army aviation digest - feb 1964

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    FEBRU RY 964

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    UNITED

    DIRECTOR OF ARMY AVIATION ACSFORDEPARTMENT OF THE ARMYBrig Gen John J . Tolson III

    COMMANDANT U S ARMY AVIATION SCHOOLMaj Gen Clifton F von Kann

    ASST COMDT U. S ARMY AVIATION SCHOOLCol Robert F Cassidy

    EDITORIAL STAFFCapt Richard C AnglinFred M. MontgomeryRichard K TierneyWilliam H. SmithDiana G. Williams

    GRAPHIC ART SUPPORTH G LinnH A. PickelD. L CrowleyJ. Johnson

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

    RMY VI TION1GESJFEBRUARY 1964 VOLUME 1 NUMBER 2

    CONTENTS

    LEITERS .INDUSTRY AND AIR ASSAULT, Maj Gen Charle W. G . Rich . .LANDING ON ICEA BUCKET OF WORMS, Capt Joseph R. Koehler. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .AN AVIATOR TACTICAL MISSION PROFICIENCY TEST, Maj Norman

    P. Jacobs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .M-6 Lt John E. Ham, Jr. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .I LL TAKE THE TRAIN . . . .TALKING TOO MUCH, Capt Russell F. Pool. .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .DIRECT COMMUNICATIONS, Capt Linus Fiely . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . THE GREAT SECURITY LEAK, William H. Smith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .WALK AWAY FROM THAT FORCED LANDING, Capt Gary V . Denni onA BY-PRODUCT OF HAZARD, Capt Rufus R. HartFAMILIARITY BREEDS . . MISERY LOVES COMPA Y . . CRASH SENSE . . . . . . . . .SALESMANSHIP, Lt Raymond 1. Puknys . . SEITLING WITH POWER, Capt R. W. Newton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .VERY IMPORTANT PILOT, Elton J. Smith

    The mission of the U. S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST is to provide information ofoperational or functional nature concerning safety and aircraft accident prevention, trainmaintenance, operations, research and development, aviation mediCine, and other related dThe DIGEST is an offiCial Department of the Army periodical published monthly unthe supervision of the Commandant, U. S. Army Aviation School. Views expressed heare not necessarily those of Department of the Army or the U. S. Army Aviation SchPhotos are U. S. Army unless otherwise specified. Material may be reprinted giving crto the DIGEST and to the author, unless otherwise indicated.Articles, photos, and items of interest on Army Aviation are invited. Direct communtion is authorized to: Editor-in-Chiej U S Army Aviation Digest Fort Rucker AlabamUse of funds for printing of this publication has been approved by HeadquartDepartment of the Army, 27 November 1961.To be distributed in accordance with reqUirements stated in DA Form 12.

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    ~ ~

    Sir:Thank you very much for yourletter and the enclosed copies ofthe AVIATION DIGEST . Somehowbetween my rewriting of the article( A System, Dec 63 ) and our cor

    respondence on it, two errors havecrept into the final draft.First and most important , the en tire system described in the articleis the brainchild of M I Sgt JamesPreskitt. My small contribution wasonly writing the article. Second, thearticle was written while I was amember of KMAG in Korea; I havenever served in Vietnam.Thank you very much. I wouldgreatly appreciate it if you wouldgive these two corrections space inyour next issue. Thank you verymuch .JERRY R. CURRYCaptain, InfantryFt Lewis, Wash.

    Our appreciation to Sgt Pres-k t t for his ideas on revamping theaviation publications system. Wegoofed on your address. Editor.

    Sir:Your article Concentrations ThatCan Kill You on page 7 of the

    nclosure

    E

    November 1963 issue was very in teresting. Only sketches were usedhowever, to indicate how the stressconcentrations can result in failure.I am inclosing photogr aphs of twotypes of concentrations that actually resulted in failure of the part ,with a brief history of each.Case history number one concerns an R-985 crankshaft. noperating activity began havingdifficulty with an oil leak in theviCinity of the crankshaft thrustnut. When their efforts failed tocorrect the condition , the aircraft,with the engine still installed , wasflown to a depot activity.The engine was removed andsent to ARADMAC for a teardownanalysis, where the crankshaft wasremoved from the engine, mag-netic particle inspected , and foundto be cracked. To determine thecause of the crack , the section ofthe crankshaft with crack indications was cut off and the piecesseparated at the crack line.The photograph sent as inclosureone is a view showing the surfaceof the crack. The first crack, believed to have started from a stressconcentration caused by a scratchor tool mark, acted as a stress concentration for the ultimate crack(marked on photograph ) . The linesof propagation are clearly visibleand indicate that the full extent

    E

    of the crack was a progressive typefailure.Case history number two concerns an 0-470 crankshaft removedfrom a Navy engine received byARADMAC for overhaul. The reason for removal was shown asmetal contamination. When theengine was disassembled the crankshaft was found to be broken between No.2 main bearing journaland No. 3 connecting rod journal.Upon closely examining the ends, itwas found that the failure resultedfrom a stress concentration causedby an inclusion slightly below thesurface, shown in inclosure two.This crankshaft was removed froman engine that had operated for anunknown period of time after thefailure occurred , the pieces ofcrankshaft having been held to gether by the main bearings . Theinclusion probably would be notedwhen examined by a thol'oughlyexperienced magnetic particle inspector.A well done to Captain Bagwell for a very fine article that waswell written. I would appreciatemore articles of this type in yourpublication.

    RAYMOND S. FARLEYA I C Quality Control SpecialistU S. Army Aeronautical DepotMaintenance centerCorpus Christi , Texas .

    nclosure 2

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    THE DIFFERENCE betweena boxer and a slugger is wellknown. The boxer uses his agil-ity to move quickly surprisedeceive stay flexible capitalizeon the vulnerabili y of h is op-ponent and ultimately attack

    and violently defeat him. Theslugger is slow methodical pon-derous and relies on the weightand power of his position to de-feat his enemy.

    At Fort Benning Ga. theArmy is now developing a

    boxer. We call it Air Assault.I would like to outline my concept of what the Army can dowith Air Assault and to challenge industry to assist us in realizing the optimum advantageswhich the Air Assault concep

    U ARMY A VIATIO DIGEST

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    and technology can provide.Armies throughout history

    have searched and experimentedwith means of increasing mobili y, for it was early found thatthe force which could reactquickly, get there fustest withthe mostest, had a decided advantage over the opponent. Until this century commanderswere limited to the speed of thewalking soldier for the movement of troops, augmented byhorses, elephants, camels, etc. inhis forward movement. The motor vehicle since the early partof this century has increased themobility of armies from eightto ten-fold over that of all preceding centuries. For the past 40years the Army has been developing use of the motor vehicleto attain maximum potentialfrom it.

    We find in our divisions todayover 3,000 motor vehicles, ranging from jeeps which are fastand light to tanks which weighup to 50 tons. Our engineer effort has been increasingly gearedto provide the capability of as-

    craft set the military dreameraflame with imagination. t hasprovided the military commander with resources whichtax his vision and resourcefulness in exploiting the tremendous potential which the aircraftoffers. The Army has used thecapabilities thus provided aswell as it could conceive at a particular point in time. t developed the use of the parachute toallow troops to land where theyare needed; however, once onthe ground the Airborne Division must again rely on truckand track transport, normally inthe form of a ground link-up, tosustain itself and to move fromthe drop area.

    In 1946 the helicopter was introduced into the Army, and thecapabilities of this remarkablemachine have been exploited onan ever-increasing scale to enhance Army mobility. Our current divisions are authorizedover 100 aircraft, more than 90of them helicopters. However,they can provide mobility toonly small segments of a divisionforce. They are still limited bymaintenance and supply supportelements which are moved bywheels.

    Files throughout the Army are

    mid-fifties, an aviation programwas developed; requirements foraircraft, organizations, researchand development of aircraft andrelated equipment, and forthe procurement of aircraft wereincorporated. In late 1959 theRogers Board was established.This board formalized the aviation program with emphasis onresearch and development andresulted in a firm program for afamily of Army aircraft.

    The process of evolution continued, and in 1962, based on arequest from the Secretary ofDefense, the Army establishedthe Army Tactical MobilityBoard, commonly called theHowze Board, to determine howaviation could be used to providea quantum jump in mobility forthe Army. The Howze Board reaffirmed the basic aircraft development established by the Rogers Board and provided newguidance for the inclusion of aircraft into units and for the employment of these units to provide much larger advantage inmobility.

    One of the recommendationsof the Howze Board was that anair assault division should be or ganized. In February 1962 the11 h Air Assault Division was

    Industry and ir ssaultMajor General Charles W. G Rich, USA

    Commanding General, U S Army Infantry Center, Fort Benning, Ga.sisting the movement of thisequipment, particularly the 50-ton tank. Weight and, to a largeextent, bulk have not had to beof significant importance underthese conditions.

    The development of the air-FEBRUARY 1964

    filled with studies which havebeen made to determine how aviation can increase the mobilityand striking power of the Army.This has been an evolutionaryprocess, as it should be. As a re sult of intensified studies in the

    organized at Fort Benning fortesting its organization and capabilities. Along with the divisionwas organized the 10th AirTransport Brigade to operate anair line of communications to thedivision.

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    What is Air Assault? Howdoes it differ from airmobility,or even from airborne, and whatdoes it mean to industry? Brie.flystated, air assault can be considered the complete reliance onaircraft operating with the troopsfor the movement, employment,and support of large combatforces and the maximum elimination of reliance on groundtransportation. The air assaultforce carries with it all the elements it needs for employmenton the ground, communication,maintenance, support and supplies. It is resupplied and reinforced by air-landing troops andsupplies where they are needed,reducing to the greatest degreethe need for ground transportation.

