Army Aviation Digest - Dec 1965

8/12/2019 Army Aviation Digest - Dec 1965

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DECEMBER 965GEST


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UNITED

DIRECTOR OF ARMY AVIATION ACSFORDEPARTMENT OF THE ARMYBrig Gen George P. Seneff Jr.

COMMANDANT U. S. ARMY AVIATION SCHOOLMaj Gen John J. Tolson III

ASST COMDT U. S. ARMY AVIATION SCHOOLCol George W. Putnam Jr.

EDITORIAL STAFFCapt Frank A. Mariano Editor in ChiefFred M. MontgomeryEditorRichard K. TierneyWilliam H. SmithDiana G. Williams

GRAPHIC ART SUPPORTH. G. l innH. A. PickelD. l. Crowley

USABAAR EDUCATION AND LITERATURE DIVPierce l. WigginWilliam E. CarterTed KontosCharles Mabius

RMY VI TION1GESJDECEMBER 1965 VOLUME 11LettersThe Aviation Group Richard K. TierneyCommunications in an Airmobile BattalionCapt Robert D. PriceFlight Fashions Lt Col George AldridgeAAFSS-Advanced Aerial Fire Support SystemKno Before You Go Capt Edward K. La son IIISanta Learns About Flying Wilham H. SmithJust BecauseAirborne Surveillance aj Jame R. BarkleyA erry Christmas from Horatio FrozzleforthPierce L. WigginCrash Sense

NUMBER 12128

112131822631

35Expansion Col Jonathan R. Burton Inside Back CoverStacked Deck Back Cover

The mission of the . S. ARMY \ I TIO DIGE T is to pro\ide information of 0 operationalfunctional nature concerning safcty and aircraft ac idt lit prevention, trnining, maintenance. operallonresearch and deve oIIDICnt. aviation tOedi inc. and other related dataThe DIGEST i an oflidal Department of the Army periodical publi h d monthly under the supervisiof the CommandaDt. U. . Army Aviation School. \ Jew exprt' st'd herein arc 1I t nee. arily those Departmt'Dt of the Army or the ' Army Aviation Sehool. Photos ar l. . Army unl, S otht'rwisl'ecifird. Material may be repriDted provided credit i ghen to th DIGEST and to the author, unlotherwl c indicated.

rtieles, photos, and Hems of inlere t on rmy Aviation are im itcd. Direct communication is autholzed to: Editor.inChul. U s. Army AVUzlion Digest Fort Rucker, Alabama.U e of funds for printing thi puhlication lIa been appro.ed by Headquarters, Department of thArmy, 29 December 1%1.CUvc rmy unilB reccivt' distnbution under the pinpoint distnbution system as outlined in AR 310.20 larch b2 and DA Circular 31057. 14 March 63. Complete DA Form 124 and s('nd directly to COAG I'ublications Center. 2800 Ea tern Boulevard. Baltimore. :'Id. 21220. For aoy change in distnbutlorequirements, merely initiate a revis d DA Form 124.

National Guard and Army Reserve units submit reqUirements through their slate adjutants g e n ~ r l anU. . Army Curl'S c o m m n d e r ~ respectively.For tb08 not eligIble for official distribution or who deSire personal copies of the DIGE T, paid sunptions, 4.50 dome tlc and 5.50 overseas, are available from the uperinteudent of Documents, Government Printing Office. Woshington, D. C., 20102.


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... .

Sir:Having been connected with ArmyAviation for only 5 years I decided thatbefore I made up this comment sheet I

would get some concensus of opinionfrom the experienced aviators. I alsotalked to personnel who have flown at amultitude of posts and learned the rulesthat were laid down. This is generallywhat I came up with: Flight gear is encouraged to be wornby every aviation unit commander. Some units require that the aviatorswear Aight clothing. Not all posts have restrictions againstwearing flight gear on the post proper. Many posts will not allow flightclothing to be worn off the airfield.The flight clothing issued is designedfor flying. There is no belt to be caughton equipment; there are no pocket flapsand protruding buttons to get hooked toharnesses; and tJ:1e flight clothing is loosewith no restrictions to movement. t isdesigned so that no circulation of theblood will be restricted causing a sleeping of arms , legs, hands, or feet or for

that matter any part of the body.I must have talked with over 100 aviators since this Newsletter appeared andalmost all of them were a little dis-appointed to say the least when theyread the statement: We, as aviators, arenot a special class possessing any specialprivileges. The Army Aviation mottoABOVE THE BEST disproves this.The Army Aviator goes through the mostexacting ph ysical examination and training of any Army school. No one, I sayagain, no one, can fly an Army aircraftwithout going through Army flighttraining.I don't care if the man had an ATRrating in civilian life and has 100,000hours in 6-engine jets. To fly our singleengine 0-lA or the OH-13 he must takeArmy Aight training. Everyone I talkedto, and myself, feel that if this doesn'tmake us a special class then anyoneshould be able to fly Army aircraft. Mostof them felt that it was a privilege anda tribute to be selected and rated as anArmy aviator.

Why should restrictions be placed ona member of Army Aviation as to whatuniform he can wear where? He workslong erratic hours. He is on call to anyunit commander and waits for passengerswho have neglected to tell him he will

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be gone for 4 hours instead of theoriginal 2 hours scheduled. He is at astrange airfield and they tell him hecan 't go to the 0 Club or snack bar inhis Aight clothing. This means he endsup eating trash for energy and gorges oncoffee and Coke. Trash like candy bars,pretzels, peanut butter cookies, etc.those items you can get out of machines.This is, of course, only if you are lucky.Most times there is only a coffee potaround. Sometimes there isn't even that.To get to the meat and summary ofthe subject let's look at it this way. Howcome tankers can wear tankers jacketsand wrap around boots anywhere? Howcome I can get a poncho and a blanketsewed together and wear this anywhere?This Aight clothing is our duty uniformand we feel that there should be nomore restrictions on our duty uniformthan on fatigues or other duty uniforms.The aviation advisor at all levelsshould bring this to the attention of thecommander. The Army is always talkingj'esprit de corps and unit integrity.Well , we like our job and we like everyone to know we are part of an elite welltrained group. Our duty uniform isneater than any of the other specialdu ty uniforms. Let us show that we arepart of Army Aviation and Way Abovethe Best.

CAPT WORDLEY.J. KLINE, JR8th Divarty Avn OffBaumholder Afld CmdrAPO New York 09034 The author is replying to a questionfound in an 8th U.S. Army Newsletterdated 1 June 1965. See page 18 forColonel Aldridge S Mticle Flight Fash-ions. -Ed.

Sir:Reference the article by Captain William R. Kaler entitled Shake Handswith Your Rescuer (Digest, October1965) which I read with interest andrecommended to all my fellow aviatorsas excellent reading. I was confused bythe statement, The main point to re member is that once contact is estab

lished , it must be maintained by continually flashing the mirror on the contacted object (aircraft, ship, etc.) .My training (I am survival equipmentofficer of the 135th Aviation Co.(FW-LT) at the Air Force SurvivalSchool, Stead AFB, Nevada has led me

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to disagree with this statement on theuse of the signal mirror. Especially sincethe article continues to end: When doyou stop signalling? The answer: whenyou shake hands with your rescuer.I feel that this statement on the useof the mirror continuously could lead toyour not shaking hands with your rescuer , but instead your shaking handswith your fellow survivor, if he l i v ~through the crash after being blinded hya mirror continuously flashed on his eyes.Discussing this article with other fellow aviators, we are of the opinion thatAir Force doctrine on the use of signalmirrors should be standard in the Armyalso, since there is nothing in FM 21-76in the way of a caution to prevent therescue pilot from blindness due to mirror flashing.To quote AF Manual 64-3, chapter 2,page 2-11:Don't continue to flash the mirror inthe direction of the aircraft after receiptoj your signal has been acknowledgedunless it appears that the rescuers havelost your position. f possible spot themirror under a wing or toward the rearof the aircraft. If spotted on the Pilot scompartment it may blind him.I feel that this word of caution couldperhaps prevent an accident due to mir ror misuse in some future air rescueoperation.

Sir:

I lLT .CLIFFORD C LOWERYParachute Survival EquipmentOfficer135th Aviation Company (FW-LT)10th Aviation GroupFort Benning, GeorgiaI want to take this opportunity to compliment you on the October issue of theAVIATION DIGEST. ThiS issue was an

excellent piece of professional journalism. The editorial content, the layout,and the pictures were excellently doneand speak for the professional ability ofyour staff.I, as a non-Aying type, have lookedforward each month to the DIGEST. Ifeel that the DIGEST is not written justfor the aviator. I believe that it gives thenon-Ayer a look into the cockpit ofArmy Aviation.Keep up the good work.MAJ MARVIN L SHIROPublic Information OfficerFort Belvoir, Virginia 22060

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Theviation roupRichard K Tierney

T HE AVIATION GROUP ISone of the most significantdescendants of the Army Tactical Mobility Requirements Board,

which was set up in 1962 to explore new and intrepid conceptsof airmobility.

To date, the Army has organized three different type aviationgroups: the II th in the 1st CavalryDivision (Airmobile), the 12thproviding command and controlover Army Aviation units in theRepublic of Vietnam, and the10th at Fort Benning, Ga., whichis equipped to provide heavy typelogistical support with its CH-47s,CV-2s and CH-54s.

