UNITED

DIRECTOR OF ARMY AVIATION, ACSFOR

DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
Brig Gen John J. Tolson, III
COMMANDANT, U. S. ARMY AVIATION SCHOOL
Maj Gen Clifton F. von Kann
ASST COMDT, U. S. ARMY AVIATION SCHOOL
Col Robert F. Cassidy
EDITORIAL STAFF
Capt Richard C. Anglin
Fred M. Montgomery
Richard K. Tierney
William H. Smith
Diana G. Williams
GRAPHIC ART SUPPORT
H. G. Linn
H. A. Pickel
D. L. Crowley
A. Lofe
USABAAR EDUCATION AND LITERATURE DIV
Pierce L. Wiggin
William E. Carter
Ted Kontos
Charles Mabius
ARMY AVIATION
'1GES
MAY 1964 VOLUME 10 NUMBER 5
CONTENTS
Helicopter Instrument Flying,
Maj Gen Clifton F. von Kann................... .................... ... ...... 1
01' Yaller, Ted Kontos. .... ................. ...... ................................ ..... . 2
The Primary Instructor,
Roy H. Windham and Lewis A. Pierce. .. .. .. ......................... 7
Navigation Accuracy, Virgil Rogers ...... .... .............. .............. 10
AFOF, Maj Virgil L. Danielson ......... ..... ........ ........... ................... 12
I Love My Golden Voice, Maj Milton P. Cherne .................. 17
Unit Test Pilots, CWO Joseph R. Connor ... ................... .......... 21
Standardization in Seventh Army,
Capt Robert C. Cook, Jr .. .................... .... ....... ....................... ... 24
Crash Sense ....... ............................. .......... ....................................... 28
How's Your DR Navigation?
Maj Ephraim A. Berry .... .... ... ......... ... ........... Inside Back Cover
Diagnosing the Trouble, Capt Kenneth E. Cox .... Back Cover
The mission of the U. S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST is to provide information of an
operational or functional nature concerning safety and aircraft accident prevention, training,
maintenance, operat.ions, research and development, aviation medicine, and other related data.
The DIGEST is an official Department of the Army published monthly
under the supervision of the Commandant, U. S. Army Aviation School. Views expressed
herein are not necessarily those of Department of the Army or the U. S. Army Aviation
SchooL Photos are U. S. Army unless otherwise specified. Material may be reprinted
provided credit is given to the DIGEST and to the author, unless otherwise indicated.
Articles, photos, and items of interest on Army Aviation are invited. Direct communi
cation is authorized to: EditorinChief, U. S. Army Aviation Digest, Fort Rucker, Alabama.
Use of funds for printing this publication has been approved by Headquarters, De-
partment of the Army, 27 November 1961.
Active Army units receive distribution under the pinpoint distribution system as
outlined in AR 310-1, 20 March 62, and DA Circular 310-57, 14 March 63. Complete DA
Form 12-4 and send directly to CO, AG Publications Center, 2800 Eastern Boulevard,
Baltimore, Md. For any change in distribution requirements, merely initiate a revised DA
Form 12-4.
National Guard and Army Reserve units submit requirements through their state
adjutants general and U. S. Army Corps commanders respectively.
Maior General Clifton F. von Kann
Commanding General, U. S. Army Aviation Center
Commandant, U. S. Army Aviation School
Helicopter
Instrument Flying
M
UCH HAS BEEN said of late about helicopter
instrument flying. From the training stand-
point, a good deal is being done about it. Here at
the U. S. Army Aviation School we are to increase
the number of helicopter pilots receiving instru-
ment training. Beginning in FY 1965, initial entry
students will be given sufficient helicopter instru-
ment instruction to receive an instrument ticket
(provided, as always, that funds are made available
for this additional training effort).
All this is good because it adds to the capabilities
of Army Aviation to support tactical operations.
On the other hand, much needs to be done to
develop concepts of how these capabilities are to
be translated into effective combat support and to
produce the doctrine for the realization of this
concept. Here, I think, much effort is needed.
Ideally, we need the capability of flying our
helicopters in and out of weather. The Navy moved
its carrier formations in and out of weather very
effectively during World War II, and thus used
weather as camouflage so that on many occasions
the enemy did not know where the carriers really
were. The idea of doing this with helicopters is
extremely attractive; however, there are problems
to be overcome.
One of these problems is the matter of flying
formations under instrument conditions. Despite
all that has been said, no one has developed satisfac-
tory equipment and techniques for this type of
work. Even the problem of station-keeping in
actual weather has not been resolved, although it
has been explored considerably by our sister services.
Yet without a solution, one of the basic needs for
formation flying in weather is missing.
On the other hand, I expect that we have many
capabilities for marrying airborne and ground
equipment to improve our capabilities for instru-
ment flying in the field that have not yet found
their way into our doctrine and literature. For
example, the AN/FPN-33 radar offers considerable
capability for letdown work in the field; yet, there
MAY 1964
have been only isolated experiments by enterprising
aviation officers in troop units to squeeze the full
utilization out of equipment systems such as these.
This is unfortunate, because the best results can-
not be obtained until American ingenuity is applied
to our equipment. For the most part, there is so
much flexibility with which aircraft and related
items can be used that no one except those in the
field can really wring out all the combinations.
I therefore suspect that we have many latent capa-
bilities with respect to helicopter instrument flying
in the field (and fixed wing as well), that we need
only listen to the fellow in the troop unit to learn a
great deal.
In any event there must be some system for
bringing this experience into a central location
where it can be converted into doctrine. The Army
has been criticized on occasion because it lacks
doctrine for its aviation activities. To some extent
this criticism is valid, although the operating ex-
perience to support the doctrine may exist in
various locations throughout the Army.
As an initial effort to develop a body of doctrine
for helicopter instrument work in the field, the
U. S. ARMY A VIATION DIGEST is planning to
devote an early issue to articles (or any other sub-
missions received) on helicopter instrument fly-
ing, particularly in tactical situations. I am hoping
that everyone in the field who has some knowledge
or experience along this line will make a contri-
bution, even if he has some doubt as to how worth-
while the material may be. Let us be the judge of
that; but in any event send it in.
Because of the importance of this subject, I plan
to present a special cash award of $100 for the
article selected as the best one for this particular
issue. I doubt that the monetary incentive will be
needed, but perhaps the prize will serve to indicate
the importance which I attach to the subject.
Your article should be submitted no later than
1 August 1964 to U. S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST,
USA A VNS, Fort Rucker, Ala.
1
2
the saga of an OV-I operating
in the Republic of Vietnam
- Chief of
the Mohawks
Ted Kontos
\ \J
, \ \.
",-"-'
"
~
A
MONG THE MOHAWKS in the Army in-
ventory, one has become almost a legend
because of its exploits over the rice paddies and
jungles of Vietnam. It was named by the crews
who flew it, the mechanics who kept it going, and
the ground crew troops it supported.
Don't get the idea its name was a reflection on
its intestinal fo.rtitude. It was just the opposite;
01' Yaller's name came from the many patches
of yellow primer used to cover battle scars. It
was a proud name and a proud aircraft.
Like all Mohawks, 01' Yaller was not designed
to challenge the speed of sound or conquer outer
space. It was friend and helper to the foot soldier,
possessing those skills necessary to support troops
in the field.
01' Yaller rolled off the assembly line right
into the Army. Like all soldiers, it was given a
thorough physical, assigned a serial number, and
sent through basic training. While maintenance
crews poked and probed to become familiar with
its anatomy, flight crews strove for proficiency.
Through it all, the young Mohawk appeared to
enjoy every minute.
When it became bored with training, 01' Yaller
could always devise ways to liven things up, like
clearing its throat at a critical point during a
maximum performance takeoff. This never failed
to prove a sure-fire attention getter from its crew.
--
--
U. S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST
N or did it forget the mechanics. If it lacked atten-
tion, it wasn't beneath 01' Yaller's dignity to
resort to a bit of gold-bricking. A fire warning
light might come on when there was no fire, or an
internal hydraulic leak might suddenly develop
in some remote spot. These antics kept the ground
crews on their toes and served to teach good
troubleshooting and maintenance practices.
Parked on a ramp, 01' Yaller was an impres-
sive sight. From its proud nose and wide plexiglas
eyes, its barrel-chested fuselage tapered smoothly
back to a triple tail. Squatting on its tricycle gear
it pointed skyward. Off the ground, it frolicked
like a playful seal, climbing, turning, rolling (at
a . respectable altitude), and diving. If another
Mohawk did a series of three loops, 01' Yaller
went for four. Its climbs were steeper and its
banks tighter. It was a delightful show-off - a
big ham.
01' Yaller had its stubborn moments, too. If it
wasn't ready to land, it sometimes took a notion
not to extend its gear, testing a new pilot to see
if he knew his emergency procedures. It landed
proudly with its nose in the air, letting everyone
know it was back by a thunderous roar in reverse
pitch.
As the days drifted into weeks, and the weeks
into months, 01' Yaller matured. Its crews, both
ground and flight, became highly skilled. Gold-
MAY 1964
bricking was a thing of the past and flying was
no longer just a sport. It had become a full-time
occupation.
When the Mohawks were called to Vietnam,
01' Yaller was among the first to go. From the
instant its wheels touched the ground in the
Republic of Vietnam, 01' Yaller seemed to sense
that this would be a different kind of world from
the one it had known. The people around it had
an air of urgency.
Designated a Hawk, 01' Yaller was pressed into
service immediately. Its job was to search out
the Viet Cong and report their position. With a
Vietnamese observer aboard, it soon lifted off on
its first mission.
Flying at 200 feet and 130 knots, 01' Yaller
passed over rice paddies and jungle thickets. The
observer pOinted ahead and to the right toward
a thicket on a slight rise. 01' Yaller banked
quickly to the right and met a hail of bullets.
Pointing its nose skyward, it climbed out of range
and the find was radioed to friendly troops.
