army aviation digest - jan 1959

8/12/2019 Army Aviation Digest - Jan 1959

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EDITORIAL STAFFCapt Theodore E WaskoWilliam E. VanceFred M Montgomery

The U. S ARMY AVIATION DIGEST Is anofficial publication of the Department of theArmy published monthly under the supervisionof the Commandant. U. S Army AviationSchoolThe mission of the U. S ARMY AVIATIONDIGEST is to provide information of an operational or functional nature concerning safetyand aircraft accident prevention. training.maintenance. operations. research and develop-ment aviation medicine and other related data.Manuscripts. photographs. and other illustra

tions pertaining to the above subjects ofinterest to personnel concerned with ArmyAviation are invited. Direct communication isauthorized to: Editor-in-Chief. U. S. ARMYAVIATION DIGEST. U. S Army Aviation

U S ARMY AVIATION SCHOOLCol John J. Tolsoncting Commandant

SCHOOL STAFFCol William R TuckDirector 01 InstructionCol Jay D VanderpoolCombat Development OfficeCol Edward N DahlstromSecretaryLt Col Rollie M Harrisonviation Medical AdvisorLt Col James L TownsendCO US AVNS Regiment

DEPARTMENTSCol Robert H SchulzMaintenanceCol Russell E. WhetstoneTacticsLt Col Raymond E. JohnsonRotary WingLt Col Howard I LukensFixed WingLt Col Thomas J. SabistonPublications andNon Resident Instruction

School Fort Rucker. AlabamLUnless otherwise indicated. material in theU. S ARMY AVIATION DIGEST may e -printed provided credit is given to the U. S.ARMY AVIATION DIGEST and to the author.The printing of this publication haa been approved by the Director of the Bureau of theBudget. 22 December 1968Views expreued in this magazine are notnecessarily those of the Department of theArmy or of the U. S. Army Aviation SchoolUnless specified otherwise. all photographs are

U. S Army.Distribution :To be distributed in accordance with -quirements stated in DA Form 12


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Volume 5

UNITED ST TESRMY VI TION

DIGESTJanuary 1959

RTICLES

Navigational Aids-Key To Future Army MobilityColonel Horace M Wood Sig C

Number 1

2

Be Wise About Weight and Balance 12

Going My Way? 15William E. Vance

Suddenly There Were No EDPs. 19Captain Theo C Watkins TC

The Saga of Johnny 21Lieutenant Albert L. Smith Sig C

DEP RTMENTS

Memo From Flight Surgeon 10

Gray Hair Department 25


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ArmyAviation is indispensable to mobility in future wars.On it depends the Army's capability for moving men andequipment over short distances as fast as constantly changingbattle situations may require. - The Honorable Wilber M.Brucker Secretary of the Army.

Key to FutureArmy Mobility

Colonel Horace M. Wood 5i9 C

To SURVIVE ON tomorrow's bat-tlefield the Army must havethe tactical mobility to copewith conditions of atomic warfare. The need for mobility inthe Army of today and of thefuture has been repeatedly expressed by those directing thedestiny of the Army. The Armymust have mobility unrestrainedby road nets the time of daythe vagaries of terrain, or theelements. The means of mobilitymust be completely responsiveto the will of the commanderand permit movement as rapidas the battlefield situation dictates.

UNRESTRI TED OPERATIONSThis presupposes that Armyaircraft will not be confined tooperations from prepared fieldsColonel Wood is assigned to theOffice of the Chief Signal Officerwhere he is in charge of the avionicsinstallation and retrofit program forA rmy Aviation.

or strips but will be capable ofoperating from any field roador area of reasonable size clearance and surface condition.To avoid limiting the commander's ability to conduct operations we must be able to flyand navigate precisely and flexibly even in the relatively lowpercentage of time in which instrument conditions prevail. Inaccurate and incomplete chartsand maps likely in a futurewar dictate a supplementarymeans of guidance for the aviator.Mobility and dispersion required for the Army of thefuture impose burdens on thefacilities for command controland coordination which are asapplicable to Army Aviation asto the participating g r 0 u n dunits. These facilities must provide greatly increased rapidityof transfer of intelligence transmission of orders target acquisition logistic data, etc. Logically electronics is the medium


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JANUARY 1959

d. Approach aids are also theresult of painstaking engineering and test effort, and are operated and maintained by fullyskilled and experienced technicians. Despite this, minimumceilings are prescribed, belowwhich approaches may not bem d e Yet, tactical missionsmust be completed regardless ofweather.

e Helicopter instrument flighthas been proven feasible andpractical. Several hundred hoursof actual weather flight havebeen made, both on and off airways, utilizing present-daystandard facilities. Instrumentflight in the helicopter is somewhat more tiring and demandingon the pilot; however, with theinstallation of automatic stabilization equipment, flying t h ehelicopter by instruments iseasier than in Army fixed wingaircraft without autopilot.Present aids and methods ofinstrument flight follow procedures established for fixed wingaircraft. However, due to thecapabilities of the helicopter, instrument approaches can consistently be made with lowerminimums than fixed wing aircraft using present-day instrumen t s. Numerous GCA approaches have been successfullycompleted to touchdown with indicated airspeeds of 30-35 knots.Automatic stabiJization eauipment takes full advantage of thehelicopter s capabilities w i t hspecial instruments such as theRyan C W. Doppler radar tomeasure ground speed and drift,a radar altimeter to measureheight, and automatic enginerpm controls and hover coupler. This coupler uses radardata to automatically bring theaircraft from an 80-knot cruiseairspeed and 200-foot altitude to4

a zero ground speed hover at50 feet at a preselected location.The pilot merely monitors theinstruments. Surely with equipment such as this, the full instrument capabilities of the helicopter can be realized.f. Present instrument flightprocedures provide large safetyfactors for clearance of obstacles and other aircraft. Thisreduces the capacity of the system and imposes delays to airtraffic during heavy traffic periods. Army Aviation tactical operations require low-level flight,literally in the nap of theearth, around instead of aboveobstacles.LIMIT TIONS

Limitations cannot, in mostinstances, be placed on the number of aircraft which will bepermi ted to fly in a specifiedarea, although adequate controlsmust be in effect. This meansthat the Army is confrontedwith a problem which requires aspecialized solution. If aviationis to function efficiently as themeans by which the Army inthe field will attain that mobilityand flexibility of movementwhich is a must in any futureconflict, present aids must beadapted to match that mobility;and development of new itemsto meet requirements peculiarto aviation for the future Armymust be expedited.

POSSI LE SOLUTIONAs a corollary, training ofaviators in instrument flight isa present and continuing mustMeans to guide the aviator inflight must be simplified andmade more reliable, so that thetraining effort and time can bereduced with safety and with


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assurance tha proficiency canbe a h i eve d and maintainedmore readily.A large amount of effort isseen in the development of navigational aids for aircraft byFAA, the USAF, the U S Navy,U. S. Marine Corps, foreign governments, and domestic and foreign industry. Available today,or on the horizon from development, are no less than 20 systems or aids to provide, alone orin combinations, a completecapability in varying degrees ofinstrument flight and navigation from takeoff to touchdown.Some of these are:

1. LF Non-Directional Beacon.A simple low frequency transmitter in widespread use todayin conjunction with an ADF orloop receiver in the aircraft. Itsaccuracy is determined by theaccuracy of the system carriedin the aircraft. One of the leastaccurate systems. Not subjectto line-of-sight considerations.