Aviation group TOE vary ac-cording to assignments. For example, groups can be organized tofunction at division, corps, andeven field army levels. GroupTOE can vary according to typeof division (infantry, armored,cavalry, etc.) or to its functionwithin a corps or field army. Forexam pIe, the 12th Avia tionGroup's main purpose is to provide command and control over avariety of Army Aviation units ina given locality. The 10th couldbe assigned as the aviation groupin a transport brigade supportinga field army. In each case TOEwould differ.

It is possible to be more specific

when speaking of the lIth Aviation Group, which is tailored tosupport a division. t was organized in the spring of 1963 as partof the II th Air Assault DivisionT) and carried over into the 1stCavalry Division (Airmobile) in

July 1965. Containing over halfthe 1st Cav's aviators and aircraft,the group supplies the bulk of thedivision's airmobility capability,either with its assault helicopterbattalions or the assault supporthelicopter battalion.

ASSAULT HEUCOPTERBATTALIONSTroop lift is accomplished almost entirely by the group's two as-

sault helicopter battalions (AHB) .Each has three companies of twenty UH-ID helicopters plus anaerial weapons company withtwelve UH-IBs armed with XM-16kits (fourteen 2.75 rockets andfour 7.62 mm machineguns). Effective radius for these aircraft isabout 100 miles (roughly thesame as the division front ), butduring maneuvers the battalionshave moved out 80 miles from abase si te and then ranged ou tanother 60 miles on various missions.

Transporting troops in initialassault action is the most frequentmission assigned the battalions.Each can lift at one time the com-

bat elements of one infantry battalion and is flexible enough topartially or completely change itsoperational plan after becomingairborne.

During sustained actions a battalion can be called on for resupply and/ or reinforcement missions. Or it can remain on thescene up to five days with minimum resupply of food and fuelbefore maintenance becomes aserious problem.

Other troop lift missions performed by the battalions includepursuit actions, blocking enemypenetrations, deploying troops indefensive maneuvers, engineer missions, conducting patrols, raids

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y's significant increase in aviation units, the spotlight focusesthe Aviationorganic to the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile), and shouldstimulate the imagination as to broader horizons in the

area of tactical airmobility.-Brig Gen George P. Seneff,

and mercy missions (see StackedDeck, DIGEST, Sep 1965), VIPflights, and special assignmentssuch as infiltration, anti-infiltration, antiguerrilla and antiairborne missions.Efficient refueling proceduresand techniques have greatly enhanced the battalions effectiveness. Originally it took 1 hour and20 minutes to refuel 20 aircraft.But improved techniques andequipment have cut this time toless than 10 minutes.

Refueling areas can be operatedeither by the battalion or the companies. They are marked off intoplatoon areas by color-codedpanels or lights corresponding toDECEMBER 1965

of Army Aviati/

platoon colors (1st platoon, yellow; 2d, white; 3rd, green; 4th,orange). Aircraft are not shutdown, but generators and all electronics are turned off as fuel ispumped from 500-gallon collapsible bags by a 20-pound, 35 gallona-minute pump. During 11th AirAssault operations i t was notnecessary to rearm while refueling, but estimates are that thiswould require another 10 minutes.Generally, POL logistical policyduring an operation is to start with all tanks full 2-3

hour supply) , have enough fuel on theground to service each aircraft once,

have another reservicingsupply inbound.

This system has worked well. Theworst POL situation the battalionsencountered in maneuvers was fulltanks but no backup supply eitheron the ground or inbound.

When a battalion receives a mission, the commander and the supported unit generally pick outLZs and alternates. Preferably thisis done by visual or photo reconnaissance, but if necessary they canbe picked from a map recon.

While the LZ is being determined, as much information aspossible is relayed to the battalion,which is preparing to embark andestablish additional liaison with

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Employed in general support ofthe division, the battalion is primarily responsible for movingartillery, engineer equipment andsupplies. t also can haul prisonersof war from forward areas, recoverdowned aircraft, augment aeromedical evacuation (each CH-47carries 24 litter patients), and supplement the assault helicopterbattalions by transporting troopsbut not in the initial assault roleunless necessary.

One CH-47 has the same liftcapability as a platoon of fourUH-lDs. It carries 33 combatequipped troops, but the numbercan be increased to 44 if seats arenot used. Also, the Chinook isequipped with jump kits andstatic line hookup systems, butthe payload is reduced to 24 paratroopers.

The battalion (based on 60percent availability) can in onelift move the assault elements oftwo infantry battalions, or three105 mm howitzer batteries, ormore than 9 tons of cargo. Maximum effective radius of operationis about 100 to 130 nautical miles.Normal mission speed is 100 knotsfor Chinooks; however, the assaulthelicopter battalion's armed UH]Bs cannot maintain this speed,and it is necessary for the CH-47sto slow down when armed escortis required.

When moving artillery, it normally takes eight CH-47s per battery. The 105s often are carriedinternally with crews while ammunition is slung under the aircraft. This is to prevent the enemyfrom determining what type ofmission is being flown. However,it is sometimes better to sling-loadthe 1 5s so they can be quicklypositioned and eliminate the needto move them over rough ormuddy terrain. Also, externalloads can be loaded and unloadedquicker since there is no need totie down and then untie the cargo.Maximum capacity of the helicopter for sling loads is 12,000pounds with full fuel.

The ASHB flies a variety of resupply missions, especially withPOL. CV-2 Caribou bring the fuelinto the support command area.There it is arranged in three-bagconfigurations (1,500 gallons) andcarried forward by sling load under the Chinook.Few missions require all thebattalion's resources. Usually onecompany's aircraft can do the job.Vhen a mission is received, bothbattalion and company liaison offi-cers establish contac t with the unitto be supported. The LZ and alternate LZs are usually selected bymap reconnaissance and one aircraft leaves about 1 minutesahead of the rest to check out theLZ. Meanwhile the remainder of

of artillery engineer equipment and supplies

the flight embarks and contactsthe advance ship at a predetermined point along the route toget LZ information. Landing techniques in the LZ are similar tothose of the assault helicopterbattalions.

While weather and night operations have been effectively accomplished, keeping the CH-47s fueledcan be a substantial task. TheChinook burns 500 to 600 gallonsevery 2 hours of flying. Based on6 percent availability, twentyeight CH-47s might well burn50,000 gallons in an averagecombat day. f forward area refueling were used exclusively,more than 50 sorties (one sortie isone CV-2 carrying two 500-gallondrums) would be required to keepthe twenty-eight CH-47s in action.

GENER L SUPPORTVI TION COMP NY

The aviation company is theonly unit in the group, or division, with three types of aircraft: ten LOHs (currently OH-I3sarmed with M-2, 7.62 mm machinegun kits); six UH-IBs armed withXM-16s; four UH-IDs armed withXM -23s (7.62 mm machinegunsRapid refueling proceduresenhance helicopter battalion operations


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mounted in the doors); threeOV-IB Mohawks with side looking airborne radar (SLAR); andthree OV-ICs with infrared scanner (ir) and KA30 camera.(These l\10hawks are the onlyfixed wing aircraft in the division.See 1st Cavalry Division, Airmobile, DIGEST, Aug 1965.)

The company is responsible forproviding observation, reconnaissance and surveillance, aerial command posts and relay stations, battlefield illumination, local smallarea smoke screens, emergencyaeromedical evacuation, VIP andstaff liaison type flights, a CBRcapability, establishing and main-

UH ID used s irborne t ctic l oper tions center

taining a division base airfield anda helipad, taking care of all flightrecords, and for providing aircraftfor meeting all minimums andflight requirements.An instrumented fixed wing airfield is maintained by the com

pany in the division rear. It includes POL, tower, operations,and maintenance support. Theheliport is maintained near thedivision main CP, and althoughit has a 24-hour operational capability it is not normally instrumented. Frequently during operations, the company must establishforward supporting heliports witha VFR capability and auxiliarypads to accommodate up to 12aircraft.During air assault tests, thecompany used U -6A Beavers forradio relay. However, the Beavershave been replaced with speciallyequipped (350 gal aux tanks)UH-IDs which provide a flightendurance in excess of 7 hoursand a radio range of over 125miles.

UH-IDs also are used as an airborne tactical operations center,and along with the relay shipshave undergone antenna modifications. The protruding rabbitear antennas presented a fadeout problem, but newly installedbelly antennas should help thesituation. Personnel riding in theTOC usually are the operationsofficer, the commander in chargeof the operation, an intelligenceofficer, an Air Force liaison officer,and the fire support coordinator.

COMMUNIC TIONSWhere the standard ROADDivision relies on miles of wirefor communications, the airmobiledivision turns to radio.Since success or failure depends

on the ability to communicate,the airmobile division must beable to depend on the radios usedby its aerial relay and command


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GAP MESSAGE FORMAT

l a. PZ b . Locat ion c. Timed. (Alt) PZ e. Locat ion f. Time

2. a. AAU (Callword, Channel, Size) b. ARB3. a. ARB Plan Pla t b. Co c Bn4. a. ASHB Plan Pla t b . Co c. Bn5. a. Mohawk Plan . R o u n d _ c Prep . Join Column a t6 . a. ARA Plan b . Prep c Join Column a t7 . a. 105 How Plan . TOT c. Length of Prep

d. Fire Control (Ca11word, Channel) .8. Cay Plan9. PF

10. AF Support11. PZ (Name Coordinates) 12. Formation 13. Load Type 14. Acft Rqmt

a . a. a. a.b. b. b. b.c c c. c .d. d. d. d.