Its fuselage stitched with bullet holes, 01'
Yaller survived this baptism of fire and returned
to its base. Ground crews patched the holes, but
there was not time for a beauty treatment. Paint-
ing would have to wait. Communist guerrillas had
burned and sacked an isolated village. 01' Yaller
was needed to help support the Vietnamese
3

rangers who were in the objective area on a
helicopter assault mission. With its patches
riveted in place and a coating of yellow zinc
chromate dabbed over them, 01' Yaller was ready
for takeoff. This time it carried some retaliation
under its wings.
Flying low and slow, it made pass after pass
over the general area in which the Viet Cong
were thought to be. Suddenly, it felt the sting of
bullets for the second time. But this time it had
the means to do something about it. Like a giant
hawk, 01' Yaller swooped down on its prey. Its
rockets were salvoed and ribbons of smoke trailed
them to the mark.
It was a proud Mohawk and equally proud
crew that returned that day. But there was no
time for celebration - only time for the yellow
patches that marked another Purple Heart for
01' Yaller. In the months that followed, this be-
came almost routine in the support of helicopter
formations - scouting, searching, supporting,
destroying. And always there were more and
more yellow scars. Its combat time climbed into
the hundreds of hours and the yellow scars al-
most covered its body, but 01' Yaller never let
up. When a job called for a Hawk, it was always
4:
available and ready.
Practically everyone in Vietnam recognized 01'
Yaller and knew of its exploits. The ground troops
stationed forward in the lines would radio the
crew when they spotted it, "How's 01' Yaller?"
or "How's the chief?"
One clear morning 01' Yaller fired up for a
surveillance mission with a.nother Mohawk. At a
word from the control tower it began its takeoff
roll. Twenty-four Purple Hearts and more than
900 hours of combat were behind it as its wheels
broke the ground. A short time later, it dived
downward, decreased speed, and began to stalk
its quarry.
With the other Mohawk to its left, 01' Yaller
followed a river through jungle terrain. Ahead
and below, Viet Cong eyes watched its approach
through the sights of their guns.
Nearer and nearer 01' Yaller came. Then the
jungle stillness was shattered by the drumming
of automatic weapons and the sharp crack of
rifles. 01' Yaller was hit and hit hard. Its pilot
banked toward home, nursing the crippled chief
along.
As they approached the strip, the pilot tried to
determine the extent of 01' Yaller's injuries. Both
U. S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST
engines were operating in the green, but the
hydraulic pressure was gone. Without it 01'
Yaller would be reluctant to drop its gear, but
the emergency air system appeared to be intact
and could be used to get the gear down. The pilot
told the control tower about his problem, then
went through the emergency gear extension pro-
cedure. Two wheels showed down and locked,
but the right main gear remained up. Bullets had
apparently torn into the gear components and
air pressure wouldn't put it down. It was a
freakish kind of accident, against all odds. But
it had happened. Worst of all, it had happened
to 01' Yaller.
Again the pilot spoke with the control tower.
He told them he would climb and attempt to
shake the gear down with high positive g forces.
But even as he applied power and raised the
nose, he knew the chances of getting the wheel
down were small. Unless the locking mechanism
had been damaged enough to give under pres-
sure, the wheel would stay up.
Ground personnel began to gather in little
groups. They watched as 01' Yaller climbed, then
dived to gain airspeed. It climbed and dived -
MAY 1964
up, down, up, down. Time and again the pilot
tried, violently rocking the wings back and forth.
01' Yaller was fighting for its life. But it was a
losing battle. It had been mortally wounded.
In desperation, the pilot descended and flew
01' Yaller to the runway, slamming it hard on the
two extended wheels in hopes of jarring the stuck
. gear down. But it just wouldn't work. Without
hydraulic pressure, he could not retract the two
wheels that were down, and to attempt a landing
in that configuration would have been to court
disaster. He had to eject.
Climbing to 5,500 feet, the pilot pointed 01'
Yaller out toward the sea and trimmed it to fly
hands off. Instructing the observer to eject, the
pilot watched him pull the face curtain and shoot
upward. He watched behind, saw the observer's
chute blossom, then drew a deep breath and pre-
pared to eject himself. He reached for the face
curtain and quickly yanked it downward. With
a thunderous cough, 01' Yaller spat him to safety.
Down below, Vietnamese and American person-
nel watched as the pilot's chute opened and the
crippled Mohawk headed out to sea.
But 01' Yaller wasn't ready to go. It belonged
z
5
to the Army, and there would be no sailor's grave
for it. Almost as though it had a mind of its own,
01' Yaller dipped a wing, made a 180
0
turn and
dived straight for the pilot dangling beneath his
chute.
Had 01' Yaller turned renegade like a crippled
beast? This thought raced through the minds of
those on the ground. And all the while, 01' Yaller
sped toward the helplessly suspended pilot. Then,
just as suddenly as it had started its pass, 01'
Yaller abruptly veered away.
Unmanned, its proud yellow scars shining in
the sun, 01' Yaller began a performance that left
its viewers breathless. Diving, climbing, twisting,
and turning, it raced across the sky in a tri-
umphant show. "I am still chief!" it seemed to
say. And no one doubted that it was.
6
From its high vantage point, one chore re-
mained for 01' Yaller, that of picking out its
final resting place. Like a true chief, it selected
the most appropriate spot - the salvage yard. No
ground crews would have to wade through marsh
or jungle to haul away its remains. It would need
no pall bearers.
Lifting its head in a final fling, it flipped over
and dived into a small clear area between the
wreckage of other aircraft, cremating itself in a
column of flame and smoke.
01' Yaller was gone. .....
NOTE: Despite a sprinkling of imagination to
fill in the gaps and some deletions to ensure
anonymity, many readers will recognize Ol' Yal-
ler. This is the true story of an OV-l, given to us
by an officer who knew it well.
U. S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST
Roy H. Windham
Lewis A. Pierce
What makes a good flight
instructor? Are experience
and flight proficiency
enough? Are today's pro-
fessional contract instruc-
tors better than ever?
the

prllDary
instructor
W
HEN YOU THINK about your primary
instructor, does the memory bring on a
warm glow of nostalgia or does the mere thought
cause you to break out in a rash? If you fall in
the "rash" category, chances are you would notice
a real change in the present primary program.
This first step in the training of Army Aviators
at Fort Rucker is the responsibility of over 150
instructors and supervisors employed by Ross
Aviation, Inc., civilian contractor of Army Pri-
mary Fixed Wing Training.
The civilian instructor is a professional flight
instructor by choice - a man who has devoted
10 to 15 years of his career to teaching flying, the
majority of it in military training programs. Of
him, the general manager of Ross Aviation train-
ing at Fort Rucker, says: "The responsibilities of
MAY 1964
our flight instructors are heavy. They must have
a complete knowledge of the subject, a high de-
gree of proficiency, an understanding of the pro b-
lems confronting the student, and the ability to
teach the knowledge and skills required so that
precision flying becomes automatic to the student.
Their instruction must adhere rigidly to the best
standards, procedures, and techniques."
TEACHING TECHNIQUES
Instructors assign each student a lesson to be
mastered in advance of each flight and then make
certain that their instruction parallels that
material. To ensure systematic progress and com-
Mr. Windham is Director of Fire and Safety
and Mr. Pierce is MOl Supervisor with Ross
Aviation, Inc., at Ft Rucker, Ala.
7
The p'rimary fixed wing check pilot is a highly
quali fied and standardized instructor pilot
plete mastery of the basic fundamentals, they pre-
sent the course lesson by lesson, with the student
learning each lesson thoroughly before advancing
to the next. It should not be assumed, however,
that an inflexible sequence of presentation must
be followed. On the contrary the policies govern-
ing teaching technique allow and encourage
special approaches and tricks of the trade to put
the material across. Sound judgment, of course,
is exercised in meeting and solving problems as
they arise.
Although the individual instructor pilot is al-
lowed wide latitude in the methods he uses to
teach his students, no variation is allowed in the
methods of performing the actual training maneu-
vers. Each instructor completes an extensive and
comprehensive upgrad.ing and Methods of In-
struction course before assignment of students.
During this course he is shown exactly how the
Army wants the training maneuvers performed.
When the potential instructor can explain and
8
demonstrate the maneuvers to suit the MOl
supervisor, he is given an acceptance check by the
Military Standards Division of the Primary Fixed
Wing Training Department. To pass this check, he
must demonstrate exemplary flying proficiency
and teaching technique. Only after passing this
check is he assigned his first student.
STANDARDIZATION
Each student is expected to perform the same
maneuvers in the same way and use the same
procedures during checkrides. Standardization is
not maintained by conducting recurring checks
on the instructors. On the contrary, as long as an
instructor's students are fulfilling required stand-
ards of performance on their checkrides, the in-
structor is not given a standardization check. An
extremely accurate and current accounting of
each instructor's effectiveness is maintained by
the Military Standards Division from information
collated from student progress checks.
Those instructors having more student errors
than a predetermined standard for a given maneu-
ver are counseled concerning the maneuver in
question. If the counseling does not stop his stu-
dents' errors, the instructor is given an assistance
ride on the maneuver in question.
An obvious shortcoming of any flight pro-
ficiency evaluation system is the human factor in-
volved in evaluating student performance. Since
more than one check pilot evaluates student pro-
gress, it is reasonable to expect that several dif-
ferent conceptions might be evidenced in the
writeups and scoring of individual maneuvers.
To overcome this, a record is kept of all low
grades a check pilot gives on each training maneu-
ver. Whenever the number of low grades given by
a check pilot on any maneuver exceeds a pre-
determined maximum, he is counseled by the
Military Standardization supervisor concerning
that maneuver. This counseling usually results in
correcting any misconceptions the check pilot
might have regarding desired standards of per-
formance. If it does not, he is given further
counseling and flight instruction until his reli-
ability is restored.
