army aviation digest - oct 1972

7/27/2019 Army Aviation Digest - Oct 1972

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Orval RightDiscovers New Worldpage 42

USAARlSCI SUPPORT CENTER

O BOX 620577FORT RUCKER AL 36362 0577OCTOBER 972


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UNITED

OF ARMY AVIATION, ACSFOROF THE ARMYWilliam J. Maddox Jr .

U. S. ARMY AVIATIONAllen M. Burdett Jr.

COMDT U. S. ARMY AVIATIONEarl W. Fletcher

S. ARMY AVIATION DIGESTK. Tierney

ABOUT THE COVERal Right Chief Ad-

Matters of Aviation whobe appearing regularly in

page 42.

5 RMY VI TION1GESJOCTOBE R 1972 VOLUME 18 NUMBER 10Views From Readers 1The Way Of The Future: Low Level 2Instrument Flight WITHOUT Instruments 4Ground Safety-Nomenclature: Tractor Warehouse 6Who What Why? 7Can You Remember What An

Autorotation Is Really? 8IFR At Tac-X 10Is Your Aircraft Mission Ready? 12One Man s Way 14Aeromedic-The Flight Surgeon In Flight 16Maintenance Matters 20Everything You ve Always Wanted To Know

About Artillery Advisories 22The Fuzz Also Fly 24Getting The Job Done Through Attitude 30Right Side Up Or Upside Down? 32Aviation Accident Prevention Forum 38Pearl s 40Orval Right Discovers A New World 42To Live And Learn 44Full-time, Part-time Aviator 46USAASO Sez 48

The mission of the U S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST is to provide Information of an opera.tlonal or functional nature concerning safety and aircraft accident prevention, training,maintenance, operations, research and development, aviation medicine, and other re -lated data.The DIGEST Is an official Department of the Army periodical published monthly underthe supervision of the Commandant, U S. Army Aviation School. Views expressed hereinare not necessarily those of Department of the Army or the U S. Army Aviation School.Photos are U S. Army unless otherwise specified. Material may be reprinted providedcredit is given to the DIGEST and to the author, unless otherwise indicated.Articles, photos, and items of Interest on Army aviation are Invited. Direct communica-tion is authorized to: Editor, U S. Army Aviation Digest, Fort Rucker, Ala. 36360.Use of funds for rrintlng this publication has been approved by Headquarters, Depart .ment of the Army, October 1970.Active Army units receive distribution under the pinpoint distribution system as outlined In AR 310.1. Complete DA Form 124 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 124.National Guard and Army Reserve units under pinpoint distribution also should submitDA Form 124. Other National Guard units should submit requests through their s tateadiutants general.For those not eligible for official distribution or who desire personal copies of theDIGEST paid subscriptions, 4.50 domestic and 5.50 overseas, are available from theSuperintendent of Documents, U S. Government Printing Office Washington, D C 20402.


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FJEWSROEADERS

Sir:Although I feel Captain Hatton's article in your May issue emphasizing theimportance of a standard instrumentqualification for all aviators has great

merit, I feel compelled to take issuewith his philosophy that, The needfor better instrument training is outweighing the advantages of low levelflight as Army aircraft and aviation missions become more sophisticated.

Although I totally support CaptainHatton's proposition that all Army aviators possess a standard instrument ticket,I feel he has underestimated the importance of developing proficiency at lowlevel flight.As the Vietnam era of flying draws toa close, the Army will be placing increased emphasis on training air crews

to survive on a mid-intensity type battlefield where highly sophisticated antiaircraft weapons are prevalent. Unlessaviators are able to maneuver theiraircraft below the horizon of enemyradar controlled antiaircraft guns and

below the minimum surface-to-air missile altitudes, it is highly unlikely theywill survive. Also, with the cost ofsophisticated weapons and navigationsystems rising sharply, it is doubtful theArmy will soon possess sufficient fundsto equip its helicopter fleet to fight whileflying under instrument conditions.Thus, for the immediate future it appears that survivability of helicopterswill continue to be dependent upon theabilities of individual aviators who mustbe thoroughly trained and highly proficient in all aspects of low level flight.

Sir:

CPT Steven A. RahoRWQC 73-2Ft. Rucker , AL 36360From time to time in the UnitedStates Army the question comes up:

Should there not be an aviationbranch?This question was again brought upin the DIGEST by Brigadier GeneralWilliam J. Maddox's article, FromFabric To FLTR, upon the occasion

of the 30th birthday of U. S. Army aviation . General Maddox, Director ofArmy Aviation, gave the answer (whichgoes back to 1942); integration is thekey word.

As the German Liaison Officer to theU. S Army Aviation School/Center atFt. Rucker, AL, it is not my job to pleadfor or against a U. S. Army aviationbranch. However, I would like to tellyou something about our Army aviationbranch and why we have it.

First, we did not have Army fliers inWorld War II. All artillery, aerial reconnaissance and liaison flight missionswere flown by the Air Force. As youwill recall, the famous Fieseler Storchwas one good plane used for such tasks,but there also were others.In 1956 and 1957, when we had to

think about Army aviation, Americanhelicopters in Korea had already madehistory in golden letters. The time forthe L-4 Cub had passed. Very reliableContinued on page 6

From the Director o Enlisted PersonnelSome of the Army's older aircraftare being sent to the boneyard andpeople who have the skills to maintain them will soon be out of a job.f your MOS is one of the following, it is scheduled for oblivion:

67B O I/U 6 Airplane Repairman

nam. These overstrength MOSs in- 67Y-AH-IG Helicopter Repair-clude: man67F-Airplane Technical Inspector f you desire to stay in the aviation67N-UH-l Helicopter Repai r- maintenance career field and canman qualify for one of these schools you67W-Helicopter Technical In- should see your personnel officer tospector request a quota. AR 614-200, chap-People who have skills which are ter 11, outlines the procedures for67C-U-1A Airplane67M OH 13/0H 23Repairman

becoming obsolete or are over- requesting MOS training courses.Repairman strengh have two options available Installations are authorized to re-Helicopter to them: quest quotas by telephone.67P-CH-34 Helicopter Repairman67T-CH-37 Helicopter RepairmanThere are other aviation maintenance MOSs which are now overstrepgth because of the decrease inaviation units resulting from thephasedown in the RepUblic of Viet-

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1 There are a limited number of 2 f you desire to work in anotherschool quotas available for courses career field, DA will soon publishin the following aviation mainte- reclassification guidance listing thosenance MOSs: fields, by MOS, which are open to67G-U-8/U-21 Airplane Repair- reclassification. There will be no re-man classification into the aviation main-67V2T-OH-58 Helicopter Re- tenance career field in the foresee-pairman able future.67X-CH-54 Helicopter Repair- Don't hesitate, school quotas areman limited.


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THE WAY OF THE FUTURE

LOW LEVELThe author discusses the abilities of potential threat armies, togetherwith the devices we now have which show promise as counterweapons

he also tells of programs at Project MASSTER and CDCEC whichshould advance our military posture in the future: improvement in lowlevel navigation training and a night capability until now unattainable

TH ARMY AVIATOR mustbe prepared to face awesomethreats in the wars of the future.Fortunately, he has already experienced a preVIew of coming attractions during the Lam Son 719venture into Laos in 1971. In thisoperation Army aviation encountered a more sophisticated enemyantiaircraft threat array than previously in the Republic of Vietnam.The Lam Son operation constituteda severe test of aviation tasks andprovided an insight into a midihigh intensity conflict.Warsaw Pact countries possess

Lieutenant Colonel Donald R Hulla broad range of weapons designedto acquire and destroy airmobileforces (see Soviet Airmobility,September 1971 DIGEST . Currently, the 57 mm S-60 is the basicantiaircraft gun of the Sovietground forces. t has an effectiverange equal or better than currentU S candidate systems when usedin the off -carriage mode with radarand associated optical fire controldirector. Both the 23 and 57 mmguns have fully armored self-propelled versions that are found wellforward in threat formations.The Soviet's ZSU 23-4 self-

propelled antiaircraft gun is a fourbarreled gun unit which is mountedon a tracked chassis and carries anonboard radar. It can fire approximately 200 rounds per tube perminute with a very lethal antiaircraft standoff capability. To makethe situation even more grave, theZSU 57-2 self-propelled systemmounts two S-60 guns on a medium tank chassis which presentsan additional highly mobile threatsystem. No associated onboardradar has been identified with thissystem.In addition to the specific weap-

Nap-of-the-earth operation near Ap An Bien Province in the Republic of Vietnam UH-1D hastensacross rice fields carrying a strike force for assault


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ons mentioned, potential threatarmies possess highly effective antiaircraft missiles made to orderfor engaging helicopters. Studieshave indicated that the threat environment constitutes a significantproblem of survivability as well asmission accomplishment.Through extensive research anddevelopment activities some itemsof material show promise in countering the threat alluded to previously. Some of these itemsprovide electronic intelligencegathering devices which allow theaircraft to locate and either destroyor avoid enemy air defenses. Thereare devices which suppress the -frared (ir) signature of the aircraft, therefore, reducing its vulnerability to ir directed weapons.Electronic coun termeas ures(ECM) devices are availablewhich will either jam or deceivethe enemy detection systems. Thesesophisticated items of equipmentalone will not solve all of our problems; to have it we must pay apenalty in weight, space and expense. Some of our aircraft thatneed this equipment most (e.g., thescout light observation helicopter)can ill afford the penalty.t is, therefore, necessary thatwe temper sophistication with common sense. t seems reasonable thatif an aircraft is more vulnerable toenemy detection and engagementat higher altitudes, perhaps Armyaircraft must plan on operating atextremely low altitudes.