15. LZ (Name Coordinates) 16. Formation 17. H-Houra. a. 18. Primary Fit Routeb. b.c. c a. IP c. CCPd. d.e. e. b. ACP d. ACPf f e. LRP

19 . Alt Fligh t Route a. IP c CCP e. LRPb. ACP d. ACP20. UHF Air Control Channel2l REMARKS

GROUND AVIATION PLAN (GAP)Items are numbered or lettered to allow the message to be transmitted using a lineitem ke). Only require,d information need be given. The message text istransmitted in the following form: One Alpha-Red one, oneBravo-ACF 6428, one Charlie-071030R, etc.

post aircraft. These aircraft already have organic radios (oneUHF and one FM) but it wasnecessary to acquire additionalFM capabilities and a single sideband (HF) to allow both voiceand hard copy transmissions.

The ARC-122 FM communications packet was developed by thegroup and fabricated by Lexington depot to provide this additional FM capability. Each packetconsists of two RT-524 radiosplus necessary controls and antennas. The system is wired intothe aircraft in tercom system andDECEMBER 1965

can be installed in less than anhour by trained personnel. Whererequired, two systems may be interconnected providing a total offour FM channels.

The R T-524 is the basic radioused in the VRC-12 series ofvehicular mounted ground radios.I t was selected for use in theARC-122 because it can operateon all curren t FM channels, isreadily available in the divisionand has a considerably higherpower output than the ARC-4435 watts as opposed to 9 watts) .

The group has also developed a

lightweight, mobile GCA unitconsisting of a 3/4 ton truck andtrailer, plus a 3/4 ton truck containing a power plant. This sys-tem (AN/TSQ-65) also was madeby the Lexington Signal Depot.

The truck pulling the trailercarries a shelter which houses twoTPN-9 GCA operators positions,3 UHF radios, two FM radios,wind measuring equipment andtelephones. The entire system canoccupy a position and becomeoperational in 40 minutes. Standard TPN-8 GCA systems usuallyare moved in barrels and cratesand take 2 to 2Y hours toset up.

The group has five GCA sets,each with a six man team-fouroperators, one radar maintenanceman and one power man. Duringairmobile maneuvers these systemswere moved an average of twicea day.

While excellent communications systems exist in the group,they would be of little value without effective radio procedures. Tohelp assure this, the division hadmade good use of a technique andprocedures handbook which standardizes and codes certain provedtactics and aircraft loads. Eachaviator must be thoroughly familiar with the contents of thebook and pass written and oraltests on it.Based on the handbook s codesystem, orders and plans can bequickly and efficiently transmittedwith GAP (ground-aviation plan)format (see fig.).

In 1963 senior officers establishing the II th Air Assault DivisionT) emphasized that division air

mobile concepts were sound, butinsisted that success would comeonly with unparalleled proficiency, initiative, and dedication totraining. The officers and menwho fashioned the II th AviationGroup were well qualified in thesetraits.

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OIDDlonieationsin anirlDobile Battalion

Captain Robert D Price

s THAT ALL of the equipment I have to workwith? This was my first comment s I looked atthe TOE for the 228th Assault Support HelicopterBattalion My second thought concerned the typeof equipment since I recognized very little of thenomenclature It was now my job s communicationsofficer to become familiar with the equipment andto make the best use of it is the commander


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and his staff adequate communications in the field.

My first consideration was airmobility and fast movements bythe entire division. This wouldautomatically eliminate extensivewire installations within the battalion. Therefore, FM radio wasto become the primary means ofcommunication between the battalion commander and the threehelicopter companies. For this wehad the new VRC-46 and VRC-27(part of the VRC-12 series), whichhave proved to be much more re

liable than the old AN jVRC-3through 8 series. The new equipment is more compact, has flatoverlapping covers, doesn't contain the vast amount of tubes thatwere subject to unexpected failure, and has a good sealing factorwhich it retains with screws(which don't break or can be leftdisconnected as the old dzuscould) .

The AN/VRC-46 has an installed weight of 130 pounds. Onlow power the AN VRC-46 and-47 have an output of 1-3 wattsand on high power 35 watts, witha range of 15 miles while movingand 20 stationary. As for maintenance and troubleshooting thereis no comparison to any radiosother battalion size units havehad in the past. It's a pleasure totroubleshoot.

Battalion headquarters wouldneed two VRC-47 radios, one forthe commander's vehicle and theother to remain in battalion headquarters. The next priority wasthe S-3. In a unit of this type liaison with the supported unit isvery important; therefore, the lastVRC-47 was assigned to the liaison officer. Now that the battalionhad its radio communications, thenext problem was the assignmentCapt Price was with Co A 228thAslt Spt Rel Bn 11th Air AssaultDiv Ft Benning Ga. when hewrote this article.DECEMBER 1965

of radios to companies.For obvious reasons each com

pany commander would have aVRC-47 mounted in his vehicle.Company operations must haveadequate communications tomaintain control of the aircraftfor missions. So they received twoVRC-46 radios, to be operatedfrom a rectifier in the operationstent. The last FM radio, a vehicular mounted VRC-47, was assignedto the operations officer.

This then is the total FM communications of the battalion, excluding the installed radios ineach of the 48 aircraft. Assumingnow that the battalion is in thefield, let's eavesdrop on whatmight be a typical series of transmissions.

Alpha 3 this is Hotel 3. Over. . . Hotel 3 this is Alpha 3.Over . . . 3 mission for fourBlackfish to support lift of Edgewood from Alpha Bravo at 17l5Zfor coordination. Over Roger,will need one Blackfish fromBravo to support mission. Over

Roger 3 break. Bravo 3 thisis Hotel 3. Over This is Bravo3: monitored transmission willhave one Blackfish at Alpha's position at 1700Z. Over . . . RogerBravo, break. Alpha 3 did youhear Bravo? Over. Roger Hotel 3.Over This is Hotel 3. Out

I know what you are thinking:the procedure is atrocious. To besure, it is not in the communications manuals that way. Becauseof the abundance of radio trafficand limited frequencies, it hasbeen necessary to use a shorthand,conversation type of radio procedure. Discarding normal procedure has cut down on the lengthof all transmissions within the division, therefore relieving somewhat the already overloaded condition.

Battalion headquarters has theonly long-range capability in thebattalion. Two VSC-l single side

band, with teletype, are used inthe aviation group operations andintelligence net. Right here is adrawback in communications: thecompanies have no equipment ofthis type, so in a tactical situationand dispersed 50 miles or more,missions may have to be sent tothe companies via air courier, orrelayed through other units. Thisis not a definite problem now, butit may turn out to be if the division is ever widely dispersed.

Aircraft control is the last areaof radio communications in thebattalion. Since the FM is alreadysaturated, the VRC-24 UHF wasincluded in the TOE for air traffic control. Four of these are inthe battalion, one in each company, and one in battalion headquarters to control departing andarriving aircraft.

Having briefed you on the radios in the battalion, you may beastounded to learn that not oneradio operator is assigned or authorized. The closest that wecome to it is with the four airtraffic controllers/ radio telephoneoperators. I feel that in the futurea radio teletype team will be added to the TOE, if for no otherreason than to handle VSC-ls.

Thus far I have mentioned wireonly briefly, since it will only beinstalled in the command postareas. The battalion will not haveadequate wire to install lines tothe companies, unless they arewithin a 3 mile radius of headquarters. Eleven and one-halfmiles of wire just won't go muchfarther, with all of the internalwire in battalion headquarters.Lines longer than that would notbe feasible with the fast-movingpace of this type division. Companies have even less to contendwith, having only 3Y2 miles. Elaborate telephone systems in thisaviation battalion are definitelyout; radio has become the topdog.

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StYle

lightashionsLieutenant Colonel

George W ldridge

N YOUR TRAVELS aroundArmy Aviation installations inrec.ent years have you noticed howaviators fashions vary from place

to place? Some units favor thesage green flying suit while othersgo with the fatigues. Then there sthe khaki, india orange, and sister-service blue for those who preferthe continental look.Styles also vary. Suits are wornwith or without patches and in-signia, some are bloused in theboots, several units have tailoredepaulets onto the shoulders, andother units wear their suitsstarched. f one could bring to-gether this conglomeration of col-ors and configurations worn byArmy Aviation crewmembers, itwould probably resemble the Bar-num and Bailey circus just beforea command performance.10

In an attempt to afford the avia-tion crewmember with a standard,functional and protective uniform,the USACDC Aviation Agencyhas submitted a small develop-ment requirement for a clothingsystem for aviation crewmembers.1 will attempt to describe the ma-jor features and rationale of thissystem.First, is there a requirement forspecial clothing for aviation crew-members? The fatigue uniform,due to its pocket arrangement andbulkiness about the waist, is notfully functional during flight. Mostpockets are not accessible when

Col Aldridge is Assistant ChiefMaterial Division and ChiefAssociated Equipment BranchUSACDCAVNA Ft Rucker Ala.U. S ARMY AVIATION DIGEST


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strapped in, and pocket sizes andshapes are not compatible withcertain items needed during flightor in survival situations.

The fatigue uniform is not fireretardant and, therefore, offers nothermal protection. It offers littleenvironmental protection unlesssupplemented with such items asjackets or parkas. So really, fatigues, as a flight unifonn, do notafford the desired protection tothe crewmember and are not functional when operating an aircraft.But fatigues are an excellent uniform for the ground soldier. Theadoption of this uniform by theground elements of most of oursister services attests to this fact.Some flying suits now availableto Anny Aviation crewmembersare fire retardant. They offer thesame environmental protection asfatigues. However, they are notuniform in configuration or color-generally unsightly, if you please.For this reason, and justly so, theyare unacceptable to many commanders. Consequently, we haveaviation units now wearing fatigues when fire retardant flyingsuits are available.

With these thoughts in mind,it was concluded that there is arequirement for special ArmyAviation clothing.

