT IS
Let's devote a few minutes to addressing organiza-
tion for safety in the Army. The present structure/
responsibility poses a number of questions. How re-
sponsive is it to the commander? Is it a program
that restricts operations or does it enhance opera-
tions? Is it a preventive matter, or is it in fact book-
keeping? Is it a total management program of
resources? Maybe we need a different command line
for greater emphasis in this area. We can learn a
lot by taking a look at the safety organizations of all
three services. A question worth some study is why
is safety in personnel? Why isn't it in Ops or Log?
Better yet, why is it in any of them? Figure 1 gives
an idea of how the Navy is organized for safety.
And I might add that their recent reorganization has
pulled something together that the Army might well
emulate. The Navy has recently placed safety at the
Assistant Vice Chief of Naval Operations level , with
the Naval Safety Center operating directly under
that office.
The Air Force, figure 2, has its safety program
under the Inspector General. Whether this is the
right place for it or not is subject to question. The
Tactical Air Command Safety Division reports di-
FIGURE 1
UNITED STATES NAVY SAFETY ORGANIZATION
CHIEF OF
NAVAL
OPERATIONS
I
VICE CHIEF
OF NAVAL
OPERATIONS
I
ASSISTANT
CHIEF OF NAVAL
OPERATIONS
SAFETY
I
COMMANDER
NAVAL SAFETY
CENTER
I
I I I I
ASSISTANT ASSISTANT ASSISTANT ASSISTANT ASSISTANT
CHI EF OF STAFF CHIEF OF STAFF CHI EF OF STAFF CHIEF OF STAFF CHIEF OF STAFF
AIR SURFACE SUBMARINE SHORE/ FIELD SUPPORT SERVICE
52
rectly to the Chief of Staff. Nevertheless, there is a
minimum amount of staff coordination required to
get to the top level.
Figure 3 illustrates the Army setup for safety. The
important fact is how far from the commander it
really is. History reveals that it takes anywhere from
1 to 3 years to get action in certain areas before
positive corrective measures are initiated. As the
Office of the Assistant Vice Chief of Staff is one of
management of resources, consideration should be
given to placing the entire Army safety program at
that level and combining separate general , air, indus-
trial and nuclear safety programs. AMC has taken
the lead in this area by combining these programs
and placing them under the Chief of Staff.
Another area which merits study, can stand im-
provement, and will no doubt enhance the safety
record is an Army-wide flight standardization pro-
gram. This program is not the answer to all safety
problems, but the lack of standardization evidenced
by accident experience is a manifestation of the need
for a quality control program. In 1963, USABAAR
developed a study on Army aviation standardization
that hardly got off the ground. In 1965, USCONARC
FIGURE 2
UNITED STATES AIR FORCE SAFETY ORGANI ZATION
CHIEF OF STAFF
I
VICE CHIEF
ASST VICE CHI EF
I
INSPECTOR GENERAL
- -------
DEPUTY FOR
INSPECTION AND
SAFETY
I
DIRECTOR
OF
AEROSPACE
SAFETY
I
I I I
CHIEF CHIEF CHIEF
MISSILE/ SPACE FLIGHT SAFETY GROUND SAFETY
SAFETY DIVISION DI VISION DIVISION
I
I I I
CHIEF CHIEF CHIEF
BOMBER/ TRANSPORT FIGHTER SAFETY RESEARCH AND
SAFETY BRANCH BRANCH ENGINEERING BRANCH
U. S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST
I
I
r
I

submitted a draft AR entitled, "Transition Training,
Instructor Pilot Qualification And Designation." This
was turned down on the basis that it was considered
inopportune to implement the regulation due to avia-
tor personnel turbulence. This brings up the ques-
tion: "When do you need a quality control program
more than when you have extreme personnel turbu-
lence?" This is the time when it will really payoff.
Four years later, a realistic standardization program
is still under consideration. Hopefully, this most im-
portant program will be placed in effect in the near
future.
