Hac’s Seat
How I became a helicopter pilot
Like every Naval Aviator before me, I arrived in Pensacola to report to the training command in June, 1968 right after I earned my college degree. The instructors in what…
Read MoreFlying the Kaman H-2A/B SeaSprites
My first memories of the UH-2A are from a Sunday afternoon walk around on a deserted Whiting Field transient ramp when I was still in the Basic phase of the…
Read MoreFlying the Kaman H-2C/D Sea Sprites
The Navy installed what was known as a “Gold Stripe” engine that had an extra 250 horsepower in a few A/B’s flown by HC-7. This alleviated some of the power,…
Read MoreFlying the Sikorsky H-3 SeaKing
The H-3 is the Chevy Suburban of helicopters. It is adaptable, functional, and for its day, pretty reliable. The H-3 is or was flown by the armed forces of 15…
Read MoreFlying my most favorite airplane of all time, the T-28
Meeting a T-28 You didn’t climb into or onto a T-28, you mounted it. This was no ordinary trainer. Walking up from the front, there was a twelve foot diameter…
Read MoreThe NATOPS Naval Aviation Training and Procedure Standardization Program
In 1961, as a reaction to a climbing accident rate and the increasing complexity of the aircraft and helicopters flown by the Navy, the service instituted a program which we…
Read MoreSurvival Gear
In the training command, we were issued three olive drab Nomex flight suits. The design of the Nomex fabric kept it from absorbing jet fuel and wouldn’t burn for at…
Read MoreMolybdenum Disulfide Grease
Several times in earlier sections of this web site, I mentioned the need to grease the bearings and other parts of the helicopter on a regular basis. Back in the…
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