Photo By Staff Sgt. S.T. Stewart | One of Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 366’s CH-53E Super Stallions is aerially...... read more read more
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MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. – Marines with Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 252 and Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 366 trained to refuel in midair off the coast of North Carolina, July 26.
The training gave new CH-53E Super Stallion pilots the opportunity to practice aerial refueling from a KC-130J Hercules.
“The CH-53 pilots need to become familiar,” said Sgt. Ray Finlay, a crew chief with VMGR-252. “They learn in the daylight first to get a hang of it, then we do it at night.”
Finlay and his fellow crew chief, Sgt. Aaron Bidwell, sat in the back of the Hercules and communicated to the pilots to help guide them as they linked the fuel hoses up to the trailing helicopters.
“Our job is fairly easy, but it is still very important,” said Finlay. “Communication is key. In this training, everyone on the CH-53 and the KC-130 are communicating to help each other out.”
As the CH-53Es approached the KC-130J, Maj. James Poppy, a KC-130J pilot with VMGR-252, released the refueling hoses off two of the exterior fuel tanks.
After about an hour and a half of performing aerial refueling in the daytime, the Marines stayed airborne waiting about a half hour for the sun to set. The Marines could not see more than 20 feet through the pitch-black night sky.
To counter the lack of visibility during the night, the Marines operated using night vision goggles.
The pilots turned off the normal lights in the aircraft, which are blinding to Marines wearing NVGs, and turned on specialized green and blue lights that are less disruptive to the goggles.
“Even the slightest amount of red or white light can be distracting to the pilots,” said Finlay. “That’s why we have to go almost completely dark to use the NVGs.”
The night refuel took almost two hours to complete. VMGR-252 Marines conduct aerial refueling regularly, as it is an everyday operation that enables aircraft to extend their range and mission capabilities.
| Date Taken: | 08.01.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 08.01.2012 17:12 |
| Story ID: | 92516 |
| Location: | CHERRY POINT, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 160 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
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