    To be truly effective the airassault force must be able tomove on short notice (in minutes) to operate in an objectivearea, preferably behind enemylines or in enemy or neutral territory. It must be able to fightand sustain i tsel for an almostindefinite period, and then itmust be able to move again onshort notice without having tobe joined by a land tail of anytype.

    This freedom from the groundprovides the greatest potentialfor mobility and presents a tremendous challenge to the imagination and the capacity of industry to provide the equipment wenow need. For years weight andbulk have been of relative unimportance. Now with the adventof air assault they are primaryfactors second only to the basicuse intended for a particularpiece of equipment.

    We might say that the RogersBoard established research anddevelopment goals for aircraftand related equipment. TheHowze Board organized theseequipments into units for thegreatest advantages to Army mo-

    bility. The organization of the11th Air Assault Division andthe experience which we havehad to date clearly indicate theurgent requirement for study,experimentation, and development of other equipment andorganizations now existing in theArmy to make them compatibleand useable. Then the mobilityand flexibility of the aircraft andthe responsiveness which it canprovide can be fully realized.

    eare searching the Armyinventory for equipment whichcan be used to optimize the efforts of the air assault organization. Light weight, reduced bulk,and responsiveness have becomeall important and, where necessary, must be achieved even atthe expense of ruggedness andlong life. While these qualitiesare still desirable, we are rapidlyfinding in our air assault exercises that light weight and theability to be moved by Armyaircraft, normally with a capacity of about 1 tons have be -

    come paramount.Let's take an apparently

    simple problem: providing watefor our troops. Heretofore, whave been able to establish watepurification points in rear of ouadvance units and move thiwater to the troops for cookinghygiene, and drinking by trailers, trucks, and cans. Early exercises under the air assault concept pointedly illustrated thathese normal means were toheavy. We must have a means ogetting water to our forwartroops in lightweight containersWe must reduce the requirements for water as much as possible and must provide a lightweight means of purifying thwater in objective areas far intenemy territory.A more vital problem is supplying fuel for aircraft. Truckmounted tankers and 55-gallodrums are much too heavy fouse in air assault operations. Th55-gallon drum and 5-gallon container now commonly use

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    throughout the Army are tooslow for filling aircraft fuel tanksof several hundred gallon capacity. About 440 tons of fuel a daywill be required to operate anair assault division of about 450aircraft for one ull day of combat.The development of a fuelsupply system which can betransported forward and brokendown into small components forrefueling in forward areas withminimum or no repackaging isan urgent requirement and oneof our greatest problems. As anexpedient we are using 500-galIon collapsible rubber tanks,carrying them forward in Caribou and Chinook aircraft, thensling loading individual 500-galIon collapsible drums under ourUH 1 helicopters to the forwardunits. To date this is the bestsystem we have been able to devise. We hope that through thecombined efforts of the Armyand industry we can vastly improve this somewhat jury-rig

    operation.think industry should give

    considerable thought to the development of engines of smallerfuel consumption or the development of fuel with lighter weightsand less volume. The advantagesare clear.would also like to insert athought on the problem of noise.Besides its obvious effect on civilian communities surroundinglarge airports, we are concernedabout noise for another reason:its effect on tactical operations.Noise from aircraft telegraphsour position and warns theenemy of our approach. Reduction of noise level from aircraftis required to enhance the surprise and shock effect of air assault operations. Eliminating theenemy s reaction time will alsomaterially reduce our vulnerability to its fire.

    Let us get back to equipmentwhich is not purely or directlyconnected with aircraft. Wehave had considerable trouble

    finding a forklift of sufficientweight-lifting capability and ofsmall enough weight and size tobe carried in our aircraft to expedite materiel handling. This isan apparently small problem butone which we have not adequately solved. Coupled withthis is the requirement for re ducing weight and volume offood and ammunition and thecontainers in which they arepacked. Ease of handling to afford rapid distribution is anotherfactor required to exploit to thefullest the flexibility and mobility which air assault provides.

    Aircraft armament and theequipment for supporting ithave become lost arts in theArmy. The armament systemswe are using on our aircraft are,in almost every case merely theadaptation of weapons designedfor ground employment. Thougha credit to the ingenuity of thosewho adapted and developedthem so that they can be used,these systems are at best jury-

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    rigged expedients. They provideus with a firepower capabilitywhich we vitally need but theyhave the obvious disadvantagesof excessive weight of bothweapon and ammunition.

    The means by which most ofthem are attached to the aircrafthas increas ed drag resulting inreduced speed and maneuverability. We need a weapons system which will enhance our ability to move and strike the enemyforce from any direction. We areparticularly interested in the development of a fast reacting antitank capability which does notrequire our aircraft to be operating close to enemy tanks to beeffective. In other words wewant to be able to stand off andhit him from distances from2,000 to 3,000 meters then duckbehind a hill to protect ourselvesfrom retaliatory fire.

    The communications systemswithin the Army have increasingly provided better communications and greater reliabilityoperating over great varieties ofranges. We still need the re-6

    liability and the means to communicate; however our systemsmust be redesigned or developedwith emphasis on light weightand less bulk and of equal importance with a requirement forfar less power. By jury-riggingand to some extent reducing certain capabilities we can reducethe weight of communicationsequipment in the Air AssaultDivision to a small percentageof the weight of the equipmentauthorized in other divisions ofthe Army.

    This has been accomplished byeliminating the large heavytruck-mounted vans and similardevices, mounting our equipment on small trailers and having them operate from tents. Asan example a 21f2 4;on truck vanweighing 20,000 pounds hasbeen replaced with a 1,200-pound sled. Again an expedientbut it works.

    To be truly effective, we consider the ability to operate atnight and to the maximum extent under all weather conditions to be probably the primary

    requirement of the Air AssaultDivision. eare not satisfiedwith our capability at the present time. What is clearly indicated is a navigation system thatwill allow us to operate withoutreference to the ground yet flying close to it to remain out ofthe radar vigilance of the enemy.We need a system which will letthe pilot know at all timeswhere he is and will allow himto land in enemy-held territoryunder minimum conditions ofvisibility in the exact spot wherehe should land. The navigationsystem should also provide us ameans of clearly identifying locations of objects seen or sensedon the ground to enhance ourintelligence gathering capabilities.

    f industry is to help solve theequipment problems unique tothe th Air Assault Divisionan exchange of informationmust be accomplished. First industry must have an appreciation of the specific problemsposed and be able to evaluatethe application of their productsand capabilities to the airmobility tests. The next step is for ourpersonnel at Fort Benning to become aware of those productsand capabilities. Such an exchange of information as welas the follow-up action to obtainitems of equipment deemed desirable for employment in thetests is the responsibility of theTest Evaluation and ControGroup now established at FortBenning. This group is formalizing procedures for briefing industry on our activities and requirements and for receivingproposals from industry.

    We need the ideas and contributions of industry to providethe specialized equipment necessary to full exploiting of theair assault concept. A cooperative effort will truly benefit bothindustry and the Army.

    U. S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST

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    _ FEflf T_ lFEET

    verage thickness of ice in latitudes 45 _ oNapproximately 1 foot to 6 or even 8 feet and thatice can make excellent landing strips.

    They point out that ice surfaces are more durable than is often imagined. The sound of crackingice is not necessarily cause for alarm, unless it isaccompanied by noticeable sagging under theload . Ice can safely carry greater loads than arelikely to produce the first crack, and ample warning is usually given before failure occurs. Wheredanger signals are evident, the problem can bealleviated by moving the aircraft periodically orunloading it.

    The load bearing capacity of ice or its resistanceto bending under a load involves such factors asthickness, pressure exerted by the water under it,elasticity, shape and concentration of the load, andPoisson's Ratio. * With these considered, a relationship can be established between the thicknessof the ice and the radius of influence of loadsupon the floating ice. These distances are important because of their relationship to resonancewaves and safe distances to be observed betweentatic loads , such as parked aircraft.

    Resonance waves are one of the phenomenaassociated with the movement of aircraft or heavyloads on ice of marginal safety thickness. At timesheavy moving objects have broken through afrozen lake surface , even when the ice cover wastheoretically strong enough to have carried them.Such failures are sometimes attributed to theseresonance waves generated by moving objects.

    The depth of the water and the rate of move-* The ratio of transverse to longitudinal strain ina material under tension.

    8

    ment of the object on the ice above it is important. On shallow water the critical failures of amoving load depend primarily on the depth of thewater and to a lesser degree on the thickness othe ice. The major concern in the case of aircrafis the taxiing operation. For instance, if a hot rodpilot should taxi in at 15 to 2 mph on ice omarginal thickness and water about 2 feet deepthere is a good chance of the aircraft breakingthrough. At 5 mph, the same pilot would be perfectly safe.

    When taxiing on an ice surface over very deepwater, the critical resonance velocity depends almost entirely upon the thickness of the ice. Fortunately, taxiing speeds of aircraft are normallybelow velocities which might be termed critical

    Avia ors with some experience in landing andtaking off from frozen lakes know that the mosdangerous portion of the ice is that adjacent to theshore. The ice along the edge of the lake seems tobe softer than that in the middle. Near the shorecomplex resonance waves may occur which causthe ice to break up easily.

    Thus a very poor choice for an ice landing stripwould be one which parallels the shore, in fairlyshallow water, and located within one radius oinfluence distance from shore. This distance iknown as L and varies with the thickness of thice. Figure 1 shows this L distance per inch of seand fresh water ice.