2. LF Range. The well-knownsystem in use all over the world.Used in conjunction with an LFreceiver or ADF in the aircraft.With the LF receiver, its use isconfined to four fixed courses.With ADF, it is used as the LFnon-directional beacon.

3. Visual Aural Range VAR).A VHF system which was installed on a limited scale and isgoing out of use. It is a fourcourse range having two auralcourses similar to the LF fourcourse range and two coursessimilar to the ILS localizer indicated on the cross-pointer instrument,

4. VHF Omnirange VOR).This system is in common andextensive use in the United

KEY TO FUTURE ARMY MOBILITYStates and provides bearing toor from the station on a visualindica tor. Over-all system accuracy station plus receiver)is - 4.0 degrees. Positionover station is less sharply defined than LF range or beacon.t requires installation in a relatively large space clear of obstructions to avoid course errors caused by reflections.

5. TACAN Tactical Air Navigation). This is a Rho-Thetasystem of the omnirange type,similar to VOR, but operatingin the UHF region, providingboth bearing and distance to thestation on indicators. Its accuracy is greater than VOR approximately - 1 percent),and it may be rapidly installedwith fewer siting problems thanYORe It requires more extensive and complex equipment inthe aircraft and can be saturatedby an excessive number of aircraft operating from one station.Coverage is limited by line-ofsight considerations.

6 Distance Measuring Equipment DME). Operates in theUHF range, usually in conjunction with VOR, to provide distance from a known point, usually the YORe In some cases it isused with ILS. Two or moreDME stations can be used to determine position and to run acomputer or pictorial display togive instantaneous location on achart. This may also be accomplished using two VOR stations,VOR-DME, or one TACAN station.

7 Instrument Landing System lLS). More properly identified as an Instrument Low Approach System ILAS.) , is incommon and extensive use today. It provides an accurate in-


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dication on the cross-pointer instrument of a precise glide pathto the runway. This is a carefully engineered, carefully installed fixed-plant system. Because it radiates multiple paths,it must be used in conjunctionwith other aids and in accordance with fixed procedures. tlacks mobility.

8. Ground Controlled ApproachGCA). This system uses precision radar and a well-trainedoperator. Siting and set-up timeare not excessive and, by additional development to r ed u c eweight and make the equipmentmore rugged, a reasonable degree of mobility can be realized.9 75 MC Marker Beacons Z,FAN, Bone). These are com

monly used as an auxiliary toother aids to locate approximateposition over a point. Useful asan auxiliary aid to the less complex and less sophisticated systems. Can be easily adapted formobility.10. Decca. A low frequencyhyperbolic system of Britishorigin. It is in use over most ofWestern Europe and can be applied to surface vehicles, particularly ocean vessels. t isprobably the most accurate ofthe systems in widespread usetoday. t uses a master transmitter and two or three slavestations, carefully locked inphase relationship, to generatea grid of radio lanes over anarea approximately 200 miles inradius. The receiver measuresradio frequency phase relationship of the master and slaves todetermine position, which maybe displayed on land dials orshown directly on a pictorial display or roller-type map. Absolute accuracy depends upon the

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accuracy with which the stationlocations are surveyed, but repeatability is excellent, ndDecca coordinates of a pointwill correspond very closely onsuccessive trips to this point.Accuracy of position is within50 yards near the center of thesystem, decreasing to the orderof 1 mile on the outer fringes.As presently developed, t h eequipment is complex, bulky,and heavy for light aircraft.11. RAYDIST and LORAC.MF 2000 kc) hyperbolic systems w hich have been and arebeing used around the Gulfcoast in oil exploration and survey. While the method of operation varies somewhat fromDecca, the end result is a similarhyperbolic grid over the area inwhich it is installed. n accuracy of 25 feet is claimed forthe system close in, with 100-500 feet accuracy out to 50-75miles. Its range is limited bysky-wave interference andground-wave absorption at thefrequencies used.

12. LORAN. The oldest of thehyperbolic systems in use. It isa pulsed system, and stationsare operated as synchronizedpairs. A line of position is determined by measuring the difference in arrival time of pulsesfrom each station of a pair, andposition is obtained by intersection of lines from two or morepairs. LORAN is useful out to1,500 miles range but its primary use is by surface vesselsand transport aircraft on longoverwater flights.

13. LORAN C This is a lowfrequency type of LORAN, withthe added refinement of phasecomparison for greater accuracy. It has been estimated


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that 14 units would suffice tocover the United States with aposition-indicating accuracy ofbetter than 1 mile anywherewithin this coverage. The system is not mobile, and the airborne equipment at present isbulky and too heavy for Armyaircraft.14. Doppler Navigation Systems. Doppler navigational aidsmeasure the rate of travel over

the ground and the direction oftravel by radar and combinethis information with data froman accurate heading referenceand a known starting position.t computes present position,ground speed, drift angle, andother byproduct data as may bedesired. The radar operates ona principle similar to radar

speed-measuring devices usedby the police, measuring t h efrequency shift of the receivedradar echo resulting from air-craft m 0 v e m e n t over theground. While not yet preciseenough for other than en routenavigation, it will enable a pilotto navigate within range ofground terminal aids which canbe used for letdown and landing.There are at present a number of types of Doppler aidsbeing manufactured both in theU.S.A. and abroad. The majorityhave been designed with largeraircraft in mind; consequently,most of them impose an excessive weight and power penaltyfor Army aircraft. The U. SArmy Signal Corps has modelsunder investigation and development; with improvements inheading references, miniaturi-zation, and reduction of powerrequirements, it is anticipatedthat an acceptable, reliable, andaccurate system will becomeavailable to the Army.

KEY TO FUTURE RMY MOBILITY15. Inertial Navigators. Thebasic principles of inertial navigational systems are in the precise measurement of very smallaccelerations, direction of movement and radial position withrespect to the center of theearth. Accuracy, weight, ndruggedness are the main factorsof concern to the developmentalagencies at present. The principles of the device have beenproven, but for practical application to Army Aviation requirements, inertial navigational systems are in the early developmental stages.16. Conso , Deetrac, Navarho,Navag obe, Cyc an, and Radux.These are very long range systems and as such have little application to Army Aviation in a

tactical sense.SOME NECESS RYCONSIDER TIONS

In meeting the requirementsof the field Army for navigational aids and improved instrumen-tation, several considerationsmust be kept uppermost inmind. Weight must be held toa very low figure unless we areto see Army aircraft grow insize to maintain payloads, at theexpense of unimproved-field andconfined-area performance, andwith a corresponding reductionin ability to follow and workwith the field Army of the future. Power requirements arealready beginning to exceed thecapacity of aircraft electricalsystems; they must be kept lowto avoid added weight. To avoida serious drain of fighting man-power into technical supportchannels, maintenance must besimplified and equipment mademore reliable.

For tactical use an adapter is7


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JANUARY 1959being installed on Army aircraftto permit homing on a tacticalFM set on the ground. Exceptin no wind conditions, it wouldbe quite difficult to follow a specific track to or from a station,and so the device does not havegeneral navigation utility. Itdoes give the aviator a capability of locating an isolated unit,or can provide guidance to aspecific spot on the ground otherwise unmarked. This unit is theAN/ARA-31, used in conjunction with the AN ARC-44 FMradio transceiver.

