Letters to the Editor

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 1samhein@gmail.com 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

Our Readers Write:

Hello Rotor Reviewers,

I write to you as a new member and with a different background in that I was a career submariner. I started in a nuclear engineering role, advanced to operations, and spent the last 15 years as an “Ice Pilot” guiding submarines on Arctic missions. The watchstanding principles we relied upon were: integrity, level of knowledge, questioning attitude, formality, forceful backup, procedural compliance, and ownership. I’m sure that these values also carry over into the aviation community as the consequences of failure are equally dire.

Beyond personal accountability to stand a professional watch, we exercised a hyper-vigilance for maintaining our gear in a high state of readiness. This was accomplished through a thorough preventative maintenance program and an endless supply of after watch cleaning and training.

The highest level of scrutiny was given to the systems that were exposed to sea pressure or critical to recovering from flooding. This quality assurance program was known as Submarine Safety Program or SUBSAFE. Unfortunately, this program was borne out of the tragic loss of USS Thresher (SSN 593) on April 10, 1963. The system requires the certification and tracking of all components that are associated with a SUBSAFE system from manufacturing through installation of that specific part, along with higher certifications for the craftsmen who perform maintenance or repairs to those systems.

Another facet that brings heightened attention to detail is “Rigging the Ship for Dive.” This is the process of manually repositioning and checking the alignment of hundreds of valves and switches to ensure that the ship can safely submerge. The procedure is then second checked by a qualified officer. The Diving Officer of the Watch maintains the status of all the rigged for dive systems to ensure nothing is forgotten or out of place.

So, it is through that background and appreciation for the hours of training and preparation that you bring to the aviation community that I am honored to join you and support you. My support now comes in the form of providing solutions to maintain and protect your assets from damage from the environment. To swap sea stories or find out more about how to shield your gear from the elements, I’d love to connect. Email me at ryan.hopper@shieldtechnologies.com.

Best,

Ryan Hopper