army aviation digest - jul 1963
TRANSCRIPT
-
8/12/2019 Army Aviation Digest - Jul 1963
1/52
-
8/12/2019 Army Aviation Digest - Jul 1963
2/52
UNITE 5 RMY VI TION--------..._..,, 1GESJOF ARMY AVIATION ACSFOR
OF THE ARMYBrig Gen John J. Tolson III
U. S. ARMY AVIATION SCHOOLBrig Gen Robert R. Williams
COMDT U. S. ARMY AVIATION SCHOOLCol Warren R. Williams
STAFFCapt Richard C. AnglinFred M. MontgomeryRichard K. TierneyWilliam H. SmithDiana G. Williams
EDUCATION AND LITERATURE DIVPierce L. WigginWilliam E. CarterJames E. Coleman
July 963 Volume 9 Numbe
CONTENTSMARGIN FOR ERROR William R. Gaines . . . .QUALITY CONTROL IN ARMY AVIATION TRAINING,Capt Charles W. Emrick .. .. . .HOT WEATHER ACCIDENT PREVENTION . . . . . THIS IS BILL, Capt Gary V Dennison. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHECKLISTNICAD-THE DREAM BATTERY Harvey F. Jossen . . MAINTENANCE TRAINING .. . . THE AIRSTRIP AT RANG RANG SSgt Bob Reid USAF WIRE STRIKEHELIPORT CONSTRUCTION IN LATIN AMERICA
Capt Karl L. OsterlohARMY AVIATION SUPPORT OF MAPPING IN GUATEMALA
Capt Pleasant H. West . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .SLOW, LOW AND STEEP Maj Richard L. Jon e s .ARMY AVIATION IN RADIOLOGICAL AND CHEMICAL
OPERATIONS Capt Henry W. Meetze. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .LET S GET WITH IT, Col Robert M Hamilton. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NEVER AGAIN . . .LEAVE IT OR RIDE IT? Capt Lloyd G Gardner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WELL DONE . . . . . DRESS TO LIVE James E. Coleman CRASH SENSE
The mission of the U. S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST is to provide information ofoperational or functional nature concerning safety and aircraft accident prevention, trainimaintenance, 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 herare not necessarily those of Department of the Army or the U. S. Army Aviation SchoPhotos 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 communit ion is authorized to: Editor-in-Chief. U S. Army Aviation Digest Fort Rucker. AlabamaUse of funds for printing of this publication has been approved by HeadquartDepartment of the Army 27 November 1961To be distributed in accordance with reqUirements stated in DA Form 12
-
8/12/2019 Army Aviation Digest - Jul 1963
3/52
-
8/12/2019 Army Aviation Digest - Jul 1963
4/52
Margin for rror
N OBODY goes out to delib-erately prang an aircraftbu t accidents do happen. And
when they do a comprehensiveinvestigation is set off aimed atdetermining the cause factors.
Over the years it has been es-tablished that these cause fac-tors break down into three basicingredients, each having its own
William R aines
breaking point: the pilot who is likely tohave an accident if he exceedshis own capability; the aircraft which is likelyto have an accident i it is flownbeyond its limitations; and the situation which is likelyto cause an accident i it is mis-judged.
The possibility of exceeding thebreaking point of anyone ofthese basic ingredients always
Mr. Gaines was safety direc-tor at the U. S. Army AviationCenter for 9 years. He is nowdeputy director of safety at HqUSAREUR
Result of landing Mohawk 45 feet short of runway
U. S. RMY VI TION DIGEST
-
8/12/2019 Army Aviation Digest - Jul 1963
5/52
Result o unauthorized roll at 100 feet altitude. Two fatalities.
The best way to overthreat is for each avia
to establish his own safetyallow a margin for
TH VI TORHow many pilots consistently
in the first 50 feetrunway, whether it be 1,7007,000 feet long? Of course,
some; and often theyabout it. Sure, they
aiming for the end of theand i they continue thisthey WILL HIT -they have allowed nofor undershoot errors.