The recently submitted smalldevelopment requirement calls forclothing which is compatible incolor, appearance, and basic function with the combat clothing ofthe ground soldier, and at thesame time provides for safety during flight and items necessary forsurvival. This system will allowcrewmembers the necessary degree of combat efficiency both onthe ground and in the air. Thisclothing, when standard, will constitute the aviation crewmember'sfield/ flight uniform.

The clothing system will consistof a summer and a winter uniformto give aviation crewmembersDECEMBER 1965

the USACDC Aviation Agency hassubmitted a small development require-Inent for a clothing systemyear-round environmental protection in the aircraft and on theground. Both unifonns will besupplemented by a jacket, gloves,and standard issue footwear andundergarments.All components of this clothingsystem must be fire retardant toa degree which will provide protection from high in tensi ty flashor flame for 1 seconds duration.This protection must last for thelife of the garmen t.

The exterior of the garmentsshall be free of design featureswhich will tend to snag or catchon protruding objects.Pockets will be located to beaccessible during flight and designed to accommodate such itemsas cigarettes, pencils, small flashlight, pen gun type flares andlauncher, survival knife, and personal emergency radio (or transponder).

The winter uniform shall beconfigured along the same lines asthe summer version. t will bedesigned so that it may be wornover the standard OD shirt andtrousers r supplemented by liners to provide the protection incold climates. The jacket may bethe same jacket used in the summer uniform with a liner added.Both uniform versions will haveprovisions to adjust sleeve cuffsto a snug fit. (No buttons, please.)Provisions will be made for ventilation adjustments during flightand for keeping the jacket andtrouser legs tucked in.

Included in the clothing systemwill be a survival marking panelof appropriate size, shape, and

color to aid in air search and rescue of downed crewmembers.Since World War II, ArmyAviation crewmembers have wornflying suits of Air Force or Navyorigin. The Army Concept Teamin Vietnam and many other unitsin the field have declared these

siren suits unsatisfactory in thatthey are unsightly, not fully functional, and afford the crewmemberonly the minimum of environmental protection.

The Army Aviation crewmember operates in the battlefield environment at low altitudes and, agood portion of the time, on theground. He must be capable offighting and surviving on theground as well as in the air. Present flight suits and coveralls areimpractical in the ground role.Fatigues are not very satisfactoryin the cockpit.

Present and planned aircraftcockpit configurations and auxiliary equipment, such as armor protective devices, oxygen systems,ejection seats, and survival equipment, require items of clothingwhich are compatible with thesei terns and environments.

The proposed clothing familyshould meet the above requirements and at the same time bereadily acceptable to aU commanders. Research in fire retardant fabrics has made significantgains recently. Therefore, the sys-tem should require only a minimum amount of development effort. It is hoped that this clothingwill be available to Army Aviation crewmembers in the not-toodistant future.


14/52

FSSdvanced erial ire Support SystemHE ARMY announced thatit will order development, onan expedited basis, of 10 prototype high speed helicopters designed k> fire a variety of weapons.

It has selected the LockheedCalifornia Company of Burbank,Calif., to develop these vehicles.They will be the first helicoptersconceived and designed exclusively as weapons ships.

Called the Advanced Aerial Fire

Support System, the vehicle willbe a radically new compoundhelicopter capable of cruising atspeeds in excess of 200 knots-more than 50 percent faster thanany other operational Army helicopter. It will be twice as fast asthe armed helicopters now in ac-tion in Vietnam.

The AAFSS was designed as anintegral system combining theaerial vehicle itself, avionics,

weapons, and ground supportequipment. It will be powered bythe new 3400 hp T-64-S4A gas turbine engine developed by theGeneral Electric Company atLynn, Mass., under a Navy contract.

Contract negotiations will startshortly.

Designed to replace the Army spresent armed helicopters, whichwere adapted from troop carriers,the AAFSS will escort troop carrying helicopters in airmobile operations and will provide suppressivefires in the landing zones.

A feature of the AAFSS is theuse of Lockheed s advanced rigidrotor system; it offers a highlymaneuverable, as well as an extremely stable platform, at bothhigh and low speeds and whilehovering. The advance helicopterwill incorporate a thrusting pusherprop, short stubby wings and ananti torque rotor in addition tothe main rotor blades.

In battle the AAFSS with itstwo-man crew will employ a variety of weapons including machineguns, grenade launchers, rockets,and antitank missiles.

Systems analysis and cost effectiveness studies indicate that thenew system will be superior toexisting helicopter weapons sys-tems.

Selection of the Lockheed-California Company for the engineering development phase concludeda successful contract definitionphase under new Department ofDefense regulation. The AAFSS isthe first major Army weapons sys-tem to undergo the Department ofDefense development cycle whichincludes definition (phase 1 ,engineering development (phase 2 ,and production (phase 3 .

12 U. S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST


15/52

I now Beforeou GoCaptain Edward K Lawson III

ROBABLY THE last thingyou think about before aflight is the possibility of a crashlanding or bailout that will leaveyou in a survival situation. Undersurvival conditions your chancefor life depends upon your knowledge physical ability and will tosurvive. A lack of familiarity withthe fundamental procedures forsurvival could result in deathwhich is a high price to pay forignorance.

Analysis of several hundred air-When he wrote this article CaptLawson was an i n s t r u c t o r ~ SpecialSubjects i v ~ Dept of T a c t i c s ~

U S V N S ~ Ft Rucker Ala3


16/52

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO safely. Should the need ever arisefor you to bailout-such as enginefailure during night or weatherflying, structural failure, or majorfire-do not become undulyalarmed. Do not hesitate or youmay be lost

craft crashes and emergency parachute jumps revealed that actionstaken by survivors were dividedinto three steps or phases: lifesaving, signaling, shelter and food.This article deals only with thelifesaving phase.Lifesaving in air emergenciesmeans leaving a burning or damaged aircraft as rapidly as possible. When flying, this can be donesafely by parachute or by landingthe aircraft; when on the groundby getting out of the wreckage.Also included in this phase is thedetection and treatment of injuries.The lifesaving phase really begins before an emergency situation arises. Several steps can betaken before the flight that willenable you to better prepare yourself for survival. You should planyour route and then file a flightplan and this plan must be followed It would not help thesearch/ rescue aircraft if you haveflown to places not listed on yourplan.Take time to conduct a thorough preflight aircraft inspectionincluding a check to see i yoursurvival kits are aboard complete,and serviceable. Remember AR95-1 states that on flights over remote terrain appropriate survival equipment must be presentaboard the aircraft.As far as proper clothing andequipment is concerned, the crewand passengers must wear clothingthat is suitable for the climate andterrain over which the flight ismade. Having warm clothingaboard the aircraft is not necessarily the answer to the problem;it must be with you when needed.Put the jacket on and turn downthe cabin heat Combat bootsshould be worn instead of lowquarters; boots will stay on during14

the opening shock of the parachute. They are also better forwalking.Many cases are recorded wherelives have been lost because individuals found themselves in a survival situation with only theclothes they were wearing. Makesure your passengers are properlydressed and are thoroughly briefed

on emergency procedures. Whenan emergency arises, there is notime for you to explain what todo.Because of the maneuverabilityand shortfield capabilities of mostArmy aircraft, it is emphasizedthat a forced landing is, in mostcases, as safe as bailing out. During your flying career you maywear a parachute for thousands ofhours without ever having to useit. On the other hand the nexttime you fly your life may dependupon your ability to use the parachute skillfully and without hesitation. It is natural to feel somereluctance to jump since the aircraft seems to be a safe environment but the parachute was designed to get you to the ground

The B-12 back-type parachuteis used in most Army aircraft foremergency jumping. Each timeyou check out a parachute for aflight you should inspect it for thefollowing: Check the date of inspectionand repack in the log book. Thechute must be repacked every 60days and have a routine inspection every 10 days. Any parachutefound to be overdue should bereturned to the parachute poolfor a replacement. Check the pack for any oil,grease, or water stains; rips; andbroken buckles. Check ripcord pins under theflap on the back-pack to see thatthey are in place and not bentand that the ripcord cable has ahandle.

Check the canopy quick release assemblies for proper operation. By separating the canopyfrom the harness, these devicesprevent high winds from dragging

U. S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST


17/52

the jumper on land. They canalso be used when entering waterto avoid becoming entangled inthe canopy. To release the can-opy:Cross arms in front of chest.

Unsnap the safety clip by pull-ing out and down (photo 1 .Grasp both release buttons on

the latch arms between thumbsand forefingers. The release willnot operate unless both buttonsare fully depressed (photo 2 .

Pull out and down on the latcharms. Your canopy will then re-lease. When inspecting these as-semblies, you should ensure thatthe releases are locked in the safeposition (photo 2 .

After inspecting your parachuteyou must properly fit it. A snug,comfortable fit is desirable andcan be assured by the followingsteps:

Note the number on the mainlift web adjustment strap where

it passes through the buckles onei ther side of the harness. Thesenumbers must be the same oneach side. f your height is 5'6 orless, use No.7; between 5'6 and6', use No.6; and over 6', useNo.5.Loosen diagonal straps.

Don harness.Fasten chest and leg straps, giv-

ing particular attention to avoidcrossing or twisting the leg straps.Tighten leg straps.Tighten diagonal back straps.Adjust and tighten the cheststrap.Stow all loose ends under elas-tic retainers.Once the decision to jump ismade, carry out that decision im-mediately. Many bailout fatalities

and injuries are a direct resultfrom attempting to leave the air-craft at ow altitudes. f time per-mits, follow these procedures:Slow and trim the aircraft.

