rr 113: 2011 nha symposium highlights

Rotor Review # 113 Spring ‘11 1

More Than Just Plane Guard

Australia Selects MH-60 romeo

The Proclamation of the Fallen Naval Helicopter AirCrew

Number 113Spring 2011


MH-60RHere and Now

A new bird is prowling the skies. Protecting the battlegroup. Operating with confidence in the complex environments our nation’s sailors face daily. The MH-60R is here. An all-new aircraft. Armed with sophisticated equipment. Including integrated systems able to detect undersea objects at three to seven times the range of current helicopters, and track 10 times as many surface targets. And that’s just for starters. Future technology upgrades will make the MH-60R even more net-centric, more lethal, and more capable. MH-60R. The right helicopter, right now.

302-55945_MH60_RR.indd 1 11/11/08 9:52:43 AM


Number 113 / Spring ‘11Naval Helicopter Association

©2011 Naval Helicopter Association, Inc., all rights reserved

EditorLCDR Kristin Ohleger, USN

Design EditorGeorge Hopson

Aircrewman / Special Missions EditorAWCM Carl T. Bailey II, USN

HSC / HS / HM EditorLT Tom Murray, USN

HSL/HSM EditorLT Scott Lippincott, USN

USMC EditorTBA

USCG EditorLT Todd Vorenkamp, USCG

Book Review EditorLCDR BJ Armstrong, USN

Technical AdvisorLCDR Chip Lancaster, USN (Ret)

NHA Photographer CDR Lloyd Parthemer, USN (Ret)LT Todd Vorenkamp, USCG

Historical EditorCAPT Vincent Secades, USN (Ret)

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More Than Just Plane GuardLTJG Janis Harrington, USN

Iraqi TransitionsLT Mark Klein, USN

Dragonslayers & the QuestLT Seth Saalfeld,USN

Rotary Wing Pubs Require an Immediate RewriteLT James Malvasio, USN

An Unparalleled Shore DutyLT Scott McKee, USN

Australia Selects U.S. Navy’s MH-60R Seahawk Helicopter for Air 9000 Phase 8 ProgramPress Released by Sikorsky Aircraft, Inc.

2011 NHA Symposium Celebrates 100 Years of Naval AviationNHA Editors

A Memorable Members ReunionLT David Yoon, USN

2011 NHA Awards LuncheonLT John Ruggiero, USN

NHA “Bubba” Panel Provide An In-Depth CRM DiscussionLT Carl Glass, USN

2011 NHA Enlisted PanelAWSC C. Gregory Ott, USN

Captains of Industry Tout The Way AheadLTJG Patrick Dunn, USN

Flag PanelLT Chris Salomon, USN

Diversity Office and Office of Women”s Policy Working LuncheonLT Pam Stefanski, USN

The Best of the BeachAWSC Shane Gibbs, USN

NHA Golf TournamentLT Tony Garcia, USN

Closing a Memorable SymposiumVADM Allen Myers, USN and CDR Derrick Kingsley, USN

FocusNHA Symposium Highlights

Printing byDiego & Son Printing, Inc

San Diego, California

Cover art by George Hopson, NHA Art Editor.

Rotor Review (ISSN: 1085-9683) is published quarterly by the Naval Helicopter Association, Inc (NHA), a California nonprofit corporation. NHA is located in Building 654, Rogers Road, NASNI, San Diego, CA 92135. Views expressed in Rotor Review are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the policies of NHA or United States Navy, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard. Rotor Review is printed in the USA. Periodical rate postage is paid at San Diego, CA. Subscription to Rotor Review is included in the membership fee in the Naval Helicopter Association or the corporate membership fee. A current corporation annual report, prepared in accordance with Section 8321 of the California Corporations Code, is available to members on request. POST-MASTER: Send address change to Naval Helicopter Association, P.O. Box 180578 , Coronado, CA 92178-0578

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National OfficersPresident................................................... CAPT John Miley, USNV/P Corp Mem......................... CAPT Mike Middleton, USN (Ret)V/P Awards .......................................CDR Matt Niedzwiecki, USNV/P Membership ..........................................CDR John Barry, USNV/P Symposium 2012................................CDR Marv Carlin, USNSecretary...........................................................LT Kevin Yost, USNTreasurer .........................................................LT Dave Yoon, USN“Stuff”.................................... ................LT Jen McCollough, USNExecutive Director.................Col. Howard Whitfield, USMC (Ret) Admin/Rotor Review Design Editor........................George HopsonMembership/Symposium ............................................. Lucy Haase

Directors at LargeChairman........................RADM Steven J. Tomaszeski, USN (Ret) CAPT Mike Baxter, USNR (Ret) CAPT Chuck Deitchman, USN (Ret) CAPT John McGill, USN (Ret) CAPT Dave Moulton, USNR (Ret) CAPT Dennis Dubard, USN (Ret)

CAPT Paul Stevens, USN (Ret)

Regional OfficersRegion 1 - San Diego

Directors.………………..........................CAPT Mike Horan, USN CAPT Jeff Hughes, USN CAPT Joseph Bauknecht, USN President..…............................................... CDR Tres Dehay, USN

Region 2 - Washington D.C.Director ..…………...…………......CAPT Matt McCloskey, USN CAPT Andy Macyko, USNPresident .....................................................CDR Pat Everly, USN

Region 3 - JacksonvilleDirector ..........................................CAPT Doug ten Hoopen, USNPresident..............................................CAPT Clayton Conley, USN

Region 4 - NorfolkDirector ............................................. CAPT Mike Cashman, USN President ...............................................CDR Shelby Mounts, USN

Region 5 - PensacolaDirectors........................................CAPT James Vandiver, USN CAPT Thurman Maine, USCGPresident ............................................CDR Hans Sholley, USN2011 Fleet Fly-In.........................................LT Spencer Allen, USN

Far East ChapterPresident .............................................CDR David Walt, USN

Corporate AssociatesThe following corporations exhibit strong support of rotary

wing aviation through their sponsorship of the Naval Helicopter Association, Inc

AgustaWestland Inc. BAE Systems / Electronics & Integrated Solutions

Bell Helicopter Textron, IncBinghamton Simulator Company

Boeing Integrated Defense SystemsBreeze-Eastern

CAE Inc.Delex Systems, Inc

EADS North AmericaFLIR Systems, Inc.

G.E. Aircraft Engines GEICO

Goodrich CorporationHarris Corporation

LSI, Inc Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Sensors

L3 Communications / D.P. Associates Inc.L3 Communications / Ocean Systems

L3 Communications / Vertex AerospaceNavy Mutual Aid Association

Northrop Grumman Integrated Systems Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems

Robertson Fuel Systems L.L.C.Rockwell Collins Corporation

Rolls-Royce CorporationSikorsky Aircraft Corporation

Telephonics CorporationWhitney, Bradley and Brown Inc.

NHA Scholarship Fund

President...................................CAPT Paul Stevens, USN(Ret)V/P Operations.........................................CDR Rich Weeden, USNV/P Fundraising .......................................LT Sutton Bailey, USNRV/P Scholarships ........................CAPT Kevin “Bud” Couch, USNV/P CFC Merit Scholarship.............LT Jennifer Huck, USNTreasurer..................................LT Brad Davenport, USNCorresponding Secretary..................LT Sam Wheeler, USNFinance Committee.............................CDR Kron Littleton, USN (Ret)

Naval Helicopter Association, Inc.Correspondence and membership

P.O. Box 180578Coronado, CA 92178-0578

(619) 435-7139 / (619) 435-7354 (fax)

In appreciation of our advertisersLockheed MartinUniversity of San DiegoNavy Mutual Aid AssociationUSAAHovergirl PropertiesCAESikorsky Aircraft Corporation

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Number 113 / Spring ‘11

Departments

Editor’s LogLCDR Kristin Ohleger, USN

Chairman’s Brief RADM Steve Tomaszeski, USN (Ret)

President’s Message CAPT John Miley, USN

Aircrewman‘s Corner AWCM Carl Bailey, USN

NHA Scholarship Fund CAPT Paul Stevens, USN (Ret)

Executive Director’s Notes Col Howard Whitfield, USMC (Ret)

View from the Labs, Supporting the FleetCAPT George Galdorisi, USN (Ret)

Industry and Technology

Centennial of Naval AviationA Brief History of The Helicopter in United States Naval AviationCAPT Vincent C. Secades, USN (Ret)

The Proclamation of the Fallen Naval Helicopter AircrewCAPT Paul Caine, USN (Ret) and NHA Editors

Change of Command

There I WasSuspected Pirates Thwarted by DragonslayersArticle by LT Joshua Overn, USN

Squadron Updates

USMC Updates

USCG Updates

Stuff

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Editors Emeritus Wayne Jensen John Ball John Driver Sean Laughlin Andy Quiett Mike Curtis Susan Fink Bill Chase Tracey Keefe Maureen Palmerino Bryan Buljat Gabe Soltero Todd Vorenkamp Steve Bury Clay Shane

Articles and news items are welcomed from NHA’s general membership and corporate associates. Articles should be of general interest to the readership and geared toward current Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard affairs, technical advances in the helicopter industry or historical anecdotes. Submissions should be made to Rotor Review with documents formatted in Microsoft Word ® and photos formatted as high-resolution JPEG and/or PDF by e-mail to: [email protected] or by FEDEX / UPS on a MAC or PC formatted CD to Rotor Review / NHA, BLDG 654, Rogers Road, NASNI, San Diego, CA, 92135. Also, comments, suggestions, critiques and opinions are welcomed, your anonymity is respected. Send to: by email: [email protected], by mail: Naval Helicopter Association, Inc., P.O. Box 180578, Coronado, CA., 92178-0578, call (619) 435-7139 or FAX :(619) 435-7354 .

The Rotor Review is intended to support the goals of the association, provide a forum for discussion and exchange of information on topics of interest to the rotary wing community, and keep membership informed of NHA activities.As necessary, the President of NHA will provide the guidance to the Rotor Review Editorial Board to ensure the Rotor Review content continues to support this statement of policy as Naval Helicopter Association adjusts to expanding rotary wing community.

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Editor’s Log

LCDR Kristin Ohleger, USN Rotor Review Editor-in-Chief

Chairman’s Brief

Continue on page 5

The theme of our 2011 NHA Symposium in San Diego,

CA, was a rotary wing celebration of the Centennial of Naval Aviation (CoNA). Our Centennial Symposium committee (over 30 strong officer/enlisted volunteers),

were led by CDR Derrick Kingsley, HSC-3. They planned, coordinated and executed a superior symposium worthy of its theme.

This 113th edition of Rotor Review is dedicated to NHA‘s CoNA Symposium. My debrief:

Members Reunion: (LTs Smith/Yoon/Poland/Eckhoff). BLUF: You just had to be there. Over 600 members and industry partners in attendance on board the flight deck/hangar bay of the USS Midway museum. Even with a majority of our squadrons at sea our community came out in force to celebrate CoNA and enjoy a spectacular re-union on board the most appropriate of aviation venues. Complementing former NHA chairman RADM McLaughlin’s “MIDWAY MAGIC,” NHA was treated to Red Bull’s Aerial Sports Helicopter flight demonstration. The Red Bull helicopter, piloted by “Malibu” Chuck Aaron, took off from Midway’s flight deck and performed an incredible 20-minute acrobatic flight demonstration over San Diego Bay. Chuck is

the first - and only - civilian pilot ever to be licensed to perform helo aerobatics in the US. and he joined us later after his demo. Another highlight of the Reunion was the number of retired members who attended. Impromptu group pictures of veteran rotor heads gathered around H-1/3/34/46s. “You really flew this Seabat?” said one LT to a beaming, handsome, powerful man in his 7th decade. It was an evening no one wanted to see end.

Keynote Address: (LT Yoon). VADM Myers, the “Air Boss.” The admiral was resplendent in his Service Dress Khakis. He did so to represent and explain the uniform’s historic aviation roots. He then addressed the impact naval rotary wing aviation has had on the fleet covering events from tsunamis, pirates, nuclear disaster relief and air ambulance missions. “Helicopters keep the fleet safe, effect and potent.” After commenting that no other community in naval aviation has experienced the “growth and expansion” of rotary wing he went on to acknowledge the contributions each community makes to both the fleet and joint forces. He also announced that after 60 years as a Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS) HS-10 would become the FRS for VTUAVs (Firescout). The Boss then took Q & As

from members that ranged from mandatory black tee-shirts with flight suits to the possibility that the Navy would be getting the “big iron” 53K after the Marines (in 2025 Navy 53s sunset). It was an impressive, candid address with superb interaction from our membership.

Awards Luncheon (LTs Kondat/Ruggiero): Something special always happens at this event. Whether it’s witnessing the pride that radiates from family members, heartfelt remarks from our Lifetime Award recipient, meeting a newly winged unrestricted aviator whose real name is LT Cona, or once again marveling at the unbelievable crew or individual acts of competence and execution under pressure, the Awards luncheon never is boring. Comments from an industry table: “the rescue crewman did that, and then delivered the survivor’s baby?!!” The accomplishments of our national award winners are representative of our community. As individuals, they are all humble. Right place, right time, right training, and right crew. Who knows, next year that person on the stage may be you. During the Awards Luncheon Captain (Ret)Paul Stevens, president of the NHA Scholarship Fund, announced our 2011 scholarship winners. Paul is soliciting retired members to step up in each region to help him expand our scholarship program. Please see his Scholarship report inside. The “Service to NHA Award” was most deservedly

Welcome to Rotor Review

113!! As usual, our spring issue focuses on the review of the annual NHA Symposium. This

year’s Symposium was the best I have ever attended. I’m not trying to rub it in for those of you who were unable to join us, but I honestly believe that this year’s event was the most successful. Beginning with the memorable Members’ Reunion aboard USS Midway, I noticed what seemed to be a lot more people in attendance than usual. As I walked in to the grand exhibit hall the next morning for the keynote address, I noticed the same thing. About five minutes before VADM Myers gave his opening speech, I glanced around the room and was impressed that there was standing room only. Even the aircrew competition had the highest number of participants this year, with 24 teams competing. I believe that the success of this year’s Symposium can be attributed to

the airlifts coordinated from the east coast, and many San Diego squadrons limited their flight schedules so that NHA members could attend the events. In years past, those stationed in the local area, so it seemed, were always balancing work with the Symposium. Not to say that some didn’t do that this year, but many COs made this Symposium a priority for their squadrons. Hopefully we can continue this success in future years, whether the Symposium is held in a fleet concentration area or a neutral city. For those of you who were unable to attend, I hope this issue of Rotor Review summarizes enough of the successes of the Symposium and the events therein to make you feel as though you were a part of it.

On a different note, I feel that I am always writing how we are consistently trying to improve Rotor Review so that you may enjoy the magazine that much more. Our latest improvement has us moving into the latest and greatest technology. You may notice the addition of quick response codes in this issue. If you scan these QR codes (or square barcode thingies as I like to call

them) with your smart phone, you will be linked to videos supported by the article in which they are imbedded. We are just trying this out for this issue, so please let us know what you think. This was George’s brilliant idea, as he is the creative genius at Rotor Review.

Besides the addition of QR codes, another big change has occurred at Rotor Review. LT Anthony Amodeo has left the staff as the HSM community editor to move on to bigger and better things on his disassociated tour. His great ideas, hard work, and dedication to the magazine over the past two years will definitely be missed and we wish him all the best in the future. With that being said, we would like to welcome LT Scott Lippincott to the staff as the new HSM community editor.

I hope you enjoy this issue as much as I have and I look forward to reading about you and your squadrons in the future!


Continued from page 4

RADM Steve Tomaszeski, USN(Ret) NHA Chairman

presented to our current president, CAPT John Miley. This is CAPT Miley’s second term as president. He first held office in 2006. As chairman, I cannot tell you what a pleasure it has been for me, and the entire NHA organization, to work with John over this past year. Our Lifetime Service Award was presented to Mike Middleton who has been an NHA member for over 40 years and has served as our VP for corporate membership for 14 years. They say that no one is irreplaceable. But anyone who knows Midds can argue that point well. Midds’ collateral duty is with Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Sensors. I can still hear the applause and see the standing ovations for all of our award recipients. BZ.

While space does not permit my comment on each individual brief, three were exceptional. Sergei Sikorsky presented his “Reflections of a Pioneer.” Simply spellbinding. Many members had never heard this presentation about his father before. It was a real showstopper. Who knew the Chinese had a “toy rotorcraft” depicted in a 1460 Christ-child painting? And now we all know where Igor’s famous fedora is! And the SPECWARCOM brief; after Pakistan, this was timely and well appreciated by our teammates. You fight like you train. And the HS-14 TOMODACHI brief by LCDR Ryan Hayes. You adapt your training to the situation. And who could have imagined this?

Board of Director’s/Trustee meeting: San Diego demands an extra dozen donuts for the attendance at this meeting. We actually do real business during the Symposium and this is the business end of your association. We review the “relevance” of NHA, what could be improved and how to effect that change. Our focus remains on responding to our membership, supporting interaction between our pilots/maintainers/aircrew, and promoting an understanding and appreciation of naval rotary wing aircraft. We had 48 volunteer directors and trustees present for the 3.5 hour 0730 meeting. In summary: voluntary active duty membership, the foundation of NHA, is growing and is the highest of all Navy aviation associations; our finances, even in these uncertain times, are conservatively invested and stable; our tactical impact and strategic relevance to our maritime/joint services has never been more appreciated. In this new reality, the question “Where are the carriers” is often followed by “How many helicopters are available?” One of our major decisions was to hold the 2012 Sports Day on the Symposium’s first day in Norfolk, preceding the Members Re-union. This will initiate appreciated travel/business efficiency for our industry partners. Let me take this opportunity to thank to our national and regional NHA leadership, our uncompensated directors and trustees, for your

devotion of personal time to NHA and our community. Your advice, counsel, diligent work and friendship are deeply valued.

Sports Day (LT Kigin/Hart/Dunn/Jourdan/Toohey/AWCS Gibbs/Halsey/AWR3 Clayton):

I was told the Glorietta Bay 5K was very competitive, the Aircrew competition overall winner decided by a final Tug-of-War, and Golf at the Riverwalk Club was spectacular, sold out and very convenient. There were prizes for everyone thanks once again to industry support. Hats off to the team for arranging the Sports BBQ and running a very well organized shotgun start. See more inside on the results of our competitions.

Spouses Luncheon (Mrs. Melissa Saunders (HSC-21): Held this year at the La Terrazzo Restorante in Coronado. The Air Boss’ spouse, CAPT Judy Myers, USN (Ret) was the honored guest speaker. The spouses always put on a classy event and this luncheon raised the bar again.

Captains of Industry Panel: Used to be we had to prod people to attend this forum. That was then; this is the second century of Naval Aviation. Want to hear the real skinny, industry’s take on weapons/systems/procurement/innovation? This is the place to be. Our industry partners know what to expect from our technically astute membership: candid dialogue, challenging interaction, hard questions. Executives from CAE, Sikorsky, Telephonics, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman formed our panel moderated by NHA’s CAPT “Willie” Williamson, USN (Ret). The future of RW UAVs, ASW, ISR, R & D investments, acquisition efficiency and airborne networking were some of the topics covered. Jeff Pino, president of Sikorsky, looking to the future of rotorcraft (Sikorsky’s X-2), reminded the audience we were essentially flying the same engineering that had been developed 50 years ago. It was an energized panel that answered some difficult questions and also challenged the audience. And congratulations to perennial panel member Joe Battaglia, president of Telephonics, who was recently awarded the Navy League’s prestigious Nimitz Award. This award recognizes an individual who “has made an exemplary contribution to our nation’s strength and, in turn, our national security.”

Flag Panel (LT Gebicke): SRO. Moderated with distinction and wit by

RADM Paul Grosklags, deputy commander, Naval Air Systems Command. Senior panelist: VADM Beaman, commander 3rd Fleet (his son, an aircrewman, was in the audience). 1.5 hours of discussion and Q & A (34 questions asked) with our flag leadership and no one set themselves on fire. Notable questions/responses:

“I just tweeted my response to you” • “I am a helo addict”• ‘I would love to have a helo flag on my N-88 • staff”“Always answer with the facts, not emotion”• “Helicopter leadership is our four commodores. • How do we break the paradigm of no seat at the (operational) flag table?“CATCC manning needs to be addressed with • multiple helo’s trying to come aboard”“you guys spend too much time training CSAR • and not enough time with ASW/ISR“there is a future rotary wing gap in 2025”• “admiral, what more can the helicopter community • does for you?”

This forum never lacks for intelligent audience participation.

Naval Aviation Museum Foundation Panel: On 6 May, NHA had the pleasure of presenting a panel discussion on the “Rotary Wing Revolution” at the Naval Museum’s CoNA Symposium in Pensacola. Panel members were: CAPT ten Hoopen, COMHSMWINGLANT; CAPT Truhlar, USCG, CO, ATC, Mobile, AL; Col Grace, deputy commodore, TRAWING FIVE; CAPT Galdorisi, USN (Ret) author, lecturer, SPAWAR strategist, San Diego. SRO in the Museum’s Blue Angel Atrium. 1.3 hour panel presented where RW has been and where we are headed from each Maritime services perspective. Most interested member in audience was Mr Herb Rand, designated Helicopter pilot #94 in 1948. He wants to fly the MH-60 and work with SEAL Team SIX.

Final thoughts: Our CoNA Symposium was a blast. From the unforgettable Member’s Reunion, the CoNA edition of Rotor Review, to the Flag Panel each day was filled with meaningful events that seem to improve every year. Tip of the Blade to: Commodore Horan and Commodore Bauknecht, NHA’s host commodores; CDR Weinstock, Region 1 president; LT Justin Smith (HSC-3), the “MVP” on CDR Kingsley’s team; our entire Symposium staff and workshop committee members; our 28 corporate associates without whose year round support this all would not be possible; and our NHA HQ staff: Col. Whitfield, Lucy & George. BZ! See you in Norfolk in 2012. Until our next brief, fly well and…Keep Your Turns Up!


President’s Message

CAPT John Miley USN NHA President

Aircrewman’s Corner

AWCM Carl T. Bailey II USN Rotor Review Aircrew Editor

Dear Members,What another

t ruly outstanding Symposium! Every year, they keep getting better and better. CDR Derrick

Kingsley, Symposium VP, and all of the countless volunteers that had a hand in making this Symposium such a great success deserve a hearty thank you from all of us. Additionally, our many industry partners and exhibitors deserve a special thank you; without their support the Symposium would not have been such a special event. Last, but certainly not least, we all owe a huge debt of gratitude to our Executive Director, COL Howie Whitfield; as well as Lucy Haase and George Hopson (the NHA staff) for their dedication and tireless efforts.

This year we held the Member’s Reunion onboard the Midway Museum – and what a special night it was. RADM “Mac” McLaughlin went “above and beyond” as our hosts and made the night possible. From Mr.

Chuck Aaron’s Red Bull helicopter aerobatic demonstration, to friendly volunteer Docents providing tours of the Helo Ready Room display, to the wonderful food and the chance to reacquaint with so many old friends and squadron mates, it was truly a night to remember. Admiral Mac runs a tight ship, but he also knows how to throw a hell of a party! Thank you, Sir!

The next morning, the “business” of the Symposium got off to a great start with the Keynote Address. The Air Boss, VADM Myers, did a marvelous job providing a historical perspective for Naval Aviation’s Centennial as well as recognizing the contributions and acknowledgements of the Helicopter community. The Panel Discussions, Exhibits, Awards Luncheon and Sporting Events were all first class events; as we’ve come to expect at a NHA Symposium. Finally, the Captains of Industry Panel and Flag Panel proved to be a perfect bookend for the Symposium. Having seven Flag Officers – including the COMTHIRDFLT, VADM Beaman - take time out of their

busy schedules to share their insights on the Navy, Naval Aviation and the Helicopter Community is a testament to the strength and importance of Naval Helicopter Aviation and NHA.

The Symposium also provided an opportunity to have a number of personal discussions about how to increase NHA’s membership and make it an even stronger organization. We’ve established a presence on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn and we’re looking at ways to improve our website. Our future is bright. NHA is stronger today than ever and with your help it will continue to grow. It’s a great time to be a Navy Helicopter Pilot and to be involved in NHA.

NHA is your organization. Get involved. Contribute. Make a difference.

Warm Regards,

Hello all,Well another

NHA symposium is in the books. By all accounts a very successful symposium at that. Thanks to XO

Kingsley, LT Smith and the symposium team for all your hard work and putting a high level of importance concerning the Enlisted aspects of NHA.

Congratulations to the participants of the of the Aircrew competition and the warriors of HS-10 and HSL -48 who tied for first place with the final edge going to HSL-48 after an intense “Tug-O-War” tie breaker. It was an awesome turnout, I would like to give a shout out to Chief Gibbs from HSC-3 and his team for putting together an awesome event.

We also had one of the best turnouts I have seen in a long time for this year’s Senior Enlisted Panel. I had the honor and pleasure of speaking to pretty full room of Enlisted Warriors. I also really enjoyed the different presentations on a myriad of issues that affect enlisted personnel in todays at war Navy. I especially enjoyed our community detailer and my friend Senior Chief Mike Belt. He gave a no frills and detailed brief

(no pun intended) on what it takes to not just get your next set of orders but what it takes to really be competitive and quite honestly in some cases to just stay in the navy. Our goal with this year’s panel was to keep it as real and relivent and hopefully have folks walking away saying that their time at the panel was well spent, I believe that our goals were realized. I would like to also give a shout out to Chief Greg “Otter” Ott and his team for organizing and putting together this years panel.

You know, over the years I have been, in some way, associated with NHA and the annual NHA symposiums; way back as a junior enlisted Aircrewman up to now as an old guy ready to complete my Navy ride. I have seen NHA from different stages of my career and have heard on more then one occasion that “NHA” is for “Officers and Pilots” that it is “an Officer thing” etc…. We have the annual push to get more enlisted membership. I have heard the pros and cons from young enlisted folks to the old crusty salts. My view is the following: we are a crew in the helicopter together. We, Officer and Enlisted have always relied on each other’s experience and expertise

to make up a successful helicopter crew and execute successful missions. All of us have always relied on our maintenance professionals to give us an “UP” and safe bird to fly. I think there is immense value added to having a strong and active enlisted presence in NHA. We should drive up the membership for the enlisted folks year round, not just for numbers or money, but more to have the enlisted voice heard. I have personally spoke with very senior and junior officers throughout the years and all of them genuinely want their enlisted counterparts to be a part of NHA. It can get a lot better, there can be a lot more focus on the enlisted aspects of the helicopter community from the Aircrewman (AWs and SAR Med Techs) to our maintenance professionals. So, from this old Aircreman I say get involved, sign up, and have your voice heard in your community. Nothing is holding us back, and I really believe that we, the enlisted men and women are and will continue to be fully accepted by our officer counterparts, at the end of the day NHA will only be better and stronger with a strong enlisted presence!

Well as usual I am very proud and humbled to help represent Aircrewmen and all the enlisted professionals in the helicopter community, stay safe out there, sit back and give this edition of Rotor Review a good read.


Col. Howard M. Whitfield, USMC (Ret)NHA Executive Director

Executive Director’s Notes

NHA Scholarship Fund

CAPT Paul Stevens, USN (Ret)NHA Scholarship Fund President

What a great S y m p o s i u m !

Certainly one of the best I’ve been to in recent times. Many thanks to Region One for their fundraising

efforts that netted more than n $ 3,500 in the last two months. HSC-25 alone provided $1,100 from a golf fundraiser in memory of a former HSC-25 pilot, LT Christian Hescock, who died in a mishap several years ago. We added another $700 to the Fund from our Symposium raffle thanks to Squadron Toys donation of two custom-made helicopter models. That will fund two scholarships in the next cycle! Well done Region One and thanks to all those who contributed to the Fund when completing their Symposium registration.

