Approach articles from May 2001

Approach archives from May 2001

How I survived midair.
May 1, 2001... Three and a half years have passed, but it seems like yesterday: briefing an SFARP division self-escort hop into B-17, then walking out of the hangar. Minimal bogeys. TACTS control, pinky launch. A beautiful day had given way to one of those...

Decisions, decisions.
May 1, 2001... It wasn't a big deal, but when it was over, I was amazed at how many decisions my crew and I faced while handling a malfunction on an Operations Southern Watch (OSW) flight. This article gives you a chance to decide if we were idiots or heroes....

Is it live, or is it memorex? (ORM Corner).(too much flying, too little rest)
May 1, 2001... Within a month after reporting back to LAMPS for my second sea tour, I was assigned as the detachment OinC on a grueling, two-month outing that was certain to test not only my leadership abilities, but, more importantly, my credit card limit....

Did you hear "Mayday"?(search and rescue operation)
May 1, 2001... In the Viking community, aircrews brief SAR responsibilities in the event we are needed as on-scene commander. We normally think about being involved in a SAR at sea. A SAR over land and within 50 miles of home base was one of those occurrences...

Single engine in the Adriatic.
May 1, 2001... There are lots of times when you have to knock it off: Someone violates a training rule; someone calls, "Knock it off"; an unsafe condition; ballistic or out-of-control flight; NORDO or bingo; aircraft that weren't briefed enter the area;...

Monkey skills pay off.(hydraulic leak in an SH-60F)
May 1, 2001... It's the stuff we joke about in the wardroom while we wait for the AOM to start: "Hey, Pokey, you ready to try those boost-off autos on goggles tonight? When we're done, the moon will have set, so we can take off the NVGs and fly without the...

If you have to guess, it's time to quit.
May 1, 2001... With the first port visit of cruise over, everyone was ready to get back underway for one reason or another. We had the early afternoon brief, a "pinky" AIC 3 v 2, followed by a night trap on a 1+30 cycle. Taxiing out, we went straight to...

A TACTS range at your fingertips and other high-tech marvels on the horizon.(tactical aircrew combat training system)
May 1, 2001... During your first Tactical Aircrew Combat Training System (TACTS) debrief, did you notice any differences between the actual event and what you remembered? Debriefs are much more constructive when you can watch a replay of the flight,...