It can be seen, therefore, thatnumerous electronic devices areavailable to provide navigational information to the aviator,particularly in the en route phaseof a flight. Some can be or havebeen adapted to Army use in thefield; others have limited or noapplication for tactical use, orhave limitations or disadvantages which preclude their usein Army type operations.MOST CRITIC L RE

The most critical phase is inthe terminal area of a flight, encompassing the approach pat-tern, final letdown, glide path,flare, touchdown, or hover, asthe case may be. Unfortunately,from the standpoint of ArmyAviation, this is an area demanding greater precision inequipment, and greater skill andfaster reaction on the part ofthe aviator. In other words, thisis the phase where the 'problemof three dimensions, with timeand speed added, is forciblydemonstrated. ILS and GCA areattempts to solve this problemfor the aviator, but greater accuracy, ruggedness, mobility,and flexibility are required.8

INTERIM IDSWe must be able to make approaches and landings in confined areas and on short stripsor roads, without restrictions onchoice of terrain, landscape, direction of approach, or weatherceilings. Other devices are becoming available to assist here.Absolute altimeters of terrainclearance indicators are nowavailable. Most of these work onthe radar principle, and at leastone sonic altimeter for low altitudes has been developed. Accuracy on the order of 2 percent has been achieved.As in the standard ADF, LFRange, Omni, and ILS (lessglide slope) approaches today,the aviator must still form amental picture of his flight path,using airspeed, altitude heading,wind drift, rate of descent, andtime of position over the ground.These factors can be continuously fed to a computer, whichwill solve the complex trigonometric problem and presentthe results to the aviator on aninstrument which is relativelysimple and easy to follow. Devices of this sort have been developed and are called by suchnames as the Zero Reader,Integrated Flight S y s t em,Flight Director, etc. These devices all reduce the load on thepilot but are not always sufficiently accurate for the finalcritical stages of a landing, andthe ground devices with whichthey operate are in most casesnot adapted to field combat use.Considerable work is being doneby the Army, through the Signal Corps, working in conjunction with the Navy, Air Force,and industry, to develop systems of navigation and integrated instrumentation covering


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all aspects of a flight.During t h e s e developmentprograms emphasis is placed onease of operation and interpreta-tion for the aviator. Pictorialpresentations to provide a visualimpression of location and movement with respect to the groundwill be provided. The ultimateaim is to make flight under littleor no visibility closely approximate visual flying in its visualsensations and cues ease andsimplicity of performance andsafety.Besides the high weight penalty and greater power requirements each piece of added equipment decreases payload as hasalready happened to some of ourArmy aircraft. Maintenance ofsuch equipment generates additional requirements for man-power in an already critical category.

With the use of transistors,printed circuits and miniatur-ized components weight ndpower requirements will be significantly reduced. Modular construction techniques and simplified design for maintenance byreplacement of easily removedexpendable components will increasingly reduce the Army sdependence on large cumbersome lines of communicationsand supply systems.

KEY TO FUTURE ARMY MOBILITYSUMM RY

To summarize electronic communications equipment and navigation aids are in existence andavailable today to provide adequate point-to-point navigationat terrain clearance altitudes asrequired by Army Aviation inthe future mobile Army. Thechoice may be made from several ground-based aids on vary-ing degrees of complexity accuracy and mobility as well asself-contained systems wi t hvarious weight penalties. Thecritical terminal area of flight isless provided for but development is being vigorously pushed.Improved instrumentation displays and associated computerswill lighten the mental burdenon aviators and reduce thetraining time to qualify an aviator for round-the-clock instru-ment flying with the field Army.However all these developmentscost something: weight spacepayload power maintenancemanpower money and nationalresources. Development is proceeding providing a fair compromise in all these areas yetgiving the accuracy dependability and flexibility of performance which will enable ArmyAviation to provide the Army inthe field the mobility essentialin modern warfare.

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A L L NORMAL LIVING c a u s e swear and tear Qn the bQdy.Our bQdies cells are WQrn QutthrQugh Qur daily activities andthen replaced with new Qnes.Stress has been defined as therate Qf all wear and tear causedby life. All emQtiQns-IQve Qrh a t e, fQr example - invQlvestress; sO dQes physical exertiQn, like a game Qf gQlf Qr justa brisk walk Qut to the ramp.NO ESC PE

NQbQdy can escape stress. Butthere are varying degrees anddifferent fQrms Qf stress-mental, emQtiQnal, physical-all having SQme impact Qn health.SQmetimes this is gQQd, SQme-times harmful, depending UPQncircumstances. SQme stress isgQQd fQr us. The important thingis nQt stress itself but its effects, for stress can be thespice Qf life.Stress is a basic part Qf Qurexperiences, invQlving Qur ability to adjust to changes in Qurlives. Whether Qr nQt the straincaused by these experiences canmake Qur bQdies break dQwn andbecQme susceptible to certaindiseases depends to a great extent Qn Qur ability to handlethem.

NATURE S W YStrQng emQtiQns cause bQdilychanges because this is nature sway to make us act. Fear, fQrexample, makes us tense. Whenwe are afraid, hormQnes speedthrQugh the system causing the

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heart to beat rapidly. MusclesQf the stQmach and intestinescQntract, forcing blood intOqu i c k circulatiQn. Breathing .speeds up and Qther changes QC-cur which help us reach a PQintwhere we can successfully meetan emergency Qr gO thrQugh adifficult situatiQn. N Qrmal emQ-tiQnal stress is useful in manyways. YQU may get steamed upQver an impQrtant Qr interestingjQb and, as a result, be able tohandle the work mQre effectively. Pleasurable emQtiQns invQlving stress can be exhilarating.YQU may get excited and stimulated dQing acrQbatics, Qr tactical flying. This type Qf reactiQncan pep yQU up. The letdQwnthat fQllQWS is healthy relaxatiQn. So it s important to knQwthat the pleasant emQtiQnal reactiQn is usually gQQd, nQt bad,fQr us. We can t and wQuldn twant to live like vegetableswithQut feeling.HARMFUL EFFECTS

The emQtiQnal stress that getsus dQwn is the kind that makesit difficult Qr nearly impQssibleto relax. Intense and persistentanger, f ear frustratiQn, QrWQrry, which we may bottle upinside Qurselves, can threatenhealth. This kind Qf emQtiQnalstress leads to trQuble.Studies shQW that almost halfthe peQple whO seek medical attentiQn are suffering frQm ailments brQught abQut Qr madeWQrse by prolQnged emQtiQnalstress - tQQ much WQrry, anx-


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iety, or fear. When tension ofthis type is too often repeatedor continues for a long time,when we overwork or worry tothe point where we can't seemto take it easy and no longerget a good night's sleep, ourbodies' chemistry may get out ofkilter. That's why it's importantto learn to tune down if we gettoo keyed up, be able to handleour emotional tensions, knowand accept our physical andemotional limitations.All this is easier said thandone But understanding is thefirst step-understanding our-selves and those around us, andusing this understanding tomake our lives and our relation-ships with people more satisfying.