So what does it all mean? This year we gave out more than $32,000 in scholarships to family members and active duty personnel who

served in the naval rotary wing community. All three services (USN, USMC, USCG) were represented and selectees were from both officer and enlisted communities. Look for the names of those selected (on page 25) in this and/or a follow-on issue of Rotor Review. These students are truly the best of the best that we selected from over 200 applications. Thank-you for helping us get the word out. I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge our corporate and memorial sponsors: L-3 Comms/DPA, Lockheed Martin, Sikorsky, Raytheon, and the Ream Family. Their contributions fund the majority of scholarships we give out each year. We simply would not have a scholarship program without their generous support.

You may remember that I was in the process of establishing a memorial scholarship in the name of CDR Mort McCarthy who passed away earlier this year. Mort was a friend and mentor, and a gifted pilot and superb Naval Officer to many of us. We are off to a good start in this endeavor

but your donation will ensure we can award that first scholarship in his name during the next cycle. Please send those donations to CDR Mort McCarthy Memorial Scholarship, Account # 117333633, North Island Credit Union, PO Box 85833 San Diego CA, 92186

Last but not least, we just received word that we are back in the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC)! We will use the same CFC number, 10800, during the upcoming cycle. If you are on active duty or in government service please remember us during the Campaign. Also note that our continued eligibility depends to a large extend, on how many states we provide scholarships to so your help in getting the word to those who have served in naval rotary wing is extremely important. Thanks one and all for supporting YOUR NHA Scholarship Fund

Hold fast,

NHA Region One, S a n

D i e g o , h a s long had an informal group of formerly active and retired

Navy helicopter pilots that have participated in semi quarterly NHA dinners and offered their assistance to NHA in many ways. CDR (Ret) Arnie Fieser has been the spark who plans and coordinates the dinners.

Starting a year ago a group led by CAPT (Ret) Paul Caine, ably assisted by CDR (Ret) John Leach, Dick Bradley, CDR (Ret) Mike Brattland, CDR (Ret) Roger McTighe, CAPT (Ret) Ted Sholl, CAPT (Ret) Vince Secades, and CAPT (Ret) Walt Lester, offered NHA their assistance in planning, coordinating, and conducting Centennial of Naval Aviation (CoNA) activities and reinvigorating the interaction with the active Navy. The group developed a number of diverse goals that included ensuring Navy rotary wing aviation and NHA were included in the many CoNA activities planned in San Diego as well as projects that will carry on beyond 2011. Members of the group have met with Coronado/San Diego CoNA community leaders on a frequent basis to offer ideas and assistance in

historical displays in the Coronado library and elsewhere in San Diego.. During the February 11th CoNA kick-off weekend, they manned an NHA display and stuff sales booth at NAS North Island assisted by LT s Bailey and McCullough. The group drafted a letter for CAPT Miley’s signature to CNAF requesting that a date be set for the birthday of Navy helicopter aviation. That initiative resulted in return correspondence from the Naval History and Heritage Command establishing 16 October 1943 as the birthday of Navy helicopter aviation. Vince Secades and Mike Brattland authored a Naval Helicopter History pamphlet for distribution and marketing. Also, Vince Secades has been writing a number of historical articles in Rotor Review (see page 28). Other articles have been forwarded to CAPT Rich Dann, USNR, for inclusion in the CoNA newsletters. Mike Brattland has worked hard to create improved helicopter videos for the display in the helicopter ready room aboard the USS Midway Museum. A version of the videos was on display in the hangar deck during the Symposium Members Reunion aboard Midway May 9th. Also, Ted Sholl and other docents on Midway with helicopter experience donated

their time for special tours during the Members Reunion and escorting Red Bull pilot Chuck Aaron. Mike Brattland has also been working hard to update a contact list for the formerly active and retired Navy helicopter pilots and aircrew throughout the U.S. to improve communication. For this year’s Memorial Day celebrations aboard USS Midway Paul Caine invited CAPT Rich Dann, to be Master of Ceremonies and for County Supervisor Chairman, Marine Corps veteran, Bill Horn, to present a proclamation drafted by Paul Caine, Walt Lester and others declaring May 30, 2011, to be “Fallen Naval Helicopter Aircrew Day” For more on the proclamation, see page 53. In summary, the NHA volunteer group led by Paul Caine has had remarkable success to date and will continue to pursue a number of initiatives to improve contact and communication among NHA members both active duty and formerly active and retired. Navy helicopters have been prominent in San Diego for years starting at Ream Field/NAS Imperial Beach and NAS North Island is now a Master Helicopter Base with 21 squadrons assigned and more on the way. Navy helicopter aviation has become a major force in operational fleet actions in terms of numbers of total pilots, squadrons, and capabilities. Other NHA regions are encouraged to activate similar groups of formerly active and retired naval helicopter pilots for local activities coordinating with the NHA active duty regional presidents.


By CAPT George Galdorisi, USN (Ret)

A View From The Labs... Supporting The Fleet

2011 NHA Symposium Highlights

For those of us who’ve been

lucky enough to attend dozens of NHA Symposia, we have to be careful tossing around superlatives like “best ever,” and you’ll hear lots of superlatives from others writing columns here, but from my point of view I’d be hard-pressed to remember an NHA Symposium that was better-organized, better-attended, and just plain great. Kudos to NHA Chairman Admiral Steve Tomaszeski, NHA President Captain John Miley, and NHA Executive Director Colonel Howie Whitfield for their long-term, strong, guidance in the run-up to this event, and especially to Commander Derrick Kingsley and his team for making the event happen and come off with such class. BZ2U all!

And since this all happened in the context of the Centennial of Naval Aviation – a.k.a. CONA – special thanks to Captain Tim Wilson, Captain Rich Dann and their crew for all they do every day to make CONA real, and especially for their booth at the Symposium. Watching all of you in uniform, many of you on your first tour, swarm that booth to grab a piece of that history is a clear signal that our community “gets it” that they are part of that larger mosaic of Naval Aviation and an essential part of that proud, 100-year history.

So let’s talk about that for a moment. But first a disclaimer. There has been an avalanche of books, major articles, newspaper reports, and other media surrounding CONA (as well there should be), and trying to capture something meaningful in a few hundred words that spans the chasm between those of you who have read most of that and those of you who haven’t read much of it is challenge. But what the heck, I’ll try anything once.

Let’s look at Naval Aviation writ large for just a moment. Of all the killer-good quotes about what Naval Aviation,

uniquely, delivers, I keep coming back to one by Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz. In 1948, Admiral Nimitz said: “Naval forces are able, without resorting to diplomatic channels, to establish offshore anywhere in the world…Such task forces are virtually as complete as any air base ever established. They constitute the only air bases that can be made available near enemy territory without assault and conquest.” Let’s go with that thought for a moment.

Naval Aviation today is comprised of more than 100,000 officers and Sailors assigned to 11 aircraft carriers, 10 carrier air wings, 25 naval air stations, and 168 fleet, reserve, and training squadrons. Naval aviators, aircrewmen, maintainers and others in support serving today stand on the shoulders of giants who have made Naval Aviation what it is today. As we honor those pioneers, recognize Naval Aviation’s unique contributions today, and look towards a future filled with promise, it is important to pause a moment and see where Naval Aviation fits into the “big scheme of things.”

The National Military Strategy of the United States of America is the highest level document articulating what the U.S. Military must do to ensure National prosperity and security. It articulates the ways and means by which the U.S. military will advance enduring national interests that stem from the National Security Strategy and the Quadrennial Defense Review. Not surprisingly this publication’s review of the strategic environment highlights “Ensuring Access to the Global Commons and Globally Connected Domains” as a key mission for the U.S. military, noting, “Assured access to and freedom of maneuver within the global commons – shared areas of sea, air, and space – and globally connected domains such as cyberspace are being increasingly challenged by both state and non-state actors.”

It should come as no surprise that the image accompanying this key paragraph in The National Military Strategy is that of a U.S. Navy carrier strike group (CSG). As the sine qua non of U.S. naval power, the CSG – the aircraft carrier and carrier air wing – and most importantly the 5,000+ Navy professionals who operate and maintain the ship and aircraft – along with its accompanying ships, are at sea every day in peace and war doing the work of the Republic. It is no wonder that today – as it has been for a half-century or more – when a crisis erupts the first question U.S. presidents ask is, “Where are the aircraft carriers?”

Which brings us directly to our Naval Rotary Wing Aviation Community. If one theme came across loud and clear during the symposium – especially in the briefings by the HSM and HSC communities on the evolving Helo CONOPS – but, truly, on every panel, it was that our community is such an essential part of U.S. Navy CSGs (as well as for Navy-Marine Corps Expeditionary Strike Groups) that it is now something that is completely (and compellingly) internalized by the people who operate today’s Navy at sea: CSG and ESG Commanders, U.S. Navy Fleet Commanders, and the United States Combatant Commanders who carry out the work of the Republic worldwide.

It is important as we move forward into the next century of Naval Aviation, and to a new era of Naval Rotary Wing Aviation, to remember that the centrality of our profession in the history of the Nation, the Navy, and Naval Aviation, coupled with the crucial roles Naval Rotary Wing Aviators play today in Naval, Joint and coalition operations in peace and war, argue strongly that Naval Rotary Wing Aviation will retain this central role in the future.


Sikorsky Aircraft Achieves 300 MH-60 SEAHAWK® Helicopter Production Milestone for U.S. Navy

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Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX), and the U.S. Navy have celebrated the production of 100 MH-60R and 200 MH-60S SEAHAWK® multi-mission helicopters for the U.S. Navy.

“MH-60 helicopters perform an important role protecting the fleet and its sailors, and conducting a host of multi-mission operations,” said RADM. Paul Grosklags, vice c o m m a n d e r , U.S. Navy Naval Air Systems Command. “Our Navy pilots and crew fly with the knowledge that these aircraft not only are proven operationally at sea, but are made by a company with a proven track record of helicopter manufacturing excellence.”

The U.S. Navy has accumulated 370,000 flight hours on MH-60S aircraft since operations began in 2002, and more than 90,000 flight hours for the MH-60R

helicopter since 2006. As multi-mission platforms, both fulfill the Navy’s Helicopter Master Plan that designates two multi-mission helicopter types will take over the missions performed by six legacy helicopters across the fleet.

MH-60S aircraft take on roles previously performed by CH-46D, UH-3H, HH-1N and HH-60H helicopters — carrying

supplies and sailors between ships, performing search and rescue, protecting Navy ships with air-to-surface missiles, and as a future mission will hunt for mines at sea. The MH-60R aircraft, with radar, acoustic sonar, sophisticated communications links, torpedoes and missiles, combines the anti-surface and

anti-submarine warfare roles performed by the SH-60B and SH-60F Seahawk helicopters.

“We are immensely proud of our prime role building the U.S. Navy’s most advanced maritime helicopters,” said Dennis Jarvi, Sikorsky vice president

for Navy and Marine Corps programs. “Our skilled and dedicated workforce, and our many industry teammates, apply their significant experience to assist the Navy in achieving mission success with each and every MH-60 aircraft.”

Sikorsky employs more than 1,100 hourly employees to assemble and complete both MH-60 SEAHAWK helicopter types at the company’s Troy, AL., and Stratford, Conn., facilities.

The result of 35 years of lessons learned in delivering SEAHAWK helicopters to the U.S. Navy, the new MH-60 multi-mission helicopters have special coatings to resist salt corrosion, strengthened airframes, and systems that reduce vibrations and monitor how the aircraft is performing. Both aircraft types feature the same digital cockpit manufactured by Lockheed Martin.

Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., based in Stratford, CN., is a world leader in helicopter design, manufacture, and service. United Technologies Corp., based in Hartford, CN, provides a broad range of high technology products and support services to the aerospace and building systems industries.

MH-60 helicopters perform an important role protecting the fleet and its sailors, and

conducting a host of multi-mission operations ... [our] Navy pilots and crew fly with the knowledge that these aircraft not only are proven operationally at sea, but are made by a company with a proven track record of helicopter manufacturing excellence


Fire Scout prepares for CENTCOM deploymentPress Released by Northrop Grumman

The Navy’s Fire Scout U n m a n n e d Air

Vehicle system is about to begin its first land-based deployment to U.S. Central Command this month. The Fire Scout effort is led by the Navy and Marine Corps Multi-Mission Tactical Unmanned Air System program office, PMA-266, at Patuxent River, MD. In response to an urgent needs requirement from DoD’s Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance task force, the team rapidly modified, tested and verified the Fire Scout system to adjust to land-based operations and the demanding environmental conditions in CENTCOM. “This is an exciting time for the Fire Scout program,” said CAPT Tim Dunigan, PMA-266 program manager. “The system has proven its capability on its two ship-based deployments, and I am confident it will perform well in CENTCOM.” A combined team of military, civilian and contractor personnel loaded 90,000 pounds of equipment, including three aircraft, two ground control stations (GCS) and associated hardware, on U.S. Air Force C-5 and C-17 aircraft. The C-5 left with the GCS and hardware April 8, and the C-17 deployed April 13 with three air vehicles. “It’s very unique for an aircraft to deploy directly from Pax River,” Dunigan said. “The activity conducted by our test team at Webster Field was done exceptionally well. We were able to meet tight schedule timelines so we could support the warfighter as soon as possible.” The Fire Scout will provide hundreds of hours of Full Motion Video in theater supporting U.S. Army and coalition forces during its year-long deployment. The system will be operated by contractor personnel. The Fire Scout’s first flight in CENTCOM is expected this month. The system is also currently deployed aboard the USS Halyburton (FFG 40) tallying more than 200 flight hours to date in support of humanitarian assistance and counter-piracy missions.

MQ-8B Fire Scout Weaponization Program

The Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) Patuxent River, Maryland, in conjunction with the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) has a requirement to field a Rapid Deployment Capability (RDC) Weaponization Program for the MQ-8B Fire Scout Verticle Takeoff and Landing Tactical Unmanned Air Vehicle (VTUAV). The Government will act as the Lead System Integrator (LSI) for the RDC. The contractor shall perform the engineering, manufacturing and data development tasks required to integrate the Government selected weapon, launchers, and Stores Management System(SMS) onto the MQ-8B. NAVAIR intends to award a sole source contract to Northrup Grumman Systems Corporation (NGSC) located at 17066 Golden Top Road, San Diego, California 92127-2412. NGSC is the original designer, developer and manufacturer of the Fire Scout air vehicle. NGSC is the sole integrator for any of the modular payloads for use on the air vehicle. NGSC has designed and developed the key interfaces that enable payload integration onto the production air vehicle.

The required Weapons System will consist of the SMS, release and suspension equipment or carriage stores, and the interfaces into the VTUAV. The Weapon System will be integrated into the Fire Scout and the control station, flight tested, and operationally and technically evaulated. The work to be performed by the contractor shall consist of providing personnel, materials, services, facilities, logistic support, data and management required to design, develop, fabricate, test, document, deliver, and support the equipment defined by the VTUAV Weapon Specification, document PMA-266 Weaponization.

MQ-8B Fire Scout on deck. Photo courtesy of Northrop Grumman Corp



Industry and Technology: Northrop Grumman

Northrop Grumman Fire Scout Hits New Single-Day Endurance Flight Record

The Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:

NOC)-built MQ-8B Fire Scout vertical takeoff and landing tactical unmanned aerial vehicle marked a new single-day flight record of 18 hours.

U.S. Navy operators achieved the record using a single aircraft in a series of endurance flights Feb. 25 from the USS Halyburton (FFG 40). Fire Scout is providing intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance data to support anti-piracy missions while deployed on the ship for the Navy’s 5th Fleet.

“We’ve continually worked with the Navy to enhance Fire Scout since its last deployment to meet these types of operational needs,” said George Vardoulakis, vice president for tactical unmanned systems for Northrop Grumman’s Aerospace Systems sector. “These flights not only demonstrated Fire Scout’s maturity, it showed how the system provides a much-needed extension for gathering crucial information during peacekeeping or wartime missions.”

In April 2010, Fire Scout

Press Released by Northrop Grumman Corporation

concluded a military utility assessment on board the USS McInerney (FFG 8), a frigate similar to the USS Halyburton. Fire Scout has flown twice as much in the first two months on board the USS Halyburton than the entire USS McInerney deployment. The system also completed initial flight tests on board the USS Freedom (LCS 1) in November.

Fire Scout features a modular

architecture that accommodates a variety of electro-optical/infrared and communications payloads. These payloads provide ground and ship-based commanders with high levels of situational awareness and precision targeting support.

Fire Scout’s ability to operate at low ground speeds makes it particularly well suited for supporting littoral missions such as drug interdiction, search and rescue, reconnaissance and port security.

In late January, operators from the Halyburton located a disabled boat using Fire Scout’s Brite Star II sensor payload that provides full-motion video capability. This allowed the ship’s crew to get to the boat and help make repairs.

Northrop Grumman is a leading global security company whose 75,000 employees provide innovative systems, products and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems, and technical services to government and commercial customers worldwide. Please visit www.northropgrumman.com for more information.

MQ-8B Fire Scout hovering over the flight deck of the McInerney. Photo courtesy of Northrop Grumman Corp



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ONR Propels Cutting-edge Technologies at Naval Helicopter Association Symposium

The Office of Naval Research (ONR) revealed

the the Low-Cost Imaging Terminal Seeker (LCITS), during the 63rd annual Naval Helicopter Association (NHA) Symposium being held in San Diego, May 9-12.

According to Lt. Col. Raymond Schreiner, a developmental test pilot assigned to China Lake’s Naval Air Warfare Center’s Weapons Division in California, the technology will give helicopters such as the MH-60 and the AH-1 Cobra that protect fleet ships a newfound tactical advantage, allowing helicopter aircraft commanders to “take the fight away from the boat.” The LCITS system essentially offers a “fire and forget” capability, enabling pilots to designate a target, fire a rocket and move on to the next threat. That ability relieves the pilot of the responsibility of guiding the weapon to the target during the time of flight, as is the case with laser-designated weapons. For pilots, that means a faster response when countering threats. Schreiner

fired a prototype LCITS weapon and witnessed the LCITS’ capability firsthand. “Putting this on a helicopter gives us the ability to take the fight away from the boat,” he said. “The LCITS technology appears to be well suited for engaging multiple, high-speed seaborne targets in a very short period of time.” The LCITS system comprises three main components: the algorithms that calculate targeting and transfer alignment data; a digital smart launcher; and the prototype LCITS weapon. The system is a collaborative effort among several partners, including South Korea; the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency; the Office of the Secretary of Defense; and the Navy International Program Office, all of which helped advance its optical sensors and infrared-seeker technologies. “The LCITS program is a wonderful example of how investments in multiple technologies can come together and produce a new capability for the naval warfighter,” said Michael Deitchman, director of ONR’s Naval Air Warfare and Weapons

Department. Deitchman also praised the

LCITS system’s ability to accomplish the mission with little to no support. “The LCITs program is considered “low cost” because it is an augmentation or upgrade to a pre-existing 2.75-inch rocket system,” Deitchman said. “Instead of relying on costly parts, sensors and guidance systems, it relies on the aircraft systems to provide the targeting information.” LCITS is undergoing further testing as part of the Medusa Joint Capability Technology Demonstration (JCTD). Medusa JCTD’s goal is to integrate the rocket onto the MH-60 aircraft platform. It will also demonstrate the LCITS’ capability to defend against multiple fast-attack craft threats from various directions and ranges. Demonstrations will show the rocket system’s potential to defeat these targets.

ONR’s participation in the NHA event underscores the Navy’s commitment to develop technology

Low-Cost Imaging Terminal Seeker (LCITS) was showcased at NHA Symposium. Photo courtesy of Office of Naval Research


Continued from page 12Industry and Technology: Office of Naval Research

for the helicopter community. With more than 3,000 active-duty, Reserve, retired and corporate members, the association says its mission is to enhance the professionalism of military personnel working in the rotary wing aviation field. The NHA’s annual symposium is a platform for collaboration, discussion and a chance to address challenges facing the entire naval rotary wing community, including the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard.

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CDR Bruce Hinschingberger (l) gets a “hand on” demonstration of the Light Speed Binocular communication system from ONR Rep. Adam Zimet (R) as CDR Dave Shay watches. Photo courtesy of Office of Naval Research.

About the Office of Naval Research The Department of the Navy’s Office of Naval Research (ONR) provides the science and technology necessary to maintain the

Navy and Marine Corps’ technological advantage. Through its affiliates, ONR is a leader in science and technology with engagement in 50 states, 70 countries, 1,035 institutions of higher learning and 914 industry partners. ONR employs approximately 1,400 people, comprising uniformed, civilian and contract personnel, with additional employees at the Naval Research Lab in Washington, D.C.


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Online membership application • Current Events • Feature Articles online & comments section • much more. Experience It ! Go to www.navalhelicopterassn.orgNHA is officially on Facebook , LinkedIn, and Twitter

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In the rotary wing community, a carrier-based helicopter

squadron is usually associated with the plane guard mission. This, however, is no longer the case in the multi-mission, cost-based military of 21st century. As set forth in the “Navy Helicopter Master Plan,” the MH-60S

will be one of three primary platforms performing a vast array of missions. To be a fully capable HSC (CVW) squadron, aircrews and maintainers must be proficient in missions associated with the legacy HS community as well as a multitude of other assignments. The Tridents of HSC-9 are the first carrier-based MH-60S squadron on the east coast to tackle this bold and exciting challenge.

While embarked on USS George H. W. Bush (CVN 77) during C2X/JTFEX, HSC-9 demonstrated its versatility during exercises with numerous external entities. A clear example of this is when two Trident helicopters were tasked to transport and operate alongside a group of U.S. Army Rangers. Having flown more than 200 miles away from the aircraft carrier, the aircrews were tasked with sanitizing an insertion area and inserting the Rangers via fast rope. Once the Rangers were on the ground, they directed multiple strikes by utilizing the helicopters which were equipped with M-240s.

More Than Just Plane GuardArticle by LTJG Janis Harrington, USN

The success of the insertion and the display of the airframe’s effectiveness as a tactical battlefield asset help remedy any misconceptions that HSC (CVW) squadrons solely operate in close proximity to the carrier.

Capabilities long monopolized by helicopters are evolving due to the creation of the HSC community. Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR), a complex mission vital to the carrier strike group, has become more successful with the integration of the MH-60S Armed

Helo. Its Link 16 system allows air and surface assets to plot and update a real-time depiction of the battle space. While on a CSAR training mission, Trident aircrews utilized their Link to expedite locating and extracting the survivor. By having an E-2C overhead as the Airborne Mission Commander (AMC), the helicopter crews can receive the exact location of the survivor via their Link. This quick and accurate visual representation of the

survivor’s location along with the ability to send, receive, and analyze pictures sent via the Link gives the MH-60S the ability to effectively manage the successful completion of the evolution. Other Air Wing assets are also able to see the survivor’s position in Link, greatly increasing overall situational awareness during a CSAR. This new capability has significantly enhanced rotary and fixed wing integration to increase the efficiency and the safety of mission accomplishment.

There have been vast improvements in integrated operations with various external assets, and HSC-9 will have to endure yet another change on their maiden deployment. A two helicopter vertical replenishment (VERTREP) detachment will embark aboard USNS Sacagawea (T-AKE 2) to provide logistical support to Carrier

As set forth in the “Navy He l i cop te r Mas te r Plan,” the MH-60S

will be one of three primary platforms performing a vast array of missions [...] HSC-9 are the first carrier-based MH-60S squadron on the east coast to tackle this bold and exciting challenge.

Continue on page 15

HSC-9 flies alongside U.S.S George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) while underway in support of fleet training operations. Photo taken by MC3 Nicholas Hall


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Strike Group TWO. This will be a first for the Tridents as they are accustomed to deploying as a squadron due to their HS heritage. This detachment brings in the traditional HC component as both communities merge as part of the “Navy Helicopter Master Plan.”

The combination of a versatile aircraft and a well trained aircrew is the foundation of the Navy’s newest helicopter community. HSC-9 and other HSC (CVW) squadrons are being tasked with greater and more diverse missions. While the day-to-day work of plane guard and SAR alerts show up regularly on the flight schedule, the men and women who fly and maintain the MH-60S are prepared for all tasking once accomplished by two separate helicopter communities.

Features: More Than Just Plane GuardContinued from page 14

A clear example of this is when two Tr ident hel icopters were tasked to transport

and operate alongside a group of U.S. Army Rangers... Once the Rangers were on the ground, they directed multiple strikes by utilizing the helicopters which were equipped wi th M-240s. The success of the insert ion and the display of the airframe’s e f f ec t i veness as a t ac t i ca l battlefield asset help remedy any misconceptions that HSC (CVW) squadrons solely operate in close proximity to the carrier.

Iraqi TransitionsArticle and Photo by LT Mark Klein, USN

Photo taken by MC3 Nicholas Hall, USN

It was during awards quarters shortly after I returned from

my H2P cruise with the 2515th Naval Air Ambulance Detachment (NAAD) that our Executive Officer, CDR Compton, asked me “Are you ready to go back?,” referring to a second deployment with the 2515th in Basrah, Iraq. Wanting to sound sure of my answer and adding a bit of cockiness I replied, “Sir, I’m all in!”

Eight months later I boarded a plane in Guam that would lead me back to Iraq. The pace is a bit slower than my first tour; there are less MEDEVAC flights and the hours have been supplemented by training and SWTP events. Our mindset as an Air Ambulance Detachment is

shifting more and more towards where we are going in the future and how we are preparing for that transition.

One subject recently brought to light was the issue of continuity of MEDEVAC support across the theater as U.S. Forces draw down in Iraq. The 2515th NAAD has supported this mission for the last six years, and while we’ve had a great run, it will soon be over. As the current 2515th

NAAD CO, CDR Saunders, recently pointed out, “We’ve done a great job training you as Army pilots, but in the near future, the Navy will need you to be Naval Aviators again. It’s time to return to shipboard deployments and flying at sea.” After two tours in the desert, I had to ask myself: “Ships are the large grey metal structures, right?”

The Iraqi Armed Forces have also made inquiries as to how to fill the void that will be left once the 2515th NAAD departs. In February 2011, as one of the first steps in the transition process, the Iraqi Air Force 4th Squadron, led by Brigadier General Sami and Colonel Tahir, recently requested the aid of the 2515th NAAD in a joint training exercise to share knowledge and experience about the MEDEVAC mission.

These efforts, named Operation

[R]ecently brought to light was the issue of continuity of MEDEVAC

support across the theater as U.S. Forces draw down in Iraq... 2515th NAAD CO, CDR Saunders, recently pointed out, “We’ve done a great job training you as Army pilots, but in the near future, the Navy will need you to be Naval Aviators again. It’s time to return to shipboard deployments and flying at sea.” After two tours [...] I had to ask myself: “Ships are the large grey metal structures, right?”

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Features: Iraqi Transitions

Continued from page 15Avicenna after the 9th Century Persian philosopher and physician, combined classroom instruction with hands on training. Over a three week course the 2515th NAAD and the Iraqi Air Force focused on MEDEVAC 9-Lines, litter

management, ground rescue element tactics, and general safety around dynamic aircraft, utilizing classroom instruction followed by both static and dynamic practical training sessions.

The first classroom phase was led by me and Chief Hospital Corpsman Jason Pollock. During the drive to the 4th Squadron’s compound, HMC

Pollock expressed his hesitation and concerns about language and cultural barriers. I told him, “you’re a professional and they’re professionals. We’ll just present the material as such and I’m sure everything else will work out.” With the help of our interpreter, Mr. Haidar Alsayegh, everything went smoothly. The language and cultural barriers we initially anticipated proved to be a non-issue.

