Volcanic Air Safaris Ltd is seeking expressions of interest from suitably qualified helicopter pilots for the position of Chief Pilot – Rotary Wing. The position is based in Rotorua, New Zealand.

The work is mainly based around tourism and charter operations using R44 and AS350 helicopters.

Pilots MUST have:

• A minimum of 1500 hours total helicopter time with ATO experience on both the AS350 and R44 aircraft.
• A minimum of a ‘D’-category instructor’s rating
• And meet the requirements of CAA rule 119 (Appendix B)

Besides the above qualifications, we are looking for several key attributes, which will complement the role and the Volcanic Air Safaris team:

• Previous experience in the tourism industry
• Self-motivated, enthusiastic and the ability to motivate others and lead by example
• Pro?active innovation
• Computer literate
• High standard of personal presentation
• Excellent verbal communication skills
• Extremely strong work ethic

The position will suit a professional, well-organised and articulate person with a good sense of humour and a can-do attitude. The role is varied, with a requirement for attention to detail alongside possessing the flexibility to manage the changing day-to-day demands of the role. Remuneration and hours of work are by negotiation.

Please send CVs and direct all enquiries to Phill Barclay at phill@volcanicair.co.nz before 15th June 2012.

Pipistrel Ajdovšcina was established in 1987 as the first private aircraft producer in former Yugoslavia. It is hard for those of us living in a free society to imagine that before that, under the totalitarian Yugoslavian regime, private aviation was virtually non-existent and it was almost unimaginable for private individuals to make aircraft at home; alternative aviation really was alternative then. Being a private aircraft producer doesn’t seem like a particularly big deal these days, but by offering an alternative to military aviation and army-regulated sports airfields 25 years ago, Pipistrel could rightfully claim to have pioneered alternative flying in Slovenia.

The airfield where Pipistrel first began flying belonged to the army, which meant that any ultralight pilots who wanted to fly had to do so in secret. They had to wait until the regular army pilots had finished flying for the day, locked up the hangars and left, before sneaking in an hour or two of flying before darkness fell.

The name “Pipistrel” actually came about as an indirect result of the restrictions on private flying. This was because, at first, Pipistrel produced only powered hang-gliders. The fact that these triangular-shaped aircraft only flew late in the evenings prompted locals to start jokingly calling them “bats”—the Latin word for which is pipistrellus.

Pipistrel’s powered hang-gliders were the company’s first big sales success, with more than 500 sold by 1995. As successful as the hang-gliders were, Pipistrel realised it would have to diversify and offer more products to customers if it were to grow, and saw ultralights as the right direction to go.

Back then, many ultralight aircraft were not too different from hang-gliders, made mainly of tubes and fabric. Pipistrel decided it wanted to offer something different—more sophisticated—and produced an aircraft that would give glider pilots the freedom to go gliding on their own, with no need for an aero-tow or a helper at the wing tip.

Enter the Sinus

The result was the Sinus—the world’s first ever two-seat motor glider to qualify as an ultralight aircraft. It was a revolutionary design: it was the first production ultralight aircraft made of composite material and it looked like a “real’ aeroplane. Not surprisingly, this brought international recognition for Pipistrel, which received more than 100 orders for the aircraft in its first year of production.

Now fitted with an 80-hp Rotax 912 engine (the first models used the two-stroke Rotax 503), the Sinus is fast, quiet, economical and versatile; for example, it can be used for lengthy cross-country flights (up to 650 nm), gliding, pilot training, aerial photography or simple recreational flying.

In 2004, a Sinus became the first ultralight aircraft to fly around the world. Pipistrel takes pride in the fact that the only modification necessary to the record-breaking aeroplane was to have bigger fuel tanks fitted.

Developing the Virus

During the four years following the Sinus’s introduction, Pipistrel received a lot of feedback from around the world. As a result, it developed a new aircraft, based on the Sinus, which it called the Virus. The new Virus, with a shorter wing (12 metres, instead of the Sinus’s 15 metres), a nose-wheel landing gear and a strengthened airframe, was optimised more for flight training.

Following the company’s practice of constant evolution and development, it subsequently modified the design further to produce the Virus SW (short wing). The Virus SW is available in three different versions: the Virus SW 80 and Virus SW 100 featuring the Rotax 912 UL2 (80 hp) and Rotax 912 ULS (100 hp) engines respectively and now, the Virus SW with Rotax 912 iS fuel injected engine for which Pipistrel was the release manufacturer.

The 100-hp Virus SW 100 is capable of a maximum speed of 160 knots and has a 75% cruise speed of 147 knots, making it the fastest ultralight aircraft in the world. In 2007, the Virus SW won several categories in the NASA Personal Air Vehicle Challenge, including the overall Vantage Prize. In 2008, it claimed the main prize in the NASA General Aviation Challenge for a combination of its low noise, low fuel consumption and manoeuvrability, and prizes for the shortest takeoff distance and best angle of climb.

Pipistrel has now produced more than 400 Sinus/Virus aircraft of various models.

The Taurus

The evolution of the Sinus into the Virus and then the Virus SW pleased the powered-flight fraternity and progressively cemented Pipistrel’s place as a leading light aircraft manufacturer. However, many glider pilots, who had praised the Sinus’s versatility, expressed a desire for even more “glider-like” features than the Sinus and wanted an aircraft with an even better glide ratio that would be more like a “real” glider.

In 2004, Pipistrel answered their requests by producing the Taurus—a side-by-side two-seat self-launching glider, which Pipistrel describes as the aircraft that the Sinus would have been had the technology been available in 1995.

Fitted with a Rotax 503 engine and retractable propeller, the Taurus expands significantly on the Sinus’s capability as a glider and has an outstanding glide ratio of 41:1—contributed to by its side-by-side seating configuration, in which the fuselage contour actually contributes to lift.

Pipistrel has also produced an electric version of the Taurus—the Taurus Electro, which is capable of climbing to 4,000 feet after self-launching. The American magazine Popular Science named the Taurus Electro as one of the ten most important aerospace innovations of the year in 2008. In 2010, the Taurus Electro won the gold medal for innovative design at the Biennial of Industrial Design awards and, in 2011, it won the Lindbergh Prize for the best electric aircraft. The Pipistrel Taurus G4, a modified double-fuselage Taurus, (featured in a previous issue of Pacific Wings) also won the prestigious NASA Green Flight Challenge in 2011.

The Apis

Following on from the success of the two-seat Taurus, Pipistrel introduced a single-seat self-launching glider known as the Apis (Latin for Bee), which has a glide ratio of 40:1. The Apis holds 10 world records in its class.

By the end of 2011, more than 100 Taurus/Apis aircraft had been sold around the world.

The Panthera

Early in 2009, Pipistrel began developing an entirely new four-seat aircraft. Every facet of the aircraft’s design has been developed in-house by the ten-person research and development team, and six people in the prototyping department.

Built of carbon-fibre, the new aircraft—the Panthera—is a high-performance four-seat touring aircraft with retractable landing gear. From the start, Pipistrel wanted its trademark high efficiency incorporated into a comfortable and aesthetically pleasing design that also had to be robust enough for operation from grass runways. The flaps and sturdy titanium trailing-link landing gear are all electrically operated.

Even the basic configuration of the aircraft is innovative, featuring a cross between a low- and mid-mounted wing. Pipistrel says this allows for a minimal cross-section that produces as little drag as possible while still accommodating the retractable landing gear and providing a comfortable cabin for four passengers. Every Panthera will be equipped with an integrated ballistic parachute rescue system as standard.

