You can have all the training in the world on spatial awareness and disorientation, but it all comes down to your instrument panel; if you don’t believe what they are telling you, you’re going into the ground.
Combination of poor maintenance and how notoriously difficult it is to conduct emergency landings on rough terrain, when engines lose power there is auto rotation which gently guides you down however if there are trees or other obstacles in your way you’re screwed.
This article was very interesting to me. Do you recall when the choppers were dropping from the sky? By that, I mean what year or years? I found your vehicle interesting and the photo of it shooting off a rocket was awesome. Like you I think maintenance should be kept in check. The only real issues are trained personnel, time and money.
My husband,(a veteran Army Captain), who flew AH-1G and Huey in Vietnam for 2 years read this article and it made him sad and reflective of his time in Vietnam. He was an IP, flew 5 different types of helicopters and 3 types of fixed wing. He mentioned perhaps the Army should go back to training pilots to fly the Cobra and Huey. My husband said maintenance is paramount! He said he would check his birds before leaving Tay Ninh, Na Trang even when his men maintained them. Thank you Jweli for your writings and insight
Justin, good work you are doing here. I am a US Army Vet (1976-79) and servrd in Germany. In my first duty station there was an E-4 who was an unofficial leader of the troops. Everyone looked up to him. He rotated out and I never gave him much thought after that. Turns out he left the service for a short time then returned and went to helicopter school. Eventually became a Blackhawk pilot as a Warrant Officer. He was the first chopper down in the Blackhawk Down incident im Mogodishu. His name was Clifton Wolcott. Your story rekindled my thoughts of him and the idea of doing a story about him. Thanks for the follow on Senior Scoops. Do you consider guest posts??
Thank you I appreciate it and Thank you for your service. Your story about the pilot sounds great, and yes I’m always open to guests posts or collaborations.
This is indeed alarming. Any idea what the accident and incident rates are for aviation units? Especially carrier ops. Last time I checked, the number of issues during recovery was crazy.
Full disclosure, I didn't serve. I therefore know nothing.
i’m not sure about aviation, to be honest i thought it was fairly uncommon except for the recent accidents. The military does have an alarming amount of training fatalities though.
I remember a video I saw a few years ago about the P-51 Mustang. The pilot, an older gentleman who knows the plane inside-out, said that it's a plane you MUST fly by the book because it has so little margin for error, and that more pilots died in accidents while learning to fly it than any other airplane. So maybe it's just the nature of the beast?
I have no doubts that U are most likely on a very important point about maintenance, but another thought occurred to me while reading this because, since 2021 car accidents have been noticably higher & it has already been stated that the "shots" cause neuro defects, which spike in accidents have been linked with. So my next question is, how many of those pilots got jabbed?? Because we both know most of the military didn't have much choice & a lot of them thought that it was actually better for them to get it.
Let's not forget the dei infestation infecting the ranks. How many of these crashes are the results of some degenerate in drag deciding they ain't got time for that? It'll scuff my nails, to the shouts of yass kween as the other blue haired oxygen thieves decide to stick it to the patriarchy by not doing their job either.
You’re taking away from vital indoctrination training online and in person that justifies many non combat and non maintenance jobs, berths, sinecures and all who Support The Warfighter ™️ from a safe distance.
Also a great many software contracts.
You must hate Americans.
Clearly also you are for Rape, Racism and Transphobia, as well as probably a Russian Spy.
We don’t have time for this training and maintenance nonsense , soldier.
You can have all the training in the world on spatial awareness and disorientation, but it all comes down to your instrument panel; if you don’t believe what they are telling you, you’re going into the ground.
Combination of poor maintenance and how notoriously difficult it is to conduct emergency landings on rough terrain, when engines lose power there is auto rotation which gently guides you down however if there are trees or other obstacles in your way you’re screwed.
Autorotation “gently guides you down”?
Hmm.