MONITORING
The continual monitoring of the overall ef-
fectiveness and standardization of both instructors
and check pilots, through the recording and com-
puting of student performance criteria, has re-
sulted in a remarkable degree of standardization
in the Primary Fixed Wing Training program.
Student morale concerning the standardization of
U. S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST
their training and evaluatiQn of their flying pro-.
ficiency is very high. The end result has allowed
each instructor pilot and check pilot to concen-
trate on helping each other to provide the Army
with aviators well trained in the fundamentals
of flying.
MILITARY CHECK PILOTS
There's been a change in military check pilots,
too. Today he is a far cry from the old villian
lurking in the background. Through the process
of thorough upgrading and close supervision by
competent personnel in the Military Standardiza-
tion Division, today's primary fixed wing check
pilot is a highly qualified and standardized in-
structor pilot as well as a check pilot. When con-
ducting a checkride, the check pilot works just
as hard to find reasons for continuing a student's
training as he does to find reasons for eliminating
him. Approximately 25 percent of all students
considered for elimination because of inability to
solo have been soloed by military check pilots.
The great majority of these students finish pri-
mary and B phase of training without further
incident.
Before you jump to the conclusion that we have
lowered our standards, let me point out that al-
though our elimination rate is lower than ever
before, our accident rate is also lower. It is our
goal to hold the elimination rate and the accident
rate down to the minimum through good training
procedures. We attempt to make good military
pilots out of all students entering training, pro-
vided they are willing to put out the effort re-
quired.
FLYING SAFETY
Another area in which a great improvement has
been made is flying safety. Although we still have
accidents in primary, their frequency and severity
are steadily decreasing. The improvement in our
flying safety records is, of course, due to many
factors. We believe that a low accident record is
not an end in itself but is simply the by-product
of good training and efficient operation. The
company achieves its excellent safety record first
of all by hiring only the best instructors avail-
able, and then by providing these instructors with
the best and most efficient supervision and sup-
port possible.
One thing you would not see today is the long,
drawn out, or boring type of flying safety briefing.
It is the management's philosophy that accident
prevention is primarily the responsibility of the
MAY 1964
individual flight instructor. Under this concept,
each instructor integrates continuous on-the-job
safety and accident prevention consciousness in
all the instruction he gives to his student. We
believe that a well trained pilot is a safe pilot
and that the primary responsibility for training
students and turning out safe pilots rests with
the instructor.
EFFECTIVENESS
Our instructors constantly strive to be con-
scientious, objective, and impersonal in evalu-
ating their students' performance. They maintain
a fair, firm, and friendly policy at all times.
Our instructors have earned the respect and
admiration of their students by using good ex-
planation and perfect demonstration techniques.
They realize and practice the concept that their
job is to equip the United States Army student
aviator with a background that will enable him
to successfully complete Advanced Fixed Wing
Training.
To our instructors, flight training is more than
just a job or a responsibility. They know full well
that they are obligated to see that their students
are thoroughly sound in the techniques of flight
and that they possess a healthy attitude toward
their careers as Army Aviators and confidence
and respect for themselves, their equipment, and
their teammates.
Here is a short quiz used by primary
instructors to evaluate their own ef-
fectiveness:
Do I have a planned, progressive program of
instruction?
Do I create a learning atmosphere?
Do I get the most out of each student?
Do I adapt my teaching techniques to the
individual or do I just throw out the same
"stuff" to each student?
Am I more effective now than in the past'!
If not, why?
Am I a "lamb" on the ground and a "lion"
in the air?
Do I know what to expect from a student at
a given time level?
Do my students know how they stand?
Do I integrate the maximum amount of fly-
ing safety consciousness in all my flight in-
struction?
Am I giving the job all I've got?
9
10
Where are yon?
W h e ~ ~ do you want to go?
How, ~ you want to get theretw.,
A self-contained navigation
system will determine accurate
positions on future flights.
,-
Navigation Accuracy
Today and TOlD.orrow
Virgil Rogers
U. s. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST
I
N THE NEXT few years, the
Army will probably install
self-contained navigation equip-
ment in some of its aircraft. This
equipment will require certain
information to perform its in-
tended function. In general this
information will consist of the
following:
Where are you? (present posi-
tion)
Where do you want to go?
( destination)
How do you want to get there?
(intermediate destinations)
In addition, this device will re-
quire initial (or continuous)
direction reference with respect
to the map system you are using.
This self-contained device will
then perform the necessary cal-
culations to determine your posi-
tion at any time, using velocity
data from the aircraft's move-
ment. If this device is construct-
ed with adequate care, it may
have an accuracy of approxi-
mately 1 percent of the distance
flown, or some fixed error dis-
tance determined by the me-
chanical or electrical circuits of
the device and by the aircraft
flight time.
Navigation in the Army is an
approximate art that has proved
satisfactory because it was not
possible to obtain precise results.
If an aviator wants to make a
flight from Fort Rucker to At-
lanta, he selects an aircraft hav-
ing a certain range and speed
capacibilty. He then determines
his route of flight from available
publications, checks weather and
wind conditions, and prepares a
flight plan. If the aircraft (in
this case a U-6) , weather, and
other circumstances cooperate,
the aviator will arrive in the
Atlanta area in approximately 1
hour and 25 minutes after take-
off. He then locates the airfield
MAY 1964
by visual reference or the use
of established radio aids, and
lands. Some time later he may
comment to his friends, "I sure
hit my ETA on the head today,
onI y off 10 seconds over the
VOR."
One has to admire this man's
skill (luck?), because we all
remember the time we missed
this same flight ETA by 15
minutes. Of course this was
caused by faulty wind informa-
tion received at the weather
briefing. But still that wasn't too
bad, since no one gets upset very
much until we are an hour over-
due.
In the above example the pilot
flew an aircraft at approximately
110 knots (107-114 mph) in a
wind of 15 knots (18.7 with
gusts to 21.8 mph) from 300
0
(281-305) for a distance of 150
nautical miles (148.3) and ar-
rived over a selected target with-
in 10 seconds of the estimated
time. If this pilot had no visual
target other than a group of
similar fields and no ground-
based radio aids at the destina-
tion, which field is his destina-
tion? In this example, he would
be within 1/3 mile of the select-
ed target, but what about the
case where the luck (?) went
the other way and he missed by
15 minutes? Then he would be
approximately 30 miles from the
target at the end of his estimated
flying time.
If you were given a self-con-
tained navigation device today,
you would probably be disap-
pointed until you learn how to
use it. You will expect to arrive
at your destination with an ac-
curacy of 1 percent. But this
will not be the case. Using cur-
rent maps, charts, and equip-
ment, you cannot determine pre-
cise information to feed your
SCAN device. Few people have
access to equipment or informa-
tion that will tell them to within
an accuracy of 1
0
the direction of
Magnetic North, Grid North,
True North, or any other refer-
ence direction. And remember,
1
0
of heading error equals (ap-
proximately) 1 mile position
error every 60 miles of flight.
People do not know the exact
distance in miles, nautical miles,
kilometers, or even latitude and
longi tude between their airfield
and any other airfield they fre-
quently use.
With this lack of precise in-
formation, even a perfect device
will produce navigational errors.
Since navigation computers and
sensing equipment are not per-
fect devices, we can expect some
error even with perfect informa-
tion.
Any self-contained navigation
system which may be introduced
into the Army will not provide a
positive indication that you are
exactly over your girl friend's
house after flying two hours in
the clouds. But these devices
will provide an improved chance
of being able to see her house on
the first low pass and will ensure
that you are at least over the
proper town. Could you be sure
of doing that well now without
dual omni, ADF, and many dol-
lars worth of groundbased navi-
gational stations?
When you get the black box
give it a fair chance to prove its
value to you. Be sure you give it
the correct information. Its
answers are based on flight data
which has been applied to infor-
mation you provided. .....
A former Army Aviator, Mr.
Rogers is an electronic engineer
with the U. S. Army Aviation
Test Board, Ft Rucker, Ala.
11
The Army Flight Operations Facility in
Germany is providing an important, safe,
and expeditious service that helps Seventh
Army A viation units accomplish their
mission. Would such a facility help your
operation?
AFOF
[Army Flight Operations Facility]
Maior Virgil L. Danielson
S
EVERAL YEARS ago an or-
ganization called the 5th
Aviation Operating Detachment
was formed to supervise and
effect control over many Army
airfields used by the United
States Army in Germany. This
consisted of operation of the con-
trol towers, air traffic control
responsibilities around tho s e
Army airfields, and the opera-
tion and maintenance of the
navigational facilities serving
these airfields.
Due to the build-up of Army
Aviation in Germany and the
additional number of airfields
in use, decentralization of con-
trol became necessary to cope
with the situation. The Aviation
12
Operating Detachment (AOD)
was dissolved and control of the
Army airfields was turned over
to the major unit occupying
those airfields. A flight following
function of the AOD, which was
formed to assist aviation unit
commanders in knowing the
whereabouts of their aircraft fly-
ing in Germany, was retained.
This became the nucleus of the
Army Flight Operations Facility,
better known throughout Europe
and Germany as AFOF.
The Army Flight Operations
Facility, AFOF, was formed as
a TD unit under Signal Corps
manning tables as a part of the
Signal Service Battalion, Europe.
The facility is located on the
I - AFOF-

Army airfield in Heidelberg.
From a rather austere beginning
this organization has developed
into an agency that literally has
its finger on the pulse of Army
Aviation throughout Germany
and, in many cases, throughout
Europe. It is possible for Army
Aviators to contact AFOF on
direct lines from the maiority of
the Army airfields in Germany
to file a flight plan or to secure
weather information for flight
planning.
Maj Danielson is Chief, Pri-
m a r y Maintenance Division,
Dept of Maintenance,
USAAVNS.
U. S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST
r---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The facility is designed to
function around four separate
but related activities: a Clear-
ance and Weather Section, a
Traffic Section, a Flight Follow-
ing Section, and a Teletype and
NOTAMs Section.