    When only the minimum thickness of ice iavailable, the width of the lake should never bless than 4 L. Thus, on a fresh water lake wherethe ice is 30 inches thick, the lake should be 80feet wide. The landing strip should not be closethan 2 L or 400 feet to the shore at any point toavoid resonance wave effects. Narrow bodies o

    Figure 1100 r . . . . . . -r--/------ .

    9 0 r - - F O - R - I C - E I k N E S ~ S I ~LAkE WIDTH > L I ~ ,,

    1 S T R P DISTANCE FROM SHOU > h L _-- - _ - ~ - - - , ~ ~ ' - -PARKED AIRCRAFT SPACING > L / . '

    :: = = = = = = = : = = = = = = = ~ = = = = = = ~ - ~ - ( .- - - - < - 1 - ___c,\ t.\. - - - - ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ # ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

    ~ , , \ \ ~ ' \ \ ' \ . c , +40 ~ - - - - ~ . . . . J . ~ , , \ , ~ ~ q . : ' - - + - - - - - - - - - - - - - -~ ~

    1 200 300 4LOAD INFLUENCE RADIUS . Hl

    U. S. AA Y VIATIQ DIG .

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    501- -1 .

    4 1 1 ----,.,.,1 '-

    ~ ~ ~20

    20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200GROSS WEIGHT. 1000 L .

    LEGEND== FRESH WATER ICE IAV . AIR TEMP . OVER 4 DAYS, 22F}=::1 SEA ICE IAV . AIR TEMP . OVER 4 DAYS. 19F}MINIMUM RECOMMENDED THICKNESS FOR AIRCRAFT 6 .

    FOR SKI OPERATION REDUCE ICE THICKNESS Y 10 .igure 2

    water are thus unsuitable for landing unless theice is extremely thick or an emergency exists.Ice surface on lakes of medium size is usuallypreferable to large lakes, and is less likely to have

    surface irregularities caused by thermal expansion, contraction, and wind action. Large lakes,however, often have inlets or bays which aresuitable for landing. In regions where geologic oilformations are prevalent, natural gas rising fromthe bottom of the lake can produce porous ice,which results in local weakening of the ice sheet.

    River ice is usually thinner than lake ice and islikely to be less uniform in thickness due to thepresence of water currents. This condition is particularly pronounced where the river bends ornarrows. River ice should be given a safety factorof 10-12 percent above that thickness required forlake ice under otherwise identical conditions.

    As a general rule the surface ice on fresh waterlakes is smoother than that on salt water bodies.Fresh water ice, however, should never be usedafter it has begun to candle (to separate into longvertical needles).

    The best location for a landing strip on sea iceis in a bay or behind a point where ice is not subject to horizontal pressure from ice floes of theopen sea. Unprotected ice landing strips can becarried away by changes of current or wind.Active cracks, caused by the movement of ice inthe vertical and horizontal direction, should beavoided. Such cracks often separate the bay icefrom ice cover in the open sea. I f the bay selectedis long enough, active cracks can usually beavoided.

    Pack ice in the open Arctic is sometimes suitable for airfield purposes. The usual runwaylength limiting factor is, however, the distanceFEBRUARY 1964

    between pressure ridges. Ice fields of 1 mile indiameter are fairly numerous, but larger ones areseldom seen.

    When white snow ice, a sort of frozen slush, isencountered on top of clear blue, fresh water ice,its effective thickness is only half that of the freshwater ice. Thus if an ice surface has a layer ofblue ice 10 inches thick and is covered by a layerof snow ice also 10 inches thick, the effective icethickness, in terms of blue ice, is only 15 inches.

    Figure 2 developed by the Canadian SnowIce and Permafrost Research Establishment(SIPRE), indicaJtes ,the thickness of ice requiredfor regular and emergency landing of varioussizes of aircraft on fresh and sea ice. The emergency curve involves some risk of the wheelsbreaking through after the aircraft has stopped.Nevertheless, under most circumstances, it is considered advisable to make an emergency landingon ice rather than on land. I f the landing has to bemade on ice which is known to be of marginalstrength, the landing gear remains up.

    In ice landing operations, some data is skimpyand techniques are still theoretical. Further re search is necessary. In the meantime, these frozenassets can be used in the interest of safety andstrategy in winter flying and in increasing ourexpanding efforts toward true mobility in all environments.

    Adapted from Insti tute of the Aerospace SciencesPaper No. 61-217 and from the article UConsiderationsfor Landing Aircraft on Floating Ice by T. G. Dunkin,M.C.A.S.I., Canadair Limited, Canadian Aeronauticsand Space Institute, Vol. 8, No.5, Canadian Aero-nautics and Space Institute, Commonwealth Building,77 Metcalfe St . Ottawa Canada. ~

    Skis increase flotation see figure 2)

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    A ucket of Worms\ X T WERE KICKINGV V around hypothetical situations-hangar flying. Each of

    the aviators in turn embellishedhis favorite hairy tale or instrument flight problem and offeredit for discussion in the HappyHour haze. His cohorts gleefullydissected the situation in termsof their own experience, I'dhave done it this way, or added

    1

    aptain Joseph R Koehler

    further complications What ifyour whatzit went out?For a couple of days I hadbeen mulling over a question.Davison Army Airfield FortBelvoir, Va. just outside Washington D.C. has only one instrument approach-a GCA. Lossof voice radio communications at7 000 feet holding over Ironsidesintersection (your clearance

    limit) while awaiting radarhand-off to Davison GCA wouldseem to present the pilot witha bucket of worms. Adrenalinconsumption would rise further

    Capt Koehler is an instrumentexaminer and is s s i g n ~ d as aidede-camp to the CommandingGeneral USAAVNC Ft Ruckeru S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST

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    "YOU'RE IN THE t 1 000 b tou a , , en ..gines out no parachute just 6 000 silkworms nda sewing machinei you had not filed an alternateairport.During a lull in the conversation, when the bartender announced 30 minutes left ofHappy Hour, I tossed my tidbitto the troops. The ensuing procedural debate swiftly turned intoa babel. Responses varied from,"Let me get another bourbon,"to, "I'd drop back 2 and punt " .

    We discussed what Washingtoncenter would expect the pilot todo; what Washington approachcontrol would expect; what thepilot could do. Most of the aviators agreed that they would proceed to their alternate if one hadbeen filed with the flight plan.But, bear in mind that your al ternate is not normally includedin transmittal of your DD 175.Wouldn't there be some scrambling around in approach controlwhile center was calling back toyour point of origin to determinethe alternate and you were scoot-ing for somewhere nearby, Baltimore or Andrews AFB? Concern for the mental well-being ofapproach controllers promptedthe aviators to pause, sip, andreflect on this point, but finalopinion was that if you had analternate, you would head for it.

    reminded the group that myreal question was what youwould do if you had filed noalternate. With scowls, they attacked the problem again. Thefirst solution was, "I would startflying the triangular pattern forlost radio communications."

    FEBRUARY 1964

    "You're lost in the fog offrivolity," another pilot answered, passing his companion adrink. He stated that you mightas well stay in the holding pattern, because approach controlwould realize soon enough thatyou had lost your radios. "Andeither way," the aviator con-tinued, "there you are in thesoup, zipping around corners,and waiting for some bird tocome up, tap you on the aileron,and lead you down." A few inthe group shuddered at thisthought.A suggestion was made to continue holding at Ironsides, tuneyour ADF to the Washingtonrange, and wait for instructionsfrom approach control on theomni or range frequency.

    "What if you're already intoyour fuel reserve?" I asked, further complicating the problem.

    The answers started flying.Each was "cussed and discussed.One aviator, a bold type, suggested improvising an approachto Davison using the Springfieldradio beacon. He was quickly reminded of the possibility of amid-air meeting with traffic holding over Springfield. And approach control 'would never forgive you for littering the airwayswith flying debris," he was told.

    We reached no final solution.We did agree on an answerbased on the assumption thatfuel state would not allow waiting for approach control instructions on a navaid frequency. f

    you had not included an alternate airport on your flight plan,then the ceiling at Washingtonwould have to have been 5,000feet or higher, with 5 miles visi-bility, and forecast to remain sofor 2 hours after your ETA.

    With this in mind, we decidedthe best bet would be to intercept a bearing off the Springfieldbeacon which would take you to

    Exchange between aviators and air traffic controlpersonnel can be mutuallybeneficial. While discussingthe problem outlined in thisarticle, Washington centerpointed out this error:many pilots of transponderequipped aircraft, noticingthat mode 3, code 01, islisted for en route navigation, are setting up this codeand flying with the transponder on normal. Thetransmi ter should be onst ndby unless otherwiseinstructed.Center stated that if allthe transponder equippedaircraft flying into theWashington area weretransmitting simultaneously, the radar screen wouldshow nothing but one bigblip. The t ranspondershould be on st ndby untilyou are instructed to replynorm l or low.

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    Davison and descend to VMC below 5,000 feet once clear of theholding fix. A caution was added,If you feel a hard bump on the

    way down, jump "The group broke up, not really

    feeling that we had solved anything. One aviator vowed theremust be a better answer. Heheaded for the bar. "On yourway home tell my wife that I'llbe late," he mumbled. "Gottasolve a problem "

    During my next trip to Washington I figured the best way toget 'an answer would be to go tothe source. I called Washingtoncenter and stated the problem.They didn't have an immediatesolution and said they would callback.

