Yamer Posted July 17, 2012 Report Share Posted July 17, 2012 does anyone know the selection rate for being able to choose the lakota? is it going to replace the 58's? what's the army's plan with implementing the lakota? sry i just found out that the army has those and man those things look AWESOME!!! anyone know anything? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akscott60 Posted July 17, 2012 Report Share Posted July 17, 2012 (edited) NG guys I know have gone to Lakota school after going thru Hawks. The Lakota is replacing Alpha Chuck 58s and Hueys used by the ARNG. There are not a ton of them in Active Army use. I think Germany, Irwin, and Polk is pretty much it. The 58D has no replacement on the horizon, and honestly, getting the 58F model and just wartime replacements will be a stretch. I have ridden in the Lakota once since they are Flat Iron here at Rucker. Kinda small on the inside. Edited July 17, 2012 by akscott60 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heloidaho Posted July 17, 2012 Report Share Posted July 17, 2012 The Lakota might look cool, but it isn't a beefy military aircraft. It can't deploy to combat and I don't believe it has great high/hot performance. Just my 2 cents. The version for the Armed Aerial Scout competition is a little more rugged, I think. I hope you 58 guys get an upgrade. The 58F Block 2 looks interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobsyouruncle Posted July 17, 2012 Report Share Posted July 17, 2012 I have known two guys who flew it and neither were overly impressed. It is much more modern in the cockpit than a typical army aircraft but my understanding is it is low on power. It also doesn't meet military standards and can't deploy. One guy came back to 60's and said he thought it killed his career because he has never deployed and had no track that translated. But, I'm sure there are guys that love it too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yamer Posted July 17, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 17, 2012 Ok cool didnt know anything about it but looked cool and wanted to learn more. Maybe a good airframe to transition to later on when finishing your army career in a guard unit or something... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akscott60 Posted July 17, 2012 Report Share Posted July 17, 2012 It could help you get into a civilian job flying them for a PD or EMS or something I guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d10 Posted July 24, 2012 Report Share Posted July 24, 2012 There are not a ton of them in Active Army use. I think Germany, Irwin, and Polk is pretty much it. +Lewis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharyouTree Posted July 24, 2012 Report Share Posted July 24, 2012 and Ft Rucker? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heloidaho Posted July 24, 2012 Report Share Posted July 24, 2012 (edited) Ft Rucker flies them for Flat Iron -- going out to get guys that have PL'd (precautionary landings, like maintenance). Edited to un-acronym a bit. Edited July 24, 2012 by heloidaho Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akscott60 Posted July 25, 2012 Report Share Posted July 25, 2012 (edited) My post was for active duty assigments (and it was a roughly educated guess). I thought the rest of these places were mostly guard slots. Isnt the Rucker Flat Iron a temporary duty? I know the guys I flew with were Hawk drivers. Edited July 25, 2012 by akscott60 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharyouTree Posted July 25, 2012 Report Share Posted July 25, 2012 Ft Rucker flies them for Flat Iron -- going out to get guys that have PL'd (precautionary landings, like maintenance). Edited to un-acronym a bit. I know My post was for active duty assigments (and it was a roughly educated guess). I thought the rest of these places were mostly guard slots. Isnt the Rucker Flat Iron a temporary duty? I know the guys I flew with were Hawk drivers. Not to my knowledge. No more temporary than any other duty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SBuzzkill Posted July 25, 2012 Report Share Posted July 25, 2012 It's all temporary in the grand scheme of things. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akscott60 Posted July 25, 2012 Report Share Posted July 25, 2012 Ahh, much deep thought in this forum..... Which means I should leave. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yamer Posted August 10, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 10, 2012 Arizona just got lakotas this week... Now to figure out how to get my butt into that seat... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorCalHeliKid Posted August 11, 2012 Report Share Posted August 11, 2012 Dudes that I know that fly them for the NG are in awe from the outside.... and then, they realize how great the UH-60 is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yamer Posted August 11, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 11, 2012 Dudes that I know that fly them for the NG are in awe from the outside.... and then, they realize how great the UH-60 is. Why? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akscott60 Posted August 11, 2012 Report Share Posted August 11, 2012 Power. The Blackhawk is in no short supply of it. Lakota? Yea, not so much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC8488 Posted August 30, 2012 Report Share Posted August 30, 2012 Just came across this: http://www.quad-a.org/images/pdf/Magazine/June2012/Reese_0612.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yamer Posted August 30, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2012 wow what a good article thanks WOFTApp!!! this is my new desktop picture... it's also great to see that the 15T spot will be the mechanics/crew chiefs for it also. I was concerned that it might be a 15V spot which is a scout helicopter repairer that would get the lakota's. i'm going into the guard as a 15T being enlisted first then submitting my packet from their for a guard WO spot.