You don't think we didn't get some of that love from the hajjis up at Al Asad? At least you guys had comfort trailers in TQ... Nothin' but Porta-Johns for us!
Have any of you guys heard of Navy H-60 guys coming to fly with the Army? I read this on previous post. It would probably be great for both sides. I've been in Iraq about 8 months and average about 60 hours a month. About one third of that being goggle time. I see you Marine bubba's flying into downtown Baghdad often. I've seen a few Seahawks up north but haven't seen them flying much. I concur with you phrogpilot73. Al Asad is a shizathole. Flew in there yesterday. Not a nice place.
Gotta love the comfort trailers, when they worked. It sure beat dropping a deuce in a 150 degree porta-john, choking to death on the stench.
bobbybrock, all I've heard is that the Sierras are coming to help w/ Dustoff. But I think you're probably referring that gouge in your post.
Trust me on this one - you got to learn when Hajji came to clean the porta johns. If you were on days, you held it until you got up the hill to work (it would be relatively clean, especially if you knew the schedule, and not too hot when you got there), and if you were on nights, you held it until just before you went to bed (again, somewhat clean, and not so hot). Funny thing was, first time I went to Al Qaim, didn't know they had comfort trailers and dropped a deuce in the worst porta john in my life. Next morning realized, and quickly tracked down a Stars & Stripes to make life complete!
BTW, the HCS squadrons are full time NSW assets flying daily out of Baghdad. They are kicking some serious ass. It takes time to get there though, all of their pilots are TARs.[/QUOTE] Not all of their pilots are Reservists. There are some active bubbas deploying with them. It's all timing and who you work for.
Yes they have assets in country. Very few compared to their sister services. Most of the spec ops support comes from Army MH aircraft. I talked with the skipper of the west coast unit and it will be a thing of the past in a short time. As far as flying daily out of Baghdad I think not.
One thing I can agree with. You apparently haven't done your job right, or were sick that day if you don't have a DFC in tacair. I've only seen one (Primary IP, the extent of my helo knowledges) with one. He was "the man". Good job of leveraging your way into the nitty gritty.
Bobby -- HCS-5 is getting absorbed into HSC-85, and at this point, will lose the mission (unfortunately). I think you may be confusing the merger with the overall mission tasking. The east coast is still going strong.
HSCS, Rog, When I talked to the old skipper he had mentioned that and refered me to their new CDR . He basically said the same thing and also mentioned the mission. I know that they wanted some guys with experince. I think the term used was lots of 'turf time". If I was going to relocate to the SAn Dog area I'd think it'd be a great sqaudron to be in. Looks like they will be getting some sweet air frames. I think he said MH-60S's . To me that seems like a better fit for flying NSW in the sand box.. I got the chance to fly a J-Hawk a few years back. Three point roll-ons aren't very fun when you are used to the tail wheel sitting 10 feet further aft. I'm just curious as to how you guy do dust landing like that.
They still aren't that common in the Marine Corps. I've met two guys with DFC, and they both were helo bubbas. To be honest, I don't see how that many tacair pilots deserve valor awards. I'm not being a smart-ass, I'm just asking where the threat is to those guys. Yeah, you many have dropped some really good bombs, but the hazard to yourself probably wasn't that bad. I'm not saying there weren't isolated cases, but if Navy FW guys all have them, something's really amiss. In anycase, I'd say the awards system has been completely perverted anyways, so who cares? Glad to see the Navy helos doing something besides starboard D, though! Ooh-frickin'-rah!
Don't bring me into this sh-tfest. I agree completely with BCH's first post, and I'm neither a helo clown or a Fighter guy, so leave me out of this.
I'm only in the FRS, but thats what they say the steep approach is for. Using our doppler groundspeed and radalt to help with speed and altitude. The running landings aren't all that hard, but I've only done them in the SH-60B, and probably only 25 or so at that.
Need to check your facts. They have more assets in country thant he HS squadrons. You're right about the not daily out of Baghdad. They are located somewhere north.
The tailwheel on the 60S is better for the brownout landings -- you can carry more speed on short final to stay ahead of the dustcloud. We fly the same profile in the F/H, but the tailwheel configuration is less forgiving. If you get hot low, you have to waveoff -- you can't simply add more nose attitude or else you will drag the stab.
1rotorhead, Well my facts are based of 05 info and come straight from the head shed. They send the report that show just how many a airframes are in country. And yes the guys up north as you say share their side of the airfield with other rotary winged special ops assets. I'm sure they have assets that aren't reported. But if they are reporting 160th assets I'm sure the Navy ones are pretty accurate. Aside from the dets in Kuwait and the few from the reserve up north that is about it for helo assets on the Navy side.
I assume you are referring to your own aircraft. In the F/H we have a caution (note?) that says nothing above 13 degs nose up below 15 ft. That's because we will hit the stinger/stab.
HH-60H has it right on the nose -- and that is my point. The 60S is able to hold a higher nose attitude to the deck. However, we proved that it is possible to tag a stab from a 20' hover in a 60S -- you just have to have a little extra wing down and be nose high.
Greg, Using the RAG/Homefield steep approach, you will brownout in the desert. Real bad. I have done ~10 "brown" landings in Kuwait/Southern Iraq, and you have to come in way hotter than the "steep" approach. Gotta stay ahead of the cloud. 60B has the same 13 degrees below 15 feet restriction as the F/H (same airframe, just more crap hung off it). You can come in hot, but it is a lot less forgiving than a taildragger (A/L/S types)