Tighten the parachute.Secure helmet chin strap andunfasten microphone cord.

Jettison the door.Unfasten lap belt and shoulderharness.Exit aircraft by diving outwardand rearward.Once clear of aircraft, placefeet and knees together wi th chin

on the chest. Reach across thebody with the right hand andgrasp the D ring of the ripcordfirmly. Then with a quick jerkpull the ripcord away from thebody, entirely clear from its hous-ing.

After receiving the openingshock of the parachute, approxi-mately 2 seconds after pulling theripcord, check the canopy for mal-functions. f the suspension linesare twisted or coming over the topof the canopy, they should bepulled back into proper position.Twist in suspension lines can be


18/52

corrected by placing hands on theinside of each set of risers and applying pressure to the sides. Thissame procedure will also assist inforcing a suspension line from thetop of the canopy. As you descendyou may experience some oscilla-tion. This should be corrected toreduce the rate of descent and toposition yourself for a landing.Reach high on one front riser andopposite rear riser, pull them

risers as high as possible with theright hand, and the left set ofrisers with the left hand. Pull bothsets of risers to the front and intothe chest, with the right set be-

down into your chest, and releaseslowly. This procedure may need f \to be repeated until the oscilla- \: ..Jtion is checked.Obstacles in the air or on theground and lateral drift may bellvoided by use of the slip (photo3). To executt: a slip, pull the tworisers down into your chest inthe direction you want to go.Hold them until the desired effectis obtained and release slowly toavoid oscillation. The effectiveratio of slipping is approximately250 feet of horizontal distance foreach 1,000 feet of altitude.

Determine your direction ofdrift and turn yourself to face inthat direction photos 4 and 5).This will enable you to see anyobstacle and to position yourselffor a better landing. To make aleft turn, grasp the right set of

hind the left set. Hold until thecanopy rotates and you are facingin the desired direction. Recoverslowly to avoid spinning. A turnto the right is made by reversingthe above procedures.Most injuries in jumping resultfrom incorrect landings. As inlanding an aircraft, you must bein a proper prepare to land attitude to make a good touchdown(photo 6). In good open terrainassure this position by placingyour feet and knees together, withyour toes pointed downward, legsslightly bent at the knees and hips,head erect with eyes on the horizon, and hands reaching high onall four risers. This position

should be assumed approximately100 feet in the air.When your feet hit the ground,the initial shock should be absorbed by the balls of the feet.

Keeping your feet and knees together, rotate your body to theright or left to expose the remaining points of contact: calf, thigh,buttock, and shoulder muscle.Drop your chin to your chest and

bring your hands and elbows infront of your head and chest,still holding onto the risers. Thefall is executed in a smooth, co-ordinated manner with the fivepoints of contact following oneanother rapidly.

In an emergency, you may notbe able to pick the area uponwhich you make a parachute landing (photo 7). f landing in awooded area is unavoidable, place



19/52

your feet tightly together andstraight; cross your arms in frontof your chest with your hands inthe armpits, palms outward; andturn your head slightly to theright to protect your face andthroat. Maintain this position until your descent is checked.

When forced into making ahigh tension wire landing, attemptto prevent your body from contacting two wires at the same time(photo 8 . Place your feet andknees together, and keep legsstraight. Reach up and place your

hands on the inside of the twofront risers with fingers extendedand joined. Push forward withthe hands on the risers. This willassist in keeping the wires awayfrom the body during descent.Keep your head slightly down toobserve your direction of movement.

DECEMBER 1965

If a water landing is imminentand no survival gear is attachedto your harness, rid yourself of theharne . eat your buttocks intothe saddle of the parachute harness and unfa ten the chest andleg straps. When your feet hit thewater, throw your arms aloft, archyour back, and slip out of theharnes. With survival gear attached to the harness, you do notwant to rid yourself of the harness. You should use the canopyquick releases s described earlieras your feet enter the water.

Remember these few points forescapes from disabled aircraft:know and practice emergency bailout procedures; always preflightthe parachute, check the harnessfit, and above all wear the para-

chute properly; once the decisionis made to jump, don t hesitate.The first few moments follow-

ing a bailout or crash landing arethe most crucial. Taking thewrong action or not taking thenecessary action can mean the difference of surviving or not surviving.

Included as the last part of lifesaving is the detection and treatment of any injuries received during evacuation. This is very critical since many serious injuries canand do go unnoticed. These injurie must be found and treatedalong with any minor scratches orsprain. Any injury, no matterhow mall, can become a seriousthreat to your survival. The treatment of injuries must approacha more final type than plain firstaid, since the availability of medical assistance may be weeks away.

Phase lifesaving is very c rucial.There isn t much time to thinkabout decisions that have to bemade. Possible solutions must bedeliberated before the emergencysituations arise. Following propersurvival procedures may end withone more life saved-YOURS


20/52

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

IlIllIl

L IEUTENANT Leberlooked

at his watch and grunted. Ithad stopped again. The watch wasone of those self-winding jobs anda good one, or at least it had beena good one when he bought itseveral years ago in Hong Kong.But now something was wrongwith th6 automatic winding device and he had to wind the watchby hand. The lieutenant was notthe forgetful type, but after somany years he found it hard to remember to keep the fool thingwound.

He got up wearily and openedthe door of the little room that

lll served as sleeping quarters for the

ODeI Hey, Casey, he yelled at the~ duty NCO. What time is it?~ Twelve on the nose, Caseyf. answered.

Lieutenant Leber closed thedoor, wound his watch, and set

f. the hands t 12 Just at that mo l ment, the door opened again andl a rather short, fat man came in.

He was dressed in a neat businesssuit, had a rather luxurious whitebeard on his face but almost nohair on his head.

Lieutenant Leber? he asked.l Yes, Lieutenant Leber an-~ swered, rather surprised to have

~ someone invade his temporarysleeping quarters.18

Santa LearnsAbout lyingMy name's Claus. I've some

questions about flying I'd like toask you if you have the time.Lieutenant Leber put his watch

on the table and looked at thevisitor for a second. He was thinking that this had to be a joke andsurely that beard was a fake.

To Mr. Claus he said, Time'swhat I have the most of. Sit down,sit down.

In a very brisk and businesslikemanner Mr. Claus said, Lieutenant, I'm in the toy manufacturingand distributing business. Thepopulation explosion has givenme so many new customers thatI've had to modernize my deliverysystem. This year I'm going to usehelicopters. They'll do just abouteverything myoId equipment did-hover, sit down on roof tops,carry large numbers of toys-andin addition cover great distancesquickly, which is an advantage Ineed very badly.

Now my helpers have had thebest training available and they'velearned a good deal about winterflying. But with so much snow andice, I'm going around to some ofthe more experienced fliers to seekadvice. Can you give me somepointers?

Lieutenant Leber hesitated amoment, as if he were thinkingof winter flying. Actually he was

William H Smithlooking at the beard. It was toogood to be true. Perhaps if hepulled it off he could find outwho was playing Santa for hisbenefit.

Well, I can tell you some ofthe little tricks I use. I suppose

U. S ARMY AVIATION DIGESTP l ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~


21/52

~you'll have snow on your helicop- - _ _ . ~ - ~ - - . - . - -- ~ter , especially if they sit outside Iovernight. I like to get all the iAnow off my machine before I ~

warm it up. f you don't, the snow ~melts and water gets into placeswhere you don't want it . Then it t ~refreezes and you can be in trou- tble. The hubs of the rotors arevery important in this respect. 1 iA

And take the snow off wi th I ~de-icing fluid, heat, or brooms; : ~never by chipping. Of courseyou'll be much better off if youtake along a cover for your bu b- fble, transmISSIOn and engine i iVhen preheating the copter, leave

the cover on to help trap theheat. This helps warm up the engine quicker.

Let me put that down, Mr.Claus said as he pulled out a little pad and started making notes.

What kind of heaters will youuse?Herman Nelson.Good. You made a wise choicethere. One thing though. When

you warm up the main reductiongear or some other part close tothe cabin, you will find that theinside of the cabin tends to fogup, getting condensation on yourwindshield and possibly even inyour instruments. To prevent thisI open the door for circulation .

ontinued on page 5

.

DECEMBER 1965


22/52

Justecause

ISCAL YEAR 1965 now ispart of the past. The paper-work concerning accidents has

been completed and turned in ,and the experts have had time toexamine it t see how we did.Statistics reveal that we are stillpulling the ame dumb tricks thatcaused us to have so many accidents in FY 1964. We sprainankles because we don't lookwhere we step, we hurt backs because we don't lift heavy weightsthe way we should, and we tear upmachinery because we expect itto do things it's not made to do.

Why don't we stop pulling theseboners? Noone knows the answer.Perhaps it's because we don'tcare, or because we are in ahurry, or because we are justbored with life. The accident prevention people do know, however,that every acciden t has a be-

20

e keep breaking upmen and machineswithout rhyme rreason

cause. They don't just happen.And if these becauses wereeliminated accidents would stop.

On the off chance that some ofus don ' t know the because ofthe accidents we keep having, let'srun through a few of those thathappened around our airfields inFY 1965. You'll be surprised atthe simple mistakes that led todamage or loss of a valuable aircraft or to days of suffering in ahospital.

Let's kick off with back injuries.By the number of back injurieswe suffered last year you'd thinkthat it was an occupational disease. Of the hundreds and hun-dreds of back injuries treated byArmy doctors the vast majorityhappened because the injureddidn't use their heads

Take as an example the two

mechanics who were getting readyto work on an engine mounted ona Sweeney stand. The engine andstand were against the wall andthe mechanics attempted to pushit out to give themselves moreroom to work. One of them felt asharp pain in his back. Thirty-fiveday later he returned to duty.