Not long ago a Caribou aimingend of a 5,000-foot run53 feet short. Result? A
40,000 hard landing. Recently aMohawk approaching a 4,000-foot runway hit 45 feet short,causing the gear to collapse onfinal touchdown. Once again thepilot was not allowing a marginfor error. These two accidentscost money. They could alsohave been costly in lives andgrief to others. Not too long agoa pilot was performing an un authorized roll in a Mohawk at100 feet altitude over a civilianairport. For an inexperiencedstunt pilot this is not sufficientaltitude to give enough marginfor error. Two persons died andone Mohawk was destroyed.
The items cited here whichhave caused accidents were allpreventable by the pilots. f you
are a real professional, you willalways have your margin for er-ror established. f you recall,during training you were in structed on touchdown (undershoot margin) and go around(overshoot margin) points. Doyou still select them on everylanding? f not, then you are notallowing a margin for your er-rors. You ll never become sogood an aviator that you can af ford to overlook this point. Thetop professionals make a habit ofpracticing this cardinal safetyrule. For example, Mr. BeverlyHoward, stunt pilot and president of Hawthorne AviationCompany, practices dozens ofrolls at altitude before eachshow.
Re.sult o exceeding aircraft s capabilities. Two fatalities.
3
-
8/12/2019 Army Aviation Digest - Jul 1963
6/52
-
8/12/2019 Army Aviation Digest - Jul 1963
7/52
-
8/12/2019 Army Aviation Digest - Jul 1963
8/52
-
8/12/2019 Army Aviation Digest - Jul 1963
9/52
Kmm
.search continues for a guar-method to determine the
of U S V N SThe latest proposal is
Quality Control nrmy viation TrainingANY AVIATION units in
CONUS will be visited byteam of two officers from the
Army Aviationduring the period 15Sep 63. The purpose of
visits will be to gather inforto be used in determineffectiveness of USAAVNS
Field performance ofwill be compared to
performance to deterwhether or not school
at the correct lev. Is the School eliminating po
good aviators withor producing an
lowOr is it at the correct
Captain Charles W Emrick
level producing effective graduates now?
The present graduate 6-monthquestionnaire method of qualitycontrol has not been effectivedue to the poor return. Twentypercent of all graduates receivequestionnaires and last yearonly 40 percent of the 2 percentwere returned. Accurate analysis cannot be made with thissmall sample and the on-site interview will at least give an accurate 25 percent sample. Theon-site interview i successfulwill replace the questionnairemethod.
The proposal was made lastOctober to send teams of offi-
cers to units in the field to determine the effectiveness of therecent USAAVNS graduates.The idea was not to check unitstandards; rather it was a quality control measure for theschool to check on its end product: the graduate.
CONARC approved the planon 4 March 1963 and work wasinitiated to implement the trips.
I t was decided to use calendar
Capt Emrick is the TrainingAnalysis Officer Standards Division DOl at USAAVNS. Heis dual rated with approximately1200 flight hours.
7
-
8/12/2019 Army Aviation Digest - Jul 1963
10/52
-
8/12/2019 Army Aviation Digest - Jul 1963
11/52
Cockpit Crossfeed, prepared by the United States Naval AviationSafety Center, has some good tips for chopper pilots We thinkthey are worth passing along We ve made the copy applicable toArmy Aviation where necessary
I
~ ~ - - II:'+ ; I I 1 1 / Iii bc \ ,\ / ;I, , 1~ : ; ; : ~ : : i ; ; u ~ ~ ~ / . : I f f 1 ~, ) I ,,llil / / I , ) \ \ \ ''/ - ,
ot Weather ccident Prevention
W ITH THE approach of hotweather it is time to re view the hazards of hot weatherflying and direct our attention tothe problems of flying in hightemperatures, high humidityand high pressure altitudes.
With a proper understandingof the effects of hot weather onthe performance of helicopters,proper flight planning, a professional approach to the problemand strict adherence to the
July 963
SOPs, a summer of safe flyingcan be achieved by Anny Aviators everywhere.
