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Blackhawk / CRJ-700 Midair

JTS11

Well-Known Member
pilot
Contributor
I’m talking about her duties at the White House as a liaison/aide. The duties she was performing on Jan 5th of this year. I genuinely didn’t know if the 12th took low hour, first tour pilots for a job that has a pretty important scope of responsibilities.
What are these important scope of responsibilities that you are referring to? I just saw someone performing a ceremonial job as an usher in dress uniform. What am I missing?
 

Odominable

PILOT HMSD TRACK FAIL
pilot
Another point IRT goggling - not necessarily the case here but some helicopters (H-1s for instance) have HMDs incorporated into the NVGs which while “not a primary flight reference” are very nice to have overwater at night to keep your eyes up while having the IVSI staring you in the face.

Also, not for nothing, required for ordnance employment, so beyond the scope of just FAM flying around a city in CONUS it’s an important skill for tactical crew to train to.
 

robav8r

Well-Known Member
None
Contributor
What are these important scope of responsibilities that you are referring to? I just saw someone performing a ceremonial job as an usher in dress uniform. What am I missing?
Perhaps I am mistaken, I thought the 12th Aviation Battalion, and its mission, was a unit that was filled senior, experienced pilots, crew chiefs, and maintenance personnel. Captain Lobach had never deployed, and had low flight hours. If the 12th is just another Army flight unit that takes personnel from across the Army, then her White House duties make more sense. Thanks for filling in my gaps . . . .
 

Brett327

Well-Known Member
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
I’m talking about her duties at the White House as a liaison/aide. The duties she was performing on Jan 5th of this year. I genuinely didn’t know if the 12th took low hour, first tour pilots for a job that has a pretty important scope of responsibilities.
I know what you're talking about, Rob. Maybe let the mishap investigation determine causal factors. Imagine saying that to the faces of her grieving parents. "Yeah, you know, sorry for your loss and all... but maybe she should have studied more for her checkride."
 

robav8r

Well-Known Member
None
Contributor
I know what you're talking about, Rob. Maybe let the mishap investigation determine causal factors. Imagine saying that to the faces of her grieving parents. "Yeah, you know, sorry for your loss and all... but maybe she should have studied more for her checkride."
Take a breath Brett, just asking a question about the state of Army aviation training and what occurs in the 12th. And spare me the lecture on being a CACO, i've been there . . . .
 

Random8145

Registered User
Contributor
She was the female soldier who escorted Ralph Lauren for his Presidential Medal of Freedom. I remember her from that, had no idea she was the one in this crash.
 

MGoBrew11

Well-Known Member
pilot
Genuinely honest question here: if the WO was the IP, would he be sitting in the left seat while the CPT was in the right? Assuming the WO was the IP and also signed for the A/C? Lastly, the CPTs activities with the last administration has folks wondering why she would have that much free time when upgrading/qualifying/studying/in the sims should be her priority. No visibility on the 12th’s flight hour program, was just wondering if someone at her stage of flying in the Army normally has that much discretionary time.
Not sure how the Army does it but, in Navy helos which seat you are in is pretty much meaningless beyond the FRS. There were a few select flights (DLQs as an IP for example) I would think through which seat I would take. Usually I just sat in the same seat the offgoing HAC was in after doing turnover on the cabin ICS while the 2P strapped in.
 

gparks1989

Well-Known Member
pilot
Contributor
I’m talking about her duties at the White House as a liaison/aide. The duties she was performing on Jan 5th of this year. I genuinely didn’t know if the 12th took low hour, first tour pilots for a job that has a pretty important scope of responsibilities.

I gather she was a White House Social Aide. It's a neat opportunity to put on dress uniform and attend some interesting events at the WH. Doesn't seem like it would be a particularly heavy lift for an interested officer.
 

robav8r

Well-Known Member
None
Contributor
I gather she was a White House Social Aide. It's a neat opportunity to put on dress uniform and attend some interesting events at the WH. Doesn't seem like it would be a particularly heavy lift for an interested officer.
Thanks for the info. I was just trying to connect her flying hours and assignment to the 12th against her other, collateral duties. Again, I thought the 12th was different than what it appears to be. Didn’t mean to disparage in any way her service or sacrific.
 

ChuckMK23

FERS and TSP contributor!
pilot
Thanks for the info. I was just trying to connect her flying hours and assignment to the 12th against her other, collateral duties. Again, I thought the 12th was different than what it appears to be. Didn’t mean to disparage in any way her service or sacrific.
It's an important Continuity of Gov mission is it not? Basically quick reaction transport - should be in the wheelhouse of any qualified aviator. As opposed to specialized units like 160th SOAR.
 

gparks1989

Well-Known Member
pilot
Contributor
Thanks for the info. I was just trying to connect her flying hours and assignment to the 12th against her other, collateral duties. Again, I thought the 12th was different than what it appears to be. Didn’t mean to disparage in any way her service or sacrific.
My understanding re: Army aviation is that line (?) officers almost always have less flight time than an equivalent CWO.
 

exNavyOffRec

Well-Known Member
Thanks for the info. I was just trying to connect her flying hours and assignment to the 12th against her other, collateral duties. Again, I thought the 12th was different than what it appears to be. Didn’t mean to disparage in any way her service or sacrific.
In my frequent trips to JBLM for career events I run into helo pilots often, the one thing I keep hearing is they lack of flight hours and I thought they also mentioned needing to get waivers but I may have misheard this. I have a feeling any low hours are not the fault of the pilots.
 

PhrogPhlyer

Two heads are better than one.
pilot
None
My understanding re: Army aviation is that line (?) officers almost always have less flight time than an equivalent CWO.
"Almost always" = "Yup"

WO:

Pros: More flight time. You will stay in the company until mid to senior CW3, which means most of your career will be spent flying and being involved in the daily operations of a flight company. Your job and reputation revolve around being a professional aviator.

Cons: Less pay. Less responsibility. You will be the guy who has to follow the orders, even if they're dumb or counterproductive. You will have dumb additional duties to do, and some important ones depending on what you track.

LO:

Pros: You can still fly quite a bit up until the point you make CPT. You make a lot more money. You get to make decisions and lead/command. Some people care about that more than others, but it's nice to be able to set the policies and work flow of an organization for the better.

Cons: After the mid-senior CPT point, your job becomes about being a staff officer and planner, not a pilot. You will be expected by your leadership to do officer stuff first and being a pilot will be anywhere from second to fifth+ on the priority list. You will have a ton of paperwork to do. You have a high chance of being put in a non-flying assignment or billet.
 

hscs

Registered User
pilot
We would routinely have one pilot flip their goggles up when in urban areas. That way we get the benefits of both and whoever had the best SA could take control.

Split aided/unaided used to be a community taboo in my early days when the old guard were still distrustful of the tech.
A little more to the SOP. That dealt with different OMNI tubes of the -6s. Also, it was policy driven to ensure enough kits were available for the entire crew.

Surprised that some of the mods available like white phosphorus aren’t more prevalent to counter. We used some that had better gain control that were great going from middle of no where dark to landing in a soccer field in the middle of a town without a ton of blooming. And that was nearly 20 years ago.
 
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