Following the academic session we moved on to static, practical training. As we began working in and around the massive Mi-17 helicopter, we realized there was still more work to be done. Procedures needed to be hashed out for handling and securing a litter within their aircraft’s unique cabin configuration. Though the Mi-17 has the capability for a Litter Management System, the Iraqis plan to serve as more of a CASEVAC role than as a dedicated MEDEVAC platform (providing support with lifts of opportunity during other missions). As I, HMC Pollock, and COL Tahir’s men discussed the lessons we had learned, we developed a plan to use commercially available ratcheting straps to secure litters to the cargo tie down rings already installed in the floor of their pair of Mi-17s. We then continued to develop methods of sending and receiving patient information using the various radios installed in the Mi-17.

Following the static runs, we decided it was time to put our efforts to the test. One week later, an Iraqi Air Force Mi-17 waited patiently at the far end of Basrah International

SCAN ANDWATCH “Iraqi MEDEVAC Pt. 1 Video”



Airfield. Across the radio, a 9-Line was read in English and translated to Arabic. Seconds later, the helicopter was on station to pick up the simulated, urgent patient for transport to a care facility. In between the two iterations that followed, we gathered as a group to discuss the lessons that had been learned. Each subsequent run was an improvement over the last.

The following week, COL Tahir invited us to return for Operation Avicenna II. This phase would include the same members as the first class from the Iraqi 4th squadron who would this time demonstrate proficiency instructing the previously discussed topics. Led by COL Tahir and one of his own crewmen, we began Avicenna II with the same classroom material as the first - only this time translated from Arabic to English for our benefit. The valuable feedback provided by both sides once again convinced us of the need for procedures specifically tailored for the Mi-17 platform and the specific requirements of the Iraqi Air Force. The diligence and professionalism of Avicenna II was in keeping with the first operation. The final dynamic practical was flown by COL Tahir himself, with an impressive show of low flight maneuvers and what an Iraqi Major laughingly described in English as, “Sporty takeoffs.” The patient information was called in, recorded, and acted upon solely by the Airmen and Soldiers of the Iraqi 4th Squadron utilizing their own translated and customized MEDEVAC 9-Lines.

SCAN ANDWATCH “Iraqi MEDEVAC Pt. 2 Video”



The Iraqi Armed Forces have also made inquiries as to how to fill the void that will be left once the

2515th NAAD departs. In February 2011, as one of the first steps in the transition process, the Iraqi Air Force 4th Squadron, led by Brigadier General Sami and Colonel Tahir, recently requested the aid of the 2515th NAAD in a joint training exercise to share knowledge and experience about the MEDEVAC mission.

Continue on page 17


Features: Iraqi Transitions

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The event was covered by the Iraqi Air Force Public Affairs Office, emphasizing the operation’s importance both for the 4th Squadron and the 2515th NAAD.

In the end, we were invited for lunch at the Iraqi dining facility, patches were traded, and a lasting professional relationship built on mutual respect and friendship was formed. Twenty-nine Iraqi Air Force members, consisting of both officers and enlisted, were involved in the creation of their own syllabus and course material, which will be used in future classes led by members of the original operation. My initial perception of the Iraqi military as a force separated by tribal and religious beliefs was shattered by witnessing these professionals unified in a polarized mindset - their driving force… the success of Iraq’s future.

2515th NAAD approaches a landing zone during a training exercise to recover mock casualties. Photo taken by Spc. Raymond Quintanilla, USA


Dragonslayers & the QuestArticle by LT Seth Saalfeld, USN

Since 2006, the Horn of Africa has become plagued

with pirates that hijack merchant traffic, hold crews hostage, and demand ransom. Currently, nearly 30 vessels and 660 innocent mariners remain under the control of pirates. The treatment of these hostages has increased in brutality, and the amount of the ransom now averages $5 million. This is often secured by the pirates who reap the benefit of well insured merchant companies. Captured individuals brought to the ungoverned shores of Somalia can experience long hostage ordeals, as in the case of a British sailing couple who were finally released after 388 days once a ransom had been paid.

On the morning of February 18, 2011, in the Gulf of Aden, the Quest, a sailboat containing four American citizens bound for Oman, came under the attack of Somali pirates.

Becoming aware of the attack, the Quest made a distress call that was responded to by a Danish member of

a multinational coalition of warships presiding over the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean aimed at limiting the success of the pirates. The warship arrived on scene to find a pirate mother ship providing support to those already aboard the Quest. With the Quest having been successfully commandeered by the suspected pirates, the warship aimed to

intercept the mother ship and capture those aboard. In the process, all but two suspected pirates escaped into the water to be picked up by the Quest. In all, 15 suspected pirates held control of the 58 foot sailboat as it began to head for Somalia.

In the following days, four

U.S. Navy warships, to include the USS Enterprise with its embarked squadron of the HS-11 Dragonslayers and additional Special Forces would arrive to aid the Americans held hostage. Flights to exercise tactics between the Special Forces and the HH-60H, a proven U.S. Naval Special Warfare asset, would factor into further planning to free the

American hostages. In the middle of that plan is where we found ourselves on the morning of February 22. Briefing for the flight, Dragonslayer 614 would be the helicopter in the position of airborne mission lead; CDR Edgardo Moreno as the aircraft commander, LT Tim Burfield copilot, AWRCS Troy Rankin crewchief and AWR1 Ben Pilgrim gunner. Also in their aircraft would be

a communication specialist and two pararescuemen. The primary CASEVAC aircraft would be Dragonslayer 615 with LCDR John Shannon as aircraft commander, LT Seth Saalfeld copilot, AWRC Christopher Atkinson crewchief, and AWR1 Jeremy Howsare gunner.

ince 2006, the Horn of Africa has become plagued with pirates that hijack merchant traffic, hold crews

hostage, and demand ransom... The treatment of [...] hostages has increased in brutality, and the amount of the ransom now averages $5 million [and] brought to the ungoverned shores of Somalia

Click the following links to view videos of the training

http://www.dvidshub.net/video/108146/iraqi-medevac-trainin1. g

http://www.dvidshub.net/video/107854/iraqi-medevac-training-part-2. 1

http://www.dvidshub.net/video/107855/iraqi-medevac-training-part-3. 2


Features: Dragonslayers & the Quest

Continued from page 17In addition, a medical specialist and two pararescuemen would be in the cabin. A similar flight was briefed and flown the day before and as hundreds of sailors watched from the Enterprise catwalks the Special Forces boat crews could be seen executing nearly the same maneuvers they would employ the next morning. No reaction was observed from the Quest that day as it continued its westbound creep, shadowed by two U.S. warships on each side and the USS Enterprise always nearby.

Communications and aircraft deconfliction were emphasized between the flight crews during the briefing with the understanding we were to respond to anything needed by the Special Forces, whose specific plans were not known at the time. It was even assumed nothing would be occurring on this flight as nothing had happened the day before. As two fully qualified JOs, no matter what may have been planned, an excitement to just be involved was expressed between the copilots. Fully briefed and with the aircraft prepped, the crews stood by ready to be airborne within 5 minutes of getting the call to go. Dragonslayer 614 experienced issues starting one of their engines and continued to troubleshoot as 615 with both engines running established communications with a mission commander in the tower and the boat force commander. Last minute discussions took place with the additional crew in the cabin including one with a pararescueman who revealed the goal of the day was to render the Quest’s outboard motor unusable; frustrating the suspected pirates’ efforts to make it to Somalia. This sounded like a promise of some activity; however, no one could have known the events that would soon take place.

At 0851, the call came to launch as the Special Forces boat crews were ready to depart. Dragonslayer 615 was the first off deck outbound to an overwatch position well behind

the Quest and the shadowing warships while 614 was delayed. The forward looking infrared (FLIR) camera on the nose of the aircraft was trained on the scene as the boat crews took a position behind one of the warships that had just completed a wide circle to put itself nearer the Quest. Only twenty minutes into the flight and almost immediately as the ship’s turn was complete radios lit up with chatter “RPG fired, RPG fired!!” A rocket propelled grenade had been fired at the nearest ship. “Shots fired, shots fired on board!!” came seconds later. The boat crews sprung out from behind the ship and approached the

Quest with a quickness. As swiftly as they arrived, Special Forces boarded the sailboat just as a weapon was observed on the FLIR being thrown from the deck of the Quest. The suspected pirates had opened fire on the four American citizens. Dragonslayer 614 had arrived during this initial response and was now, through communication with 615, trying to determine the full scale of events as a dynamic scene appeared to unfold in front of them. “Immediate CASEVAC! Slayer 615 immediate CASEVAC!” There would be no time to draw a picture, we were inbound. Conditions of the CASEVAC were quickly relayed and it was agreed, in the aircraft, to insert the pararescuemen to assist. A 15 foot hover was going to be the best method.

“Standby to deploy swimmers!”, “Jump! Jump! Jump!” Standard calls on this, an anything but standard, mission. Now in the water, the pararescuemen were immediately picked up by a special boat crew and delivered to the Quest. Coming to a 70-foot hover, a patient pickup was soon coordinated with the boat force leader. A boat positioned itself below the helicopter and delivered the first MEDEVAC via a litter up the hoist. The Dragonslayer aircrewmen smoothly brought it aboard and the medical specialist went to work with their help. Phyllis Macay, 59-years old from Seattle, Washington. A sailing

enthusiast, she was a member of the Seattle Singles Yacht Club and had just recently joined her friends on the Quest. 615 departed the hover and all the speed the helicopter could deliver was used in returning to the aircraft carrier where more medical assistance stood informed and prepared. At 0935, the medical specialist and patient were received by the Enterprise medical team. The specialist would stay with her. With no delay, 615 lifted off and bustered back on scene where 614 was now standing by to assist. “Slayer 615, Immediate CASEVAC!” was heard again. Our relative position and role as primary CASEVAC elicited

the preference but we had no dedicated medical personnel aboard so we ensured one of our pararescuemen would come up with the patient; he had planned on it. A 70-foot hover was maintained again as the aircrewmen hoisted the two up simultaneously to the aircraft, a boat similarly positioned below, and the patient on a litter. Bob Riggle, also a member of the Seattle Singles Yacht Club, having recently joined the others on the Quest. As a veterinarian, Bob often volunteered at the Seattle Animal Shelter. Rescue breathing was performed by the Dragonslayer aircrew during the short transit as the Enterprise was now much closer. At 0945, the MEDEVAC patient and pararescueman

ecoming aware of the attack, the Quest made a distress call that was

responded to by a Danish member of a multinational coalition of warships presiding over the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean aimed at limiting the success of the pirates. The warship arrived on scene to find a pirate mother ship providing support to those already aboard the Quest .

Continue on page 19


Features: Dragonslayers & the Quest

were delivered, both leaving with the medical team. 615 was again airborne. Dragonslayer 614 was called in for a MEDEVAC soon after 615 had left the scene with Bob Riggle. This time they lowered a litter for the patient to the boat and then quickly hoisted the third MEDEVAC. Scott Adam, from Marina del Rey, California, was retired and in his 60s. He had started off on a quest with his wife to sail around the world delivering Bibles on a mission through their Santa Monica church. They had been sailing full-time to remote regions of the world since 2004. Throughout the past few days, he had maintained a line of communication between himself, his captors, negotiators and leadership of the U.S. Navy ships with the sailboat’s radio. En route to the Enterprise, the pararescueman performed lifesaving efforts until 0950 when he was delivered

to medical personnel. At the same time, Dragonslayer 615 was repositioning for the fourth call for CASEVAC and again recovered the litter in the same manner as before. Jean Adam, also in her 60s, had called the Quest home with her husband Scott. They were continuing their chosen mission with their friends on their way from India to Oman before being hijacked. She was delivered to medical personnel at 0955.

Both aircraft remained airborne helping to coordinate the transfer of the captured pirates, of which 13 of the 15 left the Quest alive to face charges, along with two more who had been previously captured. Dragonslayer 614 and 615 would both land before noon.

The hours and days to follow would bring up many questions. But there would be no question as to the loyalty and reverence shown to four

fallen Americans. A 24-hour guard in full dress uniform would be manned by young Sailor and Marine volunteers as long as Jean and Scott Adam, Bob Riggle, and Phyllis Macay remained aboard; a shining representation of the American spirit. The same was shown in their departure. Complete with scripture readings, prayers for their families, the choir singing “Amazing Grace” and over a thousand personnel of the USS Enterprise and Carrier Air Wing ONE lining the path to the plane. It was clear the events of the Quest had become emotional for many. For the Dragonslayers of HS-11 it would not be the last piracy encounter. Less than four weeks later Dragonslayer 612, an SH-60F, successfully interrupted the hijacking of a foreign merchant vessel. They received and returned fire during the event while the suspected pirates successfully evaded to their mother ship. The track of the mother ship would be lost overnight as concern turned to the possibility that other suspected pirates could have still been on the merchant vessel.

The actions involving the Quest hijacking and that of the merchant vessel, along with the results of charges brought upon all “suspected pirates” will continue to shape U.S. policy. The brutality and scale of piracy activities is clear. The efforts of the coalition and U.S. military to reduce these activities will continue. We all hope for their success.


he suspected pirates had opened fire on the four American citizens. Dragonslayer 614 had arrived during this initial response and was now,

through communication with 615, trying to determine the full scale of events as a dynamic scene appeared to unfold in front of them. “Immediate CASEVAC! Slayer 615 immediate CASEVAC!” There would be no time to draw a picture, we were inbound. Conditions of the CASEVAC were quickly relayed and it was agreed, in the aircraft, to insert the pararescuemen to assist.

Get Your Cameras Ready and be a part of 30th Anniversary Issue (RR114) Focus: “Everyday NHA.” Send your photos to Naval Helicopter Association, Inc. either via email to [email protected]

or mail to NHA, P.O. Box 180578, Coronado, CA 92178-0578.

Please send information about your photo(s), including the photographic’s name, and squadron or unit. Entitle all correspondence as “Photo Contest.” Deadline: August 24, 2011.

SCAN AND GOTO WEBSITE

TO GET MORE DETAILSON CONTEST

Click http://www.navalhelicopterassn.org/send-your-file to upload your photos


Feature

Rotary Wing Pubs Require an Immediate Rewrite Article by LT James Malvasio, USN

As an operational test pilot and director for the MH-60S

Armed Helicopter, at Air Test and Evaluation Squadron ONE (VX-1), I assisted squadrons from both coasts who were having problems with the systems installed on their airframes. I am now in the process of assisting HS-7 as the squadron transitions to the MH-60S and becomes HSC-7. When I was offered these orders, I jumped at the chance to bring my knowledge and experience back to the fleet. My first assignment was to determine how HSC-7 and HSM-74 would be effectively employed in the maritime environment while supporting Carrier Air Wing THREE (CVW-3) and the Harry S. Truman Strike Group (CSG-10). My initial thought on this assignment was that the HSC and HSM communities have been working together for approximately four years now, so why should we re-invent the wheel? Unfortunately, after looking into the details of the task,

I’ve discovered that everyone seems to be doing their own thing and there is a significant lack of standardization and guidance provided in the major publications that the rotary wing community uses to direct its operations.

During the course of my research, I have identified several publications that need to be updated and require an urgent review. I realize that this may not be an all inclusive list, but the MH-60R and MH-60S NATOPS flight manuals, CV NATOPS, CV Handler NATOPS, OPNAV 3710.7, Wing/CNAL 3500 series training instructions, NTRP technical manuals, NTTP tactical manuals, and ROC/POE’s all need to be revised to reflect current operational tasking and employment. While all of these documents are equally important, the CV NATOPS likely requires the largest and most

immediate rewrite. This manual does not address the changes to CVN operations that have been realized through the execution of the Navy’s “Helicopter Master Plan.” This out of date publication has created issues between the HSC and HSM communities and has lead to on the spot decisions which lack oversight and standardization. The CV NATOPS helicopter airspace diagram is obsolete and doesn’t address multiple helicopter operations during degraded weather conditions. Specifically, there are no procedures delineated for marshalling four or more helicopters during times of low ceilings and visibility. CV NATOPS should include Case I through Case III launch and recovery procedures for helicopters. Furthermore, the weather minimums and concurrent fixed wing / rotary wing flight ops guidance sections need to be updated. Multiple helicopter

Continue on page 21


Feature: Rotary Wing Pubs Require An Immediate Rewrite

Continued from page 20operations call for innovative procedures for handling deck hits between fixed wing cycles. Whether it’s to support FCF requirements for the more than one dozen helicopters on the carrier, or to be able to properly handle evolving threats that require increased helicopter response capabilities, a review of alert postures and deck spotting are also warranted in order to ensure that our operations are being conducted in the smartest, safest manner possible. In short, we have dramatically increased the number of helicopters operating around the CSG, so why doesn’t the CV NATOPS provide a separate, ‘one-stop-shopping’ chapter for helicopter operations? I don’t think I’m the only one who’s been frustrated skimming through this manual for one obscure piece of information related to helicopter operations.

Despite the fact that many of the MH-60R and MH-60S missions and operational environments are identical, we operate differently. We can no longer accept the phrase, “that’s the way we’ve always done it.” We now share a “common-cockpit” in the MH-60R and MH-60S and should standardize procedures for operating around the CVN. Publications like the NATOPS manual, OPNAV 3710.7, NTRP, and Wing/CNAL training instructions should address common operations and tactics between the MH-60R and MH-60S. Methods for training and qualifying pilots and aircrew for universal tasks should be standardized between the two communities. Training instructions should clearly define training objectives that are common to both airframes; for example, the number of rounds and sorties necessary to qualify an individual aircrewman on a common weapon like the M-240D should be the same.

It’s not all doom and gloom. I recently attended the MH-60S NTTP pre-conference, and one of the big topics for updating the Tactical Manual revolved around standardizing mission areas and their associated voice calls. This is a great start to build synergy between the two communities, but I feel this effort will fail if we don’t outline the doctrine that dictates how we are going to jointly execute the mission of protecting the maritime environment. The strike fighter community does a great job of defining tactics, techniques and procedures in the “TOP GUN Manual.” A common publication, with buy-in from both helicopter communities, would be an invaluable tool in operational planning and would make the “Hunter/Killer” concept more than just a notion. This publication would provide the necessary guidance that Warfare Commanders need to efficiently employ rotary wing assets to accomplish our maritime defense mission.

The alignment and integration of HSC and HSM onboard the aircraft

carrier is still in its infancy. It’s up to our community leadership and subject matter experts to provide the vision and guidance necessary to guarantee successful operations for the next ten, twenty, or fifty years. We have been operating together from carriers for about four years without the appropriate level of oversight and guidance. Now is the time for us to establish and set the standard, before our community norms and ways of doing-business are dictated by someone else. It won’t be easy to break the parochial norms that were created when we were HS, HSL, and HC, but we absolutely need a combined rotary wing vision to standardize our operations and ensure our future success.

During the course of my research, I have identified several publications that need to be updated and require an urgent review.. I realize

[...] the CV NATOPS...does not address the changes to CVN operations that have been realized through the execution of the Navy’s “Helicopter Master Plan.” This out of date publication has created issues between the HSC and HSM communities and has lead to on the spot decisions which lack oversight and standardization. The CV NATOPS helicopter airspace diagram is obsolete and doesn’t address multiple helicopter operations during degraded weather conditions.


Feature:

An Unparalleled Shore TourArticle by LT Scott McKee, USN

Are you looking for an “out of the box” shore tour?

Do you have a top performer who is looking to do something different—but you want to keep them competitive? For over 50 years, the Olmsted Scholar Program has been sending young lieutenants all over the globe to study a foreign language, earn a Master’s degree at a foreign university, and develop a level of cultural fluency that only comes with living and travelling in another country. General Olmsted believed: “The greatest leaders are broadly educated” and endowed the George and Carol Olmsted Foundation with the means to grant the future leaders of our services with this enriching opportunity. This is NOT a program that trains Foreign Area Officers, nor is it a “boondoggle” or “Three-year vacation.” It is a program designed to give an intense, immersive experience so that leaders develop a “cultural toolbox” to use throughout their careers.

My Olmsted experience began as a first tour LAMPS pilot as I deployed to the 5th and 7th Fleet AORs. During this time I learned a lot about LAMPS, the legendary SH-60B, and small unit leadership. I applied for the Olmsted Scholar program while I was deployed on my HAC cruise, and as part of the application, I had to list 10 cities where I wanted to study. Naturally, mine were mostly on the Pacific Rim. Thanks to a few port visits, I also knew where I didn’t want to go. Subsequently, I rolled to shore duty and had partially completed the FRS instructor syllabus when I was notified that I had been selected by the Navy to interview with the Olmsted Foundation.

The Olmsted Foundation selects scholars and locations based on the long range vision of the Foundation, the needs of the service, and applicants’ choices. I was selected to study in Kuala

Lumpur, Malaysia and within three weeks of being notified, I was attending language school in Washington, DC. Six months later, my wife and I arrived in Kuala Lumpur. I was now the second active duty Naval Officer stationed in this geostrategic country. A key element of the program is the autonomy scholars are granted. Other than checking in for health and safety issues with the Defense

Attaché Office at the embassy, I was free to pursue my education.

What does an Olmsted Scholar do? In short, everything and anything it takes to learn about the culture and region while pursuing graduate education and language fluency. My education in Malaysia consisted of three main parts. Academically, I enrolled at the University of Malaysia to earn a Master’s degree in Strategic and Defense Studies. The Olmsted Foundation supports social science degrees that complement the larger goal of a broad education. Throughout my coursework, and in my thesis, I seized the opportunity to study Seapower and Maritime Security issues in the region. There are few opportunities for naval officers to study firsthand the South China Sea Dispute, the proliferation of Indian and Chinese maritime power, and the challenges developing countries face in building a navy while being stationed literally, in the middle of it. Through this work I met and engaged with scholars from around the globe as well as local officials and researchers. I was able

to attend conferences and meet Naval Attaches from around the region.

The second part of my education was centered on the social and informal relationships I built as a student and tennis player. My classmates included Uzbeks, a Libyan, a Turk, a Yemeni, Iranians, Indonesians, and a Palestinian in addition to Malaysia’s three main ethnic groups (Malay, Chinese and

Indian). This proved to be an invaluable part of my education as I met students covering the entire “Arc of Islam.” Outside of the classroom, much of my time in Malaysia was spent on or near a tennis court. The history of sport and diplomacy working together is well storied. For me, it led to being a member of the university tennis team and traveling to the Malaysian University Games.

Due to the segregated and closed nature of Malaysian society, playing tennis provided common experience, which opened the door to further interaction, including playing with an H-60 pilot from the Royal Malaysian Air Force. It also gave me the opportunity to further my language study and is where I acquired most of my Malaysian slang. I left Malaysia having forged many new friendships on the tennis court.

The third part of my education was travel. Kuala Lumpur is a sophisticated, cosmopolitan city. However, to understand the challenges of a developing country, you must get out of the capital. Deep in the jungle of Borneo, I met an old man who had witnessed Japanese atrocities against Christian missionaries during World War II. I have ridden a variety of small fishing and diving boats, learning about maritime activity in the littorals. In the small towns and villages, I witnessed the effect of government subsidies and the politicization of Islam. My travels outside of Malaysia were equally

The greatest leaders are broadly educated” and endowed the George

and Carol Olmsted Foundation with the means to grant the future leaders of our services with this enriching opportunity.

Continue on page 23


Feature: An Unparalleled Shore Duty

important. From Vietnam to Thailand, Southeast Asia is full of history as well as beautiful beaches. By traveling outside of Malaysia and meeting its neighbors, I was able to fully appreciate the local culture.

An important part of Olmsted Travel is visiting and hosting fellow scholars from different services. Meeting with the scholars from Asia provided an opportunity to exchange ideas and understanding of the region. China’s military modernization—and the world’s response to it—garner a great deal of attention. Being able to discuss these issues and share perspectives with fellow scholars enriched my formal education. In addition to good camaraderie, it also provided a unique form of Joint Professional Military Education. How many opportunities are there for an Army artillery officer, an Air Force Intelligence officer, and a Navy helicopter pilot to discuss basic questions of service culture and organization?

So how does rotary wing aviation benefit from the Olmsted Scholar Program? Why should CO’s help identify qualified candidates and support the program? First, the Olmsted Scholar Program directly supports the Department of the Navy Language Skills, Regional Expertise, and Cultural Awareness (LREC) Strategy. As a level two speaker in both the Malay and Indonesian languages, I have a skill set which the Navy can call upon at an appropriate time. Scholars develop knowledge of their region and the culture which Foreign Area Officers cannot match because of the length of time spent in-country and the flexibility of being a full-time student. Most importantly, it is a one-of-a-kind education resulting

in an officer who can operate in ANY foreign culture with an increased level of observation, perception, and thus, who will act effectively in support of military objectives.

Second, there are two mission sets which remain a fundamental capability for rotary wing aircraft: Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief (HADR) and Anti Submarine Warfare (ASW). The demand for these capabilities is only going to grow—especially in Asia. Having pilots who understand the language, culture, and customs of the region will enable rotary wing assets to do more. A recent example of HADR operations is the assistance provided to Indonesia in the wake of tsunamis in 2004 and 2009. Helicopters also form an integral part of Operation Pacific Partnership and Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training. The second mission, ASW, is directly related to the proliferation of submarines—quiet ones—in Asia. As more navies in the region purchase both submarines and anti-submarine capability, the surrounding waters and airspace will become increasingly congested and dangerous. These missions will not be conducted by the US alone. They will require coordination and planning with local partners. Olmsted scholars

bring more than just language skills to these types of scenarios. They bring problem solving, communica t ion skills, and ideas

t h a t a r e s e n s i t i v e t o c u l t u r a l differences.

In short, Olmsted Scholars help build a balanced rotary wing community. Each Olmsted Scholar has a unique experience, but the benefits to the community are consistent. LCDR Dan Fillion (former Olmsted Scholar in Osaka, Japan) sums it up in three ideas:

First, there is no other program in the military that gives officers this type of cultural experience. This is particularly useful to helicopter pilots who are more likely to land ashore coming straight from the boat. Second, it is an intense personal experience that engenders a sense of flexibility and adaptability as you navigate daily life in a foreign culture alone. Finally, having served as a department head forward deployed to Japan, I was able to use my language and cultural knowledge to translate for my command and engage our sister squadrons in a manner which supported the command and the US Navy.

The Olmsted Scholar Program is an unparalleled JO shore tour that increases the breadth of officer education in the wardroom and pays dividends on the flight line.

For more information visit the O l m s t e d F o u n d a t i o n w e b s i t e a t http://www.olmstedfoundation.org. The NAVADMIN for FY-13 was released in March and applications are due by September. Interested applicants need to plan ahead and read the previous year’s message to be adequately prepared.

My education in Malaysia consisted of three main parts... First, the Olmsted Scholar Program directly supports the Department of

the Navy Language Skills, Regional Expertise, and Cultural Awareness (LREC) Strategy [...] Second, there are two mission sets which remain a fundamental capability for rotary wing aircraft: Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief (HADR) and Anti Submarine Warfare (ASW) [...] The third part of my education was travel.

SCAN TO LEARN MORE “Olmsted Scholar Program





Feature:

Australia Selects U.S. Navy’s MH-60R SEAHAWK® Helicopter for AIR 9000 Phase 8 Program

T h e U . S . N a v y a n n o u n c e d

T h u r s d a y , J u n e 1 6 , 2 0 1 1 t h e C o m m o n w e a l t h o f A u s t r a l i a h a s s e l e c t e d the MH-60R SEAHAWK® helicopter to fulfill the Australian Defence Force’s AIR 9000 Phase 8 requirement for a fleet of 24 new-generation, multi-role naval combat aircraft. The Commonwealth will acquire the helicopters with associated training and logistical support via the U.S. Government’s

Foreign Military Sales program. “The companies that comprise

Team Romeo are honored by the Commonwealth’s choice of the MH-

60R Romeo helicopter to protect Australia’s maritime interests,” said Mick Maurer, president of Sikorsky Military Systems. “We look forward to collaborating with the Royal Australian Navy and local industry across Australia as we build and integrate these proven SEAHAWK aircraft.”