    Thirty minutes later an FAAexecutive at Washington Nation-

    al Airport called. "No sweat,"he said. I smiled. e explainedthat a letter of agreement between Davison and WashingtonNational covered the situation.Aircraft based at Davison wouldexecute an ILS approach atWashington National in theevent of lost communication.I frowned. "I'm not based at

    Davison," I told him. "Howwould the transient pilot knowof the letter, and does it coverhim?"

    "Hmmmmm," he answered,perceptively. "You've got a problem. Call you back."

    The bunch at FAA are verycooperative and were eager tosolve the problem. They arranged a conference call withWashington center, approachcontrol, and the flight checkbranch district office in Richmond, Va., and called me back.

    We discussed the problem. Theyshrieked in unison when I explained the approach our groupof aviators had taken to the situation. All agreed that, with thecongested Washington air traffic, proceeding to an alternate odescending to visual conditionswould send the pucker factosoaring at center and approachcontrol.

    Finally, the FAA flight checkbranch came up with a logicasolution. "Let all aircraft flyingIFR into Davison Army Airfieldexecute an ILS approach toW'ashington National in theevent of lost communications."We cheered.The word will be spread toArmy Aviators by publishing achange to the Davison GCAapproach plate. Watch for it.

    Checklist or nnual ritT:HE FOLLOWING Department of the Army publications are required as referenceswith Study Guides and Examination Booklets for the 1964Army Aviation Annual WrittenExamination:

    AR 95-1 w C 1 and 3, AR95-2 wIC 2 AR 95-4 w IC 2AR 95-16 w IC 1 and 2, AR95-32 wIC2 AR 95-63 wIC1, AR 95-67 wIC 1 and 2, TM1-215 w IC 1 and 4 TM 1-225wC 1, 2 and 3, TM 1-260 wiC 2 and 3, TM 1-300 (July 1963edition) .

    Note: TM 1-300, METEOROLOGY FOR ARMY AVIATION, is a new edition. The old(April 1958) edition cannot beused.

    The U. S. Army Aviation'School will distribute all printed12

    examination materials requiredby examiners and aviators except the DA publications listedabove. Examiners will require 1copy of the new TM 1-300 plus1 copy of each of the other itemsfor each Examination Bookletused in administering the examination. Each aviator will requireconvenient access to all references listed while using theStudy Guide. The examinermust obtain his publicationsthrough normal AG publicationssupply channels. It is the unitcommander's responsibility toinitiate requisitions to obtainsufficient copies of the StudyGuide references to afford eachaviator convenient access tothem while using the StudyGuide.

    Study Guides from the U. S.Army Aviation School should

    have reached the headquartersof major overseas commands, ZIArmies, and the Army NationalGuard Examining Facility ineach state during January 1964.The Examination Booklets andother required materials shouldarrive at these same headquarters by the end of February1964.

    Avoid last minute "crash actions" and accompanying anxieties by submitting your requisitions now DA Form 17 iscommonly used to requisitionDA publications. f you can't obtain the form, try a letter requestthrough AG publications supplychannels listing each item, including changes. Over 12,000copies of the new TM 1-300 wereprinted, so there should be nodifficulty in getting requisitionsfor this item filled.

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    Just how far showld the Army Aviation School oin training student aviators in tactical operations?How much training should remain a unit respon-sibility? Do you agree that an added requirementshould be

    An viatorTactical MissionProficiency TestMajor Norman P Jacobs

    SECOND LIEUTENANT Platoon Leader en-tered the company commander's office. Hesaluted smartly and reported with confidence forhis first troop duty. The experienced captainshook the lieutenant's hand, welcomed him tothe company, and began to talk over his back-ground.

    You've joined us at a particularly good time,the captain continued. Next week the entiredivision will move into the field for 3 weeks onOperation REFLEX. The maneuver will empha-size quick reactions and mobility by the smallunits. There should also be a lot of tactical playfrom the division s aviation battalion. Effectivenow, the Second Platoon is yours, and you canexpect some long days, starting next week.

    Right now I want you to meet the otherofficers of the company and your platoon sergeant.Major Jacobs was assigned to the InstrumentDivision Dept o Advanced Fixed Wing TngUSAAVNS when he wrote this article. He is

    now attending the USACGSC Fort LeavenworthKansas.FEBRUARY 964

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    Then take a couple of days off for personal mattersand getting settled in the BOQ. Also you'd betterbone up some on your troop leading proceduresand review the highlights of platoon operations,especially attack, defense, night and day withdrawal, raids, and patrolling. Did you get muchtraining in these areas in the Basic Course atFort Benning?Yes, Sir, Lt Platoon Leader quickly answered.

    Our tac officers graded our performance in all ofthose platoon operations. However, I'll take youradvice and do some homework before we moveou next week.

    While Lt Platoon Leader was getting acquaintedin his first outfit, another new officer, 2/ Lt ArmyAviator, was reporting for duty at the GeneralSupport Company of the Division Aviation Battalion. Lieutenant Aviator was senior to Lt Platoon Leader by nearly a year- the time it takesto complete the Officer Fixed Wing AviatorCourse.Lieutenant Aviator was proud of himself as hereported for his first real tour of duty. His newArmy Aviator badge above his left breast pocketstill felt a yard wide. After his initial report,Lieutenant Aviator and his new company commander, Major Jones, went to the mess hall for acup of coffee. Lieutenant Aviator had graduatedfrom college ROTC, the Basic Infantry OfficerCourse, and from Officer Fixed Wing AviatorCourse.

    While stirring his coffee Major Jones commented, In your briefing at battalion you wereprobably told about Operation REFLEX whichbegins next week. This will really be our firstexercise since the ROAD changeover. Even

    c

    4

    though we are laid out under the new TOE, wedon't have all of the equipment we are supposedto have-particularly aircraft. We've had tospread the existing aircraft throughout the battalion to give each of the companies the best operational capability possible under the circumstances.

    I'm assigning you to the General Support Platoon commanded by Captain Chopper. I'm surethat he will be putting you to work in the TacticalSupport Section. Do you recall what aircraft theTac Support Section is authorized?

    Before Lieutenant Aviator answers, MajorJones says, Ten LOH. But we have only threeOH-13s and four 0-ls. Since you're fixed wingrated only, you'll be doing a lot of the Bird Dogflying during Operation REFLEX. This afternoonand tomorrow you can get settled on post and inthe BOQ. The day after that, Captain Choppercan start on your local checkout-he's an IP inthe 0-1. By the way, are you pretty sharp on thebasic mission work?

    Hesitantly Lieutenant Aviator replies, Whatexactly do you mean?

    The major quickly added, You know-visualobservation such as route reconnaissance, aerialdelivery, aerial photography, radiological surveyand low-level navigation.

    Lieutenant Aviator replied, In school I adjusted artillery fire pretty well from 4,000 feetand also did some aerial delivery work which Ienjoyed. I never got to fly one of the photo missions wi.th ,the pod-mounted camera, but I flew oneradiological survey. Let me put it this way: I feelconfident about my ability in short fields androads, and reasonably sure of my instrument flying, but I must honestly admit I'm least proficientin the basic missions you mentioned.

    Major Jones interrupted with, I'm really nosurprised. I discuss these matters with each newaviator assigned to the company, and their feelings are essentially the same. Also, I've seen theproof of this proficiency lag in previous field exercises. For some time now I've been thinkingabout how the folks at Fort Rucker could betterprepare young officers like yourself to take on theduties you will or should start performing nexweek. Are you interested?

    Yes, Sir, nods Lieutenant Aviator while sipping coffee.

    Well, the first thing to do, began MajoJ ones, is to determine the missions in whichtraining is not on a par with the rest of the fixedwing course. We must provide additional trainingtime for each of these missions to ensure thaevery student gets more than just one try at them

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    young aviators were well qualified in the flighttechniques of freefall delivery, paradrop, and highvelocity loads. As he settled himself in his swivelchair he added, What they are not well qualifiedin is rigging the loads and securing them to theaircraft. The proficiency level in the rigging neednot be as high as that of the flight techniques fortheir delivery, but I do think that the young aviator should have this specific training and then betested on it. What do you think about aerial radiological survey missions?

    "Well, Sir, began the new lieutenant, I believethe rad survey is the most difficult mission you'vementioned. The trick of maintaining a constantbsolwte altitude by eyeball contact with the

    ground over irregular terrain, maintaining a con-stant indicated airspeed, making good the prescribed ground track, and ensuring that themonitor is continuously coordinated with theprogress of the mission-well, that's a tough one.What new aviators need is more flight techniquepractice, and some of that time should be dualtime with an IP. A little dual time with somesolo practice, and I think we would be ready forthe proficiency test you are shooting for.

    Major Jones commented, If there is ever anything a commander needs to know in a hurry, it'sradioactive contamination information. So let'stest the aviator and his monitor on their ability totransmit their findings concurrently with the con-duct of the mission. With such a communicationrequirement added to the pilot technique youmentioned, the student in the cockpit has achallenge But it can be done, and done well. Itjust takes the training, and some repetition.

    Captain Chopper entered the company com-mander's office and was introduced to LieutenantAviator. Major Jones fiNed in Captain Chopperon Lieutenant Aviator's background, his assign-ment to the General Support Platoon, and thecheckout to be completed. He also gave him aquick verbal sketch of the proficiency test theywere discussing.

    Major Jones continued, We just reached thelast element of the test: the aerial photographymission. Here's 'another mission that takes flightpractice in addition to ground school. Most of ournew officers appear to be familiar with the detailsof mission planning for the KA-20 and the KA-39cameras, but to achieve good results we must seea fine blend of mission planning and the flighttechniques. f either is slighted, the desired results of this mission will not be within the reachof the student aviator. Again, if the student pilot

    6

    has had as thorough training in flight techniquesas he has had in mission planning, he should beable to complete the tactical mission proficiencytest in good style. As a result, he should be fullyqualified for nearly immediate employment in atactical unit. Captain Chopper, what do you thinkof the test we've described?