H NDLING TENSIONSHere are some of the wayspeople have learned to handletensions successfully nd toweather the rough spots of lifemore smoothly:Balance work with play Thatold saying about all work andno play making Jack a dull boystill makes sense. Besides, allwork may also give Jack anulcer or harm his health inother ways. If Jack has troubletaking it easy long enough toget some fun out of life, heprobably ought to schedule timefor recreation. For many people,an interesting hobby can be re-laxing as well as constructive.On the other hand, work canoccasionally be a kind of curefor emotional situations that arehard to bear-such as the deathof a loved one, or losing a girlfriend. Getting busy helps somepeople to stop worrying abouttheir troubles.Loaf a little Very active

MEMO FROM FLIGHT SURGEON

people who feel guilty about sit-ting and doing plain nothingnow and then ought to givethemselves a chance to learn theart of loafing. While too muchinactivity breeds boredom andmay even cause stress, a fewminutes a day doing nothingmay help us to tackle our workwith renewed enthusiasm.

Certain people need to learnto let some things go." Whena workload seems overwhelm-ing, remember that you can dowell only one task at a time.Concentrate on the particularjob at hand and then go on tothe next one without worryingabout everything else that hasto be done. Some things can al-most always be set aside untillater, or until tomorrow, andwork usually goes faster andsmoother when you have thisattitude of doing one thing at atime.Wark off tensions When we'reupset or angry, we can try toblow off steam or work off ourfeelings with physical exercise.Pitching into some activity, likemowing the lawn, taking a long

walk, or playing a game of ten-nis, not only helps to relieveanger but also makes it easierto face and handle irritatingproblems more calmly.Talk out troubles Sometimesit helps to get it off your chestby confiding worries to a sym-pathetic friend. When what ap-pears to be a serious problem

starts to get you down, it's wiseto discuss it with your flightsurgeon, or sometimes with anunderstanding member of yourown family. Often another per-son can help you get your feel-ings into focus and see yourPlease turn to page 14)

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Be Wise boutWeight and Balance

< < IGNORANCE IS BLISS, said oneof the old poets, but he wasnot speaking of aircraft weightand balance. For years ArmyAviators were not particularlyconcerned with either weight orbalance. If you carried morethan one other person in yourlight aircraft, you knew youwere exceeding the limitationsimposed by the manufacturer.But Army Aviation has grownand so have Army aircraft. Withthis growth has come the necessity for each pilot to know, understand, and be able to compute weight and balance.

XIOMSWeight and balance cannot bedivorced from density altitudebecause aircraft will carry lessweight as altitude ,above sea levelincreases. Therefore, temperature, humidity, and pressuremust be considered to determinedensity altitude, which governsthe weight-carrying ability ofaircraft.Why compute weight and balance? Is it because some groundpounder behind a large steeldesk wants to give the pilotsomething more to do? Theanswer is no. Every commercialairline has weight and balancecomputed before all flights, andthe figures are filed with FAA.The Air Force and Navy com

pute weight and balance beforean aircraft's wheels are allowedto leave the ground. All ArmyAviation personnel must take agood look at weight and balanceThis rticle was prepared by theUnited States Army Board for Avia-tion Accident Research

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and stress the importance andnecessity of using it.WH T IS WEIGHT ND BALANCE

As you would expect from thetwo words, weight and balance,the primary information gainedis: Are you too heavy to fly andare you loaded within C Glimits? Most aircraft will fly, orrather will leave the ground,with a tremendous overload. Theweight limitation put on eachspecific aircraft is for safety.E.ach part of the aircraft isstressed to take a certain loadwithout failing. Staying withinthat weight limitation adds tothe life of the aircraft and thecontinued longevity of pilots,crew, and passengers.Balance affects an aircraft'sstability and handling characteristics. Balance can best beexplained by thinking of thechild s toy, the old teeter-totter. With two children of equalweight, the teeter is in balance;if one child is heavier, his endwill go down, the other end up.The same is true of an aircraft.If an aircraft is loaded too faraft, a nose-high attitude will result, which is particularly badon takeoff. An aircraft loadedtoo far off balance will run outof trim and elevator controls.The mission of the Army issuch that operating in and outof small, unimproved fields isnormal. Maximum performancetakeoffs with a minimum clearance of obstacles is routine. Extra weight or out of balanceconditions can cause that verynarrow margin of safety to disappear completely. t is possiblethat some of the accidents


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J ANDARY 1959Sample problem:Density Alt = Unknown

Field Elevatio.n=I,OOO feetPressure Alt = 2,000 feetActual Temp = 25 CStd Temp = 13 C (Std sealevel 15 _2 for every1,000 feet)Density Alt = 2,000 120X (25 -13Density Alt = 2,000 120X 12Density Alt = 2,0001,440Density Alt = 3,440 feet

Weight, balance, and density

Co n nue f r om page 11problems in a new light.Learn to accept what you can-not change. Many of us get upset about circumstances whichare beyond our contro.l. Sometimes we even try to makepeople over to suit our o wnideals and then feel frustratedo r let down when we find thatthis cannot be done. We can lookfo.r the best in o.thers whilerealizing that no.body is fault-less.Get away from it all. Whenyou feel that you are goingaround in circles with a problemo r worry, try to divert yourself. As simple a thing as goingto the movies, reading a story,o r visiting a friend can help toget yo U out o f a rut. And there'sno harm in shelving a painfulsituatio.n long eno.ugh to catchyo.ur breath and regain the com-14

altitude - the pilot is resPo.nsible for knowing all t h r e eWeight and balance he mustcompute from tables providedfor each type aircraft. The bestplace to obtain density altitudeis the weather statio.n, but itcan be computed with the simple formula given.t is folly to be ignorant aboutthese things. Accidents causedby anyone o f the three have noplace in the Army accident files.

t is up to you the individualpilot, to make that little extraeffort to become a real professional.

posure you need to come backand face the problem. When possible and practical, a brief trip,a change of scene, can give younew perspective. There a r etimes when we all need to es-cape, even if it's just a respitefrom routine.Keep physically fit. If you keepyourself physically fit, you'llhave more zest for living and beable to take stress and handletensions more easily.But there are no easy waysof avoiding, nor simple solutionsto, the problems o f life whichcause undue stress and tension.Some of the ideas yo U read canbe helpful. Experience, too, is ateacher. And o.ther people canbe helpful. By making the effo.rt,we often find new and betterways to deal with the tensionsin our lives.


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William E ance

N MORE THAN 22 years com-bined military and civil serviceI have flown, as a passenger,with the Army, Air Force, Navy,Coast Guard, Forest Service,Fish and Wildlife protectors, andvarious state agencies. I've ridden with all types of pilots andaircrews and I have a very goodimage of the men with whom Ilike to fly, as well as an equallyvivid picture of those who mademe wish the airplane hadn'tbeen invented.Suppose you are flying crosscountry tomorrow. I call you

the day before to find out if youhave room for me.You say, Be at the field at0730.I show up at 0715 and findthat you've already filed a flightplan. This I like (and I knowyou like my being early). I'vecome to respect the aviator whohas set a takeoff time and expects to meet it. The entire ridewill reflect the same precision.You ask me if I care to get theweather with you. I chalk up another bonus point because you'rethe type who appreciates the

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interest every passenger has inthe entire flight plan.The paper work is finishedand we walk out to the airplane.You introduce me to the rest ofthe crew, and that is importantto me-that personal interest inthe people with whom I'm sharing this experience.The opposite, all too familiarscene goes something like this:Who's going on 1234? GotJ eps, Sam? Who has the clearance? Sergeant, are th r eenough chutes? Let's get thisbucket of bolts in the air. Let'sleap.Lord, I think, this is anotherof those real gone flights. Theywant to get off before someonetakes their airplane, or else thelittle wife can't be kept waiting.

