A Buzz In The Sky

[rusty bumper]

I heard all kinds of noise in the sky last week at night.

I went outside and there were choppers everywhere!

The next day, the paper said that the Army Special Forces (Green Berets) flew in from Ft. Bragg and held maneuvers at the fire dept. training grounds at the college nearby.

I would have loved to have seen that in person, but it was at night in foggy conditions.

They came in little above tree top level and repelled with ropes.

The local police were the bad guys.

[atclew]

Re: A Buzz In The Sky

Originally posted by Rusty Bumper
I would have loved to have seen that in person, but it was at night in foggy conditions.

The MH-60's and MH47's are modern marvels of night vision technology.

[rusty bumper]

Re: Re: A Buzz In The Sky

Originally posted by atclew
The MH-60's and MH47's are modern marvels of night vision technology.

That's good to know.

We have about 1/2 dozen or so, 2000 ft. TV towers close by......(A tower farm if you will )

You sound like you used to fly in one of those choppers.

[atclew]

Re: Re: Re: A Buzz In The Sky

Originally posted by Rusty Bumper
You sound like you used to fly in one of those choppers.

Was Army ATC for 10 years before working for the FAA for the past 2 years. I've challenged a few 'hawk' drivers to make me vomit! Told em they weren't pilot enough to make me dizzy.

Of course I love that kind of adrenaline rush though!

[rusty bumper]

I saw video of Apaches in action during the Iraq invasion.

Those things looked like bad news for the enemy.

[atclew]

Originally posted by Rusty Bumper
Those things looked like bad news for the enemy.

If their flying NOE (nap of the earth), you won't hear them until they are about 2/3rds of a mile from you. By then it's WAY too late and that's only if they're not using the Hellfire (AGM-114C/D for you fellow nomenclature nuts out there) missle.

[RamAirV1]

Originally posted by atclew
If their flying NOE (nap of the earth), you won't hear them until they are about 2/3rds of a mile from you. By then it's WAY too late and that's only if they're not using the Hellfire (AGM-114C/D for you fellow nomenclature nuts out there) missle.

I remember the video of the Apaches firing the Hellfire missiles right through the front doors of the Iraqi radar stations!

RamAirV1

[atclew]

Originally posted by RamAirV1
I remember the video of the Apaches firing the Hellfire missiles right through the front doors of the Iraqi radar stations!

RamAirV1

Avon calling!!!

[rusty bumper]

Originally posted by RamAirV1
I remember the video of the Apaches firing the Hellfire missiles right through the front doors of the Iraqi radar stations!

RamAirV1

I guess the radar didn't help much.

[RamAirV1]

Originally posted by atclew
Avon calling!!!

Yeah, it's the new Avon "fireball" makeover!

RamAirV1

[atclew]

Originally posted by RamAirV1
Yeah, it's the new Avon "fireball" makeover!

RamAirV1

I just don't think you'll be seeing that on that ABC show "Extreme Makeover"

[rusty bumper]

Here's a nice little piece about the Apache......

http://science.howstuffworks.com/apache-helicopter.htm

[atclew]

Originally posted by Rusty Bumper
Here's a nice little piece about the Apache......

http://science.howstuffworks.com/apache-helicopter.htm

A few extra things that article didn't mention.

Not all AH-64D Apache's have the mast mounted radar. Only one radar equipped apache is usually assigned per company (usually 4-5 apache's) as one radar can assign all targets to each of the company's aircraft. So theoretically, 4 longbow apaches can destroy 48 targets in one salvo. Assuming each missile hits it target.

The Auto-hover on the -D models was improved greatly from -A and -C model aircraft. The pilots had a strong urge to override it in earlier models because of spatial disorientation and would pull back slightly on the cyclic and back their tail rotor up into trees and other foliage.

I can't tell you how many times I've heard of this happening while I was assigned to the control tower at one of Fort Hood's airfields. We'd watch, say, 8 apaches go out for a gunnery, and only 7 would return...because one of em had to set their apache down a bit prematurely from tail rotor damage.

If an apache doesn't have the radar mounted on top of the mast, there is one way to tell if it is a Longbow Apache...the anti-collision lights. A Longbow Apache's anti-collision lights are mounted on the side of the engine nacelles. Older models anti-collision lights are mounted on the sides of it's wings.

Just shooting from the hip here, sorry I took up so much. Just thought I'd drop a little extra knowledge

[rusty bumper]

Very interesting read.

I must have spent about 2 hours looking up military items on the web.

How on earth do the soldiers remember all of those acronyms?........I thought computer acronyms were tough to remember, but the military tops that!

[atclew]

Originally posted by Rusty Bumper
How on earth do the soldiers remember all of those acronyms

It was hard enough to refrain from using acronyms of military and aviation lingo in my previous post!