Pipistrel says that the final aerodynamic shape is more efficient than any competing aircraft so that the Panthera will have better performance and lower fuel consumption, and produce less noise than the competition.

A notable feature of the Panthera design is its modular propulsion system. The same aircraft can be equipped with an electric, a hybrid or a regular piston engine.

The Panthera’s cabin features two front doors and a single rear door, all of which open in “gull-wing” fashion. The wide cabin is designed for comfort and, with no front side pillars, the shape of the windows provides excellent visibility. The instrument panel is all glass, with three main LCD displays (the hybrid and electric versions have an additional display for the power management systems).

The piston-engine version of the Panthera uses the 210-hp Lycoming IO-390 engine, while the electric and hybrid versions use electric engines of 150 kW (100 kW continuous). The hybrid drive is identical to the electric version but with the addition of a piston-powered generator. Both the electric and the hybrid versions allow for quiet aircraft operation in the vicinity of populated areas. The batteries in the electric version are sufficient for more than two hours of flight.

Pipistrel specifically wanted the Panthera to be a true four-seater for long-distance travelling, unlike many so-called “four-seat” aircraft from other manufacturers in the past, which have typically been unable to travel any distance when carrying four people.

Pipistrel has just begun building a new facility in Gorizia, Italy, for serial production of the Panthera. When completed, the new facility will encompass 10,000 m² of floor space. In addition to Panthera production, the new facility will also house an aircraft service and maintenance operation, and a flying school. When it is fully operational, the new complex (valued at approximately €5 million) will employ up to 200 people.

The predicted price for a new Panthera is approximately €400,000. Pipistrel expects to produce around 20 aircraft in the first year of production, and plans to increase production steadily to a rate of around 200 aircraft per year by the fifth year.

In addition to the numerous awards won by Pipistrel’s aircraft over the years, the company’s founder and general manager, Ivo Boscarol, has been recognised internationally and locally for his significant contributions to industry and aviation. Among other awards, Mr Boscarol was named the Slovenian entrepreneur of the year in 2003. He received the award of the Slovenian Chamber of Commerce in 2004, the Slovenian Design Month Award in 2008, and in 2009, he was chosen as the only Slovenian entrepreneur to represent Slovenia for the International SME Week in Brussels. In 2005, he was awarded the FAI Paul Tissandier diploma for making an outstanding contribution to the field of aviation.

The Alpha

Encouraged by the success of the Virus, Pipistrel recently developed an even simpler aircraft known as the Alpha, specifically intended for flight training. Pipistrel set itself a number of important goals with the Alpha. It had to be strong and durable, easy to fly, with benign stall characteristics, easy to service, have easy access to its cockpit, it had to have tricycle landing gear, good brakes, a ballistic parachute and dual controls, a quiet cockpit, good heating and ventilation, and approved strobes and lighting. Most importantly, the Alpha had to be affordable to buy and economical to operate.

With an 80-hp Rotax engine, it has a higher cruise speed than past generations of general aviation two-seat trainers, but sips only around 10–12 litres an hour. Thus, despite having smaller tanks than the Sinus and Virus, it still has a respectable range of around 400 nm. The Alpha also has excellent short-field performance, with a takeoff roll of only around 150 metres; without the wheel spats of its siblings, the Alpha is even more suitable for grass or dirt strips.

The price of a new Alpha is only approximately €59,000, or around NZ$100,000.

Building new aircraft

When Pipistrel develops any new aircraft, it makes the first five prototypes in-house, designing and building every piece from scratch. This way, the company says it knows how every piece is built and how it will behave, and it has greater control over how the completed aircraft will behave in the real world. Once an aircraft has been tested, the design is “frozen” (i.e. not subject to further changes). Pipistrel then produces the complete documentation, chooses the production materials and decides what technology it will incorporate, makes the necessary production moulds, trains the workers and outsources production of certain parts to subcontractors.

The company maintains strict records of parts and personnel to ensure quality and safety standards throughout the process. At the end of any process, the workers involved have to sign an inspection sheet. At the end of the day, a quality control manager checks all the processes again and signs every inspection sheet. Modelled on a production system patented by Toyota, there are multiple other safety and quality control measures in place in a system that Pipistrel believes is unique in the aviation industry.

Once an aircraft is finished, it is flown for at least five hours by one of Pipistrel’s test pilots to ensure everything is functioning correctly before the aircraft is released to a customer.

ECOlution—the Pipistrel philosophy

The Pipistrel company describes its philosophy of “ECOlution” as one of sustainable and ecologically sound evolution that it applies to every aspect of its operation. Each one of its aircraft is designed from the outset to be as aerodynamically clean and smooth as possible. Eliminating drag and making an aircraft glide better, reduces the amount of power needed to fly. Less power needs less fuel and produces less noise, and less fuel means less CO₂.

The company’s ECOlution goes well beyond its aircraft designs and it stands to reason that environmentally-friendly aeroplanes can only come from environmentally-friendly manufacturing facilities. Pipistrel’s modern state-of-the-art facility in Ajdovšcina was designed to incorporate every rationally practical form of renewable energy. A great deal of planning went into producing a building that was intended to be completely energy self-sufficient with no emissions and no pollution.

One of the main ideas was to cover the entire roof of the building with photovoltaic solar panels. This required careful planning to orient the building’s axis and set the roof panels at the optimum angle to ensure maximum output during the sunniest months (May to September).

A challenge that had to be overcome to incorporate solar panels was the wind. Ajdovšcina is famous for a very strong local wind called the “Burja”, which can often exceed 200 km/h. Such strong winds would tear conventionally-fixed solar panels from the roof, so Pipistrel had to develop special brackets to secure them—which involved using the company’s virtual wind tunnel to test the design. All the careful designing, planning and testing paid off, and the roof of the building now houses the largest solar power plant in Slovenia.

In keeping with Pipistrel’s ECOlution philosophy, it was essential that the building had to fulfil its ecological function regardless of whether it was economically justified. This thinking defied the “norms” of construction, and challenged engineers and contractors.

The greatest challenge wasn’t the position of the building or the construction of its roof or carefully insulated walls, but assimilating and integrating the various energy systems in the building. Pipistrel needed to choose different energy sources carefully and pick the best available systems to control and manipulate the energy. This was no easy task, especially since the new building had to be linked with the heating and cooling systems within the existing older building. With more than ten independent energy systems in the two buildings, it was difficult to link them all into one centrally supervised and functional unit.

Extra care was taken to insulate the new facility against thermal losses. Both the roof and walls incorporate polyurethane “sandwich” panels with excellent insulation qualities, and the doors and windows are made of modern plastic materials.

The air-conditioning and heating systems both make use of glycol-filled pipes embedded in the concrete floor. The fluid is heated or cooled as appropriate by geo-exchange ground-source heat pumps.

Lighting is regulated according to the amount of daylight, while rooms are located within the building according to the tasks they must fulfil; for example, classrooms face south to receive maximum daylight, while storage rooms are in the centre of the building because they don’t need much natural light.

All major glass surfaces face north to prevent too much heat entering the building during the summer months, while the south-facing windows are covered with extended roofs or balconies. During the summer months, when the sun is higher in the sky, the extended roof provides shade for the windows and only lets diffuse light enter while keeping heat out. During the winter, the lower position of the sun in the sky allows direct sunlight to enter the building and provides additional heat.

