Army Aviation to Revamp Training
WASHINGTON: The Army Aviation Branch is in the process of overhauling its entire training program, said Command Sgt. Maj. Greg M. Chambers. Soldiers of the 10th Combat Aviation Brigade work on a Black Hawk helicopter at Camp Mihail Kogalniceanu, Romania, Sept. 23, 2017. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by David Vergun) Chambers, who is the command sergeant major of the U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence and Fort Rucker, said the center is now working on development of a new maintenance training program for enlisted maintenance personnel. The center is also examining the advanced individual training programs of instruction to determine...
Learn MoreBell’s New V-280 Tiltrotor Achieves First Flight
By Kyle Mizokami / Popular Mechanics: A contender to replace the UH-60 Black Hawk in U.S. military service just achieved first flight. The V-280 Valor tiltrotor lifted off the ground and briefly hovered, the first in a long and rigorous testing schedule. The V-280 uses new tiltrotor technology and will fly farther and faster than conventional helicopters it was designed to replace. The first tiltrotor in three decades finally takes to the air. The UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter is the U.S. Army’s standard medium lift helicopter. The latest version, the UH-60M has a cruising speed of 151 knots, a combat...
Learn MoreVietnam-era AH-1 Cobra ushered in modern attack fleet
By Nathan Pfau, Army Flier Staff Writer: Before the AH-64 Apache became the might of the skies for Army Aviation, another aircraft was paving the way for the Army’s modern attack helicopter fleet. This AH-1 G-model Cobra sits in storage at the U.S. Army Aviation Museum and sports a unique paint job, featuring a shark’s mouth, which many consider synonymous with the Cobra look. Photo by Nathan Pfau The Bell AH-1 Cobra, three of which sit in the U.S. Army Aviation Museum’s inventory, became the world’s first attack helicopter and was born out the need for a faster, more aggressive...
Learn MoreArmy consolidates Apache AH-64E upgrade testing to create efficiency
REDSTONE ARSENAL, Alabama – The U.S. Army is realigning its Follow-On Test and Evaluation (FOT&E) of technology insertions in the AH-64E Apache helicopter to increase efficiency and effectiveness. The test is now planned to occur in the third quarter of Fiscal Year 2019. FOTE II was previously scheduled for the third quarter of Fiscal Year 2018. An AH-64E Apache / dvidshub.net “The realignment of the FOT&E is partially related to technical maturity but more heavily influenced by the opportunity to improve efficiency, effectiveness, and align multiple capabilities,” said Col. Joseph Hoecherl Apache Helicopter Project Manager. “Realigning FOTE II enables the...
Learn MoreCH-34 CHOCTAW
16-place cargo and light tactical transport helicopter. Sikorsky Aircraft Division, Stratford, Conn. Ch-34 Choctaw, originally the H-34 ENGINESOne Curtiss-Wright R-1B20-B4 piston engine of 1,425 hp ROTOR SYSTEMSingle four-bladed main rotof, and four-bladed metal, 9 ft. 4 in. dio. antitorque rotor. SPECIFICATIONSRotor diameter, 56 ft. Overall length, 65 ft. B in . Height, 15 ft. 10 in. Emptyweight, 7,675 lb. Gross weight, 13,000 lb. Overload gross wt, 14,000 lb. PERFORMANCEMax. speed (Slh 122 mph. Cruise speed (Slh 10B mph. Service ceiling, 649,500 ft. Hover ceiling lOGE) , 2,400 ft. Max. range, 276 st. mi. Rate of climb, 1,100 fpm. REMARKSThe Army...
Learn MoreNational Army Museum Launches Online Store Gifts and souvenirs benefit Museum construction
ARLINGTON, Va. – The Army Historical Foundation has launched the National Museum of the United States Army’s online Museum Store, offering Army apparel, souvenirs, gifts, and a line of exclusive National Army Museum products. Every purchase will support the ongoing construction of the Museum, which is expected to open in late 2019. Orders can be processed and delivered within a week, making it the ideal option for those shopping for Army gifts this holiday season. The store includes popular items such as Army hats, sweatshirts, Under Armor gear, and water bottles. The selections also feature a line of more unique...
Learn MoreEnhancing Training: Aviation Soldiers Collaborate With Artillery
By Nathan Pfau, Army Flier Staff Writer / TRADOC News Center: FORT RUCKER, Ala. — The U.S. Army consists of multiple organizations designed to work as one when taking on world threats, and members of two Army centers of excellence came together recently to ensure seamless collaboration when it comes to working together. The U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence reached out to the Fires Center of Excellence in Fort Sill, Oklahoma, to provide expertise in Aviation tactics, doctrine and simulation, as well as to build relationships to better enhance training, according to Capt. Robert Kelly, 1st Battalion, 145th Aviation Regiment, combined...
Learn MoreThe Army is Bringing Back Pilot Retention Bonuses
By Meghann Myers / Army Times: By the numbers, the Army has 110 percent of the certified aviators it needs. The issue is keeping the right experience levels in each formation. Army AH-64E Apache helicopters land at Orchard Combat Training Center, Idaho, Sept. 29, 2016. The Army is planning new retention bonuses to encourage experienced pilots to stay. (Army) To get at the problem, the service is eyeing a new set of retention bonuses to encourage seasoned pilots to stay in the Army.A revival of the bonus program is due later this month, the director of aviation in the Army G-3/5/7...
Learn MoreThe Artists Who Dealt Death from the Sky in Vietnam
By Rory Tingle / DailyMail.com: These never before seen pictures from the Vietnam War show the spectacular artwork that helicopter pilots painted on their choppers during the brutal conflict. Images daubed on helicopters included popular cartoon characters such as the Incredible Hulk, Road Runner and the Green Hornet. Green Hornet, D Company, 227th Assault Helicopter Battalion, Lai Khe, 1969. Maintained by Steven Buker CE (pictured), it was named after the fictional, masked crime-fighter of comic book, radio, film, and TV fame Some of the artworks are threatening, including a white skull painted on a red background, but most are playful and innocent. Other pictures...
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