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobsyouruncle Posted August 30, 2012 Report Share Posted August 30, 2012 In my opinion and many others the problem with the Lakota is this- the Army's job is to fight wars, any endeavor that does not support or enhance the ability to fight wars is a waste of time and money- the Lakota does not help the Army fight wars, it cannot deploy. It would be much cheaper to just contract out to civil medevac in the US than to maintain a fleet of these useless aircraft and the money saved could be used to support the aircraft that fight wars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yamer Posted August 30, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2012 maybe that's why Chief Reese speaks of using the Lakota pilot position as an add on to another MOS. That way, for instance, when the "war fighting airframed pilot" isn't deployed to "war", money can be saved on the homefront by not using the expensive uh-60 airframe to patrol the mexico border or whatever else the guard chooses to use it for but instead use the less expensive LUH airframe. The when wartime happens and a deployment comes up for the above mentioned pilot to go to "war" that includes combat, he/she can transition back to his original airframe and fight appropriately. I read the article and took that the Army Guard/Reserves are maybe getting closer to a multiple certified pilot position where any pilot could walk in and be assigned an airframe for the day and be told "this is what you're flying on todays mission." I think its a good idea... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobsyouruncle Posted August 30, 2012 Report Share Posted August 30, 2012 maybe that's why Chief Reese speaks of using the Lakota pilot position as an add on to another MOS. That way, for instance, when the "war fighting airframed pilot" isn't deployed to "war", money can be saved on the homefront by not using the expensive uh-60 airframe to patrol the mexico border or whatever else the guard chooses to use it for but instead use the less expensive LUH airframe. The when wartime happens and a deployment comes up for the above mentioned pilot to go to "war" that includes combat, he/she can transition back to his original airframe and fight appropriately. I read the article and took that the Army Guard/Reserves are maybe getting closer to a multiple certified pilot position where any pilot could walk in and be assigned an airframe for the day and be told "this is what you're flying on todays mission." I think its a good idea... The article is not talking about some sort of unit with two airframes where pilots walk in and get assigned an airframe. You go to a Lakota unit, you stay in it for years, if guard maybe forever. He goes on to say that if you are active duty this will screw your career. It's an Army magazine, every week CW5 Reiss is charged with saying something great the Army is doing even if he knows it's complete bs because he is at the position of full time politician now. The problem here is reality. For one the price of a Lakota is exactly the same as a UH-60L at 5.9 million and is maintained by civilian contractors further escalating the cost. The Lakota replaced the cheaper and more capable Twin Huey's that had more power could carry more people and had a higher payload. For another, the expectation that a guy will just fly Lakotas for a couple years and then hop across the ocean and fly 60's in the most demanding environments despite hardly touching a UH-60 is absurdly dangerous. Dual rated pilots are not a new idea but the Army has gotten away from them because it's expensive and not very useful. And last is that the National Guard receives federal funding specifically because they can be mobilized in combat. If the states want to own a fleet of civil helicopters to fly around and do countless peacetime missions they are free to do so but federal tax dollars should not be used to support such an endeavor that brings zero benefits to the federal government. To me it makes about as much sense as replacing all the MRAPs with Ford pickups because they are cheaper and real good in peace. Lakotas a good aircraft, just not good for the military. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yamer Posted August 31, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 31, 2012 I don't know enough about the topic or its relevancy to have a rebuttal to that but I can tell you that as a civilian wanting to get in and fly for the Army I could really care less whether it's a Lakota, UH-60, or a cardboard box with a set of rotors on it.. I want to fly it for the Army. I just like the look of the Lakota with it's bubble nose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharyouTree Posted August 31, 2012 Report Share Posted August 31, 2012 wow what a good article thanks WOFTApp!!! this is my new desktop picture... it's also great to see that the 15T spot will be the mechanics/crew chiefs for it also. I was concerned that it might be a 15V spot which is a scout helicopter repairer that would get the lakota's. i'm going into the guard as a 15T being enlisted first then submitting my packet from their for a guard WO spot.... Not mechanics. non rated crew members. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aeroscout Posted August 31, 2012 Report Share Posted August 31, 2012 I was under the impression that the Lakota was eventually going to replace all OH-58 missions, except maybe the kiowawarrior. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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