CLEARANCE AND
WEATHER SECTION
This section serves as the
nerve center of the facility. From
it other groups are directed,
under the supervision of the of-
ficer on duty. A duty officer
(referred to as clearance officer)
is at the Clearance Section 24
hours a day, 7 days a week. In
MAY 1964
13
I WILL CATCH H ____ FROM THE ,l/FOF cLEARIINC OF,F/L:'F,N
FO,q OVE,q STAYING MY GRlJUND T/I'fE rtJll YdU
TO HAVE THAT LAST GLASS OF
gAVARIAI1 BEE _
all cases he is a rated pilot cur-
rently on flight status with a cur-
rent instrument card.
Until recently this officer was
the clearance authority for the
majority of aviators flying from
Army airfields in Germany. In
recent months, due to changes in
current regulations and the fact
that many Army Aviators now
possess their own clearance
authority or because clearance
authority is available at local
operations offices, this function
has diminished. In some in-
stances though, airfields have
vested in AFOF the clearance
authority for aviators flying
from various airfields for certain
types of flights and under cer-
tain conditions.
In addition to functioning as a
clearance authority, the clear-
ance officer coordinates search
and rescue missions for the com-
manding officer of the facility,
who has the overall responsi-
bility of search and rescue in a
defined area of operations.
He also assists aviators in
flight planning when requested.
The Clearance Section has access
to most of the flight planning
14
documents that are in use in
Europe. From these documents
much information can be passed
to aviators who do not have ac-
cess to a complete set of aero-
nautical publications.
The clearance officer is kept
abreast of all the cur r e n t
weather information in AFOF
areas of responsibilities by an
Air Force weather forecaster
who sits next to him. If weather
conditions indicate a situation
that could affect the outcome of
a flight in progress, the clearance
officer will issue weather advis-
ories to aviators in flight. Other
types of advisories are also
initiated from the clearance sec-
tion.
Flight plan acknowledgements
may also be called into the clear-
ance section, and at the same
time the pilot may get a weather
briefing from the forecaster on
duty. This minimizes the delay
that a pilot would encounter if
he were filing a flight plan from
an airfield without an active base
operations and assures the avi-
ator that his flight plan will get
into the system after his de-
parture.
TRAFFIC SECTION
This facility has the most
activity within the organization.
All proposed flight plans are
routed through or come directly
to this section. Most of the Army
airfields have direct lines to the
facility through the main Army
s wit c h boa r d in Heidelberg.
Those not having direct voice
lines to the Heidelberg switch-
board may contact AFOF
through the regular telephone
trunk circuits on a priority basis.
The Traffic Section has ten posi-
tions that can be used for typing
flight plans received from either
the Army airfields operations or
from other flight service acti-
vities to which they are con-
nected by voice circuits.
Flight plans are called into the
facility in a standard format,
which is furnished to all users
of the system. Upon receipt of
the proposed flight plan, it is
identified by position number
where copied, date and time re-
ceived, initials of persons copy-
ing the flight plan, and initials
of person transmitting the flight
plan. All conversations over the
direct voice circuits coming into
AFOF are recorded on tape, with
a separate channel for each posi-
tion within the facility, making
it possible to review any con-
versation.
As proposed flight plans and
actual flight plans are received
in the traffic section, they are
passed to a person designated as
a router. The router checks
each flight plan for complete-
ness of information and obvious
errors, and acts as a coordinator
between the Traffic Section and
the rest of the facility. When
actual off times are received on
proposed flight plans, he records
this information on the flight
plan and then directs it to the
Flight Following Section of the
facility for posting on the flight
following board.
U. S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST
FLIGHT
FOLLOWING SECTION
This section ultimately re-
ceives all flight plans that come
into the facility from any source.
Incoming flight plans are direct-
ed to either the fixed wing or the
rotary wing section of Flight
Following. They are checked
again for completeness of in-
formation and obvious discrep-
ancies before being placed on
the flight following board.
Exacting flight following pro-
cedures enable this section to
immediately d e t e r min e the
whereabouts of a flight at any
particular time. All flight plans
are filed on a viewing board in
numerical order by the last two
digits of the aircraft tail number.
Separate sections are used for
aircraft flying into or within the
Air Defense Identification Zone,
VIP-carrying aircraft and medi-
cal evacuation aircraft, and for
flights of a routine nature. Air-
craft flying into or within the
ADIZ are flight followed on a
15-minute base. (This is to say,
if an ADIZ flight is 15 minutes
overdue at a destination, a com-
munications search is initiated.)
VIP and medical evacuation
.1
ILl' I
3

MAY 1964
flights are flight followed on a
30-minute base, and for all other
flights the normal I-hour base
is used.
If an aircraft is making inter-
mediate stops before reaching
its final destination, these stops
must be included on the flight
plan along with estimated time
between stops and time spent on
the ground. Gas expiration time
is included on all flight plans
filed with AFOF and this is
monitored very closely by flight
following personnel. After term-
iDJltion of the flight, the flight
plan is removed from the board,
properly identified by initials of
person closing and time of clo-
sure, and filed by tail number
along with all information rela-
tive to the flight.
TELETYPE AND
NOTAMS SECTION
This section receives flight
plans by teletype from Interna-
tional Civil Aeronautical Organi-
zation (ICAO) airfields and
foreign military airfields and re-
lays flight plans to these two
agencies. In addition to flight
plans this section also receives
and transmits NOTAMs over
these teletype circuits.
IF YOU flAIJ cHc/(to /(orAI1S
You wouL D HAVt KNOWN THAT
EASf G-fAr1AN'Y is PPO kREMLIN .
J
NOTAMs are received from
ICAO agencies, foreign military
agencies and from the Air Force
NOTAM Center of the Air Force
Flight Service activity. These
NOTAMs are edited and filed for
use within AFOF, and copies are
sent to the Army Flight Infor-
mation Detachment, which has
the overall responsibility for
e d i tin g and disseminating
NOTAMs for the Army in Ger-
many and other parts of Europe.
Other fun c t ion s of the
NOTAMs Section include secur-
ing PPOs (Prior Permission
Only) for the use of restricted
airspace and facilities through-
out Europe, assistance in secur-
ing diplomatic clearances for
Army aircraft flights when re-
quested, coordinating search and
rescue missions, and handling
of advisories between AFOF,
I C A 0 and foreign military
agencies.
The Army Flight Operations
Facility is considered one of the
most active flight service activi-
ties in the entire world, by total
volume of DD 175 flight plans
handled. For the past few years
an average of 150,000 flight
plans a year have been pro-
cessed. The use of the facility is
open to anyone requesting the
services available. Many flight
plans each year are processed for
civil, foreign military, and mem-
bers of the other United States
forces.
AFOF's areas of responsibility
include all Army airfields in
Germany, all civilian and foreign
military airfields in Germany,
non-USAF airfields in the Bene-
lux countries and Denmark, and
certain non-USAF airfields in
France. To accomplish this vast
mission the facility is linked by
voice circuits to the Air Force
Flight Service activities in Ger-
many and France, and through
these two links access can be
gained to Air Force Flight Serv-
15
ice stations in England, Spain
and Italy. Voice circuits tie the
facility to all the civil air traffic
control agencies in Germany for
coordinating instrument flight
plans filed with AFOF. Then of
course there are all the means
of communications mentioned
earlier, such as the teletype lines
to enter the ICAO network, the
teletype lines to the German
Military Flight Service, and the
numerous direct voice circuits
to the Army airfields in Ger-
many.
The support given by the Air
Force Weather Service cannot
go unmentioned. At the faCility
in Heidelberg an Air Force
weather detachment handles the
in-station weather briefings for
all aviators flying from that air-
field. In addition to the fore-
caster on duty with the clearance
officer, other forecasters are
available for telephonic briefing
to any aviator in the field who
has access to the communica-
tions systems of AFOF.
Air Force weather detach-
ments located at Army airfields
in Hanau, Germany, and at
Stuttgart, Germany, provide es-
sentially the same service sup-
plied by the detachment in
Heidelberg. An aviator in the
field desiring weather informa-
tion need only contact the main
Army switchboard at Heidelberg
for weather information.
A new weather detachment
just recently added at the Army
airfield in Grafenwhor, Ger-
many, handles the in-station
weather briefing for that air-
field, with the possibility of ex-
tending that service to tele-
phonic briefings in the near
future.
The Air Force does an excel-
lent job of providing weather
service to Army Aviation in
Germany. It is considered to be
one of the biggest operations by
total volume of DD 175 weather
briefings in the entire Air Force
Weather Service.
AFOF exists in Germany to
make Army Aviation more re-
sponsive to the commander in
the field. It is providing a vital
service in enhancing safe and
expeditious accomplishment of
the Army Aviation mission .......
I J)"-'1J.-IJY""'r-I(.-IY.-l1W--Y(}U COULD NT GO INTO I
AIY AIR FORCE BASE Olf IJ 1080 LOCAL
16
Play
BallI
M
ANY RABID baseball fans
recall Ping Bodie, a base-
ball umpire who had a unique
way of making a point.
Years ago Bodie was absorb-
ing an unusually heavy amount
of abuse from the fans while
calling a minor league game in
California. Suddenly Ping threw
up both arms and stopped the
game. He walked up into the
stands, adjusted his chest pro-
tector, and bellowed, "Play ball!"
The team managers rushed up
to Bodie and demanded to know
what he was doing. "Well," Bodie
drawled, "if these folks can see
'em better from up here, then
here's where I'll call 'em from.
Play bail!"
Too often we find ourselves
reacting like baseball fans -
blithely criticizing some aspect
of Army Aviation as if we were
in the best position to judge all
actions, when actually we're
sitting up in the stands.
The least we can do, is take a
tip from Ping Bodie. He was
willing to view the situation from
all angles.