Team Romeo principals Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX) and Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) have co-developed and delivered

maritime helicopters for the U.S. Navy for more than 35 years. They are teamed with engine manufacturer GE Aviation, sonar and sensor provider Raytheon Company, and training and simulator provider CAE for the Phase 8 competition. In addition to delivering Romeo helicopters, the team plans to bring long-term jobs and work opportunities

to Australian industry valued at $1.5 billion over 10 years.

“The MH-60R helicopter is a sophisticated sensor platform that has

proven its ability to protect the U.S. fleet from submarines, ships and fast attack boats,” said Dan Spoor, Lockheed Martin Aviation Systems vice president. “We are committed to providing the Australian fleet with the same advanced capabilities, as the U.S. Navy continues its investment in the aircraft.”

The Commonwealth of Australia this week signed the Letter of Acceptance, a formal agreement with the U.S. Navy. The Letter of Acceptance marks the first-ever purchase of the U.S. Navy’s MH-60R helicopter outside the United States. The Royal Australian Navy is expected to take delivery of the first two MH-60R helicopters in 2014.

. S . N a v y a n n o u n c e d Thursday, June 16, 2011 the Commonwea l th o f

Australia has selected the MH-60R SEAHAWK® helicopter to fulfill the Australian Defence Force’s AIR 9000 Phase 8 requirement for a fleet of 24 new-generation, multi-role naval combat aircraft.


Congratulations Scholarship Winners 2011

Cynthia WibeMass CommunicationsBridgewater College

L3 Comms/DPA Thousand

Points of Light

Kyle McDonaldPre-Med in Aerospace

Eng /BiochemistryUniversity of Florida

Zach GriffittMechanical Engineering

U.S. Naval Academy

Caitlyn BibzaBusiness

Florida State University

Sergei Sikorsky Raytheon Lockheed Martin

Matthew MullarkyPolitical Science/

PhilosophyMacalester College

Ream Memorial

Michael BrososkiChemistry/EngineeringU.S. Naval Academy

Heather WendlPhysical Therapy

University of South Florida College of Medicine

AWS1 Wayne Shockley

Organizational ManagementAshford University

NHA Presidential NHA Graduate NHA Active Duty

John KeaneyMarine Science

University of South Carolina

NHA Region Three

Timothy OstlundBiology

Susquehanna University

NHA Region Four NHA Region Five

Emily NawaraInterdisciplinary Studies in

MathematicsTexas A&M Corpus Christi

Not Shown:NHA Active Duty AWS2 Sandra Tremblay

AET3 Orly Ben Jacob

Quality Systems Management National Graduate School of

Quality Management

NHA Active Duty

MAJ Brian Hensarling

Masters in International Relations

Catholic University of Louvain

NHA Active Duty

Griffin NorenzoPhysics

Stanford University

NHA Region One

NH

A Scholarship Fund

To be considered for a NHA Scholarship an applicant must be...

A prospective or current high school graduate, high school equivalent, or a college undergraduate / graduate • studentAn individual, or the child, grandchild or spouse of an individual, who serves or formerly served in the • Navy, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard as a rotary wing aviator, aircrewman, or maintenance or support billet personnel in naval helicopter squadrons, helicopter units, wing commands, and/or air stations

Patrick BoganBioengineeringUniversity of

Maryland

NHA Region Two

You Can Be Here Too!

Scan the Code (above) to go to our NHA Scholarship Fund website and follow the links to apply. Deadline to apply: January 31, 2012

How to Apply?

T h e N H A S c h o l a r s h i p F u n d i s a 5 0 1 ( c ) ( 3 ) non-prof i t o rganiza t ion

CFC Number: 10800


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A Brief History of The Helicopter in United States Naval Aviation. Part TwoArticle by CAPT Vincent C. Secades, USN (Ret)

The Post World War II Era.

Although the end of WWII caused the cancellation of large military

helicopter production contracts, nevertheless, during the mid-1940s many small new companies were formed to exploit the new commercial and military markets that this new amazing machine was opening. Frank Piasecki, Arthur Young, Charles Kaman, Stanley Hiller, Howard Hughes, and many others challenged Sikorsky; building new prototypes that, by and large, became successful helicopter designs.

As is always the case, there were a few losers. None of the autogiro manufacturers made a successful transition into helicopters. After the Army’s cancellation of the XR-1 program, early in 1946 Platt-LePage proposed a tilt-rotor convertiplane design based on its experience with the XR-1 development. The design featured two 92-foot diameter rotors at the wing tips of a conventional airplane. The design was too ambitious for the state of the art at that time and never advanced from the draft board. Faced with dwindling capital and the lack of military orders, Platt-LePage closed its doors in August 1946. However, Bell would later successfully pursue the tilt-rotor concept.

The Bell Model 47.

Undoubtedly, the most successful new helicopter design of the post WWII era, measured by the numbers produced, was Arthur Young’s Bell Model 47. It first flew on 8 December 1945. On 20 June 1946 the Army Air Corps contracted the procurement of 28 Model 47s for service evaluation. Deliveries began in February 1947. The Army transferred ten of these helicopters to the Navy for evaluation as HTL-1 trainers. Both services liked the little helicopter and placed new orders. The Navy

bought twelve HTL-2s and nine HTL-3s. The first big order was for 46 HTL-4s. More advance models were later procured. The main difference between these models was the engine installed. Between February 1947 and July 1959, a period of over twelve years, the Navy accepted a total of 187 HTL helicopters. Some were assigned to HU-1 and HU-2 and used aboard icebreakers. Some were used by the Marines in liaison, transport, and casualty evacuation roles. The majority were used as primary trainers in HU-2, and later in HTU-1 at Ellyson Field, Pensacola. They remained in service as primary trainers until 30 June 1973.

On 1 January 1946 President Harry S. Truman issued an executive order returning the U.S. Coast Guard to the control of the Treasury Department. However, the Coast Guard remained involved in the test and development of the helicopter as an ASW platform until 1951.

Helicopter ASW Development.

Dr. Harvey C. Hayes, a physicist working at the Naval Engineering Station, Annapolis, Maryland, had been developing underwater echo-sounding equipment since the early 1920s. From the mid-1920s, virtually every U.S. Coast

and Geodetic Survey ship was equipped with a Hayes echo-sounder. In 1923 Dr. Hayes became the Head of the Naval Research Laboratory’s Sound Division. In the early 1940s Dr. Hayes turned his attention to the submarine detection problem. As early as March of 1943, CDR William Kossler, the director of the Coast Guard helicopter development program, was apprised of a device created by Dr. Hayes that could be suspended from a cable and lowered in the water to search for submarines. It was still too early in the development of operational helicopters. Thus, lighter-than-air craft were used to test this new technology. These platforms proved inadequate and the development work stopped. However, in December 1944 the Hayes program was resumed at the Anti-Submarine Development Detachment, with LT Roy Rather, USN, as program manager and Dr. J. J. Coop as project engineer. The Cost Guard was tasked to provide helicopter support to the program. By March 1945 LT Rather and Dr.

The SH-34J replaced the H-19 in the ASW role

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Centennial of Naval Aviation: A Breif History of The Helicopter...PT. 2

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Coop had a sonar unit ready to be installed in a helicopter. CDR Frank Erickson provided a new XHOS-1 and designated LT Steward Graham, USCG, as the lead test pilot. Several tests conducted throughout the year in the Long Island Sound, operating from USCGC COBB, were sufficiently promising to warrant further development. Tests of redesigned equipment resumed early in 1946.

In March 1946 the Navy commenced the operational tests of the Hayes XCF dipping sonar in the waters off the coast of Key West, FL. A captured German submarine, the U-2513, which was significantly quieter than the American submarines, was used as the target during the tests. LT Steward Graham flew a HO2S-1 with the sonar suspended beneath. ENS W. H. Coffe, USCG, was the copilot. LCDR Roy Rather, Dr. J. J. Coop, and Mr. C. V. Scott operated the sonar, which provided good acoustic detection ranges and accurate bearings. The helicopter was fitted with an inflated life raft attached under the

fuselage to provide emergency flotation in case of an engine failure. These tests, completed on 22 May, proved the feasibility of using sonar-carrying helicopters as submarine hunters. They also triggered the Navy to order the

removal of all deck-mounted weaponry and material from all submarines still in service to make them more quiet and difficult to detect.

Sikorsky, in an effort to keep its helicopter-building organization together after the massive cancellations at the end of WWII, used corporate funds to redesign the R-5 into a four-place helicopter. The S-51 (Sikorsky civilian designation) first flew on 16 February 1946. Sikorsky arranged with the Navy to deploy an S-51 aboard USS Franklin

D. Roosevelt (CVA-42) during a Caribbean cruise in the summer of 1946. The S-51, piloted by Sikorsky’s chief test pilot Dimitri D. “Jimmy” Viner, Igor Sikorsky’s nephew, performed plane guard duty during flight operations. During the cruise several aircraft had to ditch and their crews were quickly rescued by the S-51. In one occasion a Corsair pilot was returned to the carrier deck less than two minutes after ditching. In another incident the jet blast from an F9F fighter blew a sailor overboard. Jimmy Viner saw it happen and was able to pick the sailor off the water and return him back on board before he was missed. As a result of this demonstration, the Navy became very interested in the S-51, and in the concept of using the helicopter in the plane guard role during carrier flight operations. On 1 July 1946 the Navy

established a new squadron, VX-3, at NAS New York with the mission to train helicopter pilots and other personnel and to develop the tactical employment

of helicopters. VX-3 immediately resumed the training of helicopter pilots, a duty previously assigned to the Coast Guard. On 10 September of that year VX-3 moved to NAS Lakehurst, NJ, and continued training pilots.

On 18 September 1946 a Sabena Airlines DC-4 with 44 souls on board crashed near Gander, Newfoundland, on a flight from Brussels to New York. Eighteen people survived the crash, but they were trapped in a heavily wooded area in the middle of a large bog. The survivors, many seriously injured, would not survive a trip through the muck to Gander Lake, five miles away. In less than 48 hours two helicopters, an HNS-1 and an HOS-1, were disassembled at Floyd Bennett Field, NY, loaded on a C-54, flown to the Gander Airport, reassembled and tested. The pilots, CDR Frank Erickson, LT Stewart Graham, LT Walter Bolton, and LT August Kleisch, made repeated flights between the crash site and Gander Lake to extract all eighteen survivors. A PBY-5A took the survivors from the lake to Gander Airport. This event brought international recognition to the helicopter rescue capabilities.

The HO3S-1. In September 1946, in preparation

for Operation High Jump, the first post-war Antarctic expedition, the Navy bought four off-the-shelf S-51s, Navy designation HO3S-1. They were assigned to VX-3. External auxiliary fuel tanks were installed before deployment aboard the seaplane tender USS Pine Island. On Christmas Day 1946 an HO3S-1 piloted by LCDR Walter M. Sessums became the first helicopter to fly over the Antarctic. By January 1947 two HO3S-1s had been lost at sea. The Navy ordered two replacements in February. On 9 February 1947 a Sikorsky HO3S-1 that was being evaluated by CTF-2 in the Atlantic picked up LT Frank A. Shields, an SB2C pilot that had to ditch near the carrier USS Leyte,


Although the end of WWII caused the cancellation of large military helicopter production contracts, nevertheless, during the mid-1940s many small new

companies were formed to exploit the new commercial and military markets [...] building new prototypes that, by and large, became successful helicopter designs.

HO2S with Hayes ASW-XCF dipping sonar deployed


Centennial of Naval Aviation; A Breif History of The Helicopter...PT. 2


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and deposited him safely on the carrier deck in just six minutes. This was the first rescue performed by a Navy helicopter on plane guard duty. The Navy ordered 20 more HO3S-1s in April 1947 to be used by the fleet. These helicopters were equipped with blade-folding rotors and externally mounted rescue hoists. Between November 1946 and January 1950 the naval service accepted delivery of a total of 92 HO3S-1s for use by the Navy and the Marine Corps. The Navy based them in several warship classes, mainly the aircraft carriers, seaplane tenders, icebreakers, cruises, and battleships. The HO3S-1 was the first Navy helicopter to replace some fixed wing aircraft in the fleet. On 27 January 1949 the CNO authorized the conversion of all new-construction cruisers to add a helicopter deck. The disestablishment of the last of the observation squadrons, VO-2, on 5 April of that year marked the end of an era. The plan to replace fixed wing scouts with helicopters aboard battleships and cruisers was put into effect. By late 1949 the HO3S-1 had totally replaced the small seaplanes carried by cruises and battleships.

On 24 July 1947 the CNO established an operational requirement for a helicopter capable of transporting assault troops and their combat equipment and supplies from an escort carrier to the beach. This directive marked the birth of the helicopter assault concept in amphibious warfare. On 1 December of that year, Marine Helicopter Experimental Squadron One (HMX-1) was established at MCAS Quantico, VA, under the command of Colonel Edward C. Dyer. The new squadron’s mission was to develop techniques and tactics for the use of helicopters in amphibious

operations. HMX-1 would later assume the responsibility to provide helicopter transportation to the president of the United States. By February 1948 the Marine Corps had equipped HMX-1 with six HO3S-1s. These helicopters were used in the utility role. Nine Piasecki HRP-1s were added later for the transport role.

On 1 April 1948 VX-3 was disestablished. That same day Helicopter Utility Squadron One (HU-1) and Helicopter Utility Squadron Two (HU-2) were established at NAS Lakehurst, with many of VX-3 personnel making a lateral transfer to the new squadrons. Shortly thereafter HU-1 was moved to

NAAS Miramar, San Diego, CA. The primary mission of both squadrons was to provide helicopter detachments to be deployed on ships of the Atlantic and Pacific fleets. HU-2 also took over the responsibility for helicopter pilot training. In 1951 Ream Field, Imperial beach, CA, was re-commissioned as an Auxiliary Landing Field (ALF). HU-1 relocated from Miramar to Ream Field that same year.

On 11 June 1948 the CNO issued new standards for training aviators as helicopter pilots and decreed that helicopter pilots previously trained by the Coast Guard or VX-3 would retain their qualification.

On 3 April 1949 LT Steward Graham and his crewman, AM2 Robert McAuliffe, set a record for the longest unescorted helicopter transcontinental flight. They flew a HO3S-1G from the Coast Guard Air Station, Elizabeth City, NC, to the Port Angeles Coast Guard Air Station in Washington State, via San Diego, CA, covering a distance of 3,750 miles in 57.6 flight-time hours over a period of ten and a half days, proving the helicopter’s suitability for extended operations.

The HUP-1/-2. In 1946 the Navy issued a

request for proposals for the design of a replacement for the H03S. The Navy wanted a five to six place helicopter with more lift capability and better performance. Sikorsky proposed the XHJS-1 (S-53) single main rotor

helicopter powered with a Continental R-975-34 525 hp engine. Piasecki proposed the XHJP-1, a tandem-rotor helicopter powered by the same Continental R-975-34, 525 hp engine. The Navy selected the Piasecki proposal. But, because the XHJP-1’s overlapping and intermeshing rotors was an untried design, the Navy gave Sikorsky a contract to build two XHJS-1 prototypes. The XHJS-1 first flew in September 1947. A little behind Sikorsky, the XHJP-1 first flew in March 1948. NATC, Patuxent River, conducted a parallel evaluation of both prototypes. The two machines had nearly the same performance, but the XHJS-1 was plagued with the same old problem of previous single-rotor helicopters. It required the use of ballast to compensate for changes in loading. Full production of the Piasecki helicopter, redesignated the HUP-1, started in 1950. It could carry four passengers or three casualty litters in addition to the two-man crew. The initial order of 32 HUP-1s was followed by another order for 165 HUP-2s, which were fitted with the more powerful R-975-46, 550 hp engine. The HUPs were assigned to HU-1 and HU-2, and eventually replaced the less capable HO3Ss.

Korea

On 25 June 1950 North Korean troops crossed the 38th parallel, the dividing border between the communist People’s Republic of Korea to the north, and the Republic of Korea to the south. Troops from 15 nations, under a United Nations mandate, went to help the beleaguered South Koreans to repel the onslaught. Under the command of General Douglas McArthur, U.S. forces and their allies checked the North Korean advance along a defensive perimeter around the port city of Pusan. During the three years of war that followed, U.S. Military pilots would demonstrate what the helicopter could do in combat.

At the beginning of the Korean War the few helicopters available were used mainly by the field commanders to scout the difficult terrain. But in early August 1950, just six weeks after the fighting started, helicopters were pressed into action to fill a desperate need, the transport of badly wounded soldiers from the front lines to field hospitals. Resourceful crews adapted the ill-suited HO3S helicopters for duty as air ambulances by removing a window and installing straps on the opposite

A s is always the case, t h e r e w e r e a f e w losers. None of the

autogiro manufacturers made a successful transition into helicopters ... [u]ndoubtedly, the most successful new helicopter design of the post WWII era, measured by the numbers p roduced, was Arthur Young’s Bell Model 47.



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side of the cabin to secure the stretcher. The wounded soldier rode in the stretcher with his legs protruding out the window from his knees down. On 3 August 1950 elements of Marine Corps Observation Squadron Six, VMO-6, equipped with the HO3S helicopters, began operations in support of the First Provisional Marine Brigade in the vicinity of Changwon. The helicopters were put to use immediately delivering rations and water to the troops on a mountain, and evacuating casualties. On 4 August 1950 an HO3S evacuated a casualty of a firefight along the Pusan perimeter; five more were evacuated next day. This event marked the beginning of one of the most dramatic and important uses of the helicopter in the Korean War. The Army began to use the Bell H-13 with litters strapped to the landing skids to transport severely wounded soldiers to the Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH) units, just within earshot of the front lines. The MASH pilots knew that their job was vital. They revolutionized the triage concept. The most seriously wounded could receive expert medical attention within less than one hour. As a result, battlefield mortality dropped significantly.

The HO5S-1. In 1946 Sikorsky had begun the

development of a small, two-place commercial helicopter powered by the Franklin 178 hp engine. This was the first Sikorsky helicopter with all-metal blades and a displaced flapping-hinge rotor that greatly ameliorated the center-of-gravity displacement problem. The S-52 first flew on 12 February 1947. In November 1948 the Marine Corps decided to change the aircraft complement of the VMO squadrons from eight OY scout planes to four OYs and four helicopters. The Bell HTL-3 and the Sikorsky S-52 closely met the Marine Corps’ requirements. In a letter dated 1 July 1949, the Commandant of the Marine Corps submitted to the CNO revised requirements that narrowed the choice to the S-52. As a result of the satisfactory evaluation of the Sikorsky helicopter, Navy designation HO5S-1, BuAer contracted for the acquisition of 87 of the four-place version, with the 245 hp engine. Deliveries of the new utility helicopter began in September 1951. It was used for medevac, gunfire spotting, reconnaissance, and general utility work. The HO5S-1 was handicapped by being underpowered. In spite of this handicap,

it was used extensively by VMO-6 in Korea. After the war the HO5S-1 was used as a trainer by the Marines in New River, NC. It was retired from service in the late 1950s.

On 7 August 1950 a single axis automatic pilot installed in an HO3S-1 was successfully flight-tested at Mustin Field, Philadelphia. This test confirmed the feasibility of equipping helicopters with automatic pilot. The equipment development was run by the Aeronautical Instrument Laboratory, Naval Air Material Center, under the leadership of L. S. Guarino. On 23 September 1950 an HO3S-1 equipped with a three axes automatic pilot developed by the Aeronautical Instruments Laboratory flew successfully at Mustin Field.

The HO4S/HRS/H-19. In the late 1940s both the

Army and the Navy were looking for new helicopters with greater payload capacity. The single rotor helicopters were widely used, but the competition for larger helicopters were being won by tandem-rotor designs that did not require the use of ballast weights. Sikorsky, with company funds, launched a project to build a single rotor machine without the load-balancing problems of prior designs. The new helicopter featured the new displaced-flapping-hinge rotor head, first used in the S-52, which largely reduced the center-of-gravity

problem. Additionally, the new design centrally located the cabin directly below the rotor hub. To achieve this, the engine was located slanted in front, behind two clamshell doors. A long shaft transmitted the power to the main gearbox, right above the cabin. The result was the S-55, a ten-place helicopter powered with the Pratt & Whitney R-1340 600hp engine.

In 1948 the Army Air Corps modified an existing contract and procured the new helicopter, designated the H-19. On 28 April 1950 the Navy purchased ten H-19s, Navy designation HO4S-1, for evaluation in the helicopter ASW project. The HO4S-2, fitted with a new Wright R-1300-7, 800 hp engine, followed. It could carry a torpedo in addition to the dipping sonar gear. A total of 129 HO4Ss were delivered to the Navy between August 1950 and January 1958. In their ASW configuration they were used by the HS squadrons. It was the first antisubmarine helicopter to operate from aircraft carriers. The utility version was used by the HU squadrons and by the air stations. In 1955-1956 they were used in operation Deep Freeze in the Antarctica. Beginning in mid-1957 they replaced the HO3S and HUP-2 as advance flight trainers in Ellyson Field, Pensacola. Adopting the Air Force designation system, in 1962 the HO4S became the H-19. UH-19 Fs were replaced by UH-34Ds as advance trainers in 1963. The CH-19Es continued performing rescue and utility duties at Naval Air Stations


HUP- 2 on carrier planeguard duty




until 1969. With the beginning of hostilities in

Korea in June 1950, the Marines had an urgent need for helicopters capable of transporting a significant number of troops. Both, Piasecki and Sikorsky responded with proposals. Sikorsky could begin delivery of its H-19, Marine designation HRS-1, in six months. Piasecki’s assault version of the H-21, the PD-22C, could not be delivered until September of 1951. Time was of the essence. Thus, the HRS-1 was chosen. Deliveries to HMR 161 began early in 1951. A total of 59 HRS-1s were complete by late 1951. On 2 September 1951 HMR-161 arrived in Pusan, Korea, aboard USS Sitkoh Bay (CVE-86), flew ashore and reported to the First Marine Division. The HRS-1 quickly proved its effectiveness in combat operations transporting sling loads of cargo and combat equipment. On 13 September, during Operation Windmill I, in the first combat test of the new transport helicopter capabilities, the squadron lifted one day’s supplies for the First Marine Battalion from the supply base to the forward area. In September 1951 the Marines began to use their new helicopter for medevac. The HRS could transport up to ten fully equipped soldiers, or one corpsman and eight casualty stretchers, four times the number of the older, smaller helicopters. On 11 October 1951 the Marines wrote a new chapter in military history. During operation Bumblebee nearly 1,000 Marines were airlifted and deposited atop a mountain, just behind the front line, to relieve a fatigued battalion that had taken its turn in the trenches. Over a period of six hours a dozen HRSs made a total of 156 sorties to the top of the 3,000-foot mountain. On the first wave the choppers hovered while the Marines rappelled down knotted ropes and cleared the landing zone. The following waves landed and disgorged their troops in a few seconds. The operation ran like clockwork. Its success marked the first implementation of the vertical assault concept. By the end of 1951 Marine helicopters were hauling hundreds of tons of supplies and thousands of men each month. 68 upgraded HRS-2s were delivered during 1952.

Early in the Korean War it became evident that the helicopter was doing an

excellent job, and that its use was destined to grow fast. Bigger and better helicopters were needed in greater quantities, and more helicopter pilots needed to be trained. With this in mind, in 1950 the Navy decided to move helicopter training to Pensacola. On 3 December 1950, Auxiliary Landing Field (ALF) Ellyson Field and its main tenant, Helicopter Training Unit One (HTU-1) were officially established. HTU-1 took over from Lakehurst-based HU-2 the responsibility for training helicopter pilots. Primary training

was conducted in the Bell HTL-4 and the Hiller HTE-1/-2 trainers. Advance training used the Sikorsky HO3S-1 and the Piasecki HUP-2. The HTE-1/-2s were retired by late 1952. The most dramatic use of helicopters during the Korean War was combat search and rescue (CSAR). Many of these rescue operations relate stories of great courage and gallantry in the face of enormous danger and immensely harsh conditions. The story of one of these rescue episodes, performed by LTJG John Kelvin Koelsch, dramatically illustrates this fact.

On 3 July 1951, late in the afternoon, LTJG Jack Koelsch responded to a distress call from Marine CAPT

James V. Wilkins, who had to parachute from his burning F4U Corsair into the Anbyon Valley, about 35 miles southwest from the coastal city of Wonsan, North Korea. LTJG Koelsch, serving a tour of duty with HU-1, after completing his deployment as Officer in Charge of the HU-1 helicopter detachment aboard USS Princeton (CV-37), had volunteered to stay in Korea to fill the vacancy created by the loss of the O-in-C of an HU-2 detachment embarked aboard the LST Q-009, performing combat search and rescue duties in the Wonsan area. In the increasing darkness, and receiving enemy

small arms fire from a nearby heavily defended supply road, LTJG Koelsch searched for CAPT Wilkins. The darkness and thick fog prevented the air cover from protecting the unarmed and vulnerable HO3S helicopter, which was being peppered by ground fire. A burst shook the chopper, but Jack Koelsch kept it under control and flew away. After accessing the damage, Koelsch turned around and back into the valley a second time. On this pass Koelsch spotted Wilkins and moved over him as the rescue air crewman, AM3 George M. Neal lowered the horse collar. As Neal began to hoist CAPT Wilkins aboard, intense enemy fire downed the aircraft. All three men survived the crash. CAPT Wilkins was suffering from severe burnts on his legs and a twisted knee. All three survivors managed to extricate themselves from the wreckage and headed for the mountains. For three days they hid

in the brush, evading the Communist patrols looking for them. Then they

began to slowly make their way down to the coast. Six days later they reached a coastal village and hid in a hut. They were captured the next day. They were tied up and marched through town to a headquarters, with a civilian mob shouting threats and throwing things at them. During all this time, Koelsch was constantly pointing out Wilkins’ burns to the Koreans and insisting that he needed hospitalization. Jack Koelsch and George Neal joined other prisoners at a POW compound. Infuriated by his defiant attitude, his jailers immediately singled out Jack for harsh treatment, trying to break his will and use him for propaganda purposes. He was placed in solitary confinement, beaten and tortured mercilessly. Throughout his ordeal,

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Marine HRS-1 during vertical assault in Korea.



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Jack Koelsch remained defiant and true to his principles. His example of courage, patriotism, and loyalty to his brothers in arms served as an inspiration and morale booster to his fellow prisoners. This courageous young man, of slender built, but with the heart of a lion, finally succumbed to mistreatment, malnutrition, and dysentery on October 16, 1951. On August 3, 1955, LTJG John Kelvin Koelsch, USN, was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions in Korea. He was the first helicopter pilot in history to be awarded his country’s highest military decoration. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA. Both CAPT Wilkins and AM3 Neal survived their POW ordeal and returned to the U.S. after the end of the war. AM3 George Milton Neal was awarded the Navy Cross for his actions in Korea.

On 3 October 1951 Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron One (HS-1) was established at NAS Key West. After the squadron establishment, LCDR Graham, who led the seven-year-long development effort that made this event possible, reported to NATC, Patuxent River for duty as a helicopter test pilot.

The K-225/HOK-1/HUK-1/HTK-1. In 1948 the Bureau of Aeronautics

placed an order for two Kaman K-225s, a synchropter (two side-by-side intermeshing rotors) utility helicopter, for test and evaluation. This and all future Kaman designs featured servo-flaps installed on the trailing edge of each main rotor blade. The pilot controlled the pitch of these flaps with his cyclic and collective pitch controls. The pitch of the flaps, in turn, controlled the pitch of the main rotor blades. This system, first used by Corradino D’Ascanio in Italy

in 1930, not only made it possible to control the helicopter, no matter how big and heavy, without absolute dependence on hydraulic servos, but it minimized the feedback of forces from the rotor to the control system, making for smooth-flying and easy-to-control helicopters. These helicopters were delivered to the Naval Air Test Center in Patuxent River, MD, in March of 1950. Successful tests of the K-225 encouraged the Navy to place an initial order for four new observation helicopters, designated HOK-1, to be used by the Marines in Korea. In September 1950 the Navy awarded Kaman another contract for a trainer, the HTK-1, an improved K-225 design. The first HTK-1 flew in April 1951. A total of 29 HTK-1s were delivered to the Navy between November1951 and October 1953. They were used as utility helicopters at Naval Air Stations all over the world before they were sent to Pensacola, where they were redesignated TH-43As and used as trainers until 1957.