The "Naval Air Training and Operating Proce-
dures Standardization Program," NATOPS, coul.d
well be an excellent base line for such a program in
the Army. In addition, we could well look at the
operational readiness inspection of units conducted
by the Air Force, which uses precise and specific
safety criteria which readily identify weak com-
manders and unacceptable practices.
Figure 4 gives a feel for an area where we must
really expend some effort. Again, rate is not the
whole story. The increase in fat alities is alarming.
This upward trend must not only be checked, but
FIGURE 3
UNITED STATES ARMY SAFETY ORGANIZATION
DEPUTY CHIEF
OF STAFF FOR
PERSONNEL
ASST VICE
I CHIEF OF STAFF I
L _____ J
ASSISTANT CH IEF
OF STAFF FOR
FORCE
DEVELOPMENT
120
110
100
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
reduced. The cost in dollars, which represents de-
pleted assets, must be lowered, or someone might
decide they can't afford Army air as a means of
mobility.
I recommend that we in Army aviation collec-
tively take a hard look at these real problem areas:
We mu t get tough with our people on a "shape
up or ship out" basis and demand professionali m.
We must "tell it like it i " and not confuse the
facts with figures.
We must in titute safety management wherever
we can.
We must analyze our organization for safety to
insure that the command emphasis it requires is
built in at the top.
We must have a program that enhances our opera-
tional capabilities and which can be accomplished
by training and standardization.
Most of all , we must take a positive and firm ap-
proach to a problem that becomes more serious
every year. There has never been a payoff from
negative safety.
FIGURE 4
/
/
/
/
,.-
-
".

/
1 18.5
MILLION
428
DIRECTOR OF
ARMY
.......--.
.....-!
DIRECTOR OF
MILITARY
PERSONNEL
CHIEF
SAFETY
DIVISION
JUNE 1969
DIRECTOR
USABAAR
0
0 ........
0
64 65

!II""""
66
FISCAL YEARS
67
_ ARMY AVIATION ACCIDENT RATE PER 100,000 FLYING HOURS
_ TOTAL FATALITIES IN ARMY AIRCRAFT ACCIDENTS (HUNDREDS)
ARMY AI RCRAFT LOSS IN MILLIONS OF DOLLARS
( FY 64 does not include RVN losses)
204
68
53
T
wo FACTS WERE unbelievable. First, some-
one pushed the wrong computer button and
Major Horatio Frozzleforth's name dropped into the
replacement slot for helicopter unit commanders.
Orders were cut and reached the self-acknowledged
world'so greatest aviator late one summer afternoon.
Second, for the first time since the family doctor
slapped him into life, Frozzleforth was silent. He did
not question his orders; he did not join the 3-day
celebration that was to mark his departure from a
remote stateside post; he did not flirt with the stew-
ardii during the long flight over; he made no at-
tempt to influence the DC-8 captain's flying ; and his
only comment at division headquarters had been,
"Very good, sir!"
Sick? Mentally depressed? Not Horatio Frozzle-
forth! His pace had never been more brisk. The
years and trails of empty cups had been kind. He
had the military bearing and frame of a sophomore
cadet. His fierce eyes challenged the elements and
his smile sparkled whitely under his handlebar
mustache.
Frozzleforth had never felt better. Truth was, he
had a secret and in true cloak-and-dagger style, it
was going to remain his secret, his alone. On the
night his orders came, he stood several rounds at the
bar for some recent RVN returnees, also treating
them to many colorful accounts of his aerial exploits.
When he casually let drop the fact that he was on
orders, a nodding captain snapped awake. "Where
to?"
Horatio named the division. "I believe they're in
the Delta."
"Not for long. I just came from headquarters and
they' re slated to move to the highlands."
