Osprey Question

[jamesd]

You guys have me pumped up. When I was first looking into Marine Corps aviation, I was afraid I would get stuck with a helo slot. Now I would give my left kidney to fly anything. If I can get my last few PFT points, I might have the opportunity.

 

[phrogdriver]

Not exactly nothing. It will have an M3 .50cal out the back ramp.

I flew the Osprey sim once. I was just flying it in the pattern, so I don't know what their tactical approaches look like, but it can decel faster than a 46 (which is fast). You can angle the nacelles past 90-deg and get backward thrust.

 

[Q-ball]

True, but there's still that voretx ringstate peoblem that those fast little rotors have.

 

[phrogdriver]

Not really. The data on the V22 says that it doesn't approach VRS until 1500fpm+ or thereabouts. That's much better than the 600-800fpm when most helos enter it. The AZ V22 crash was at a sink rate of greater that 2000fpm. Of course something bad is going to happen coming down that fast. The V22 now even has a sink rate warning that flashes if it's descent rate and a/s are putting it in danger of VRS.

 

[Q-ball]

1500? Wow, that's pretty fast. That's gotta be really uncomfortable screaming out of the sky like that. That's almost like an auto.



Q

 

[Stormy]

We just had a brief at South Whiting about all the different choices. I'm in RIs now so the time is getting close for me to pick. Capt C. Forsling was just selected to go to VMX-22 or whatever the new squadron is. He was talking about all the stuff already mentioned that they're taking people from all the different communities but that it will be several years before we can select the Osprey out of Advanced. Hope I didn't miss-generalize what he said but that's most of what I got from his quick speech.

 

[Stormy]

Forgot to give an answer to Q-ball's question, I'm hoping for 53E's West and would transition to the Osprey in a heartbeat if I was given the chance.

 

[phrogdriver]

So far you have to apply for a slot, for which you'll need a few years' fleet experience. Expect that to continue for about the next 2 years. During that time, any platform can apply for it. After that, expect phrog squadrons to start going to the FRS as units to switch to the V-22. Around that same time, the first V-22 pilots might start selecting out of flt school, provided we've figured out a syllabus by then.

 

[Squid]

tell me, gurus, is the navy going to make the transition as fast at the marines?

 

[phrogdriver]

I don't think the Navy is on board with the program anymore. They're committed to a R/W "neck-down" to 2 flavors of H-60s. Eventually they'll see the light, but it'll be awhile.

 

[Squid]

no? when did this happen?

 

[46Driver]

no? when did this happen?

Couple of years ago, the Navy made plans to neck down to 3 types of helos:
MH-60S, MH-60R, MH-53E

(for reference the Marine Corps is going to have in the fleet AH-1W (going to AH-1Z), UH-1N (going to UH-1Y), CH-53E, CH-53D, CH-46E, and the MV-22 for the foreseeable future. (The plan involves getting rid of the CH-53D and the CH-46E but that is not going to take place until about the 2015-2020 timeframe.)

We just got an article at the reserve unit concerning the MV-22:
http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/.www/rhumblines/rhumblines244.doc

 

[Q-ball]

The Navy is beginning to phase out the MH-53E. They want the entire fleet to be either MH-60R's and MH-60S. Supposedly they are developing a lighter mine-sweeping sled.

 

[towbubba]

The Navy is beginning to phase out the MH-53E. They want the entire fleet to be either MH-60R's ans MH-60S. Supposedly they are developing a ligher mine-sweeping sled.

How long does it take to pick up your quals and get a float (peacetime) in a 53 squadron? 46? Cobra?

 

[Q-ball]

It really all depends on a bunch of factors. I'll use me as an example. I got my initial quals within a few months, and I chopped for a MEU less than a year from joining the squadron. It will vary between squadrons as to how fast things come.