Low altitude flying may be referred to as nap-of-the-earth operations. t is difficult to assign anumerical height to this type offlight. However, it is generally considered as clear of trees up to 50feet absolute altitude. Within thisflight envelope the aircraft re-

The 57 mm $-60, effective range radar6,000 meters/2 rounds per second. Theself-propelled version ZSU 57-2 mountstwo guns and is even more threatening

OCTOBER 1972

mains in ground clutter and because of terrain masking (i.e., vegetation and terrain forms) it isextremely difficult for the enemy todetect and lock on such a target.Unfortunately , there are disadvantages to flying in the lowlevel atmosphere. A few of theseare: Wire and terrain strikes. Navigation is difficult. Our target acquisition capability is degraded. Instrument flight is more hazardous. Flight, in general, is morefatiguing.Let's face it, many commandersare opposed to the establishmentof nap-of-the-earth flight training.The primary reason is the fear thatthe accident rate will rise. The nextwar is viewed as sometime in thedistant future; however, rising accident rates associated with newfangled training programs thatmay lead to the termination of thecommander's career and lack ofpromotion are real time.

The U S Army Agency forA viation Safety (USAAAVS) hascompleted an analysis of 836 Armyhelicopter collisions with terrainobstacles which occurred duringcalendar year 1969. This study(Technical Report 72-1) includedall type helicopters in the Army

inventory. Crew error accountedfor 91 percent of these mishaps.Less than 20 percent occurred enroute, while over 70 percent occurred as a result of hovering,landing and taking off. The greatest risk appeared to be in hoveringand landing. The agents whichcontributed to crew error were:

Complacency. Fatigue. Poor pilot technique. Mission requirements. Environment. Supervision.Many experienced aviators andunit commanders feel that the lowlevel hazard is caused by the complacent pilot who arbitrarily electsto make a simulated gun run ortreetop flight for the thrill and notbecause the mission required it.The aviator who is not well trained,psychologically prepared or properly supervised has no businessoperating low level.Mission accomplishment mustremain paramount in planning forthe future. Airframe and relatedsy terns technology has advancedtremendously in the last few yearsand appears to be continuing.Aviation research is constantlyseeking way to increase the aircraft's capabilities. For example,the attack helicopter has been undergoing tests at Project MASSTER and the U. S Army CombatDevelopments Command Experimentation Command (CDCEC) atFt. Ord , CA, for employment inseveral roles including the tankkiller mission. Additionally, amajor goal of the U. S ArmyCombat Developments Commandis to deny the enemy the use ofdarkne s and adverse weather. Thewar of the future will be on a 24-

Continued o p ge 7


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Instrument flightWIT OUT Instruments

What can you do when you inadvertently encounter IFR conditionsif you are in an aircraft poorly equipped for weather flying .the thoughts and techn iques given here and applied to your aircraft,fully instrumented or not, may see you through that emergency

W H T IS AVAILABLE toArmy aviation when theground is obscured? Why, instruments, of course But this immediately presents a problem:What is the availability of instrument equipped aircraft?Experience in the continentalUnited States and particularly inthe Republic of Vietnam revealsthat IFR capable aircraft are rareindeed or in the best of circumstances missing those essential extras: an operable attitude indicator,a functional vertical speed indicator or a recently calibrated pitotstatic system, for example.

4

Captain Philip G. CarthageTo the lack of proper instrumentation add the numerous aircraft in the Army inventory thatwere not designed for flight onseriously cloudy days: the OH-13,OH-23 and that interesting oliveon a toothpick, the OH-6A. These

are fine aircraft but somewhat lackthe wherewithal to handle evensmall clouds. The helicopter fallsmore in this category than a fixedwing, therefore, this discussion islimited to rotary wing aircraft.What does the helicopter pilotdo when faced wi th inadvertentIFR in one of the machines mentioned? Discounting acute panic as

a solution, he has to make the bestof the situation. Take, for example,the case of one aviator in an OH-13S who departed home base tothe south at first light only to discover that a 400 foot ceilingabruptly descended to meet theground. Even under tactical necesSIty penetration of a fog bank hasits drawbacks. Add an aircraftwithout even a plumb bob and theresult is instant terror. The solution: an immediate climb using adull orange orb, the sun, held inthe same spot on the bubble asubstitute attitude indicator), leaving the pilot VFR-on-top in a

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matter of seconds. An argumentcould be developed for his lack ofjudgment on several grounds, butthe real crux of the problem is whatto do when a mistake h s beenmade or when one is outfoxed bythe weather.Rather than try to cover allsituations and types of aircraft,let's take a look at one particularmodel, the OR-6A, and attemptto extrapolate some general principles applicable to all possibilities.The popular OR-6A s equipment and design make IFR operation inadvisable. Before getting toodeeply immersed in detailed instructions, consider these basicfacts: For inadvertent IFR thetechnique involved requires instrument proficiency well beyond what

is required in a UR-1. Any resort to instruments inan LOR can be classified as a serious emergency. The purpose of any maneuveris a return to VFR s quickly spossible.

In straight and level flight theobjective is to maintain a constantaltitude and heading. The torque or

power setting should remain constant and the aircraft in trim (established by using the ball andneedle or by holding the previouslystable pedal setting). The pitch attitude will be determined from theair speed indicator; e.g., air speedslowing indicates a nose high condition, air speed accelerating indicates nose low. The optimum airspeed is the cruise air speed ; noattempt should be made to changeit even when the manual may suggest otherwise. The objective is toreduce to a minimum the number of changes made in transitioning to instrument flight. A maximum air speed change of plus orminus 5 to 10 knots should be usedto correct for altitude errors.In most LOR aircraft the attitude indicator is marginally reliable and should be treated only san indicator of the direction ofchange in bank. This idea can beapplied to other aircraft where theattitude indicator is precessing;usually it will still indicate movement around the roll axis of theaircraft though roll has stopped.Knowing the instruments andwhat can be expected from them

nadvertent I R in an LOHrequires instru-

ment proficiencywell beyond thatneeded in a UH l

any resort to instru-ments can be considereda serious emergency

cannot be emphasized enough. Aconstant heading can be maintained with reference to the attitudeindicator and with heavy emphasison an indication of turn on theradio magnetic indicator (RMI).An unreliable attitude indicatoralso may show the vertical within5 to 7 degrees in the OR-6A , asource of information that shouldnot be discounted in an emergency.Climbs and descents are accomplished maintaining wings leveland a constant heading s discussed above. Do not attempt tochange to a climb air speed; IIlaintaining the cruise constant allowscontinued use of the air speed indicator s the primary pitch attitude instrument minus errorscaused by intentional air speedchanges. Again, we are applyingthe principle of minimum changein accomplishing the maneuver.Prior experience with the aircraftshould tell the pilot what poweradjustment is normal for a smooth,even climb or descent. For example, a 9 to 10 pounds per squareinch (psi) change in an OR-6A

Continued on page 9

the purpose of any maneuveris to return to V R conditions


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GROUND SAFETYNOMENCLATURE:TRACTOR WAREHOUSEc l l Names: Tug; Airfield POV;Work Escape; Hot RodApplied Uses: Transportationacross airfield; distribution vehicle;step saver; a place to forget everything; something always out ofgas; dragster

Designed Use: Ground handleaircraftAs of yet, science hasn't developed a time machine to takeman back or forward through time,but the Army has. It doesn't havea fancy name or appearance, but isusually quite reliable. It's commonly called a tug.For some yet unexplainable reason a man usually goes into another time frame when he crawls

aior Rodney C ndsey

behind the steering wheel of atug. There is an almost instanttransformation from a dependablemechanic to a high-spirited cowboy. His mount then is capableof high speeds with little or nodriver attention required, evenwhen going backwards. He doesn'thave to worry about feeding, cleaning or taking care of it for as soonas he dismounts somebody elsewill mount it and speed away.Consequently, it soon halts forlack of food, hobbles because of a

loose shoe and eventually dies atan extremely young age for lack ofproper preventive care. The rider'sfinal thoughts, So what, we'll geta new one.A thought of the cost of acquisition for a new one ($3,000) neverenters his mind, for next time heneeds a mount surely one will bethere. ?'F

:; ZJ:J: J~ ~ ~ : ~ ~

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Too weak Objects in mouth Poor mike technique . Hesitant - indecisive Phrasing Articulation

5 f ~ J WHO'W .HATWHYS Y AGAIN, you're coming counting) five mmmmmmmm.\ ~ . . I ~ in b r D k e n ~ Then there is the guy who"Say ' again# you're unread- wants to tell the whole world

allle " how short he is. That isn't too"Say again, you're garbled " bad back a t the hootch or the

Excessive transmission "Say again ,Say again - Say club, but c.er ta in ly not on Overemphasisagain " guard. "Attention world and

How many times have you all the ships at sea, Peter Pilotbeen involved in a lift that has 361 days." This only takescould have gone off like clock- 10 seconds to say but duringwork, on'ly to be foiled by this 10 seconds his buddy mightpilots not using good radio be on the ground someplaceprocedures? trying to establish voice com-Too many people want to munications with a recoveryget their 2 cents worth in when aircraft and the batteries in his

Loud they should be l i s tening. survival radio are ge t t ing Vocalized pauseChances are that if pilots moni- weaker and weaker.tored those radios, 50 percent Solution? I recommend whatof the r ad io t ransmissions I call the Who What andwouldn't have to be made. Why method of radio proce-

Anyone who has been mis- dures.sion lead or flying command Who are you calling?and control or fireteam lead What are you going toknows what I'm talking about, say?because he knows that the Why are you calling?