U. S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST
I LOVE MY GOLDEN VOICE
DON'T SCARE
"'WATCH
"" THOSE
DUCK THAT
"
"'-
R R O W S ~
A-FRAME,MAC
... THEY RE POISON
Major Milton P. Cherne
MY GOLDEN VOICE
I love to hear my voice
Ringing through the air.
And when I use my radio
My golden voice is everywhere.
Maj Cherne is Chief, Arma-
ment Branch, Aviation Combat
Developments Agency, Ft Ruc-
ker, Ala.
MAY 1964
Irrelevant radio transmissions during
operations are as effective as enemy
jamming capability.
L
IEUTENANT/" scowled the
captain, "as far as I'm
concerned, the only reason Uncle
Sam gave you that radio to use
was so you could listen. Don't
you EVER use that radio again
unless you really have some-
thing important to say and then
be brief, but clear. I don't like
the sound of your voice on that
box and the only reason I let
you turn it on is so you can
listen to me. How in blazes do
you expect me to control the
unit when you're gabbing all of
the time?"
"But, Sir, I .... "
"No buts, Lieutenant," the
17
now raised voice replied. ((As far
as I'm concerned this unit is on
listening silence all of the time.
If your platoon were trained as
well as they should be and if
you worked out a few local SOPs
you could control this recon pla-
toon with few transmissions. DO
YOU UNDERSTAND, LIEU-
TENANT?"
"Yes, SIR," was my meek con-
cluding utterance.

How many of us (aviators and
ground commanders) have been
thoroughly frustrated while on
maneuvers because of individ-
uals jamming the net with ir-
relevant transmissions. Their
efforts to relay a thought were as
effective as any enemy jamming
capability.
Flying is demanding and tedi-
ous enough wit h 0 u t going
through the throes of attempting
to soothe a thoroughly irritated
temper. Even the patience of the
most patient can be tried by a
determined operator who is go-
ing to get a message out, regard-
less of his location, the strength
of his transmitter, or the side
effect he is creating on the tacti-
cal situation.
After all, someone might have
something really important to
say if he would stay off the air
long enough for another operator
to send a message. This is a glar-
ing sign of poor training during
maneuvers, but it is an unfor-
giveable sin when you are ma-
neuvering for real.
Radio discipline and unit
SOPs can materially reduce the
use of the radio. Let's listen in
on the radio transmissions of one
of the helicopter units in Viet-
nam after several months of
combat support operations. I
must emphasize the word "after"
because they, too, had to learn
many things, to include the true
value of the aircraft radio.
The mission will call for the
18
use of sixteen CH-21s, two TO-
IDs, and two T -28 close support
airplanes. Already we have 38
people who have direct access to
the microphone and who would
like to hear their golden voice on
the air - 38 sweaty palms with
the mike within easy reach of
temptation.
At 0515, the engine of Chalk
#1, the lead aircraft, barks to
life and is rapidly followed by 15
other CH-21s. At 0520, the first
FM radio transmission is made.
"One to two, two to three, three
to four," etc., down the line until
the last aircraft reports back to
Chalk # 1. The entire transmis-
sion time was less than 30
seconds. This drill was con-
sidered a must to ensure that all
aircraft were recelvmg and
transmitting on the unit's as-
signed primary frequency. If one
of the aircraft had neglected to
report in, the leader would have
contacted him on the secondary
UHF frequency. He would know
that he would have to make one
special transmission over the
UHF channel to that aircraft if
an important change in plans
was called for.
Slowly and awkwardly the 16
CH-2IC at altitude en route
to LZ during operation
with escort T-28 VNAF
cargo transports file out to the
takeoff position, followed by the
TOs. They are barely silhou-
etted against the first gray light
of morning, giving them an eerie
appearance. At 0530, the leader
picks his ship up to a hover and
remains motionless for 15 sec-
onds. No more, no less. All of
the pilots had been briefed for a
0530 takeoff and are expecting
this maneuver. The 15 seconds
give them time to bring their
engines up to takeoff rpm and
alert them for subsequent move-
ment. The takeoff is accom-
plished without the use of the
radio.
0534. Radio silence is momen-
tarily broken by this transmis-
sion: "Chalk #16 closed." This
message indicates to the lead
aircraft that the flight is in the
proper formation and he may in-
crease his airspeed to normal
cruise. All other aircraft have
been monitoring the radio and
upon hearing the transmission,
expect the flight leader to slowly
gain speed. This reduces the ac-
cordion effect of the flight. The
flight leader eases the nose of the
helicopter down and increases
his speed to 85. The process is
U. S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST
"Hands are clammy; your
back is satur.ated with
old-fashioned sweat, , ,".
not an abrupt maneuver, but a
slow gathering of momentum as
the flight moves forward into
a cloudless morning.
"Ladyship One, this is Brush-
fire One over rendezvous, check-
ing into the net."
"Roger, Brushfire. Out."
Ladyship One in the lead ship
breathes a small sigh of relief,
knowing that the Republic of
Vietnam T -28s are in position
and ready for the day's work. It
is a reassuring feeling to have
firepower immediately available
to wipe out targets of opportun-
ity that could interfere with the
accomplishment of this mission.
Transmissions to Brushfire must
not be blocked by a crowded net.
0555. "Flight, go to trail, go to
trail" cracks over the radio. The
leader pushes the ship up to 100
knots to permit the successive
aircraft to slip into the formation
that will be used for landing at
the troop pickup site. Each pilot
deftly eases his ship into the
trail position and makes his pre-
landing cockpit check.
So far, the radio has been used
three times: twice on the tactical
net and once on the UHF chan-
nel.
MAY 1964
0605. The crewchief of Chalk
# 1 scrambles back on board and
informs the pilot that all aircraft
are loaded. After helping his
troops on board, the crewchief
had temporarily dismounted and
moved to a vantage point to see
down the long column. As the
troops boarded the last aircraft
he immediately notified his crew
that all was in order and every-
one was ready to go.
Now Chalk #1 taxis out to
the lineup into a conspicuous
position. Immediately b e for e
picking up to his 15-second alert
hover he radios, "Chalk One
rolling." If anyone is having
problems, now is the time for
him to speak. No return com-
ments are heard and the first air-
craft lifts into the air and shortly
thereafter initiates his takeoff.
Once again the flight gains
momentum and once again the
last aircraft calls when the flight
is closed.
Now the flight is roaring
across the once docile country-
side, keeping low and climbing
only high enough to avoid
obstacles in its path. On the
ground the water buffalo are
scattering, and surprised women
and children dash toward the
dwellings. Before they can re-
act to the situation, the flight
has passed and is racing for the
objective.
"Leader, this is Control. Over."
"Roger, Control. Out."
We now know that the TO
which is acting as our eyes high
above our heads is in position
and has the flight pinpointed. We
also know that communications
are OK, and we will not have
to sweat the ground navigation
quite as much. This does not re-
lieve the lead ship of the re-
sponsibility for navigation, but is
an excellent backup should the
occasion warrant it.
Now the personal tension is
starting to build up. Hands are
clammy, your back is saturated
with old fashioned sweat, and
you are keyed up to a high de-
gree of alertness. The copilot is
feverishly studying his map and
softly cursing to himself. The
ditches are filled with water and
look like creeks, while the creeks
are overflowing and look like
streams. At this speed and alti-
tude, the countryside all looks
alike.
"Brushfire One, danger area
my right, along woodline. Come
in parallel as I start approach
in three minutes."
0623. "Leader, this is Control;
turn left zero five degrees. You
will start approach in one five
seconds after crossing next tree-
line."
This simple transmission took
weeks to develop. It is extremely
difficult to look down and judge
the speed of the low flying chop-
pers, much less to time their ap-
proach and the distance they
will cover after initiating their
flare for landing. For this rea-
son, the same pilot always flew
in the lead ship. His habits,
traits and idiosyncrasies became
known to control and the rest of
the flight. They know within
feet, how far he would coast be-
19
fore termi:pating at a hover and
discharging his troops. With this
knowledge, they could pick their
spot in the area and make a pre-
cision approach rather than
floundering around the area.
0625. "Chalk One starting ap-
proach."
"Chalk Four, automatic fire
three o'clock."
"Chalk Ten, fire eight o'clock."
"Roger," to both replies comes
from Control Two (TO-ID). He
has converged on the flight at
the objective area and has the
position of each helicopter in the
formation embedded in his mind.
When a ship calls out that he is
being fired on, three things hap-
pen simultaneously. First, Con-
trol Two mentally fixes the loca-
tion of the fire in his mind with
geographic references. This will
permit him to assist the RVN at-
tack aircraft in finding and de-
stroying the target. Second, the
gunners of the other ships are
alerted to the danger area and
begin to pour huge amounts of
machinegun fire into the threat.
Last, the ship behind the one
calling out the fire throws a
smoke grenade out the door to
further assist the support air-
craft in locating the target.
Control Two can give them a
heading and distance from the
smoke with less radio chatter
than he could if he had to de-
scribe the geographical reference
points. Although the intercom is
filled with excitement and in-
structions, the radio net remains
silent. All ears are tuned for
additional fire locations and in-
structions from the lead ship.
Without a word, Chalk #1
breaks ground and takes off, fol-
lowed by the rest of the flight.
There was no need to encourage
people to get out of that place.
0644. "Flight, go to trail." And
once again the choppers line up
for landing. As the rotor blades
grind to a halt, the flight leader
heads for the CP to receive any
add i t ion a 1 instructions or
changes in plan. The crewchiefs
and gunners carefully inspect
their ships for bullet holes or
other damage while one pilot
from each aircraft assembles on
the center ship. At this location
they will be debriefed by intelli-
gence and remain for further
verbal orders from the flight
leader. The pilot remaining with
the aircraft can take it easy, but
must be prepared to start the
ship up immediately if we all
dart for our aircraft on a dead
run. This means trouble and
every second counts.
At long last the flight is re-
leased to return to home base.