How does hot weather affectthe performance of the helicopter? First, low density air nearthe ground (Le., high density al-titude is associated with summertime high temperatures andhigh humidity which causes aloss of lift by decreasing available engine power. As much as a12 percent loss of BHP can re -
sult from high humidity alone,and must be accounted for ncritical performance conditions.The reciprocating engine operates with a fixed displacementand all air processed is directlyassociated with the combustionprocess. I f water vapor entersthe induction system of the reciprocating engine, the amountof air available for combustionis reduced and since most carburetors do not distinguish wa -
9
-
8/12/2019 Army Aviation Digest - Jul 1963
12/52
-
8/12/2019 Army Aviation Digest - Jul 1963
13/52
jOjus t c t.ectan see { we've '}P-t -t-fJLd S
One of the critical maneuversduring high density altitudeconditions is the autorotation.Depending on the state of training, units should consider placing a density altitude limit onpractice autorotations.It must be remembered thatthunderstorm activity will beincreasing as it gets warmer.The turbulence encountered ina thunderstorm will make thecontrol of the helicopter extremely demanding on the pilot.Pilots should be aware of theincreased blade stall tendenciesduring such conditions. Best betwhen confronted with a thunderstorm is to slow down keepthe turns up and land as soon asa suitable site is available. The
NoW do ;;LOU cJ -t .i/{ e word?
July 963
thunderstorm will pass overin approximately 15 to 2 n-utes. Be sure that you transmityour intentions to the nearestradio facility.Hot Weather ccidentPrevention Tips
Conduct a good weather briefing before each flight. Computethe maximum allowable grosstakeoff weight prior to everytakeoff. Always check the powerrequired on gross load flights ina hover and ensure that an extrathree to four inches of MP isavailable as insurance. Whencertain weather factors are notknown approaches must bestarted with a safe, higher thannormal RPM in order to antici-
pate extra power needed.Abrupt power changes shouldbe avoided to prevent momentary or complete engine stoppage and overboosts. During autorotations the RPM must bemonitored very closely to prevent rotor overspeeds. ReportALL or suspected rotor overspeeds and engine overboosts.Pilots must plan ahead on eachmaneuver taking into accountthe effects high density altitudewill have on the execution ofthe maneuver. Landing sitesmust be selected that will enablethe pilot to make a hot weathertype approach. Following theSOP right down the line willprevent high density altitudegoof-off type accidents.
-
8/12/2019 Army Aviation Digest - Jul 1963
14/52
HIS NAME IS Captain BillSwarens. He works in anoffice, dispensing Army Aviationadvice to the division he supports. At night he drives homeand slumps tiredly in "his"chair. "My aching back," hecomplains to is wife, "thatplace wears me out worse thanworking on the farm did.
"Don't you worry, dear," his
12
ThisIsill
wife says soothingly. "I've fixedyou a good dinner-homemadehot rolls, steak, potatoes andgravy, and chocolate pie for des-sert."
"Sounds great " says Bill ashe reaches for the evening newspaper. "I sure am hungry."Bin shows his appreciation forthe homemade rolls by eatingsix of them. Each one is tenderly
Captain Gary V Dennison
loaded with real butter, and justas the butter begins to melt, Billpops them into his mouth, oneafter the other. "These are tremendous," he tells his smilingwife. "I'm so full; let's waitawhile for dessert."
Capt Dennison is assigned tothe 4th Avn Company FortLewis Wash.
u s ARMY AVIATION DIGEST
-
8/12/2019 Army Aviation Digest - Jul 1963
15/52
-
8/12/2019 Army Aviation Digest - Jul 1963
16/52
-
8/12/2019 Army Aviation Digest - Jul 1963
17/52
-
8/12/2019 Army Aviation Digest - Jul 1963
18/52
-
8/12/2019 Army Aviation Digest - Jul 1963
19/52
-
8/12/2019 Army Aviation Digest - Jul 1963
20/52
-
8/12/2019 Army Aviation Digest - Jul 1963
21/52
-
8/12/2019 Army Aviation Digest - Jul 1963
22/52
U. S. and South Vietnamese combine their know-how and manpower to build airstrip in communistcontrolled region.
COMMUNIST AREA
, ~ '\-
,'''.'',I, ,.-'
THE AIRSTRIPtA--..SSgt Bob Reid US F
U NDAUNTED courage, coolbravery, and sheer determination are terms often overused in war, but for a group ofgritty Vietnamese combat engineers working deep in conununist Viet Cong territory thesedescriptions seem less than adequate.