Rate too fast most difficult part of any lift is Aviators who implant these Monotonecontrol of assets, slicks, guns, three wards in their minds-hooks, etc. The only way to and know the answers prior tocontrol assets is on the radio. keying that mike - are not clut-

There's always the ioker who tering the airways w i t h need-keys his mike and it sounds as less babble.if he's tuning up for operatic By the way, how's your tele-aria. You've heard him Ah- phone etiquette? Do you knowhhhhhhhh Lead, this is Ahhhh- who you are calling abouthhh Chalk Uhhhhhhhhh (he's what and why .AAnger in voice Rate too slow

Dialect Voice trails off Pitch too fow Pitch too high Pronunciation Voice quality


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T'S BEEN SAID that an auto-rotation is what a helicopterpilot carries with him instead ofthe parachute that his starchedwing counterparts have for confidence builders. t must be nicewhen you're running out of altitude, ideas and air speed to nonchalantly step out on the wing,wave goodbye and then give theairplane back to the taxpayers.Fixed wing types also have another advantage; that is, their para-8

Captain Gary W. Wing

CanYou

RememberWhatAn

AutorotationIs

ReallyStandard autorotations taught us thebasic mechanical reactions of pitchdown, right pedal, etc. We learned ofreaction time-ours always too slowand we became aware of things likeair speed limitations, trim, deceleration and prior planning or anticipation. Remember also those frequentlyreassuring words, I 've got itl

chutes are checked and repackedevery 60 days. How many days hasit been since you have done atouchdown autorotation 040. . .180? In other words, howlong has it been since you rea11yevaluated what you know aboutyour parachute ?

eously lowering pitch full down,rolling throttle to flight idle, establishing the aircraft in trim normalrate of descent, and then checkingand calling out rotor and gas producer. At 100 feet AGL the aircraftis at about 70 knots, in position tomake the intended touchdown areaand the student begins decelerating. At 10 to 15 feet, pull initialpitch and then cushion at about 1to 3 feet. This should bring backfond memories of bouncing merrily

In flight school a student performs standard autorotations.He enters into the wind or directionof traffic at about 700 feet aboveground level (AGL) by simultan-

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down lane six. Remember alsothose reassuring words, I've gotit. Standard autorotations taught usthe basic mechanical movements ofpitch down, right pedal, and so on.They taught us that reaction timewas required to be fairly quickbecause a helicopter does not glidelike a fixed wing but like a terrified man who forgot his chute andis flapping his arms on the waydown. Other lessons standard autorotations teach cover:Rpm-if varied within operating limits (do you remember thoselimits?) we can shorten with highrpm, but it increases the sink rate.We can extend with low rpm andthat decreases the sink rate. Thatjust means pulling a little pitch.

Air speed - (remember thoselimitations for the aircraft you flyright now?) high air speed (within limits) extends glide and increases rate of descent; low airspeed (within limits) decreasesglide and decreases rate of descent.Trim- remember right pedal?)out of trim increases rate of descent to the point you can go rightby that poor guy flapping his arms.Deceleration - moderate extends and abrupt shortens theglide. However, a real tail low deceleration brings up two criticalpossibilities. First, after havingtaken effect a student is suddenlyin a very high rate of descent whichon hot, calm days with a loadedaircraft has a tendency to modifythe function of the skids into veryelaborate armrests, which is howan explanation would have to be-

very elaborate. Second, in that extreme tail low attitude the tailstinger has a tendency to contactthe ground before the rest of theaircraft. What would happen ifyour forced landing is into mud orshallow water? Remember to getyour story straight before the investigation board arrives.Anyway, w have the mechanicsdown for a standard . Now con-OCTOBER 1972

sider the forced landing which is avaluable structural member of ourpresent day parachute. One ofthe mind-shattering aspects of thistraining phase is that engine failures do ot always happen whileheading into the wind. Upon turning into the wind and toward a suitable touchdown area another factor affecting an autorotation comesup: turns In an autorotative turn,rate of descent increases in proportion to degree of bank. And remember, it's always profitable toadjust the enroute flight path so itincludes forced landing areas.Now, let's progress to an aerodynamic analysis of an autorotation. In powered flight the blade

disc has a stall region around thehub area and most of the remaining blade area produces thrust.Upon entering autorotation theair flow reverses, with relative windnow coming up from below andin front of the helicopter. The hubarea of the disc again producesdrag.About the center one-third ofthe auto rotative region catches therelative wind and drives the blade,supplying a certain amount of centrifugal force. This amount isdependent upon several factors.First, the weight of the helicopter;the more effect gravity has on theaircraft, the higher the rate of descent and consequently the moreforce is applied to the auto rotativeregion by an increase in velocityof relative wind. A second factor is the angle of attack of relative wind. Therefore, if you turnor decelerate during autorotativedescent, you increase the angle ofattack and thereby increase rotorrpm.The outer one-third of the rotordisc or propeller region is theequivalent of the falling man's flapping arms. That is, they producesome lift to slow the rate of descent.The amount of lift produced bythe propeller region is dependent

upon the amount of thrust suppliedby the autorotative region. During autorotative descent the tworegions are in a steady state because the drag induced by thepropeller region and the hub areakeeps the autorotative region thesame size. This works up until theair speed and rpm limitations weall remember are violated. At thatpoint the autorotative region collapses and turns into drag and thehelicopter begins to take on aerodynamic characteristics similar toa soft drink dispensing machine.Another point to reconsider isthat the autorotative region alsocollapses at the time you go belowcritical air speed just before pulling

initial. At that point the only motivator turning the blade is inertia.f you don't put in enough initial,you can pull in some more-up tothe point where you run out.

f you put in too much initial,and instead of slowing your descent you are suddenly ballooning back into the sky, stop andand think. A predictable reactionwould be to lower pitch slightly.That would increase rate of descent and cushioning pitch wouldprobably require magic to effect asmooth touchdown. Centrifugalforce is substantially reduced.Therefore, lowering collective increases descent rate and a subsequent pitch increase providesminimal lift. The right way thenwould be to leave the collective inthe position that started the ballooning upward. Shortly (becauseof rpm loss) the aircraft will beginto settle and the little bit of pitchremaining will be adequate forcushioning pitch.How about a hovering autorotation? Can you remember why aslight amount of right and forwardcyclic is necessary to make the aircraft descend vertically withoutdrifting? How about translatingtendency or the tendency for a

Continued on page 23


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One Man's Way iust about now a strike aircraft on call would be a

salvation breathless from trudging over the iungle floorthe company commander took a small radio from hispocket the initial call resulted in not only artillery butalso eighteen iet aircraft with 20 mm cannon and napalmand four helicopters armed with M-79 grenade launcher

Maior Burnum E Melton Jr.

TH JUNGLE STENCH washeavy in the nostrils; thefooting was slimy, sucking and uncertain with the muck becomingdeeper as the company trudgeddeeper into the dank interior ofthe Republic of Vietnam. Thejungle canopy was unyielding in itsrefusal to admit either light orbreeze to grace the relentless pursuit of the wily Viet Cong (VC).After seeming hours in the grasshell of dense jungle mire, the company's lead element broke out ofthe jungle cover into a clearingthrough which the company had topass. Halfway across the clearingthe company's lead squad cameunder fire from a VC machine gundelivering fire too heavy for an immediate assault into the gun. Stillin the jungle the main body wasreceiving sniper fire, denying significant movement of reinforcementforward.

Just about now an aircraftwith some hip pocket artillery orstrike aircraft on call would besalvation, thought the CO. Withanxious eyes he scanned the skyand horizon for any sign of an aircraft.

Breathless from trudging overthe jungle floor to reach his beleaguered vanguard, the companycommander took a small radiofrom his pocket, extended its built-

in antenna to full length and spokeinto the built-in microphone/ earphone. Mayday, Mayday, this isFire Ball 6 listening 38.0 on FMtransmitting 32.4-over.

