Aussie Chooks in Afghanistan
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Aussie Chooks in Afghanistan
From the SMH at:
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/chi...817073259.html
Great to see the Chooksters getting well-deserved recognition. But two Chooks up there - doesn't leave many back home; what's the fleet these days - four? six?
Chinook crew's skills make them mission leaders
Cynthia Banham
September 1, 2006 - 12:08PM
It's difficult to imagine a more difficult environment in which to land a helicopter: intense heat at high altitude, on a black and moonless night, engulfed by thick, billowing dust and the Taliban hiding all around you.
These are the conditions in which 80 Defence Force personnel have been working as a part of Australia's Chinook detachment in Kandahar since March. This week the Herald visited the Australian camp, Camp Baker, where the Chinooks are based.
The two Chinooks, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Brett Greenland and part of a coalition task force known as "Night Hawk", have been supporting special forces troops in the dangerous provinces of southern and eastern Afghanistan.
Their role is vital. Chinooks, because of their power, are the only helicopters which can perform in conditions where temperatures can reach 50 degrees.
And the Australian aircraft and aircrews are second to none. The helicopters were upgraded before being deployed in Afghanistan and the pilots are so skilled that an Australian Chinook is always given the lead role when it is on a mission with an aircraft from another country.
The missions are always dangerous and the Chinook will always have an escort, sometimes an armed one.
The crew aims to complete a mission within seven hours, using intelligence to avoid flying over terrain where the Taliban are known to be hiding. They stop to offload their cargo - special forces troops or supplies - as quickly as possible.
Colonel Greenland says at night it's as "black as the inside of a cow's guts". One of the pilots, Captain Doug White, 27, says, "It's like looking through little toilet rolls with cellophane over it and the lights turned out."
Night-time is not necessarily the worst. Quite often, as the Chinook is coming in to land, a dust cloud will sneak up behind it. This is where the aircrew at the back of the helicopter come in, telling the pilot how close the dust is so they can safely manoeuvre the aircraft out of danger.
When the dust reaches the front of the aircraft, the pilot cannot see the terrain ahead.
Warrant Officer Andy Fieldhouse, 42, who is the loadmaster on the Chinooks, says the dust "curls up", just like the surf.
Despite the dangers another pilot, Captain Dan Cash, 38, says what he is doing in Afghanistan is "some of the best flying" he will do in his career.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/chi...817073259.html
Great to see the Chooksters getting well-deserved recognition. But two Chooks up there - doesn't leave many back home; what's the fleet these days - four? six?
Chinook crew's skills make them mission leaders
Cynthia Banham
September 1, 2006 - 12:08PM
It's difficult to imagine a more difficult environment in which to land a helicopter: intense heat at high altitude, on a black and moonless night, engulfed by thick, billowing dust and the Taliban hiding all around you.
These are the conditions in which 80 Defence Force personnel have been working as a part of Australia's Chinook detachment in Kandahar since March. This week the Herald visited the Australian camp, Camp Baker, where the Chinooks are based.
The two Chinooks, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Brett Greenland and part of a coalition task force known as "Night Hawk", have been supporting special forces troops in the dangerous provinces of southern and eastern Afghanistan.
Their role is vital. Chinooks, because of their power, are the only helicopters which can perform in conditions where temperatures can reach 50 degrees.
And the Australian aircraft and aircrews are second to none. The helicopters were upgraded before being deployed in Afghanistan and the pilots are so skilled that an Australian Chinook is always given the lead role when it is on a mission with an aircraft from another country.
The missions are always dangerous and the Chinook will always have an escort, sometimes an armed one.
The crew aims to complete a mission within seven hours, using intelligence to avoid flying over terrain where the Taliban are known to be hiding. They stop to offload their cargo - special forces troops or supplies - as quickly as possible.
Colonel Greenland says at night it's as "black as the inside of a cow's guts". One of the pilots, Captain Doug White, 27, says, "It's like looking through little toilet rolls with cellophane over it and the lights turned out."
Night-time is not necessarily the worst. Quite often, as the Chinook is coming in to land, a dust cloud will sneak up behind it. This is where the aircrew at the back of the helicopter come in, telling the pilot how close the dust is so they can safely manoeuvre the aircraft out of danger.
When the dust reaches the front of the aircraft, the pilot cannot see the terrain ahead.
Warrant Officer Andy Fieldhouse, 42, who is the loadmaster on the Chinooks, says the dust "curls up", just like the surf.
Despite the dangers another pilot, Captain Dan Cash, 38, says what he is doing in Afghanistan is "some of the best flying" he will do in his career.
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Lessons learnt from the first deployment to the 'ghan in '02 included bring your own air transport so you don't have to rely on the yanks.
And bring your own reaction force, too.
Don't know about "intense heat on a mountaintop", though.
Well done to all the lads over there.
And bring your own reaction force, too.
Don't know about "intense heat on a mountaintop", though.
the Chinook will always have an escort, sometimes an armed one
Well done to all the lads over there.
