Approach articles from August 2002

Approach archives from August 2002

A routine and simple flight.(E-2 night currency mission)(Brief Article)(Column)(Statistical Data Included)
August 1, 2002... We had settled into a comfortable routine in the third area of operations of the deployment, and our E-2C was airborne for a simple night-currency flight. Having the words "routine" and "simple" in the same sentence probably is a clue of where...

Myth of the Alaskan qual.(United States Coast Guard Air Station, Kodiak, Alaska)(Column)(Statistical Data Included)
August 1, 2002... "When I was in Kodiak, we would..." "One time, when I was in Sitka..." "You think this is bad, one time we were going to Attu... " I've heard many Alaskan stories, anecdotes and lessons learned during my first tour as a Coast...

Out of good ideas.(T-2 training course to Dobbins, Atlanta)(Column)(Statistical Data Included)
August 1, 2002... I still remember the feeling of dread that washed over me when I realized the seriousness of my predicament. It happened in the normally placid, winter skies of the Southeast, on a radio-instrument flight during my T-2 instructor-pilot tour....

Fighting 1 v 1 on instruments.(VFA-105 basic flight maneuvres)(Column)(Statistical Data Included)
August 1, 2002... We were scheduled for a good deal 1 v 1 BFM (basic fighter maneuvers) sortie. The flight would be just good old-fashioned bending the jet around, while trying to maintain sight and consciousness--the type of flight that brings all those 1 v 1...

I know where I'm going. Do you? (Crew-Resource Management).(SH-60B medical run, Persian Gulf)(Column)
August 1, 2002... I was a happy 2P. Our crew members were the new guys in the northern Red Sea, and we were tasked to inspect ships suspected of violating the UN sanctions against Iraq. The ops were a no-brainer, and we quickly settled into our groundhog...

An Iranian patrol boat? Where?(F-18 military maneuvers Persian Gulf)(Brief Article)(Column)
August 1, 2002... Most fleet aviators who have spent a summer in the Persian Gulf are familiar with the heat and haze typical of the region. The reduced visibility often forces the ship to use Case III recovery procedures. To those not familiar with a Case III...

Ready for the launch (bar light) ...(F-14's on the USS Enterprise)(Column)
August 1, 2002... "OK, here comes the burner signal. Pluggin' 'em in. There's 1... 2... 3... 4... 5. OK, engines look good. Are you ready?" asked my newly-minted pilot, recently arrived from his initial carrier qualification at VF-101. "Sure am. Let's...

Bingo?(vertigo and an S-3 aircraft mission)(Brief Article)(Column)
August 1, 2002... I've always been afraid of the dark. In my limited time as an S-3 driver, I have come to believe the Navy would have a lot fewer double-anchor types if they knew or could feel the terror a new pilot feels during his last four seconds of...

Another day at the office.(S-3 aircraft maneuvers)(Brief Article)(Column)
August 1, 2002... It started out as just another day at the office, with my crew preparing for our single-cycle, SSC-recovery-tanker flight. The pilot was an experienced second cruiser. He delivered a thorough brief that covered all the usual contingencies. A...

Suckin' gas.(FA-18 aircraft maneuvers Southern California)(Brief Article)(Column)(Statistical Data Included)
August 1, 2002... We were flying FA-18s off Southern California. It was a pinky launch for a night recovery doing captive SLAM ER work. Except for a later-than-expected push time, the flight was uneventful. My lead and I were within a couple hundred pounds of...

I'll sleep when I'm dead.(Operation Enduring Freedom)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Anyone who has been to sea with a squadron knows the hectic schedule of planning, briefing, and dealing with many other details. Never is this truer than during combat operations, when the pressure to get airborne and protect the fellas on the...

The missile shoot that never was.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... What a great deal. Just six months out of the FRS, I was selected for the crew that would fire the first Penguin missile from an SH-60B in six years. This was a tremendous opportunity, and I felt lucky. The ex-USS Guam would be sunk during...

My first SAR. (ORM Corner).(Operation Enduring Freedom)
August 1, 2002... An FRS instructor told me there are two types of helicopter pilots: those who have been involved in a search and rescue, and those who will be. We were two months into what was shaping up to be an extremely successful cruise. Operation...

Classic brownshoes in action comix: "the kind real aviators like".(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... His gloved hand has squeezed off 20mm with ease and also attempted to squeeze black out of the stick at three-fourths NM at night. He's seen everything from cocked nose gear to some incredible DPs in Bit 7. He knows it all: pulling G's,...