    Sir, Captain Chopper started slowly, I thinkyou are hitting dead center. Unit training is onething, but I don't believe we have the capabilityto train the young officers from scratch, particularly in tactical missions. That should be drilledinto the student aviator while he's still in school,in the same manner and with the same thoroughness as, say, the barrier approach is covered. fwe could receive new officers capable of satisfac-torily completing your test, I think that we couldbetter and more quickly integrate them into ourteam, appreciate a larger return from their capabilities sooner, and then maintain their proficiency in the missions simply by continuing ourannual training cycle."

    Niceiy wrapped up, Captain Chopper, saidMajor Jones. After Lieutenant Aviator getssettled and you start his checkout of the area, seei f you can't find some time to squeeze in some ofthe flight techniques we've mentioned. That's themost we can do before next week. You can ac-complish some more during REFLEX, but thebulk of it will have to come after the operation.

    Captain Chopper answered, Very well. I'd likefor Lieutenant Aviator to meet some of the otherplatoon officers and then I want to give him acook's tour of the company.

    Fine-go ahead, replied the company com-mander.

    Lieutenant Aviator thanked Major Jones, saidthat he was glad to be in the company, and leftthe office with Captain Chopper to learn moreabout his new team and the part he would haveto start playing on it.

    After they had gone, Major Jones sat quietlymusing this last hour's conversation, "Yes, I believe such a test would really solve most of ourproblems. I'd like to see it included in futuretraining programs. Then perhaps Army Aviatorreplacements would fit into their unit assignmentsmore easily. . . ."

    This article is not meant s a panacea jor al l train-ing needs Nor is t explicit in requirements andstandards The author presents his thoughts towardimproving the present product

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    RMY PERSONNEL are one1 1- of the most skeptical groupsin the world in regard to newideas and equipment. They seemto accept no new idea as goodjust because someone says thatit is the greatest rthing since thehelicopter. This .is not a particularly bad trait because, in theend, we get a truer picture ofour capabilities and the productat hand.

    The M-6 machinegun systemis in this stage now. Developedby the Emerson Electric Corporation, the system was tested bythe Aviation Test Board as theXM-6E3.FEBRUARY 1964

    Lieutenant John E Ham Jr

    The M-6 Armament Subsystem is issued as three separatekits a weapons kit C) providedby the U.S. Army Weapons Command and two aircraft kits Aand B) provided by the U. S.Army Aviation and Surface Materiel Command. The weaponskit is issued complete with twogun mount assemblies four M-60C machineguns, a cylindercharger assembly, and ammunition feed group, armament circuit control panel box, a sightingstation, and the shipping kit.

    The aircraft A kit includes theexternal stores support kilt andthe electrical and hydraulic

    components furnished as part ofthe basic helicopter. The aircraftB kit consists of the necessaryhydraulic and electrical lines toconnect the A and C kits together. The B kit also includesan ammunition box base platewhich secures 12 ammunitionboxes in position under the UHIB five-man troop seat.

    The most important questionsof the pilot or ground commander are: What are the sys-

    Lt Ham is Asst Section ChiefUH-l Branch Dept of Main-tenance USAAVNS Ft RuckerAla

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    M 6 1E mounte on CH 34

    tem's capabilities, and what canit do for me? Each gun has acyclic rate of fire of approximately 600 rounds per minutewith a maximum range of 3,200meters. The present practicalammunition load is set at 6,600rounds. Pilots who have usedthe system operationally statethat this is sufficient for mostmissions. The guns have a maximum of 12 inboard deflectionand 70 outboard and the capability of 15 elevation and a60 depress'ion. (Elevation

    and depression limits are expressed with reference to a linedrawn perpendicular to the center line of the rotor mast. Limitswill vary for different aircraft.On the UH-IB the rotor mast istilted 6 forward, giving anelevation limit of go and a depression limit of 66 with reference to the aircraft level line.)18

    The positive mechanical stopsare set at these limits. An elec-trically operated fire interrupterswitch is set 3/ 32 before eachinboard mechanical stop, causingthe right or left gun to stop fir-ing prior to reaching the stop.This feature prevents ammunition waste and allows the co-pilot/ gunner to control his fireon one point at a time. t alsoprevents accidental firing intothe cockpit and prevents excessive wear on the guns.

    f the copilot gunner desiresto take a target on his far leftunder fire, as the guns swing tothe left more than 12, theright guns will shut off as theyhit the stop. This is an excellentfeature as the right guns wouldbe useless in taking the targetunder fire. The copilot gunneror pilot also has three choices asto gun selection. All guns maybe fired simultaneously or the

    two upper or two lower gunsmay be fired, depending on theamount of firepower desired.

    The system may be fired byeither the pilot or copilot/ gunner. The copilot/ gunner directsthe guns by depressing a deadman switch on the sighting station. With the deadman switchdepressed , the gun mounts receive electrical commands fromthe sighting station and followthe sight orientation within thesystem's flexible limits. Whenfire is desired upon selected 'targets, the copilot/ gunner, withthe deadman switch depressed,presses the firing switch immediately above the deadmanswitch. As long as he has thedeadman switch depressed, hehas complete control of the guns

    and the pilot cannot fire. Whenhe releases this sw1tch the gunsreturn to a stow position.

    With the deadman switch released the pilot may fire theguns from the stow position. Thepilot has the same choice of gunsas the copilot/ gunner, but hecan only fire with the guns inthe stow position. Since the pilothas no sight or cannot move theguns he must be very wellschooled in the gun's line of firefrom the stow position. He mustalso have some reference as aguide for sighting when firing.This reference is left to the pi-lot's discretion. The two mostpopular methods are making agrease pencil mark on the windshield or using the FM antennaat the nose of the aircraft.

    Who is going to maintain thissystem, and how hard is it tomaintain? Present thinkingalong this line divorces the overworked crewchief from the gunsystem. His responsibiliJty formaintaining the aircraft remainsthe same. Each unit that has thissystem will have authorizedschool trained armorers who willbe trained through the fourth

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    echelon of maintenance on weapons systems. These armorerssole responsibility will be maintaining the system.

    New courses are being startedin the Department of Maintenance, United States Army Aviation School, which will familiarize the crewchief with theM-6 system and the variousother weapons systems. Armorers will also be given a brieffamiliarnzation on the UH-1B,which will be ,the basic gun platform. With this system we willhave a high degree of skill onboth the aircraft and the system,and the workload should not beoverpowering on any of the individuals concerned.

    The system is relatively simple to maintain. The weakestpoint has been materiel failureof several of the small movingparts in the gun. This problemhas been corrected by severalMWOs on the M-60C, one of theeasiest weapons to maintain inthe Army inventory. The systemitself has experienced nO majordifficulties. It is reliable and thecomplex parts are replaceable.

    The Army will mount new machinegun kits on its armedlight observatiO n helicopters in the near future. Plans call forXM-2 kits with 7.62 mm (M-60C NATO) machineguns toreplace currenrtly used XM-1E1 kits which mount M-37C .30caliber machineguns.

    All XM-1E1 kilts are to be converted to XM-2s as soon assufficient quantities of the latter become available, accordingto information received from the U. S. Army Weapons Command, Rock Island, Ill.

    The XM-2 kit consists of twin 7.62 mm machinegun armament subsystems designed for use on the E, G, and H modelsof the OH-13 and on the OH-23D. One machinegun will bemounted on each side of the helicopter and secured to thelanding skid cross tubes. The guns are pneumatically chargedfrom nitrogen-filled charging systems on each mount. Theyare elevated or lowered from the cockpit, are interchangeableand easily installed and removed.

    The U. S. Army Aviation School, Fort Rucker, Ala., anticipates revising tts subcourse of instruction on the XM-IE1 kitto cover installation and maintenance of the XM-2. CurrentlyOH-13 crewchiefs who are graduates of the 675.1 Single RotorObservation Helicopter Maintenance Course are qualifiedto service and maintain XM-1E1 armament equipment for theSioux.

    With experienced crews thisweapon is deadly to enemyground troops with its high rateof fire which can place 30+rounds per second in a small

    area. I ll admit that I was a bitskeptical the first time I heardabout the M-6, but after beingaround the system for awhile Ihave become a believer.

    CH-47 Sets R W Ferry Flight RecordAn Army CH-4 7A helicopter lands at Fort Greeley, Alaska, after com

    pleting a record ferry flight of about 4,500 miles (3,900 nautical miles)from Morton, Pa. The Chinook completed the flight in 33 hours and 50minutes elapsed flying time.

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    I llTakeTherain

    A NUMBER OF years ago, Iwas chief pilot of a civilianfixed base operation in Ohio. Wewere engaged in the usual typeoperation of flight instructionand charter flying. For charterwe were using the BeechcraftBonanza a sleek 4-place aircraft.I had 600 hours in the Bonanzaa total of 3,000 hours and aninstrument rating.

    My schedule called for a tripto Pittsburgh Pa. to pick up apaying passenger at 10: 30 a.m.and bring him back to Ohio. Idiscussed the flight with ourgeneral manager who was anexperienced aircraft and engine

    20

    mechanic-and my boss. He alsoheld a private pilot certificateand had 600 hours flying time.But he only had 20 in the Beechcraft and no instrument rating.He decided to go along for theride. At 9: 00 a.m. we departedwith the boss at the controls.Our Beechcraft did not havedual coIlJtrols, but the wheelcould be moved from pilot s tocopilot s side by pulling a release on the pilot s controlcolumn, and it had dual rudderpedals.