"Excellent! Excellent! Nothing like a spot of
mountain flying to test the old mettle! Here, your
glass is empty. Bartender, I say, bartender ... "
As the Huey started to descend, Frozzleforth sat
erect and looked down at the flat green terrain, a
checkerboard of rice paddies, criss-crossed with
streams and dikes. They passed over a canal, flared,
and hovered along a PSP taxiway between rows of
empty revetments.
Unbelievable!
Pierce Wiggin
54
U. S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST
JUNE 1969
As they neared a group of flat buildings, a ground
guide appeared and signalled for the pilot to land.
As the skids touched, the pilot lowered collective
and turned to his passenger,. "Here's your new home.
Good luck!"
Frozzleforh stepped out and returned a waiting
captain's salute. He passed his bag to the guide,
waved to the pilot and walked to where the captain
stood.
"Major Frozzleforth?"
"Indeed it is, captain, indeed it is!" He stared at
the officer's chest. "And I see you're Captain Stew-
art. What might your job be?"
"I'm your operations officer, sir. If you'll come
with me, I'll show you your quarters. I'm afraid
you'll find them a little primitive ... "
"Have no fear, Stewart. I've roughed it many
times in my vast experience. Is our unit up to
strength?"
"Afraid not, sir. We're three pilots short and the
maintenance officer told me this morning that four
of his mechanics are due to ship out this week.
We've had no word on replacements." Captain
Stewart stopped. "Major, there's a rumor going
around about us moving. Did you hear anything at
division headquarters?"
Frozzleforth came to an abrupt halt and glared
down at the captain. "Stewart, I don't want to hear
any more of that kind of loose talk! As an officer,
you should know that any information regarding
unit deployment is strictly classified."
"Yes, sir, but if we are going into the highlands,
we need to start training right away. None of our
pilots have any mountain experience and I under-
stand the weather's stinking up there. We've had
very little instrument flying."
"Nonsense, Stewart. Are we running a combat
unit or a nursery? This is war, man! We don't have
time for all the little niceties. As long as I'm in com-
mand, this unit will give top performance anywhere
we're ordered. Is that understood?"
"Yes, sir! Are the maintenance and safety officers
55
Unbelievable!
also to be kept in the dark about the move?"
"I said I didn't want to hear a word about it
from anyone." Frozzleforth stared down at the 'cap-
tain and slowly shook his head. ' "It' s amazing how
you got to be a captain and operations officer of a
combat unit with no more understanding of
ment than you display. Hasn't anyone ever told you
that top echelon planning should always be con-
cealed from subordinates until it becomes policy and
is placed in effect? Don' t you realize that's the only
way to prevent rumors and avoid a lot of nonsensical
advice from every junior officer and noncom in the
outfit? Think, man, think!"
"Sir, some of your junior officers, as you call
them, myself included, and several of your noncoms
are here for a second tour. With their experience
and knowledge, it just might be that their advice is
more factual and pertinent than nonsense.
"Here is your hut and operations is just across
the way. Chow will be served at noon. Is there any-
thing more I can do for you?"
"No thank you, Stewart. I'll be over after I stow
my gear."
Captain Stewart snapped a salute, about faced
and marched through the dust of the operations hut.
Several weeks later, Frozzleforth, resplendent in a
new N omex flight suit, boots polished to mirror
brightness and nonissue pigskin gloves, stood before
the operations hut at dawn to address his assembled
unit. In true World War I movie style, he tapped his
swagger stick against his leg, then dramatically
pointed it at the large map tacked to bulletin
board. "All right, men, this is it! Let's synchronize
our watches.
"We move out sharply at 0800. I'll be flying
of course. I want the aircrews aboard, with all their
gear, at 0730. The Chinooks will be here to load
ground personnel and gear at 0900.
"We'll refuel here," he said, tapping the map
again, "pick up troops at LZ Lowe in this position,
fly through this pass and deliver them to the fire
support base atop this mountain." tip of his
swagger stick came to rest against a brown spot on
the map. "Any questions?"
Captain Stewart stepped forward. "What's the
elevation, sir?"