The flight leader briefs the flight
on the accomplishment of the as-
sault and gives them a start-
engine time and the formation
that will be used going home.
Without further ado the flight
takes off and forms up with
the last craft giving the only
transmission: "Chalk Sixteen,
closed."
Thirty minutes later the
con c Iud i n g transmission is
given: "Flight go to trail, go to
trail."
It is with a feeling of relief
and a sense of accomplishment
that the 16 helicopters are guid-
ed into the landing formation at
their home base. It will seem like
a relief to be able to get out of
the ship and talk to someone
again.
Before you reach for that
mike, THINK!
RVN ranger company sets fire to house occupied by suspected VC while escort UH-l stands guard
,
I , \
, ,
/
I
' I S A I
t.: MRj1't
I "
Like little snowballs roaring down a long hill, "minor"
maintenance discrepancies can become big problems in a short time.
And who is the man in the best position to stomp on these
snowballs while they're still small, to catch discrepancies
while they're minor? The maintenance test pilot, key to any
unit's preventive maintenance program.
I
Unit Test Pilots
This article is written with pri-
mary emphasis toward helicop-
ters; however, the ideas ex-
pounded for unit maintenance
test pilot training could also be
applied to fixed wing aircraft.
MAY 1964
CWO Joseph R. Connor
A
N EVER-INCREASING
number of aircraft are be-
ing added to the Army inventory,
and it would be logical to as-
sume that a larger number of
unit test pilots are needed. But
the depletion of experienced
maintenance test pilots through
Mr. Connor is with the Con-
tact Division, Branch III, Dept
of Rotary Wing Tng, USAA VNS.
21
a qualified test pilot would greatly
aid your maintenance officer
attrition and promotion has been
felt in many units.
We cannot afford a gap in re-
placement of this very special
type pilot. He is essential to the
overall effectiveness of the avia-
tion unit. His responsibility is
far-reaching in providing fully
operational and mechanically
safe aircraft, also in detecting
minor discrepancies and ensur-
ing that they are corrected be-
.fore their devastating effects
have time to deteriorate the
system or component. Many of
these minor discrepancies are
possible contributing factors of
many past accidents labeled
"Pilot Error." .
Take the case of an accident
that resulted in extensive dam-
age to a CH-34C due to a late
power recovery from a practice
autorotation. Consider these pos-
sible contributing factors: stiff
throttle, throttle correlation low,
collective pitch heavy. If one or
more of these minor discrep-
ancies had not existed, an acci-
dent might not have occurred.
Take the same discrepancies
above and consider the pilot who
lost rpm on takeoff with a sling
load and subsequently settled in
on top of the load. Both acci-
dents were labeled "Pilot Error."
Costs of these type accidents are
enormous.
The Aircraft Maintenance Of-
ficers Course is presently train-
ing officers in subjects pertinent
to the maintenance and test fly-
ing of aircraft. This is a good
approach to providing mainte-
nance officers, whose duties are
very complex and include such
things as coordinating aircraft
22
requirements with the operations
officer, coordinating maintenance
requirements and scheduling
with the next higher echelon;
serving as maintenance advisor
to the unit commander, and as
maintenance platoon leader; and
many other administrative and
supervisory duties. The mainte-
nance officer just doesn't have
time to test fly all the aircraft
assigned his unit. Consequently,
he must rely on other pilots to
perform the duties of unit test
pilots.
These pilots mayor may not
have attended the AM 0 C
course. Experience is a good
teacher, but this method has the
inherent problem of requiring
years to build satisfactory know-
ledge. What type test flights will
be performed while pilots are
becoming experienced? For ex-
ample, let's take the pilot who
has 2 years experience as a test
pilot in a CH-34 unit. He is
transferred to a CH-21 unit and
gets his checkout in the air-
craft before arriving at the unit.
Naturally he would not be as-
signed to test fly CH-21s until
after he had become much more
familiar with the aircraft. Ex-
perience is a long drawn out
procedure as a teaching method.
Formal training, followed by ex-
perience, is by far the most pre-
ferred process of learning.
We have seen the need for
technical inspectors and have
made satisfactory progress in
obtaining and training selected
individuals in this field. It is
difficult to retain commissioned
officers in maintenance jobs at
user level due to promotions and
career patterns. Would it not be
advantageous to train warrant
officers as test pilots so promo-
tion would not affect assign-
ment?
The warrant officer could be
trained in test flight procedures
by specific types of aircraft, in a
formal course of instruction. The
course should include ground
school and flight training. This
would result in a tremendous
saving to the Army since the
test pilot could be assigned to
any unit, regardless of echelon
of maintenance. His formal train-
ing together with experience
would enable him to become a
highly skilled technician who
would improve our availability
rate and reduce our accident
rate.
Diagnosing maintenance dis-
crepancies and correcting them
is very important, but norie the
less important is establishing
maintenance practices and pro-
cedures that will red u c e
recurring discrepancies. If the
maintenance officer had a gradu-
ate from a formal course of in-
struction, he would have at his
disposal a highly qualified test
pilot, a man who could assist
him greatly in preventive main-
tenance.
I feel that by developing and
maintaining current a worksheet
as complete as the inspection
guide of the -20, or more so, we
could systematically include ad-
ditional ground and inflight
checks that would enable the
test pilot to detect more dis-
crepancies sooner, there by pro-
viding more advance notice on
parts needed. Also, detecting and
correcting minor discrepancies
before further damage is done
would greatly reduce the re-
quirement for spare parts and
unscheduled maintenance. The
end result would be higher avail-
ability rates and fewer accidents.
The test flight worksheets
U. S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST
could be initiated during the
aircraft's initial 1,OOO-hour ac-
ceptance test. More technical
assistance is available and more
concentrated flying is encoun-
tered during this test than at any
other time. Many of the problems
that will be encountered in the
field are encountered during the
test but cannot be entirely elimi-
nated by engineering change
proposals (ECP). Therefore,
known problems and potential
problem areas along with routine
check items should be listed on
the test flight worksheet so the
possi bili ty of omission on su b-
sequent test flights will not exist.
The Equipment Improvement
Report (EIR) provides an ex-
cellent program that could be
used to disseminate information
Army-wide, that could be used
to maintain current the test flight
worksheets. This would also pro-
vide for more consistent parts
usage Army-wide, since all air-
craft by type would be receiving
the same thorough testing dur-
ing each complete test flight.
In conjunction with the estab-
lishment of a formal course of
instruction for maintenance test
pilots and a revision of the cur-
rent test flight worksheets, a
manual should be written to
provide the test pilot with per-
tinent information regarding:
Aerodynamics,advanced
(general)
Semi-rigid rotor
Fully articulated rotor
(single and tandem)
Rigid rotor
Theory of flight
Tail rotor drift
Transverse flow effect
Translational lift
Blade stall
Gyroscopic precession
Corriolis effect
Dissemetry of lift
Tilt of the main rotor mast
Autorotations
Other pertinent subjects
Vibrations (normal and
abnormal)
Vertical
Lateral
Low frequency
Medium frequency
High .frequency
Elaborate on courses,
methods of detecting and
isolating
Blade track - dynamic and
aerodynamic unbalance,
mixing of high and low
time blades, ground and
flight checks
Tail rotor balance check
(installed)
Engine power checks
Temperature and altitude
effects (turbine and piston
engine)
Formula for determining
actual power output
Sample chart to record
performance for each
check
This chart would be used to
check for any deteriora-
tion of engine perform-
ance
Engine analyzer and vibra-
tion detector operation
and interpretation
Flight instruments and
navigation radios
Operations
Inflight testing (tolerance)
Radios, operations and
tolerances
Much of the above information
is found in a number of books,
manuals, and other publications.
Some duplication may be neces-
sary. Some publications, such as
TB AVN 23-16, could be incor-
porated in this manual. The need
for thorough training and pro-
viding sufficient information and
guides for the test pilot to pre-
pare and perform complete test
flights and thoroughly evaluate
the performance of the aircraft
cannot be overemphasized.
Would your unit test pilot be adequately trained to test fly this Mohawk after maintenance pulled aPE?
MAY 1964
23
Have you considered a flight standardization team as
one method of reducing your accident rate? H e r e ~ how
one team is accomplishing its assigned mission
in this type of operation.
Sev Standardization

In
~ ~ ;
I
T'S 0730 HOURS, and today is
any Monday. The month
doesn't matter either, for the
Seventh Army Aviation Safety
and Standardization Detachment
(SAASASD) is readying itself
for another visit to a Seventh
Army Aviation unit, as it has
continually since 1959.
At Stuttgart Army Airfield,
the home of SAASASD, few
heads turn any more at the sight
of the team, normally four men,
preparing for takeoff. They usu-
ally travel in a U-6A, the ubi-
quitous "Beaver."
The pilot and copilot for the
flight to Anywhere, Seventh
Army, check into base operations
and pick up the tail number of
the aircraft assigned to the team.
They move quietly upstairs to
the flight planning room and
to the Base Weather Station,
manned by Detachment #6 of
the 7th Air Weather Squadron.
Pleasantries are exchanged on
the way with the weather opera-
tions officer, representing the Air
Force at this otherwise all-Army
installation.
A flight plan is filed and called
in to AFOF, Army Flight Opera-
tions Facility [see page 12], with
24
the tentative takeoff time affixed,
and the team leaves operations
for the ramp. They will be gone
3 to 5 days.
What is the Seventh Army
Aviation Safety and Standardiza-
tion Detachment (SAASASD)?
What is its job?
The purpose of the detachment
is to provide a standard method
of instruction, administer flight
examinations to applicants for
instructor p i lot qualification,
conduct transition training, and
determine the proficiency of avi-
ators in the various types of air-
craft. The detachment also en-
sures that proper and uniform
standards are used in perform-
ing the flight procedures and
maneuvers for assigned aircraft.
The unit also provides a nucleus
for the Standardization Board
and the Instrument Examining
Board.