The engineers, the 301st Combat Engineer Battalion-oldestin the Vietnamese Army-have20
: '---
pushed an armored column (andwith great difficulty, their engineering equipment) deep intothe center of notorious Zone
D in the Phuoc Binh Tan Special Military District, and arebusily engaged in building arunway and repairing a bridgedespite constant Viet Cong harassment.
Traveling 31 kilometers overa dirt road cut in many places
N RANGAIRSTRIP
by the VC, and with the road'sbridges destroyed, the battalion,with scores of heavy vehicles,reached its objective at RangRang in two days.
Under the leadership of thebattalion commander, and with
SSgt Reid is attached to theInformation Office Headquar-ters MAAG Vietnam.u s ARMY AVIATION DIGEST
-
8/12/2019 Army Aviation Digest - Jul 1963
23/52
their U. S. Army advisor, theengineers began in mid-Aprilthe job of hacking a runwayfrom jungle so thick that onecan see no further than a fewyards into it.
Viet Cong insurgents immediately began a campaign to prevent the construction of a military base in their midst.
An estimated 20 VC snipersconstantly harassed the operation from the beginning, sneaking to the edge of the strip andfiring single shots then fleeinginto the jungle. So far, they havekilled three, wounded 10.
Before the area was adequately cleared of the communists, they infiltrated at nightand placed mines along the sideof the runway, causing the deathof a Vietnamese ranger and anengineer.
July 1963
The work stubbornly continues with the determined engineers toiling 10 hours a day, 7days a week, in the open andunder constant enemy fire. Eachman-whether driving a bulldozer or wielding a hand t -has his weapon as a constantcompanion close at hand.
Taking (paradoxically) hottea in the steaming jungle command post, the battalion commander, group commander, senior Vietnamese engineer, andthe American advisor talk al most casually about their enormous and almost unbelievableproject.
This will cut the Viet Cong'sthroat in this area, says one.He's been entrenched in here
so long that Zone D has been hisgreatest stronghold , and he usesit to assemble and train troops.Now , much to his distaste, agovernment base is going inright in the middle of his territory.
That's right, says another,
2
-
8/12/2019 Army Aviation Digest - Jul 1963
24/52
-
8/12/2019 Army Aviation Digest - Jul 1963
25/52
-
8/12/2019 Army Aviation Digest - Jul 1963
26/52
HELIPORT construction un der field conditions is asubject little covered in printedmedia even though usage of thehelicopter has had extensivecoverage. Yet many problemsexist in building auxiliary heliports in locations where heavyequipment is inaccessible.
The difficult situations en countered in the aviation fieldprojects of the 937th EngineerCompany in supporting the In ter-American Geodetic Surveymight prove interesting to thosewho may be faced with similarproblems.
Above: Lowering man to clearheliport. Grass is 8-12 feet high.Capt Osterloh is assigned to
the 4th Engineer Bn Fort LewisWash.24
Heliport Constructionin Latin America
Captain Karl L Osterloh
The aviation sections supportsurveying operations in 19 LatinAmerican countries from thejungles of Guatemala to theAndes Mountains of Chile andPeru. Mapping these vast areaswhere few suitable landing sitesexist would be infeasible without the versatile helicopter.
It is important that the heliports necessary for triangulationstations and ground parties givemaximum use. Safety is a matterof great concern but the question arises of how much emphasis can be placed on safetywithout stifling the work program. The answer to this ques-
Basic criteria for heliport constructionMINIMUM DESIGN CRITERIA
UH -190I 85
APPROACH OR EXIT ZONE5: FOR 200
15S
APPROACH OR EXIT ZONE5: FOR 200
CLEAR ALL OBSTACLES TOGROUND LEVEL OR LEVEL OFPLATFORM WITHIN DIA OF 85
MINIMUM DESIGN CRITERIAOH -13H
I 65APPROACH OR EXIT ZONE
5: FOR 200
12
LYJ12
APPROACH OR EXIT ZONE5: FOR 200
CLEAR ALL OBSTACLES TOGROUND LEVEL OR LEVEL OFPLATFORM WITHIN DIA OF 65
u. s ARMY VI TION DIGEST
-
8/12/2019 Army Aviation Digest - Jul 1963
27/52
-
8/12/2019 Army Aviation Digest - Jul 1963
28/52
UATEMALA is one of several countries in Centraland South America beingmapped by the Inter-AmericanGeodetic Survey lAGS). Mapping is being done by the Direccion General de Cartografiawith technical assistance fromthe United States.