In 1951, in a development program sponsored by the Navy, Kaman replaced the reciprocating engine in a K-225 with a Boeing YB-502, 190 shp turbine engine. This K-225 became the world’s first turbine-powered helicopter. It first flew on 12 December 1951. With the advent of the gas turbine engine, the helicopter finally found its ideal power plant. These engines produced significantly more power per pound of engine weight than piston engines. They were smaller, lighter, vibration-free, simpler and more reliable, and ran on less expensive kerosene. In March 1954 Kaman again fitted an experimental HTK-1 with two B-502

turbines, this becoming the world’s first twin-turbine powered helicopter.

On 21 April 1953 the XHOK-1 prototype performed its first flight. It proved to be a very capable helicopter. Deliveries to the Marines started that same month. A total of 81 HOK-1s powered by a 600hp R-1340-48 engine were assigned to the VMO squadrons. The

Navy bought 24 HUK-1s, the Navy version of the HOK-1, powered by the R-1340-52 engine. The last HUK-1 was delivered in December 1958. They were initially assigned to the helicopter utility squadrons.

On 7 March 1952 Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Two (HS-2) was established at ALF Ream Field, Imperial Beach, CA. HS-2 was the first antisubmarine warfare helicopter squadron on the West Coast. Initially it deployed small detachments flying the Sikorsky HO4S-2 helicopter.

On 27 July 1953 the peace talks that had begun two years earlier finally produced a precarious truce that continues to present days. Throughout the three years of hostilities helicopters had proved themselves useful beyond the wildest expectations of the military hierarchy. In the medevac role alone, helicopters lifted some 30,000 wounded soldiers from the battlefield, causing a significant drop in their mortality rate. In the CSAR role, helicopters rescued hundreds of downed aviators in hostile territory. On 21 September 1950 Marine aircrews assigned to VMO-6, flying the HO3S-1, performed the first rescue behind enemy lines. They went on to complete 30 combat rescues before CSAR responsibility was shifted to the USAF and U.S. Navy. In May 1952 an HRS-1 from HMR-161 rescued three squadron mates that had crashed behind enemy lines. U.S. Navy plane guard helicopters rescued 105 airmen from mishaps during carrier operations. Navy aircrews flying HO3S-1 helicopters embarked on non-aviation ships operating in Korean waters performed 121 rescues, 64 behind enemy lines, the rest over water, many close enough to the North Korean coast to be taken under enemy fire.

On 25 June 1950 North Korean troops crossed the 38th parallel... between the communist People’s Republic of Korea to the north, and the Republic of Korea to the south. Troops from

15 nations, ...went to help the beleaguered South Koreans to repel the onslaught. Under the command of General Douglas McArthur, U.S. forces and their allies checked the North Korean advance along a defensive perimeter around...Pusan. During the [Korean] war, pilots would demostrate what the helicopter could do in combat.




More Centennial of Naval Aviation articles are on page 54

The Post Korea Era

The experience of the Korean War demonstrated the usefulness of the helicopter in the combat support and search and rescue roles. However, the opinion that helicopters were too fragile and vulnerable to be used in actual combat still prevailed. This issue would remain unsettled for nearly a decade. During that time the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps conducted tests to establish the viability of the attack helicopter, sometimes shirking any publicity to avoid raising the hackles of the Washington establishment. Yet, the same old struggle between the skeptics and the advocates of the helicopter was still at play.

Under Navy sponsorship, in 1953 Kaman Aircraft began development of remote-piloted helicopter drones. In the spring of that year an HTK-1K, nicknamed the “Yellow Peril,” began remote-controlled flight-testing. These tests continued through the mid-1950s, always carrying a safety pilot in the cockpit. On 23 May 1957 a drone HTK-1 helicopter, with a safety pilot onboard, operated by remote control from the small deck of USS Mitscher (DL-2) underway in Narragansett Bay. On 30 July 1957, in a test conducted at the Kaman plant in Bloomfield, Connecticut, a modified HTK-1 drone completed its first unmanned flight.

The HSS-1/HUS-1/H-34. In 1950 the U.S. Air Force issued a

contract to Sikorsky for the development of a successor to the H-19. Sikorsky’s response was the H-34 (S-58), a 13,000-pound, four-blade, twelve-passenger craft that followed the H-19 design. It was powered by the R-1820, 1425 hp engine, and incorporated dual redundancy four-channel irreversible hydraulic servo controls with integrated electronic stabilization. The H-19 was the last Sikorsky helicopter that could be flown without hydraulic servos in an emergency. Starting with the H-34, all subsequent Sikorsky designs have had dual or triple redundancy servos and Automatic Stabilization Equipment (ASE).

The Navy was also looking for a more capable helicopter to replace the HO4S-1 in the ASW role. On 30 June 1952 it awarded Sikorsky a contract for a prototype, designated XHSS-1. The XHSS-1

first flew on 8 March 1954. Production deliveries started in early 1955. The Navy accepted a total of 385 HSS-1s, the last aircraft being delivered in April 1966. The HSS-1 served with the helicopter ASW squadrons until replaced by the HSS-2 (SH-3A) in 1961. In 1962 all military services adopted the USAF aircraft designation system. The UH-34D, the utility version of the HSS-1, replaced the HO4S-1 as the advance helicopter trainer in HT-8, Ellyson Field, Pensacola, in mid-1963.

In January 1957 the US Marines began to receive the HUS-1 (UH-34). They used it extensively in Vietnam as troop transport. The Marines also fitted some HUS helicopters with “Temporary Kit One” (TK-1), which comprised two M60C machine guns and two pods with nineteen 2.75-inch rockets each. These improvised gunships did not perform as expected and were quickly phased out. In 1960 NATC conducted tests to establish the feasibility of launching Bullpup air-to-surface missiles from an HUS-1. These tests were completed on 3 June 1960. The program, however, never advanced beyond the test phase. On 18 August 1969 the last Marine UH34D in Vietnam was retired from HMM-362 at Phu Bai.

The HR2S-1/H-37. On 18 December 1953 the

XHR2S-1 flew for the first time. This was the first twin-engine helicopter built by Sikorsky. It used two Pratt and Whitney R-2800-5, 2100 hp radial engines and a five-blade main rotor. The contract, signed on 9 May 1951, called for a helicopter capable of transporting twenty fully loaded soldiers. Deliveries to HMX-1 began in July 1956. Between 1956 and 1959 the Marines accepted 59 units. The redesignated CH-37s served with HMR (M)-461, based at MCAS New River, NC, and HMH-462, based at MCAF Santa Ana, CA. They were retired from service on both squadrons in 1966, being replaced by the much more capable CH-53As.

The XV-3.

The First Convertible Aircraft Congress, held in Philadelphia in 1949, triggered the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force to initiate a convertiplane technology development program. Of the nineteen proposals submitted, three were selected, designated XV-1, XV-2, and XV-3. The McDonnell XV-1 was a compound (fixed-winged) helicopter with rotor tip jet propulsion. The Sikorsky XV-2 was also a compound helicopter with a retractable rotor. The Bell XV-3 proposal was a tilt-rotor design based on the LePage-Guerierri-Lichten technology. After extensive wind tunnel testing of scaled models of the three designs, the XV-1 and XV-3 were selected for prototype development. During flight tests in 1955, the XV-1 suffered from configuration-induced aerodynamic problems and was abandoned.

The first XV-3 prototype rolled out on 10 February 1955 and first hovered on 11 August of that year. It featured two 23-foot diameter three-bladed rotors mounted on long masts. After two months of testing, the aircraft crashed. A second prototype with shorter masts and two-bladed rotors followed. After a series of wind tunnel tests and hover tests, the XV-3 made its first transition to forward flight on 17 December 1958. During the next seven years the XV-3 was tested by the U.S. Air Force at Edwards AFB, by NASA at Ames Research Center’s full-scale wind tunnel, and by Bell Helicopter. After 375 wind tunnel and ground test hours, 250 test flights (125 flight hours) and over 110 full conversions, the XV-3 firmly established the feasibility of the tilt-rotor convertiplane.

On 20 July 1956, after completing the conversion to the new mission at the San Francisco Naval Shipyard, USS Thetis Bay, the old CVE-90, was re-commissioned as CVHA-1, the first helicopter assault carrier in the U.S. Navy. On 28 May 1959, during her WESTPAC deployment, the Thetis Bay was redesignated LHP-6 (Landing Platform Helicopter). The ship was carrying a Marine Assault Team of about 1,000 combat troops and the helicopter assets to transport


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As the NHA Symposium, along with the Navy, celebrated the Centennial of Naval Aviation and 100 years of flight, the rotary wing community had a celebration of its own: its birth rite. On

March 24, 2011, the Navy History and Heritage Command declared October 16, 1943 as the beginning of naval rotary wing aviation.

The 63rd annual NHA event showcased the growing components and role of the helicopter community. It focused exclusively on how far helicopter mission development has come, new weapon systems to support those missions and the war against terrorism, and future plans of rotary wing aviation including CONOPS and community realignment.

Symposium 2011 featured a host of special guest speakers, such as Commander Naval Air Forces (CNAF) VADM Allen Myers with the keynote address and Mr. Sergei Sikorsky giving his recollections of his father Igor Sikorsky. ADS, Inc. and Team Seahawk were among some of the many superstar exhibitors in the NHA exhibitor area. HS-10 and HSL-48 had to tug it out on Breakers Beach to see which team would be crowned as survivors of the fittest. And let us not forget the spectacular aerobatic helicopter performance by Red Bull elite helicopter pilot Chuck Aaron during the Members Reunion aboard the USS Midway Museum.

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Focus

A Memorable Members Reunion Article by LT David Yoon, USN.

This year’s annual NHA Members’ Reunion is sure to be an event that will be long remembered. The hype surrounding having this event on board the USS Midway, now a floating museum in beautiful San Diego bay, proved to be fully justified. The evening kicked off with the arrival of the usual

dignitaries and VIPs, both active duty and retired. All hands headed up to the flight deck to enjoy some early evening cocktails on an unusually cool and balmy San Diego day. Just as some were wondering why everyone was top-side vice in the heated warmth of the hangar deck below, RADM (Ret.) Mac McLaughlin introduced probably the most experienced pilot amongst the crowd, stunt pilot “Malibu” Chuck Aaron.

The mustachioed Malibu has over 18,000 flight hours and has been flying the Red Bull helicopter since 2006. Following his quick introduction, Malibu hopped into his Red Bull emblazoned MBB BO-105 helicopter perched on the bow of carrier. Quickly starting up and taking off, Malibu went into a sequence of stunts not easily described in words: his show included barrel rolls, rotor-overs, backflips, and many stall/spin type maneuvers. Lasting maybe 30 minutes, most of these stunts are things no other helicopter pilot on board could even imagine a helicopter being capable of. After completing the show, the Red Bull helicopter landed back on the bow and Malibu joined the party to meet and greet with a thrilled audience.

Following the spectacular and exclusive air show all made their way down to the cavernous hangar deck of the Midway to enjoy a little more warmth, a few more drinks, and plenty of food to tide everyone over. Flanked by a F4U Corsair and a SBD Dauntless dive-bomber, the Midway was an amazing venue for any aviation themed event. While old friends reunited and many different generations of helo pilots, aircrew, and maintainers co-mingled, volunteer docents guided many guests to tour the helo ready room exhibit on board the carrier museum. The reunion lasted well into the evening with most revelers leaving only because the Midway was closing its doors; as fun as the party was nobody wanted to spend an extra night on the boat.

Many thanks go out to all those that made this event possible, especially RADM McLaughlin and the staff at USS Midway. CDR Derrick Kingsley, LT Justin Smith, LT John Petrasanta, and countless others put quite a bit of effort into the reunion so that all could enjoy a night of merriment and camaraderie. All who attended would agree that they were quite successful, and that the 2011 Members’ Reunion has raised the bar for future NHA social events.

Red Bull stunt pilot “Malibu” Chuck Aaron joins fellow helo pilots in the celebration on the flight deck of USS Midway. From L to R: LT Fernando Reyes, LT Mike Silver, Malibu, LT Dave Yoon, and LT John Petrasanta. Photo taken by LT Kevin Yost.

CAPT Shoshana Chatf ie ld and Sikorsky representative CAPT(Ret) Greg Hoffman. Photo taken by LCDR Troy Wilcox, USN

Members of HS-6 and their families enjoying the Members’ Reunion: (l-r) Brittany Dunn, LT Patrick Dunn, LT Josh Liebovich, LT Ethan Haines, Colleen Haines, LCDR Nick LeClerc.


The NHA Awards Luncheon was held on Tuesday, 10 May at San Diego’s Town and Country Resort. The delicious lunch consisted of tri-tip, mashed potatoes, salad, pasta, and dessert. Rear Admiral Tomaszeski and Chaplain Paul Shaughnessy, of MCAS Miramar, kicked off the luncheon with opening remarks and an invocation. Flag officers in attendance included Rear Admirals Alexander and Gay. Commander Pfeifle, of

HSCWSP, and LT Kondrat, of HSL-43, read the award winners’ citations, while ADM Tomaszeski presented the awards.

2011 NHA Awards Luncheon

The Commander of Naval Air Forces Annual Helicopter Aviation Unit Award Winners were:CNAL Pilot of the Year: • LCDR Scott Pichette, of HS-5CNAP Enlisted Aircrewman of the Year:• AW1 (NAC/AW) Allen, of HSC-8Admiral Jimmy Thach Award Winner:• HS-5Captain Arnold Jay Isbell Trophy:• HS-14, HSM-71, HS-5, HSL-42Aviation Squadron Battle Efficiency Winners:• HS-5, HS-14, HSL-42, HSL-51, HSM-77, HSC-28, HSC-23, HM-14

The L i f e l o n g Service Award was presented to CAPT Michael Middleton (page 42) for having the largest and lasting service to helicopter aviation and NHA throughout their careers.

T h e S e r v i c e t o N H A A w a r d was presented to CAPT John Miley, for his leadership

volunteering as NHA President 2006-2007 and 2009-present as NHA President for the past three years.

A i r c r e w o f t h e Ye a r , N o n - D e p l o y e d was presented to LT Brandon Sheets, LT Scott Zenner, AWS1 Andrew Worth, AWSC Jeremiah Wilkins, AWS2 Brian Casey, and HM2 Richmond Roy, from Firewood 3 of NAS Whidbey Island. The crew was congratulated for their

epic actions in rescuing an injured hiker from a river by maneuvering and hovering their helicopter underneath a bridge, with less than fifteen feet of clearance from trees and rocks to either side. The superb airmanship and heroic actions of the crew saved the life of the victim.

Aircrew of the Year, Deployed was presented to LCDR

Josh Fagan, LT Christoper Sillman, AWS2 Justin Crane, AWS1 George Willard, and Captain

Thomas Patton, from Redwolf 13 of HSC-84. Despite enemy fire, the crew safely landed and evacuated a wounded soldier while supporting special operations in Iraq. The soldier was transported to a hospital where he received life saving treatment.

Focus

CAPT Arnold Jay Isbell Trophy was presented by George Barton of Lockheed Martin (far right) to the following squadron reps (l-r): CDR Brad Collins, CO of HSL-42, LCDR Ryan Hayes of HS-14, and LT Brad Conley of HSM-71

Continue on page 42


Focus: NHA Awards Luncheon

Rescue Swimmer of the Year was presented to AST2 Chad Smolar, of USCG Air Station, Clearwater, FL. While supporting the catastrophic magnitude 7.0 earthquake over Haiti, Petty Officer Smolar triaged hundreds of patients, saved 61 lives, transported 2500 pounds of medical supplies, and successfully delivered a baby boy after evacuating a woman to the flight deck of the cutter Tahoma.

Pilot of the Year was presented to LT Jamie Epps, of HSL-44. His guidance a n d l e a d e r s h i p a s d e t a c h m e n t maintenance officer were critical to the mishap-free completion of over 945

deployed flight hours, achieving a 99% sortie completion rate. While flying one deployment mission, he skillfully guided his crew clear of enemy fire and exercised considerable restraint by not returning fire as multiple civilians were trapped on the target vessel. The award was presented by Mr. Frank Dickens of Roll Royce Corporation.

F l e e t Instructor Pilot of the Year was presented to LT Daniel Schlesinger, of H S M - 4 0 . W h i l e

safely executing 433 flight hours and 413.7 instructional hours, he flawlessly planned and completed 22 DLQ periods achieving an unprecedented 82% first pass yield. The award

was presented by Mr. Dennis Corrigan of L3 Communications / D.P. Associates.

T r a i n i n g Command Instructor Pilot of the Year was

presented to LT Jeffrey Thomas, of HT-28. He flew 656.3 mishap-free flight hours and 384 student syllabus sorties, completing 18 on-wings. His combination of high flight hours and demanding collateral duties proved he was a leader, both in and out of the cockpit, highlighting the HT-28 credo of “Professionalism, Integrity, and Judgment.”

The Shipboard Pilot of the Year was presented to LCDR Justin Issler, of USS E i s e n h o w e r . While leading the Navigation Department, his

actions were instrumental in the steaming of 110,000 miles while supporting CVW-7 flight operations that encompassed 15,000 sorties, 27,000 flight hours, and 3,000 combat missions.

Aircrewman of the Year was presented to AWS1 Joaquin Gonzalez, of HSC-23. As NATOPS Petty Officer, he flawlessly led the squadron NATOPS program in the coordination

of 420 hours of practical training and yielded a grade of “Outstanding” during the evaluation. Award was presented by Mr. Ron Sink of L3 Communication/Ocean Systems.

Aircrewman Instructor of the Year was presented to AWS1

Joshua Cooper, of HSC-1. As Training LPO, his aggressive work ethic and dynamic leadership were instrumental in the training and qualification of 107 fleet replacement

aircrewmen. His leadership of ten aircrewmen ensured the safe delivery of 2.7 million pounds of food, water, and medical supplies to the people of Haiti after the devastating earthquake. This award was presented by Stu Knoll of CAE.

Maintenance Officer of the Year was presented to Chief Warrant Officer Jeffrey Myers, of USCG Air Station Atlantic City, NJ. His adroit management ensured efficient utilization of nearly

3.5 million maintenance labor hours which enabled 6,700 flight hours, obtained a superb 97% event success rate, and achieved a 100% launch and mission completion rate. These efforts ultimately culminated in 23 lives saved and seven successful national security air intercepts. The award was presented by Mr. Bob Novak of BAE Systems.

Maintenance Chief Petty Officer of the Year was presented to Chief Petty Officer Kevin Boone, of HM-14. Chief Boone


AST2 Smolar received the Rescue Swimmer of the Year Award from Butch Flythe of U.S. Divers/Aqualung

CAPT(Ret) Mike Middleton (l) received the Lifelong Service Award and NHA President CAPT John Miley (r) received Service to NHA Award

Continue on page 43


Focus: NHA Awards Luncheon

directed the Quality Assurance efforts of over 50 maintenance technicians on 16 MH-53E aircraft, allowing for safe completion of 3,354 mishap free flight hours. The award was presented by Mr. Bob Novak of BAE Systems.

M a i n t e n a n c e Enlisted Person of the Year was presented

to Aviation E l e c t r o n i c s T e c h n i c i a n Second Class Jared WIller, of HSC-22. As Quality Assurance

Representative, he was directly responsible for the safe completion of 467 maintenance actions, while monitoring five Naval Aviation Maintenance Programs and performing 103 Plane Captain/Collateral Duty Inspector monitors. He executed 300 audits and program monitors, and 750 safe for flight quality assurance inspections. The award was received by Mrs Krista Willer while her husband was on depolyment.

The Bill Stuyvesant Best Scribe Award was presented to AWS1

Curtis Clontz, for his article “HS+HC= HSC / The Best of Both Worlds”. This award is presented annually to the active duty member whose article published in Rotor Review, addresses the subject of career growth for helicopter pilots in the most original, constructive, and informative manner.

The Naval H e l i c o p t e r Historical Society Mark Starr Award was presented to Chief Warrant Officer Phillip Poisson. Presenting the award was Lloyd Parthemer and special guest presenter Admiral Gay. The Mark Starr Award is presented annually to the individual, organization, or group who has made a major contribution to Naval helicopter history.

The final personnel called up

on stage received their Naval Aviator wings from HT-8 Commanding Officer Hans Sholley. The “Wingers” were: ENS Frank Cona, LTJG Ryan McCue, and 1stLt Louis Stamaglia.

Congratulations to all the award winners! Thanks to the NHA Staff for putting on such a memorable Awards Luncheon and Symposium!

Aircrews of the Year (Non-deployed and Deployed): (l) FIREWOOD 3 – LT Brandon Sheets, LT Scott Zenner, AWSC Jeremiah Wilkins, and AWS2 Brian Casey. (r) REDWOLF 13 – LCDR Josh Fagan, LT Chris Sillman, AW2 Justin Crane.

LCDR Scott Pichette received the Thach Award for HS- 5

NHA “Bubba” Panel Provides an In-depth

CRM Discussion for Junior OfficersArticle by LT Carl Glass, USN

The inaugural Junior Officer “Bubba” Panel was held in the Grand Hall on the final morning of the 2011 NHA symposium in San Diego. This, the inaugural event, was a huge success. It allowed JO aviators

of all varieties—from PQMs to HACs, FRS students to fleet aviators and instructors—to glean experience from four superb examples of effective crew resource management in an open, inviting forum without any “adult” supervision. The four guest panelists were helicopter pilots with four unique and vastly different stories, showing just how crucial effective CRM is to any and every mission we helicopter pilots may have to perform.

The Bubba Panel was the product of several hard working, dedicated professionals, but those deserving notable recognition are CDR Derrick Kingsley, LT Sutton Bailey, and LT Justin Smith for being the collective brains behind the operation, LT David Yoon for moderating the event and keeping the mayhem on stage to a minimum, and to the four panelists themselves for providing the rest of us with such outstanding displays of professionalism and for not making the members of the audience use a microphone when asking questions. For those O-4s and above who stayed clear and let the JOs have their fun, or for those O-3s and below that slept in and missed it, continue reading for a brief synopsis of each of the panelists’ experiences.

Forget the Flags! We are stepping up!

Continue on page 44



Focus: NHA “Bubba” Panel


LT Brandon SheetsNAS Whidbey Island SARBrandon was the intrepid pilot during the

rescue of an injured hiker in Hoodsport, Washington. He and his crew successfully executed an 80’ hoist over class-5 rapids with roughly 15 feet of horizontal clearance on each

side—all while hovering underneath a 400-ft bridge span. Brandon highlighted the importance that time-critical ORM played in his decision to take his helicopter under the bridge, including the thorough wind analysis and communication that had to take place between his unit and the rescuers on the ground, and the communication and division of labor that was required within his crew to safely and efficiently pull the survivor from the river.

LT Alexa BestosoHSL-37Alexa p r o v i d e d an excellent example

of the tight CRM that has to exist between a helicopter crew and their mother ship when dealing with an in-flight emergency. After conducting systems checks on the MAD system

of her SH-60B, Alexa experienced a malfunction that prevented the boom from retracting, leaving her with 200 feet of cable that had to be recovered on the pitching deck of her DDG—at night,

no less. It was only through good communication between her air boss and the crewman in the back of the helo that she and her crew were able to successfully execute a Hung MAD recovery and prevent a costly mishap.

Capt Josh McClellan HMLA-369

Josh’s story was one that most of us would expect to read about in historical accounts of Vietnam. Indeed, in a situation straight out of “Flight of the Intruder,” Josh had

to take the controls from his wounded HAC while egressing from a hot LZ after providing much-needed ammunition and supplies to Marines fighting the Taliban in Helmand Province. Only a matter of seconds after climbing out of the LZ, Josh found himself propelled from copilot to mission lead, taking charge of his flight (dash-two had also sustained a casualty within their crew) and leading them out of the battle area. Josh’s experience provided the audience with a great example of CRM and division of labor as he and his crew tried to keep his wounded HAC conscious and conducted systems checks to determine the extent of the damage to their UH-1W.

LT Kevin WintersUSCG Station San Diego

Kevin’s discussion of an offshore SAR provided a fantastic example of CRM that holds true across the entire spectrum of overwater helicopter operations, regardless

of community affiliation. Kevin and his crew conducted a rescue of two individuals from a stricken 38’ sailboat in 30 foot seas with 40-50 knots of wind; definitely a varsity day on the ocean. The rough sea state and instability of the vessel necessitated that the crew deviate from the standard direct-deployment procedure that they normally use. Meanwhile, as if coming straight out of a HAC board, the extended search had left their aircraft precariously close to BINGO fuel. It was only through effective time-critical risk management, planning, and communication that they were able to complete three hoists in 10 minutes and depart the scene with only five minutes left to BINGO, ultimately saving the lives of the two mariners.

The variety of circumstances and candid discussions that followed each of the scenarios provided excellent real-world CRM illustrations for every aviator in attendance. The panelists concluded by going down the line and giving the audience a few lessons-learned from their scenarios, emphasizing that no mission is ever perfect and that even with effective CRM and a successful ending there are always elements of every flight that can be improved. And though they didn’t talk about such topical, hard-hitting issues such as HSC-CV helo force structure or why very soon we will no longer be able to distinguish ourselves from Air Force pilots, this humble correspondent anticipates a standing-room only crowd for next year’s Bubba Panel.


Focus: NHA Enlisted/Captains of Industry Panel

Continue on page 46

2011 NHA Enlisted Panel Article by AWSC C. Gregory Ott, USN

The 2011 Naval Helicopter Association Enlisted Panel

was held on Thursday the 12th of May at the San Diego Town and Country Resort. This year’s panel consisted of senior AW leadership from every community including HS, HSC, HSM, and UAS. We were honored to have AWCM Carl Bailey as this year’s guest speaker. Master Chief Bailey delivered this year’s opening remarks; insightful and genuine he spoke of the many challenges and successes the AW community has faced over the past year to include the transition of four squadrons, new CONOPS, the joint deployment of HSC(CV) and HSM, and the most recent humanitarian relief efforts conducted in Japan. This year’s panel speakers were AWCM Michael Davis (HSC), AWRCS Bruce Hinschberger (HSM), AWRCS Michael Ousley (HSC Weps), HMC Mark Kirkland (SARMM), AWRC Axel Neilson (UAS), and LCDR Rob Loeb (UAS). Presentations were also delivered by the AW detailer AWSCS

Michael Belt and from the CNO SAR Model Managers office AWRCS Matt Shicks.

This year’s hot topic was manning and the AW career path explained in depth by Senior Chief Belt, Senior Chief Hinschberger, and Master Chief Davis with emphasis on taking the taking the tuff jobs and leadership at sea. Many new opportunities have made themselves available to the AW community such as UAS, DEVGRU, and the cross pollination between communities. Challenging station SAR billets have also increased and soon to stand up NAS Lemoore station SAR. The NAS Lemoore SAR team has a rich history of saving lives in Yosemite National Park so if you’re looking for a challenging inland SAR billet this is it. The UAS community is also a very challenging sea tour with many opportunities to deploy and support our SEAL teams as an organic ISR platform, and they want only the best by recommendation from within.

The AW community continues to grow and new opportunities are on the horizon; this is a very exciting time for the AW in the Naval Helicopter Community. There was a lot of pride in the room as Master Chief Bailey commended everyone in attendance for their professionalism and dedication to the AW and Naval Helicopter community. As Master Chief Bailey’s exceptional 30 year career comes to an end the panel and the entire AW community thanked him for his tireless efforts as well as, his steadfast devotion to Naval Search and Rescue and the rescue swimmers fleet wide.