The building’s ventilation uses energy recuperators, and the air from the welding workshop is cleaned with the help of de-ionisation.

All these systems are regulated by a central control system that calculates and regulates all the input and output parameters in the most efficient way possible.

The overall result is a building that is totally energy self-sufficient. Pipistrel claims that this results in savings of more than 180 tons of CO₂ and 95,000 kWh of energy each year.

Projects and collaboration

Pipistrel works with numerous other companies and agencies to advance aviation technology. One example is Pipistrel’s collaboration with the University of Nova Gorica to develop the application of organic solar cells to uneven surfaces. Organic solar cells represent a step forward in photovoltaic technology, as they are flexible and cheaper to produce than the commonly known silicon-based panels. Pipistrel’s engineers are researching and building prototype devices to demonstrate efficient ways of applying organic solar cell material to various bent and uneven surfaces and materials.

Another of Pipistrel’s cooperative efforts—this time with the University of Stuttgart’s Institute of Aircraft Design—is the development of a hydrogen fuel cell-powered aircraft, known as the Hydrogenius. The Hydrogenius, which is based on the Pipistrel Taurus, is intended to demonstrate the viability of pure hydrogen fuel cell-based propulsion in future aircraft.

Pipistrel in New Zealand—Alan and Donna Clarke

Today, Pipistrel aircraft are operating in 50 countries, and the company has a network of dealers and representatives in 35 countries around the world. The wide dealer network enables Pipistrel to offer personalised service to customers in a way that is relevant to their respective local conditions.

In New Zealand, Pipistrel’s distributors are Alan and Donna Clarke, who are based in Kerikeri. Alan has significant aviation experience; he learnt to fly in South Canterbury in the late 1960s and gained his commercial licence at the age of 19. After a period spent instructing, he began agricultural flying in North Canterbury before moving to Africa, where he flew for several years variously in Rhodesia, Mozambique and South Africa.

In 1977, Alan began flying helicopters in the USA but completed his helicopter qualifications back in New Zealand, where he met his wife, Donna. Alan continued a nomadic seasonal flying lifestyle for the next few years, including time spent flying helicopters on oil-support operations in South Africa.

In 1984, by the time the Clarkes returned to New Zealand (where Alan resumed agricultural flying), he had amassed more than 10,500 hours.

A career change saw Alan move into the world of finance. He became an authorised financial adviser and has written a book entitled Retire Richer.

Despite his success in the finance industry (which continues today), Alan’s passion for flight lured him back into aviation in 2004, when he decided to buy a new microlight aircraft. Wanting a “real” aeroplane and not a “toy”, he travelled to Australia to assess the Pipistrel Sinus and decided it more than met his requirements.

His experience with the Sinus and the Pipistrel company encouraged Alan to become a distributor for Pipistrel in New Zealand. Alan and Donna have now flown more than 400 hours in their Sinus, including several long-distance cross-country flights to the lower South Island. Alan says he has become more of a glider pilot than a powered pilot since flying the Sinus, spending much of his airtime with the engine switched off. He says he is a big fan of the Rotax 912 engine, which he describes as smooth and reliable, and he says it always starts in the air when needed.

The timing for Alan becoming a dealer for an aircraft type new to New Zealand—followed not long afterwards by a global financial crisis—did not do great things for sales initially, but recently, Alan says New Zealand sales have “come to life”, with this year’s orders already exceeding all previous years combined.

Alan suspects the increasing sales might have something to do with the growing recognition of Pipistrel’s credibility as a leading manufacturer and the many awards won by its aircraft for innovation and efficiency.

Panthera’s Pacific Wings connection

Early this year, Pipistrel ran an international competition for the design of a new livery for its first Panthera. The winning designer would be awarded a €1,000 cash prize and have his or her signature on the aircraft. That first Panthera would subsequently be displayed at air-shows around Europe wearing its winning livery.

The company wanted a design that enhanced the Panthera’s lines and unique characteristics; specifically, the brief was that it should reflect luxury, sportiness, speed, efficiency/environmental friendliness and safety.

Pipistrel received a total of 160 designs from around the world, including one from Pacific Wings’ own Anna Gaskell—the design genius responsible for our layout each month.

The quality of entries for the competition was so high that Pipistrel amended its original prize offer. At the end of preliminary judging, the company selected three designs that the judges liked so much that they decided to award the three finalists €500 each. Each of the three finalists was then asked to submit refined versions of their designs incorporating requests and suggestions from Pipistrel. The company then chose the best of those three and awarded that designer an additional €500.

The eventual winner of the competition was…our very own Anna Gaskell!

Pacific Wings would like to congratulate Anna on her outstanding design. As thrilled as we are that Anna’s design won the competition, it did not come as too much of a surprise, in view of her greatly appreciated eye for aesthetics and ability to interpret design briefs.

Anna is unquestionably the most vital link in Pacific Wings’ monthly publishing process and thus we could not be more thrilled than to see her recognised by her success in this international competition.

For Anna to have her signature attached to such a beautiful new aeroplane that will be displayed at major aviation events around Europe wearing her livery is a major achievement and something she should be very proud of—as we are of her.

Bloody well done, Anna!

Pipistrel—Innovative Winners

Rob Neil summarises the story of the Pipistrel Company, which has rapidly gained international credibility for its innovative and eco-friendly approach to sport aviation and aviation technology.

So, You Want to be an Air New Zealand Pilot?

In part one of a five-part series of articles, Christine Ody gives a full picture of what it takes to become an Air New Zealand pilot. A Boeing 737 pilot for Air New Zealand, Christine is heavily involved with the airline’s Aviation Institute and her articles provide a wealth of credible knowledge for prospective pilots.

EAA AirVenture’s 60th Year

This year is the 60th EAA AirVenture, at Oshkosh—frequently dubbed “the world’s greatest air-show”.

The Air Aces—Sqn Ldr Robert Hamish Balfour

Paul Sortehaug continues his series of articles on New Zealand’s air aces with the story of Sqn Ldr Robert Hamish “Jim” Balfour.

Exoneration Not Appropriate

Captain Derek Ellis—a retired B747 and Concorde pilot, one-time Chairman of the British Airline Pilots’ Association and a long-time advocate for pilots involved in accidents—explains why he believes the current clamour by Peter Dunne MP to exonerate the pilots of Flight 901 is not appropriate.

A Big Hand for “Huge Mittens”

Hugh Mitton’s skill with a camera has increased significantly since he first started shooting as a “specialist photographer” for Pacific Wings in 2005. Big prizes and international travel have been his most recent rewards as his skills have expanded into film-making.

The long-awaited RNZAF 75^th Anniversary air-show at Ohakea was a major success for the Air Force, with visitors turning out in far greater numbers than expected.

Held on 31 March, the show was blessed with exceptional weather with lots of sun and almost no wind—ideal air-show conditions. (Pacific Wings will be including a full photographic feature on the air-show in the next issue.)

The show included displays by nearly all of the New Zealand’s current military aircraft types, with the exception of the C-130 Hercules and the King Air; with the C-130 fleet in the midst of major upgrades, operational requirements dictated that the serviceable C-130s not undergoing upgrade work were unavailable for display purposes.

Every other current type provided flying displays that were well up to the RNZAF’s usual standard.

Aircraft from the US, Australian and French (New Caledonia) forces attended the show, with outstanding flying displays provided by the F/A-18s from Australia and the USAF’s giant C-17 Globemaster III.

