Michigan Army National Guard fields Transportable Black Hawk Operations Simulator

Photo By Sgt. 1st Class James Downen | Michigan National Guard Warrant Officer James Estep of B Company, 1st Battalion, 147th Aviation, conducts pre-flight checks prior to a simulated flight mission using the Rockwell Collins' Transportable Black Hawk Operation Simulator at Camp Grayling Army Airfield, Mich., on Dec. 9, 2013. The T-BOS utilizes computer simulation screen graphics and an extensive digital terrain database to give pilots realistic flying conditions when they train using the simulator. The T-BOS saves Army budget money because the pilots do not need to use expensive aviation fuel to maintain their flight skills when using the simulator. (Army National Guard photo by Sgt. 1st Class Jim Downen Jr/ Released)  

MI, UNITED STATES

12.09.2013

Story by Sgt. 1st Class James Downen 

Michigan National Guard

GRAYLING, Mich. - Today, all elements of the U.S. Army face budget cuts yet have the need to meet Army training and safety standards to be rated as fully mission capable. The Michigan Army National Guard is no exception to this dictum and has invested in an aviation flight simulator, the Rockwell Collins’ Transportable Black Hawk Operations Simulator, allowing aviation units to train while saving money because flight simulators do not require aviation fuel or aircraft maintenance expenses.

The T-BOS was developed and deployed at the same time as the new Army UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter. T-BOS simulates the Black Hawk M model featuring a cockpit with identical controls, computer graphics screens and digital video flight scenarios generated by computers based on real world maps. The T-BOS can be retrofitted to simulate the older UH-60L Black Hawk helicopter, which is still in service with some Army aviation units. As its name states, the T-BOS is transportable and can be moved, if needed, to train aviators in any location.

On Dec. 9, 2013, Michigan Army National Guard pilots, Warrant Officers James Estep and Joe Hinjosa conducted flight simulator training at Grayling Army Airfield in Grayling, Mich. The pilots were monitored and evaluated by Computer Science Corporation technicians John Brunner, Sean Gale and Christopher Brillantes.

Brillantes said, “With the T-BOS, we can put the pilots through a variety of difficult scenarios, including flying in protective masks and clothing. This allows the pilots to adapt to changes in perception using personal protective equipment without the risk of making mistakes while in flight.”

The pilots conducted pre-flight checks and were supervised by the CSC technicians during their flight mission. Each scenario was recorded and monitored by computers, allowing detailed after action reviews of each scenario encountered. The digital screen displaying the terrain for the pilots also portrayed environmental conditions, such as dust and rain that pilots will encounter during flight.

Estep and Hinjosa were evaluated on emergency procedures ranging from impeded fuel flow to stalls while training using the T-BOS.

Estep said, “We both used the T-BOS while we were in flight school at the Army Aviation Center in Fort Rucker, Ala. Using the T-BOS re-enforces the need to communicate verbally with your co-pilot during emergency procedures. Announcing all steps as you execute them insures they are carried out and this can keep the aircraft from crashing.”

Hinjosa said, “We were taught to recite emergency procedures from the flight manual, but actually performing them in the cockpit allows you to develop muscle memory of the procedure. This re-enforces that each step is an action with consequences.”

The simulated mission Estep and Hinjosa performed in the T-BOS would have used 18,000 pounds of aviation fuel and required maintenance expenses had they flown a UH-60M Black Hawk that day. The emergency procedures they performed in the scenarios are too risky for flight operations over U.S. airspace.

Hinjosa said, “The major advantage of the T-BOS is that we can train for stalls and crashes without risking a real aircraft, and much more importantly, not endanger American citizens on the ground. If we encounter any flight hazards on a real mission, we have the training and muscle memory we will need to keep people from getting hurt and that’s the most important aspect of T-BOS training.”

Estep said, “We will use the T-BOS twice a year, for a total of six days and the bulk of that training is orientated towards safety. Both the aviators and the tax-paying citizens will benefit from the advantages of the T-BOS being in the Michigan Army National Guard inventory.”

CSC instructor-operator John Brunner said, “We are looking at training about three Army Guard and Reserve aviation units per month at Grayling Army Airfield. Our equipment and training enhance flight safety and saves money as well. This is important because budgets are shrinking, yet we still have aviation units that are deploying and aviation safety is non-negotiable. The T-BOS is one tool that will keep Army aviators and the citizens blow them safe when they fly over American soil, should they encounter any sort of hazard.”

• Date Taken: 12.09.2013
• Date Posted: 12.11.2013 16:18
• Story ID: 118058
• Location: MI, US