Mapping in the low andsalong the Pacific and in portionsof the central section was nottoo difficult because of the roadsystem. However, a considerableamount of the central area andpractically all of the northernjungle area are inaccessible except by air. These are the areas6
rmy viationSupport 0MappingLnGuatemala
aptain Pleasant H West
where Army Aviation pays bigdividends.A few of the ways Army Aviation speeds up map productionin Guatemala are mentioned below.Reconnaissance. With helicopters and fixed-wing observationtype aircraft the Field Engineercan make a personal study of anew area and definitely establish the locations of the new stations to be occupied. With theseaircraft he can easily check forline-of-site between stations andeliminate the possibility of unnecessary station preparation.
Time Reduction in Transport
of Personnel and Equipment.Probably one of the greatest advantages of Army Aviation isthe time saved in moving equipment and personnel. It also re duces the wear and tear on menand equipment. In much of thejungle area of Guatemala a mancan travel only a couple of milesa day, and it could take dayseven weeks, to arrive at a newsite. This possibility is elimi-
Capt West is assigned to the151st Engineer Gp CBT) FortBenning Ga.u s ARMY AVIATION DIGEST
-
8/12/2019 Army Aviation Digest - Jul 1963
29/52
-
8/12/2019 Army Aviation Digest - Jul 1963
30/52
-
8/12/2019 Army Aviation Digest - Jul 1963
31/52
-
8/12/2019 Army Aviation Digest - Jul 1963
32/52
Captain Henry W MeetzeCommanders are concerned with any problems that may have abearing on the mission outcome. Any action that contributes tocasualties prevents effective use of terrain buildings and materialsor creates time losses requires careful and diligent study. One sucharea of concern is dis cussed her.e.
ITH THE EVER increas-ing emphasis on nuclear
and chemical operations aviation personnel must be able tosurvive and perform assignedmissions in nuclear and chemical environments. The ArmyAviator must be aware of thecomplexities involved in operating under these adverse conditions. Aviation personnel mustbe familiar with both the prob-
3
lems and acceptable solutions.The problems presented here
are those believed to be mostprevalent. The solutions are insome cases standing operatingprocedures; others are proposedby the author.
CHEMICAL OPERATIONSInherent operational problems
that Army Aviation would encounter in a chemical by con-
taminated situation aredecontamination of the aerial
vehiclesmasking and individual pro
tectiondetection
Capt Meetze is aide-de-campto the commanding general 6thU S. Army Presidio of SanFrancisco Calif.u s ARMY AVIATION DIGEST
-
8/12/2019 Army Aviation Digest - Jul 1963
33/52
-
8/12/2019 Army Aviation Digest - Jul 1963
34/52
-
8/12/2019 Army Aviation Digest - Jul 1963
35/52
-
8/12/2019 Army Aviation Digest - Jul 1963
36/52
-
8/12/2019 Army Aviation Digest - Jul 1963
37/52
-
8/12/2019 Army Aviation Digest - Jul 1963
38/52
-
8/12/2019 Army Aviation Digest - Jul 1963
39/52
-
8/12/2019 Army Aviation Digest - Jul 1963
40/52
8
inftightemergenctes
in all weatherchoppers Leave t
Or Ride Itaptain Lloyd G Gardner
Capt Gardner is a member ofthe Operations and Training Sec-tion of the Analysis and Re-search Division of USABAAR
SUDDEN QUIET knifed into the cockpit. Engine failure Downwent the pitch-rotor rpm in the green-hold the airspeedcheck the instruments-try for a restart.The helicopter had just reached its assigned altitude of 6,000 feet.