In addition to displays by current military types, many warbirds—two Spitfires, a Mustang, a P-51, a Grumman Avenger and multiple Yak 52s—also displayed. There were also flying displays by numerous civil types throughout a full day of flying that ran non-stop from around 9:30 until the show finished at around 3:45 p.m.

The only downside to the day was the chaos that ensued on the roads surrounding Ohakea. The massive number of visitors overwhelmed the limited access options, making for major traffic delays. Visitors struggling to get into the show complained of seeing almost no police manning any intersections or assisting traffic, with the result that many visitors were unable to enter the show proper until after lunch. However, once inside, most visitors reported the wait had been worthwhile.

The show was the highlight of a number of events hosted by the RNZAF this year to celebrate its 75^th year as an independent Air Force.

Airbus’s president and CEO, Tom Enders; Boeing Commercial Airplanes’ president and CEO, Jim Albaugh; and Embraer’s commercial aviation president, Paulo César Silva, signed the agreement at the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG) Aviation and Environment Summit in Geneva.

“We’ve achieved a lot in the last ten years in reducing our industry’s CO₂ footprint—a 45% traffic growth with only 3% more fuel consumption,” said Tom Enders. The production and use of sustainable quantities of aviation biofuel is key to meeting our industry’s ambitious CO₂ reduction targets, and we are helping to do this through research and technolgy, our expanding network of worldwide value chains and supporting the EU commission towards its target of 4% of biofuel for aviation by 2020.”

Boeing’s Jim Albaugh said innovation, technology and competition pushed everyone’s respective products to the highest levels of performance. “Through our common vision of lessening aviation’s environmental impacts, and our collective efforts to develop sustainable fuels, we can accelerate their availability and do the right thing for the planet we share,” he said.

“We are all committed to tak[ing] a leading role in developing technology programmes that will facilitate aviation biofuel development and actual application faster than if we were doing it independently,” said Paulo César Silva of Embraer. “Few people know that Brazil’s well-known automotive biofuel programme started within our aeronautical research community, back in the seventies, and we will keep on making history.”

The collaboration agreement supports the aviation industry’s multi-pronged approach to continuously reducing its carbon emissions. Continuous innovation, spurred by competitive market dynamics that push each manufacturer to continuously improve product performance, and air traffic modernisation are other critical elements to achieving carbon-neutral growth beyond 2020 and halving industry emissions by 2050 (based on 2005 levels).

ATAG’s Executive Director, Paul Steele, said that having these three aviation leaders set their competitive differences aside and work together to support biofuel development underscores the importance and focus the industry is placing on sustainable practices. “Through these types of broad industry collaboration agreements, aviation is doing all it can to drive measurable reductions in carbon emissions, while continuing to provide strong global economic and social value.”

EADS/Airbus, Boeing and Embraer are all affiliate members of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Users Group (www.safug.org), which includes 23 leading airlines responsible for approximately 25% of annual aviation fuel use.

“Value chains” is the term used to describe the bringing together of all those involved with the shared goal of commercialising aviation biofuel as efficiently as possible: farmers, refiners, airlines and lawmakers. So far, Airbus has established value chains in Brazil, Qatar, Romania, Spain and Australia, and its aim is to have one in every continent. Because aviation has limited alternatives to biofuel, Airbus believes that energy types should be prioritised according to transport use.

Airbus, Boeing and Embraer are all active around the globe in helping to establish regional supply chains, while the three manufacturers have all supported numerous biofuel flights since global fuel standards bodies granted their approval for commercial use in 2011.

Rainer Ohler, Airbus’s Head of Public Affairs and Communications, pointed out that during the last decade, aviation had achieved 45% growth for only 3% more fuel. “That is the best evidence for our industry’s long track record of going green. The EU and national governments should support this commitment by making progress with the Single European Sky and the modernisation of Europe’s outdated air traffic management technology. This could reduce Europe’s CO₂ emissions from aviation by 10%.”

Airbus’s research and development efforts are focused on reducing gaseous and noise emissions. Airbus says it is fully committed to meeting the global aviation industry targets: to improve fuel efficiency by an average of 1.5% per year to 2020, to cap net carbon emissions from 2020 and to work towards the ambitious goal of a 50% reduction by 2050 (compared to 2005 levels).

Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner has been announced as the winner of the 2011 Robert J. Collier Trophy.

Boeing says that the award of the trophy places the Dreamliner in an exclusive group of pioneers that revolutionised air travel.

Walter Boyne, the Chairman of the US National Aeronautic Association (NAA) and the Chairman of the Selection Committee, said, “We were very pleased with this year’s slate of nominations. All of them were impressive, inspirational and innovative, and certainly represent the future of aviation and aerospace. We congratulate Boeing on their great accomplishment with the 787.”

The 787 Dreamliner, which is the first “mid-size” commercial aeroplane capable of flying long-range routes, completed a rigorous flight-testing effort to earn certification in 2011. The 787 was then delivered to Japan’s ANA airline and put into service on daily routes. The Dreamliner ended 2011 by setting two world records in its class—one for speed and one for distance.

Jim Albaugh, the president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said, “It’s not often in a career that we have the chance to make history—to do something big and bold that will change the world in untold ways and endure long after we are gone.

“The men and women of Boeing, working with our partners around the world, poured their hearts into designing, building and delivering the 787 Dreamliner. It was a long and sometimes difficult journey.  We’re deeply honoured to receive this award.”

The largely composite 787 Dreamliner is 20% more fuel-efficient than similarly-sized aeroplanes and it allows airlines to open new, non-stop routes. The aeroplane is also designed to be much easier for airlines to maintain. So far, 60 customers have ordered a total of 868 Dreamliners, making it the fastest-selling widebody aeroplane in commercial aviation history.

The Collier Trophy is an annual aviation award administered by the NAA and presented to those who have made what the NAA considers to have been “the greatest achievement in aeronautics or astronautics in America, with respect to improving the performance, efficiency and safety of air or space vehicles, the value of which has been thoroughly demonstrated by actual use during the preceding year.”

Robert J. Collier was an air sports pioneer and president of the Aero Club of America. He commissioned and first awarded the trophy (originally named the Aero Club of America Trophy) in 1911.

The trophy is designed to encourage innovation in aerospace by emphasising improved performance, efficiency and safety. Past winners include Orville Wright; the Neil Armstrong and Apollo 11 Moon mission team; Boeing, for several aeroplanes, including the 747 and the 777; Boeing and its partners for the F/A-18E/F; the International Space Station; and Bell Boeing for the V-22 Osprey Tiltrotor.

Cessna signed agreements in China to negotiate a joint venture to build existing models of the company’s business jets and possibly, in future, develop new models in China. Cessna has also said it will be negotiating with Chinese partners to develop an aircraft service network in China and other needed aviation infrastructure. According to Cessna’s CEO, Scott Ernest, China recognises that general aviation offers the foundation to support its national air transportation needs for the future. “These agreements will help take the industry to the next level,” he said.

It is still not clear what kind of impact the Chinese agreements will have on Cessna’s Kansas operations. Cessna already has a presence in China, with its 162 “Skycatcher” being built there (but assembled in Kansas).

Cessna is one of many aviation businesses announcing joint ventures with Chinese companies, with the global aviation industry realising its dependence on emerging markets like China for growth.

The RNZAF has announced that aircraft from six nations will join New Zealand’s own military aircraft and a number of warbirds at its 75^th Anniversary Air Show on 31 March. April 2012 is the date marking the RNZAF’s 75 years of service to New Zealand as an independent armed service.