An 0 1 pilot conducting a surveillance mission in the area heardthe call on the guard frequency ofthe aircraft's UHF radio. The pilotimmediately tuned his FM radio tothe frequency that the ground commander was using for transmissions while the aerial observertuned his radio to the receivingfrequency. Contact with the groundcommander through the FM radiowas immediately accomplished.The initial radio call sent by FireBall 6 resulted in not only artillery

but also 18 jet aircraft with 20 mmcannon and napalm and fourarmed helicopters armed with theM-5, better known as the automatic M-79 grenade launcher. Bymaking initial contact with a UHFemergency type radio over the 0 1radios' guard frequency, the Infantry commander arranged in onetransmission the capability ofbreak-in operation and clearground-to-air communications byuse of the FM radios.

Since most FM radios currentlyin the fleld do not have a guardchannel capability, the next bestsystem of immediate ground-to-aircommunication is ETICON

M

MAYDAY

emergency tactical initial contactETICON,' as a system, is nomore than the technique of usingan emergency radio (URC-4,URC-II, URC-IO) to establishinitial contact over aircraft emergency frequencies and the coordinating operational frequencies forFM radios. No platoon sized unitwith sufficient artillery and aviationsupport need fear being cut off oroverrun. Likewise, no platoonsized unit with operation emergency type UHF radios should everlose radio contact since emergencyfrequencies are monitored 24hours per day by all Army and AirForce aircraft.Replacement of the presentfamily of Infantry radios with radios possessing a guard channelwould be prohibitive due to thecost. The ETICON system wouldbe an adequate stopgap until suchtime as the Army's developmentof a new family of radios with aseparate guard channel for FM iscompleted.Fixed wing aviators have nofranchise on instant reaction to thecall for emergency tactical support. Quite the contrary. On several occasions helicopter pilots,having made prior arrangementswith supported ground unitsthrough loans of emergency radiosto ground units, have been able toconduct ordinary operations sup-

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Y

porting their primary missions andat the same time maintain a listening watch over the entire battlefield by monitoring their UHFguard channel.

ETICON s tactical value is evident, but what about ETICON soperational merits? The nucleus ofthe system-the emergency radiowhich is light, compact and possessing either UHF or VHFcapabilities-has a probable maintenance life exceeding that of theInfantry s FM radios. The usefullife of the mercury battery attachedto and supplying power for theURC-IOA is 100 hours. Theplanning range of the radio is 20 to35 miles line of sight. The radio ssignal will penetrate dense junglefoliage adequately to contact aircraft within a 3 to 5 mile radius, asproven time and again by Armyand Air Force aviators using theURC-IOA in its primary rescuerole. This radio does provideemergency contact for downed aviators quite successfully.The role of the emergency radioin an ETICON system can be morethan adequately fulfilled by eitherthe URC-IOA, URC-4 (a dualchannel VHF and UHF radio),URC-ll or the URC-14. All ofthese radios are now in the Armyand Air Force supply channels insufficient number to support aninitial test element for the ETI-OCTOBER 1972

CON system without overtaxingthe supply system,Operational and tactical aspectsof ETICON are well within thenow possibilities of application.However, what can be done towardsolving the problem of training forfield units in the correct use of theradios and the system? How candistribution of the URC-IO ( orsuitable substitute radios) to theunits in the field be rapidly affectedand down to what level? ETICONtraining can be conducted on an integrated basis with other field training. A 1 hour class covering theoperation of the radio and a description of its capabilities andlimitations climaxed by a brief description of the ETICON call andprocedures to follow in making thecall would be the full extent offormal classroom training. Furthertraining would involve only thepractical application of ETICONduring the conduct of field training.Distribution to the field unitsshould be effected down to platoon level. The frequent requirement to operate independent ofparent units often places the platoon out of range of company supporting fires and radio reception.

ETICON is then an essential addition to the voluminous list ofequipment necessary for any combat operation by the platoon,

After many words of description, explanation and discussion ofETICON, one may begin to wonder if all these changes, trainingand supply upheavals would reallybe worth the time and effort. Butthen we must remember the les-sons learned in Vietnam. We mustremember either our own experi-ences or the times when a unitcalled in vain over empty frequen-cies for support that never came.We must ask ourselves: What is thecost of 76 lives? What is the valueof the combat power and profes-sional know-how contained in twoInfantry platoons? How is successin battle measured against dollarsand cents or hours of work and re-search? There is no measure, Thereis only the omnipresent demandfor better and more efficient sys-tems and weapons with which tocombat the enemies of our country A _____ETICON is needed now :.; OFF}TON

: ON UT:. l: R L.: A E

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_.Jation medicine is something more than iust a physician cloistered inthe sterile atmosphere of a hospital or dispensary. It is a form of medicine that goes to the people it serves and deals with potential and actualmedical problems in the perspective of their operational environment.The flight surgeon must be well informed and experienced in all theaspects of Army aviation s man-machine-environment complex of interrelationships. In medical school and internship a physician learns muchabout man. Only through training and experience does he get to ap preciate the machine and the environment. For this reason all flightsurgeons are required to participate in regular and frequent aerial flights

Lieutenant Colonel Nicholas E Barreca, M D

Provided by the Society of u s A rmy light Surgeons

TH FLIGHT SURG ONTo the air crewman: Notinfrequently the questionarises: Why does the flight surgeonfly? Is it merely to justify his titleor flight pay? He certainly doesn tperform inflight surgical procedures, nor does he often treat hispatients in flight. Why doesn t heconfine his duties to hospitals orclinics? Certainly there is no overabundance of physicians or theirassistants. These questions areoften expressed by hospital commanders or clinic chiefs. Regrettably they are sometimes thought,if not asked, by aviation com-16

manders and/or other air crewmen.The answer is simple. The flightsurgeon is, or can be, the majorbulwark against fatigue and thestresses of the aviation environment. Only he knows the combinedphysical and psychological capabilities and limitations of man sperformance. With this knowledgeand his experienced awareness ofthe air crewman s duties and activities, he can maximize performanceand efficiency as well as minimizeunnecessary injury, disability anddeath.

Let us then examine some of thereasons for regular and frequentaerial flight by the flight surgeon. To recognize and understandthe multiple stresses to which aircrewmen are exposed Initially theflight surgeon is taught the basicfundamentals and principles offixed and rotary wing flight. Onlythrough continued experience canhe fully appreciate and survey theinterface that exists between thedemands and consequences offlight and the capabilities andlimitations of the air crew. Hemust be allowed to study the spe-

U S ARMY AVIATION DIGEST


19/52

IN LIGHTcial stresses imposed upon Armyinstructors and student pilots during their training as well s theirlater operational utilization. o enable realistic aeromedi-cal dispositions How does a flightsurgeon decide who is qualified ordisqualified for flight without anintimate knowledge of the demands of flying in Army aviation?The medical standards regulationsare generalized guidelines but eachair crewman is an individual.Waivers are granted to individualsbased on the principle of adaptation. Without a knowledge of

OCTOBER 1972

flight the success of adaptationcannot be realistically evaluated. o ensure the application ofhuman factors design principlesInitially the flight surgeon is taughtthe requirements for human factors design engineering in the operation of fixed and rotary wingaircraft. e must continually seethat these principles are appliedand look for new areas of difficulty.He must appreciate the needs foraircraft and pilot responsiveness,for integration of the pilot s sensesand abilities with aircraft instruments and controls, and for pro-

tection of air crew for health andsafety. o enable sound aircraft acci-dent investigation The flight surgeon must contribute knowledgeably to the investigation of aircraftaccidents, particularly with respectto human factors design and safety.e must also determine the extentto which the physical and emotional capabilities and limitationsof pilots may have contributed toaccident causation. To accomplishthis the flight surgeon must befamiliar with Army aircraft, theirmissions and characteristics, the

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from the airfield or heliport andthe time really mounts up. Evenmore reason for making our flyingtime count.Let s examine some do s anddon ts for flight surgeons whenthey fly Since there are only a few,we ll look at the don ts first. Don t use flight time to catchup on much needed sleep. Granted,physicians are frequently overworked by night duty and the like,but the aircraft isn t the place tosleep. f nothing else it shows littleregard for ones own self-preservation. There are never enough eyesfor clearing the skies-especiallyin crowded military airspace (admittedly the gentle vibration anddrone of the engines can easily lullthe unsuspecting into deep slumber). Don t read or write in flight.There is never enough time tocatch up on medical journals, butsubstituting a realistic learning experience for someone else s testimony seems foolhardy. The sameapplies to completing administrative details of the day s work inflight. Leave them back at the office Dont interfere with missionessential procedures Air crewsnever appreciate light conversationwhen they are attempting to transmit or receive communications.Look and listen. With experienceone learns when to speak and whento remain silent. Even less appreciated is the flight surgeon who,without invitation, plays withswitches or controls. Not only isthis annoying or distracting butalso downright dangerous.The don ts are probably intuitively obvious to most flight surgeons. However, all of us slip fromtime to time and need to consciously avoid such pitfalls. Themore important side of the coin isthe do s how to make each flightmore productive of a better understanding of the man-machine-environment complex.OCTOBER 1972

Participate in flight planning.f time permits this can be verybeneficial. It operationally orientsthe flight surgeon prior to flightand is a good time for reflection. . .Where are we going? What isour mission? What is the weather? Are we equipped to facepotential environmental stresses?

