Helicopter simulators give Army pilots feel for real thing

Courtesy Photo | CAMP TAJI, Iraq -- Chief Warrant Officer Troy A. DeGolyer, A Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment (Attack Reconnaissance), watches a bank of monitors during an instrument evaluation flight on the Longbow Crew Trainer. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Jennifer D. Atkinson, Aviation Brigade PAO)  

TAJI, IRAQ

10.19.2005

Courtesy Story

DVIDS Hub       

Spc. Jennifer D. Atkinson
Aviation Brigade PAO

CAMP TAJI, Iraq -- The view outside the Apache cockpit is a smooth dusty gray, obscuring the trees and ground below and any dangers that might be lurking to either side.

The pilot trades information back and forth with the airfield approach tower, relying on instrument readings to settle gently on the landing strip materializing below the aircraft as it descends through the heavy clouds.

As the aircraft begins to roll down the taxiway, lights come up and the "airfield" disappears as screens surrounding two Apache cockpit mock-ups go blank. Two men at a bank of computer monitors remove headsets and begin to discuss the "flight."

Since Camp Taji's weather and mission requirements don't always cooperate with training schedules, Task Force Baghdad pilots use one of the two Longbow Crew Trainers to maintain perishable skills like instrument flying, and to enhance and improve upon their combat tactics.

One "box," as it's called, is used by 1st Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment (Attack Reconnaissance), while the other is used by 3rd Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment (Attack Reconnaissance).

The LCT is a state-of-the-art mobile aircraft simulator featuring two linked cockpits surrounded by display screens. Each cockpit is an exact replica of its counterpart in the aircraft itself, with one front and one rear seat.

Although the LCT is used on several Army posts in the United States, this is the first time the system has been deployed to a combat environment.

With so many aircraft on the flightline, having a simulator on the ground might seem pointless, said Robert D. Welch, an LCT operator, but it allows pilots to rack up valuable hours of training.

A former Apache pilot for 15 years, Welch brings aviation and technical know-how to the LCT training.

"It's a good place to practice emergency procedures since everyone walks away from the simulator," he said.

LCT operators can position an aircraft anywhere in the sky or on the ground, and implement an in-flight "emergency," prompting pilots to react and go through established procedures.

After the emergency has been dealt with, pilots can analyze what went right or wrong, then get back in the cockpit and go through the scenario again.

"You can practice some of the harder emergency procedures without endangering anyone," said Warrant Officer Benjamin Cuevas, A Company, 1-3 ARB.

During an emergency, "pilots have to be able to recover and get into the clear," said Chief Warrant Officer Johnny Bower, B Company, 3-3 ARB.

Being able to practice in realistic situations instead of just talking about them helps develop necessary skills, said Cuevas, adding, "If the helicopter doesn't want to fly anymore, what are you going to do with no practical experience?"

The linked cockpits enable the pilots to communicate with each other the same way they would in the aircraft, said Bowers, "allowing pilots to react, both as individuals and as a crew."

Emergency procedures aren't the only training conducted in the LCT.

"The LCT allows us to teach and evaluate aviators as per the training manual," Bower said.

Allowing pilots to link the simulators creates more realism in drills, he said, letting pilots learn visual cues from each other that help accomplish the Operation Iraqi Freedom 3 mission.

Gunnery drills are also practiced in the simulator, said Bower. His goal is to train pilots to "fly without concentrating on the art of flying itself so they can concentrate on gunnery," he said.

"It's the fast and steady gun that wins the fight," he added.

For instrument training, the LCT is the preferred method, said Chief Warrant Officer Troy A. DeGolyer, A Co. 3-3 ARB. The LCT allows pilots to experience a variety of weather conditions on demand, something nature isn't always willing to do.

After initial flight qualification, the simulator also allows pilots to conduct sustainment training, and refreshers for lapsed qualifications.

The simulator also allows for a rapid "mission" turn-around, since the console operator can just restart the computer program instead of having to wait for the pilot to reposition the aircraft, said Welch. Along with a quick reset, the simulator is considerably less expensive to run compared to the Apache, he said.

The biggest challenge to keeping the LCT flying high is the brutal heat four months out of the year, said site manager Joe M. Fraley.

The LCT can be packed up for transportation by either truck or plane, said Fraley. Once on the ground, a crew of four or five technicians can get the box up and running in about two weeks.

The LCT is a better training tool than some previous flight simulators housed in permanent structures, said DeGolyer, since "we're able to bring it pretty much anywhere."

All the training lets pilots help the guys on the ground, he said, and 'that's what it's all about."

"Our mission here is to findâ?¦and destroy the enemy, and this training lets pilots hone those skills," Bowers said.

• Date Taken: 10.19.2005
• Date Posted: 10.19.2005 13:38
• Story ID: 3411
• Location: TAJI, IQ