USN HT's a calamity

[SynixMan]

The Navy likes to own its toys and be in control of the service contracts. I don't see them being fans of rentals with their hands tied to one vendor around the entire syllabus.

As for moving it to Rucker, I'm doubtful the have the bandwidth for us, let alone the training differences. You'd spend just as much money expanding the facilities there as you would buying new copters. I'd put my money on the 119.

 

[Randy Daytona]

Ok Mr. @Randy Daytona - so what next then? Army is all in on UH-72/EC145v for ab-initio training. Air Force is doing T-6 to TH-1H (Huey II, glass cockpit) - how soon before Undersecretary Smith pitches consolidation. Marine Corps and USCG could care less who trains - leaving Big Navy to fight this one on their own.

What does your crystal ball say?

 

[Gatordev]

Also needs to be GPS/WAAS compatible with the ability to do coupled (preferably 4-axis) LPV's.

I don't really see this as a requirement. The fleet doesn't have this, so we'd be back in the position where the HT aircraft has more capability (and more importantly, someone paid for that capability) than what the fleet will be using until FVL (whatever that might look like).

If money is already tight, why buy the capability when you can still shoot a hand-flown ILS or LNAV, both of which is all the fleet can do for the foreseeable future.

 

[Treetop Flyer]

As far as moving to Dothan goes, I don't see it. I've flown there a few times and it's a madhouse. No way they could take the extra capacity training naval aviators.

 

[Jim123]

You guys are putting way too much common sense into this...

 

[Randy Daytona]

I don't really see this as a requirement. The fleet doesn't have this, so we'd be back in the position where the HT aircraft has more capability (and more importantly, someone paid for that capability) than what the fleet will be using until FVL (whatever that might look like).

If money is already tight, why buy the capability when you can still shoot a hand-flown ILS or LNAV, both of which is all the fleet can do for the foreseeable future.

If you have an ILS and a GPS - there is no reason not to have a GPS with WAAS capability. It is not that much more expensive, if it is more expensive at all. When you fly one, you punch the same buttons and see basically the same thing on the display - it is simply following the GPS glideslope vice the ILS glideslope. WAAS GPS's are becoming common in the civilian world - might as well get it now, since it is the future (and in some places the present).

For the training command, it allows the command to set up simulated approaches in both the eastern and western operating areas where SNA's can shoot LPV's - which are for all intents and purposes the same as Cat 1 ILS's. This reduces congestion and avoids the conga line around the ILS 17 at KPNS and the ILS 32 at KNDZ (which goes down when actual IFR due to Eglin owning the airspace). It also allows a multitude of more diverts as sooner or later, the majority of airports will have LPV "precision" approaches. (Right now, technically the LPV is not a "precision" approach although it has a glideslope, it has minimums down to 200 and 1/2 and you are allowed to call it a "precision" approach if your DH is below 300ft.)

Is Whiting or the fleet teaching or even discussing these approaches now?

 

[Ralph]

What's wrong with moving it to Alabama, the AF did it.

 

[RobLyman]

What is this "moving to Dothan" thing? Ya'll know Ft. Rucker ain't in no DOTHAN! It's nestled between the two thriving metropolis of Enterprise (which has a statue downtown of a woman holding a boll weevil) and Daleville. It's like saying Whiting is in Pensacola. It's near Pensacola (which is WAY cooler than Dothan).

Having participated in both the Navy and Army aviator training, do NOT attempt to copy what the Army does. The Navy does a much better job of training aviators. MUCH BETTER. Also, not everyone in the Army is keen (tall) on using the UH-72 for primary training.

 

[Gatordev]

I failed to emphasize what I was talking about in my quote.

If you have an ILS and a GPS - there is no reason not to have a GPS with WAAS capability. It is not that much more expensive, if it is more expensive at all. When you fly one, you punch the same buttons and see basically the same thing on the display - it is simply following the GPS glideslope vice the ILS glideslope. WAAS GPS's are becoming common in the civilian world - might as well get it now, since it is the future (and in some places the present).

I completely agree. I was just arguing the 4-axis coupler was unnecessary. Otherwise I'm fully onboard with getting WAAS.

 

[MIDNJAC]

If you take the word "NAVY" and the US roundels off the birds, this looks like the ramp of a banana republic. Not sure if it is the aging Jet Rangers, or the building in the background that looks like it should be condemned…..or the uncontrolled foliage……

Seriously though, this picture tells me everything I need to know about what level of priority the Navy places on the HT's…..do you guys even have computers yet?

Seriously, it is probably time you had a new orange and white bird, that TH-119 looks pretty cool.

 

[Jim123]

That was in Millington for the Hurricane Ivan evacuation, September 2004.

 

[IKE]

That was in Millington for the Hurricane Ivan evacuation, September 2004.

So, the Navy places a low priority on things at Millington?

 

[Jim123]

So, the Navy places a low priority on things at Millington?

Ha!

Funny thing, after that cluster, our hurrevacs were dispersed instead of flying to training wings to one location (and getting there to find out the other training wing had the same idea). Another funny thing, it paid to be in the later waves of helicopters... by then the Q at Millington was completely full from all the fixed wing pukes who'd got there first, so we had to stay out in town at establishments such as the Peabody, a few blocks from Beal Street with its fine food and drink, across the street from the Flying Saucer... Sorry, most of those three days are a blur.

 

[TimeBomb]

With the exception of a few carve-outs on the north side, the Navy had long before ceded that land, including the airfield, over to the city of Millington. Their standards appear to be low.

That said, the south side of the base, the home of Navy Personnel Command, Navy Recruiting Command and a few other tenant commands looked a lot like the TV show "Life After People" for most of the time I was there. So, yes, appearances would suggest that CNIC doesn't place a high priority on Millington.
R/

 

[Ralph]

What is this "moving to Dothan" thing? Ya'll know Ft. Rucker ain't in no DOTHAN! It's nestled between the two thriving metropolis of Enterprise (which has a statue downtown of a woman holding a boll weevil) and Daleville. It's like saying Whiting is in Pensacola. It's near Pensacola (which is WAY cooler than Dothan).

Having participated in both the Navy and Army aviator training, do NOT attempt to copy what the Army does. The Navy does a much better job of training aviators. MUCH BETTER. Also, not everyone in the Army is keen (tall) on using the UH-72 for primary training.

I'm curious what the Navy does better than the Army?