Frozzleforth peered at the map. "I make it to be
about 2,800 feet, Stewart. Why?"
"It appears we'll be arriving about midafternoon.
I imagine the and pressure altitude will
have risen considerably by then. Have you estab-
lished a load limit?"
Frozzleforth's face reddened. He pounded the
56
swagger stick into his palm. "Captain Stewart, we'll
carry whatever is required by our move and by the
supported unit! Now, are there any other questions?
I think we've wasted enough time ... "
"How about a weather briefing, sir?,1
Frozzlefprth dropped his arms and gazed heaven-
ward, then brought his eyes back to the captain. "If
you'll rub the sleep out of your eyes, Stewart, you'll
see there isn't a cloud in the sky! All right men,
break it up and get cracking! "
Frozzleforth watched the rice paddies and streams
move past beneath his Huey, then turned to stare
back at the following helicopters. He keyed his mike.
"Pelican leader to all Pelican aircraft. Let's close it
up! We' re supposed to be flying formation!"
As they reached the refueling the sky re-
mained mostly clear, with only a few small puffs of
cumulus on the horizon. It was hot on the ground
and the crews, sweating in their flight suits, hurried
the refueling, eager to get back into the cooler air
aloft.
It was approaching noon when they landed in the
dust of LZ Lowe and shut down to step out into the
blistering heat and make their way to the mess line
in the shade of the trees bordering the large open
area. The cumulus clouds to the northwest had
grown into solid masses as the heated air, blown
inland from' the sea, rose and its moisture condensed.
After they had eaten, the helicopters were refueled
and the waiting troops were loaded aboard with their
gear. Frozzleforth gave the starting signal and the
turbines whined into life. He watched the engine rpm
climb to 6600, then gave a thumbs-up signal to his
pilot. As he pulled collective, dust swirled around
them and the heavily loaded Huey lurched from the
ground. The rpm promptly dropped to 6300.
"Beep it up, man, beep it up!" shouted Frozzle-
forth into the intercom. "Let's get out of here!"
They moved forward out of the dust and began to
pick up speed. Frozzleforth raised his visor, wiped
the sweat from his face with a gloved hand and
turned to stare back at the dust-covered LZ. A voice
crackled in his earphone, "Pelican leader, this is
Pelican six. We're pulling all we have to hover. I'm
sitting down to drop some of this load. Over."
"Negative, Pelican six!" shouted Frozzleforth.
"We made it with power to spare. Move out!"
The aircraft commander of Pelican six swore into
his visor, recalling his commander's ancestry in pun-
gent and forceful terms.
Ten of the first 12 helicopters made it into the
air. Pelican six and Pelican nine, losing rpm and
caught in the turbulence of swirling rotorwash,
dropped and smacked into the ground, spreading
their skids. Flexing rotor blades chopped through
U. S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST
I
l
tail booms and the formation was reduced by two.
Captain Stewart, leading the last element of three,
held on the ground until the dust partially cleared
and the rotorwash from the preceding helicopters
settled. He then picked up and moved forward, hold-
Ing his breath until they reached translational.
Frozzleforth's voice drummed into his ears as they
passed the wreckage of Pelican six and nine.
"Stewart, what in blazes is holding you up!? Get a
move on, man! You're hoiding up the whole show!"
"Sorry, sir. We were waitihg for the wreckage and
dust to settle. Are you aware that you've lost two
aircraft?"
Frozzleforth's reply scorched the airwaves as he
delivered his opinion of incompetent airmen, ending
with; "I'll deal with them later, Stewart! Hurry and
get in formation! My patience is wearing a trifle
thin with you!"
Once again in formation, the helicopters flapped
their way northward toward rising terrain and tower-
ing clouds. Frozzleforth glowered at the jungle below
and the mountains ahead, his thoughts on the two
wrecked helicopters. Where, he wondered, was the
Army getting pilots who couldn't get airborne with
a little load?