Outside, smooth gray stratus cloud whipped by. While the pilotwent through his emergency procedures, the copilot broadcast theirapproximate position.Trying vainly to restart the dead engine, the pilot watched thealtimeter hands unwind through 5,000 feet. He thought of theweather report they'd heard a few moments before-ceiling, 100feet; visibility, one-half mile in fog. Give it one more try
Four thousand feet. No response. "Bail out " shouted the pilot,reaching for his emergency window release. He watched the co-pilot jettison his window, jerk his safety belt open, tug his helmetcord loose, and dive overboard. Without hesitation, the pilottrimmed to hold rotor rpm and airspeed and followed.
Waiting until he was well clear, he yanked the D ring and heldhis breath until he felt the solid tug of the blossoming canopy. He
u. s ARMY AVIATION DIGEST
-
8/12/2019 Army Aviation Digest - Jul 1963
41/52
-
8/12/2019 Army Aviation Digest - Jul 1963
42/52
-
8/12/2019 Army Aviation Digest - Jul 1963
43/52
-
8/12/2019 Army Aviation Digest - Jul 1963
44/52
42
dresstolivames E oleman
RE ARMY AVIATORS be coming more aware of thevalue of proper flight clothing?
Take a closer look at your fel-low pilots and judge for yourself. You will see that the latestflight line fashion still includes1) an occasional hotrock wearing half-Wellington boots, 2)the manly type who unzips hisflight suit to expose a hairy
chest, or 3) the barehandedcharacter who thinks gloves areonly for winter flying.
But, in all fairness, you won tsee as many of these types asyou used to. Two reasons: moreequipment is available than everbefore and the APH-5 helmethas gained an excellent reputation for preventing broken headbones.
After accepting the hardhaton its merits, most aviatorsadopted a more professional outlook in regard to their flightclothing. They discarded theirWellingtons and low-quartershoes for proper flight boots, andsome started wearing gloves tocomplete the ensemble. Gloveswere usually scrounged AirForce, Navy, or self-purchasedtypes in preference to the bulky,loose-fitting Army issue.
Even though aviators aredressing better, many still re fuse to get into the movement.Among these, unfortunately, aresome of our older aviators whoare guilty of setting poor examples for the youngsters. Forcomfort s sake--and mostly because their earlier trainingdidn t require i t they often areseen sans gloves, and wearingimproper footgear and rolled-upsleeves. Strangely enough, someof the worst offenders are in structor pilots-a select groupwhom our fledgling aviatorshighly revere and strive to imitate in every way. Worst of all,the habits an impressionablestudent picks up from his instructor are likely to remainwith him throughout his flyingcareer. More IPs and senior aviators would wear proper flightclothing i they realized that thisencouraged others to use the initiative and judgment to do thesame.
Let s choose an actual casefrom the records and evaluatefor ourselves the value of proper
U. S ARMY AVIATION DIGEST
-
8/12/2019 Army Aviation Digest - Jul 1963
45/52
-
8/12/2019 Army Aviation Digest - Jul 1963
46/52
-.. ,\ \\ .\ .
HIDDENNGER
PRE PAR E 0 B Y THE U. S RM Y BOA R 0 FOR A V I A T ION c e IDE N T RES EAR C HU S ARMY AVIATION DIGEST
-
8/12/2019 Army Aviation Digest - Jul 1963
47/52
-
8/12/2019 Army Aviation Digest - Jul 1963
48/52
-
8/12/2019 Army Aviation Digest - Jul 1963
49/52
. . if you c n ~ t solveyour person lproblems or shelvethem during utyhourS st y on the
ground
During the last few months he had begun toomit or neglect duties in the same fashion as during the previously mentioned tour. On one occa-sion after a clear briefing and laying out of hiscourse of action he was quite late for the flight.He had had his job changed in what amounted tojob demotion at least twice due to an apparentlack of enthusiasm and concern over his duties.He had neglected to follow certain orders in afashion so disturbing to his unit commander thatpunishment had been contemplated.
These events had occurred crescendo fashionin the weeks prior to the crash, and indicate considerable emotional dysfunction. They also doubtless were a source of much stress and turmoilwithin the pilot and had to be on his mind, evenif repressed, as distracting influences.
It is known that on the evening preceding thecrash he received a long distance call from hiswife. What was said or even the general topicsare not known and would be of interest. The likelihood is that he received further distressing newsfrom the call.