Participate in the preflight in-spection of the aircraft. This enables one to become more conversant with aircraft systems. It alsohelps a flight surgeon realize theunique problems to be confrontedduring preflight at night or during extreme weather operations.Finally and most importantly, itpermits a flight surgeon to see firsthand some of the safety hazardsand trauma risks that exist. fallswhile mounting and dismountingfor rotor head inspections blowsby swinging or running rotor andtail blades... fueling safetyelectrical hazards, etc. Examine aircraft safety equip-ment and crew protective equip-ment utilization. Check seat belts,shoulder harnesses, inertial reels,ejection seats, parachutes and firstaid kits. Are they functional, ofsound design, etc.? Survey crewutilization of helmets, earplugs,gloves, flight uniforms, boots, survival equipment, etc. By all means,set the example for the crew. Note crew duties, attitudesand interrelationships. Observe theteamwork required for successfulmission accomplishment. Comparecrews under differing conditions.Survey crews for onset and development of skill fatigue.

Test operation and adequacyof environmental control and lifesupport equipment. Have the crewdemonstrate the range of effectiveness of these items. Participate inoxygen flights on certain aircraft tomonitor proper application ofphysiologic principles and utilization of equipment. Experience the more stress-ful conditions ot flight. Participate

in night and weather flights. Learnfirsthand the requirements for darkadaptation and the sensory illusions of flight. Examine the provisions andpotential tor egress and emergencyescape. Try to anticipate whatwould happen in an emergencylanding. What would you be prepared to do? Learn navigation, instruments,and other flight controls and proce-dures. Determine mental andphysical demands made upon thepilot in all phases of flight-normaland emergency. Read aircraft dashlOs and other TMs prior to flight,and apply your knowledge in flight. Note air crew eating, rest andrelaxation habits. This can be especially revealing on RON flights.Survey meals and accommodationsat stopovers. Examine the cockpit and in-strument panel for the applicationof sound human factors engineer-ing principles. Examine crew stations for comfort and integrationof personal equipment. Observevisibility through cockpit windscreens. Note the effects of glare onthe visibility of instruments. Participate in postflight de-briefings. This is the ideal time toask unanswered questions. t is alsothe time to express some of yourobservations and findings to thecrew (particularly if it involvestheir personal health and safety) .

Finally, one must apply the experience he gains in flight. f corrective action is required, speak toaviation commanders, submitequipment improvement reportsEIRs) and educate the air crewmen. Without doubt the flight surgeon and those he serves can reapuntold benefits from his inflightexperience. The above discussionis certainly not exhaustive, butdemonstrates the extent to whichall air crewmen may benefit from aflight surgeon s application ofknowledge gained through his experiences in flight.

9


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inten nceWHEN P RKINGN IRCR FT

Post8ight And Parking: The following procedures are listed to prevent abortive flights following thelast flight of the day and to protectparked aircraft: Avoid parking aircraft in wetor slushy areas saturated with fuelor oil. Tow aircraft only at propertow fittings and push by hand atproper pressure points unlessotherwise instructed by applicablemaintenance manual. Use cautionwhen towing aircraft in extremelylow temperatures to prevent damage to hydraulic seals which wouldresult in strut leakage. After parking aircraft, chocksecurely and release parkingbrakes. Service aircraft systems as required by applicable maintenancemanual. Exercise care during servicing to prevent moisture from entering systems being serviced. Drain oil tank sump and main

' : _oil , drain befor e - condensationfreezes.

Inspect oil and fuel drains andcrankcase breathers for ice or frost.Remove any existing frost or ice Inspect battery for charge atleast once each week. f layoversare to be over 4 hours and temperature is below -20 degrees F.(-29 degrees C. , remove batteryand store in a warm place. Drain oil system when thereis no provision available for preheating oil and a long layoverperiod is anticipated. When temperature rises abovefreezing during a long layover,drain fuel and oil tank sumps ofwater before temperature drops. Install protective covers andshields to protect aircraft from accumulation of snow, frost or iceNOTE: f wings are wet or a freezing rain is expected, cover aircraft with a coat of anti-icing anddeicing-defrosting fluid, Military Specification MIL-A-8243, beforeinstalling fabric oov ers Partly open canopy when

parking aircraft for the night orprovide some other opening to prevent accumulation of frost on windows. Oean dirt, ice and grit fromlanding gear struts and hydraulicpistons. Wipe struts with a cleancloth saturated in hydraulic fluid,Military Specification MIL-H-5606. Inspect struts for proper inflation. Inspect tires for proper inflation. Install or remove snow andice grip tires to comply with changeof seasons. Use of snow and icegrip tires on clear, hard-surfacedrunways reduces the life and effec-tiveness of the tires. Reference:T 55-1500-204-25/1, paragraph1-27.

Charging A Battery? When charging a battery make sure not to connect the battery charger to thebattery with reverse ,polarity(backwards). A backward connection will not only ' discharge the

u. S ARMY AVIATION DIGEST

inten nceWHEN P RKINGN IRCR FT

Postflight And Parking: The following procedures are listed to prevent abortive flights following thelast flight of the day and to protectparked aircraft:o Avoid parking aircraft in wetor slushy areas saturated with fuel

or oil.o Tow aircraft only at propertow fittings and push by hand atproper pressure points unlessotherwise instructed by applicablemaintenance manual. Use cautionwhen towing aircraft in extremelylow temperatures to prevent damage to hydraulic seals which wouldresult in strut leakage.o After parking aircraft, chocksecurely and release parkingbrakes.o Service aircraft systems as required by applicable maintenancemanual. Exercise care during servicing to prevent moisture from entering systems being serviced.o Drain oil tank sump and mainoil drain befor.e condensationfreezes.

o Inspect oil and fuel drains andcrankcase breathers for ice or frost.Remove any existing frost or ice.o Inspect battery for charge atleast once each week. f layoversare to be over 4 hours and temperature is below -20 degrees F.

-29 degrees C. , remove batteryand store in a warm place.o Drain oil system when thereis no provision available for preheating oil and a long layoverperiod is anticipated.o When temperature rises abovefreezing during a long layover,drain fuel and oil tank sumps ofwater before temperature drops.o Install protective covers andshields to protect aircraft from ac

cumulation of snow, frost or ice.NOTE: f wings are wet or a freezing rain is expected, cover aircraft with a coat of anti-icing anddeicing-


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attersbattery but will reverse charge itquickly. Such a reverse chargedbattery will damage electrical components when connected to the aircraft s electrical system.

Towing Your OH-6A: f the OH-6A is to be towed or transportedwith the blades folded, the vibration pendulums must be securedwith tape or cord to prevent themfrom striking adjacent blades as aresult of bouncing. Reference:TM 55-1520-214-20, paragraph1-23, page 1 1l.

Servicing Of 4 And 9 DegreeGearboxes On UH IB: Do not interchange the filler caps betweenthe 42 and 90 degree gearboxes. fthese caps are interchanged, the42 degree gearbox will be pumpeddry. In order to help identify thefiller caps, the 42 degree gearboxcaps have black dot markings while

OCTOBER 1972

the 90 degree gearbox caps havewhite dot markings. Reference:TM 55-1520-219-20, chapter 1,section II, page 1-24, paragraph1-142.

OH-58A Tip: When installing theengine to the transmission driveshaft on the OH-58A between thefreewheeling unit and the transmission, make sure that the boltheadon the freewheeling unit is facingthe transmission and two washersare under the nut. f the two washers are not placed under the nut, itcould cause the bolt to applytorque and shear.

Damaged Spark Ignition: You canprevent damage to the spark ignitor when removing the combustion section from the T63-A-700engine for inspection. Follow thisprocedure: After removing the fuelspray nozzle, support the combustion lines and remove the spark

ignitor. Then separate the outercombustion case and the combustion lines from the turbine assembly. This will prevent damage tothe spark ignitor. Reference: TM55-1520-228-35, paragraph 5-15,item 1 page 532, change 2.

V 21 Tip: Never add oil to theT -74 engine when it is cold. f theoil level is below 3 quarts, the engine should be run until it reachesoperating temperature, then rechecked. Then add oil if it is below3 quarts.

OH-6A Tip: Before removing theignition exciter on the OH-6A aircraft, ensure that the ignition system has been off for at least 5minutes before disconnecting anyleads. Ground the leads to the engine using an insulated screwdriver.Reference: TM 55-1520-214-20,paragraph 5-46, page 5-42.


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Can You Remember WhatAn Autorotation Is ReallyContinued from page 9single rotor helicopter to drift inthe direction of tail rotor thrust.When Igor Sikorsky and his friendsfirst started making erector setsinto helicopters, they found it annoying to have to hold a slight ngine Quitting Timeamount of left cyclic to maintain astable hover so they designed about2 to 3 degrees of left cyclic intothe swashplate. (The Bell Helicopter Company still does this today and that's why the left skid ofa Bell helicopter contacts theground first during touchdownfrom hover.)