Major international air forces including the French Armed Forces of New Caledonia, the Republic of Singapore Air Force, the Royal Air Force, the Royal Australian Air Force, the United States Air Force and the United States Marine Corps will join the RNZAF to present both flying and ground displays at Ohakea and help celebrate the RNZAF’s 75^th birthday.

The Royal Australian Air Force’s presence will include some of its F/A-18s as well as a C-130J Hercules and a Wedgetail airborne early warning and control aircraft. The F/A-18s are expected to provide some spectacular flying displays.

The United States Air Force will bring a C-17 Globemaster III, the Republic of Singapore Air Force will display one of its C-130s and the French Armed Forces of New Caledonia will showcase one of their CN-235 twin-engine transport aircraft. In addition, the US Marine Corps will display a KC-130 Hercules air-to-air refuelling aircraft. The Royal Air Force has confirmed its involvement but has not yet identified which aircraft type/s will take part.

The RNZAF will be displaying New Zealand’s military aircraft of the past, present and near future, and there is expected to be a large turnout of civilian and vintage aircraft, including Spitfires and a Mustang, to mark 75 years of the RNZAF.

Air Commodore Steve Moore said the RNZAF would showcase its new A109 and NH90 helicopters, and the upgraded C-130 Hercules and P-3 Orions alongside its other aircraft, and the Red Checkers would be providing their always popular display.

Article and photography by Erik Roelofs.

“That Others May Live” is the motto of the United States Air Force combat search and rescue (CSAR) community. Pacific Wings joined the 23rd Wing at Moody AFB to learn more about modern day CSAR operations.

The Real Deal

The rescue squadrons at Moody AFB belong to the 347th Rescue Group, which, in turn, falls under the 23rd Wing. The 23rd Wing also commands the 563rd Rescue Group at Davis Monthan AFB, Arizona, making this the largest CSAR force within the Air Force.

Since July 2010, the 347th Rescue Group has been commanded by Colonel Chad Franks. During his career, Colonel Franks has accumulated more than 3,200 flying hours in the T-37, UH-1H, UH-1N, MH-60G and HH-60G while serving with the 55th Special Operations Squadron, the 84th Flying Training Squadron and the 512th Rescue Squadron. Before taking command of the 347th Rescue Group, Colonel Franks commanded the 66th Rescue Squadron at Nellis AFB, Nevada. But Colonel Franks is more than just an experienced pilot and accomplished commander. He was directly involved in one of the most challenging combat search and rescue missions in Air Force history.

It was during Operation Allied Force, the NATO air campaign to halt Serbian aggression in Kosovo, that the unimaginable happened. At 08:38 p.m. on 27 March 1999, an F-117A Nighthawk (82-0806/HO) of the 7th Fighter Squadron was struck by a Serbian SA-3 surface-to-air missile (SAM), not far from Belgrade. Major Zelko—“Vega 31”—had just released his laser-guided weapons when the SA-3 detonated in close proximity, forcing him to eject from the crippled “stealth fighter” less than 25 miles from Belgrade, in an area teeming with Serbian military activity.

At Tusla Air Base in neighbouring Bosnia Herzegovina, the CSAR force immediately spring into action. This force consisted of two MH-53H Pave Low helicopters and a single MH-60G Pave Hawk, piloted by then Captain Franks. The helicopters had to be refuelled in the air by a MC-130P Combat Shadow before crossing into enemy territory. But to avoid alerting the Serbs of the pending rescue mission, the refuelling was conducted at very low altitude, in the dark and just three miles from the border.

The three helicopters penetrated the Serbian airspace at a mere 100 feet, assisted only by their night vision goggles (NVG), having switched off their terrain-following radars to prevent detection. After evading various towers and power lines, the formation made their way to the area where the A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft providing “Sandy” coverage had established radio contact with the downed pilot.

With Serbian forces closing in on Major Zelko, Captain Franks landed his MH-60G within 100 yards of the pilot’s hideout. The pararescuemen or “PJs” quickly jumped out of the helicopter and secured Major Zelko, ensuring that he was, indeed, the missing F-117A pilot and not a Serbian imposter. Following the successful recovery, the two MH-53Ms and the single MH-60G made their escape while avoiding the now fully alert Serbian air defence network. For his bravery during the rescue of “Vega 31”, Captain Franks was awarded the Silver Star. Throughout his career, Colonel Franks has also seen action in Iraq and has earned numerous awards and decorations, including the Bronze Star, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Medal and the Air Force Aerial Achievement Medal.

Saving Lives

The 23rd Wing is the largest CSAR unit in the United States Air Force and oversees units located at three airbases across the United States. The 347th Rescue Group is located at Moody AFB with its HH-60G helicopters, HC-130P aircraft and pararescuemen. But the 23rd Wing also oversees the 563rd Rescue Group at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, and both the 58th Rescue Squadron and 66th Rescue Squadron at Nellis AFB, Nevada.

The 347th Rescue Group’s mission is CSAR but it also performs a peacetime rescue role. The rescue squadrons of the Air Force have not only been saving lives in Iraq and Afghanistan but also much closer to home. Directly after Hurricane Katrina struck Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, the 347th deployed 15 HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters to the area, rescuing 211 people within the first 24 hours of operations.

“Our people are out saving lives every day,” says Colonel Franks. “Our main focus is our combat mission but we also perform humanitarian and peacetime rescue missions, and we will respond to any type of disaster. During the last few years, we have responded to several peacetime missions. At Nellis AFB, [the 66th RQS] often performed rescue missions in the national parks, where climbers were hurt and we were the only rescue assets available. All of our combat rescue skills apply to such peacetime missions.”

When asked if the CSAR mission had changed in the absence of aerial threats in Iraq and Afghanistan, Colonel Franks said that in Iraq and Afghanistan, they fly casevac (casualty evacuation) as well as CSAR missions and that the two are quite different. “But there are still situations where aircraft go down,” he says. “In these cases, the recovery of airmen can still be very difficult and involve coordinating many different assets—especially when facing an enemy that is so persistent in trying to inflict casualties among our personnel.” Colonel Franks said there had been instances where, while providing casevac, aircraft would go down, and they would have to roll right into a CSAR mission, coordinate overhead assets and rescue downed aviators. “I would say that the mission has not changed, but perhaps the threat has.”

According to Colonel Franks, flying the HH-60G in Iraq was a challenging experience and very different from flying during “Allied Force”. He said the biggest challenge was the environment—particularly the heat and the dust. “When operating at altitude in Iraq, the heat directly affects the performance of the helicopter. It affects the load you can carry and the power you have available. Brownouts—being blinded by dust when landing or taking off—are also very dangerous. When training for Iraq and Afghanistan, we spend a lot of time training for brownouts, which are probably worst in Afghanistan. I think the guys today are much better at brownout landings than we were back in the day. Now, the training is constant here at Moody. Every time they go out with the HH-60, they practise landings at a ‘sandpit’ that was specifically constructed to train for brownout landings. Our pilots have come a long way in dealing with these.”

Jolly Greens

Ever since the Korean War, the US Air Force has been using helicopters to rescue downed airmen from behind enemy lines. However, it was not until the war in Vietnam that the Air Force finally received dedicated CSAR aircraft and helicopters. The arrival of the HH-3E Jolly Green Giant, with its aerial refuelling capability, armour and defensive weapons, finally allowed rescue squadrons to penetrate deep into North Vietnam to rescue American aircrews. However, this was not without a cost and many Jolly Green crews paid the ultimate price during their attempts to recover their fellow countrymen.