For several weeks prior to the accident hispersonal habits, unknown to most persons, left agreat deal to be desired. He had, almost everynight, retired between 2100 and 2200 slept assumedly) until about 0200 or 0300 then gottenup, dressed and gone out, returning about 0630for duty and staying on the job until the end ofduty hours that day. This was not an occasionalepisode, but a practically nightly occurrence, andoutlines his actions as well on the night precedingthe crash. Thus he was suffering from chronicfatigue.
The conclusion is inescapable that he had noteaten before the crash since at least supper theevening before. This is supported by the autopsyfindings. His name also does not appear on thepay sheet in the mess for breakfast the day of thecrash. As to lunch, the fact that the takeoff timewas suddenly moved forward prevented him fromeating. He had gone to the mess but had to leavebefore signing in to insure meeting the flightschedule.mpressions
I t seems clear the pilot was in no condition tofly. Emotionally, as well as physically, he was insuch a condition as to make an accident probable.
Two mental states immediately come to mind:One is the so-called fugue state in which men
tal mechanisms pop their circuit breakers andrelieve the conscious mind of its present burden.
7
-
8/12/2019 Army Aviation Digest - Jul 1963
50/52
-
8/12/2019 Army Aviation Digest - Jul 1963
51/52
-
8/12/2019 Army Aviation Digest - Jul 1963
52/52
HARRY , I'M HUNGRY. Passme that flap handle andthe salf and pepper. ,Th tt . idea of downed p i l ~ t s
blithely munching on t ~ i r air-, 'craft :as they await rescue' is a bitdisconcerting at first, but it is adistinct possibility with the re cent development of edible structural material.
The material, harder thantempered Masonite, is being developed by Grumman AircraftEngineering Corporation forpossible use as secondary structure-packaging, compartmenting, and control knobs-in futurespace vehicles and light aircraft.
Survival gear of the seventiesmight include a recipe book forpreparation of the structuralsnacks.
Sort of a space-age pemmican, the material was invented by physiologist Dr. Sidney Schwartz and reported inAVIATION WEEK.
With edible structure available, Dr. Schwartz said, wecan reduce the need for backupfood in space flights. Dr.Schwartz said that he receivedhis inspiration from reading howan arctic explorer left moundsof dried fish behind him, whichserved the double purpose ofmarking his trail and feeding hissled dogs on the return trip.With the concept of a dualpurpose material, Dr. Schwartzdrew up a list of suppUes, whichhe purchased at a local grocery
store for a total outlay of $4.90.The recipe calls for white wheatflour , corn starch, powderedmilk, powdered banana and hominy grits-the latter not to ticklethe Southern palate, but to servethe same function as gravel inconcrete.
After baking for 9 minutes ina hydraulic press the result wasa dark brown, crystalline substance possessing a Rockwellscale hardness of 87, comparedwith 80 for tempered Masoniteand 120 for sheet lucite. Compressive strength of the materialis 7,230 psi, mass density is.049 lb per cubic inch, and ca-loric density is approximately100 calories per ounce.
In structural applications thematerial can be machined,sawed, drilled and tapped, Dr.Schwartz said, or it can bemolded to make fitted parts andspecial shapes such as knobs.
Reconstituting by soaking inwater at 180 0 F for 2 1j2 hours orat room temperature for 41j2hours makes the material readyfor eating. Its flavor is not unlikethat of breakfast cereal, according to Dr. Schwartz, and in anemergency it can be crushed orchipped with a knife and the dryfragments eaten.
Applications of the materialare unlimited. In the future, theold adage, Stay with your air-craft and survive, might wellbe replaced by, Stay with youraircraft and dine in style.
Covering the material with aprotective coating to be strippedoff before using the material asfood is being considered. Thiswould maintain the cleanlinessand water resistance of the material.
Dr. Schwartz stresses the factthat he has only made two reci-pes, the first was too brittlebefore the addition of the hominygrits, and that he felt confidentthat he could optimize the for-mula, increasing its mechanicalstrength, flavor, and nutritionalvalue.
Raspberry flavored altimeterknob. anyone?