THE PROFESSION LThis isn't meant to be thelatest word on the niceties to beobserved when traveling bymilitary air. Rather, it is another impression to help definethe frame of mind or attitudethat adds up to the professionalairmanship everyone respects.Now, back to the airplane. Ifollow you around as you makea visual check. You pay particular attention to the controls,step up on a tire to look atsomething. Maybe I don't knowwhat you're looking for, butthat little act adds to my confidence in you. All this is a showfor the ground pounders because

I know you've checked the Form781-2, and I'm sure you won'tstart up the engine only to discover that something on theform is redlined and that wehave to change airplanes.Before starting the engine,you get the attention of all thepassengers and explain th6

flight plan. The crew passes outthe parachutes, and you askeveryone to try his on.The sergeant says, Mister,your leg strap is a bit loose.May I tighten it for you? Ashe helps me I think, they releaving nothing to chance. Theseguys are good.You ask how many have everused a parachute; getting no reply, you go into it professionally: I've never had to jumpeither, but thousands have doneit successfully and so can you.Here's a few pointers to remember: Keep your head downwhen and if you jump. Pull theD-ring as soon as you're clearof the airplane. Keep your feettogether and the shroud lineswon't get between your legs.This sort of thing doesn't takemuch time but it makes a relaxed passenger.

CE OF THE B SEAfter becoming airborne, thepilot I like doesn' t do any abruptmaneuvering without reason. fa turn can be made with a gentlebank, that's the way he does

it, instead of racking it up withone wing pointed to the ground.It has happened to all of us atsome time or another - wheneverything shudders in a steepturn, when the props get out ofsynchronization, when p o w rand p i t c h settings suddenlychange, and when turbulencemakes one think everything iscoming apart.Once, flying from one base toanother in a C-45, we encountered numerous thunderstorms.The pilot tried to climb over one,using maximum climb power.Unable to make it, he descendedthe same way, to go under it.On occasion we were in and out


19/36

of clouds. He grinningly informed me, We're supposed tobe VFR. At the time the aircraftwas on solid instruments-onairways. I was apprehensive, ofcourse, but more frighteningthan this was my vision of anairliner carrying children andwomen, all of them feeling safeand secure in the knowledge thatthe "airline people really knowtheir business." They do, butthis pilot sharing the same airspace didn't.

QUIET WORD HELPSOn a flight out west of theRockies in a C-47 this happened: We were flying on theedge of a fast-moving cold front,and severe turbulence causedthe old Gooney Bird to bounce

like a Cub. The captain walkedback and made a few reassuringremarks that settled everyoneback in their seats. Those fewcheerful words didn't cost anything but they banished uneasiness, and that counts for alot.Another time I was riding ina C-54 (the Navy calls themR5D) from the West Coast tothe East. The aircraft wascleared IFR with en route weather mostly VFR. Severe turbulence was encountered over Arizona and New Mexico and thepilot used many power changesin attempts to maintain his assigned altitude and cruising airspeed.

We kept on, and by sundownthe weather was generally clearbut with scattered thunderstorms. Some hours after becoming airborne, the crew chiefcame back and told all the passengers to put on parachutesand stand by to bail out. Whenthe door opened for the crew

GOING MY WAY?

chief to return to the flight deck,I overheard the navigator andpilot arguing heatedly abouttheir exact positionWe landed all right, aftermaking a hairy go-around. Thecrew chief told me later thatthere was less than 5 gallonsof fuel left. I felt a little reluctant about boarding anotherairplane operated by the sameservice a couple of hours later.

FREE RIDE ROUGH RI E"So you're getting a freeride," you'll say. Want plushseats and stewardesses maybe?No, but the way I see it, theeffort an aviator makes to lethis passengers know what maybe expected dispels uneasinessand reflects well on himself andhis branch of service. Should anemergency occur, a confidentgroup of passengers will be lessa problem than a group halfterrified by unexplained incidents.

An Army A v i a t on unitspoiled me, I suppose. Or all ofthem have, those I've come incontact with. I've seen them accord the same VIP treatment toan Assistant Secretary of theArmy and a transient PFC. I remember one unit in particularwhere all of the things thatmake for a pleasant flight weredone; in addition, the aviatorgave me a briefing I've neverheard repeated anywhere.

Tighten the safety belt before tightening the shoulderharness, he told me. Then he explained that unless this is donethe safety belt will be pulled toa higher position than desirable,placing pressure on the stomachrather than the bony structurein case of crash. A safety beltposition which is too high may

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J ANDARY 1959also allow the wearer to slipunder the belt. Such a briefing isa small thing, perhaps, but itshows competence-and consideration.I appreciate the small courtesyof easy accelerations and decelerations. This can be especiallyimportant to someone whohasn't ridden in the Bird Dogbefore. Abrupt throttle closuremakes the little bird's enginespit and pop, and to the uninitiated this can mean anythinga l l bad.

R MP FRONT DOORThere's one more thing to sayabout this passenger business,and that's the treatment you geton the ground. You land at onefield and you're met with a

FOLLOW ME jeep and get theworks - like a friendly face,transportation, and a briefing onfacilities. But not always.At some bases I ve been toldthat the snack bar was closedfor inventory or some other reason, and at others that civilians,even those on orders, could notbe fed. Most of the time every

thing is fine, but occasionallyyou find lapses and one bad ex-

18

perience cancels out ten goodones.t might be noted that frommy experience, aviators thinkthe grass aeross the hill isgreener. Army and Navy aviators are always talking aboutthe plush treatment they getfrom the Air Force, while themen in blue are always toutingthe Army and Navy facilities.Army A via ors can m a k eequally valid comments aboutpassengers, too. I cringe withthe pilot when passengers expectflight personnel to make withthe baggage-carrying. The nthere are the old heads whothink safety belts are strictlyfor show, and those who clutter the airplane with candy barwrappers, cigarette butts, andchewing gum wads.

When the question is asked,Are you going my way? thehitchhiker is betting that thesaved travel time is worth taking on any and all comers ascrew. Asking and nothing dismayed, I will continue to do so,because I ve found competentairmanship much more in evidence than the other-the kindthat rna k e s me wish I'd remained on the ground.


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Suddenly There Were No EDPsCaptain Theo C. tkins T

NE REASON FIELD mainte-nance officers turn prema-turely grey is the lack of supplyand maintenance support fromthe unit level. This is news tosome who have heard the ageold cry to their unit commander,The trouble's in field mainte-nance. These remarks are notmade in a critical sense butrather to illustrate the need forclose liaison between mainte-nance echelons.The fixed field shop at FortBenning operates on the principle of service to the customer.This attitude has been emphasized and re-emphasized to allmembers of the activity. Ananalogy may be drawn betweenour operation and a business operation. Unhappy customers arean extremely poor advertisement, and a business can't af-ford them. Neither can we atBenning's Field Maintenance.t is my opinion, based on several years experience in themaintenance game, that a majority of the supply and mainte-nance flaps are self-generated.This statement may be rebuttedby units who have waitedmonths for supply action; how-

ever, please continue reading forclarification. I t is an acceptedfact in most units that the newest lieutenant with the latestdate of rank will fall heir to theunit maintenance officer's job.Since this writer has long sinceaccepted this prerogative of thecommander, the following guidelines for unit maintenance offi-cers are furnished with the hopethat some fog may lift for atleast one newly appointed maintenance officer.

