Chinook Rescue on Mt. Hood in Oregon
Thread Starter
Chinook Rescue on Mt. Hood in Oregon
Once again the Chinook is put to use as a Rescue Helicopter in high altitude mountain rescue operations.
Watch This CH-47 Chinook Stick An Awesome Pinnacle Landing During Mount Hood Rescue - The Drive
Watch This CH-47 Chinook Stick An Awesome Pinnacle Landing During Mount Hood Rescue - The Drive
Some great flying exhibited in that picture, SAS. With the pilots not having a lot of reference ( to put it mildly ) from where they are sitting, it reflects on superior crew coordination with the crew in back. Well done.
The use of the CH-47 to perform the altitude rescue mission highlights the different approach taken by the Army in growing the CH-47 and the UH-60. I might have mentioned here previously ( perhaps not ? ) that a basic design decision within Sikorsky for the S-92 was to use a four blade main rotor, and an engine/transmission configuration similar to the H-60, with the distinct purpose in mind of making the entire drive train ( engines, rotors and transmissions ) available for installation in a growth military H-60. I’m not aware that ever achieved any serious consideration by the Army, but if it had, the resulting altitude performance would have been mightily enhanced. As events in Afghanistan progressed, one wonders if that subject ever came up at the higher echelons.
The use of the CH-47 to perform the altitude rescue mission highlights the different approach taken by the Army in growing the CH-47 and the UH-60. I might have mentioned here previously ( perhaps not ? ) that a basic design decision within Sikorsky for the S-92 was to use a four blade main rotor, and an engine/transmission configuration similar to the H-60, with the distinct purpose in mind of making the entire drive train ( engines, rotors and transmissions ) available for installation in a growth military H-60. I’m not aware that ever achieved any serious consideration by the Army, but if it had, the resulting altitude performance would have been mightily enhanced. As events in Afghanistan progressed, one wonders if that subject ever came up at the higher echelons.
A good job that is technically more demanding than it looks - poor visual hover references for the pilot and excellent CRM required between front and rear crew to voice marshall the rear wheels on.
Thread Starter
Brother Dixson,
Having done some of these kinds of landings....never as extreme as on Mt. Hood....but on some very steep mountain ridge lines....I can attest the lack of visual reference is a distinct problem.
As you well know....lateral visibility looking aft from the Pilot's window is limited....and with lots of air around the rest of the bit you can see...and what you can see is a very long way off....handling can get interesting.
Add in some smoke haze, fog, or darkness that further obscures one's visual references and it can get very sporty.
Compound that with the use of NVG's....and you begin to earn all that Flight Pay the Army gives you.
Having done some of these kinds of landings....never as extreme as on Mt. Hood....but on some very steep mountain ridge lines....I can attest the lack of visual reference is a distinct problem.
As you well know....lateral visibility looking aft from the Pilot's window is limited....and with lots of air around the rest of the bit you can see...and what you can see is a very long way off....handling can get interesting.
Add in some smoke haze, fog, or darkness that further obscures one's visual references and it can get very sporty.
Compound that with the use of NVG's....and you begin to earn all that Flight Pay the Army gives you.
Thread Starter
At just over Two Dollars per day Hostile Fire Pay.....I did feel extremely under paid at times!
Almost like the boost in Local Allowances when I went to Somalia from Nigeria for Bristow.
Almost like the boost in Local Allowances when I went to Somalia from Nigeria for Bristow.
