Black Hawk up and away: Reporter achieves liftoff as Guard brings Army helicopter to Benton:
Thursday, March 24, 2005 4:31 PM CST:
By Jillian Fry
"You won't feel anything; you'll be in the air and then won't know when you land either," said Sgt. 1st Class Robin James of the local Army National Guard, convincing a reporter that flying in a UH-60 Black Hawk from Camp Robinson in North Little Rock to Benton would "be a chance of a lifetime."
He was right. However, he failed to mention the limited shakiness you feel or the slight rocking back and forth the 64-foot helicopter imposes on its passengers. But despite my stomach doing somersaults and having sweaty palms - common ailments when I become nervous - before take-off, the flight brought a new meaning to how our nation's armed forces work in unison to serve its residents.
Flying from Camp Robinson to Benton was not a mock flight to make sure the Black Hawk was operating properly nor was it part of a top-secret mission. Members of the Guard gathered Saturday to allow locals who happened to be on Military Road near Military Plaza, in Hastings Books Music and Video or the post office access to the Black Hawk and offer their insights on being a part of the military.
James called it a "static display," and in addition to the Black Hawk, two Humvees with communication equipment were shown. Information about how to earn extra cash and how the Guard can pay your way through college also was available. The University of Central Arkansas recently became one of 11 schools in Arkansas that allow students in the Guard to have their education completely paid, James noted.
The day began at 7 a.m. when I met James and Sgt. 1st Class Steve Griffin in the parking lot of the shopping center. We drove to Camp Robinson, which was a surprisingly beautiful military base complete with tailored lawns and historical displays of old planes and tanks. James and Griffin helped to ease my nerves en route to the camp with their friendly and, at times, sarcastic banter.
After a brief tour of the aviation center, where I saw where mechanics repair aircraft, I met Chief Warrant Officer Randy Hoffman, who works in the flight operations room. He explained that the camp has three aviation units: Medical evacuation, air assault and the 35th aviation brigade. He said the units have been busy lately taking troops and cargo to nearby bases.
Hoffman also explained the risk assessment sheet each crew must fill out before flying a Black Hawk. Things considered in such an assessment are weather, heat and types of training the pilots and crews have received.
For Saturday, pilot and Chief Warrant Officer Bill Harris said the risk level for our flight was a little above moderate because of pedestrians and vehicles that would be present in the landing spot. As far as the crew, I wasn't worried because Harris has been flying for 36 years and co-pilot Maj. John Payne has 16 years of experience. The crew chief, Staff Sgt. David Callahan, began his military life in the Air Force in 1973 and joined the Guard a few years ago.
Before our flight, Hoffman told me some basic facts about Black Hawks:
€ They can cover about 250 miles without refueling.
€ They achieve a maximum speed of 140 mph.
€ They can reach 12,000 feet above the ground.
But Saturday, we went only about 1,000 feet in the air and traveled about 115 mph. That was high enough and fast enough for me. Included in the Black Hawk trivia I learned was the aircraft can carry up to 12 passengers and have three crew members on board.
As we prepared for the flight, Hoffman showed us how to buckle our seat belts - about as confusing as airplane seat belts are for first-time passengers, but with shoulder straps - and said that in case of an emergency we should follow the crew. "If they start running, run with them," he said.
After our passenger briefing, we watched as Harris, Payne and Callahan prepared the Black Hawk for flight. Harris, who was in Vietnam and the first Gulf War, checked the fuel for contaminants, while Callahan checked the operational parts of the craft.
Callahan gave me a radio head set so I could hear everything he and the pilots said during the flight, and, in turn, I could communicate with them.
James, Griffin and I were strapped in ready to lift off. I was seated in a seat designated for the crew chief. Such a seat is on either side of the aircraft directly behind the pilot seats - like the setup in a car, only instead of facing forward, you face the window.
It was an honor to hear the pilots communicating, checking all the controls and switches until a few unmentionable exchanges were heard. I looked over at James in confusion, wondering what the crew was worried about. James was listening in on a phone apparatus that allowed passengers to hear the pilots but without the capability of talking to them. He shrugged his shoulders and raised his eyebrows. Griffin was napping before take off. He later said he gets sleepy right before taking off in a helicopter or plane.
Harris, Payne and Callahan were talking about something they couldn't test, which I learned after landing was that the generator switch wasn't on so they couldn't test the warning lights in case of an emergency. A member of the flight operations center ran out on the runway, helped Harris and Payne determine the problem. Finally, we were set to go. Payne, who is a Benton resident and an attorney in a Little Rock firm, said to me later: "There was no need to worry; we wouldn't have flown if there was anything wrong. Not only do we care about our passengers; we care enough about ourselves."
We rode out a little bit, where they checked the temperatures and some other levels that give the "OK" to fly, and all I noticed - aside from the noise - was a puddle of water spreading out from the force of the blades on top turning unbelievably fast. The puddle began to look like a spider's body and spread out like a spider's legs.
We lifted in the air - James was right in that you're high in the air before you know it. It took me probably two minutes to get my bearings, convince myself that it was just like being in a plane (in which I've flown in countless times) and to persuade myself to concentrate on the view. And the view was beautiful.
Flying over the Arkansas River with the Little Rock skyline in the mist was captivating. I had seen familiar landscapes from an airplane, but this was different. The invigoration of wind blowing furiously in my face and having the view placed right in front of me rather than leaning over seats to see through a tiny window made being in the earth's atmosphere in a helicopter more real than the feeling I get from an airplane.
As we approached Saline County, I became excited when I was able to find my house. Seeing Interstate 30 from on high wasn't so bad, I remember thinking.
The ride was smooth until we approached the parking lot off of Military Road. The pilots turned left, which made me feel like I was falling forward and would plop out at any moment. My fears subsided when I held my head back with my eyes closed. After the third circle of our landing spot, (because grounded Guard members had trouble clearing people from our site), I became accustomed to the forward feeling, and before I knew it we had landed.
People from every direction were looking inquisitively at us and fortunately stayed out of the way because as Hoffman warned, the blades can cause injury if you get in their way.
James told me a few days before our flight, when I asked how people will show up to see the aircraft: "They'll come; the Black Hawk will bring enough attention." The people came and kept coming until our noon departure.
Children enjoyed sitting in the pilots' seats, pretending to fly. Parents stood by ready to capture their kids on camera. Griffin oversaw activity in the tent in which people could learn about the National Guard. Items such as pencils, brochures and information videos were available for those interested.
Encouragement was heard from a woman who told soldiers how much she appreciated their dedication to the people of the United States by serving and sacrificing I in such places as Iraq.
Harris and Payne put the control settings back in place after they had been maneuvered my many little fingers, and the crowd waved as we lifted for our return flight. Knowing what to expect, I felt more at ease looking onto the landscapes of trees, hills and bodies of water that makeup "the Natural State." Being in the protective custody of four highly-qualified members of the Army National Guard helped calm my nerves, too.
http://www.bentoncourier.com/articles/2005/03/29/news/43cnews.txt