Current Issue Articles
How To “Fight Tonight” As Complexity Increases – Supervised Autonomy
Aviation Branch Chief / By MG William K. Gayler: Every time someone says that aviation will not be a factor on the future battlefield due to the IADS (integrated air defense systems) threat, they are completely wrong and misinformed. Let’s consider a scenario to illustrate the point. An Army CH-47 Chinook cargo helicopter crew member types a message on his phone to communicate over the engine noise of the helicopter during an air assault exercise on Sept. 14, 2017, at Fort Hood, TX. Army Chinook and AH-64 Apache attack helicopter crews worked with Air Force joint terminal attack controllers to...
Learn MoreWorking Hard and Giving Thanks
It is hard to believe how fast 2017 is flying by! It seems like we just left the Army Aviation Mission Solutions Summit and now we are in the midst of celebrating Thanksgiving with the New Years and religious holidays just ahead. AAAA National President BG (Ret.) Steve Mundt opens the 13th Luther G. Jones Aviation Depot Forum Oct. 4, 2017 at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, Texas. We have just finished our series of Fall symposia to include the Luther Jones Depot Forum at Corpus Christi, TX and the Aircraft Survivability Equipment and Joseph P. Cribbins Product...
Learn MoreThe Miracle of Grandchildren
Family Forum / By Judy Konitzer: Tom and I have had an amazing journey as grandparents for twenty-one years. Our 9 grands (and soon to add twins in March) range in age from 1 to 21 and live in 4 different states as well as Australia. COL Charles Heckel, a retired Aviator, was always there for his friend’s grandchildren, pictured with Kimberly and Rob Ewing. Nevertheless, thanks to daily phone calls, FaceTime, frequent visits, the ever-popular “Camp Nana,” and most holidays, we do stay close to them and in turn they stay close to each other. In many ways being...
Learn MoreThe U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command at 20 Years
From the Field / By Kaylene Hughes, Ph.D.: On the afternoon of July 17, 1997, U.S. Army Materiel Command (AMC) Commander, GEN Johnnie E. Wilson, presided over the provisional stand-up ceremony for the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command (AMCOM) thereby merging the Army’s missile and aviation commands as recommended by the 1995 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC-95) Commission. As part of the approved BRAC-95 action, the PEO Aviation also relocated from St. Louis, Missouri, to Redstone Arsenal. AMCOM Activation Ceremony, July 17, 1997. Standing left to right: MG James M. Link, GEN Johnnie E. Wilson, MG Emmitt E. Gibson....
Learn MoreThe Degraded Visual Environment
Aviation Support / By Mr. Shawn Gresham: To maintain Army Aviation’s asymmetric advantage over our enemies and mitigate risk, the Degraded Visual Environment (DVE) Product Office is committed to delivering solutions that will provide our pilots the capability to fly and maneuver in degraded visual environments. PM DVE COURTESY PHOTO MONTAGE The U.S. Army Aviation community defines a DVE as an environment of reduced visibility, wherein situational awareness of the aircrew or control of the aircraft can be completely lost, or cannot be maintained as comprehensively as they are during flight operations within clear or undiminished visibility. DVE conditions are...
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