Para examp-lo:
Phrog: "Land immediately is self-explanatory."
TH-57: "Land immediately means execute a landing without delay. The primary consideration is to assure the survival of the occupants."
The great thing about choppering is that, depending on where you are/what you're doing (METT-TSLABCBBD for the Kool-Aid drinkers), the easiest thing to do for most EPs is simply land and figure it out on deck. Due to our normal altitudes and ability to land most anywhere, most of the time you can be safely on terra ferma before anything progresses beyond the initial indications. Land, troubleshoot...and if it's too bad, call the ODO and begin the maintenance effort. No biggie. In fact, most Marine chopper dudes will always carry a small overnight bag with some food/water/clothes, as it is a matter of
when (not
if) you will be an overnight resident of the Hotel Boeing or the Chateau de Sikorsky. (Why this always seems to happen in the Yuma Range complex is beyond me... Must have something to do with the engine failures I always seemed to get over LZ-53 in the RAG or Tree Field in the HTs...)
Now, EPs over water, deep in Indian Country, flying through mountainous terrain, etc: These are the scenarios upon which HAC boards are built. This is why they pay us the big bucks...albeit not as much as DynCorp
My only regret at Miramar is that I never had a "Land ASA Possible" EP over Torrey Pines during the Buick Open