    The weather was beautifulwilth a few puffy cumulus at3,000 feet. I t u n ~ in our low

    frequency radio and caught thescheduled weather broadcast at0915. Pittsburgh weather was2,000 feet with smoke and haze.Nothing unusual about this forPittsburgh.

    The aircraft was functioningfine and we were enjoying theflight. As we approached thePennsylvania line, the ceilinglowered to approximately 1,200

    This article was prepared bya member of the CommunicativeSkills Class rmy viationSafety Course University ofSouthern California.

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    feet and became solid. Visibilityalso lowered to about 3 miles.Underneath, we could see signsof small rainshowers beginningto form.I turned the radio to Pittsburghfrequency. At 0945 the weatherwas 1 500 feet visibility 3 milesin smoke and haze. As we approached the small town of Toronto Ohio I suggested to theboss that we land and catchanother weather sequence so Icould decide if we would have tofile an instrument flight plan.Interested in paying passengershe objected slightly but addedhe could use the landing experi-FEBRUARY 1964

    ence on a small field such as Toronto.Afiter landing we taxied to anold wooden hangar and shut the

    engine down only to find theoffice locked (I had planned tocall the weather station byphone). I Iold the boss I wouldcatch the 1015 weather on ourradio to detennine i we d file aninstrument flight plan.

    He countered that this couldcause a delay and we might keepour passenger waiting. I explained that it would e safer tocheck the next sequence and filei necessary even though To-

    ronrto was only 40 miles fromour destination.The 1015 sequence gave theweather at Pittsburgh as 1 000feet visibility 3 smoke and haze.My boss was champing at thebit to get underway so we wouldnot keep our paying client waiting too long. He also asked i Icouldn t get a controlled VFRclearance in the event theweather came down as we approached Pittsburgh. I advisedhim I had used this clearancebefore but in a busy area suchas this we might not be able toobtain one. I also told him itwould be safer to file an instru-

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    ment flight plan after we becameairborne -and, even :though wemight have to hold, it would ensure us an altitude and keep usfrom violating any regulations.

    He said, "O.K., bu1 let's getgoing t looks good to me here,and we are only 40 miles fromthe airpor.t." As we entered theaircraft, he asked me i f he couldcO'n1inue to' fly and let me workthe radio and computer in casewe had to file an instrumentflight plan. Reluctantly, I agreedand we started the aircraft,checked it out, and toO k off.

    As we reached an altitude of1,000 feet indicated, we werejust under the clouds. He leveledoff and I took the microphone soI could file an IFR flight plan,if it proved necessary.

    When we were apprO'ximately20 miles from the airpO'rt, I contacted Pittsburgh radio andasked for their present weather.With a low frequency radiO',nO'ted for static cO'nditions in badweather, I had difficuHy in re ceiving clearly. 1 noticed a fewlight raindrO'ps now and felt thisaccoun1ed for the poO'r reception.1 asked for a repeat and he gave1,000 feet estimated, and 3 milesvisibility, smO'ke and haze.

    Again 1 contacted PittsburghradiO' and advised we were justunder 1,000 feet and asked for acDntrO'lled VFR clearance. Wewere given the clearance and letdO wn to 800 feet, heading towardthe airport. I 10ld the boss thatthe field elevation was 1,252 andwe would have to watch O ur altitude because of the Alleghenymountains. He acknowledgedand set the altim'eter with thesetting Pittsburgh had just issued. I gave him the range heading ,to :fly and advised him 1 wasgoing to tie up the range leg sowe would hit the range stationjust east of the field.

    He said, "1 don't see why wehave to, but we are late nO w, so

    1 guess a few more minuteswon't hurt."

    As we continued, he droppeddO wn another 100 feet. We werethen 700 feet above the ground.1 noticed the visibility didn'tlook quite like 3 m1les, but madenO comment (Pittsburgh smDkeand haze) . A few minutespassed. The range leg narrowedand we passed t4e station. 1looked for the airport and didn'tsee it.

    The boss asked, "When are wegoing to' get there?"I told him to turn to the recip

    rocal heading and we would seethe field when we hit the stationagain. As he started the turn, heapplied too much back pressureand we went into a cloud fringe.He abruptly lowered the nose. 1cautiO'ned him to go easy. Atthis moment, Pittsburgh radiocalled and asked fO r my posi1ion.1 said we were almost over theradio station. He came back immedia'tely, advising he had anairliner coming in from the westin 3 minutes and to please expe- 'dite.

    I acknowledged and rtDld theboss to slow down and we wouldlower the gear to start our letdown as soon as he hit the rangestation. Suddenly, we passed thestation and I told him to proceedand we would see the field shortly, even in the smoke and haze.We continued and he slowed theaircraft slightly, but did notlower the gear.

    "Where is the field?" he mumbled.

    Pittsburgh radiO' called againand 1 told them I didn't have thefield in sight, but that 1 had justpassed the range station on awesterly heading. He came backimmediately and said he washolding the airliner west untilwe hit our downwind leg. Healso asked my heading and askedi f I was sure of my position.

    Before 1 answered, I told thebO SS to turn 180 again, as weshould have seen the field bythen. He started the turn, applied too much back pressure,went into a solid cloud bank, andallowed the bank to steepen.

    1 yelled, "Take it easy " Atthis point, everything went ablesugar.

    We were in a graveyard spiral,airspeed building, and only 700feet off the deck 1 saw my lifego by. Everything At this point,he released the wheel-literallythrew it over to my side andyelled, "You got it " HDW hecompleted this, Pll never know.But I got the wheel, stomped therudder, leveled the wings, andpulled out at approximately 300feet above the terrain. Pittsburgh radio was screaming,"Beech 57 VictO'r, where areyou."I continued on an easterlyheading.

    We were both badly shakenand damp with perspiration. Istill hadn't answered Pittsburghradio.

    As we passed over a golfcourse, my boss said, "Put thedamn thing down there."I said, "No, we'll try and finda small grass field to the eastthat I've been in befO're."1 finally answered Pittsburghradio, advising I would call themon the telephone as soon as welanded. I located the field, re membered to lower the gear,and landed. As we rolled to astop by the gas island, neither ofus could muster the strength toclimb out of the aircraft. WhenI was finally able to open thedoor, knees still shaking, andclimbed to the ground, I lookedat the boss and he was as whiteas I must have been.

    He climbed out, all thoughtsof the paying passenger gone,and said, "I'll take the trainhome "

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    ANY AIR TRAFFIC controllers and instrument instructors secretly wish the world would suddenly run out of tetanus serum and half of their aviator acquaintances would get lockjaw.This would provide a drastic but effective countermeasure to the waves of garrulity they feel engulfing them .The time of the two-pound tongue, tough and resilient from constant exercise , is upon us. And

    what better place to exercise it than the cockpit of an aircraft, immune from a silencing clout on theheadbone.

    Flight is uplifting (no pun intended); makes an aviaJtor feel good, productive. Throw in a radiotransmitter and he's in Blissville. "They're down there; we're up here-conversation's what we need "Grab that mike. Talk to anyone.

    The unnecessary or misdirected radio transmissions cluttering the ozone are increasing daily. Thisis a vexing problem for air traffic control people, particularly with the recent increase in military IFRoperations.And who are the culprits with the triphammer tongues? Are our fuzz-faced fledglings, making theirinitial gropings along the airways, to blame? No Some recent flight school graduates may stutter,stammer, or be stricken dumb when they bang that mike button. But with the lessons of trainingstill in mind, a tendency to soliloquize on 'the radio is not among their faults.Larry Larynx and his buddy Pete Prattle, with their fair weather instrumenrt: tickets and years ofboring holes, are the rascals who bend the ears of all within range. Recently, an Army Aviator witheight years of experience was overflying a large midwestern terminal, VFR at 6,500. He reasoned thatit would be nice to' let approach control know he was in the area. The ensuing discourse would havemade Castro envious. His oratory was timed at a flat 2 minutes and 15 seconds.

    Another aviator, rated four years, was "lectured" by FAA because he insisted on giving en routepO'sition reports to airport control towers.Read the ATC portion of the Jepp? "Not since I ripped my knickers, pal. I learned how to use the

    radio years ago "Fortunately, troO'ps of this type are in the minority.Regulations and manuals cannot cover every conceivable aspect o radio-telephone procedures.

    Opinions often vary over what is "correct" in a given situation. But the following two articles urgeknowledge of the directives available and a common sense approach to radio transmissions. Know whatyou're going to say and say it briefly.

    Talking Too MuchCaptain Russell F Pool

    HOW OFTEN HAVE you waited patiently forsome overly enthusiastic pilot to give a longwinded position report?Today's congested airspace and even more con

    gested frequencies require that we limit our com-munication procedure to a minimum. Many timesthese verbose reports or requests give much unnecessary information and omit the essential.

    Capt Pool is assigned to the M ultiengine Divi-sion Dept o Advanced Fixed Wing TrainingUSAAVNS.

    FEBRUARY 1964

    irect ommunicationsONTROLLERS PILOTS

    aptain Linus Fiely

    HOW DO YOU initiate contact with an ATCfacility at a noncompulsory reporting point?What constitutes a mandatory reporting point?Is it necessary to vary the radio contact procedures depending on the type of ATC facility beingcontacted?

    These are just a few of the usual questionsCapt Fiely was an instructor in the Dept f

    Advanced Fixed Wing Training USAAVNSwhen he wrote this article. He is now attendinghis advanced course at Fort Sill.