1 Call on the supporting 3rdechelon maintenance activity.They will be around to see youon an assistance service visit,but go irst to learn the tradel n g u g e (SIAM, TMTC,SCAMP, etc.) and find out whata work order (DA form 811) isand its purpose.2 Check your technical man-ual file against field maintenancefiles. The services spend a fortune on publications which ex-Captain Watkins is the FieldMaintenance Officer at Fort BenningGa. Fixed and rotary wing qualifiedhe is a graduate of several mainte-nance schools and has accumulatedover 3 000 flying hours.

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JANUARY 1959

plain in simple language 110W toperform specific maintenanceand include picture3 to illustratethe procedures. Find out how aPublications Requirement Table(PRT) is forwarded throughchannels.3. Stay within your echelonof maintenance. More equipmentis destroyed through tinkeritis than any other method.Consult the aircraft -18, maintenance allocation charts, andfollow them. Promptly evacuateall 3rd echelon or higher maintenance to the supporting activity.

4 Keep a time change component chart. This area producesa majority of the self-generatedflaps. Insist on a daily postingof accumulated time on hourlyor calendar change componentsby your NCOs. Advise your supporting field maintenance activity of forthcoming time changecomponent requirements at least90 calendar days in advance.This will permit a lead time inthe supply field and provide forworkload programing in thmaintenance. There isn't a supply system in the world that canprovide parts without adequatelead time. Timely requisition action will ensure having the itemin your hands when you needit, especially with present authority to extend certain components past normal time changedate.

5 Maintain a technical manual time compliance chart. I amapproached daily by very senior officers who ask, What isthis TMTC business? A technical manual time compliance isneither mysterious nor difficultto execute. Any change or inspection of the aircraft or components after initial receipt de-20

signed to improve operation orextend time life is a tech manual time compliance. If kits arespecified, they must be requisitioned.

6 Force your mechanics touse grease. Thirty percent ofour maintenance difficultiescould be alleviated if personnelwould make use of the oldgrease gun.

To summarize, maintenancesuccess at the unit (1st and 2ndechelon) level depends mostlyupon common sense and the ability to read and interpret app i cab e publications. It reminds me of a story I heard ona recent cross-country to PaloAlto, Calif. A unit maintenanceofficer was hunting in a forestwhen a terrible storm came up.He looked for shelter, but therewas none. It began to rain intorrents. He crawled into a hollow log, which fit snugly. Therain lasted for hours and, as thewater soaked through the wood,the log began to contract. Whenthe storm was over he could notget out. He strained to free himself, but to no avail. He knew ifhe could not free himself, hewould die of starvation. Hiswhole life flashed before him,especially his mistakes. Suddenly, he remembered that both hisunit's Beavers were EDP inField Maintenance because hehad not anticipated a t im echange on propellers. This madehim feel so small that he wasable to crawl out of the log,vowing to initiate early supplyaction on future parts requirements.

EDP Equipment deadlined for parts.This newly authorized term replacesthe old AOCP


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The Saga of JohnnyLieutenant lbert L Smith ig C

T I S IS THE SAGA of JohnnyGomequick, a handsomeblending of bon Vi1 ant chevalier, and Army Aviator. If youwere in his flight class, you remember him well. f you weren'tbut have been around a while,you know the type. In his homecountry he was recognized as alad whose devil-may-care atti-tude far surpassed that of anygeneration the Come quicks hadpreviously admitted to. Duringhis school years boyish wiles andfoolish exploits gained him ameasure of fame, and aftergraduation he emerged from hisivy-covered tower aspiring tofurther acclaim.

ANTICIPATED JOYJohnny came to the Army anticipating personal accomplish

ment and the rewards of recognition. He viewed the khakiworld beyond his Second Lieutenant's bars as a limitless areato be exploited and explored. Ofall avenues, flying was the mostappealing and exciting to J.Comequick. Oh, how he covetedthe wings and admired the

status of the Army AviatorTHIS was for himWhile home on leave, Johnnyproudly displayed his rank andSharpshooter's Medal to thelocal populace. To everyone wholistened, he announced his intention to become A Watchdog ofthe Sky." The hometown cowboys gazed in awe at their hero.So it was. Johnny Comequickblithely mapped his f u t u r e'midst the admiration of hispeople," and there was muchhappiness in the land of theComequicks.

A FIRST OFFENDERDespite his skill and cunning,flight training was difficult forJohnny. He was prone to fly outside the prescribed area and almost got caught several times.

Occasionally he'd make a dryrun over the ammo dump, butthat became dangerous after theLieutenant Smith is a TrainingOfficer in the Office of the Director ofInstruction He is fixed and rotarywing and instrument qualified having1 800 hours of flight time.

2


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J ANU ARY 1959

CG nearly got his number. Hewas constantly at odds with hisinstructors and couldn't understand "why the Army pickedsuch boneheads for flight instructors." What chance did abright young lieutenant havewith such idiots instructinghim? Take, for instance, the timeJohnny cut the mags on a nightflight. That stupid IP actuallythought something w s wrongThen there was the time Johnny"sort of" undershot a low approach on the Omni. The IP wasreally square, never no t i ce dComequick's deft fingers settingthe altimeter up 300 feet Why,if Johnny hadn't been peepingout from under the hood rightthen, they probably never wouldhave seen Southern Airways447, let alone miss it by 40 feet

Flight training provided manymemories. The Southern Airways incident was one; anotheroccurred s h r t I y afterwards.That was the day he discoveredhow to hold a constant bankingturn in the soup-set it up, cagethe Artificial Horizon, uncage it,and you're in He told nobodyabout it; after all, "Einsteinsdon't tell everything t h e yknow." When he broke out hisHorizon wasn't exactly right.He credited it to low voltage andwrote up the battery when helanded. Even with the "mechanical error," Johnny thought it apretty good stunt for a studentto pull off.

FOLLOW MOn his final cross-countryCome quick slipped "the word"to a couple of his buddies. "Follow me forget about positionreports." They could always saytheir t r an s mi t t e r s were

"fritzed," and who'd know theyhad a bull session on 121.5 ? Withlong-suppressed derring-do, heled his buddies in close formation through decks of stratus. Intrue leadership f a sh ion hebuzzed a town to get its namefrom a water tower. "You've gotno worry," he told them; "we'reonly 46 miles off-just the wayI planned it." His buddies sworeto secrecy. t wasn't until aftergraduation that the truth cameout, and only then becauseJohnny wanted the "boys" in hisorganization to know that inhim they were blessed withmore than a fixed wing ArmyAviator. He was undoubtedly a"Watch Dog Supreme."

A IIGOOD PILOT

He flew often and well duringthe first months of his initial assignment (which Johnny triedhis utmost to redesignate "Comequick's Kamikazes"). His superiors tagged him "a goodpilot," though in truth Johnnyfelt things should be done hisway. He expected results fromhis subordinates, flattering tohim. Too, he was inclined to gettoo "solidly sent" with the program; consequently, his confidence was rapidly approachinghis "maximum-combat-overloademergency-ability."While as s i g ned to "FortComequick" (as he called it),Johnny got to know the surrounding country "like a native."So, posting changes to his J epwas a waste of time. Althoughhe made position reports nowand then, he wondered whypeople gave HIM altimeter settings. Comequick of all peopleWhy who else knew the terrainbetter, except maybe Cochise?


