Army Flying

[Superman]

Before I get into this, please note that I am in no way hacking on the military, or any of our fine men and women in uniform, but for those of you that are looking into the military, you may want to think about this.

 

I made a trip to Owensboro, KY this evening, while in the pattern to land, a flight of two OH-58's called in for landing to the ramp. I taxi in, park, go inside and watch them approach and land. As they hover taxi to the ramp I notice that they have the doors off............ Now, normally I wouldn't think much about it, but the OAT is around -4c, in light snow, I can't imagine what the wind chill was at 100 kts. Anyway the crews fall out of their machines and come into the terminal, shaking, numb, and blowing snot bubbles. I wait until they get some coffee and thaw a bit, then I strike up a conversation with them, tell them I fly little copters, CFI, bla bla bla. Then I have to ask why they would be flying around in the cold and snow with the doors off? They look at each other, then give me a look, and very frankly told me that Lt. Cmdr. so and so said that this unit WILL fly with the doors off....... so we fly with the doors off!

You just have to have a lot of respect for the people that have to endure that type of thinking.

 

If you were flying out of Ft. Campbell, KY today......... with your doors off....... my hats off to ya man.

 

Enough rambling

 

Fly Safe...... and warm!

Clark

[Linc]

I was flying out of a place a little bit colder and a little bit more sane; I had doors on.

[Bristol]

Clark,

 

That's a riot (Sorry Army guys). I was stationed in Ft. Lewis Washington and during the winter months, we had to ride TOPS OFF in jeeps even tho we had prefectly good canvas tops and heaters for the jeeps. Something about being battle ready for any weather. Anyway, I remember heating my c rations on the engine block of the jeep and warming my hands on the headlights during the day. What a nightmare.

While in uniform, we were not to run in the rain or carry an umbrella either. If you got caught, you would be pushing Washington flat doing pushups in the rain. If in a group of two or more, you stayed in step with each other.

There were lots of weird rules in the army, most the result of some nutty commander set on maming all of his troops hardcore.

 

My 2 cents

[Linc]

set on maming all of his troops

Freudian slip for sure!! Seen it too many times to not take your spelling slip at face value. Thank God or whomever that I have not worked long for any of those.

[notspock]

It must have been a bit uncomfortable with the doors off. However it seems to be a small price to pay for all that free training.

 

What would you be willing to trade for a hundred hours of turbine time? Would you jump at the chance to ferry a Jet Ranger coast to coast in January, with no doors?

 

When I went through ORWAC, I think the syllabus called for 225 hours before being rated. In my case, over half was in a UH-1. Then I was allowed to borrow UH-1's for about 15 hours to get additional training for an Instrument ticket. Yeah, back then an instrument rating was optional. A couple of years later the US Army even let me borrow a UH-1 to take a civilian check ride for a commercial license.

 

Not only was all the training free, they paid me to take it. Yep, I flew a lot of hours with no doors.

[permison]

It must have been a bit uncomfortable with the doors off. However it seems to be a small price to pay for all that free training.

 

What would you be willing to trade for a hundred hours of turbine time? Would you jump at the chance to ferry a Jet Ranger coast to coast in January, with no doors?

 

When I went through ORWAC, I think the syllabus called for 225 hours before being rated. In my case, over half was in a UH-1. Then I was allowed to borrow UH-1's for about 15 hours to get additional training for an Instrument ticket. Yeah, back then an instrument rating was optional. A couple of years later the US Army even let me borrow a UH-1 to take a civilian check ride for a commercial license.

 

Not only was all the training free, they paid me to take it. Yep, I flew a lot of hours with no doors.

 

Yeah, but that was at "Mother Rucker" where it rarely gets cold enough to snow. I did a lot of flying in a 58 with the doors off during my 9 months or so there and I was happy for the breeze. It can get hot as hell in southern Alabama. Still would not have traded the time for anything in the world ;-)

[Linc]

Another thing to consider about Army flying. Take 20 aircraft and make them all try to takeoff, land, and get gas at a single airport, all at one time. And, for good measure, throw in a couple Air Force transports, and fighter and attack jets, to boot!

 

Whew! I'm glad the flying week is done. Maybe next week will be calmer? (yeah, right!)

Edited January 19, 2007 by Linc

[FredR]

Yeah, but that was at "Mother Rucker" where it rarely gets cold enough to snow. I did a lot of flying in a 58 with the doors off during my 9 months or so there and I was happy for the breeze. It can get hot as hell in southern Alabama. Still would not have traded the time for anything in the world ;-)

Concur with permison, hottest flying I ever did was at Ft. Rucker in July during BCS in the 58. Most fun flying I've had to date was in the 58 back in Idaho.....however, our rule of thumb was 20 C for the doors to come off.

[Linc]

+5 C or greater is my rule of thumb.

Edited January 20, 2007 by Linc

[wild_blue]

Before I get into this, please note that I am in no way hacking on the military, or any of our fine men and women in uniform, but for those of you that are looking into the military, you may want to think about this.

 

I made a trip to Owensboro, KY this evening, while in the pattern to land, a flight of two OH-58's called in for landing to the ramp. I taxi in, park, go inside and watch them approach and land. As they hover taxi to the ramp I notice that they have the doors off............ Now, normally I wouldn't think much about it, but the OAT is around -4c, in light snow, I can't imagine what the wind chill was at 100 kts. Anyway the crews fall out of their machines and come into the terminal, shaking, numb, and blowing snot bubbles. I wait until they get some coffee and thaw a bit, then I strike up a conversation with them, tell them I fly little copters, CFI, bla bla bla. Then I have to ask why they would be flying around in the cold and snow with the doors off? They look at each other, then give me a look, and very frankly told me that Lt. Cmdr. so and so said that this unit WILL fly with the doors off....... so we fly with the doors off!

You just have to have a lot of respect for the people that have to endure that type of thinking.

 

If you were flying out of Ft. Campbell, KY today......... with your doors off....... my hats off to ya man.

 

Enough rambling

 

Fly Safe...... and warm!

Clark

 

 

Ahhh,now your scaring me,I plan on applying for army warrent officer training in a few years and I hope to become a pilot! Ok,now on to something else,Lt.Cmdr? I don't think the army has Lt.Cmdr's,are you sure it wasn't a Lt.Col?

[Kc135Delta]

A couple of years later the US Army even let me borrow a UH-1 to take a civilian check ride for a commercial license.

 

How did you pull that off?

[notspock]

"How did you pull that off?"

 

As I recall, we requested the use of the aircraft through normal channels. The same as a request for any type of proficiency flying. The Army had arranged for several FAA examiners to be at Ft. Rucker on a Saturday. They must have given 10-12 check rides. In my case, the examiner did most of the flying.

[Linc]

Yeah, rules have changed. Can't use Army aircraft to gain ratings anymore.

[coanda]

bristol were you in 2nd bat?