Captains of Industry Tout the Way AheadArticle by LTJG Patrick Dunn, USN

“The naval helicopter force is in high demand and has

never been more relevant than it is today” remarked CAPT Don Williamson, USN (ret.) as he opened the Captains of Industry panel at the 2011 NHA Symposium on 12 May. The current relevancy of rotary wing aviation is certain and consequently, the panel’s discussion focused primarily on the future of naval rotary-wing aviation as the course has yet to be charted. To that end, this year’s Symposium gathered five industry leaders to discuss the future and enlighten active and retired aircrew as to the way forward.

The panel was comprised of leaders from the aircraft systems, technology, and design industries. Captain Don Williamson from Telephonics led the panel’s discussion as moderator. Fielding questions were Mr. Steve Baigrie from CAE’s flight training systems, Mr. George Barton from Lockheed Martin’s naval helicopter systems division, Mr. Joseph Battaglia, President of Telephonics, Mr. Mike Fuqua of Northrop Grumman’s tactical

unmanned systems division, and Mr. Jeff Pino, President of Sikorsky Aircraft. Among the members, the panel’s combined experience included tours as Commanding Officers, pilots, systems operators, and business professionals.

Joseph BattagliaTelephonics Corp

Jeffrey PinoSikorsky Aircraft Corp.

Steve baigrieCAE USA

Captains of Industry


Focus: NHA Captains of Industry Panel


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The panel’s answers echoed several refrains about the future of naval aviation. The first, a fact that all Americans know well, is that in difficult economic times, the need for adaptation and non-traditional solutions are critical. The second theme reiterated that people are the most valuable resource as the industry progresses. The final theme underscored the importance of increased concise communication between government and industry officials in order to promote growth. With each answer, these refrains clearly touted the industry’s view toward progress and development.

The current economic situation has affected millions of people and the defense industry feels the burden like any other. When asked about the largest challenge in years ahead, the panel responded nearly unanimously about the challenges surrounding budgets and contracts. Mr. Barton commented that as budget’s change, one of the greatest challenges is to maintain the same level of superior performance with fewer funds. When asked about future technologies and improvements to aviation systems, the panel members each expressed their commitment to growth and development but cited economic stress as a barrier to expedient research, testing, and delivery of new systems. However, in the midst of economic struggle, the industry is discovering new ways to promote progress with limited resources. Mr. Pino explained Sikorsky Aircraft’s belief in its own programs by explaining its own financial investiture. Sikorsky’s X2 helicopter has been funded without federal money, even though the technology may form the basis of the next military rotorcraft. Foresight and boldness in proceeding with non-funded projects will likely be the hallmark of successful new systems in the

coming years. While economic stress is evident and carries s i g n i f i c a n t burdens, it has not stifled d e v e l o p m e n t a l t o g e t h e r , instead it has created flexibility and

innovation to push projects towards conclusion.

Beyond finances, the industrial complex depends on capable personnel to produce continued results. Regardless of budget, future projects do not succeed without skilled engineers, developers, and testing personnel. As more college graduates move away from engineering and scientific disciplines, industry leaders struggle to maintain the requisite talent base to meet current

and future demands. Mr. Battaglia directly commented that the ability to maintain the industry’s core competencies while aiding the warfighter is a challenge, but not one that was without solution. The entire panel extolled new initiatives to identify and assist skilled individuals at an early age while continuing to recruit talent from careers that support their mission. Talented individuals from the private and government sectors can expect their skill sets to be pursued as the personnel gap grows. By fostering development and interest early, the industry seeks to close the personnel gap for future program development.

While the personnel gap presents a definite struggle, the panel members were confident that the difficulties associated with financial and manpower issues could be overcome through continued and improved communication between the user and the supplier. The panel agreed that in order to develop better technologies and hardware, the end-user and the developer needed to

Michael FuquaNorthrop Grumman Corp.

George BartonLockheed Martin.

Donald WilliamsonTelephonics Corp.

Captains of Industry


Focus: NHA Captains of Industry Panel

form a closer relationship. Mr. Barton and Mr. Pino commented that as aviators, we need to drive the industry by telling developers what we want and to put requirements on them rather than responding to their ideas. As professional aircrew, we are uniquely p o s i t i o n e d to improve technology as we know the costs and benefits of any development to our weapon systems. To leverage that, the panel members suggested that dialogue continue to open between the industry and the government. Only with expanded dialogue will

rotary wing aviation truly advance.Though there are many challenges

to the industry and their relationship with the government today, the future of rotary wing aviation has great potential. As communication increases, technologies develop, and requirements adapt to geopolitical situations, naval rotary wing aviation will simultaneously evolve. From leveraging high-fidelity simulators, to utilizing unmanned rotorcraft, to developing the next naval helicopter, naval rotary wing aviation’s future is firmly grounded in innovation, adaptation, and progress by the supporting industry. The Captains of Industry certainly explained their commitment to future excellence and capability, and in spite of challenges are extremely capable of leading the way for the next generation of naval helicopters.

The panel’s answers echoed several refrains about the future of naval aviation. The first, a fact that all

Americans know well, is that in difficult economic times, the need for adaptation and non-traditional solutions are critical. The second theme reiterated that people are the most valuable resource as the industry progresses. The final theme underscored the importance of increased concise communication between government and industry officials in order to promote growth.

Flag PanelArticle by LT Chris Salomon, USN

The Flag Panel is one of the most anticipated events at every NHA Symposium as it allows

us to directly ask questions of our Navy Leadership and get a better understanding of the issues facing our community as well as the future of rotary wing aviation. This year’s Flag Panel did not disappoint with an outstanding assembly of admirals from a variety of leadership positions.

One of the hottest issues was the rationale behind the proposed policy of wearing black T-shirts under flight suits. During his Keynote Address, VADM Myers answered that question himself, stating that the intention of the new policy was to make the flight suit more standardized across Naval Aviation and to allow us to wear it off the base. While the Uniform Board likes the idea of the standardized wear of the flight suit, unfortunately, they rejected the opportunity for us to wear our flight suits out in town. The policy will go into effect on October 1st unless additional information is put out between now and then.

The first question proposed to the

panel addressed the constant flow of new systems and capabilities being pushed out to the Sierra and Romeo fleet squadrons with sometimes little to no training provided on how to use the systems. This often results on us “making it up on the fly” instead of using established tactics and procedures developed in the training commands. The panel responded that often a lot of these systems would not make it to the fleet if we had to spend the money required for the additional development. Often, the Navy has to decide whether it is more crucial to get the additional capability out to the combat commanders or whether we should delay a system’s launch to allow us to establish r e f i n e d

procedures. It was also noted that through Naval Aviation history, JOs have taken systems and capabilities in our aircraft and used them in innovative ways that was not foreseen in the development stages, often this innovation exceeds the expectations and saves money.

Another question raised from our HM community was in reference to the plans for the medium and heavy lift capability and the Airborne Mine Countermeasures (AMCM) mission that appears to be “gapped” by 2025. Right

Flag Panel 2011

VADM Gerald BeamanCommander, 3rd Fleet

RADM William ShannonExecutive Officer, UAS Weapons

RADM John MillerCommander, Naval Strike and

Air Warfare Center

Continue on page 48



now, leadership has taken a “wait and see” approach to allow us to gather data on the ongoing testing with the MH-60S as well as the development of the CH-53K and they have projected that a decision on which aircraft or a combination of both will be made around 2014/2015.

The limited manpower is an issue facing not just our community, but all of Naval Aviation with the current fiscal constraints. The panel addressed the challenges faced in the Navy to “do more with less” but maintained that manpower is the most expensive component of the force and everything is being done to preserve the tools, equipment, and training to keep us relevant. They maintained that even though the helicopter community is disproportionately represented at the Flag level, all admirals have a responsibility to check their background and prejudices toward our community and serve in the best interest of the Navy. RADM McGrath explained that leadership always “covets what they see” and as we see more helicopter squadrons deployed on carriers he forecasts that we will see more helicopter Flag Officers. That being said, it was maintained that the helicopter community is one of the best funded communities and while most of the other parts of aviation are shrinking, our community is expanding considerably. One of the audience members asked, “At what point can we say no” when we are continued to be asked to do more with fewer resources.

The response was that while you will not ever get any relief if you do not address the issues and the outcome may not always be positive, make sure you present the facts to the chain of command and they will work with us as much as possible.

The panel also addressed the fact that they are seeing more and more capabilities arise from our communities as we get new equipment. RDML Guadagnini described our helicopters as “the ultimate utility infielders” and Strike Group Commanders can’t get enough of us. He also cited his recent experience with the Lincoln Strike Group with 19 MH-60S and MH-60R’s which allowed at one point for eight different helicopters to complete seven different missions. The capability of these new helicopters allows a lot of flexibility to the Strike Group Commander; however, it was brought up that maybe we spend too much time training for the CSAR

mission which absorbs a lot of time and money. Also addressed was one of the lessons we have learned during a recent deployment. With more helicopters in the Strike Group, the potential for a mid-air collision has increased. The advice given was to continue to train

the CATCC watch standers and exercise the procedures in the CV NATOPS. While we continue to see new capabilities with the new helicopters being introduced to the fleet, we are already developing the next generation of helicopters.

Overall, this year’s Flag Panel provided insight and understanding on key issues and relevant policies happening within our community. Some of the topics addressed included: the rationale behind the decision to implement only black shirts under flight suits, the constant flow of new systems and capabilities being pushed

out to the Sierra and Romeo fleet squadrons, the plans for the Airborne Mine Countermeasures mission, and the struggles with our current manpower constraints. Ultimately, we can feel proud that our community is serving the Navy well and the future is very bright for rotary wing aviation.

Focus: NHA Flag Panel

Flag Panel 2011

RADM PATRICK MCGRATHVice Commander, Naval Air Forces

Commander, Naval Air Forces Reserves

RDML Mark GuadagniniCommander, CSG-9

RADM Kenneth FloydDirector, Air Warfare Division

(OPNAV 88)

RDML Paul GrosklagsVice Commander, Naval Air Systems

Command


The panel addressed the constant flow of new systems and capabilities being pushed

out to the Sierra and Romeo fleet squadrons with sometimes little to no training provided on how to use the systems. This often results on us “making it up on the fly” instead of using established tactics and procedures developed in the t ra in ing commands.


Focus

Diversity Office and Office of Women’s Policy Working LuncheonArticle by LT Pam Stefanski

Forty people, including the Deputy Commodores of both Pacific wings, gathered for a working lunch the final day of the conference to discuss aviation demographics and current policies and initiatives. Miss Laura Scotty, CNAF Diversity Program Manager, led the discussion, presenting statistics and programs from the Office of Women’s

Policy and the Diversity Office. The attendees discussed the Career Intermission Program, the E-Mentor Program, and the Leading Edge blog. Miss Scotty spoke about the Diversity Office’s Cross Country and Outreach Sponsorship programs. Some pilots in the group had participated in both programs and shared their positive, fulfilling experiences. Miss Scotty provided the group with a list of flight gear made for women. Following the discussion, many in the group capitalized on mentoring opportunities—answering questions, offering guidance, and sharing experiences.

At this year’s NHA Aircrew competition, over 20 teams competed in a groundbreaking mix of old and new physical fitness events. The event coordinators planned a continuous event with running in-between

each station testing the competitor’s on all aspects of Search and Rescue and a little more.

The Best on the Beach : 2011 NHA Aircrew CompetitionArticle by AWCS Shane Gibbs, USN

Lifeguard Hose Race (which determined what heat your team was in) • Pull ups and Push ups • 500-Yard Open Ocean Swim • 0.4 mile Team Litter Carry • Moulage scenario which was graded by an SMT from the SARMM Office • Cross Fit station (including tire flip, fireman’s carry, ammo can carry) • 4x100 meter slick swim • Two person CPR • 42 Push-ups to wrap it up • If there was a tie then a Tug-of-War would determine the winner.

AWS2 Adam Steveson heads up the beach after the swimming portion of the aircrew competition.

The events were:

Continue to page 52


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HSC-25Island Knights

CDR John Compton, USN relieved CDR Benjamin Reynolds, USN on May

19, 2011

HSM-75Wolf Pack

CDR Christopher Westphal USN relieved CDR Mark E. Johnson USN on May

5, 2011

HSC-3Merlins

CDR Ryan T. Carron, USN relieved CDR Herschel Weinstock,

USN on May 26, 2011

HSM-74Swamp Fox

CDR Joseph R. O’Brien, USN relieved CDR Sean. Haley, USN

on June 9, 2011

CDR Andrew Danko, USN relieved CDR Michael

B. Sawin, USN on May 19, 2010

HSMWSLHS-5

Nightdippers

CDR Byron Ogden, USN relieved CDR M. S. Leavitt,

USN on May 12, 2011

HMlA-169Vipers

LtCol G.R. Hoffman, USMC relieved LtCol Reiley, USMC on June

30, 2011

HSC-9Tridents

CDR Brian K. Pummill, USN relieved CDR William T. Cox Jr. on July

1, 2011

HSM-70Spartans

CDR Amy N Bauernschmidt, USN relieved CDR Kenneth G. Kopp , USN

on June 11, 2011.

USCGASMiami

CAPT Joe B. Kimball, USCG relieved CAPT Richard M.

Kenin, USCG on July 12, 2011

USCGASBorinquien

CAPT Robert D. Phillips, USCG relieved CAPT Melvin W. Bouboulis, USCG on June 24, 2011

USCGASHumboldt Bay

CAPT Salvatore Palmer, USCG relieved CAPT Christopher Martino, USCG

on June 24, 2011

ATCMobile Bay

CAPT Thurman Maine, USCG relieved CAPT Steve Truhler, USCG on

July 15, 2011

HSC-7Dusty Dogs

CDR Dave Yoder, USN relieved CDR Larry McCullen on June 9, 2011

HSL-49Scorpions

CDR Jason Burns, USN relieved CDR John Barry III,

USN on May 11, 2011

HSC-84Red Wolves

CDR Bob Arsenault, USN relieved CDR Scott Gootee, USN on May 14,

2011

HSL-51Warlords

CDR David P. Walt, USN relieved CDR Sil

A. Perrella,USN on June 23, 2011


Naval Helicopter Association, IncMembership Application

Date: _____________________Member Information:

Name: ____________________________________________________________________

Rank/Rate: ________________________________ Service: _______________________________

Company Name (civilian): ____________________________________________________________________

Ship/Station: ___________________________ Military Unit/Squadron: ________________________

Work Specialty: Pilot: Aircrew: Non-Pilot:

Warfare Specialty: (HSC, HSM, HS, HSL, etc.): _________ Aircraft Flown:___________________________

Do you wish to be listed in the On-Line Directory? Yes No If Yes, only name, aircraft & exp. date are listed (All information posted there is considered public domain.)

Duty Status: Active: Retired: Reserve: Civilian:

Mailing Address: ____________________________________________________________________________ Street Apt

____________________________________________________________________________________________________ City State Zip

Cell Phone No. : ________________________ Home Phone No. : __________________________________

Email Address: _____________________________________________________________________________

Levels of Membership:NHA Membership (Annual Dues) 1 Year: $35.00 3 Years: $95.00 5 Years: $160.00

Nugget Membership – 2 Years: $35.00 (Open to O-1, O2 on first tour)

Associate Membership – 1 Year: $15.00 (Open to E-9 & below)

Canadian Addresses – 1 Year: $40.00 International Addresses – 1 Year: $50.00

Payment Options:Payment Due: $____________________

Cash: Check: (payable to NHA) MC/VISA:

MC/Visa #: ________-________-________-________ CCV_________ Expiration Date: _____________

Send your completed application to: NHA, P.O. Box 180578, Coronado, CA 92178-0578 (619) 435-7139FAX#: (619) 435-7354 e-mail: [email protected] Web site: http//www.navalhelicopterassn.org

Annual dues (contribution) for membership in the Naval Helicopter Association for the year 2010 are as shown above. $30.00 ofthis amount is for a one-year subscription to Rotor Review magazine. Return this portion with your remittance. Rotor Review is mailed periodical rate. Change of addresses, inquiries for membership, subscriptions, back issues, sale items, etc, should be directed to the NHA.

NHA OFFICE USE ONLY

MEMBERSHIP EXPIRES: ________________________________________________

Mem Pymnt Mem Processed Conf Email Online Copy

Version 2011


The competition resulted in a tie between HSL-48 and the HS-10 staff team. After an intense physical struggle of tug-of-war to determine who would win the title and take home the trophy, HSL-48 came through for the LAMPS community and won. Other notable teams were the HS-10 all female team, aka “Team VJJ” finishing in 8th place and the HM-14/HM-15 dry team of which some had never seen fins! All in all it was a great time and definitely sets the bar for next year’s competition.”The overall standings were as follows:

HSL-48-1. 38mins HS-10 STAFF2. -38mins HSM-41 STAFF3. -39mins HS-10 FRACS4. -40minsTEAM WAFFLE5. -41minsHSC-256. -42mins HSC-3,HSC-2,RANCH SLINGERS,HSM-407. -44minsHS-10 FEMALES, HS-6 OUTLIERS8. -45mins LOS TORTUGAS LOCOS9. -46mins HSC-23 AVERAGE JOES,HSM-41 NUGGETS,TEAM CHARLIE SHEEN10. -49mins HS-2611. -50mins HSL-3712. -52minsHSL-4213. /HSM-74-53minsTEAM ADRENALINE14. -55mins HSM-7515. -58mins HM 1416. /15-65mins

Focus: 2011 NHA Aircrew Competition


Other NHA Symposium Sports Day Results

2011 Naval Helicopter Association

Symposium Golf Tournament

Riverwalk Golf Club of San Diego hosted this year’s NHA Symposium

golf tournament with great results. Play lasted from 1230 until nearly 1800 across the Presidio and Mission courses, featuring players of all skill and experience levels enjoying a wonderful day, a well-kept golf course, and the donated beer of Airdale Brewing Company. The masters of the day excelled with a score of 54—an amazing 18 shots under par. Nine other contests were held, as well, including longest drive, longest putt, and closest to the pin contests throughout the course. Special thanks go out to Riverwalk Golf Club, Airdale Brewing, L3, San Diego Harley Davidson, Northrop Grumman, BAE, Sikorsky Aircraft, the NHA planning committee, and all the volunteers and sponsors that made such a great day possible!

Article by LT Tony Garcia, USN

Watch the Video: Click http://www.dvidshub.net/video/115309/naval-aircrew-competition#.TjmNqHO0yGs


partner

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them ashore during the vertical assault phase of an amphibious landing.

On 21 October 1958 the Commander in Chief, Atlantic Fleet, announced the formation of a new Amphibious Squadron composed of USS Boxer (CVS-21) and four LSDs equipped with helicopter platforms. Boxer was being used as an experimental helicopter carrier. She was redesignated LPH-4 on 30 J a n u a r y 1959. The newly formed squadron’s mission was to deploy a “vertical envelopment team” of Marine combat troops and helicopters.

On 26 August 1961, USS Iwo Jima (LPH-2) was commissioned at Bremerton, WA. This was the first of a series of Navy ships built from the keel up as Helicopter Combat Assault carriers. She could carry a Marine Battalion Landing Team and the Marine helicopter squadron to transport it to the beach during the vertical envelopment phase of an amphibious assault. Over the years, twelve LPHs were put into service, seven Iwo Jima class new-construction ships and five converted aircraft carriers.

In March 1957 HTU-1, based at Ellyson Field, was redesignated as Helicopter Training Group One (HTG-1). The Sikorsky HO4Ss replaced the HO3Ss and the Piasecki HUPs as advance trainers in mid-1957. On 1 July 1960, HTG-1 was again redesignated as Helicopter Training Squadron Eight (HT-8). In November 1963, HT-8 began to provide a two-week familiarization course in the TH-13 to NASA astronauts in the Apollo program. This training continued throughout the 1960s.

Throughout the 1950s helicopter designers had achieved tremendous advances in aircraft performance and reliability. The value of the helicopter in the combat support,

search and rescue, and utility roles had become undisputable. However, the conventional wisdom still was that helicopters were too dynamically complex and vulnerable to be used as attack platforms. Feeble attempts had been made to fit offensive weapons on helicopters; except in the ASW arena, none had advanced from the experimental phase. This issue would soon be settled beyond any doubt in a conflict that had been brewing in the jungles of the Indochina Peninsula. The United States would inexorably become embroiled in that conflict, which would span the following decade and into the early 1970s, and would become known in the annals of history as “The Helicopter War.” That story will continue in the third and last part of this series.

Sources:BOOKS

1. Helicopters and Autogiros. A History of Rotary-Wing and V/STOL Aviation. By Charles Gablehouse. J. B. Lippincott Company. Philadelphia and New York. 19692. Vertical Flight, Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C., 1984. 3. The Epic of Flight, The Helicopters. By Warren R. Young. Time-Life Books, Alexandria, Virginia, 1982. 4. The Helicopter. By Keith Carey. TAB Books Inc. Pennsylvania. 1986 5. Leave No Man Behind. By George Galdorisi and Thomas Phillips. Minneapolis, MN, Zenith Press, 2008.

WEB SITES1. Department of the Navy. Naval Historical Center. United States Naval Aviation 1910-1995. http:// www.history.navy.mil/branches/usna1910.htm2. Global Security organization. http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/3. U.S. Coast Guard Aviation history. http://www.uscg.mil/history/AviationIndex.asp4. NAS Ellyson Field. By CDR Doug Seigfried, USN(Ret). http://www.tailhook.org/Ellyson.htm5. Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/6. Flight Journal. FindArticles.com. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi7. The Birth of Anti-Submarine Warfare, by Stewart Ross Graham, CDR USCG. http://uscgaviationhistory.aoptero.org/images/WOLFPACK_SUNDAY_COMICS.pdf 8. Sikorsky Aircraft Archives. http://www.sikorskyarchives.com/tdoth.html

Early in the Korean War it became evident that the helicopter was do ing an exce l len t job , and

that its use was destined to grow fast. Bigger and better hel icopters were needed in greater quantities, and more helicopter pilots needed to be trained. With this in mind, in 1950 the Navy decided to move helicopter training to Pensacola.


Centennial of Naval Aviation:

The Proclamation of the Fallen Naval Helicopter Aircrew

For this year’s Memorial Day celebration aboard USS Midway (CV-41) Museum, CAPT (Ret) Paul Caine

invited CAPT Rich Dann, USNR (Centennial of Naval Aviation) to be the Master of Ceremonies for the reading of the proclamation declaring May 30, 2011 as Fallen Naval Helicopter Aircrew Day. The reading of the proclamation was presented by San Diego County Supervisor Chairman and Marine Corps veteran Bill Horn in honor of this day.

After the reading, the proclamation was then presented to Dan McKinnon for his 62 saves as a HUP rescue pilot. In return Mr. McKinnon presented Chairman Horn with an engraved model of an H-60 helicopter donated by CDR (Ret) Roger McTighe of North Island Credit Union.

Below is the proclamation (left) and the words (right) in honor of Fallen Helicopter Aircrew Day:

Chairman Horn reads the proclamation as Dan McKinnon and CAPT Dann looks on.

Whereas, since our Nation’s founding, many of American sons and daughters have given their lives in service to out country; and

Whereas, from Concord and Gettysburg to Omaha Beach and Pork Chop Hill, from Inchon and Khe Sanh to Baghdad and Kandahar, to battlefields and waters known only by a number or a search area, they departed our world as heroes and gave their lives for a cause greater than themselves; and

Whereas, May 30,2011 marks the 143rd year that the memory of these fallen heroes has been officially recognized by our nation; and

Whereas, the first tribute honoring our war dead was reportedly held in Waterloo, New York on May 5, 1866, when businesses in that city closed and the graves of fallen Union soldiers were decorated with flowers; and

Whereas, the observance of Decoration Day, which officially became Memorial Day in 1882, has served as an important salute to the military dead from all America’s wars; and

Whereas, every generation of Americans has been called upon to defend liberty and free the oppressed; and

Whereas, the USS Midway Museum has hosted many Memorial Day Services honoring fallen veterans from all services; and

Whereas, the USS Midway Museum is presenting a Memorial Day event which highlights the several Naval Helicopter displayed on board, which were used to provide humanitarian relief, rescue downed aircrews on land and sea, and in which many helicopter aircrews gave their lives; and

Whereas, the County of San Diego officially recognizes the observance of Memorial Day 2011 on the USS Midway; NOW THEREFORE,

BE IT PROCLAIMED by Chairman Bill Horn and all members of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, on this 30th day of May 2011 that, in honor of those who so willingly and bravely sacrificed their lives while serving our country, do hereby declare May 30, 2011, to be “FALLEN NAVAL HELICOPTER AIRCREW DAY” thoughout San Diego Country.The San Diego County Junior Choir performed

at the event.

PROCLAMATION Presented by Chairman Bill Horn

by CAPT Paul Caine, USN(Ret) and NHA Editors


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s Suspected Pirates Thwarted by DragonslayersArticle by LT Joshua Overn, USN

On March 24, 2011, while operating in the North

Arabian Sea during typical operations for Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, the USS Enterprise (CVN-65) received a distress call from a merchant vessel located approximately 70 miles to the south of the Strike Group. Dragonslayer 612 of HELANTISUBRON ELEVEN assigned to CARRIER AIR WING ONE was instructed to break off from their tasking to proceed south and investigate the distress call. Enterprise contacted the crew and asked 612, “are you armed?” “Immediately, we knew that this was not the usual contact investigation that

we have been tasked to do for the last three weeks,” stated the copilot, LT Joshua Overn.

The crew received a vector to the contact’s position and began to buster. Enroute, they received reports of a possible hijacking of a merchant vessel by suspected pirates. Instantly, the pilots switched to the bridge-to-bridge frequency and immediately began hearing calls from a frightened ship’s Captain about pirates inbound on a skiff with “ladders and ropes and possible AK-47’s.” Dragonslayer 612 continued to monitor the reports coming from the merchant vessel Falcon Trader II as they were under attack by pirates at that time. As 612 spotted Falcon Trader II, they could hear calls of distances and bearings of where the skiff was in relation to the merchant vessel from the ship’s Captain. Dragonslayer 612 approached from the port side of the merchant vessel and was told that a pirate skiff had been tied to Falcon Trader II’s starboard side.

The HAC (Helicopter Aircraft Commander), LCDR Michael Sypniewski, took charge of the scenario and began communicating on bridge-to-bridge with the Captain of Falcon Trader II, directing their crew to proceed to the ship’s safe room, or ‘citadel.’ A citadel is a secure room with food, water, communication, and controls for the vessel’s steering and propulsion. The copilot maneuvered the aircraft across Falcon Trader II’s bow to the starboard side where the crew immediately spotted the pirate skiff with three personnel onboard and the possibility of several more already on the merchant vessel. After one pass, the crew

chief, AWR3 Ricardo Becerra, called for condition 1 on the aircraft’s M-240D, and on the downwind leg, the right gunner, AWR3 Michael Jones, readied the weapon as the pilots called out the target. The HAC requested intentions from Enterprise and received direction “to prevent any further pirates from boarding.” After the HAC confirmed the skiff as the target, 612’s gunner fired warning shots across the bow of the skiff. At this time, 612’s crew spotted two more pirates on the deck of the merchant vessel with a third pirate climbing a rope from the skiff. The pirates continued their attempt to board as 612 came around for a second pass. The crew chief directed the gunner to fire at the skiff, and the gunner fired 50 more rounds across the bow of the skiff. As 612 ceased fire, they saw that the skiff was now breaking away from the merchant vessel with the three pirates on board.