A need for standardization
was recognized by Seventh
Army in 1953. They began by
setting up a formal Method of
Instruction course run by the
Seventh Army Aviation School
at Stuttgart Army Airfield. Its
mission was to make certain that
the various maneuvers in Army
aircraft were being done in the
U. S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST
Captain Robert C. Cook, Jr.
th Arllly
MAY 1964
Below left:
IP keeps critical eye on Army
Aviator as he makes a preflight
check on UH-1B
Below:
Concentration is shown on face
of aviator as he takes written
test for IP rating
25
same way by standardizing unit
instructor pilots. This provided
one solution, but the units were
unable to spare the aircraft or
the personnel for the time re-
quired to train instructor pilots.
In 1955, to preclude the loss of
the aviators and aircraft from
the unit's mission the Method of
Instruction course was dropped.
For the next four years, Seventh
Army made little change in its
approach toward standardization
until the Aviation accident/in-
cident rate showed the need for
Capt Cook is assigned to the
16th Aviation Detachment, APO
46, U. S. Forces.
a more active program.
In 1959, a two-man standardi-
zation team was formed. They
traveled throughout S eve nth
Army, giving checkrides, writ-
ten tests, and instruction as re-
quired. The results seemed to be
good, but the physical require-
ment was far above the capabili-
ties of two men. It was practical-
ly impossible for two aviators to
be current and proficient in all
types of aircraft and accomplish
all the requirements of stand-
ardization.
In 1961, still using the two-
man team, the additional mission
of procuring and publishing
checklists, instruction guides,
IPs prepare for a postaccident checkride at Darmstadt Army Airfield
26
and standardization guides to be
used by Seventh Army Aviators
was assumed by the Standardi-
zation Board.
With this additional mission
and the increase of aviation in
Seventh Army, the need for a
larger board was obvious. In
November 1961, Seventh Army
regulations authorized certain
units to have standardization
pilots for certain types of air-
craft. At the same time, it called
for a Standardization Board
president to maintain control
over the proceedings of the
board members.
On 1 July 1963, the Stand-
ardization Board became the
Seventh Army Aviation Safety
and Standardization Detach-
ment, with a 50-man comple-
ment. This change enlarged the
team from four to nine officer
members and increased the num-
ber of office personnel. The new
IPs pull preflight on UH-1B
U. S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST
detachment includes both the
nucleus of the Standardization
Board and the Instrument Exam-
ining Board. The commanding
officer of the detachment is
president of both boards, under
the operational control of the
Seventh Army Aviation Officer.
A visit is made to each aviation
unit in Seventh Army twice a
year, and assistance can be
given to any unit which requests
it.
The Seventh Army Flight
Safety Officer accompanies the
team on each visit to check and
standardize aviation safety re-
quirements. The new TD pro-
vides for an aviation safety of-
ficer as a member of the detach-
ment, since standardization and
safety are inseparable.
Each aviation unit is notified
six months before the planned
visit of the Standardization
Board members by the Seventh
Army Aviator checks UH-1B
rotor blades during preflight
MAY 1964
Army Aviation Officer. He gives
them the date and the period of
time the members will remain
with the particular unit. If there
is any conflict with the scheduled
date, the unit can request read-
justment. There is further com-
munication between the Seventh
Army Aviation Office and the
unit involved as the date ap-
proaches to ascertain readiness
for the scheduled visit.
When the team arrives, they
are met by the unit commander
or one of his representatives.
They sit down with the com-
mander and go over the program
in detail. However, the visit has
just begun. The Standardization
members organize classes on
training, safety, and standardiza-
tion. Spot checkrides are given
to aviators picked at random to
determine their individual pro-
ficiency and the standards re-
quired and maintained by the
unit. Flights with instructor
pilots make certain that they are
instructing aviators in their unit
according to accepted and estab-
lished procedures. The team can
also give instrument checkrides.
Most aviation unit command-
ers realize the advantages to be
gained by presence of the team
and request further assistance
in specific areas.
After these classes, instruction
rides, and flight safety talks, the
team gives the commander an
honest evaluation of his unit's
proficiency. Each team member
takes comprehensive notes. Upon
return to Stuttgart, they file a
formal report to the Seventh
Army Aviation Officer. The
Safety and Standardization De-
tachment is his source of infOT-
mation on the state of readiness
of the aviation units to perform
their mission under all condi-
tions.
Seventh Army IP loads his baggage in a U-6 at Darmstadt Army Airfield.
Destination: Anywhere in Seventh Army area.
27
sense
PRE PAR E D B Y THE U. S. ARM Y BOA R D FOR A V I A T ION Ace IDE N T RES EAR C H
A
JOINT FIELD training exercise was taking
place on rolling, heavily wooded terrain. An
Army Aviator flying an OH-13H had a battalion
commander as his passenger. Here, in the pilot's
words, are the events leading to the accident:
"At approximately 1200 hours, I received a
warning about jet strikes in my area. Since we
were in the vicinity of the colonel's jeep, I sug-
gested we return so that I could shut down. This
would conserve fuel and he could monitor the
radio from his jeep.
"The landing site, on the side of a hill, was the
same place I landed in to pick him up that
morning. The best spot appeared to be near where
I made my first landing, on a trail leading up to
the crest. I saw that a pile of logs was stacked
on the downslope side of the trail, but it was
next to the most level looking spot on the trail.
"I had no difficulty in landing, other than re-
quiring nearly all of my left cyclic to get my right
side down.
"I shut down and got out to inspect the air-
craft. I was mainly interested in oil leaks since
I had been using a little over a quart an hour.
28
One, two, buckle my shoe.
Three, four, shut the door.
Five, six . ..
PICK UP
STICKS
While inspecting the right side of the engine, I
saw that the right skid was approximately one
foot from the pile of logs."
And here's the passenger's description of the
accident:
" ... The pilot checked to see that I was in the
harness and we checked the intercom. At 1207
hours we started to take off.
"We were facing approximately north and the
right side was on the downhill side, near the wood
pile. I believe the skid hit on a stick of wood
which was out further than the rest of the stack.
The wood pile seemed to 'peak' as it was lifted.
It appeared that we'd knocked over most of the
wood pile and almost made it. We gained speed
rapidly but could not level off. I felt several
violent jolts which I believe were caused by the
blades hitting the ground. Then we crashed on
our right side and plane parts flew everywhere."
The aircraft was a total loss, but the pilot and
his passenger escaped with minor injuries. The
accident investigation board did an excellent job.
Their report is an outstanding example of the
way accident reports should be prepared. It is
U. S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST
complete in every detail and well supported with
evidence.
The board found that this accident was caused
by selecting a landing site near an obstruction, by
not recognizing the hazards presented by the
wood pile, and by not taking corrective action
to move the wood pile or decrease the weight on
the right side of the aircraft by having the pas-
senger exit while the aircraft was moved to a
more suitable pickup point. The board recom-
mended that these cause factors be given wide
dissemination to all aviators.
The flight surgeon's analysis and recommenda-
tions in this report also bear repeating.
Analysis
"The possi bili ties of a successful takeoff were
severely jeopardized when the pilot selected a
landing site on a 100 slope to the right with an
obstruction, 2 feet in height, just 12 inches off his
right skid. When the aviator failed to recognize
his peril and take corrective action, it would
appear that an accident was almost inevitable.
"That the aircraft slid or moved to the right
before or immediately after lift-off is indisputable.
MAY 1964
-=:-..::-- -
29
Possibly contributing to the lateral movement
are the following: the force on the aircraft caus-
ing it to 'hang' perpendicular to the rotor blades,
the 10 slope which required all or nearly all of
the available left cyclic to level the aircraft, the
disproportionate weight on the right side of the
aircraft of at least 75 pounds (considering about
23 pounds of field gear plus the weight differential
between pilot and passenger). The disproportion
is greater if you accept the contention that gaso-
line flowed from the left to the right tank during
the 30-minute interval the aircraft remained on
the slope.
"Possible corrective actions, had the pilot been
aware of the aerodynamics involved, would in-
clude removal of the obstacle and lessening the
weight on the starboard side of the aircraft.
"There were no psychological, physiological, or
pathological factors considered contributory in
this accident. Sleep and diet were adequate and
there was no evidence of fatigue.
"It is important to note that the pilot's helmet
was cracked just over the left ear. This is indica-
tive of the amount of force absorbed by the hel-
met. The aviator was apparently wearing the
visor in the up position but it fell down about
halfway at impact. The lower portion of the visor
over the left eye was broken off but not shattered.
Had the visor been in the down position the
aviator would have been better protected. It was
not determined if the shoulder straps were tight;
however the locking lever was in the unlocked
position. The inertia reel was locked. This injury
could very probably have been lessened if the
shoulder straps were tight and the locking lever
in the lock position. The helmet worn by the
passenger was thrown free. The chin strap was
not fastened.
Recommendations
"1. That the cause factors and aerodynamic
principles discussed in this accident report be
considered and brought to the attention of all
aviators who may profit by them.
"2. That aviators are reminded of their re-
sponsibility to see that their passengers as well as
themselves are properly prepared for takeoff, i.e.,
helmet in place and chin strap snapped, lap
belt and shoulder harness snug, etc.
"3. That aviators place the shoulder harness
lever in the lock position on all takeoffs and land-
ings.
"4. That aviators place their visors in the down
position for all takeoffs, landings, and low-level
flights."
Seven, eight, lay them straight.
Nine, ten . .. It's Happened Again!
This time without the sticks. It was another
field training exercise and the OH-13H pilot had
carried his passenger to several areas in their
sector. We take up his story from this point:
"We flew around the area for several minutes
and decided we should discuss the situation with
the troop commander. We located him in a posi-
tion along a road. I flew over his position and
decided to land in an area on the left side of the
road. The field was half plowed and half in grass.