The Jolly Green heritage is very apparent when one walks into the squadron building of the 41st Rescue Squadron (RQS). The walls contain descriptions of many of the CSAR missions conducted over Korea, Vietnam, Panama, Iraq and former Yugoslavia. The Green Giant portrayed on the squadron patch has been the iconic image of the Air Force CSAR community since Vietnam. It was originally designed by the Green Giant company in 1928 to market their green peas. A 55-foot tall statue of the Green Giant still exists in Blue Earth, Minnesota.

Today, the Jolly Green legacy is still strong within the 41st RQS, which operates Sikorsky HH-60G Pave Hawks. The Air Force received its first Pave Hawk helicopters in 1981, after cancellation of the original Sikorsky HH-60D Night Hawk. Although the Pave Hawk is based on the UH-60A Black Hawk, it is an entirely different helicopter with very different capabilities. It has extensive computerised navigation systems, HAVE QUICK secure communication equipment, an automatic flight control system and colour weather radar. With a cockpit adapted for NVG, a FLIR pod under the nose and anti-icing systems for both engine and rotor blades, the Pave Hawk is not only fully night capable but can also operate in the most adverse weather conditions.

Captain William “Bill” Gugelman of the 41st RQS says that in Afghanistan, they fly CSAR operations both in daytime and at night, but that a lot of their medical or casevac missions are flown during the day. “It all depends on how critically injured someone is and how quickly we need to get there. If they are not injured badly then we wait for the most opportune time—which might be after the weather clears—to give us the greatest chance of getting them out safely.”

The most noticeable difference between the Pave Hawk and the original Black Hawk is the large in-flight refuelling boom. Without aerial refuelling, the HH-60G has an endurance of approximately two hours. When fitted with auxiliary fuel tanks at the rear of the cabin, this can be increased to about four and a half hours. However, when using aerial refuelling, the Pave Hawk’s endurance is only limited by pilot fatigue. Under normal circumstances, pilots are limited to a flying duty of 12 hours but this can be extended when required.

The HH-60G has a crew of four: a pilot and a co-pilot, a flight engineer and an aerial gunner. For self-protection, the Pave Hawk is fitted with an APR-39A(V)1 radar warning receiver, an ALQ-144A infra-red jammer and an M130 dispensing system for both chaff and flares. The HH-60G is also far from toothless, as it can be fitted with either GUA-17/A 7.62 mm miniguns or GAU-21 .50-calibre heavy machine-guns. With these weapons, the Pave Hawk is capable of unleashing devastating cover fire during rescue operations.

All these modifications have added weight to the Pave Hawk, which provides an additional challenge to its pilot when operating in hot and high environments such as Afghanistan. In Afghanistan, the mountainous terrain and associated weather provide numerous challenges. “There is a lot to keep in mind when mountain flying and wind is a huge factor,” says Capt. Gegelman. “In Afghanistan, there are plenty of mountains a helicopter cannot climb over. That really forces you to think about where you are flying, and always consider the updrafts and downdrafts. The heat and altitude affect the performance of the helicopter and we reconfigure the aircraft to different mission requirements. For example, we might take off with less fuel and refuel in the air, or reduce the number of crew members or equipment onboard.”

Most combat rescue missions in Afghanistan are very dangerous and demand a high degree of airmanship from the entire HH-60G crew. It requires both of the pilots, the flight engineer and the gunner to manoeuvre the Pave Hawk through the hostile mountainous landscape, avoiding steep cliffs and maintaining control in the unstable and turbulent air while executing hovering manoeuvres with pinpoint accuracy. And all this while taking fire from Taliban fighters armed with machineguns and RPGs.

On 27 June 2010, Captain Thaddeus Ronnau of the 41st RQS faced exactly these circumstances while operating from Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan. In a sequence of eight non-stop rescue missions, Captain Ronnau and his Pave Hawk crew rescued 13 American and coalition forces while facing extremely challenging circumstances. In one case, he had to perform a one-wheel hover landing in very difficult terrain while being shot at by Taliban fighters. For his heroism and extraordinary skill, Captain Ronnau was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with Valour.

Guardian Angels

The 38th RQS is the only rescue squadron at Moody that has no aircraft or pilots and occupies no parking spots on the vast flight line. As a Guardian Angel squadron, the 38th RQS is a very special kind of unit. The Guardian Angel is a human and equipment-based weapon system that forms the vital link between the aerial extraction and the rescue activities on the ground. Called PJs (short for pararescue jumpers), these are the people who seek out, identify and rescue downed aircrew or apply their combat medical skills to save severely injured soldiers and civilians. But regarding PJs as combat medics is a gross understatement of their capabilities.

The Air Force pararescue training takes two years and is brutal from start to finish, with a dropout rate of 90%. The training begins with the indoctrination course at Lackland AFB, Texas. Designed to select the best students, this nine-week course combines medical, diving and pararescue theory with weapon qualifications and extreme physical training. The handful of students who manage to graduate from the indoctrination course are then ready to attend the Army Airborne School, Air Force Combat Diver School, Air Force Survival School and the Army Military Free Fall Parachutist School. This extensive physical and academic training transforms these students into capable combat divers, expert high altitude–low opening (HALO) parachutists and extreme survival specialists.

Approximately a year after starting their indoctrination course, the students report to Kirtland AFB, New Mexico, where they will spend another year undergoing specialised EMT-pararescue training and attend the Recovery Specialist Course. Besides emergency medical technician training, the students are also taught field surgery, pharmacology and combat trauma management, and gain hands-on experience with the Tucson Fire Department and local hospitals. After two gruelling years, the students finally receive their much-coveted maroon berets and consider themselves part of an elite group of Air Force pararescuemen. To illustrate how special that maroon beret really is, consider that the Army’s Special Forces or Green Berets number more than 10,000 and there are approximately 1,000 Navy SEALs. However, there are only 300 Air Force pararescuemen.

Although often associated with helicopter operations, the pararescuemen actually predate the use of helicopters in military service. The PJs originate from the US Forest Service “smokejumpers”—the fire-fighters who parachute into remote areas to combat wildfires. Captain Leo P. Martin became the first Army paramedic to be trained by the US Forest Service in 1940. During WWII, PJs would jump from C-47s to rescue allied aircrew that had been forced to bail out over China or Burma. After WWII, the PJs became an integral part of the helicopter crews of the Air Rescue Service. This remained unchanged until the 38th RQS became the first Guardian Angel Squadron in the Air Force on 7 May 2001. By forming their own squadron, the PJs of the 38th RQS can operate completely independently of the helicopter squadrons they were previously associated with. This allows the Air Force to deploy the Guardian Angel squadrons with greater flexibility, operating not only from helicopters and fixed wing aircraft but also ships and vehicles. The Air Force is currently developing the Guardian Angel air-droppable rescue vehicle (GAARV), a light truck that can be parachuted into combat zones to recover wounded personnel and rendezvous with a HC-130 at a pick-up zone.

Staff Sergeant George Reed explains how he became a PJ with the 38th RQS: “When I was in high school, I really wanted to join the military and become a Navy SEAL. But then I heard about pararescue, where you get paid to jump out of planes, fly helicopters and save lives. I first went through the indoctrination course, where at least 75% of the guys washed out. It is a pretty heinous course. Then came all the airborne, free fall and diving training before you started with the medical portion. Although most washed out during the first indoctrination course, we did have guys dropping out during the other courses as well.”