Inbound for their third run, 612 noticed the skiff was now on the move towards the aft end of the ship while two pirates on the merchant vessel were also proceeded to the aft end of the ship, where they jumped overboard towards their pirate mates in the skiff to be picked up. Dragonslayer 612 then assumed an over-watch position of the merchant vessel to see if there were anymore pirates roaming top side or in the ladder wells trying to gain entry into Falcon Trader II’s superstructure. As the HAC relayed all this information to the Captain of the ship, 612 could see that the Captain and another crewmember were actually hiding in the funnel of Falcon Trader II and had views of their deck. Five minutes passed as 612 searched for evidence of any remaining pirates on the ship. Confident that there were no pirates on board, the crew of 612 proceeded to pursue the skiff, now with the five pirates onboard as they ran towards the southwest. 612 spotted the skiff and maintained a proper standoff to observe their actions, and as 612 pulled abeam the skiff, two pirates pulled out their small arms and engaged the helo.

In self-defense, the right gunner immediately returned fire, sending a stream of 80 rounds at the skiff. “There was no hesitation in my reaction to return fire towards the skiff knowing the lives of my crew were at stake,” stated AWR3 Jones. The skiff maneuvered to avoid the gunfire as 612 did the same to maintain proper standoff. As 612 turned towards the south, they noticed a small surface contact about five miles away and proceeded to identify the craft. The small surface contact and the skiff began to close as the crew of 612 concluded that they were identifying the pirates’ “mother ship.” While the HAC reported the mother ship back to Enterprise, the crew chief collected all available intelligence on the potential mother ship by taking photos and video of the craft.

Having passed along all pertinent information on the pirates’ activity and being relieved at the mother ship by T-Bolt 414 of VMFA-251, 612 returned to check on Falcon Trader II and her crew. Dragonslayer 612 did not locate any additional pirates aboard Falcon Trader II as they began vectoring the vessel for a rendezvous with USS Leyte Gulf (CG-55). Leyte Gulf’s embarked LAMPS detachment, the Vipers of HELANTISUBRON LIGHT FOUR EIGHT launched to assist with securing the water space around Falcon Trader II as Dragonslayer 612 took over-watch. Venom 504 then began tracking the “mother ship” (with the skiff now in tow) towards the southwest while Falcon Trader II remained under the control of Leyte Gulf, and 612 returned to USS Enterprise for fuel and a crew swap. “As we returned to mom, a feeling of pride filled our crew knowing that we had just prevented a possible devastating outcome that could have happened to the crew of the Falcon Trader II,” described AWR3 Becerra. The crew of Dragonslayer 612 was commended for a job well done in safely thwarting the attempted hi-jacking of Falcon Trader II by pirates and saving the lives of the twenty crewmembers aboard the vessel.


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sThe “Birddogs” of HSC-22 Return to Norfolk

Article by LT Dermot Killian, USN

Helicopter Sea Combat TWO TWO (HSC-22)

Detachment THREE has returned home to Naval Station Norfolk after a nine month cruise aboard the USS Kearsarge (LHD-3). The Birddogs of Det THREE were the first east coast Expeditionary Detachment to deploy on an L-class ship with the new MH-60S Armed Helicopter Kits. In an unofficial “Armed Helo proof of concept,” the Birddogs had the opportunity to utilize the capabilities and their respective training in a wide range of mission sets from traditional ASAR to Anti-Surface combat missions off Libya. The Birddogs successfully leveraged the new Armed Helicopter capabilities and, in doing so, showcased to the Fleet what the HSC community brings to the fight.

HSC-22 Det THREE departed a month earlier than planned to support HA/DR operations in response to the extensive and devastating flooding in Pakistan. With Crusaders 01 and 05, thirty-five Det THREE personnel, and requisite support equipment embarked, the Kearsarge ARG steamed east and into CENTCOM AOR without delay. While in theater, the Birddogs participated in multiple classified National Tasking operations. In late December, the Birddogs were tasked to forward deploy a detachment of 5 pilots and 5 aircrewmen for two months to provide armed contingency flight support for special operators and CTF-562. To

support this tasking, the Birddogs expanded their “membership” by receiving new pilots and aircrew from Homeguard. The new pilots and aircrew seamlessly carried on USS Kearsarge missions.

F o l l o w i n g completion of the SOF support, the original aircrews made it back to the Kearsarge in late February in time to transit the Suez Canal and head west for the conflict brewing in Libya. On the first night of Operation ODYSSEY DAWN (OOD), the crew flying ASAR in support of AV-8B Harrier strikes listened in as the 9-lines were being passed over SATCOM. Within days the Birddogs would be launching on their own Anti-Surface Warfare (ASUW) missions that would require the full capabilities of the MH-60S Armed Helicopter.

For over two weeks the Birddogs were on point with both Armed Helicopters loaded out with AGM-114N Hellfire missiles as they sat over 100 hours of Strike Coordination and Reconnaissance (SCAR) Alert 5. In addition, the Birddogs flew 6 combat sorties and accrued over 14 hours of combat flight time in what is presumed to be the first HSC Expeditionary ASUW

combat missions. In late April with almost 8 months of underway time, the Detachment got the opportunity to pull into Sicily for nine days of well deserved liberty. This was followed up by a brief stop in Rota, Spain. The lengthy deployment ultimately culminated with a short formation flight into Naval Station Norfolk on May 16, 2011, to a warm reception in HSC-22’s new hangar.

In front of Det THREE families and friends, Officer in charge, LCDR Chris Claybrook offered, “I felt very fortunate to be surrounded by an extremely professional and highly motivated Det that was composed of Sailors that always leaned into every challenge and did so with a smile on their faces.” The Sea Knights of HSC-22 are glad to have their shipmates back after a dynamic deployment and look forward to leveraging the numerous Birddog lessons learned for future deployments.

Armed and Ready.


Squadron Updates: HS-6/HSC-3

Continue on page 59

HS-6 TransitionArticle by HS-6 Public Affairs Officer

July will be another momentous month in the

storied history of the HS-6 Screamin’ Indians. Since being founded June 1, 1956, on the deck of the USS Princeton in the Philippine Sea, HS-6 has continued a tradition of excellence in Naval Aviation and National Service. Through 55 years of service, HS-6 has operated six different types of aircraft, while conducting operational anti-submarine warfare, search and rescue, combat search and rescue, logistics, medical evacuation and disaster relief missions around the globe. The efforts of the Screamin’ Indians have resulted in the successful rescues of 215 survivors, including: nineteen aviators shot down over Vietnam, the crews of Mercury 7, Mercury 8, Apollo 14 and Apollo-Soyuz, 4 Russian sailors defecting from the Soviet Union, and many more military and civilian personnel who owe their lives to the hard work and dedication

of HS-6 Sailors. In addition, HS-6 conducted surveillance and intelligence-gathering missions targeting Soviet helicopters and warships, and has prosecuted countless non-US submarine contacts. HS-6 has participated in operations including disaster relief during Japanese typhoons, off Yankee Station in Vietnam, and Operations Desert Storm, Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.

On July 8, 2011, HS-6 will close one chapter of its history while beginning another, officially transitioning the squadron from HELANTISUBRON SIX to HELSEACOMBATRON SIX or HSC-6. The newly designated squadron will operate the MH-60S, which will provide enhanced capabilities and flexibility. The Indians are also looking forward to HSM-75 joining the CVW-11/CSG-11 team, and exploring the increased rotary wing combat capability that combined HSM and HSC hunter-

killer teams can offer the Strike Group Commander. Handing over the Anti-Submarine mission to the HSM squadron gives HSC-6 the opportunity to focus on and perfect other mission sets, including Anti-Surface Warfare, Naval Special Warfare Support and Combat Search and Rescue. The squadron has been working tirelessly to effectively and efficiently complete the transition from Anti-Submarine to Sea-Combat, passing all milestones with flying colors, most recently achieving the Safe to Operate certification. Our overwhelmingly successful performance demonstrated the hard work and dedication of all Screamin’ Indian personnel, enabling HSC-6 to begin flying and maintaining our new aircraft independently.

With new aircraft and training, HSC-6 is ready and eager to carry on the fine tradition of service of the Screamin’ Indians, and pioneer a new chapter in Naval Aviation history.

HSC-3: Honoring the Past, Looking to the FutureArticle by LT Matt Sevier, USN

With the Centennial of Naval Aviation in full swing, a

sense of nostalgia has swept the sea wall of Naval Air Station North Island. Being the birthplace of Naval Aviation, San Diego was the obvious choice for this year’s Naval Helicopter Association Symposium. HELSEACOMBATRON THREE (HSC-3), the west coast’s premier MH-60S Fleet

Replacement Squadron, gladly took the reins of this momentous occasion. But before the incredible gala event aboard the USS Midway, or the symposium’s high tech displays touting the future of rotary aviation, HSC-3 hosted its own private, more personal tribute to the past.

On Sunday, May 8th, the wardroom of HSC-3 gathered in their hangar for a dinner in honor of the former commanding officers of HC-3 and HSC-3. Months earlier, the call went out in an effort to locate and invite these honored

CDR Weinstock (former HSC-3 commanding officer) spoke to the HSC-3 honored guests.


Squadron Updates: HSC-3


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alumni. With the majority retired and dispersed around the country, it proved to be no small task. After weeks of correspondence our final guest list included:

CAPT James Carson (ret.), HC-3 skipper from 1973-1974, former HA(L)-3 pilot with over 22 Air Medals.

RADM Philip Duffy (ret.), HC-3 skipper from 1976-1977 and former HS-11 pilot during Vietnam.CAPT John Cook (ret.), HC-3 skipper from 1980-1981 and former HA(L)-3 pilot with over 14 Air Medals. CAPT William Bogle (ret.), HC-3 skipper from 1986-1987 and formerly the first skipper of HC-5 NAS Agana, Guam.

CAPT Kenneth O’Bannon (ret.), HC-3 skipper from 1989-1990 and former skipper of HC-5.

CAPT William Personius (ret), HC-3 skipper from 2000-2001, former skipper of HC-11, and led the squadron’s transition from the H-46 to the MH-60S.

CAPT Frank Harrison, HSC-

3 skipper from 2004-2006, led the squadron through the transition from HC to HSC, and former Commodore of COMHELSEACOMBATWINGPAC.

Flanked by displays of historic command photos and with a backdrop provided by HSC-3’s “CONA” aircraft, sporting its Korean War era HO3S retro paint scheme, the catered event was a unique opportunity for the wardroom to meet and share stories with these community legends. Amid the music and conversations flew stories of Vietnam, of flying the beloved H-46, the arduous task of building the squadron facilities we enjoy today, and even one story of a skipper in full rescue swimmer gear jumping out of the back of an H-46 to reenlist one of his rescue swimmers at sea. HSC-3’s junior officers had no shortage of their own stories as well, detailing their various sea tours and time as instructors at the FRS…with just the right amount of embellishment.

At the start of dinner HSC-3’s Commanding Officer, CDR Herschel Weinstock, warmly welcomed the guests back into the Merlin wardroom,

highlighting their past achievements and how each has led to the incredible role our community now serves. After dessert and a brief tour of the squadron, the honored guests took positions around the display aircraft for a photo commemorating the event. The guests departed soon after, leaving the wardroom with a sense of heritage to uphold. Their hard work and leadership have paved the road to excellence the squadron enjoys today. A tradition that

the highly qualified men and women of HSC-3 are honored to continue today and into the future.

H C - 3 / H S C - 3 P a s t a n d P r e s e n t Commanding Officers

HSC-12 Squadron Update

The World Famous G o l d e n F a l c o n s of

HELSEACOMBATRON TWELVE returned home March 19th after a successful deployment with Carrier Air Wing TWO (CVW-2) aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) in support of OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM and OPERATION NEW DAWN. This marked a significant milestone for the squadron since being re-designated HSC-12, as it was our first deployment flying the new MH-60S vice the venerable SH-60F and HH-60H

of the HS-2 days. Six of these aircraft remained aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln while the other two deployed simultaneously aboard the USNS Rainier (T-AOE 7) as Det ONE, the first Combined Logistics Force (CLF) detachment for HSC-12.

Aboard CVN-72, HSC-12 flew approximately 2,900 flight hours in support of flight operations into Afghanistan and the logistical needs of Carrier Strike Group NINE (CSG-9). The squadron underwent its MCI during the return transit and performed superbly

with no major discrepancies.HSC-12 Det ONE flew in

support of CTF-53 to include VERTREP operations with Pakistani, French, and Australian ships, in addition to continuous support of the Abraham Lincoln strike group. Approximately 600,000 pounds of cargo and hundreds of passenger transfers were accomplished over 750 flight hours. Det ONE was also instrumental in the search and rescue (SAR) efforts of a sailor from a surface combatant.

Article courtesy of HSC-12 Public Affairs Office


Squadron Update: HSC-12

Continued from page 59Between the two ships, HSC-

12 was able to enjoy a wide variety of ports. Aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, HSC-12 visited the ports of Malaysia, Bahrain, Dubai over the holidays, and Singapore on the return transit. The USNS Rainier pulled in to Guam twice, Dubai (with the carrier), Fujairah on an almost weekly basis, and Subic Bay, Philippines, on the return home.

Of course, no deployment could be complete without a stop in Hawaii to kick off Tiger Cruise 2011 on board the USS Abraham Lincoln. The Golden Falcons had a great time showing off the squadron aircraft and explaining our mission to all the embarked family members during Tiger Cruise. And like every carrier tiger cruise, the highlight was the carrier wing air power demo. HSC-12 contributed with a SAR and HVBSS/fastrope demo, ending the show with the combined airwing flyover, strategically displaying the American, Navy, and POW/MIA flags with the help of HSM-77, to complete a successful deployment.

Two days following our homecoming to Naval Air Station North Island, HSC-12 conducted a change of command ceremony, in which CDR Patrick Keyes was relieved of command by CDR Anthony Roach, after a successful skipper tour. The ceremony was held in the welcome comfort of

our hangar and featured CAPT Elmer Nagma as our guest speaker. CDR Keyes departs HSC-12 with our deepest appreciation for his outstanding leadership and steadfast guidance.

When all focus was turned to training and readiness for our upcoming deployment, the Golden Falcons were called upon to assist HMX-1 with Presidential support in the Los Angeles area. HSC-12 quickly packed up and sent a five aircraft detachment to LAX where we rehearsed and flawlessly assisted “Marine One” with the movement of our Commander-in-Chief. Over the span of 5 days, the Golden Falcons were able to rub elbows, exchange stories, trade patches and coins, and fly wing with HMX-1 and “Marine One.” It truly was a rewarding and eye opening experience for all the Golden Falcons, to not only get glimpses of our President, but also experience the massive logistical effort required to move him.

With a once in a lifetime opportunity tucked into our pockets, HSC-12 once again focused on training. We ramped up our terrain flying east of North Island, re-setting our TERF counters, and as we bubbas say

“pounded the dirt,” resetting our much needed unprepared landing counters as well. Having taken the baby steps to reset ourselves for the overland environment, we eventually set out to NAF El Centro in the middle of May for a week of day and night tactical flying, sharpening the spear

with CATMEXs, aerial gunnery flights, and

completing many Seahawk Weapons And Tactics Program (SWTP) cards, qualifying the next crop of HSC-12 pilots and aircrew. With the assistance of the HSC Weapons School pilots and aircrew the Golden Falcons were able to complete 21 SWTP syllabus cards and three level upgrades. Not only did HSC-12 continue to make strides in qualifying its aircrews, but in doing so strengthened camaraderie within the squadron on all levels as only a shared experience, like a detachment to NAF El Centro, can do. As with most of the last year, this weeklong event turned out to be a great success for the World Famous Golden Falcons.

Golden Falcon with Air Force One at LAX


Squadron Update: HSC-2


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Fly Low, Get Huge, Break Stuff Article by LT Dan Thomas, USN

The sun was still two hours from

rising as a crisp spring wind whipped over the Combat Aircraft Loading Area (CALA), kicking up a pile of leaves that danced through the static rotors of the two helicopters parked there. The Fleet Angels Aviation Ordnance Men (AO) feverously scurried around their aircraft, checking and rechecking M299 launchers and installing Cartridge Activation Devices (CADS). Aviation Electronics Technicians were busy pushing LINK 16 crypto into aircraft. Orders and directions were barked out, actions were completed, and people were moving. Two vehicles with flashing lights approached the CALA. As they pulled back their large, heavy doors, multiple live Hellfire (HF) Missiles could be observed in their interior. Back at the Squadron, aircrew were just as busy; crunching weight and balance numbers, securing smart-packs, and printing out imagery. A call from the PREVAIL (TSV-1), the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) target vessel that was 75 miles out to sea placing targets, was received, “It’s a little sporty out here, seas are 3-4 feet with a strong wind out of the north.” Hellfire Week had begun.

The planning for the HSC-2 Fleet Angels Hellfire Week started in July of 2010, when Tactics Officer, LT Dan Thomas, put in a request to Naval Air Forces Atlantic (AIRLANT) for nine HF missiles. At the time, the Squadron had nine Armed Helicopter (AH) instructors who were training Fleet Replacement Pilots (FRP) in Multi-Spectral Targeting System (MTS), HF, and Digital Map Kneeboard (DMK) tactics. Despite the quality product HSC-2 was putting out to the Fleet, the majority of HSC-2 AH

instructors had never fired a live HF in the Sierra helicopter and the remote firing tactics had never been tested by the squadron. In addition, HSC-2 maintainers and AO’s had never worked with live HF ordnance and the CALA, which was recently completed on NS Norfolk, had never been used for live loading. Not to mention HSC-2 had never completed a live HF shoot.

In January 2011, HSC-2 learned that the HF Non-Combatant Expenditure Allowance (NCEA) request had been fulfilled; HSC-2 was allotted nine HF missiles. The planning process kicked off immediately. Since this was the first time that HSC-2 had conducted a live HF shoot and the CALA was to be used for live loading, there were some serious growing pains to work through. Fleet Area Control and Surveillance Facility (FACSFAC), Atlantic Targets Marine Operations Division, Oceana and Norfolk CALA Ops, Base Safety, AIRLANT, Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron One Two Six (VAW-126), AIRTEC, and numerous other entities had to be included in the planning process. Multiple planning

meetings took place at HSC-2 to work through the numerous issues that had to be addressed prior to putting missiles downrange. FACSFAC ranges located 75 miles off the coast of Virginia, were heavily booked. Despite the last minute additions and changes to the schedule, the Squadron was able to flex and coordinate all the different players into the planning process.

Hellfire dates were March 29-31, with the range safety brief taking place on Monday, March 28th. This was the first working day after the HSC-2 Change of Command. The first wave of Hellfire Week consisted of three aircraft, two shooters, and one range safety officer (RSO), call sign GODFATHER which lifted at sunrise.

The Hellfire Week plan was aggressive. The first day called for three separate launches of three aircraft with six missiles expended. The second day called for two launches of three with three missiles expended. The 31st which was originally planned as a backup day was re-routed to a fleet requirement.

HSC-2 HF Shot: Missile Arc profile off Fleet Angel 736


Squadron Update : HSC-2

Continued from page 61That meant HSC-2 had only two days to get nine missiles off the rail, without destroying all the targets, while de-conflicting with other helicopter squadrons for range time and still flying a normal FRS flight schedule.

The targets that Fleet Angel aircraft engaged with were a mix of Improvised Surface Towed Targets (ISTT) and Low Cost Towed Targets (LCTT). The targets were between 15-20 feet long, with a low beam, a one or two 55-gallon charcoal drum for heat augmentation, and a large mesh screen for missile targeting. The idea was to use the charcoal heat source for a lock and then offset the laser recticle onto the mesh screen. When the missile hit the screen, it would simply blow through it and impact the water; thus the same target could be used for multiple engagements. With a rolling sea and the different distances the aircraft were targeting from this theory was easier said than done. HSC-2 aircraft destroyed the first three targets they fired at. Despite being pretty sweet shots, the target placement vessel, PREVAIL, started getting nervous as they were quickly running out of targets.

VAW-126 Seahawks and AIRTEC aircraf t , provided range clearance and communication relay for all events they also pushed range foulers or surface vessels wandering into the missile danger zone through the Link 16 matrix to HSC-2 aircraft. Despite bad weather that cancelled one launch on the second day, HSC-2 aircraft were able to shoot 6 AGM-114 B missiles, with a 5 out of 6 hit rate. One crew experienced a misfire on their shoot and despite not getting the missile off the rail, the training derived from the misfire was excellent. The crew performed the misfire emergency procedure and diverted to NAS Oceana where they were met by HSC-2 AO personnel who safed the weapon and removed it. It was later determined the particular, misfire missile had been in inventory since 1988 and had faulty circuitry.

MTS video was recorded on every aircraft shoot and will be incorporated into training and missile validation for students coming through the syllabus. Perhaps the greatest byproduct of the missile shoots was the training derived from working with live ordnance. The Norfolk CALA was used for the first time and many lessons learned will be worked into future events. Navy Munitions Command (NMC) Norfolk doctrine was tested and will be refined to address the need from

east coast helicopter squadrons. Norfolk Base Safety discovered many valuable lessons learned from working with live ordnance such as refueling aircraft with live ordnance, something that will need to be addressed in the future. HSC-2 Maintainers were exposed to the pinnacle of HF operations. Many HSC-2 AO’s had never worked with live HF missiles; their inspections of missiles, boresighting of the MTS, and misfire lessons learned will be pushed out to the Fleet and passed down to junior Sailors. HSC-2’s AO Lead Petty Officer AO1 Harris, said, “It was a busy week, but it was very rewarding. The ability of our personnel to coordinate with multiple agencies and safely arm and dearm these weapons is what our job is all about. I’m very excited that Navy Helicopters are getting this capability.”

It just so happened that the same week HSC-2 was conducting Hellfire Operations; multiple operational helicopter squadrons were doing the same thing in Libya. HSC-22, a Norfolk-based operational squadron, were flying armed Strike Coordination And Reconnaissance (SCAR) missions off the coast of Libya, fully armed with

eight live missiles. Some may argue that the FRS didn’t need live missiles for training; however the Libya mission drives home the point. Our instructors are training the future of the helicopter community in HF tactics and employment. This shoot has brought a wealth of corporate knowledge to HSC-2 and all Norfolk based helicopter squadrons. The lessons learned from Norfolk CALA ops, range scheduling, and maintainer training are preparing pilots and sailors alike for what is happening off the coast of Libya and future conflicts.

LT Dave Deaton, an HSC-2 instructor and shooter of one missile, summed it up best on the aircrew side, “It’s just cool to blow something up with a live missile. The remote targeting tactics provided the crews with a chance to definitively refine what our tactical publications say. I’ll certainly pass on these lessons when I instruct.”

HSC-2’s motto, “First and Finest” certainly applied to Hellfire Week. The squadron knocked down many walls in regards to working through the myriad of issues for a live hellfire shoot in Norfolk. The lessons learned, positives and negatives will be pushed out to all operational squadrons to help them as they prepare for their own shoots and hopefully make their planning easier.

HSC-2 AOs : HSC-2 Aviation Ordnance Men load a live AGM-114B onto Fleet Angle 700.


Squadron Update

Weapons School WESTPAC

Faced with increasing challenges in aircraft and range availability,

Spring 2011 saw the Switchblades of HSM Weapons School Pacific (HSMWSP) reshape conventional methods of tactical training both here at home in San Diego - and across the Pacific.

The beginning of this dynamic period began with the recognition that, with HSM Wing Pacific reaching the halfway point in the most dynamic aircraft transition in Naval Aviation, the remaining SH-60B squadrons dispersed across San Diego, Hawaii, and Japan would need the trainers to come to them, rather than the more conventional North Island based five-week advanced tactical course known as HARP, or HSM Advanced Readiness Program.

Soon after moving into a new state-of-the-art training facility on NAS North Island, HARP, the capstone of basic phase tactical training, was simultaneously conducted in four dispersed locations to include: NAF Atsugi, Japan; Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF), Kauai; NALF San Clemente; and NAS Fallon, Nevada.

Change began with a move. After two productive years in Hangar 1456 where the Weapons School conducted the Singapore Naval Helicopter FMS case PEACE TRITON, the Switchblades ceded the property to the HSL-45 Wolfpack, who

were flawlessly hitting their stride transitioning to the MH-60R, and their new designation as HSM-75. Switchblade central would now be Building 489, located on the southeast side of the NAS North Island. Building 489 began life as an Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance Department (AIMD) electrical repair facility, but with the much appreciated and outstanding support of HSM Wing Pacific, following months of renovation, the newly refurbished facility became not only the first permanent home to

the Weapons School, but a state-of-the-art training facility. In addition to basic spaces required for normal operations, the 14,000 square-foot building houses two auditoriums, a mission planning lab, a crew-served weapons lab, and auxiliary spaces used by Delex and Innova Systems contractors. The new building is a major point of pride for all HSMWSP instructors and staff, evidenced by the training weapons displayed on the Quarterdeck. Impressive appearances aside, the facility has improved the quality of academic and tactical training provided to all HSMWINGPAC squadrons.

Faced with a confluence of competing demands in the form of crews nearing deployment, coupled with fewer SH-60Bs at North Island, the Weapons School formulated a plan in the Fall of 2010 to attack the divergent needs of requirements versus resources. From the beginning, it was obvious that doing the business the old way was not going to work. To that end, CDR Russ Raines, Skipper of the Weapons School, directed planning efforts to conduct a geographically dispersed, yet simultaneous HARP. Up to this point, West Coast HSL/HSM HARP primarily

operated out of NALF San Clemente Island (SCI), with about one exercise a year taking place at Pacific Missile Range Facility, Hawaii.

The Switchblades’ spiritual home, San Clemente Island, lies 60 miles off the coast of San Diego, adjacent to the unmatched training resources of the Southern California Offshore Range (SCORE). The logistics of transporting, lodging, and training aircrews in addition to ferrying, maintaining, and operating aircraft from a relatively remote island has always been challenging, and competing for SCORE range time with other military assets presented an additional and increasing element of difficulty. This coupled with the inherent challenges of SCI operations, the advent of Carrier Air Wing (CVW) integrated MH-60R squadrons and continuing support for traditional LAMPS detachments bred the need to leverage additional ranges not co-located with San Diego. The result was an experimental or “sea trials” phase during the spring of 2011 where HSMWSP personnel were scattered across the Pacific globe in support of this endeavor.

HARP 1102 (second HARP of fiscal year 2011) was by far the most dispersed and challenging HARP undertaken thus far. The logistics of conducting a unified HARP at four separate locations vastly separated by thousands of miles was exceptionally complex. Indeed, the successful execution of this multifaceted evolution was a testament to the teamwork and dedication of the Weapons School team.

Considering the limited number of Weapons School personnel, dividing the command into four detachments plus a Homeguard element, all while maintaining the integrity of a high-

Article by LT Katie Baehr, USN

In flight training off the coast of Kauai.

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of four SH-60B aircraft and a complete team of maintenance personnel, which demonstrated exceptional readiness with a sortie completion rate 25% greater than the two previous HARPs executed from San Clemente Island.

Fortunately for two hikers on the island of Kauai, during an integrated event, one HARP aircraft with a composite crew of HSMWSP instructors and students from HSL-51 was diverted from an SUW training mission to execute a life-saving Search and Rescue mission from a remote section of the island, providing on-ground triage, then hoisting an injured hiker and companion and transporting them a nearby medical facility.

In the busiest Spring in Weapons School history, HARP efforts resulted in 19 qualified crews, over 350 tactical training hours, and a lifesaving Search and Rescue. Spring brought forth a fresh and eye-opening perspective to tactical training and along with it, a new series of obstacles and challenges to identify and overcome. The initiatives and the lessons learned were invaluable and will help pave the way for future globetrotting HARP campaigns. At home or abroad, HSM Weapons School Pacific continues a remarkable tradition of providing squadrons with the best possible tactical training and evaluation.

quality HARP was truly an all-hands effort. Of course, the squadrons and external units in support played vital and indispensible roles in the success of HARP 1102, providing critical resources in an extremely professional and flexible manner.