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    T LKING TOO MUCHGround 'Control is one frequency that really

    gets crowded at busy airports. In fact, at manybusy terminals a different frequency is used forclearance delivery in an attempt to alleviate thefrequency congestion.Now what is required in a taxi request? Nothing more than aircraft identification, location, typeof operation, and the point of first intended landing. Example: Cairns Ground Control, Army76160, ramp 13, ready to taxi; instrument flight,New Orleans; over.

    We already know that the callup probably willbe heard without difficulty. The message may betransmitted following the callup (Cairns GroundControl, this is Army, etc.) without waiting fora reply or invitation to go ahead. Also, after contact has been established with an ATC facility ,communication may be continued without furthercallup.In answer to the previous callup, Ground Control will give the runway, wind, altimeter, time,and any other pertinent information. This replyshould be acknowledged with a roger but noreadback. f you miss some portion, such as thetime, ask for a repeat of that item, but be concise.A short time later Ground Control issues us ourATC clearance, which we read back verbatim.He acknowledges our readback and instructs usto contact the tower for departure. Again beconcise and to the point. Example: CairnsTower, Army 76160, ready for takeoff; IFR NewOrleans; over.

    We acknowledge takeoff and climbout instructions and receive radar vector on-course. Aftercontacting Jacksonville Center over the HartfordIntersection, you are told to contact New OrleansCenter at time 1937. At 1937 you contact NewOrleans as follows: New Orleans Center, Army76160, e s t ~ t i n g Crestview at 50, 6,000; over.New Orleans will acknowledge and issue appropriate control instructions. Always give your altitude; it prevents Center having to call you toverify it.Now passing the Crestview VOR, a compulsoryreporting point, and remembering that initialcontact has been established, your report can be:New Orleans Center, Army 76160, Crestview 51,6,000, Pensacola 16, Brookley; over. Of course

    the argument may arise that you may have torepeat the report occasionally because the controller was talking on another VHF or UHFfrequency. (See accompanying article.) To avoid24

    DIRE T COMMUNIC TIONSasked when aviators hash over ATC procedures.A casual observer overhearing such a conversation and listening to the wide range of answersand personal opinions would probably assume thatno officia1 radio communications guide is available.This is not the case. All Army Aviators have attheir disposal navigational publications such asthe Airman s Guide Flight Information Manualand Jeppesen Manual. These reference manualslist the standard communication procedures andtechniques which should be used by all pilots.

    Transfer of control on IFR flights is an area ofpilot controller communications which has givenArmy Aviators particular trouble. Standardphrases and terminology have been adopted toeliminate confusion and cut down on the number

    of necessary radio transmissions, thus allowingsmooth handling of IFR air traffic.

    How can a pilot on an IFR flight determinewhere he must render a full position report? Thisquestion ust be answered before any discussionon ini,tial contact procedures used in transfer ofcontrol. Compulsory reporting points may be defined as follows:

    shaded-in triangles on published airway routeswhich are not marked with a bypass symbol;fixes used to describe a direct flight; 1

    airway fixes specifically requested by ATC; 2a clearance limit which is in effect.3

    1 A direct flight is defined as a flight off publishedairways. A direct flight may begin at, terminate at,and cross the published airway routes.2 A typical example of the phraseology used by acontroller which would make a fix a mandatory re porting point would be Army 12345, report Eufaulato Columbus Approach Control on 3'60.8 mc; over.3 When a clearance limit, which is otherwise a noncompulsory reporting point, is eliminated by anamended clearance, it is no longer a reporting point.

    U. S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST

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    T LKING TOO MUCHthis, monitor your frequency and remember thatCenter will transmit on both the primary UHFand VHF frequencies they monitor. So if youhear a controller giving a clearance on anotherfrequency (VHF), wait until the pilot has hadtime to acknowledge his clearance before givingyour report.

    The transferring of control procedures outlinedcan be used between centers, sectors within acenter, or between center and approach control.Remember that air traffic control facility meansany facility providing air traffic control service,such as a center, tower, or approach control.

    When contacting a Flight Service Station(FSS) , the phraseology should also be short andto the point. After the initial call, cut down yournumber to the last three digits, omit such super-fluous words as the complete name of the facility,

    this is, at, roger, out, etc. Remember that aftercontact has been established, it may be continuedwithout further callups.Too often a student is told to always read backall clearances and instructions. This is poor proce-dure and does not prove a thing. Contacts shouldbe kept as brief as possible. You are required toread back only when requested. Often it is goodpractice to read back clearances that are precededwith ATC clears. When a clearance is precededwith ATC clears, it is not being delivered bythe originator. Although the person passing it on(usually Ground Control or a FSS) may neglectto request a readback at the end of the clearance,he will want a readback to satisfy his require-ments. Otherwise the clearance can be rogeredif understood.

    ontinued on page 8FEBRUARY 964

    DIRE T COMMUNIC TIONSWhen transfer of control of an IFR aircraft is

    to take place, the transferring controller will in-struct the pilot as follows: (aircraft identifica-tion), CONTACT facility name) ON (frequen-cy) AT (time or point). NOTE: The ATC facilitywith which the pilot is to make contact will nor-mally be an Air Route Traffic Control Center oran Approach Control; however, it may be anFAA en route radio serving in a relay capacity.

    Examples:Army 12345, contact Atlanta Center on 353.9mc, now; over.Army 12345, contact Montgomery Approach

    Control on 307.8 mc at 45; over.Army 12345, contact Jacksonville Center on353.5 mc at Dothan; over.

    When contact is to be made at a specified timeor at a noncompulsory reporting point, the pilotwill wait until the specified time or point, changeto the appropriate frequency, and make the fol-lowing initial contact. (Name of facility), THISIS (aircraft identification), ESTIMATING (nextreporting point) (time) AT (altitude/ flightlevel); OVER, or (name of facility), THIS IS(aircraft identification), ESTIMATING (next re -porting point) (time) AT (altitude/ flight level),CLIMBING DESCENDING TO (altitude/flightlevel); OVER.

    Examples:Jacksonville Center, Army 12345, estimatingTallahassee 39, at 7,000; over.

    Cairns Departure Control, this is Army12345, estimating Crestview 1420Z, 3,300, climb-ing to 6,000; over.

    In using this type of initial contact, realize thatno position report is desired by the air traffic con-troller. The controller merely wishes to establishradio contact, verify altitude, and get the pilot'sestimate to the next reporting point. Thereforethe pilot will normally receive a roger on theinitial contact.f initial contact is to be made over a mandatoryreporting point the following technique is usedby the pilot to alert the controller that a positionreport is forthcoming: (name of facility), THISIS (aircraft identification) (position); OVER.

    Examples:New Orleans Center, Army 12345, Crestview;

    over.ontinued on page 28

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    THEGRE TSECURITYLE K

    MldvUle, Tenn., 25 September. A check of the MidvilleJ.funicipcd .airport reveals that27 private airplanes have arrived as of '0 o'clock this afternoon, cai:tYmg over a hundred p6J1soJil to attend the 40thAnnual MldvUle ChIcken Festlva1rf ourteen additlonal aircraftar .. xpected before the festivalbegins tomorrow.In addltion to the 27 privateairplanes, one U. S. 'Army U-8FSemlDole arrived. refueled. andleft 20 mlDutes later. While thesleek military airplane was being fueled. Capt J. B. Goods thepUot. was asked by a reporterof the MldvUle Times f he intended to stay over for thefestivalAt first Captain Goodsseemed interested In stayingbut said. Well walt. let mecheck.Followed by the reporter, heclimbed into his aircraft andlooked Into the cockpit at asmall box-like object hanglnqthere. Shaking his head hesaid. Better noL There's somebad weather coming this wayand the festival wW probablybe raiDed ouL I really shouldget back to my unit today any-way.He was reminded by theTimes reporter that MidvWehad been celebrating its Chicken Festival for 39 years anddurlD.q this time it had notrained even once. And besides, the reporter sald. thereiB not a cloud in the sky today.Nonetheless, Captain Goodsinsisted that it would rain during the festival and left a fewminutes later.

    AmODq the promlDent visltorsto arrive at the field is Mr. MidvUle, TemL, 26 September. Three Inches of water fell

    OD this Bttle Tennessee tOWDtoday. completely raiDlDq outthe 40th Annual MldvWe Chicken Festival This. is the firsttime since the festival beqan39 years qo that i t has rained.U. S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST

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    = ~ ~

    The surprise storm hit 15 mInutes before the klck-off of thefestival. It caused Hoodinq ofeiqht basements, undetemdDeddamage to several roo.. anduprootinq of numerous trees.Twelve of the 38 aircraft onthe qround at the municipal air .port were damaged by hlqhwinds. Three other aircraft Hying to the festival escaped thestorm by divertinq to airfieldsout of the storm path.An Army U-8F Seminole air .plane arrived yesterday buttook off after ollly 20 minutes.The pilot of the twin-enqineaircraft had declined to stayafter he had checked some sortof forecastinq machine in hisairplane and announced thatthere would be very badweather in the area. This machine apparently gave theArmy pilot information notavailable to others.In view of the fact that ithad not rained in 39 years onChicken Festival day.. the reporter who intervieyved the ptlot discounted his wota. FIfteenminutes before thefestiV'a1 wasto begin, the fun impact of whatthe pilot had said was understood. Three inches of rain, accompanied by heavy winds,drenched the area.Considerable damaqe

