My hands smell like jet fuel.
This may or may not turn out to be a permanent state of affairs. Every liquid and certain solid components in this helicopter are known to be carcinogenic. The IPs strongly recommend that we bring a pair of work gloves, distinct from our flight gloves, for use in pre- and [...]
If you ask an Army flight school student about the toughest part of flight training, you could get any of a number of answers. Some people just have a hard time in instruments. Others never really internalize how to fly tactically, less than 50 feet above the terrain using only a map and the seat [...]
I’ve decided to keep the Black Hawk.
As with most decisions, this was a matter of finding the appropriate context. I was having a hard time doing that earlier because the ideal context, in which I had the opportunity to try both aircraft and choose after, was impossible. It’s no good trying to predict how well [...]
In more news: I just got an opportunity. I can keep the UH-60, which was my second choice of helicopter–or I can switch to the OH-58, which was my first. I have 24 hours to make the decision.
Pros of switching: I get guns. I get a more interesting mission.
Cons of switching: I class up a [...]
Right now, I’m in a bubble. This is just one of those inexplicable absurdities of flight school: as flight training is very expensive and very perishable, one would expect to be rushed through as quickly as possible. Instead, there is a mandatory, months-long wait between finishing primary and beginning training in your advanced aircraft. It’s [...]
I picked up the miniaturized version of TM 1-1520-237-10 yesterday. It’s a book, two inches by six by eight: the operator’s manual for the Black Hawk. Today I’ve spent a little time browsing through to find interesting pieces of information.
The rotor system shall not be shut down in winds exceeding 45 knots. Presumably, in such [...]
The Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk is a medium-lift utility or assault helicopter derived from the twin-turboshaft engine, single rotor Sikorsky S-70. The primary mission of this helicopter is that of tactical transport of troops, medical evacuation, cargo, and reconnaissance within the capabilities of the helicopter.
This is what I will fly. Training begins in the next [...]
Some facts about my activities of late:
We are required to produce a map book. This book contains 30 infantry-scale maps, 1:50,000. The maps are folded in such a way that you can flip the ‘pages’ in any of the four cardinal directions and get to the appropriate adjacent map. The maps are marked up to [...]
In other news, I just passed the military competency exam. This means that when I get my military wings, the FAA will recognize them as qualifications to fly as a civilian commercial pilot as well.
Today was the last day of the Instruments section of flight school. I therefore had to take a check ride: a flight with an alternate instructor pilot whose sole job in the flight was to evaluate my performance. The weather was perfect for an instrument check ride: overcast and hazy; just above the minimum weather [...]