When the engine quits and torque is drastically reduced you findyou have a sudden need for a lotof right pedal. That reduces tailrotor thrust and the aircraft nowwants to move in the direction ofall that 2 to 3 degrees of compensating left swashplate. So if youdon't want to go left, anticipatesome cyclic correction to the right.In an actual forced landing

there are some procedures thatbear mentioning:Prior planning or anticipation.Expecting the engine to quit andplanning for it may not make youthe most daring and exciting pilotin your unit, but it might makeyou the oldest. I once heard a helicopter defined as an assemblageof nuts and bolts vibrating andcounterrotating in opposite directions, and obviously manufactured

by the lowest bidder." f you thinkof it like that maybe you can t expect that engine to run all of thetime.Planning ahead might be as simple as keeping within autorotativedistance of a forced landing area.

f the tactical situation dictatesstaying out of the area between the50 feet AGL and 1,200 feet AGL,which we all fondly remember asOCTOBER 1972

the dead man zone, keep your airspeed high enough to do a lowlevel autorotation. f you overflydense jungle where there are noforced landing areas available,stimulate your mind to the pointof reviewing procedures for settlinginto trees-like picking the mostsparsely vegetated area; don't gointo dead trees because they arelike punji stakes to an aircraft; andzero air speed in decelerationsettle in vertically.Another factor is awareness. Beaware of winds, density altitude,loads and even your ability. It'sobvious that if you have a tailwindor crosswind you can expect an increase in your rate of descent, butif a suitable area is available forlanding you might be so concernedwith making the area that it doesn'toccur to you why your glide is soshort. Another surprise may develop if you think you can autorotate as far in the hot afternoonwith a loaded aircraft as you didin the morning without a load.And spiraling a loaded gunshipdown to the area directly below,with low air speed, may present arate-of-descent problem that willhave to be solved with a very neatinitial pitch pull.As a rule, aviators are egotistical. They say things like, I f I hadan engine failure could make itto right there." Most of the timethey do, too.Remembering those silly proce-dures also deserves mention here.

For instance, do you think youwould remember to turn off fueland electrical switches (batteryand standby) and to make a radiocall? (You still can if you havethe main generator on and it willcut out when the transmissionslows up during initial.) Howabout at 300 AGL or 150?Maybe Remember also if you areinjured and probably dazed withonly the thought of getting awayfrom the aircraft uppermos t in yourmind, you should be acutely awareof the still turning rotor. f youstumble into it your successfulauto will certainly have been futile.Night autorotations. The troublewith night autorotations is that it'sdifficult to determine exactly howhigh you are. Generally you willhave a tendency to decelerate highbecause of glare fixation from thelanding light. To combat this lookabout 10 degrees left or right of thelight and you can use a quickglance out of the side window todetermine when to pull initial.Without twin-engined helicopters, and until a practical emergency escape system is developed,rotary wing aviators like the captain of the good ship Titanic willhave to go down with their ships.However, the outcome can besomething other than disaster if thehelicopter pilot knows what he'sdoing.

How about you? Is your autorotation as good as you think it is. eally?23


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LOW L V Lontinued from page

hour-per-day basis. No matterwhat the war stories indicate, itis not that way now.A development program hasbeen approved by the Chief ofResearch and Development to improve our night capability. Thisprogram will determine what apilot needs to enable him to flyand navigate low level duringdarkness. t will include evaluationof current data, simulation andflight testing.Numerous items of equipmentare either on the shelf or are within the spectrum of today's technology, which may provide the capability the Army must possess forthe war of the future. These itemsinclude systems which utilize radar,infrared, low light level TV andlaser, to name a few Throughtechnology it is not beyond therealm possibility for a helicopter todepart on instruments, navigatenap-of-the-earth to prevent detection, acquire a target, destroy it orcomplete a medical evacuationmission and return safely to homebase under conditions of adverseweather or in darkness.

OCTOBER 1972

A study conducted by HumanResources Research OrganizationHumRRO) in June 1971 concluded that a required improvement in Army low level aerialnavigation is constrained by a

hierarchical relationship betweenequipment, procedures and training. Lack of adequate equipmentconstrains improvement in procedures, and procedures in turn constrain improvements in training.Present equipment requires elaborate procedures to compensate forits deficiencies in low level navigation, and extensive training is anecessity to convey these procedures to the pilot.A major problem associatedwith acquiring new equipment toassist the aviator is to devise an interface which will permit him to effectively utilize it. Using numerouspieces of equipment requires an integrated display which presents therequired information to the pilot inconsonance with his brain andmuscles to use it. When under instrument flight conditions at lowlevel, and while engaging a tank,too much information may beworse than not enough. Unfortunately, very little has been done todetermine what cues are requiredfor flight and mission accomplishment. Human factors are a very

The ZSU 23-4 is a selfpropelled Soviet antiaircraft system of four 23mm guns mounted on atank or tracked vehicle. Arate of fire of 200 roundsper minute per gun suggests its lethal nature

important aspect of solving thepuzzle of low level night/weatheroperations and it is imperative thatour research and development efforts do not neglect this area. Themultimillion dollar aircraft with alethal load of ordnance is virtuallyuseless if the pilot cannot fly itwhere it is needed.

HumRRO Technical Report 71-10, authored by Dr. Robert H.Wright and Mr. Warren P. Pauley,provides excellent guidance for improvement in low level navigationtraining. Some of the improvements advocated are: Reorganize training aroundthe line of position LOP) navigation techniques. Almost all training materials emphasize use ofcombinations of pilotage, deadreckoning and radio navigationaids. Avoid unnecessary distinction between low level and normalaltitude navigation. Where satisfactory performance can be attained at normal altitudes with lowlevel procedures, training shouldemphasize these procedures for alltypes of flying in order to maximizetransfer from routine flying experience to low level flying. Introduce terrain familiarization techniques as a part of lowlevel navigation training. The onlypractical way to currently produceeffective rapid response low levelnavigation is through use of crewssufficiently familiar with the terrain. This training would be oriented toward a routine operationalprocedure of obtaining a high levelof terrain familiarization prior tothe first mission in an area bymeans of systematic study of mapsand other available cartographicaids. t would also be orientedtoward establishing systematic inflight procedures that would increase the rate of acquiring areafamiliarization under continuouslow level flight conditions. Consider introducing a lens of180 degrees or greater field of view

27


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motion picture, slide and pictureimagery format in order to putacross most information acquisition points in training. This formathas the advantage of permittingpresentation of the entire cockpitvisual scene using only one projector and instant appreciation ofthe relative bearing to a feature.With conventional format the azimuth of the scene centerline, sceneedges or both must be provided foreach scene, and at least three projectors must be coordinated andcontinuously referenced in presenting low level navigation trainingpoints. With multiple conventionalprojectors the training points become lost in the process of keepingtrack of scene orientation data. Provide realistic classroompractice in low level informationacquisition in regard to low levelperspective and in the timing of information presentation. The masking of features that exists at lowlevel should be illustrated from thestandpoints of reliance necessaryon features with vertical development and the right-left looks atcrossover necessary for information acquisition from planar(roads, streams) features.

Teach special low level navigation rule-of-thumb proceduresthat eliminate or minimize manualor mental calculations. Includedwould be across-course corrections,along-course positioning correc-28

line of Hueys inserting troops in Vietnam if an aircraft is more vulnerable to enemy detection at high altitude we must plan to operate low level

tions and scheduling corrections. Give full consideration intraining to the problems and techniques for managing maps in thecockpit (see The Tactical MapAnd You, October 1970 DIGEST). Place major emphasis in classroom training on student practicein making the decisions of lowlevel navigation, such as Wheream I? and What should I do?There is currently some activityunderway to implement low leveltraining. At Project MASSTERnap-of-the-earth training is beingexplored in conjunction with testing the Triple Capability DivisionTRICAP). The U. S ArmorSchool at Ft. Knox , KY, is conducting this type of training in itsscout and attack helicopter pilottraining.

The U S Army Aviation Schoolat Ft. Rucker, AL , has been evaluating a small scale experiment being conducted by its AviationArmament Division and it is anticipated that the initial training forpilots will include this type oftraining.t must be realized that there aremany oroblems associated with lowlevel flight. However, the questionwe must ultimately face is: Can

we afford to ignore the recognizedthreat of the future? t is true thatwe do not currently have manyitems of sophisticated equipmentthat are required to accomplishall of the tasks we envision forArmy aircraft. With a diminishingbudget it is quite possible that wemay not have these items for thenext war. t is, therefore, a necessity to do the best we can withwhat we have.A comprehensive flight trainingprogram should be established atunit level and at the AviationSchool. This program must teachthe principles of nap-of-the-earthflight in a well supervised and controlled atmosphere. This trainingshould not be a one-shot affair, buta continual on-going program.With a well organized and plannedprogram, the desired results canbe attained without jeopardizingthe unit's safety record. When theboss has placed you nap-of-theearth and is watching you perform,there isn't time for complacency.

t is imperative that we do notexperience a high loss rate in bothaircraft and aviation personnelwhile training our aviators to adequately perform low level flightrequired for a mid/ high intensityconflict. We must ensure that ouraviators are well qualified in theirtechniques. Let's be sure that noyoung aviator failed to get theword because we didn't tell him.