Yes David Charles, so long as you don’t let go of the cyclic there’s no reason you can’t maintain a steady descent, I’ve done it myself.
That’s nice, Hessian. Doesn’t always happen that way, however.
This article was very interesting to me. Do you recall when the choppers were dropping from the sky? By that, I mean what year or years? I found your vehicle interesting and the photo of it shooting off a rocket was awesome. Like you I think maintenance should be kept in check. The only real issues are trained personnel, time and money.
This was in 2023
My husband,(a veteran Army Captain), who flew AH-1G and Huey in Vietnam for 2 years read this article and it made him sad and reflective of his time in Vietnam. He was an IP, flew 5 different types of helicopters and 3 types of fixed wing. He mentioned perhaps the Army should go back to training pilots to fly the Cobra and Huey. My husband said maintenance is paramount! He said he would check his birds before leaving Tay Ninh, Na Trang even when his men maintained them. Thank you Jweli for your writings and insight
I was on S, and F models.
Thank you!
Unlike 'regular' aircraft, there is NO PSR (point of safe return) in a Helo...rotor stops, you have an Unintended Landing.
Justin, good work you are doing here. I am a US Army Vet (1976-79) and servrd in Germany. In my first duty station there was an E-4 who was an unofficial leader of the troops. Everyone looked up to him. He rotated out and I never gave him much thought after that. Turns out he left the service for a short time then returned and went to helicopter school. Eventually became a Blackhawk pilot as a Warrant Officer. He was the first chopper down in the Blackhawk Down incident im Mogodishu. His name was Clifton Wolcott. Your story rekindled my thoughts of him and the idea of doing a story about him. Thanks for the follow on Senior Scoops. Do you consider guest posts??
Thank you I appreciate it and Thank you for your service. Your story about the pilot sounds great, and yes I’m always open to guests posts or collaborations.
This is indeed alarming. Any idea what the accident and incident rates are for aviation units? Especially carrier ops. Last time I checked, the number of issues during recovery was crazy.
Full disclosure, I didn't serve. I therefore know nothing.
i’m not sure about aviation, to be honest i thought it was fairly uncommon except for the recent accidents. The military does have an alarming amount of training fatalities though.
Hmm.
I remember a video I saw a few years ago about the P-51 Mustang. The pilot, an older gentleman who knows the plane inside-out, said that it's a plane you MUST fly by the book because it has so little margin for error, and that more pilots died in accidents while learning to fly it than any other airplane. So maybe it's just the nature of the beast?
That is very possible and I wouldn’t doubt it. My only thought then would be, why is the training currently so lackluster.
I have no doubts that U are most likely on a very important point about maintenance, but another thought occurred to me while reading this because, since 2021 car accidents have been noticably higher & it has already been stated that the "shots" cause neuro defects, which spike in accidents have been linked with. So my next question is, how many of those pilots got jabbed?? Because we both know most of the military didn't have much choice & a lot of them thought that it was actually better for them to get it.
to my understanding it was mandatory during covid
Check out Josh Yoder’s usfreedomflyers.org for info re post jab injuries in pilots.
thank you
That's when the strength of your conviction is called.
I know that a lot of troops started fighting back & refusing, but I don't remember how far into the cycles it was before they started refusing
Let's not forget the dei infestation infecting the ranks. How many of these crashes are the results of some degenerate in drag deciding they ain't got time for that? It'll scuff my nails, to the shouts of yass kween as the other blue haired oxygen thieves decide to stick it to the patriarchy by not doing their job either.
also a very good point, obviously those topics will not be released in articles for.... apparent reasons.
You’re taking away from vital indoctrination training online and in person that justifies many non combat and non maintenance jobs, berths, sinecures and all who Support The Warfighter ™️ from a safe distance.
Also a great many software contracts.
You must hate Americans.
Clearly also you are for Rape, Racism and Transphobia, as well as probably a Russian Spy.
We don’t have time for this training and maintenance nonsense , soldier.
what a time we live in you know