HARP 1102 commenced with near simultaneous, though dispersed, academics and simulators. At NAS North Island, upon completion of this initial phase, crews from HSL-51 departed for Japan with a cadre of HSMWSP instructors for range events made possible by the extensive planning of HSMWSP staff and the Warlords of HSL-51. Together, they obtained surface ship support from naval base Yokosuka for Surface Warfare (SUW) events, scheduled off-site ordnance loading facilities at Japanese Ground Self Defense Force (JGSDF) Field Kizarasu in support of Surface-to-Air Counter-Tactics (SACT) events, arranged coordinated Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) events with the Chargers of HS-14, and executed multi-aircraft Strike Coordination and Reconnaissance (SCAR) scenarios in the Sagami Bay. Although faced with several challenges at each step, the relationships forged and the lessons learned were fundamental to establishing future training opportunities for Forward Deployed Naval Forces. Not to be overlooked, the Warlord’s maintenance effort produced a perfect 100% sortie completion rate. HSMWSP Operations Officer, LT Dan Sweatman, considered this “a strategic milestone for HSM Wing due to the additional HSM assets planned to be stationed out

of NAF Atsugi in the near future.”Meanwhile, supported by

the dispersed SWTI cadre of Weapons School instructors, crews from the HSL-43 Battlecats remained in San Diego and completed all HARP flight events at the SCORE range in the traditional manner, while the Scorpions of HSL-49 completed HARP ASW events alongside HSL-43 at the SCORE range and then went on to fly two SH-60B aircraft to NAS Fallon, Nevada to complete SUW events on the NSAWC range complex, while also supporting NSAWC’s Weapons and Tactics Instructor course. These Scorpion crews had the unique opportunity to train on dynamic and world-renowned training ranges in an environment rarely afforded to HSL crews.

Concurrently, HARP 1102 Hawaii was well underway on MCAS Kaneohe Bay. The Easyriders of HSL-37 hosted Weapons School instructors for academics and simulator events in their newly operational SH-60B simulator, which has proven vastly superior to previous SH-60B sims on either the East or West Coast. With upgraded software and visual graphics, the new simulator adds an enormous amount of fidelity that has been lacking in older sims. The Easyriders provided outstanding aircraft support and both HSMWSP and HSL-37 staff coordinated the logistical support which made flight events on the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) range possible. Though it was believed by some that a full HARP period (academics, simulator and flight events) from a non-San Diego location

was not possible, this evolution certainly proved otherwise.

A mere two months later, in March HSMWSP returned to Hawaii for HARP 1103. Once again, the Easyriders of HSL-37 supported HARP by providing a Weapons Detachment on PMRF, Kauai. The Weapons Detachment consisted

LT Pete Yu prepares for training

HSM Weapon School Pacific


Squadron Update: HSMWSP


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sHMLA-267 Heads to The FightArticle by Sgt. W. Zach Griffith, USMC

An HMLA-267 AH-1W Super Cobra flies over the border city of El Paso, Texas, assisting U.S. Border patrol in keeping an eye out for illegal immigrants. Photo taken by Sgt W. Zach Griffith

Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 267

departed this week to support combat operations in Afghanistan.

This deployment marks the first squadron deployment since Operation Iraqi Freedom I in 2003 as a full light attack squadron, according to 1st Lt. Dana R. Howe, the unit information officer and an AH-1 Cobra pilot for HMLA-267. For the past few years, the squadron has been dedicated to sending detachments in support of the 31st

MEU in Okinawa, Japan, and Southern California expeditionary units.

“We’ve been preparing for a year,” he added. “The Marines are all excited to deploy together for the first time in years.”

According to Howe, their focus will be on taking care of the Marines on the ground by providing close air support, resupply, over watch, casualty evacuation, and joint tactical air strikes, for troops on the ground throughout Helmand province.

“When Marines are in trouble and need close air support or resupply, we’ll be there,” he said.

The squadron has spent the last seven years as basically the sole provider of AH-1 and UH-1 detachments to the 31st MEU and WestPac MEUs, said Lt.

Col. Matt Mowery, the commanding officer of HMLA-267.

“The unit has done an incredible job performing this mission but the constant turnover of personnel, programs, and aircraft was beginning to have a negative effect on the squadron as a whole,” he said.

“I am extremely proud of the hard work my Marines have done to prepare for this combat deployment and have absolute confidence in our ability to execute our assigned mission” Mowery continued. “We will continue to live up to our motto ‘Any Time, Any Where.’”

VMM-161 Reaches MilestoneArticle and Photos by Staff Sgt Christine Polvorosa, USMC

As the first West Coast Osprey squadron to meet

final operating capability requirements, Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 161 is now “an official squadron in

the Fleet Marine Force,” said Houston native Maj. Jeffery D. Cabana, the aircraft maintenance officer for the “Greyhawks.”

VMM-161 reached its FOC milestone in the allotted 18 months with 26 pilots flying approximately 2,388 flight hours, 110 maintenance personnel, 12 MV-22B Ospreys and obtaining a T-3 rating in the Defense Readiness Reporting System - allowing the squadron to enter into a Pre-deployment Training Program or Marine expeditionary unit work-up cycle.

However, what makes this significant for VMM-161 is that it is now eligible to enter the deployment cycle and take pressure off the East Coast VMMs - or other aviation squadrons -

that are deploying more often due to the non-operational status of the West Coast squadrons, explained Capt. Ahron K. Oddman, a Greyhawks’ pilot training officer from Brooklyn, N.Y.

Furthermore, the squadron can be “Fraged,” or given a fragmentary order, to facilitate and support other units with their training, which can range from troop transport to amphibious shipping and shore-to-base operations.

Another major accomplishment the Greyhawks attained while achieving FOC was completing a large “overtrain” requirement, which meant in addition to the squadron training its own pilots and maintainers to meet FOC, they also trained dozens of other pilots and

VMM 161’s MV-22B Osprey prepares to receive fuel from a KC-130J Hercules over the Pacific off the coast of San Diego. Photo by Staff Sgt. Christine Polvorosa, USMC

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SQUADRON UPDATES: VMM-166 / HMM- 361

maintainers from the follow-on West Coast VMMs - namely VMM-166 and 561 - to be better postured to achieve their FOC milestone on timeline, added Oddman.

“It’s an added tax from which we didn’t have, but makes the West Coast MV-22 transition more seamless,” he continued.

Now that the squadron has its FMF status, the Greyhawks look forward to getting into the deployment rotation cycle as early as this fall or as late as next summer.

A view from the cockpit as the Osprey prepares to refuel. Photo by Staff Sgt. Christine Polvorosa, USMC

FLYING TIGERS CARRY HEAVY LOADArticle by Sgt. Deanne Hurla, USMC

One of the CH-53E Super Stallion’s many jobs is to

transport vehicles to areas that cannot be reached on the ground.

The Flying Tigers of Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 361 lifted more than 2,000 pounds of cargo and two humvees to the top of a steep, rocky mountain in support of a 7th Marines Communications Platoon field training exercise.

This is the support the squadron provides while deployed, explained Capt. Jeff Menne, a CH-53E pilot with the Flying Tigers and a St. Louis native. To his knowledge, there is no way for the communications Marines to get the Humvees on top of the mountain without the Super Stallion’s support. The mountain is steep, which makes it impassable, but high enough that it is

a great place for their communications gear.

Although not described as a training event for the squadron, getting to lift actual Marine Corps equipment is always good practice for the pilots and crews.

During their own training, pilots and crews use concrete blocks that weigh the same as Humvees or other cargo for external lift training.

“This is different from blocks because there is more wiggle room with the blocks,” said Cpl. Brian Thompson, a Flying Tigers crew chief. “These are working trucks, so if you snap an axle or it rolls off the mountain, it is bad. We also have to monitor the hooks closer to ensure we don’t crack a windshield or damage the truck in any way.”

The big difference is the value

of what the Marines are lifting, explained Menne. If something goes wrong and you drag the concrete block or drop it on the ground, it is easily replaced. A Humvee, particularly communication humvees, are very expensive, so pilots and crews have to be gentler with them.

To ensure the safety of crews, the helicopter support team and all the equipment, crew chiefs inspect the set up of all lifting cables and ensure equipment is properly secured on the vehicles.

HST Marines and the helicopter crews check all the equipment, and only after they are complete does the actual flight take place.

One crew chief stands at the helicopter’s windows and another lays on the floor. The crew chiefs guide the


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USMC UPDATES: HMM-361

Continued from page 66pilots into position over the cargo. Once the helicopter is hovering directly over the cargo, the HST Marines quickly hook the cargo to the tow straps connected to the aircraft.

With cargo secured the helicopter takes off to lift the load whereever it needs to go... in this case, to the top of a mountain.

This evolution went well because everything went as planned, explained Menne. It was great training for the crews and supported the communications training as well.

The Super Stallion had a successful day, completing one of its main functions by using its powerful engines to lift the vehicles where they cannot drive themselves.

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Coast Guard and Del Norte Sheriff’s Office rescue 6 from overturned vehiclePress and Photo released by CGAS Humboldt Bay Public Affairs

A U.S. Coast Guard aircrew, from

Air Station Humboldt Bay, and the Del Norte Sheriff’s Office teamed up to rescue six people from a vehicle that ran off the road near the Klamath River on June 8, 2011.

The vehicle ran off the road at approximately 7:30 a.m. and responding officers from the Del Norte Sheriff’s Office requested assistance from the Coast Guard when they determined a medical evacuation would be needed.

Two Coast Guard MH-65 dolphin helicopters arrived on scene at approximately 9:00 a.m. and conducted a medical evacuation for three of the people involved in the accident. Due to the challenging terrain, two of the victims had to be hoisted from the embankment

where they were found. The other victim was loaded onto the helicopter from a landing zone that was prepared by Del Norte Sheriff’s responders. One victim was transported directly to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Eureka, CA. The two victims in the other helicopter were transported to Coast Guard Air Station Humboldt Bay, where they were transferred to ambulances, which transported them to St. Joseph’s Hospital. Del Norte Sheriff’s Office responders rescued the other three passengers.

MH-65 Dolphin along the Humboldt Bay Coast.


USCG UPDATES: USCGAS Humboldt Bay / USCGAS Kodiak

Coast Guard finds man at seaPress released by CGAS Humboldt Bay Public Affairs

One person died and another, who tried to save

him, was injured at Black Sands Beach near Shelter Cove the afternoon of January 27, 2011.

The Coast Guard received a call from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s Humboldt-Del Norte Unit’s dispatch, at 3:16 p.m. requesting assistance for a man struggling in the water at Black Sands Beach.

A Coast Guard MH-65 helicopter, from Air Station Humboldt Bay, and a 47-ft Motor Lifeboat, from Station Noyo River, were immediately launched to assist. The helicopter arrived

on scene at 4:07 p.m., and located the man in the water. The helicopter crew directed a Shelter Cove fire rescue boat toward the individual. The boat crew recovered him from the water, and he was declared dead.

Another person was injured while attempting to assist the man in distress. The would-be rescuer made it back to shore where she was assisted by the Shelter Cove Fire Department. Arrangements were made to transport her by a commercial medical evacuation to a hospital to treat her injuries.

This is the second case within one week where the Coast Guard has responded to an individual who found

themselves in distress while enjoying the beaches of Humboldt County. The Coast Guard reminds all those on or near the water that the waters and shoreline of Northern California are extremely rugged and hazardous. Even on a day with beautiful weather, high seas and powerful breaking waves can exist. The Coast Guard recommends checking weather and surf reports prior to activities and leisure on and around the water.

Coast Guard MEDEVACs Fisherman With Broken Arm Near Naknek To KodiakPress released by USCGAS Kodiak Public Affairs Office

A Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak MH-60 Jayhawk

helicopter crew medevaced a 56-year-old fisherman reportedly suffering from a severely broken forearm aboard the 32-foot fishing vessel Miss Maria 14 miles west of Naknek July1, 2011.

Coast Guard Sector Anchorage watchstanders received a call via VHF-FM radio from the Alaska State Trooper

patrol vessel Stimson crew stating the Miss Maria crewman reportedly suffered a double compound fracture to his right forearm. The troopers had safely transferred him to the Stimson. The watchstanders directed the launch of the helicopter crew at 12:38 a.m.

The helicopter crew arrived on scene at 2:53 a.m., safely hoisted the fisherman and flew to Kodiak. The rescue

crew arrived in Kodiak at 5:32 a.m. and safely transferred the man to awaiting emergency medical services who took him to Providence Kodiak Island Medical Center for further medical care in reportedly stable condition.


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Good Morning! Thank you, Steve, for that kind introduction.

Steve Tomaszeski has been a long-time friend, and not just because he also commanded our Navy’s finest carrier – USS Kitty Hawk! He has also been a mentor – to me and to so many others within our Naval Aviation family. Sir, your leadership of this organization is truly appreciated and on full display here at the start of this year’s NHA Symposium.

According to Life magazine, the great inventor Thomas Alva Edison was asked in 1908 for his opinion about the Wright brothers’ airplane, and I quote: “The electrical wizard pooh-poohed the Wrights’ achievement. No airplane would be good, he said, until it could go straight up and down!” It’s a good thing for us Igor Sikorsky and Frank Piasecki took those words to heart, because helicopters changed everything!

It’s great to look out and see friends, leaders and future leaders for Naval Aviation -- Flag Officers, our Wing Commodores, Former Commodores, current and past Commanding Officers…

I know many of you are wondering why I would choose to wear Service Dress Khaki when everyone else seems to be wearing flight suits. First of all, this is our centennial year. When the first student pilots reported for flight duty one hundred years ago, Navy officer uniforms were either dress whites or dress blues – and as we all can attest, neither is very practical if you’re going flying. So we quickly adopted the Marines’ working khakis – much more functional in the cockpit.

But what you probably didn’t know was that in 1931, the khakis of the aviation community were adopted for use by submariners, and as the officer corps became more hands-on, demand rose from the fleet for a working uniform for officers other than dungarees. An ALNAV promulgated in February 1941 permitted the wear of khakis for ALL officers subject to the discretion of the commanding officer. So in tribute to Naval Aviation’s history of uniform leadership, I chose service dress khaki which is reminiscent of that past… and in tribute to our continued influence today, we all wear khakis as our daily work uniform – another reminder of our aviation heritage.Naval Aviation’s 100 year anniversary marks a Century of Accomplishment, Innovation, Courage,

The Closing of a Memorable Symposium

On May 12, 2011, the 63rd NHA Symposium came to a close in the Grand Hall of Town and Country Resort and Convention Center, after four days of memorable events celebrating 100 years of Naval Aviation and recognizing naval helicopter community’s birth rite while focusing on the

future of the community and NHA. For the closing of this issue, we have given you two perspectives on this year’s Symposium. These perspectives are from excerpts of VADM Allen Myers’ keynote address and post Symposium remarks from the 2011 NHA Symposium coordinator, CDR Derrick Kingsley.

VADM Myer’s address reflects on the helicopter and its diverse roles, and how helicopter missions have changed the game in naval aviation throughout the years. It also painted the picture of the community’s bright future as being one that keeps the fleet, across the globe, safe, effective and potent. CDR Kingsley’s closing remarks express genuine gratitude and concern for the future of the NHA Symposium. irst, review the words the was expressed through VADM Myers during is keynote to NHA:

and Teamwork. It also allows us to reflect on how our history has shaped our present and prepares us for our future. So, it is important to understand not just the history of naval Aviation, but how it fits into the history of our Navy as well.

Our Founding Fathers created a Navy for two fundamental reasons: 1) Influence foreign powers and Coalitions, and 2) Control the Sea Lanes to ensure our prosperity…

That’s what we did beginning in 1775 – 235 years ago when our Continental Congress created our Navy – 9 months before we declared our Independence…

And that’s exactly what we are doing today, around the Globe, Forward Deployed, overseas, influencing Nations with Humanitarian Assistance like in Japan, providing credible deterrence on many oceans, controlling the seas around the world, and delivering critical effects – deep over land like in the Middle East and with the recent operation conducted by Navy SEALs to take out Osama bin Laden… an operation we should note, that relied on helicopters to deliver those effects.

Naval Aviation has expanded and enhanced the areas our ships can influence – from simple line of sight at the crow’s nest to an area of influence that extends hundreds of miles. Just a few short years after the Wright Brothers took flight at Kitty Hawk, military strategists began to consider what utility flying machines could bring. And for a Navy dominated by a battleship admiralty – the early answer was that maybe aircraft could serve as a useful scouting platform. Maybe, indeed!

For the past hundred years Naval Aviation has proven beyond a doubt that what was initially thought to be a useful reconnaissance capability is now a critical element of our power projection and national security.

And what everyone in this room understands so well is how critical our rotary wing is to Naval Aviation’s success… From

October 16, 1943 when the Navy accepted its first helicopter, a Sikorsky Y3-4B, to every mission we conduct today, our rotary wing aviation makes a huge difference. Even as a jet guy I get it – and it’s more than just knowing you will always be there to pull a downed crew from the sea. Helicopters are vital to our success as a sea base, and they support every asset – EVERY ship – that serves as a sea base.

I have never felt so vulnerable as when I was commanding the USS Sacramento (an AOE) as we did independent steaming a few times without our CH-46s. I was limited. Sure I could do underway transfers like ships have done as long as they’ve sailed the seas. But I was restricted in how quickly I could execute time-critical missions like medical lift, moving parts, or man overboard rescues. It struck me then, and the lesson has stayed with me – – Helicopters have fundamentally changed and enhanced the seabase. Helicopters changed everything.

On Sunday [May 8, 2011], we marked Naval Aviation’s 100th Birthday – commemorating the requisition of the Navy’s first aircraft on May 8, 1911. We had commissioned our first aircraft carrier in 1922 --- that would be light-speed by today’s acquisition standards --- and by the end of the 1920s, squadrons of scout planes and observation bombers were assigned to battleships and cruisers. These early airframes laid the path for the future of our rotary communities. Their missions were key to our victory in World War II – and they are still conducted today. But now those mission sets are conducted by helicopters. More importantly the mission sets have expanded.

Every aviator and air crew – regardless of what airframe they fly – has great respect and

2011 NHA Symposium Keynote Address:


NAVAL HELICOPTER ASSOCIATION, INCThe Navy Helicopter Association, Inc was founded on 2 November 1971 by the twelve rotary wing pioneers listed below.

The bylaws were later formally written and the organization was established as a nonprofit association in the State of California 11 May 1978. In 1987 the bylaws were rewritten, changing the name from Navy to Naval to reflect the close relationship of the rotary wing community in the Coast Guard,

Marine Corps and Navy, from initial training to operating many similar aircraft. NHA is a 501 ( C ) (7) nonprofit association.

Objectives of NHA Provide recognition and enhance the prestige of the United States Naval vertical flight community.

Promote the use of vertical lift aircraft in the U. S. Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. Keep members informed of new developments and accomplishments in rotary wing aviation.

CDR D.J. HayesCAPT C.B. SmileyCAPT J.M. PurtellCDR H.V. Pepper

CDR H.F. McLindenCDR W. StaightMr. R. WallochCDR P.W. Nicholas

CAPT A.E. MonahanCAPT M.R. StarrCAPT A.F. EmigMr. H. Nachlin

NHA Founding Members

Continue on page 71

appreciation for the enduring mission of helicopters – rescuing downed crews. Hollywood helped paint that picture in the public’s mind when Mickey Rooney played the role of helicopter pilot LT Harry Brubaker in The Bridges of Toko Ri.

And, as I said – helicopters changed everything. Rotary wing aircraft made combat search and rescue in the most hostile environments a realistically achievable mission. It started in Korea – where pioneering helicopter crews developed the tactics to conduct these rescues and emerged as heroes [...]

Helicopters also changed how we defend the sea base. They gave us the first realistically effective means of protecting our carriers and other high value units in the face of the formidable and omni-present Soviet submarine threat throughout the Cold War. Credible and effective ASW capability was then, and remains today, a core Navy competency, and an essential enabler of carrier air wing power projection.

And when LAMPS MK I and MK III helicopters came on the scene, they broadened the role of naval aviation, bringing new technology to extend our reach beyond the carrier, and integrating an over-the-horizon search and kill capability on every cruiser and destroyer platform in the carrier strike group and beyond. And with the continued evolution to the MH-60 Romeo and Sierra, helicopters will continue to change how we do business. The mission set that our helicopters provide to the strike group has again increased and enhanced the overall capabilities that we provide from the sea base.

You’ve all heard that whenever America is called upon to respond to a crisis, anywhere on the globe, the first question to come out of the Oval Office is, “Where are the carriers?” This I can assure you is true. But what you don’t often hear is the next question, asked by the COCOM, which is: “How many helicopters have you got and how soon can they be there?”

This was certainly the case on March 11th as Japan was hit with the trifecta of earthquake, tsunami and potential nuclear disaster. And no sooner

had the carrier Ronald Reagan arrived on station, than the flight deck focus shifted and its helicopters began flying humanitarian and disaster relief missions, along with helicopters from the George Washington Strike Group, from Atsugi Air Base and from other ships in the vicinity. They demonstrated perfectly the immeasurable value of forward presence and agility. Naval helicopters played a central role in providing critical relief – more than 200 tons of food, water and other supplies – to our friends in Japan through Operation TOMADACHI.

We weren’t surprised by their speed in responding, and our leadership has come to rely on it -- this incredible capability they have provided in Japan, as well as in Indonesia, the Philippines, Haiti, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, and the list goes on…

Whether it’s been humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, countering piracy on the high seas, defense of the sea base, or presence to influence coalitions, we -- and by that I really mean Naval Aviation and our magnificently capable helicopter force -- have been there to respond. Our Navy is not, and has never been, a garrison force. We are forward deployed, providing actual presence around the globe every day – and our helicopter community helps make this possible.

There has never been a better time to be in Rotary Wing – no other branch of Naval Aviation is experiencing the growth that the rotary wing community enjoys today. I know that you have heard this before: With the enhanced integration of helicopters in the air wing we have increased opportunities for command. And I look forward to it, not because of what it means for naval aviation but what it means for the Navy. Over the next few years, with the continued transition to the Romeos and Sierras, our helicopter inventory is increasing and will

make up nearly one-third of the entire naval aircraft inventory.

This transition has progressed smoothly and is an important part of the helicopter Concept of Operations, our CONOPS. It’s more than just managing our force structure. It’s about aligning our organization and improving our warfighting capability. Ladies and gentlemen – YOU are the ones who will make this happen. Helicopter pilots will soon be more than 50% of all naval aviators. The number of fleet squadrons will grow, providing additional meaningful leadership positions, command opportunity and follow-on leadership tours not just in Naval Aviation, but in the Navy writ large.

Our helicopter communities will again change how we operate as you lead the way in integrating unmanned systems into fleet operations. Fire Scout has been tested at sea and is now being tested with CENTCOM in Afghanistan. You are the first community within Naval Aviation to have achieved this significant milestone… and to ensure that we have the right focus directed from a fleet perspective, we are refining the mission for the HS-10 Warhawks.

They have long served as the Fleet Replacement Squadron for our SH-60 Foxtrots and Hotels, but they will now turn over their remaining, limited production role to HSC-3 and -85, and take on the new mission to become the FRS for Vertical Take-off and Landing UAVs. They will be the node for developing, testing and implementing VTUAV operations. It’s important to designate the focal point now, when we are early in the process so that this path in Naval Aviation’s future is paved smartly and efficiently. … and again rotary wing will change how we deliver effects from the sea base.

You have changed how we operate. You are a weapons system for every ship in our fleet, and every ship’s commanding officer knows the inherent advantages of drilling for flight quarters… drilling for you. Because flight quarters and YOU provide them capabilities across the entire spectrum

Perspective: The Closing of Memorable SymposiumContinued from page 69


The Next Issue of the

focuses on 30th Anniversary of Rotor Review

See more details on the 30th Anniversary Photo Contest on page 19.** Other photo and article submissions need to be no later than August 24, 2011 to your Rotor Review community editor or NHA Design Editor. Any further questions, please contact the NHA National Office at 619.435.7139 or [email protected].

of operations... from protecting the ship, to projecting power, from receiving mail and parts to transporting our most precious cargo – people, especially those in distress.

YOU are the lifeline. You keep the fleet safe, effective, and potent, and I know you will acknowledge this over the next few days as you gather here and celebrate as a community.

We are all fiercely proud of our rich heritage, and in celebrating 100 years of accomplishment, we also celebrate the entire Naval Aviation team – officer, enlisted, civilian, pilots, air crew, maintainers, our industry partners and our families – and especially during this week, our Naval Helicopter Community.

Our shared passion for flight has fueled a century of accomplishment, and it will continue to inspire our proud legacy for the next hundred years.Thank you for this opportunity. God bless each and every one of you, and God Bless Naval Aviation!

Post - Symposium Remarks

Greetings! I hope everyone enjoyed our 2011 CONA NHA Symposium! First and foremost, I would like to thank my entire Sym-posium Planning Team, for without their help and tireless commitment, we could not have pulled this event off so easily. I want to thank CAPT Miley and the entire NHA Staff for their support over the last nine months. Last but not least, I owe a special thank you to RADM Tomaszeski for his time and open mindedness when I wouldn’t back down from making this event better than ever!

Speaking of making the event better in the years to come, LT Dave Yoon created an awesome survey that compiled over 900 re-sponses from the fleet. While I won’t get into the fine details and steal his thunder, I did read every response and there were many common themes that I’d like to briefly address.

Overall, members in attendance en-joyed themselves, but many felt that our active duty leadership needed to prioritize the events more (I.E. get out of the work mentality and get to the symposium floor!). They found Mr. Sikorsky’s speech very welcoming, and desired to see more Helo leadership in attendance, in addition to more Helo representation on the Flag Panel.

There were more than a few com-ments about more togetherness as ONE HELO COMMUNITY. Like I’ve said before, we

have our differences, yet we have many more common goals and should focus on celebrating Rotary Wing Aviation- not dif-ferences. A good way to reinforce togeth-erness is more socializing! Speaking of that- the majority of the responses clearly pointed out that NHA members want more get-togethers, and not just one annual sym-posium or flight suit formal. On the topic of panels, our Inaugural “JO Bubba Panel” was a huge success and the survey revealed that our NHA membership would like to see more of those events in the future. Not just Junior Officers, but some of our more “seasoned” veterans who served through the Korea and Vietnam eras too.

The overall majority of respon-dents desire to have our annual sympo-sium outside of a fleet concentration area (San Diego / Norfolk) - with emphasis on procuring military airlifts to the venue. In fact, many people responded that they are more than willing to pay their own way regardless. Bottom line, folks want to get away from work to enjoy the events. They want as much of the cost defrayed as pos-sible- yet they still want to get away. WRT a weekend event, most say they support the idea, but there is not a large disparity between the “yea” and “nay” groups- with about a third still “undecided”. Based on the open ended comments about having

the event over a weekend, most of those “no” responses centered on losing time with the family or were due to the impression that you are still working over a weekend. For those who’ve been to a Tailhook convention- there are families in attendance. Kids can be found exploring the exhibits during the day, or hanging out at the hotel pool. Besides, there are many other things to do in Reno that are family-oriented. A symposium in Reno can essentially become a mini-vacation for the family. Also, it is definitely NOT WORK!! Think of it as more of a weekend social with some briefs. If you get the chance- go check it out and you’ll know what I’ve been talking about!

The 2012 NHA Symposium planning will start within a couple months, so I strongly urge you to keep fighting the good fight. OUR ROTARY WING COMMUNITY must unite and help make these events something that YOU want to attend- not just another “requirement” or annual “check in the box”. It takes your engaged leadership and feedback from the deck plates to the Skippers, to the Commodores, and to the NHA Officials to make it all happen. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again- it’s time to start looking into new venues, new events, and more socials!! Without investing in the future of NHA, we will slowly die from within. We are better than that! Thanks for your attendance, your ideas, and your continued feedback!

by CDR Derrick Kingsley, USN

Perspective: The Closing of Memorable SymposiumContinued from page 70


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rr 113: 2011 nha symposium highlights

Documents

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