As they passed into the shadow of the clouds, a
light drizzle began to fall. The taller mountains ahead
extended into the overcast. Frozzleforth unfolded his
map, studied the terrain and nudged the pilot. "Over
there." He pointed to a break in the mountains.
"That's the pass we want. You may have to go
down some."
The pilot nodded ahd began a slow turn and
descent. Frozzleforth keyed his mike. "Pelican air-
craft, close in. We're heading into the pass."
The light drizzle became a steady downpour as
they approached the mountains. The sky darkened
and wisps of fog began to appear at their level and
below. Visibility dropped to less than a mile and
the mountainside rose sharply before them.
"Pelican leader, this is Pelican ten. I just con-
tacted weather on another frequency and they ad-
vised the pass is IFR. I suggest we turn around and
land until it clears. Over."
"Pelican ten, get off the air! When I want your
advice, I'll ask for it! All Pelican aircraft close in
and keep your eyes open. We're going through!"
The hammering rain lessened as they approached
the opening between the mountains, but the fog
thickened. Too late to turn, Frozzleforth saw a solid
gray wall ahead. "Pelican aircraft, 180 right! 180
right and climb!" he shouted, grabbing the controls.
"I've got it! I've got it-"
His voice stopped suddenly as he felt a smashing
jolt to his head and blacked out.
JUNE 1969
Frozzlefortli came to slowly, with a pounding
headache. He opened his eyes, fully expecting to find
himself in the smashed wreckage of a UH-l on a
mountaintop. What he saw instead was his bedrooin
slippers 6 inches from his nose and the blanket he'd
dragged to the floor when he fell out of bed. He
placed his palms on the floor and pushed himself
painfully to a sitting position, staring down at his
red pajamas.
Awareness came slowly. A vile taste, not unlike
the odor of dirty socks, reminded him of the many
rounds he'd consumed the night before. Vaguely, he
remembered a captain telling him his unit was to
move to the highlands. It had been very late when
he returned to his room. Suddenly, he remembered
the envelope he'd found under the door. He pulled
himself erect, staggered to the desk and reached for
the envelope with trembling fingers. He tore it open,
unfolded the single sheet and read: "Frozzleforth,
Horatio Z., III, Major ... transfer orders rescinded
... Major Frozzleforth is to remain in present as-
signment indefinitely ... BY ORDER OF ... "
57
PEARL's personal equipment and rescue / survival lOwdown
Dear Pearl:
This letter is to request further information on the
PSK-2 personal kit and the SEEK survival kit which
are discussed in ST 1-100-1, "Reference Data for
Army Aviation in the Field Army."
Captain William D. Frew, MSC
Instructor
General Subjects Department
U.S. Army Armor School
Ft. Knox, Ky.
Deat Captain Frew:
The PSK-2 and SEEK-1 kits referred to in your
letter are no longer items of issue. If issued, how-
ever, they may still be in use.
The survival kit, lightweight, individual, replaces
the SEEK-1 kit. The contents of each kit certainly
must be a consideration for developing a class on
first aid and survival procedures.
Some other publications that may be of use to
you are:
PM 21-76
Survival
TM 55-8465-208-10
Survival, Kit, Leg Holster, Individual
TM 55-8465-212-10
Survival, Kit, Cold Climate, Individual
TM 55-8465-213-10
Survival, Kit, Hot Clin1ate, Individual
TM 55-8465-214-10
Survival, Kit, Overwater, Individual
PEARL
Dear Pearl:
Recently I submitted a requisition for Nomex
flight suits. It was rejected at the Clothing and Tex-
tile Material Office (ACMA). I am very interested
in obtaining these flight suits, since I am a test pilot
in an aircraft maintenance company (GS).
Request guidance in obtaining these flight suits,
and information about when they will be available
for issue to flight crewmembers in CONUS, and
oversea areas, other than RVN.