    IT'S F CTBy JOHN SNEEKUM

    It's still an offtcial secret. butman Is on the threshold of solving one of his qreatest problems--accurate. instant weather prediction.The secret has been soclosely quarded that your columnist did not mow that research was beinq conducted Inthis field un recently. The daybefore the famous MidvilleChicken Festival. em aviatorfiew a U.sF Seminole Into MIdville (Ten.n.) Municipal airportOn board his plane was asmall box containing aWeather Forecasting Ma-

    FEBRUARY 1964

    chlne. When asked by a localnewspaper reporter to stay overfor the festival. the ' pUotchecked with the box andpromptly announced that astorm would hit the area thenext day.In view of the fact that Ithad not rained in 39 years onChlcken Festival day. the reporter dld not pay much attention to the pUot's remark. F 1f-teen minutes before the festivalwas to start. the slqnUicance ofwhat the aviator had said wasforcibly brought home to thereporter. A deluge accompanied by heavy winds hit thearea. The reporter then realizedthat he had Mtumbled onto a:Ilofficial secr.LConsiderable damage Moscow. 28 September. (CP)-After a period of comparatlvecalm, Bravda today lashed outat the United States for havingperfected a machine for accurate. pinpoint weather pre4J c>lion. The officlal Communistnewspaper called the UnitedStates an imperialist warmonqerinq nation that would usethis discovery to enslave the

    peoples of the world.The story was based upon anincident that occurred in Mid-ville, Ten.n., wheD a mDltaryaviator let slip the secret ofpinpoint weather

    Wa hin.OtOD, 29 September.(CP}-Senator Walter B Heeler(D., TeDJl.) announced todaythat he had sent a letter to theSecretary of Defeu.se asldnq forImmediate information reqardinq the controversial weathersecurity leak.SeDator Heeler sal that thesecret was so closely guardedthat even Congress did Dotknow that the Defense ~ -ment was coDductinq researChalonq this line. He aald that healso wanted to know whythe Defeu.se Department wasspendinq money for this type

    r e s e a r c ~ without permission ofthe Conqress.Another senator, a Republi- ..f;an, said that he too wantedto

    The Honorable Walter B HeelerUnited States SenateWashinqtoD 25. D. C.Sir:

    I was as mystified as youwere when I first heard that anaccurate weather predictionmachine had been perfected. Iwas not aware that suell research was beinq c o n d u c t e ~Conaequently, I ordered' emimmediate investigation intothe matter and have found thatnothinq of the kind has beenqo nq aD No ODe in the defenseestabllslunent has conductedresearch with pinpoint weatherprediction machlnes: nor hasa method of instant weatherp r e d i c t j ~ n been perfected.fro further clarify the matter,onally interviewed CaptGoods. the U. S Armyr who supposedly leakedthe S$creL Captain Goods Isnot and has not at any time inthe past been connected withsuch research. Nor has he everbeen III .a position where hewoUld know about such research.When asked how he knewa storm would be ID Midvillethe next day, he said that whapflying he pald close atte .tion to the Weather Butecm'sstation forecasts, which he al ways wrote down on his kneepad. At Midville he hung hiskneepad on the airplane yokeand qot out to supervise the re-fueling. WheD asked by theMidville Times reporter to stayover, h had climbed IIlto thealrcraft to look at his notes andcan8rmed that ct front was mov IDto the area and was exPected to bring rain and heavywlnds the next dayThe kneepad used by theArmy looks very much Uke ashallow metal box with a face

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    on the froDt. t Sa e sy toow the reporter coDfused. t

    wlth aome sort of lDatrumeDt.The ArmycrriatOl Was atmp1y

    T LKING TOO MUCHontinued from page 5Example: (again on our flight from Cairns AAF

    to New Orleans) you have been cleared to theDog Intersection, via Victor 20. After you makeyour position report over the Brookley VOR,New Orleans Center acknowledges gives you thecurrent altimeter and states Cleared to the NewOrleans VORTAC via Victor 20 New Orleans;maintain 6 000; over. This clearance is the sameas the flight planned route, contains no change ofaltitude or clearance limit and need not be readback. t only has to be acknowledged it is understood.

    Radar, which now covers a large sector of ourairways, has cut down on a large number of re ports formerly required in congested areas. Generally, in Army aircraft without transponderequipment, radar identification is established overan intersection inbound, and the report should bemade right over the intersection. Positive contactcan then be made without the requirement foran identifying turn. Once radar contact and radarvectoring is begun, only heading or altitudechanges need be read back. All other informationcan be rogered.

    Information now available from the FAA,Systems Research Development Service in abooklet titled Design for the National AirspaceUtilization System, dated September 1963 isthat in the future voice position reports will notbe required on an IFR flight. A ground data processing subsystem will obtain three-dimensionalposition information from the radar beacon subsystem. In the initial clearance each aircraft willbe assigned a transponder code assignment andwill be observed throughout the flight.

    But that's for the future-right now let's do thebest with what we've got. Give everyone a break;keep your transmissions short and to the point.Remember, those frequencies are crowded-andtalking too much disrupts everybody's communications.28

    DIRE T COMMUNIC TIONSContinued from page 5

    Columbus Approach Control, Army 12345Columbus; over.

    In the examples above the controller willacknowledge the initial contact and instruct thepilot to go ahead with his full position report.Or the controller might simply acknowledge:Radar Contact.Transfer of control of an IFR aircraft from oneATe facility to another is normally accomplished

    with very little difficulty. However, i a pilot findsthat he is unable to establish contact with thenew controller on the assigned frequency, heshould use the following plan. First attempt toreestablish contact with the transferring control-ler; tell him of the situation and request alternateinstructions. f the pilot is unable to contact theprevious controller, he should attempt to contactthe nearest FAA en route radio on 272.7 mc. Asa third choice the pilot should attempt to contactthe nearest FAA en route radio on 255.4 mc.

    Must a pilot always reestablish contact with acontroller, using the callup and reply method,when transmitting subsequent messages to thesame controller on the same frequency? Theanswer to this question may be found on page 61of the Flight Information Manual When a message is short or when it is probable that the callupwill e heard without difficulty the message maybe transmitted following the callup without waiting for a reply or invitation to go ahead. We cansee that the pilot is the judge in the situation;therefore no hard and fast rule can be made. Afterinitial contact has been made with a controllerthe pilot must decide whether or not he will makea callup and wait for a reply before transmittingmessages such as position reports.Army Aviators have earned the respect of AirTraffic Controllers the world over with theirknowledge and diligent application of good radiocommunication techniques. Each aviator has apersonal responsibility to maintain and improveupon this high standard. This can be accomp-lished i all Army Aviators will stay abreast othe current procedures through study and appli-cation on actual flights.

    u s ARMY AVIATION DIGEST

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    LKaway fromthat forcedl nding

    Captain Gary V DennisonNSTANT FAILURE of anaircraft engine is a rare occurrence. Aside from ignition fail

    ure, it is usually the result offuel starvation. Even thoughrare, the inability to keep a single engine aircraft in flight is aconstant source of worry to theaviator (as it should be). Forthat reason, forced landing techniques are stressed even duringthe first ride in an aircraft.

    Actually no set rules exist forwhat the pilot should do afterthe cockpit procedure has beencompleted. Of course obviousphysical hazards such as powerlines, gullies, buildings and thelike are discussed, but skill leveland just plain experience arestill the crucial factors in completing a successful forced landing.

    The brain is many times morecomplicated than the most intricate computer, but, alas, entirelysusceptible to what is called hu man error. For this reason thepilot must constantly reviewthat information vital to hissafety.

    Capt Dennison wrot thisarticle whil attending th In-fantry Officer Career Course FtBenning Ga.FEBRUARY 1964

    He must be suspect of smooth,wide roads and superhighwayswhen fields and pastures areavailable. It is much more flattering to the ego to taxi yourU -6A down the road into thenearest filling station and say,

    Fill her up than it is to standankle deep in a muddy field staring at an aircraft which just happens to be somewhat of a mess.But it is also much more dangerous. A damaged plane and a fewscratches are still preferable toa burning heap of men andmetal caused by striking unseenpowerlines.

    When choosing the best of several landing areas the right choice must be made, it must bemade quickly, and except in unusual circumstances the choicemust be final. However, thebest -in this case the smoothest-isn't necessarily the correctchoice.

    For example, the aviator hasa choice of two pastures. One issmall and appears to have an excellent landing surface, whilethe other, though much larger,has several dips and rises whichcould make a good landing difficult. Which one will it be? Obviously it is the pilot's choice,and in a few seconds he must de-

    cide which field. This decisionwill be based upon obstacles,wind, etc., but, most importantly,upon the amount of possible error he might make in trying forhis touchdown point. Therefore,the choice could logically be thelarger field with rougher terrain.

    f the landing area is cultivated, the pilot should land the aircraft with the furrows. Thewings should be level, or parallel with the terrain i f it is a slopelanding. It is better to driveneatly between two trees than itit to strike them one at a time ina cartwheeling fashion.

    Light aircraft are no morestressed for cartwheel crashesthan humans are stressed forvertical decelerations.

    Restarts are always possible i fthere is time, but in most casesthey must be forgotten at 400-600 feet above the ground. Thereis too much else to do. Familiarity with emergency procedures,knowing best glide angles, practicing only over good area, andan always present knowledge ofthe wind will increase the chanceof a successful forced landing.

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    a by product oT OOKING BACK on Slim sflight it s easy to pick outhis unsafe acts. He was tired andhungry. He hadn t slept for 36hours, and had eaten only oneand a half sandwiches duringthis time. Yet, Slim did have afew things working for him. During his five years flying experience he had logged nearly 2 000hours first pilot time and 500hours in the type of aircraft hewas flying that day. He was firstin his class when he graduatedfro