Decision Making Assertiveness Mission Analysis Communication Leadership Adaptability/Flexibility Situational Awareness
CRM Contacts: CRM Instructional Model Manager NASC Pensacola, Fla. (850) 452-2088 (DSN 922) https://wwwnt.cnet.navy.mil/crm/ LCdr. Jeff Alton, Naval Safety Center (757) 444-3520, Ext.7231 (DSN 564) jeffrey.alton@navy.mil
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New Guys Can Talk, Too! By AW2(AW/NAC) Joseph A. Rosbrough
y story starts on a warm September day in Korea. We were on an SH-60B weapons detachment, operating with Hellfire missiles and Army Apache helicopters. Our goal was to integrate with the Army to become a more efficient team. It was my first time playing with Apaches or shooting Hellfire missiles, so you can imagine how excited I was. Our day would start with a 0400 wake-up. We completed our standard flight brief and preflight, then loaded our helo with missiles and went flying. I was in my glory. We were at the FARP (forward arming and refueling point), watching the Apaches load their helos and launch. Their crews amazed us by the way they conducted routine operations: much different than the way LAMPS crews are used to doing business. We thought it was real cool to watch them flare on takeoffs and landings, seemingly without a care in the world. An Apache is a much more maneuverable aircraft than the SH-60B. My pilot was a newer H2P, and I noticed the look of awe on his face as the beehive of fully loaded Apaches flew in and out. That morning was going to be the time where my timid and submissive “trust the pilots” attitude, also known as “new-guy syndrome,” forever would go away. Just after takeoff, we were told the range was fouled with little Korean fishing boats. We sent one of our helicopters to try and clear the range, then got the frustrating instruction to sit on the taxiway until further notice. So, there we were, sitting directly in the rays of the rising sun and bored out of our minds. We were on the sidelines, watching everyone else flying. The Air Force launched all their stealth fighters and F-16s, while a slew of Apaches came in and out. We sat on the taxiway so long we burned a full bag of gas. For all you LAMPS bubbas out there, you know that’s about three hours of gas if you are flying and nearly double that amount if you are sitting on deck. The delay was horrible. The HAC then called tower and requested permission to go back to the FARP and refuel. We received clearance, the HAC passed the controls to the H2P, and told him to take us there. The H2P pulled up on the collective, and that’s when the fun all began. He transitioned to forward flight and settled out at about 100 feet AGL. He kept us nose-down at an aggressive angle, which accelerated the aircraft. I, being the new guy, noticed something just didn’t feel right. Approach