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A routine mission was in theworks one afternoon w h enJohnny was really "hot." Hedeftly finessed his onfreres andwas the first to volunteer forthe flight. He knew a youngfemme a short hop from destina-tion and figured to kill two birdswith a single stone. J. Come-quick filed his 175 with a happygrin and, as he waited for asignature, thought how easilytwo jugs of Scotch would fit intohis new RON bag. Maybe hecould squeeze in his J ep too.With his clearance signed, hetrotted out to the strip wonder-ing "how such jerks ever got tobe weathermen-bunch of oldladies "On the line he shook the fuse-lage, kicked the tires, jumpedin and taxied to position. Thetower guns reminded him ofChristmas, and he thought ofhome, of girls, and specificallyof the date he'd line up on thehomeward flight. He stuck himself into the headset uncon-sciously and called for takeoff.

For 4,000 feet he cursed themechanics; when he b r k eground he wished "the clutchof boobs" had taken more timeloading his plane. Thanks tothose meatheads he couldn'tfinish his chandelle

DIS STER DEL YEDThe flight was one of bound-less monotony and perfect fly-ing conditions. Johnny somehow

managed to overshoot his 1800hours ETA by twenty minutesand was impatient with the de-lay. He entered Base Ops eager-ly and filed out for Fort Come-quick with a fuel stop at Scratchville (and a nice visit with his"old buddy," Barbara). Johnnytripped into the "gents," washed

THE SAGA OF JOHNNY

up and checked to see if the alti-tude had spiked his Scotch .Happy that it hadn't, he madea quick call to Barbara, whichconfirmed his fuel stop.As he sat boring his path,Johnny wondered again aboutthe weathermaker. Just couldn'tunderstand what he had tried toget across at destination. "Boy,"he thought, "that dope is likeall the rest-ought to be a witchdoctor." Scratchville loomed onthe horizon, and things seemedpleasanter after a few goodslugs of the Scotch.Barbara met him there andthe visit was all that Johnnyhad e x pee t ed Afterwards,watching her bright red wagonzoom off, he hoped his "oldbuddy" wasn't angry with himfor drinking most of the booze.

REVERIESWhat a rare day it had been,Johnny thought. "Made an im-pression on the Old Man theway I beat my buddies to thedraw. Got in a few more hours,too; that never hurt. But thislittle old fuel stop was the top-per A neat trick, all with gov-

ernment transportation and atgovernment expense. Authorized? Smauthorized " Who'dquestion a conscientious fellowlike Johnny Comequick?Flying back to Fort Come-quick, Johnny cursed the crewchief for letting him forget hisflashlight and the "witch doc-tor" for not giving the wordabout the rain and ragged ceil-ing he saw ahead.

WILD BLUE YONDERJohnny Comequick's cockpitwas an arena of recriminationsagainst "them" and alibis forhimself.

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Man can't be expected to doevery hin' by himself. Darnthings are hard enough to fly ingood weather . . ."Can't get any soothing musicwith all the static maybeanother shot of Scotch will help man, I feel cold and sweatyGettin' real dark-grayout there now real dark-black."Better look at instruments Heh That's it, JohnnyLook at the instruments whenyou can't see outside . . . 800feet Man, that ain't much . . .can't go upstairs in this stufftho' can always jumpyeh, jump that's one thingNEVER FORGET. Check chute'fore puttil'l' it 'n baggage compar'ment."Feel kinda disorientatedhaven't had THAT much Scotch . . must be the soup outside

24

Soupy Scotch.Come on head, hands . . .let's get outa this "Rain pelted the tiny ship 'andturbulence increased. His instruments showed a 4 error incourse. He tried to get back;then he remembered the old Artificial Horizon trick from histraining days. His mind reeledtrying to recall what he haddone then to get out of the soup.TILT

Through the storm's fury therecame a roar as metal met mounta in-a blinding flash, the falling, rolling, ricochetting pieces,then rain and wind and nothingmore. Johnny Comequick's Artificial Horizon maneuver hadn'tworked.They never found Johnny,just several pieces of a BirdDog; that's all. Some think itwasn't his wreckage, think thatJohnny was too smart, too gooda pilot to kiss a mountain in astorm. Flying Johnny Comequick Times when I see individuals pull Johnny's oldtricks, I think he MIGHT stillbe flying. Pe r hap s the lateJohnny Come quick isn't "late"after all. Look around you. Isthat Johnny over there, taxiingout to the strip with his pitotcover on?


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M ONTH IN AND MONTH OUTthe Gray Hair Departmentdevotes its efforts to writingabout the 12 percent of ArmyAviators who become involvedin aircraft accidents. The other88 percent are seldom mentioned.Unfortunately many feats ofoutstanding airmanship and performance pass without noticebecause there is no formal requirement for reporting. -casionally some thoughtful person will write and report individual feats of superior performance by Army Aviators underadverse and emergency conditions. When this happens GrayHair typewriters slam into fullspeed.

W LL ONEFirst Lieutenant Carl A. Wilson pilot and First LieutenantJ. W. Allman copilot departedFort Bragg N. C last summer

on an IFR flight plan to Chicago flying an L-20 Beaver.The aircraft entered the overcast shortly after takeoff andThe Gray Hair Depa1 tmen t is pre-pared by the U. S. Tmy BoaTd forA viation ccident Research with in-formation from its files.

Lieutenant Wilson continuedclimbing to his assigned altitude. Approximately 30 milesNE of Charlotte the Omni redflag snapped up and the loadmeter jumped to maximum.Lieutenant Wilson immediatelycalled Charlotte radio and requested a range approach toCharlotte airport.Charlotte radio cleared theBeaver for the approach anddescent to minimum altitude. Atthis point the VH receiverdied. Lieutenant Wilson beganthe descent and turned towardthe range station. Charlotte radio gave 500 feet overcast and8 miles visibility during its regular weather broadcast.The LF receiver became inoperative before station passagecould be reached and smoke began seeping from the baggagecompartment. Lieutenant Allman changed to ADF w h i IeLieutenant Wilson continued theapproach. He passed the stationand descended to the minimumfor final approach. The aircraftwas in a ragged ceiling andhere-you guessed it-goodbyeADF.Easing cautiously below theragged ceiling Lieutenant Wilson lined up with the runway

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hours over a short period oftime; he could not be expectedto perform at peak proficiency.Project personnel, being exposedto hazardous duty over a longperiod, were complacent. Localcommand f a i led to establishminimum requirements for helicopter landing sites; the sitewas improperly prepared fo rsafe operation, and no effortmade to improve it for a year.The aviator neglected to inspectfor ground clearance of skidsprior to takeoff. He could notcompute density altitude because his helicopter was notequipped as directed) with afree air temperature gauge. Andso on.Routine undeniably can bevery taxing and monotonous. Itcan lull one into a disastroussense of indifference and complacency to everyday dangers.This is an occupational hazardthat an Army Aviator mustrecognize and combat. Otherwise,WINT R C N E FUN

What does winter mean toyou? s it Christmas, the brightNew Year, snow and the greatoutdoors? It is all these thingsto some men. For others itmeans extra hazards and morecare.To the aviator winter has aspecial meaning. It means a timeof treacherous ice and snow andoften disastrous frontal activitywhich limits visibility and workshardships in general. It is a timethat calls for alertness and demands extreme caution. Otherwise, a careless aviator is aptto find himself in the embarrassing position similar to the following:The 2 OOO-foot runway lay like