Investigation revealed that themen were moving the engine andstand by themselves. Now sometimes it takes two or three men tomove a heavy engine, but this wasa light one and normally couldeasily be moved by two men. Butin this case it was against the walland to move it the men had tostand sideways in an awkwardposition. This was the because.They should have gotten someoneto help them.

There's a good chance that

U. S ARMY AVIATION DIGEST


23/52

these two men did not know theywere doing wrong. In the accidentreports for FY 1965 numerous reports suggest that we know betterbut don t always do right. Such isthe case of an old and experiencedmechanic. He knew the properway to pick up a heavy box andduring the day had picked up several. Then he reached down topick tip an empty one and strainedhis back. He said that he thoughtthat because the box was emptyand light it didn t make any difference how he picked it up.Falls, trips, and spills accountedfor many of our accidents duringthe last fiscal year. Almost all ofthem were caused by our failureto look where we step.One mechanic stepped up onthe wheel of a U-6A to put something inside. In getting down hestepped on a chock which had notbeen placed under the wheel properly. The mechanic spent over aweek convalescing from a badlysprained ankle. Of course thechock should have been properlypositioned and personnel havebeen so warned. But the mechanicwas equally guilty because hedidn t look where he was stepping.

In another case when servicinga U-6A the crew spilled oil on theside and wheel of the airplane.One of the crew got up on the tireto clean off the oil. When hestarted to get down again his footslipped on the slick tire and hefell, hurting himself badly. Ofcourse the cause was his steppingon the slippery tire. f he hadlooked where he was stepping hewould have seen the oil.

A pretty secretary contributedher share to the trip and spill department statistics. She worked ina nearby hangar. ' While swingingpast a desk her heel caught in atelephone cord and she fell flat onher face. The X-ray showed thatshe had broken her kneecap aswell as her digni ty.DECEMBER 1965

One civilian employee went outto inspec't erosion damage to alanding strip after a very heavyrain. This is always a good idea.Some day it may prevent a nastyaccident. But this poor fellow tooka long stride to avoid a mud pud-dle, slipped and severely straineda groin muscle. He had to havecorrective surgery before return-ing to work.

One soldier had a long slowconvalescence in a hospital because he tried to make a fast exitfrom a building. He slipped whilerunning down some stairs andbroke a leg.

Improper use of equipmentcaused considerable damage to anaircraft engine. No one was injured but the potential was there.

The engine was slung on aSweeney engine stand and wasbeing moved from the repair shopto the airfield. The driver of thetruck was cautious. When hecame to a bump in the road hestopped to shift down to ease hisload over the bump. When he did,the airplane engine surged forward, knocked out the back window of the truck, and then turnedover and fell off

The cause was not the driverstopping. He knew he was carrying an expensive and delicate loadand was trying hard to get it tothe field safely. But because aSweeney stand was being used forsomething it was not designed todo, an accident happened. It is amaintenance shop item and shouldnot be used on trucks. It haswheels and will roll and it's topheavy and will tilt.Lack of training and know-howaccounted for many of our accidents. This was particularly so indriver training. Some of us seemto think that because we candrive a passenger car or a smalltruck we can drive just about anyother small type vehicle.But around airfields there aremany special vehicles and theirshifting order is arranged to fittheir need. Number one reversein one may be where number twoforward is in another, etc.

One soldier found this out thehard way. He attempted to backa multipurpose vehicle out of aparking area. Instead of reverse heput it in forward gear and crashedinto a civilian catering servicetruck delivering food stuffs.

mproper use of equipment for transportation caused considerab le damage tothis aircraft engine

21


24/52

Because a refueler got hisvehicle too close to an airplane wehad another acciden t. When hetried to move the truck he got thegear in reverse instead of forwardand crashed into the wing, causing $400 damages.

Regulations require that refueling trucks stay 20 feet away froman aircraft. There are severalreasons for this. One is the dangerof fire. Another is to keep justwhat happened in this case fromhappening. The man was nottrained in the proper way to drivea truck nor the proper way to refuel an aircraft.

Another case had two differentbecauses. A soldier had difficulty speaking and understandingthe English language. One day hewas asked if he had a mili tarydriver's license. Thinking he wasbeing asked if he knew how todrive he answered yes. He wasthen told to drive a military pickup parked nearby. He got in thetruck, started the engine with notrouble, put it in the wrong gearand promptly crashed into a civilian vehicle nearby.

Investigation revealed that thesoldier did not have a militarydriving permit. He knew how todrive, all right, but only cars withautomatic shift. He had neverused a stick shift.

The two causes here are thesoldier's inability to drive and hislack of understanding. A goodsupervisor always makes sure he isproperly understood.

One of the big becauses ofaccidents at our airfields last fiscalyear was complacency. This is anold one that s hard to beat. Weget used to the dangers and forgetto be cautious.

Take the case of the parachuterigger who was trying to move alarge floor fan to make a parachute billow. The fan was running at the time. The soldier's

22

hand slipped into the blade,severely cutting two fingers. Ofcourse he should have unpluggedthe fan before moving it.

Two soldiers who were checking for oil leaks found out aboutfans the hard way. They had tostart the helicopter engine tobuild up pressure. While one wasat the control the other looked forleaks. He was checking the crossover tube assembly on the irreversible valve of the fore and aftcy linder when he pricked hisfinger on the sharp end of a pieceof safety wire. His sudden reflexaction caused his hand to strikethe blade of the cooling fan.Now the because of this accident was not the soldier's reflexmotions or the sharp safety wire.Reflex motions can t be changed.The sharp wire could have beenfixed so that it wouldn t hurtsomeone but this is not practicalin every case. The real cause isthat the soldier had become socomplacent that he neglected tobp cautious. While making his inspection he placed his hand between the assembly and the cooling fan. He should have kept theassembly between his hand andthe fan.

This business of forgettingabout dangerous equipment wasthe because of a nasty accident.A mechanic was making adjustments and checking for fuel leakson a Huey. The helicopter enginewas running. The mechanic wasworking on the engine section onthe left side of the DH-I. He leftthis position and walked alongthe left side of the tail section,evidently preparing to cross overto the right side. As he passed tothe rear of the aircraft he was hitby the tail rotor.

Not looking at what you aredoing is the cause of many accidents. A mechanic lifted a barrelof oil with a fork lift to fill the oiltank of a helicopter. When the

tank was filled he backed theclearance between the liftmain rotor blade. The rthat the lift struck theof the main rotor bladaged two pockets.A truck mounted cring moved by a constr lioner. The boom got tanelectrical cable. Theloose and fell across a

In another case a test pilotpicked up an OH-23D to move itto the blade tracking area. Heapparently forgot to look wherehe was backing and hit anotherhelicopter, damaging both.Because we drive a passenger car orsmall truck doesn t mean we candrive a special type vehicle

D. S ARMY AVIATION DIGEST


25/52

P SITIONM N

One airfield had two almostidentical accidents within hoursof each other. A mechanic wasblowing up a strut on a UH-19.vVhen he thought it was properlyinflated he turned off the gas bottle and started around the aircraftto check the strut when it blewup. Investigation revealed that theshut off valve on the bottle washard to close. Apparently themechanic had thought he had itfully closed when he didn t.A few hours later two mechanicswere inflating the struts on another UH-19. One was manningthe bottle while the other wasoperating the valve on the strut.The one at the strut called for thebottle to be closed and was locking down the valve lock when thestrut blew.

These two blown struts costover $3,000 but fortunately didnot injure anyone. Regulatorshave been procured so this kindof accident can t happen again,but proper supervision wouldhave recognized the danger before it happened.Sometimes we have accidents

because we don t know when toquit. Take the case of a UH-IDdriver who had the same accidenttwo times in a row. He was at-

tempting to pick up a 1/4-tontruck equipped with a 106 recoilless rifle.

First time around he got theload 4 feet off the ground anddropped it because of loss ofrotor rpm. He tried again and hadto drop the load from 2 feet high.Loss of rotor rpm present in thefirst pickup was also present inthe second. This $180 accidentwas due to weak engine and highdensity altitude.Several accidents show that wedon t always check with themedics when we should. The result is that a simple accident develops into a major one.

As an example, -one mechanicwas working on the left side doorhinges of a UH-I helicopter. Ashe moved into the cockpit to adjust the door latch his left anklehi t a towing ring, breaking theskin. He applied merthiolate tothe cut but did not see a doctor.Later his ankle became inflamedand started hurting so that hecould hardly walk. The doctorwho eventually treated him saidthe complications would not havedeveloped if the cut had beenproperly treated.Loose objects lying around theairfield while engines were beingtested caused some accidents. Two

Above: Complacency can cause us to walk into propellers nd tail rotorsBelow: Forgetting to look where he was going cause pilot of thishelicopter to back into another


26/52

mechanics were attempting to correct rear spark plug malfunctionon a U-6A. The cowling had beenplaced under the right wingtipand had not been secured.

After the plugs had been replaced one of the mechanicsstarted the engine to check mag.The other stood fire guard. Theunsecured cowling was picked upby the blast, sucked into the propeller and deflected, hitting thefire guard.Some of the accidents we hadwould be funny if they had notcaused so much pain and sufferingto those involved. One soldierwanted to cut off a short piecefrom a large hank of rope. He gota block of wood and a hatchetand promptly chopped his fingerinstead of the rope.

