Navy Helos: Day in the life of?

[HH-60H]

Plus you have a fish on the rail, you're down to your last 2 buoys, and they're DICASS (read: screwed), and you need to get the qual so you don't have to come back here tomorrow.

Why are you screwed with DICASS?

But when you do find them, you're right...it's pretty cool to ping the poor bastards into submission

I agree completely. 60Fs are designed to be pouncers, so when we are searching for something its boring, like it is for everyone else, but when you fly in on a hot datum it is pretty exciting. And it is a combat mission, we are looking to kill 100-200 men on that submarine, we're just lucky they can't shoot back at us, just our ship.

 

[Gatordev]

Why are you screwed with DICASS?

Let's just say they aren't the best weapon at that particular range, and leave it at that.

 

[bch]

BCH,

Your point is very valid, but I think what Chuck might be referring to, even if he doesn't have much experience with it (and I don't know if he does), is the tedium of ASW. From what I remember, you are probably still in or just finishing w/ the WSTs. As far as the trainers go, their pretty engrossing. You usually have contact on something, MDRs are as far as you can see. Just wait until you're up at PMRF, the Chileans or, god help you, the Japanese, are zipping around on the range and all you can hear are those damn whales! Plus you have a fish on the rail, you're down to your last 2 buoys, and they're DICASS (read: screwed), and you need to get the qual so you don't have to come back here tomorrow.

Then there's ASW "Freeplay." Another term for looking for some damn 209 or something that might be in the area, but you have no place to start and you just want someone to queue you. And of course there's no P-3's on station because they're busying "not having a mission" in the 16 other theatres they have to support.

But when you do find them, you're right...it's pretty cool to ping the poor bastards into submission.

Thanks for the insight!

 

[Chubby]

Here's a question, and I know it is kinda up to the Navy, but generally how hard is it to get the platform and/or base you want out of advanced? IE - HC out of North Island or HSL out of Mayport, etc. And I know the usual be number one etc. I'm just curious, is it as competitive as primary or a little more laid back, they will work with you or what? Thanks.

 

[Cyclic]

Question: What Navy helo community has the most fun and does the most rewarding flying? In my former line of work, which I will not mention, I got to see HC do their thing from up on the bridge, but that's all I've seen. Who has the most fun? I'm selecting out of HT-8 in a couple months, so I need to know! Thanks for any input and sea stories.

HSC....Lots of turf and NVD flyin', shoot missles, lots of guns onboard, Mine Warfare and plane guard. Operate out of carriers and gators. Fun Meter...pegged.

HSM...Hunting and killing submarines, Command and Control (controlling Sierras as shooters)...small boats. Fun Meter...hmm I don't know about that, but I can see hunting down and killing a nuclear ballistic missle submarine being probably the most rewarding mission of the whole helo community.

HM/HC...Mine Warfare and troop combat support and...you get to fly the baddest helo in the inventory. Mostly gators and LPD's. Towing is hard to learn and not kill yourself but it makes you a much better pilot, the rewarding part is knowing that the entire strike group and assault force comes to a halt and depend on HM/HSC to go through, but I gotta say that after flyin' the '60 the '53 is such an awesome machine...it puts a smile on my face just thinking about going back to the Big Iron Fun meter...pegged.

 

[Gatordev]

...but I can see hunting down and killing a nuclear ballistic missle submarine being probably the most rewarding mission of the whole helo community.

I gotta say pulling three dudes out of the water who were pretty much goners and didn't have much left in them after 27 hours of exposure and seasickness was a highlight. This all during some really crappy weather, and then having to get back to the boat and into the trap made for an interesting day.

As far as selection, it's pretty much like Primary, but there's more choices, so it isn't always as stressful. Then again, for three selections in a row before mine, pretty much everybody who was Navy got HSL East.

 

[phrogpilot73]

I gotta say pulling three dudes out of the water who were pretty much goners and didn't have much left in them after 27 hours of exposure and seasickness was a highlight. This all during some really crappy weather, and then having to get back to the boat and into the trap made for an interesting day.

Transporting 5 Urgent Surgical Casualties from Al Qaim on the Syrian border to CSH South in Baghdad, and knowing that they lived ranks up there...

 

[Gatordev]

I'll bet.