From the Editors-in-Chief

Esteemed Readership

LT Mike "Bubbles" Short and LT Annie "Frizzle" Cutchen

This will be my final column as Editor-in-Chief of this fine publication. At the release of this issue, I’ll be turning my duties over to LT Annie “Frizzle” Cutchen, a friend and fellow Fleet Angel of HSC-2. Rotor Review #157, themed “Lethality through Learning,” seems like an appropriate conclusion for my time with the magazine. My time as head of the Rotor Review Editorial Staff has been, if nothing else, a journey of learning.

Serving as the Editor-in-Chief of Rotor Review has been one of the great honors of my nine year naval career. This position has allowed me to interact with outstanding thinkers, writers, and leaders from across the Naval Rotary Wing Community. It has given me the opportunity to expand my comfort zone and professional knowledge while leading a passionate and professional editorial staff in the publication of two years’ worth of issues. We set out with a goal to curate and publish content that was relevant, thoughtful, and entertaining. We sought out submissions from contributors with ideas that could take our community forward. I believe we have been, and will continue to be successful in these aspirations.

To the NHA Staff and community leadership, thank you for trusting and empowering me to lead the full spectrum of this magazine’s editorial process.

To our contributors and columnists, thank you for your dedication to community-advancing thought leadership. Without the high quality pieces you consistently provide, there would be nothing for us to publish.

To Rotor Review’s Community Editors, thank you for your commitment to this magazine. Your tireless editorial efforts have allowed us to produce issue after issue of excellent material.

I am immensely proud of the work we’ve been able to accomplish together, but the work continues! It is critical that members of our community continue to write about their experiences, problems, and solutions, and submit them to professional publications like this one. We all learn and grow through the sharing of ideas. I am grateful for the opportunity to have served as Rotor Review’s Editor-in-Chief. As always, thanks for reading!

V/r, LT Mike “Bubbles” Short

For those of you I have not yet had the opportunity to meet, my name is LT Annie “Frizzle” Cutchen. I come from a long Navy lineage, spent my first tour with the HSC-6 Screamin’ Indians, and am now proud to call myself a Fleet Angel. I am very excited to take over the role of Editor-in-Chief, but recognize that I have some massive shoes to fill.

When Bubbles announced that he was searching for a relief, I jumped on the opportunity. I had seen how the position facilitated communication with the Naval Rotary Wing Community past and present. I also noted what an outstanding forum Rotor Review is for you all to promulgate information and push the agenda you care about.

There has yet to be a moment in the editorial process that I do not feel an immense sense of pride to be a part of this incredible community. During the turnover process, I was met with a few surprises—luckily all of which were positive and in tune with the theme of this issue. I did not realize that I would have the opportunity to again work alongside so many of my incredible mentors including CAPT Steve “SteveO” Thomas, CDR Emily “ABE” Stellpflug, and CDR Ian “Zoo” Adams to name a few. I have also had the privilege to gain some new mentorship from RADM Fillion, CAPT Gillcrist, and Allyson Darroch. This list would not be complete without the mention of LT Mike “Bubbles” Short.

Bubbles has been an incredible peer mentor in and outside of the context of Rotor Review. He embraces “Lethality through Learning” to his core. That man is an incredible instructor and a huge part of his success is that he constantly has a learning mentality. Mike, thank you for entrusting me to take the torch. You have put so much time and effort into making this magazine the incredible publication that it is today and I hope to continue to do justice to your vision.

How do we continue to improve? We take lessons learned from those who came before us. We build upon the strong foundation constructed before our time. With that in mind, I am excited to announce the theme of our Fall 2022 Issue (Rotor Review #158) is “Past Informs the Present.” We are excited to hear what historical events (both recent and long past) have informed our modern-day operations and influenced you. This upcoming issue covers now through January of 2023. Some important events in that timeframe include Sikorsky Aircraft Company 100th Anniversary (2023), Gulf Coast Fleet Fly-In themed “Next Generation,” and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) Summit to name a few. Rotor Review staff looks forward to hearing from you on this comprehensive theme.

Please enjoy RR #157 and show your appreciation to Bubbles when you see him!

Letters to the Editors

It is always great to hear from our membership! We need your input to ensure that Rotor Review keeps you informed, connected and entertained. We maintain many open channels to contact the magazine staff for feedback, suggestions, praise, complaints or publishing corrections. Please advise us if you do not wish to have your input published in the magazine. Your anonymity will be respected. Post comments on the NHA Facebook Page or send an email to the Editor-in-Chief. Her email is annie.l.cutchen.mil@us.navy.mil or to the Managing Editor at rotorreview@navalhelicopterassn.org. You can use snail mail too. Rotor Review’s mailing address is: Letters to the Editor, c/o Naval Helicopter Association, Inc., P.O. Box 180578, Coronado, CA 92178-0578.

RADIO CHECK Tell Us What You Think!

The theme for Rotor Review #158 is “Past Informs the Present.” Those of us who currently have the privilege of spending our days with rotors turning overhead couldn’t operate as knowledgeably, safely, and efficiently as we do if not for the foundation set by those who came before us.

Naval Aviation as a whole has an incredible history which can be broken down further into squadron, aircraft, and even individual history. “There I was,” “lessons learned,” and “open kimono” conversations happen in wardrooms and messes across the world. From these, we learn from our Navy and Coast Guard Shipmates and fellow Marines about how to be better in and out of the aircraft.

What are some historical events that have set the stage for what rotary wing aviation is today? What mission sets have you performed that you have seen grow and develop into modern day operations? Is there any particular historical event, big or small, that has made an impact on you and the decisions you have made? What is your “there I was” that impacted you and your career? Do you have advice for the next generation of rotary wing aviator to make them better based on your experiences?

We want to hear from you! Please send your responses to the Rotor Review Editor-in-Chief at the email address listed below.

V/r, LT Annie “Frizzle” Cutchen Editor-in-Chief, Rotor Review annie.l.cutchen.mil@us.navy.mil

Rotor Review Submission Guidelines

Articles and news items are welcomed from NHA’s general membership and corporate associates. Articles should be of general interest to the readership and geared toward current Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard affairs, technical advances in the rotary wing / tilt rotor industry or of historical interest. Humorous articles are encouraged. Rotor Review and Website Submission Guidelines

1. Articles: MS Word documents for text. Do not embed your images within the document. Send as a separate attachment.

2. Photos and Vector Images: Should be as high a resolution as possible and sent as a separate file from the article. Please include a suggested caption that has the following information: date, names, ranks or titles, location and credit the photographer or source of your image.

3. Videos: Must be in a mp4, mov, wmv or avi format.

• With your submission, please include the title and caption of all media, photographer’s name, command and the length of the video.

• Verify the media does not display any classified information. • Ensure all maneuvers comply with NATOPS procedures. •

All submissions shall be tasteful and in keeping with good order and discipline. • All submissions should portray the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard and individual units in a positive light.

All submissions can be sent via email to your community editor, the Editor-in-Chief (annie.l.cutchen.mil@us.navy.mil , or the Managing Editor (rotorreview@navalhelicopterassn.org). You can also use the USPS mail. Our mailing address is Naval Helicopter Association Attn: Rotor Review P.O. Box 180578 Coronado, CA 92178-0578