Yes, but not by flying super tight, but but procedural, altitude, and distance (DME) separation between aircraft while keeping the same squawk.
+1 to you. I forgot all about that because it was just basic form stuff (and quite awhile back). Funny you should mention that. I was flying out of NFG the other day, and when I checked in with SOCAL, there was an obvious exploding pumpkin going on with a flight of Ospreys. They were trying to get joined up and continue on their route of flight but were in and out (mainly in) the goo. I was at 9K and pretty much solidly IMC. They wanted VFR on top at 9.5 and seemed extremely reluctant to take IFR handling. It was pretty much IMC up to about 15K. I wondered how they made it that far VMC, honestly. The only way that I got involved was that we were both headed to NYL via JLI, and were on a constant bearing, decreasing range situation. I had him on TCAS and saw them every now and then as we popped in and out of the clouds, but SOCAL was kind of freaking out about it. Eventually, after much wailing and gnashing of teeth, they got seperate codes, and then flew off together to the Northeast. No idea why. I was wondering why they didn't either just go IFR as a flight, go VFR on top at 15.5 or so, or launch as singles to begin with. Now I know the first part. 250' seems way to far for the goo, although whenever I saw them it looked more like fighter wing (.7 DMEish). I'm guessing that they wouldn't go above 10K because of the lack of pressurization. Do you carry O2? As for launching out as singles, either they didn't get a good wx brief, or chose poorly, I'd guess.
You have O2 for the crew, but if you have several GIBs, then you have to comply with the restrictions for 10K and 13K with passengers. You can't get tight enough to stay visual unless it's just haze, and you can't do radar trail. It's easy to keep an IFR section together for limited penetrations or for airways navigation, but it's hard in a terminal area getting a lot of vectors. If you've got serious Wx, then it's best to go as singles, then r/v later.
Looking for a current data point: How many (rough percentage is fine) HMM squadrons have transitioned to the Osprey? I'm updating a brief for our students and am looking for backup info in case I'm asked. Also is the standard now 10 Osprey replacing 12 Phrogs in an HMM squadron? I've been looking on line but having trouble finding current data and going to 20 different squadron websites to find out was a bit too tedious. thanks, Lumpy
6 of 6 East Coast HMMs are now VMMs. There are now 2 VMMs actually flying on the West Coast out of the original 6 HMMs. That leaves Okinawa (Guam?) still to go. There are 2 VMMs being stood up from scratch, as well. Rough number? Just under half of HMMs are transitioned. 10 is the current aircraft number. Once all squadrons are transitioned, expect the aircraft fairy to go back around and get everyone up to 12. Then again, all this will change at the next meeting of the minds in a month or two, so take it for what it's worth.
The current Marine Corps Aviation Campaign Plan has a treasure trove of info on this. Most of it is almost true, to boot!
Do they have computers that generate this crap, or do they have an army of morons typing away like monkeys on typewriters?
Air Force AIB from the one that went down in Afghanistan earlier this year- http://www.afsoc.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-101215-007.pdf Even as someone who doesn't really know what they're reading, still some very interesting stuff in there. I'm sure someone else can offer more intelligent analysis...
1/26/2011 Marine Corps Air Station Miramar Two MV-22 "Osprey" from Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 161 fly over San Diego Jan. 11. The Marine Corps Air Station Miramar-based aircraft flew to Yuma, Ariz., to practice landing in formations of three., By Lance Cpl. Lisa M. Tourtelot
It's the base PAO. A bake sale is newsworthy there. I won't even try. Meet me at the Miramar O'Club for my take. I do like how the USAF gives a public airing of a thorough mishap investigation though. It's pretty hard to get the scoop on a USN/USMC mishap without jumping through hoops.
Phrogdriver, Just curious-I was out at Pendleton a couple weeks ago and that pattern was the worst I've ever seen. Do you know what they're going to do with The Red Dragons, Purple Foxes and Knightrider squadrons? Are they moving down to Miramar when they become VMMs? Or is the plan to bring VMMs to Pendleton? 161 is serving as the TTU, right? I'm not too read in on the transition plan, and I figure it might help some of these bubbas out considering going west. I can't imagine what that field will be like if/when Ospreys are rocking the joint.
The Aviation Campaign Plan has the answers. Two of those squadrons will be at CamPen. 164 will be the last one to switch--they'll be making -46 crewchiefs until the moment they have to turn out the lights. Right now we're only allowed into Pendleton in conversion mode. I figure the Pendleton squadrons will not work the pattern. They will take a SID east and work the Stumps or Yuma. 161 isn't the TTU. TTU is just a group of IPs attached to MAG-16 to front-load instruction to transition pilots before they go to 204.
I'm still hoping to regain contact with the 2Lt who went thru IFS in either Mobile KBFM, or in Bay Minette. I can see him grinning from ear to ear when he stopped to say Hello and to let me know he had gone to Ospreys. His name just won't come up my memory search. That would have been 3-4 years back so if he made it he should be operational by now. Can anyone help out? Semper Fi Rocky CJHP Alumni
Rock, thru his father, I know of a Capt with VMM-162 (I think) that would probably fit your time frame. I'll PM you his name.
Got some friends in all the operational squadrons (to include KNKX) as we have all tracked together and hit the fleet around the same time. If you find out his name, PM me and Ill put you in contact.
U.S. Air Force Maj. James Rowe, an Air Force CV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft pilot, and co-pilot Capt. Timothy Skypeck, both from the 8th Special Operations Squadron (SOS) "Black Birds," come in for a landing Jan. 26, 2011, during a local training mission at Hurlburt Field, Fla. The Osprey's primary mission in the 8th SOS is insertion, extraction, and re-supply of unconventional warfare forces and equipment into hostile or enemy-controlled territory using airland or airdrop procedures. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Jeremy T. Lock)
Just got back from the 100,000 flight hour ceremony for the V-22. Interesting facts I saw today--for the last 10 years, the MV-22 has had a better mishap rate per flight hour than the USMC as a whole. For the first 100,000 hours, it has had a better safety rate than any new USMC aircraft with the exception of the F/A-18.
The big takeaway from that formation was the fact that all of the Ospreys were in the barn (due to the rain), and just as the brass was beginning to sing the MV-22's praises, one of our Phrogs landed and taxied by the hangar.