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F OUR YEARS AGO, in 1968, the New York Jetswere touted by experts as headed for the cellar.Joe Namath, who was trying to pull the team together,was not really getting the job done. Besides that, theteam's performance had been somewhat mediocreduring the previous season. Gloom had settled on theteam, filling every visible corner of the dressing room.With that kind of attitude, how could they be expectedto win? Sizing up the situation, the coach of the Jets,Weeb Ewbank, took a decisive step. Picking up thephone, he called a Dallas, TX, firm which specializesin motivational research and training. After 2 weeks.of intensive training by these experts, the New YorkJets went into their regular season, winning the American Football League championship and then defeating the National Football League's champion Baltimore Colts in the Super Bowl. It was a stunningclimax for a team with such bleak prospects at thestart of the season.Several firms which have had their entire sales staffstrained by these same motivational experts haveshown spectacular sales figures. It seems that theprincipal difference between people before and aftertraining is their own personal attitudes. Does thisclaim have any basis in fact or is it just another fantasy in the mind of the applied psychologist? f it isfactual, can anybody put the principle to use? Theanswers seem pretty definite.From the many cases researched, two things seemedto emerge concerning motivated human behavior. One

is that people generally do what they are expected todo. When Roger Bannister, the young man who firstran the mile in less than 4 minutes, was questionedabout how he was able to do it, he replied that heguessed the main reason was that his coach expectedit of him. Another reason was his own attitude of

confidence. This attitude was helping him, perhapssubconsciously, to achieve or even exceed normalexpectations.t has been observed that people who lose, or whodo not live up to expectations, seldom have an air ofconfidence. Losing is no big shock to them because

they seldom expect to win. There are some exceptionsto the rule, of course, but the main point is that anyone can improve his performance by improving hisattitude. The big question in most minds is how.The reasons given by researchers for improved behavior patterns s a direct result of improved attitudeare somewhat technical. For those who need a reasonfor everything, it is put here in s simple a way spossible. Everybody has a built-in psychologicalmechanism, or servo. This servomechanism issubconscious (acts independently of will or consciousthought), but has a degree of control over our thoughtsand, therefore, our actions. f we set, by determination in our conscious thought, a long range goal, oursubconscious servo will act daily s control on allour conscious actions, causing us to favor only thosedecisions and actions which would tend to direct ustoward that long range goal. Whether or not this really

is the case is unimportant. The important thing is thatit works for most people, and it can be easily applied.Chances are good that it will work for you, too.Only by keeping a constant positive attitude towardaircraft accident prevention can we get our internalservomechanisms to work for us in getting the jobdone. t should be the ambition of every good safetymanager to improve his safety program and to reduceor eliminate accidents. The job requires high personalmotivation and commitment to develop the necessaryextra drive, enthusiasm and energy. f we keep theinternal servo set in the right direction, we can de-

GETTING THE JO DONETHROUGH TTITUDE

3

illiam D C onesSafety Management Specialistviation Division DSCOrbT

Headquarters Third U. S A -my


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velop the deep, personal convictions about the job weare doing. We can do this by constantly remindingourselves of our purpose. In this way, we develop apositive attitude through motivation and deep per-sonal conviction.At the same time, the boss should expect his

unit to be accident free. He can help by creating anatmosphere where free-thinking supervisors can voicean opinion as long as the topic is in the discussionstage. People who have been made to feel as thoughthey are only cogs in a machine will behave like cogsin a machine. A commander who sets an accident-freegoal, tells the unit about it and encourages two-waycommunication with his subordinate supervisors ismerely setting the stage. Only by dynamic, outgoingpositivism can he penetrate his unit and get the message to everyone. Then he can let attitude take overon a continuing daily basis. I f long term success is tobe won, it must be by day-to-day progress. One stepat a time is the answer to unit safety program efficiency. As in mountain scaling, we should occasionally look at the peak to remind ourselves of where weare headed, but we should also pause long enough toenjoy the scenery on the way up.

To assure good attitude on the job for all personnel in his unit, the commander can:1. Change his own attitud.e by setting a long rangegoal of accident-free operation.2. Change the attitude of everyone in the unitby his own day-to-day dynamic enthusiasm for acci

dent prevention. (It really does rub off on subordinates.)3. Work for participative management in the unitby making sure subordinates participate in creating

and structuring the program.

.

'- ... \. , \ ... .. 'I. \\. ' \ , , . . . . \ \ \ , \ \ \' -.. I. \ < ,- .. \ \ \ \ \ , \ \ , \ \ '\ \. ..

4. Improve two-way communications (feedback)by encouraging ideas from supervisors and then hear-ing them out without passing judgment.5. Realize that under the right conditions and

under good command attitude, most people will notonly accept responsibility but also actively seek it.6. Establish the proper atmosphere for work atevery level in the unit, orient effort with the unit objectives and see that managers make and implementdecisions within their own scope of authority .The aviation safety manager can help by:1. Developing a deep conviction that the aviationsafety management position is important, and thathis own personal attitude is essential.2. Complementing the CO's attitude toward safety in the unit and never slipping into complacency.3. Being a team man. Only the effort of the group

will prevent accidents in an aviation unit and notthe efforts of only one man, even if that man is theCO.4. Getting the other supervisors into the programby requesting and using their ideas in the unit safetyprogram, and by allowing team spirit and good attitudes to pervade every level of the unit.5. Reporting bad attitudes to supervisors for correction and change through motivational management.In time, a positive attitude toward aviation safetywill permeate the entire organizational structure asindividuals adopt this attitude, then sell it to others.

But remember, one day at a time is sufficient. Anentire unit cannot be changed through a single day'seffort. Change will come only through a ontinuousdaily program and a positive personal attitude. Try it.


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Gene BertaEducation and Prevention DeptUSAAAVS

Accident statistics indicate thatdisorientation in rotary wingaircraft is particularly crucial.n a 2-year period, orientation-error

accidents cost the rmy ' 5 millionand in 300/0 of the accidentssomeone was killed

32

OST OF US at one time or another have hadthe disconcerting experience of literally notknowing which end is up. Some call it disorientation,others know it as vertigo.Regardless of what we call it, when it hits us weinstinctively try to stop whatever we are doing, reachout a hand to steady ourselves and hope it will soonpass. But the pilot who suffers an attack while flyingcannot afford the lUxury of stopping what he s doing.He has to keep flying, prayerfully right side up. Unfortunately, these attacks too often culminate in mishaps some catastrophic as a result of orientationerror.

A pilot makes an orientation error whenever hisperception of the motion and attitude of his aircraftdiffers from the true motion and attitude and he

-

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T BLE 1Phase of FI ight and

Confidence in his instrument flight ab

then was over five times greater in VFR flight thanin IFR This response is alarming considering thatpoor weather conditions prevailed during a majorityof the disorientation episodes.The incidence of disorientation also varied according to the time of day. Night operations accountedfor 56 percent of the total number of episodes whileonly 37 percent occurred during daylight hours.Dawn and dusk operations together comprised 7 percent of all ocurrences.

Percentage of Episodes Reported t is generally known that horizon clarity is animportant factor in disorientation. Without a distincthorizon the aviator loses visual reference outside theaircraft and is therefore more susceptible to disorientation. Our survey substantiated the significanceof an external reference. Aviator response showedthat only 22 percent of the mild moderate andsevere experiences came about with a distinct horizon while 78 percent occurred when the horizon waseither completely or partially obscured. As the horizon became less distinct the incidence level of disorientation increased.

Percentage of ll Episodes ReportedStudent Pi lot Rated Pi lotStraight Level

TakeoffTaxi

Student PilotMildModerateSevere

Rated PilotMildModerateSevere

34

60 916 410 09 82 10 8

51 221 012 912 52 20 2

As stated earlier straight-and-Ievel flight was themost frequent interval of flight in which aviators became disoriented. But disorientation also occurredquite frequently in the landing phase especially

T BLE 2Percentage of Disorientation Episodes Shown by Magnitude of EpisodeAnd Phase of FI ight in Which They OccurredPhase of Flight (Percentage of Episodes)

Straight Level Landing Climb-out Hover Takeoff Taxi

57 0 40 5 44 2 30 3 37 5 33 337 1 SO O 49 4 55 3 62 5 66 75 9 9 5 6 4 14 4 0 0 0 0

40 1 19 2 0 046 6 50 0 100 013 3 30 0 0



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of th aviator s k ys to avoiding disorientation

under unfavorable meteorological conditions. We attribute this high incidence level to hazards normallyencountered near ground level such as fog and dust.USAAAV accident records substantiate the highpercentage of moderate and severe episodes reportedduring the landing phase. Records show landing asthe most frequent phase of flight for major orientation-error accidents. (The effect of altitudes will bediscussed in a future issue. )Let's look now at the training and qualifications ofthe students and rated pilots who described theirdisorientation experiences in response to the survey.As can be seen from table 3, aviators in all agebrackets are susceptible to disorientation. The meanages for students and rated pilots were 23 and 28,respectively, and are representative of the Armyaviator popUlation of the period of the survey. Themean age did not fluctuate with the magnitude ofepisode, indicating that pilot age and corresponding experience had little or no influence in determining the degree of severity of disorientation. Wematched the age of the aviator to his response to a

