8 minute read
Industry and Technology Special Report from Industry – Why We (Still) Fly
By Scott Bruce, KBR Flight Operations
For some of us, flying naval helicopters gets in your blood and there is no shaking the challenge and excitement. Fortunately, leaving the service – whether retiring or getting out at the end of your tour – doesn’t mean that you have to give up the thrill of hovering forever. The obvious options are flying for the Original Equipment Manufacturers, Emergency Services (police, medical, etc.), or the offshore oil industry. For those of us who don’t want to give up working with our service brethren, there are options with perks that are almost as good as being back in uniform; one of which is flying in support of the Navy and Marine Corps as a contractor aircrew. Unique opportunities to fly in a variety of roles are out there, but you must look for them!
John “Noddy” Holder is compact and fit with short hair and a trim, slightly graying beard. He walks everywhere with the deliberateness and intensity of a man on a mission. Officially, he serves as the Chief Pilot for KBR, but he considers that his collateral duty - his real job, his métier, is as a rotary wing flight test instructor at the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School (USNTPS) in Patuxent River, MD. As soon as Noddy opens his mouth, you realize that he’s not from this country! His classic British accent and sense of humor tell a unique story. An officer and helicopter test pilot in the Royal Navy, he was the exchange pilot at USNTPS up until the end of his military career. The school relies on a cadre of contractors to augment the active duty and government flight instructor staff, and the school wanted to keep Noddy’s expertise so brought him on as a KBR contractor. Twelve years later, he was promoted to KBR’s senior flying pilot, but he remains excited each day to rise to the challenge of turning Fleet pilots into test pilots.
A quick look at a few of the pilots and aircrew under Noddy’s leadership represents a corps of individuals who thrive on being able to support and give back to the Navy and Marine Corps.
Sid Hatcher joined KBR in 2005 after a 21-year Navy career. He describes his decision to join KBR as similar to why he transitioned to Aeronautical Engineering Duty Officer (AEDO) after his first tour as a test pilot. “I looked at several paths available to me and contemplated how I could best contribute to Naval Aviation - the technology, the tactics, and the people. So, they were both pretty easy decisions, and I am grateful for the opportunity. My role continues to be highly rewarding. Working on new aircraft and systems alongside some incredible teammates, KBR, Navy, Marine, and Civil Service.” Sid has supported numerous test programs including Presidential Helicopters and MH-60R/S Programs. Nearly 20 years later, Sid hasn’t stayed with KBR this long just for the flying. He explains that the “job” of a test pilot is to support developing new capabilities and help train the warfighters to bring optimum implementation of that capability. But the "role" of a test pilot goes far beyond that. Noting the adage of repeating history if we fail to learn from it, Sid’s passion for safety, human factors, and crew resource management has motivated him in other areas. What motivates him the most? “Oh, without a doubt it’s interfacing with Fleet operators. Whether they are NATOPS Model Managers, Instructors, or Marine One Pilots.” crew flying with VX-1 at China Lake.
To a person, every KBR aviator feels the deep sense of honor and the commensurate responsibility to be able to give back to the Navy. We all get here from a variety of career paths, and the journeys have been as varied as they have been exciting.
Jonathan Morel spent 20 years in the USMC flying CH-53 helicopters, about half of those years as a Developmental Test Pilot at Pax River. During his time at HX-21, the helicopter test squadron, he had the opportunity to work on the new CH-53K when it was still in its design phase. Throughout many working groups and simulator events, he was able to influence the design of many aspects of the future helicopter, particularly in the flight control system, handling qualities, cockpit displays and controls, and human systems. Following an operational tour back in the Fleet as a department head, he was then privileged to come back to HX-21 and lead the flight test team just as the newly-built CH-53K test aircraft arrived for its initial developmental testing. When it became time for Jonathan to retire from active duty, the aircraft was only halfway through its test period. After pouring so much of himself into its development and test, he knew he wanted an opportunity to continue to help the test team finish the mission. KBR gave him that opportunity. He was able to smoothly transition into a contractor test pilot role directly supporting the CH-53K Test Team and has continued in that capacity for five years and counting.
Jonathan will tell you that the believes being a part of the KBR Pilot Team is the closest someone can get to being in a military squadron after leaving the military “Working and flying with active-duty test pilots while still being part of the ready room is a great place to be and an amazing opportunity to continue directly engaging with and supporting the operating forces. For current military aviators, both the operational and test types, who love the work ethic, mission, camaraderie, and no-nonsense attitudes of life in a squadron, there’s no better place to land after the military than as part of the KBR Pilot Team."
Though KBR’s specialty remains firmly in the flight test community, not all KBR aircrew are TPS graduates.
Four helicopter aircrew with VX-31 at China Lake have answered the call to keep flying after completing successful 20-year U.S. Navy careers. VX-31 operates Search and Rescue helicopters in a unique U.S. Navy environment that requires a specialized skill not common to most helicopter crews. The four aircrew that fly in both the front and back of the MH-60S Seahawk have extensive high altitude helicopter operations experience and use this experience to provide flight instruction, training standardization, and to stand alert duty positions. The pilots, one with KBR for 12 years, and the other for two years, followed immediately after active duty to positions at VX-31. They are mountain flying experts and their reason for continued service is a resonating call to duty “with a bit of selfishness mixed in.” They continue to fly a military aircraft in an extreme environment, pass along skills to the next generation and provide daily rescue alert coverage to the multi-service operators in the China Lake vicinity. Two aircrewman/rescue swimmers also arrived directly after retiring from active duty and have filled similar and critical roles as Helicopter Inland Rescue Aircrew. Their combined experience of over 17 years in the inland SAR environment ensures the squadron SAR team operates smoothly and safely in all aspects of helicopter rappel and hoist operations. The KBR China Lake Helicopter Team provides a stable base of experience where active-duty helicopter aircrew can learn to safely operate in an unforgiving environment.
In the Navy, opportunities to stay in the cockpit get scarce as you get more senior as officers are expected to take leadership roles of increased responsibility. Stubbornly, there are some of us who openly want to keep flying; those of us who desperately hope to have the ever-elusive “perfect flight." Having the opportunity to continue to fly military aircraft as a civilian is a true privilege.
Sean Lawson started his Navy flying career as a rescue swimmer in CH-46s. He then earned his commission as a Naval Flight Officer and flew EP-3 Special Mission aircraft and finished up his career as a Mission Systems Operator on the MQ-4C Triton Development Program. Now a KBR employee, his expertise is so sought after that he is the only non-graduate flight instructor at TPS. No wonder he has a huge grin on his face as he shows up for work each day…in his flight suit!
As for me? Let me just put it this way, several years after retiring from the Navy I couldn’t resist the pull and joined KBR as a contractor pilot. Years later, my program was cancelled, and my position went away. I tried to “make it on the outside” in a variety of non-flying jobs, but I just couldn’t shake it and got pulled back into KBR for a second time. I come to work each day genuinely excited to help build the next generation of Naval Aviation leaders. ‘Nuff said?
About the Author - Scott Bruce is a former Navy Pilot, business owner, and corporate executive. Although he claims to have flown (at various times) props, jets, helos, tilt-rotors, Optionally-Piloted Aircraft and Unmanned Aircraft, flying helicopters remains his primary passion.