CW4 Robert H. Iwamasa
922nd Trans Co (GS)
APO SF 96557
Dear Mr. Iwamasa:
I regret that I cannot give you much encourage-
ment on provision of N omex flight suits to other
than Southeast Asia and the training bases for which
they are presently authorized.
58
A double layered Nomex uniform was tested in
1968 by the Test and Evaluation Command for
adoption as standard A for the entire Army. Test
results were unsatisfactory because the uniform was
too heavy and hot. If a lighter weight uniform is
designed and tested, I estimate it will not get into
the supply system earlier than late 1970 or 1971.
If the uniform authorized in SEA is accepted with-
out test (proposed), it may become available during
the second quarter of FY 1970.
PEARL
Dear Pearl:
I am safety officer for the 15th Medical Battalion,
Air Ambulance Platoon, 1st Cav Div (AM), APO
San Francisco 96490. I have a question on survival
radios. Our platoon is authorized by T.O.E. to have
survival radios, but our S-4 section has had no
success in getting any.
We usually fly single ship missions and are very
much in need of survival radios. We do have other
needed survival equipment, and I would appreciate
any information you could send me on where and
how we could obtain radios.
Dear Lt Perrine:
1 L T James Perrine
HSC, 15th Medical Bn (AAP)
1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile)
APO SF 96490
Survival radios were out of production for a short
period of time, waiting for the new URC-68. This
new radio, however, did not satisfactorily meet its
test schedule. As a gap-filler measure, until the
URC-68 has been perfected, the Army is negotiating
a contract for 2,000 additional RT-10 radios. They
are also rebuilding and placing in service a consider-
able number of Air Force surplus URC-10 radios.
I don't know how familiar you are with these
radios, but the URC-10 has a separate battery pack,
with a short cable connecting it to the radio, while
both the RT-10 and URC-68 have self-contained
batteries. The URC-10 (FSN 5820-858-5721) is
the best bet since it is supposed to be in the system
and available. The RT-10 is handier, but it may be
some time before the new contract is let and it be-
comes available. The basis of issue of all radios is
one for each rotary wing aircraft.
I recommend you immediately requisition the
URC-10 and try later for the RT-10 (FSN 5820-
912-4480) .
PEARL
U. S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST
JULY
SUN MON TUES WED THU FRI SAT
12345
6 7 8 9 10 11 12
13 14 15 16 17 18 19
20 21 22 23 24 25 26
27 28 29 30 31
C
ONSIDERABLE FOG apparently shrouds this
dark and ugly term collateral. It is appropriate
to spend a few words to clear away this fog and
create a new outlook concerning the collateral in-
vestigation.
Let's first discuss investigations common to air-
craft accidents within the military services. Each
service has its own responsibilities relative to aircraft
accidents. They may be called by different names,
but they can be separated into two distinct cate-
gories, according to purpose:
1. Accident prevention and safety.
2. Determination of all facts and circumstances
for reasons other than accident prevention and safety.
The accident prevention and safety investigation
is usually called the aircraft accident safety investi-
gation. It is a thorough and systematic examination
and analy is to disclose all relevant facts , conditions,
and circumstances associated with or surrounding
each aircraft accident. It is conducted for the sole
purpose of accident prevention (paragraph 7b, AR
95-30) .
When an investigation is conducted for any reason
/!.
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Col lateral- to hang 0
Lieutenant Colonel H. L. "Rip" Collins
60
U. S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST
other than accident prevention, we apply the general
term collateral to describe this action being taken.
Collateral means side by side or parallel. There-
fore, these investigations, conducted for other rea-
sons, and at the same time as the safety investiga-
tion, are parallel to the aircraft accident safety in-
investigation. This is the origin of the general and
accepted use of collateral investigation.