“As PJs, we are nationally qualified rescue paramedics, and we do both civilian and military rescue but the latter is our main mission of course. The basic mission is the same, though: our primary goal is to find and stabilise patients, and get them to a hospital as soon as possible. We carry enough supplies to treat a patient for up to 48 hours without a medevac.  Our training is very close to the real thing so when I first went to Afghanistan, it was not very different. But even in Afghanistan, it is usually a case of sitting around, waiting for a call, then going out and finding our patients and getting them to a hospital. As pararescuemen, we are combatants, although we mostly carry our weapons to protect our team and patients. But when we do make enemy contact, we know exactly what to do,” said SSgt Reed, tapping his desert-camouflaged M4A1 rifle.

Combat Kings

The Lockheed HC-130P Combat Kings of the 71st RQS are not hard to miss as they are, by far, the largest aircraft at Moody AFB. From a distance, the HC-130P can be easily mistaken for its cargo-hauling cousin, the C-130E Hercules. But the FLIR pod underneath the nose and the large refuelling pods under each wing are giveaways that the Combat King does far more than transporting goods. The HC-130P is a versatile CSAR aircraft that has the ability to refuel the HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters and act as an airborne command and control platform during rescue operations. The Combat King also airdrops PJs and rescue equipment into hostile areas, or lands at remote strips to evacuate wounded personnel and civilians.

When the HC-130P first entered service in 1964, it looked nothing like the C-130E Hercules on which it was based. Fitted with a large bump on the fuselage and a bulky, angular nose, the original Combat King was a most peculiar looking aircraft. The strange nose was part of the Fulton Surface to Air Recovery System (STARS), which was predominantly used by the Special Operations community to retrieve personnel from behind enemy lines. The operative would let up a balloon with a long wire and attach himself to this wire while awaiting the arrival of the HC-130P. The strange nose on the Combat King was designed to carry a large, V-shaped fork which was used to snatch a wire dangling from the balloon and lift the attached operative into the air, allowing the aircrew to to pull the person into the aircraft via the open ramp. The large radome just behind the cockpit housed the AN/ARD-17 Cook Aerial Tracking antenna, which was originally designed to track re-entering satellites but was also used to track the radio beacons of downed airmen during the Vietnam War.

The HC-130N, which entered service a few years later, was the result of a follow-up order for more Combat King aircraft but without the Fulton STARS equipment. The Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) retired the Fulton system in 1996, after which all HC-130Ps were retrofitted with the more familiar Hercules nose. Advances in GPS technology, real-time data links and digital communication have made the AN/ARD-17 system redundant and the large radome started to disappear from the Combat King fleet.

Throughout its service life, the Combat King has received regular updates to keep it in frontline service. These have included GPS equipment, AN/ALE-47 chaff and flare dispensers, AN/AAR-47 missile plume detection systems, the aforementioned AN/AAQ-22 FLIR, an AN/APN-241 tactical transport radar, cockpit modifications to support the use of NVG, and the latest secure radios. Despite this modern technology, the Combat King’s cockpit still comprises mostly analogue gauges, with the exception of a large MFD. Flying the HC-130P is a very much hands-on affair, especially when refuelling helicopters. Although the experienced aircrews of the 71st RQS make refuelling seem easy, it requires a great amount of skill and concentration to maintain control of the HC-130P at low altitude and low airspeeds, often ploughing through turbulent air while ensuring the aircraft remains above stall speed at all times.

One of the 71st RQS Combat King pilots, Captain Pena, explained how he became an HC-130P pilot: “I have been with the 71st RQS for more than three years now. During basic flight training, I opted for the C-130 track and went to Corpus Christi in Texas. There, we trained with the US Navy to fly the T-44 (Beechcraft King Air). While at Corpus Christi, each C-130 class was divided into different tracks for different Hercules types and I was selected for one of the very few rescue slots. I then went to Little Rock AFB in Arkansas for the Air Force C-130 School House before going to the 58th SOW at Kirtland AFB, where they taught us everything about the HC-130P Combat King.”

The workload is not just on the shoulders of the aircraft’s two pilots, but is also shared by the two flight engineers. In large tanker aircraft such as the KC-135R and KC-10A, the boom operator is the vital link between the tanker and the receiving aircraft. During refuelling operations aboard the HC-130P, the flight engineer assumes a similar role. Sitting on the lowered ramp, often in very cold conditions, the flight engineer uses coloured lights to signal to the receiving aircraft while continuously monitoring the refuelling operation. When not refuelling, the flight engineers continue to provide additional eyes and ears for the aircraft commander as they continuously inspect the HC-130P, keeping an eye out for anything out of the ordinary, such as oil leaks.

In April 2010, the HC-130Ps of the 71st RQS returned to Afghanistan for the first time in five years. Although equipped for helicopter refuelling, the Combat Kings also operate independently from the HH-60G Pave Hawks. While on aero-medical evacuation alert, the HC-130P can be airborne within 30 minutes. With its ability to use unprepared airfields, the HC-130P is able to rendezvous with the units in the field and quickly evacuate the wounded to medical centres at Camp Bastion and Herat. During these missions, the Combat King also carries a compliment of PJs who can provide immediate medical care once the HC-130P has reached the wounded personnel or civilians. The HC-130P has the advantage of speed and size, and can carry far more wounded and reach medical centres much faster than traditional rescue helicopters. These factors can be the difference between life and death, especially in such a remote country as Afghanistan.

When asked about his experiences in Afghanistan, Captain Pena said the greatest challenge for him was working with the forward controllers and dealing with the volume of traffic. “There are so many aircraft flying around there and we only have very basic radar coverage. The terrain is also challenging but only during low-level operations. The mountains and the heat do not affect us as much as the helicopters, as we usually fly at higher altitudes. In Afghanistan, we not only refuelled the HH-60Gs but also other helicopters like Marine Corps CH-53 Sea Stallions and Army Special Operations MH-47 Chinooks. But I mainly flew medevac missions carrying the wounded from LZs or airstrips after they had been extracted from the field by the Pave Hawks. From there, we flew them to our hospitals, which we could do much faster than the helicopters. We always had a medical team in the back, consisting of PJs and an Army nurse, and they provided medical care during the flight. We also did long-range medical transfers if specialised hospital facilities were needed but not available locally.”

Sandy Hogs

Named after the P-47 Thunderbolt, the Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II is more commonly referred to as the Warthog or just simply Hog. First flown in 1972, the A-10A was designed to provide close air support (CAS) for ground troops and destroy enemy tanks while surviving in a high threat environment. The Warthog was envisioned to operate over the rolling hills of central Germany, attempting to stop waves of Soviet T-72 main battle tanks pouring through the Fulda Gap at the moment the Cold War turned hot.

Equipped with a 30-mm GAU-8/A Avenger Gatling cannon, the A-10A could slice through Soviet armour like a can opener. Its large wings provide the A-10A not only with great agility but also allow it to carry a large number of different weapons. To allow the aircraft and pilot to survive, the cockpit is protected by titanium armour and the aircraft is fitted with triple redundant flight control systems. Even with the hydraulic systems knocked out, the A-10 remains flyable. The aircraft has been fitted with a forward rotating landing gear so that the pilot can still lower and lock the landing gear using nothing but gravity and wind resistance. Also, the main gear protrudes from the wings when retracted, which minimises damage during belly landings. The engine placement and tail section were deliberately designed to minimize the infra-red signature, making it more difficult for shoulder-launched missiles to hit the aircraft. All these measures resulted in an incredibly tough aircraft that was designed to fly home with just a single engine, a single tail and half a wing missing.

