Blackhawk / CRJ-700 Midair

[Roger_Waveoff]

My thoughts are focused at evaluating a) the impact on visual identification of conflict aircraft due to NVG light source volume/saturation, b) combined with incomplete conflict aircraft call out ("CRJ" vs "CRJ at 11 o'clock"), and c)combined with ~200' above max route altitude.
I am looking at this as a prior DOSS who was part of the investigation team for two Class-A mishaps.
No where do I look for blame, rather causal factors.

I would be very curious to see a video, or better yet, ride along in a 60 doing that same route while wearing NVGs. I would imaging the halos, de-gaining, and general incompatibility of the city lights are insane around that area and it wouldn't be as easy as anyone thinks to pick out an airplane among all of it.

At the risk of Monday morning quarterbacking, I have to wonder if there's ever any consideration (I imagine there may be in the near future) to flying that route unaided. I get it, as a (sort of) rotary-wing pilot, 99% of the time we fly aided especially at low altitude, but that doesn't mean you HAVE to.

 

[Swanee]

I know that at 500 (consistent) hours one is finally getting comfortable flying a jet and at 1000 (consistent) hours one should be very comfortable at flying it as well as have all of their expected quals. Is 500 hours considered experienced in the military helo world? Would 500 hours make a Marine helo pilot competitive to fly in HMX-1?

I'm genuinely curious and not trying to point fingers.
Thanks
S/F

Speaking informally with the former Army -47 pilot in my squadron: regular commissioned pilots don't fly as much as the Warrant Os. Lately, neither group has been flying a lot because all of the troops have been sitting at home.

Enter the "peacetime military" discussion. A company commander who checked all of the boxes for development might only have 500 hours in the airplane and that might be normal.

The CWO IP might only have 1000, and again, that could be normal. They may not have had the deployment opportunities to really build time.

Edited to fix the the absolute shit show that was my grammar from typing on my phone.