What other reasons might there be to require an
investigation paralleling the safety investigation? To
answer this question, we must understand the con-
duct of and restrictions placed upon safety investi-
gations. The ultimate goal of each safety investiga-
tion is to uncover all cause factors surrounding a
particular accident. Appropriate steps may then be
taken to eliminate these factors and reduce the prob-
ability of recurrence of identical or similar accidents.
Quite a task, you say? Yes, but not beyond reason.
With proper training of board members, command
emphasis on the importance of finding accurate cause
factors, and the timely and appropriate use of facili-
ties and specialists at our disposal, a safety investiga-
tion can reveal all cause factors involved in an air-
craft accident.
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The factors causing an accident can be determined
only if certain guidance is established concerning the
manner in which this information is to be used.
Paragraph 4, AR 385-40, explains the nature of
information contained in a report of an aircraft acci-
dent investigation. It say , in effect, that the report
is to be con idered privileged, and it contents will
not be released to the general public. It will be seen
only by those persons needing the information for
accident prevention purposes. It is for official use
only. Claims for or against the government cannot
be based on this report. The investigation report can
in no way be used to determine negligence or cul-
pability on the part of any individual directly or in-
directly involved. It cannot become the basis of ad-
ministrative or punitive action.
Why is it necessary to be so tight lipped about the
causes of an accident? Are we trying to protect our
aviators or cover a goof-up? Not on your life! The
answers become apparent if you imagine yourself
in the position of a crewmember in, or a witness to,
an aircraft accident. Consider how you would de-
scribe the series of events leading to an accident if
you knew that your testimony could be used against
61
Collateral-to hang or decorate?
you for administrative or punitive action.
Did you goof in any way? Heck no! While no sane
person would come right out and lie about the situa-
tion, his testimony probably will become slanted, and
certain relevant facts might well be overlooked under
these circumstances.
Would you reveal improper techniques used by a
fellow soldier, knowing this information might be
used against him? Perhaps, but only with genuine
reluctance. It would probably appear to the board
as though they were pulling teeth to get any useful
information from you.
Do you see the point now? Remember, the intent
is to determine the facts surrounding the cause of
the accident during the safety investigation. This is
necessary to determine accident prevention measures
which will prevent the recurrence of similar type
accidents. And that's all we want to do!
Now, back to the original question about the rea-
sons for other types of investigations. The first is to
have information available about every accident
which can be released to the public. As mentioned,
information gained by the accident safety investiga-
tion cannot be released. The only information which
can be released must come from other type investi-
gations. This report should be completed prior to the
safety investigation report and submitted through
channels to the Judge Advocate General Section for
consideration prior to release.
Any aircraft accident can cause damage to private
property. The possibility always exists that a claim
for damages may be filed against the government.
All facts and circumstances concerning damage to
private property must be documented for possible
future use in a claims court. This other type of
collateral investigation is conducted in accordance
with AR 27-20 for claims investigation. A similar
requirement exists when an accident results in death
or serious injury. Documentation is necessary for use
in claims for or against the government. This is an-
other type of collateral investigation, with the re-
port going to JAG.
Suppose an accident occurs in which it appears
the pilot willfully violated regulations or was negli-
gent in the performance of his duty. This sometimes
happens. Some corrective action is necessary if we
are to maintain standards of conduct within which
we are to operate. Again, the collateral investigation
must be the only basis upon which such action can
be taken without compromising the contents of the
safety investigation report.
AR 95-30 indicates such an investigation may be
required when there is a need to provide official
62
factual documentation of all matters pertaining to
the accident which can be used in connection with
any legal or administrative action. This just about
sums up the position that all accidents need some
documentation which can be used for purposes other
than safety.
How about the conduct of these collateral or other
types of investigations? Are there differences? Will
the result be the same as in the safety investigation?
AR 95-30 defines the limitations of collateral
investigations. These are to be completely indepen-
dent of and separate from the safety investigation.
The report of any other investigation can be used for
various administrative, disciplinary, and litigation
purposes. It can be used as a basis for fixing pecuni-
ary liability, and may adversely affect individuals
concerned. Since it can cause concern to the individ-
uals involved, certain restrictions must be placed on
the manner in which information is gathered.