GRAY HAIR DEPARTMENT

a jagged, yawning scar acrossthe snow-covered landscape, itshard, black surface spotted hereand there by patches of snowand ice. With the idea of practicing short field landings, theaviator changed h is originaltraining-flight course and directed his Bird Dog to the nearby field.Touching down, the pilot applied brakes. The left wheel reacted normally, but the rightwheel hit an icy surface, causing the Bird Dog to veer to theleft. Attempting to recover directional control, the pilot applied full right rudder ndbrake. This, however, failed tocorrect the turn The aircraftstruck a small bank of snow onthe left edge of the runway,ground-looped to the left andthen struck a larger bank ofsnow, which caused it to noseup, and the right wing struckthe ground. It finally came to

Winter can be fun


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n inept first utorot tion

n r s, teachers, or aviators.Those human qualities whichcombine to make a successfulmilitary officer are not alwaysthe same qualities necessary toadapt the officer to aviation.Substitution of nonstandardparts for aircraft constructionmay result in malfunction of themachine and possible accidents.Substitution of human qualitiesnecessary for aviation adaptability will result in weak performance and probable accidents.An Army officer, age 30, was

successful in performing thduties of his basic branch. Heattained his RA commission in1952. Five years later this officer began helicopter training.As a student aviator he experienced difficulties with flyingfrom the beginning. He was thelast of his class to solo, requir-

ing 27 hours of dual instruction.He was given many hours ofsolo to practice primary maneuvers because of slow progress. The officer attained a totalof 55 hours and was soon duefor his second military progresscheck. He had never performeda solo autorotation.This was the situation as heproceeded to the flight line on aclear, cool morning for a soloflight. Excessive mag drop wasfound after starting the Raven,and takeoff was delayed while amechanic changed several spark

plugs. The new spark plugs corrected the mag drop and the officer made his takeoff, climbedto 1,200 feet and began flyingtoward a stagefield.The Raven engine sputteredseveral times en route and, looking around for possible emergency landing areas, the officer con-

2 9


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JANUARY 1959

tinued the flight. As he approached the stagefield, the engine sputtered more often. TheRaven began to lose altitudeand the officer started an autorotation.In his own words, this officerbelieves he panicked "or blackedout" after downing collectivepitch. His next awareness wasof the ground coming rapidlyup and he jerked collective pitchto the top.The aircraft struck the groundin a skidding left turn and theright main skid dug into thesoft ground. A main rotor bladeflexed down and severed the tailboom. The officer next remembers sitting on the ground looking through the bubble of theheavily damaged Raven. He wasnot physically inj ured.Following the accident, the officer stated that he was awareof his aptitude deficiencies foraviation training. He had contemplated resigning from thetraining program 6 weeks priorto the accident because of apprehension and fear created byhis inability to build proficiencyand confidence. He had decided

not to resign because he feareda black mark on his record.The most important so i amotive among humans is the desire for approval, recognition,and prestige. This motivationinfluences behavior, whetherconsciously or unconsciously. Itcan get us into uncomfortableand dangerous situations. Themanner in which we performunder emergency conditions willbe determined by our aptitudeand proficiency for the activityin which we are engaged.Who is to say whether or notthis officer would have successfully completed his training hadhe not encountered an emergen-30

cy situation? Experience indicates that humans who are notequipped with standardized aviation behavior pa terns are nomore fit to fly than an aircraftwith a substitute nonstandardpart.

MOMENT OF DE ISIONThere are occasions in everyone s life when he must makemomentous decisions of varying

degrees of importance and duration. Perhaps it will involveplanking down the last sawbuckon a petrified nag in the fifth atSanta Anita. Another time youmay say, "What-the-heck " andtake a chance on dating the luscious redhead and risk beingfound out by the suspicious brunette in the air section office.Then again, the decision youhave to make could be one that-affects your very life and thousands of dollars worth of government equipment. To abort ornot to . . . ? To try to clearthat takeoff barrier or to drawback and attempt to get backon the ground? To go ahead orturn back? The decision could

be a costly one if not madewisely-and in time. One aviator discovered the wisdom ofthis too late.The pilot taxied to the endof the strip, made a runupcheck, turned his Bird Dog intothe wind, and began his takeoff run. Hitting a dip in thesurface, the aircraft bouncedinto the air. The tail was allowed to rise, assumed an almost level attitude and traveled50-100 feet through the air,then bounced a second time.After traveling about one-halfthe length of the strip and believing the aircraft did not havesufficient speed to become air-


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ndecision caused this accident

borne and clear the trees at theend of the strip, the pilot decided to reduce his throttle andget back on the ground. He managed to get the aircraft down,but not in time to stop beforethe Bird Dog ran into the trees.The pilot escaped unharmed,but substantial damage wasdone to the aircraftThere was no mechanical ormaterial failure. Weather wasnot considered a factor. Thepilot merely failed to keep theaircraft in a takeoff attitude andwas slow in taking positive action to abort takeoff b e fo r ereaching obstacles at the -end ofthe strip. In short, he followedan unwise act with a too-late decision.ARE WE EQUIPPED FOR ERROR

To err is human . . .Trite and a bit hackneyed,

perhaps. Nonetheless, the soundness and validity of this sageobservation, made many centuries ago by the Bard of Avon,remains till today unchallenged,irrefutable. Otherwise, the lotof accident investigators wouldbe an easy one.Unfortunately, though, human nature sometimes leanstoward exhibitionism with nothought of personal s f e t y,creating a constant need for research and evaluation of safetyequipment and accident preventive measures. Take this typicalcase for example:The morning broke with calmwinds and clear skies. Visibilitywas 25 miles. A nippy 68 addedbriskness to an ideal day. Thepilot, on a routine reconnaissance flight, landed his Siouxin a grassy field with the mission of contacting ground troops3


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and establishing pickup areasand landing sites for a trooplift and cargo mission. Assignment completed he again tookto the air.The Sioux skimmed over thefield with its skids about 4 feetfrom the ground. t maintainedthis altitude for approximately200 yards before beginning torise. Abruptly the helicopternosed upward for a brief moment accelerated forward outof control struck a treetop spiralled and crashed into a clumpof trees. Nearby ground troopsupon arrival at the scene of thecrash found that the pilot hadsuffered fatal injuries.The aircraft had struck an unmarked communication wi r estrung between two trees whichshattered the plexiglass bubbleof the Sioux.Members of the investigatingboard classed the accident aspilot-induced. The pilot did notperform a complete ground reconnaissance prior to landingand takeoff. Furthermore he3

he coulh ve recovere

i -

held the aircraft at a low altitude during takeoff in excess ofnormal performance. In otherwords the fatality was a victimof his own tendency to err.Investigation however revealed that the aircraft was undamaged except for breakingthe plexiglass and was flyableuntil it struck the tree. Theflight surgeon reported that thepilot was not in control of theaircraft after colliding with thewire due to a severe blow sustained when the back of his headstruck the top of the firewall.From these deductions thflight surgeon concluded thathad the pilot been wearing acrash helmet and had he beenproperly equipped with shoulderharness he could have recovered from the initial mishapand safely executed a landingwithout loss of life and probablywithout total loss of aircraft.Thus again human shortcomings joined hands with lack ofadequate equipment and effectedan irreplaceable loss.


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army aviation digest - jan 1959

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