OCTOBER 1972

question regarding the effect of fatigue and foundthat the pilot's age apparently did not affect hissusceptibility to disorientation episodes in which fa-tigue was a factor. t is generally recognized that an aviator's abilityto fly under instrument conditions is heavily dependent on his training and experience, but the type ofinstrument flight qualification does not exempt anaviator from disorientation. On the contrary, aviators holding higher instrument ratings find them

selves frequently flying under marginal weather conditions that are conducive to disorientation. Surveyresults show, however, that at least one-half of theaviators reporting disorientation held only a tacticalinstrument rating.Confidence in his instrument flight ability is one ofthe aviator's keys to avoiding disorientation. Weprovided six possible answers from which each respondent was to choose one as his personal assessmentof his instrument flight capability. In addition, answers chosen would provide a relative indication ofthe confidence of those who held tactical instrument

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certificates. We then asked 127 rotary wing instrument flight instructors to rank the six possible answersin order of difficulty of accomplishment with themost difficult ranked number one. The ranking isshown n table 4, together with the number andpercentage of aviators choosing each answer and thepercentage of that number reporting disorientationexperiences.These answers not only indicated the aviator'sconfidence in his ability to fly a helicopter under in-

Disorientation occurs ost fr qu nt

strument flight conditions but also provided an insight into the effect, if any, disorientation had onthe aviator's confidence. A significant percentage ofthe respondents were not confident of their instrument flight ability. One in every five aviators (19.9percent) selected, I would not attempt a flight without refresher training. More than half (57.5 percent) of this group had experienced disorientation atsome time. Those experiences could account for theirconservative estimate of their instrument flight ability.Only one other group, much smaller in number (29),who selected Confident that I could in daytime, butnot at night, show a higher disorientation percentage(69.0 percent). Despite these findings , evidence is notsufficient to conclude that an aviator's disorientationexperience affects his confidence in his instrumentflight capability. Much more information is neededbefore such a conclusion can be reached.Because a pilot must be proficient in instrument

T BLE 4Aviator Assessment of I R light Capabilityof Respondents WhoResponse No. Respondents Reported Disorientation

1 Confident I could under any reasonableconditions 1780 53 9 56 92 Confident I could, providing turbulence was

362 11 0 48 6oderate or less3 Confident I could, providint no infl ight emer-gency condition arose whic required a forced

landing 138 4 2 52 2'4 Confident that I could in daytime, but not atnight 29 0 9 69 05 I would if I had to encounter only en route

eather 334 10 1 53 66 I would not attempt a flight without refreshertraining 657 19 9 57 5

TOTAL: 3300

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you compare incidents to hoursflown. In the last 2 years of flyingone U-21, this unit only had onegear-up landing, one single-engineapproach and landing with a Code5 on board under IFR conditionsafter a fuel control failed, one battery fire in flight and one nose section fire when a heater malfunctioned while waiting for a Code 5Why can't all aviators use the protective equipment designed for us?A commander who prohibits hispilots from wearing N omex notonly is not looking out for the welfare of his men, but also is hindering his pilots in protecting their passengers. A N omex flight suit couldwell mean those few extra seconds needed to put a burning airplane on the ground safely. Or lookback to the May 1971 AVIATIONDIGEST at Laurel D. Sand's articleTOOSOONOLDT AND TOOLATESCHMART and readabout the pilot who, after his U-21crashlanded and caught fire, hadto fight his way back throughpanicky passengers to open thedoor for their escape. What if hehad been incapacitated by the fire?The fact that he looked "pretty"during the previous part of theflight could have meant the lives ofhis passengers.

The government spent quite a bitof our tax money to keep us fromgetting burned while serving ourcountry by designing the N omexflight suit. They even made it soit had just the right amount ofpockets in just the right places sowe could carryall the equipmentwe need to do our job. And it evencomes in that favorite Army colorso we don't look too out of placewhen we go to the club with ourinfantry friends. Uncle Sam didn'tspend all that money for us to say,It's ugly, so we'll wear ourgreens." So why can't we wearthem?It seems that the commanderswho don' t like the N omex aremostly those who were rated back

OCTOBER 1972

when the flight clothing issue wasover what color flying scarfs all theaviators would wear so as not tomake the ground troops too jealous. These guys just don't realizethe true purpose of the N omexflight suit. You mean a guy cancrash and burn and come out withjust a little sun bum? AmazingCommand information classes onthe purpose and qualities of theN omex flight suit to be given toall military personnel would helpupdate aviation personnel as wellas promote understanding amongground troops who wonder aboutour "funny looking fatigues withall the pockets." I'm sure that ifground commanders would readBG Spruance's address on wearingof flight gear (he survived the fierycrash of a T -33) , there would bea trend away from getting thepilots into greens, TWs or fatiguestoward getting protective clothingfor everyone who flies in Army aircraft.

In addition to education on theNomex, AR 95-1, paragraphs 4-12and 4-15, should be changed toread that all crew members willwear leather boots, fire-retardantclothing, flying gloves and helmetson all flights in all Army aircraft.And local commanders will notchange the flight uniform.The U.S. Army Aviation Schooldoes an excellent job of impressing safety on new aviators, butthese aviators after graduation goout to units only to be frustratedby commanders who consider safety as something nice they talkabout for school topics. In schoolwe couldn't wear metal insignia onour flight suits-notice all themetal insignia on greens and TWs?

I've wondered sometimes whileI was flying just how much of mygreens that VIP behind that closedcockpit door could see? By theway, do you think we ought to require our flight surgeons to weargreens when they work on our

burned bods so they'll look pretty,too?-CW2, A viatorWe are happy to hear that youare a fan of the Forum. Yourpoints in this letter are well takenand need no additional verbiagefrom us. We suggest that you submit a DA Form 2028 completewith justification requesting thatthese particular paragraphs of AR95-1 be changed. If safety-conscious people like yourself keephammering away at the systemeventually we can get the neededchanges.Cold-Climate Survival KitCandlesI noticed one of the maindifferences between hot- and coldclimate kits was the five candles , illuminating, type I, FSN 6260-840-5578. At first, I thought this wasodd. Later I talked with a soldierwho was stationed with an arcticranger company. He stated that bydigging a hole down into the snowin the shape of a light bulb, andthen glazing the inside with a candle, a temperature of 68 degreescould be attained. This was donewith one candle burning and thebody heat of two people insidethe hole. I was wondering if thereis any truth to this? Also, if thereis any other purpose for the candles?--SP4, Canal ZoneWe are glad you asked thesequestions. Pearl has the answers onpage 40.

Readers are invitedto participate inthis forum.Send your ideas commentsand recommendations toCommanding OfficerUSAAAVS,ATTN: E P DepartmentFt. Rucker, AL 36360

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COLD CLI MATESURVIVAL KIT CANDLEST 55-8465-209-10 (always a good place to startlooking for information) states that candles notonly provide light but also create warmth in a shelter.Although the exact temperature created in such ashelter cannot be verified because of the manyvariables involved, it is true that one burning candleand the body heat of two people will generate sufficient heat inside the snow shelter to provide livingconditions adequate for survival. A 4-inch candleweighs less than 1 ounce and may burn 3;4 hours ifprotected from the wind.There are many other uses for a candle in a man sfight to survive. For instance, A candle can be lit in any temperature, used tolubricate zippers and used as emergency food. Practically indestructible it resists dropping,soaking in water, etc.), it will provide light for reading maps and compasses. A candle burning inside a tin can makes aheater for a small, snug shelter as well as a fairlygood lantern that will operate in light wind andrain.

t will ignite damp fuel that matches alone wouldnever ignite.t can be used to prepare food or hot beverages. T he candle is good for blister prevention. tshould be rubbed on the heels and toes of socks whenshoes begin to chafe. The candle can be used to lubricate the handheld socket used in the bow and drill method of firemaking, and the seams of leather boots can be sealedwith the melted wax.

Personal Equipment Rescue Survival Lowdown

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olonelFrancis M Mc ullarCommanding Officer US VS

occasions, boards with more to go on have come upwith inaccurate analyses, we think this board s findings make sense. Some time later, a fisherman sdragnet brought up the main rotor system, with therotor mast snapped in two just below the rotor heada condition lending support to the conclusionreached by the board.The value of accident investigation reports lies inthe use of the information they provide to preventother accidents from happening. What can we learnfrom this accident? What can we offer the pilot, aircraft commander and aviation unit commander uponwhose judgment, skill and supervisory efforts futuremissions will depend?Above all else, this accident points up the importance of pilot proficiency. We use the term in itsbroadest sense to include not only the skill in handling an aircraft, but also a complete familiarity withthe machine and its component systems , a knowledgeof weather and navigation techniques, and, for thosewho will fly instruments, a mastery 1 instrument procedures and instrument flying techniques.t also points up the importance of forethought andplanning on the part of the aircraft commander tominimize in-flight difficulties. Any condition whichtends to make a flight difficult should be avoided.

In this accident the AC in control of the aircraftcreated a difficulty by flying from the copilot s position in the aircraft.Flight-following procedutes and requirementsshould be strictly adhered to. Because of confusionin communications, this UH-J was initially reported

down and safe. As