"As I approached, I noticed there was a slope to
the field. However, I thought the slope was not
excessive for landing. I picked an area on the
grass next to the plowed field. As I came to a
hover, I set the left skid down first and then the
right. As I started down on the collective control,
I felt the aircraft starting to slide down the slope.
I started to apply co1lective pitch when the right
30
skid stopped on something, causing the helicopter
to tilt on its side, and the main rotor blade struck
the ground. We hit on the right side, flipped back
up, landed upside down, and rolled to the right
where the aircraft came to rest."
Investigators measured the slope at the scene
of the accident and found it to be 11.8. From
this and other evidence, they arrived at these
cause factors:
Attempted landing on slope which exceeded the
safe operating limitations of the OH-13H aircraft.
The surface of the intended landing site was
smooth frozen ground, presenting an additional
hazard for a slope landing.
Failure to use correct emergency procedures
after the aircraft had exceeded a right bank of
7.5 below the horizon, in that the pilot con-
tinued to apply power and collective pitch with
U. S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST
the aircraft beyond the angle of cyclic control.
During a post-accident flight examination, it
was noted that the pilot had difficulty with the use
of collective and cyclic controls during slope
operations. It was also noted that he had difficulty
in judging slope angles.
Here's what the USAA VNS says about OH-13
slope operations: "Slope landings should be made
crosslope with the skid type gear. Landing on a
slope requires a delicate and positive control
touch. This helicopter must be lowered from the
true vertical by the upslope skid on the
Slope measured 11.8
ground first. The downslope skid is then lowered
gently to the ground and, at the same time, cor-
rective cyclic control is applied to keep the rotor
plane in the true horizontal (assuming wind con-
ditions). If the pilot runs out of cyclic control
before the downslope skid touches the ground, he
will know the slope is too steep and should re-
cover before completing touchdown. Inexperi-
enced pilots are prone to lower collective pitch
too fast or fail to use sufficient cyclic control to
keep the rotor disc parallel to the true hori-
zontal. "
Don't Turn Back
The Bird Dog pilot lined up on a 1,500-foot PSP
runway for his fourth takeoff of the afternoon. He
had been flying over a beach landing
being made by a transportation medium boat
company. Several times he had also flown as the
aggressor and "bombed" these troops with flour
sacks.
The mags were checked, fuel pump turned on,
and the flaps lowered. Everything was O. K. and
MAY 1964
the throttle was rammed forward for takeoff.
When the aircraft reached 200 feet, the flaps were
retracted, and the fuel pump was turned off. At
300 feet, as the pilot eased the throttle back to
climb power, the engine had a momentary inter-
ruption of power (usually referred to as a cough).
Instinctively the pilot closed the throttle and
started an immediate steep turn to get back to
the runway!
31
The plane went into an
almost vertical descent
Could you finish this story? Most of us would
visualize the pieces strewn over the ground, with
a crash truck speeding for the scene to make a
futile effort to save a life. Not so in this case.
This pilot escaped to fly again, though the air-
craft sustained major damage.
After the pilot started the turn, it was followed
at once by a stall. The plane went into an almost
vertical descent, as witnesses later stated. The
pilot fought for control all the way to the groUIld.
Before impact, he had the wings almost level, and
the angle and rate of descent had been shallowed
considerably. Impact was made 1,000 feet short
of the runway in the sand that surrounded the
strip.
The left gear was sprung up and back and the
bulkhead was ripped by the impact. The propeller
was curled 5 inches on each end as it contacted
the sand. When the aircraft bounced, the pilot
applied full power and regained flying speed. As
the plane came over the end of the runway, the
left gear was held off as long as possible. Upon
contact of the damaged gear with the runway, the
aircraft veered to the left edge of the runway and
came to a stop 90 to the runway.
Several actions in this accident need further
scrutiny, but the one I consider the "beginning of
the end" was that the pilot attempted a return to
the field from such a low altitude.
It is very doubtful that a student aviator could
graduate from flight training without being warned
by his instructor never to turn back to the air-
field on takeoff when the altitude attained is less
32
than 500 feet in a liaison plane or 1,500 feet in
heavier types. Any turn exceeding 90 under
these circumstances was fOl'bidden. Yet most of
us have had that irresistible urge to turn back to
that long, smooth runway behind us. That might
be a fatal decision if we don't quickly realize that
insufficient altitude exists to complete the re-
quired 180 turn.
If you want to fully realize the altitude that is
necessary to complete a 180 turn with power
off and only climbing airspeed, try it yourself in
an 0-1. Climb to at least 2,000 feet and, from that
altitude, start a normal climb at 2300 rpm and 80
mph. When you reach 2,500 feet, cut the throttle
and start a 180 turn, maintaining 80 mph all the
way around. If you can complete the turn without
lOSing 230-250 feet, it will be an exception.
There are two "big" reasons for not attempting
a 180 turn from a low altitude back to a field you
have just left. It requires considerable altitude to
complete the turn and you are on the verge of a
stall if the turn steepens.
What are the advantages in going straight ahead
if you get an engine failure on takeoff? The great-
est advantage is that you have control of your
aircraft up to the moment of impact, and it can
be maneuvered into the most advantageous posi-
tion. With control over positioning of the fuse-
lage, you are assured to a large degree that the
occupants of the aircraft will walk away from the
crash.
Another advantage of descending straight
ahead is that you remain in flight longer and
more time is available to initiate emergency pro-
cedures. When you make a steep turn there is
little time to devote to anything else. The more
time the pilot has, the less likely he will be to
panic. The pilot of our 0-1 did panic. He closed
the throttle when the engine coughed and it was
not reapplied until after the impact!
Many indecisions that have occurred during
takeoff emergencies could have been avoided if
the pilot had taken the time earlier to learn the
forced landing areas near the airfield. With a
knowledge of the accessible areas in front of him,
he would not be so tempted to turn back to the
airfield behind him. Learn those areas around
your field before this happens to you.
The next time you make a takeoff, be pre-
pared. If that "never happen to me" emergency
occurs, take a deep breath, flip your switches, and
look for an opening ahead, but DON'T TURN
BACK!
Many thanks to Capt B. W. Addy for sending
us "Don't Turn Back."
U. S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST
Major Ephraim A. Berry
How's------________
Your
DR Navigation?
S
UPPOSE YOU are on a VFR
flight in a U-6A aircraft.
Weather is clear and 1 to 3 miles
visibility in smoke and haze.
Forecast winds have proved re-
liable during the first portion of
the flight. You have been using
radio as your primary means of
navigation. Suddenly the "off"
flag pops up on the omni receiv-
er, and no amount of cranking on
the coffee grinder gets you a us-
able signal from any station. You
reach up to tune in the ADF and
receive only a deafening silence.
What now? Do you reach for
the big red panic button? Or do
you reach for your E-6B com-
puter and use that old fashioned
and sometimes virtually forgot-
ten method of getting from point
A to point B - dead reckoning
navigation.
Today's navigation equipment
is highly reliable; however, any
piece of mechanical equipment
can fail, and you may be the one
who is up there when it does.
Army aircraft are operating in
areas of the world that have few
if any of these aids. In addition,
many of these missions will be
flown at low altitude over terrain
with few if any prominent check-
points. These are good reasons
for all of us to check our ability
to get from point A to point B
without the use of radio aids to
navigation.
As a refresher, here are the
important factors in DR naviga-
tion.
Drift Correction. If wind
information for the route is
available, this can be computed
on our old friend the E-6B com-
puter. If not, get the aircraft on
the desired heading, pick two
checkpoints in line as far out as
visibility permits and then estab-
lish a heading which keeps the
aircraft on this line.
Groundspeed. This can be
computed using true airspeed
and wind information or from
elapsed time between check-
points.
Heading. Desired heading
must be maintained accurately.
You cannot expect to hit your
destination if you wander all
over the sky during the flight.
Confidence. In my opinion,
one of the most important factors
in successful DR navigation is
the aviator's confidence in his
ability. This confidence can be
acquired only by continual prac-
tice.
If there is any question in your
mind about your proficiency in
DR navigation, better get out
and try a few cross-country
flights without using radio aids
to navigation. The results might
be surprising . . . and save your
life!
Diagnosing he Trouble
Captain Kenneth E. Cox
I
MAGINE THE exasperation of the crewchief
of an 0-1 when the pilot taxis back from a pre-
takeoff runup, shuts the engine down, and simply
writes "rough rUlming engine" in the -13. This
writeup might be valid to the pilot, but tells the
mechanic as much as the Chairman of the Board
might mention about the Coca Cola formula.
"Oh, Lieutenant Gnuzzelgunch! Sir, would you
wait up a moment? I'll get right on this engine.
Can you tell me what the indications were whe:p.
you ran 'er up so I'll know where to start trouble-
shooting?"
Lieutenant Gnuzzelgunch stops, shifts his flight
helmet to the other hand, and gives the appear-
ance that he's conducting a high level strategic
defense briefing for a touring WCTU group.
"Everything checked OK until the 1700 rpm
ignition check. I started from 700 rpm and in-
creased the throttle to 1700, observing the
generator kick in around 1300. At 1700 I made
the mixture and carburetor heat check - all
OK. Then during the magneto check (still at 1700
rpm) I got a 50 rpm drop when I switched from
BOTH to LEFT. The rpm returned to 1700 when
I switched back to BOTH.
"When I switched to RIGHT I got a 150 rpm
drop and a rough running engine - no backfire
or afterfire. The rpm returned to 1700 when I
switched back to BOTH. I idled back to 750 for
the idle mixture leanout check. As I brought the
mixture control to the rear the rpm increased
to 780 before falling off. Naturally I returned
the mixture control to the FULL RICH position
and proceeded with the full acceleration check.
I could get only 1900 rpm out of her, so I let her
cool off as I taxied back in to shut down. What
do you think is wrong with her?"
"Well Sir, I know what is wrong."
If you can't diagnose the trouble, turn the page
around, and read the answer (which you should
have entered on the -13) .
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