Another of our buddies spent alot of his leisure watching TVwesterns. One day he bought himself a .22 caliber target pistoland started practicing fast draws.In his excitement he shoved hispistol hard into the holster, causing it to fire accidentally. The bullet went through the holster andlodged in his right calf.A cook closed a refrigeratordoor extra hard and he waspromptly beaned because hehad placed a roasting pan on top.

Usually the soldier hits the target on the firing range but thereis a case of a target hitting thesoldier. The man had been onrange detail. He loaded up thetargets, jumped on the back ofthe truck and told the driver tomove out. When the driver did,the targets fell over and hit thesoldier on the head. The cause,of course, was that the soldier hadforgotten to tie down the targets.

We keep breaking upmen and machines apparently for no better excusethan Just B e c a u s e . ~Below and right are twin accidents.Both happened at the same airfieldthe same day and in the same way.Good supervision would haveprevented them

Loose objects lying around the airfield while testing engines cause some accidents



27/52

S NT LE RNS BOUT FLYINGontinued from page 9Mr. Claus made a note, chuckled

and said, Lots of folks put sprayson their windows to make themlook frosted, but I guess I don'twant that on my helicopter windows.

No, you don't, LieutenantLeber growled as if he didn't appreciate the joke.

He continued his discussion,Now about 2 minutes beforetakeoff, switch on the flight and

navigation instruments -to makesure they are in good workingorder. This is important in verycold climates. I've found thatsometimes it's best to warm upthe cabin with the Herman Nelson so the instruments have a better chance of being accurate.

Lieutenant Leber was still trying to figure out who was playingSanta. He thought he knew all themen in the outfit, but this fellowdidn't look like any of them. Hecarried on, however, thinking thatany minute now he'd have achance to pull off the false beardand solve the mystery.

I f I were you, I'd pay specialattention to the cargo. Make sureit's properly loaded and well tieddown. Loose cargo can movearound, and in tricky winterwinds, unbalanced cargo can bedownright dangerous - especiallyat low altitudes and speeds.Mr. Claus brightened up andsaid, In the old days we shippedtoys unwrapped and unboxed.

ow we pu t them in boxes, wellpadded and wrapped. It's a goodthing we do. Loose o j e c ~ s wouldbe very hard to tie down.';

Lieutenant Leber continued,Condensation can be a problem

in cold weather. Water in a fuelline affects the engine operation.Water in the pi tot-static tube, if itfreezes, can block the line so theairspeed indicator and altimeter

DECEMBER 1965

will give incorrect readings or failcompletely.Keep fuel tanks filled when

not flying. This helps prevent condensation. However, don't fill thetanks completely outdoors if youplan on hangaring the aircraft.The fuel may expand on warmingand create a fire hazard.You will find it helpful toplace rags in the helicopter exhaust stack as soon as it cools.(And don't forget to take them outwhen you start the engine.) Thisprevents undue amounts of coldair and moisture entering the engine through this ou tIet. And thenwatch for such things as skids andwheels freezing to ice and carbonmonoxide seepage into cabins.Sometimes wheels and skids freezeso hard you can't lift them off andat other times one will come freewhile the other hangs on.

Lieutenant Leber thought thisfarce had gone far enough and itwas time to act. But first he'd havet o get close to this fellow. He hadlaid his watch on the table nextto where Mr. Claus was sitting.Perhaps if he got up and lookedat the watch he could get closeenough without arousing suspicion. Theh he could reach overand pull off the beard with oneswift jerk.

Getting up he started talkingabout the hazards of landing insnow. Even a helicopter sometimes has trouble in deep snow.One skid may sink farther thananother and throw the copter offbalance. Caution your pilots thatwhen making a landing in astrange area not to try judgingthe snow depth while aloft. It'sbetter to check with weather firstto get a good average.By this time he was alongsidethe table. Reaching down for hiswa tch, he was surprised to see

that it had stopped at 15 secondspast 12 As he looked it came tolife.

Suddenly remembering Mr.Claus, Lieutenant Leber lookedup. Mr. Claus was gone, and thedoor was slightly ajar. On running ou t of the room, all he couldsee was Sergeant Casey calmlyreading a magazine.Casey, where did he go?

Who, sir?The man who just came out ofmy room.Nobody came out of yourroom.You sure?Course I'm sure. I've been hereall the time.Slowly turning back to hisroom, Lieut.enant Leber remem

bered that he had to reset hiswatch.What time is it now?Like I just told you, 12 on thenose. Only it's about 30 secondspast now.Still 12?Yes, sir.Sergeant Casey paused for a mo

ment. Then in apparent concernhe asked, Lieutenant, are you allright?Sure. Why?

Well, first you think someonecame out of your room and noone did. Then you ask me for thetime when I just told you what itwas. Can I get you something-adrink of water maybe?

No, thank you; I'm all right.Turning back to his room,Lieutenant Leber closed the doorand went to bed. But it was along time before he slept. He keptthinking about the 10-minute conversation he must not have had.When he did sleep, he dreamedabout Santa Claus-piloted helicopters del ivering toys all over theworld.

25


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29/52

irborne SurveillanceT WAS 0200. Steady raindrummed on the tent as thedivision G-2 and his G-2 Air stud

ied the situation map. The opposing enemy armored divisionwas deployed at the outskirts ofa small town several miles to thenorth. The front had been quietfor three days except for considerable patrol activity. An attack bythe enemy division had been expected for the past two days. TheG-2 was certain that the attackwould come before dawn.

Anticipating that the divisionwould begin movement within thenext three hours, the G-2 had directed that a continuous radarsurveillance of the enemy divisionbe conducted, using the OV-IBaircraft of the Airborne Surveillance and Target Acquisition(ASTA) Platoon. Employing theradar inflight processor, the sensoroperator was able to continuouslymonitor the activities of the division while operating several kilometers behind his own lines.

0200-Mohawk sensor operatorhad reported to the G-2 Air thatthe enemy division had not yetmade any large scale move. Usualsmall random traffic was notedand reported.

0225-The Mohawk sensor operator reported a sudden increase inmoving targets.0230-G-2 Air had requested theimmediate takeoff of an OV-ICinfrared (ir) equipped aircraft.The pilot was ordered to proceedt a point just behind the forwardedge of the battle area (FEBA)Maj Barkley is Chief TechnicalAssistance Div U S Army Air-craft Maintenance Center Sand-hofen Germany.

DECEMBER 1965

aior James R arkleyand hold pending further instructions.

0245-0V-IB sensor operator reported a considerable increase intraffic converging on two mainarteries heading westward.

0246-The circling OV-IC wasgiven a heading which would takethe aircraft to a small town on thesouthern artery being used by theattacking force and several kilometers west of the lead column.

0253-0V-IC sensor operatorreported that he had passed overthe town at low altitude and wasturning eastward to follow thehighway.

0257-Now at slightly higher altitude, the OV-IC passed over acolumn of enemy tanks. The sensor operator reported the contactto the G-2 Air. A ground sensoroperator at the ASTA Platoon airstrip also noted the contact; hisdata transfer system was simultaneously receiving the infraredinformation from the OV-IC. Fourminutes later the OV-IC pilotbroke off his ir surveillance run,banked to the left and headednorth to pick up the second mainhighway.

The OV-IB, side looking airborne radar (SLAR) aircraft,meanwhile maintained a longrange wa tch over the progress ofthe two columns from its standoff position behind the FEBA.

By 0310, less than 45 minutesfrom initial detection, the G-2 hadestablished that the enemy hadlaunched a major attack led by atleast 50 tanks. Detection had beenaccomplished at night under extremely poor weather conditions.It was the result of carefullyplanned employment of a system

organic to all divisions in the field.A field commander s requirement for timely, accurate information regarding the strength, disposition, and activity of enemyforces is indisputable. Without ithe is unable to use his own forceseffectively. This requirement exists through the entire spectrumof war, from armed insurrectionto all-out nuclear conflict.TACTICAL SURVE,ILLANCEREQUIREMENTS

An ideal battle area surveillancesystem would keep the field commander informed of all enemyactivity-everywhere, at all times,and in detail. In practice, surveillance is performed by samplingenemy activity-in selected areas,at intervals, in varying detail. Inthis manner, an adequate amountof information may be pieced together to deduce the enemy'scapabilities and probable intentions. Requirements imposed ona tactical surveill ance system, then,are to obtain these essential elements of information (EEl) in anorderly manner, in usable form,at minimum risk, and in time forproper action to be taken.

Ultimately the purpose of theEEl is to answer this primaryquestion: What probable planswill the enemy use in attemptingto gain the advantage in a particular area of conflict? To answerthis question, full or partial answers to the following secondaryquestions are required.

Is the enemy making an effortto alter the status quo?

f so, what? (Detection)Where and when? (Location)

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SURVEILL NCEBy whom and with what forces?

Iden tification)Does commander have time toreact? (Timeliness)Answers to these questions result in the intelligence requiredby the field commander to makesound decisions. However, complete, continuous, detailed information may not be required tornake a decision. A selective combination of observations will givethe desired effectiveness.

The field commander, nowaware of the information he needsto determine the enemy s plans,must select techniques for obtaining the information. However, allcombinations of coverage and tactics do not yield the same effectiveness. The chart (fig. I) illustrates the several paths available,the effectiveness of each, and therisk involved in each approach.

Maximum effectiveness can beobtained at very high risk. Thisis because the tactic employedmakes the aircraft highly vulnerable to enemy defenses; however,the same effectiveness, at only

igure

28

moderate risk, can be obtained byusing a combination of two tactics. The first tactic involves frequent scanning with SLAR, frombehind friendly lines, to detectactivity. This is followed by alow-level penetration and popupmaneuver, using ir and photogra-phic coverage, to locate and identify the activity. This mode ofoperation, in addition to reducingthe risk involved, provides necessary information in time for evaluation and suitable decisions.