Following its highly successful combat debut during Operation Desert Storm, the A-10A remained a largely analogue and unsophisticated aircraft, despite other fighter aircraft becoming increasingly digitised with GPS-guided JDAM and laser-guided Paveway precision ordnance, large colourful MFDs, information-sharing over data link and helm-mounted targeting systems. Having recognised the Warthog’s potential, and the fact that no replacement aircraft was in sight, the Air Force commissioned the Precision Engagement update in 2005. Under the Precision Engagement programme, the Warthog became a fully digitised aircraft and was redesignated as A-10C.

The A-10C received full colour MFDs, the capability to deliver GPS and laser-guided precision weapons, an improved fire control system and electronic countermeasures, and support for the Situational Awareness Data Link. Additionally, the A-10C is also fitted with a helmet-mounted integrated targeting (HMIT) system, enabling the pilot to target enemy vehicles and troops just by looking at them. To ensure that the A-10C remains serviceable, the Air Force has also contracted Boeing to build 242 new wing sets. Despite these many changes, the only externally visible difference is the appearance of a small T-shaped antenna behind the cockpit. But to the pilots, the A-10C is a major leap forward, making an already great aircraft extraordinarily capable.

The A-10C not only provides close air support but also plays a vital role during CSAR operations, as Captain Tom Harney of the 75th Fighter Squadron explained: “CSAR is something we take a great deal of pride in and requires skills we practice fairly often. It is one of the most difficult and complex missions we do. Our CSAR qualifications are expressed as Sandy 1–4. You will start out as a Sandy 4 initially, as a wingman in whatever squadron you join. When you have learned to lead another jet around and become a flight lead, you can become a Sandy 3. By the time you become an IP (instructor pilot), it is usually around the time you become a Sandy 2 or Sandy 1.” At the time of writing, Capt Harney was a Sandy 3, in charge of RESCORT (rescue escort). This involved him being the lead of two A-10s that escorted the helicopters. “We usually fly a racetrack pattern around the helicopters and, while doing so, Sandy 4 provides mutual support for me and reminds us of how much fuel we have left and those sorts of things.

“The job of Sandy 1 and 2 is to go out and find the survivor. Sandy 1 maintains radio contact with the guy on the ground while Sandy 2 coordinates all supporting assets, calls in air strikes and provides mutual support for his flight lead. Sandy 2 is probably the most difficult upgrade to achieve because you must have a good understanding of all the assets and their exact capabilities, what enemy targets need suppression, and when it is safe to bring the helicopters in because, obviously, they are most vulnerable part of the CSAR task force. Meanwhile, you have to keep track of things like timing and fuel consumption while trying to avoid getting shot down yourself.”

Captain Harney, who previously flew the A-10A before transitioning onto the new A-10C, describes the recent upgrade as “incredible.” He says, “The new moving map display—and especially the data link—gives us so much more capability. Initially, there are a lot more systems and electronics to deal with, but once you get used to it, it really improves your situational awareness. In the A model, you would spend a lot of time trying to coordinate between two aircraft, especially when pointing out targets at night. But now, I can assign a point of interest to my wingman and it is immediately highlighted on his moving map display. During a CSAR mission, I can just point out the survivor on the ground to the rest of our formation without any radio communications. In Afghanistan, it really helps us to integrate with our forces on the ground, who can use the data link to assign points of interest to us.”

Changing the Guard

Although the HC-130P has served the Air Force well, this 48-year-old veteran is older than most pilots flying it. Impeccably maintained by the 71st Aircraft Maintenance Unit (AMU), the Combat Kings of the 71st RQS still soldier on in Afghanistan, where the relentless dust is taking its toll. The dust in Afghanistan has been described by aircraft mechanics as particularly sharp, angular and extremely damaging to engines and other moving parts. The Afghan dust is causing a real headache for the maintenance crews, causing more wear and tear in the already aging aircraft.

After many years of service, retirement is near for the HC-130P. On 29 September 2011, the 58th Special Operations Wing (SOW) at Kirtland AFB, New Mexico, took delivery of the first new HC-130J Combat King II. Based on the KC-130J tanker in service with the Marine Corps, the HC-130J is fitted not only with a modern glass cockpit but also sports the latest navigation, communications, threat detection and countermeasure systems. Like the current HC-130P, the new Combat King II will also be fitted with FLIR systems and refuelling pods. A new feature is the boom refuelling receptacle, allowing the HC-130J to be refuelled in the air by KC-135R and KC-10A tankers. As the HC-130J is a completely different aircraft from its predecessor, the 58th SOW will provide an eight-month qualification programme for the new Combat King II. In the coming years, the HC-130J will start making its way to the 71st RQS at Moody AFB to allow the aging HC-130P to retire.

Although a much more recent acquisition than the HC-130P, the HH-60G Pave Hawk has been serving the Air Force for nearly 30 years. The first helicopters entered service in 1982 and, in August 2011, two Pave Hawks from the 512th RQS at Kirtland AFB reached 10,000 flight hours, with two more following shortly thereafter. The HH-60G has been in action over Panama, Kuwait, Iraq, Mozambique, former Yugoslavia and Afghanistan, and its service life has been extended beyond the original 8,000 hours.

The Air Force started looking for a replacement of the HH-60G as early as 1999. This evolved into the controversial CSAR-X competition, which Boeing won with its HH-47, a highly modified version of the CH-47 Chinook based on the successful US Army Special Operations version, the MH-47G. Although this would have avoided the cost of developing an entirely new type, the decision was contested and the CSAR-X programme was subsequently cancelled by then Defence Secretary Robert Gates. As a result, the Air Force was left with a hefty bill for the CSAR-X competition—and no replacement helicopters.

In order to keep the Pave Hawk fleet flying, the Air Force was allowed to initiate the HH-60G Operational Loss Replacement programme, which will provide the Air Force with at least 11 newly manufactured Pave Hawks. Recently redesignated from HH-60M to HH-60U, these new Pave Hawks are based on the UH-60M Black Hawk and have more powerful engines, a glass cockpit, a redesigned FLIR mount on the nose and the distinctive looking Upturned Exhaust System. The first three HH-60U helicopters were delivered to the Air Force on 7 September 2011 and will replace Pave Hawks helicopters lost to attrition.

In August 2011, the Air Force stated that under the HH-60 recapitalisation programme, or HH-60 Recap, it would seek to replace an estimated 112 HH-60G Pave Hawks and anticipates that the new rescue helicopter “will be an existing production helicopter with modifications using existing mature technology with only limited integration of existing subsystems as required”. This would make the Sikorsky HH-60U a likely candidate but may also allow Boeing to re-table its HH-47 or MH-47G offering.

Acknowledgements

The article would not have been possible without the tremendous support of the United States Air Force, the 23rd Wing and the 347th Rescue Group. The author would especially like to thank Colonel Franks, Captains Gugelman (41st RQS), Pena (71st RQS), Harney and Gibson (75th FS), and SSgt Reed (38th RQS). Extraordinary thanks to 1st Lt Garrison, TSgt Griffin and A1C Wiseman of the Public Affairs team and the 71st AMU getting King 15 airborne again.