Innovative Procurement Practices Today Help Control Future Costs
PEO for Aviation / BG Robert L. Marion: The rising cost of aviation systems in the face of ongoing fiscal challenges underscores the importance of maximizing the effectiveness of every dollar we spend.Years of funding decrements, operating under a continuing resolution and the impending implementation of the Budget Control Act and Sequestration continue to create challenges with an already difficult task of balancing current readiness with investment in future modernization. UH-60V Black Hawk Cockpit / U.S. ARMY PEO AVIATION PHOTO For those in the Army Aviation community, it comes as no surprise that many of our major weapon systems were...
Learn MoreRemembering How We Got Here
President’s cockpit / By E.J. Sinclair, Ret.: This year has truly flown by. In fact, it seems like the last nearly two years of my presidency has flown by. AAAA National President, BG (Ret.) E.J. Sinclair meets with the chapter-sponsored Soldiers attending the Army Aviation Mission Solutions Summit on April 29, 2016 in Atlanta, GA. Under the Professional Forum Soldier Sponsorship program, the chapter selects a junior Soldier and underwrites the travel cost of getting them to the Forum site; AAAA provides one room, registration and tickets to all events for the Soldier and his/her spouse. See the AAAA website...
Learn MoreURIs
Ask the Flight Surgeon / By CPT Erik S. Johnson, D.O.: Q: Doc, I always catch a couple of colds every year. When is a cold considered grounding and what treatments can I use? www.army.mil photo FS: Upper respiratory infections (URIs) such as the common cold are, well, common. While not everyone may experience them every year, most of us experience them at some point in our lives. It would not be surprising for an otherwise healthy pilot to experience two to three bouts with the common cold in a single fall-winter season. Due to their frequency, let’s take a...
Learn MoreWhat Are the Rules for Small Unmanned Aircraft?
AMRDEC Tech Talk / By Mr. Dan H. Beck: It is difficult to keep up with how to legally operate a small unmanned aircraft system (SUAS). It is one of those subjects that you might get several different answers on what is legal and what is not. An RQ-11 Raven hand-launched remote-controlled unmanned aircraft system. / AMRDEC AED PHOTO I am going to step through a couple of different scenarios that will help explain the Army rules, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rules and how they should be applied to your operations. DefinitionFirst off, let’s talk about SUAS basics. All Army...
Learn MoreAdvanced Composite Training
128th Aviation Brigade / By SSG Joshua Hankins: In the continuing quest to find better and faster ways to repair and return aircraft to full mission capable status while offering a stronger, lighter, and cheaper alternative to traditional sheet metal materials, the Army has fully embraced advanced composite structures. Students get hands on experience with the vacuum bag required for advanced composite repairs. / 128th AVN BDE PHOTO Recognizing the advantages of advanced composites in specific aircraft components such as the horizontal stabilators on the UH-60M and the AH-64E, we proceeded without a clear concept or capability to repair in...
Learn MoreMarquis Training…
Reserve Components / By COL J. Ray Davis: Greetings again from your Army National Guard (ARNG). It’s been a few months since I’ve had the chance to share some observations, but even though the following is somewhat dated, it’s still relevant. Arizona Army National Guard AH-64 Apache helicopters at a task force field site at the National Training Center, Fort Irwin, CA, June, 2016./ ARIZONA ARMY NATIONAL GUARD PHOTO In late June, I had the opportunity to visit the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, CA and observe the ARNG Aviation Task Force that was supporting Minnesota’s 1-34th Armored Brigade...
Learn MoreGetting UAS Warrant Officer Training Right
Chief Warrant Officer of the Branch / By CW5 Joseph B. Roland: The Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Warrant Officer (150U), while not new, is still relatively immature. Our ability to fully capitalize and leverage our UAS capabilities is directly related to the level of training and development we invest in our 150U community. An RQ-7 Shadow Unmanned Aircraft System launches at Dugway Proving Ground, Utah. / U.S. ARMY PHOTO A CW2 150U serves as an intermediate level expert who is technically and tactically proficient at leading, training, managing, maintaining, sustaining, and advising the commander on all assigned unmanned systems. He...
Learn MoreUAS: Enhancing Army Aviation Capability for Multi-Domain Battle
Aviation Branch Chief / By MG William K. Gayler: During the past fifteen years of counterinsurgency (COIN)-centric combat where Army Aviation was a fundamental element of our Joint force overmatch, our enemies and adversaries took note and invested in their own capabilities to counter our advantages in continuous mission command and fully integrated combined arms maneuver. A U.S. Army Soldier assigned to 16th Combat Aviation Brigade pushes a Shadow Unmanned Aircraft System back to a maintenance hangar following a successful training flight at Orchard Combat Training Center, Idaho, Oct. 4, 2016. Over 1,000 soldiers from 7th Infantry Division participated in...
Learn MoreMaking Your Voice Heard
President’s Cockpit / By BG E.J. Sinclair, Ret.:We are right in the middle of our Fall busy season and the Christmas holidays are quickly approaching. COL Allan H. Lanceta, commander of Corpus Christi Army Depot, addresses the opening session of the 12th Annual AAAA Luther G. Jones Aviation Sustainment Forum Oct. 19, 2016 in Corpus Christi, Texas. / AAPI PHOTO BY BILL HARRIS Last month featured the AAAA National Executive Board and Scholarship Board meetings during the AUSA Annual Meeting in Washington, DC and the Senior Executive Associates led by GEN Jack Keane also in DC. We also held the...
Learn MorePrograms for Military Kids
Family Forum / By Judy Konitzer: I enjoyed the opportunity to attend AUSA’s Annual Meeting held on October 3-5 in Washington D.C. Not only was I able to network with many of the organizations that support our Soldiers and their families, but I also attended several of the Family Forums that were offered. Cherri Verschraegen, Chief of Army Child and Youth Programs at Installation Management Command headquarters, addresses attendees at the AUSA Family Forum in Washington, DC on October 3, 2016. / ASSOCIATION OF THE U.S. ARMY VIDEO CAPTURE One entitled “An Update on Military Kids: How Are They Doing?...
Learn More