First, the report of a safety investigation cannot
be used in any other investigation. Witnesses who
appeared before the safety investigation board may
also be called by the collateral board. They cannot,
however, be questioned concerning their statements
or other matters presented during the safety investi-
gation. Persons appointed to the safety investigation
board cannot serve as members of a board conduct-
ing a collateral investigation of the same accident.
Although a member of the safety investigation
board may be called before another board as a wit-
ness, he cannot be asked or required to divulge
privileged testimony or his opinion based upon that
testimony. Actually, any testimony gathered by the
safety investigation board, in the interest of accident
prevention, which could be detrimental to any per-
son involved, is considered privileged testimony and
cannot be divulged by any member of this board.
Under no circumstances can any person having
knowledge of the substance of the safety investiga-
tion report be required to divulge the findings or
recommendations to . any other investigation board.
It is not the intent to try to penalize every person
who makes an error. Certainly, errors must be ex-
pected from human beings. Aviators, though human,
are expected to exhibit the characteristics of normal,
prudent individuals. When one fails to exhibit these
characteristics through flagrant violation of policies
and regulations, or complete disregard for safe opera-
tional practices and procedures, he can certainly
expect a collateral board to point out such weak-
nesses and recommend appropriate corrective action.
Remember-the collateral board will always serve
to protect the report of the aircraft accident safety
investigation board. It will also serve to protect your
interest when your interest deserves protection.
U. S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST
,
A
N OH-13E PILOT landed in a farmer's field
and told local residents that he had flown into
continuously deteriorating weather, became dis-
oriented, and landed to determine his location. He
used a local telephone to close his flight plan. The
residents drove him approximately 12 miles to de-
termine if weather conditions were improving toward
his destination. They offered to drive him to an air-
port, have him stay for dinner, or have him spend
the night with them. All offers were refused.
The pilot stayed on the ground approximately 1
hours, then took off. Witnesses saw the helicopter
disappear into the overcast. It crashed in a nose
down attitude approximately 5 minutes after takeoff.
The pilot was killed and the OH-13 destroyed.
The final phase of this flight was conducted with
no flight plan filed and without current weather in-
formation. The pilot did not request a weather brief-
ing when he closed his initial flight plan by tele-
phone. He filed his original flight plan, knowing that
his destination was IFR and forecast to remain IFR
for 2Y2 hours after his intended ETA. He left with
the apparent intent of further checking destination
weather during his enroute fuel stops.
Accident report: "Command supervision should
have been exercised to refuse to allow departure of
this flight to an IFR destination. This does not re-
lieve the pilot of the responsibility of being immedi-
ately responsible for his own actions, but proper
command supervision would have prevented the
flight from ever leaving the ground."
COLONEL FORD E. ALLCORN
First Army aviator to fly in combat
During the Invasion of North Africa (see front cover) the late Colonel Ford E. Allcorn
(then a captain) led a flight of three L-4s in Army aviation's Initial entry into combat.
Near the shore Lieutenant William Butler flying one aircraft (with Captain Brenton
Devol riding as observer) and Lieutenant John R. Shell flying the other separated
from CPT Allcorn who later was shot down (See AVIATION DIGEST November 1962).
CPT Allcorn then became the first Army aviator In combat, the first to fly a Cub
from an aircraft carrier and the first to be wounded in combat
A ccident investigations, to determine
accurate cause factors and
develop effective prevention measures,
have been a pa rt of
military avration since its earliest
days. Lieutenant Thomas E. Selfridge, the first
Army officer to make a solo
flight in a powered airplane, was killed in
this accident 17 e p t e m b e ~ 1908. Orville Wright,
the U. S. Army Board for Aviation
Accident Research
the pilot, survived. The accident was caused by one of
the two propellers striking a brace wire attached to the rudder.