Only airborne intelligence gathering systems can maintain surveillance of a large area around-the-clock in most weather conditions. Though other intelligencegathering media will continue tobe used and are necessary to thetotal effort, the airborne systemmust provide the bulk of the tactical intelligence.

Modern sensory devices havecontributed to the efficiency of theairborne surveillance system. Onewith a most profound implicationis the long range radar with moving target indication MTI). Ona single run across a divisionfront, for example, it is possible

F IR

to determine in a matter of minutes the activity throughout theentire division area of influencewithout penetrating the FEBA.

In fair wea ther, a cameraequipped aircraft would be required to take a considerable num-ber of pictures, thereby exposingthe aircraft to the enemy s grounddefense for a prolonged period. Itwould also be necessary to returnto base, unload the camera, process the film, and perform a considerable amount of photo interpretation and correlation of datato obtain the overall situation thatthe SLAR equipped aircraft obtained in minutes. In foul weather,the information could not havebeen obtained within any reasonable time frame by any othermethod.

Infrared detection equipmentin the OV-IC aircraft has thecapability of passively producingimagery of excellent resolutioneither day or night and in someforms of precipitation. It is particularly useful in penetratinghaze or smoke and in detectingcamouflaged objects. The datatransfer system incorporated in the

EFFCTlVEtSS

GOOO GOOD HIGH

GOOD GOOD FrfJo1 1r MrXER TERIEFEDF IR HIGH

MOCR TE

U. S ARMY AVIATION DIGEST


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The objective of surveillance is to maintain continuousknowledge of the enemy in given area of interestir installation permits the infraredimagery to be observed and recorded in a ground station manymiles away, limited by radio lineof sight, simultaneously with thatin the aircraf .

t is important that propertactics be used to achieve desiredeffectiveness. t is also importantthat the system used be capableof performing the maneuvers required. The OV-I Mohawk systemis used in two basic mission profiles-the stand-off mission and thepenetration mission.

The stand-off mission (fig. 2is performed frOlT.. behind friendlylines. Employment of an OV-IBMohawk (equipped with SLAR)permits seeing into enemy territory. Air survivability is attained because the aircraft is outof range of most enemy air defense weapons.As it patrols along the FEBA,the aircraft probes deep into

SL R stand off mission

enemy territory. The more oftena surveillance aircraft passes agiven point, the shorter the timebetween enemy movement and detection. This time is dependentupon the number of aircraft,speed and turning performance ofthe aircraft, and length of thefront being patrolled. For a hypothetical front of 50 kilometers, aMohawk could make one complete circuit in approximately 15minutes. Slower speeds requiremore aircraft to maintain thesame frequency of patrol, whilefaster aircraft tend to overshootinto adjacent division areas andspend more time in the turningmaneuver.

The inflight processor-viewerprovided wi th the SLAR permi sthe radar-observer to see theimagery almost immediately. findicated he can alert the monitoring intelligence unit to theneed for a closer look with a pene-

tra tion aircraft or for immediatedestruction by suitable weapons.N ap-of-the-earth penetration ofthe FEBA, usually by an OYolAor OV-Ie aircraft characterizesthe penetration mission (fig. 3 .Activity reported from the standoff mission, or other means of intelligence, can be identified orobserved with the aircraft. Terrain features are used to minimizeexposure and mask the progressof the aircraft to the objectivearea.The Mohawk s excellent lowspeed, low-altitude maneuverability allows treetop operations. Thisreduces its vulnerability to groundfire, usually antiaircraft gunsrather than missiles.

The objective of surveillance isto maintain continuous knowledge of the enemy in a given areaof interest. The greater theamoun t of information requiredor desired, the greater the riskFigure 3. IR penetration mission

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SURVEIlL NCEinvolved in its collection. Becauseall information concerning enemyactivity and resources is not ofequal importance, detailed i n f ~ r mati on gathered in scattered, dIS-crete areas will yield the desiredlevel of intelligence with onlymoderate risk.

SURVIVABILITYDuring surveillance missions,

the act of seeing implies beingseen in return; therefore vulnerability deserves more than p ~ s s ing consideration. The OV-I gamsits survivability during the standoff mission by flying over friendlyterritory (fig. 2). In addition, theMohawk's low-altitude maneuverability allows it to perform atminimum altitude and safely negotiate the popup maneuver, thereby retaining a low level of v.ulnerability even when penetratIOn ofenemy territory is necessary (fig.3). Although an Army surveillance aircraft does not performthe assigned mission at as high analtitude or airspeed as a high performance system, it is no morevulnerable (fig. 4) .Figure 4

EVALUATIONSBecause of the unique capabilities of the OV-I system, severalforeign countries have expressed

an interest in procuring the system for th ir army forces. Thefir t of the e was We t Germany.Their intere t wa expressed in ajoint We t German-U.S. Armyevaluation of the entire Mohawksystem. The West German e v a ~ ~ a tion indicated the true capabIlItyof the system. During an exerciseinvolving two armored brigades,an OV-IB and an OV-Ie maintained a continuous (electronic)watch over the activities of one ofthe brigades for approximately 24hours wi thou t the brigade beingaware that the aircraft was inthe area.

The following are official conclusions extracted from the unclassified portion of the joint WestGerman-U.S. Army OV-I surveillance systems evaluation report.hile remaining undetected

the systems provided, Within. 1hour of acquisition, the followmginformation about a free-playmaneuver:The approach of three c o n v o ~ sto a staging area, exact geographIcal location of the convoys, ap-

~ - - - - - - - - - - - - 8 0 0 1 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ~ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ~

800 AT 400 KT = 1 37 SEC

y t4001-40 0 ' IIx

400 AT 200 KT =1 37 SECv200

proximate number ?f vehicles. inthe convoys, approxImate spacmgbetween vehicles, and their speedand direction of movement.

Deployment and identificationof the vehicles in the staging area.

Tactical deployment patternand location of the vehicles during the attack phase.

Regroupment and withdrawalof the vehicles from the area.hile remaining undetected to

ground radar defenses, the systempenetrated behind a n ~ i a i r c r a t defenses, acquired intellIgence Information, withdrew from simulatedenemy area and returned to base.

In marine operations, the sys-tem:Detected, located and monitored coastal shipping, includinga partially submerged s u b ~ a r i . n e .

Indicated speed and dIrectIOnof movement of coastal shipping.Monitored harbor, bay and

canal traffic as well as dock ideshipping.

Detected open-sea shipping witha very high degree of accuracy.Attempts to frustrate the sys-

tem sensory capabilities provedfutile. Deliberate jamming of theradar sensor was not successfuland camouflage, though an obstacle to visual/photo sensing, waseasily pentrated by the infraredsensor.

Artillery target location, fire adjustment and positive damage as-sessment were very successfully ac-complished by the systems.

Although only two o h ~ w k swere employed in the evaluatIOns,the systems operated with e:,ceedingly high degree of r e h a b ~ l ity. They were availabl.e for mIS-sions 95 percent of the tIme scheduled. Only 12 missions were cancelled or aborted because of equipment discrepancies. The systemwas flown a total of 386.10 hoursduring the three month test period, an average of 64.22 hours peraircraft, per month.

U. S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST


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~ t r r ~

< I ~ r i 5 f m a 5from

~ o r f i oPierce L iggin fr llltforf

ORATIO FROZZLEFORTH popped an_ olive into his mouth and turned on his stoolto survey the crowded lounge. Surrounded by theFriday afternoon Happy Hour throng at the FortRucker Officers ' Open Mess, he heard the murmurof many voices and laughter. It was the week be-fore Christmas and everyone was in a festive mood .Frozzleforth drew his eyes from a nylon clad ankle,turned and signaled the bartender for a refill. Hetuned in to the conversation of two lieutenantsbeside him and listened to the accounts of theirfinal checkrides.

Frozzleforth accepted his drink from the bartend-er , glanced at the shiny new wings on the lieutenants' blouses, and turned to address them. Pardonme, gentlemen. I couldn't help overhearing yourconversation. I take it you've just graduated?

Yes sir. I'm Lieutenant Jackson and this is Lieu-tenant Gridley. We had our graduation exercisesthis morning.

Frozzleforth turned farther and pushed his star-topped wings toward the lieutenants. ' 'I'm CaptainHoratio Frozzleforth. I can remember what a thrillit was to get my wings. Of course, that was manyyears ago.

Are you stationed here at Rucker, sir?No, I've been here for the past week attending

the USABAAR Aviation Safety Orientation Course.DECEMBER 1965

I'm based in Washington. Wish I could tell youwhat my job is, but it's very hush-hush. I'm sureyou understand.

Will you be going back right away, sir?I hope to leave in the morning. I've offered myservices to operations in case they need a chap with

my ability to ferry a Mohawk or Chinook up thatway.The lieutenants' eyes widened. Gosh, sir, spokeone, you're qualified in the Mohawk nd Chi-nook?Certainly, m'boy. The Army doesn't have an air-

craft your old dad can't handle.Did you enjoy the course, sir?I t was a bit of a bore. Rehashing other people'saccidents is quite unnecessary for a chap like my-self. I'd never commit the blunders they make. Ofcourse, I was able to give them a few tips on investi-

gation techniques and some of the finer points ofaerodynamics, based on my broad experience.Frozzleforth paused for a sip, eyed his audienceof two, and found them properly awed. He con-

tinued, After you get some experience