Photo By Staff Sgt. Patricia McMurphy | First Battalion, 52d Aviation Regiment, Fort Wainwright, Alaska, receives its first...... read more read more
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FORT WAINWRIGHT, Alaska - Fort Wainwright’s 1st Battalion, 52nd Aviation Regiment, 16th Combat Aviation Brigade, known as the "Flying Dragons," received nine new CH-47F Chinook helicopters in April to upgrade the unit’s capabilities.
The unit will train on the new aircraft over several months.
"The CH-47F Chinook is the world's premier heavy-lift cargo helicopter and continues to evolve through the use of newly-updated state-of-the-art technology,” 1-52nd Aviation commander, Lt. Col. John Knightstep said.
“This will ensure that the United States military will have the most capable aircraft of this type to meet the needs of the war fighter today and well into the future,” Knightstep said. “The improvements to the CH-47F increase our pilots' ability to effectively support the ground commander in the most demanding and dangerous of conditions."
Commander of Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 52nd Aviation Regiment, Capt. Jason McCoy, said with their new technology and integrated computer systems, the Chinooks can do such things as self-adjust and maintain a hover in a one-foot radius.
“They have a moving map; it’s almost like a GPS system. You can zoom in and it will show you exactly where you want to go,” McCoy said. “And in hover mode it can take into account winds and adjust to hold in that spot.”
“This really helps with high altitudes, flying in the mountains. You can see where guys are at on the ground, circle around, put them in the GPS and come right back to them.” McCoy said. “With the hover of the one-foot radius it’s easy for us to lower the hoist and pick them up - good to go.”
The new model’s major changes are visible in the cockpit area, where many of the older model’s gauges have been replaced with digital displays.
“The improvements allow for more situational awareness while flying, it’s all digital up front, all computerized and the pilots can focus more on what’s outside the cockpit and what is around them and not worry about what’s going on inside,” said McCoy. “It’s almost like auto pilot.”
McCoy is one of the first pilots in Alaska that has completed the training and is fully certified to fly the new models. After a few more months of training, his fellow Chinook pilots and crews will also be taking to the air in their brand new helicopters.
| Date Taken: | 07.18.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 07.18.2012 19:01 |
| Story ID: | 91773 |
| Location: | FORT WAINWRIGHT, ALASKA, US |
| Web Views: | 440 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
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