The object of the trial was to assess whether a night casevac could be carried out from the HQ clearing in the middle of primary jungle some 40 miles away. For the uninitiated this would be simple; fly on DR until overhead, look at some lights and land. However, this was to be under combat conditions so no lights to be carried and none on the ground.
The plot was to use an AAC Beaver, the one seen in the Tawau picture, who would position overhead using his army radio homer and when we were approaching he would fire off large illumination parachute flares which would, if the plan worked out, illuminate the area sufficiently for us to identify and carry out an approach and landing without landing lights; sounds easy. We also had to remember that this operation may have to be carried out by a pilot who may have less than 500 hrs total and no more than a dozen or so hours instrument flying on helicopters and possible none in the last month.
I was going to fly it and Ian was going to ride shotgun. The Beaver had flares that were designed to light up a battleground and apparently even when we were flying under them we were still virtually invisible in the night. We had our normal pair of Schemullies which we carried so as to illuminate the scene of our impending crash.
You have to remember that the clearing was about one hundred yards by fifty surrounded by 180 ft. trees. With the pad in the middle there is a 60 degree approach angle so one does not get a proper visual picture until one is virtually at the tree line and this had to be done and then the landing before the flare burned out. To return the Beaver would fire off another flare which would give us sufficient light to take off and establish a climb without hitting anything. The Beaver had four flares but it needed two for itself to illuminate its own crash site.
The Beaver launched and we took off about five minutes later. This would give him about fifteen minutes to establish his position overhead. He would be relying on his homer because there were no lights on the ground; combat conditions. It was pitch black; full cloud cover and being primary jungle not a glimmer of a light. It was straight on the instruments once settled on course. I flew the required track and distance and with two minutes to go asked for a quick flash from the Beaver’s navigation lights. They came up briefly ahead and above and we called for the flare.
POW!!!! AND LET THERE BE LIGHT.
The clearing was about half-a- mile at the 2 oclock. A descending S turn and we approached over the trees. We had just touched down and the flare went out; and so did our night vision. We could sense some activity around us so Ian held the stick whilst I taxed my memory climbing down the side. Somebody was bleating about wanting us to take the mail back so I told him to throw it in the back and climbed back up.
We were starting to make out a few things as our pupils started expanding and called for the second flare. Again the world lit up and we took off and climbed out. I had managed to point it in the right direction when the flare went out and we were on our own. This time we had avoided looking at the flare so we settled into the cruise.
I described on the posts about learning to fly helicopters that they are naturally unstable. With the Whirlwind there is no feel or even friction on the control stick so overcontrolling and disorientation comes naturally and this was one of the objects of the trial. I was coping quite comfortably because I was ex Vforce and had more instrument hours than some of the other pilots had total. Being on Tankers I was used to keeping an aeroplane precisely at a speed and height because an aircraft tanking off you needed that to engage properly. Because of this instrument flying on Whirlwinds presented no problems. Ian, however, felt that a first tourist may not be able to cope in the same way. In fact even he was not comfortable watching me fly it.
After about ten minutes the lights of Tauwau emerged from the gloom and we relaxed a bit. The washup brought a similar observation from the Beaver pilot as he didn’t particularly like flying over the jungle with one engine in the dark either. The subject was never brought up again.
Next: The Lumatan Incident
Last edited by Fareastdriver; 25th Nov 2016 at 08:01.