• Thanks for stopping by. Logging in to a registered account will remove all generic ads. Please reach out with any questions or concerns.

Tac Flying, Kiowa Style.

Loachman

Former Army Pilot in Drag
Staff member
Directing Staff
Inactive
Reaction score
290
Points
980
IN HOC SIGNO said:
It's all good training. I remember when I was in Pet they used to buzz over Muskrat Lake to check out the cottages in the Kiowas....contour flying.
It wasn't the cottages.

And contour flying was for Slugs (Twin Hueys). We did NOE.
 
Loachman said:
It wasn't the cottages.

And contour flying was for Slugs (Twin Hueys). We did NOE.

I was being polite about the cottages...hehehehe
Remind me what NOE is....when I was Padre for 427 I got up with the Twin Hueys and the Kiowas....it was lots of fun.
 
When were you 427 Squadron's Padre? I was there from 82-86.

I never saw any interesting non-cottages along Muskrat Lake, to tell the truth - it was just a good stretch to fly along when going to/coming back from points further in that direction.

The Ottawa River loop around the Beachburg area and north shore of the Ottawa west of Deep River wer far better hunting grounds, and there were random non-cottages spotted elsewhere as well.

Then there was the legendary Barroness...

Yes, Nape of the Earth. Our tactical limits were skids clear of ground. The slugs limits were fifteen feet above obstacles. I could fly under something that high.
 
Loachman said:
Yes, Nape of the Earth. Our tactical limits were skids clear of ground. The slugs limits were fifteen feet above obstacles. I could fly under something that high.

Loachman, I cringe  :rules: when I read stuff like I could fly under something that high. Usually pictures start coming out and I'm afraid I'll be on one or two. 8)
 
At my tactical limits, my main rotor would have been lower than a Twin Huey's skids at its tactical limits. It's as simple as that: nothing more than an illustration of the differences between those limits.

On the CH136 course, all pilots and observers were trained in underwire drills.

In 444 Squadron, we routinely flew under wires and bridges, in accordance with all applicable flying orders.

Did I ever/would I have flown under something actually 15 feet AGL? Not bloody likely, in peacetime at least.

Don't get so worked up over nothing.
 
Loachman said:
When were you 427 Squadron's Padre? I was there from 82-86.

I never saw any interesting non-cottages along Muskrat Lake, to tell the truth - it was just a good stretch to fly along when going to/coming back from points further in that direction.

The Ottawa River loop around the Beachburg area and north shore of the Ottawa west of Deep River wer far better hunting grounds, and there were random non-cottages spotted elsewhere as well.

Then there was the legendary Barroness...

Yes, Nape of the Earth. Our tactical limits were skids clear of ground. The slugs limits were fifteen feet above obstacles. I could fly under something that high.

90-92..I was also with RCD which was my major unit but I tried to get down there as much as I could...did a winter ex with them in 92 which was lots of fun, crazy Yves Grenier was my neighbour in Q's and I got a few flights with him...he'd just got back from 444 so he had a cellar full of wine...of course I had to help him drink it from time to time (sacramental duty  ;D)
 
Nothing we hated more in a Lynx than a Kiowa we were working with hovering over top of our Lynx - barely.  Blew pine needles into the Heineken and sucked the latest copy of "The Stars And Stripes" out of Carl's hatch!

It got so bad, some CC's started taking up positions under hydro wires so the Kiowa's would stay a bit further away.

Well...  We all know how THAT turned out, don't we?

:eek:

 
Yup! You could alway tell where the lead recce vehicle was all one had to do was to look for the Kiowa.  The Lynx would directly beneath it the pilots used to stick to them like glue. I always wondered if they were lonely or something?
An old friend of mine used to have a super 8 film of a lynx crew throwing what looked like rocks ) at a Kiowa. Do'nt know but I suspect it was a staged gag.
 
GK .Dundas said:
Yup! You could alway tell where the lead recce vehicle was all one had to do was to look for the Kiowa.  The Lynx would directly beneath it the pilots used to stick to them like glue. I always wondered if they were lonely or something?

Well, that wasn't supposed to happen, and any Kiowa anywhere near a Lynx never had me in it.

We were supposed to be in a position of observation off on a flank somewhere. We weren't supposed to ever be out in front of the lead recce c/s doctrinally, but I frequently ignored that if terrain permitted.
 
Loachman said:
Well, that wasn't supposed to happen, and any Kiowa anywhere near a Lynx never had me in it.

We were supposed to be in a position of observation off on a flank somewhere. We weren't supposed to ever be out in front of the lead recce c/s doctrinally, but I frequently ignored that if terrain permitted.

I agree with Loachman.  I never had any Kiowa flying near me.  On the other hand, when I saw one (Enemy Force) he would be my first Tgt, as he was the eyes and ears for the Cobras.  Without him they were flying blind.
 
I have a rather good photo I took which provides some evidence to this debate. Being infantry at the time I am a neutral in this Helli verses Lynx. I can be persuaded to either post it in the near future or put it back in my archivies.  ;D
 
3rd Herd said:
I have a rather good photo I took which provides some evidence to this debate. Being infantry at the time I am a neutral in this Helli verses Lynx. I can be persuaded to either post it in the near future or put it back in my archivies.  ;D

Even better would be a tail number and date and we could rifle through Loachman's logbook to see if he was all talk about avoiding Lynxes.  >:D

G2G
 
The date no problem, have to dig out my old maps and can also provide a grid. Tail number I cannot enlarge the photo large enough to read.( I would most likely be accused of photo enhancement anyway) The geography department also tries desperately to keep me away from the stereoscopes and sterometers. To many TAs have shudders when they realize the "Burt the Turtle" drills were for real.  ;D
 
I would have landed nearby a few times for an RV, but never when one was in contact or close to it.

And I now recall going to have a look at one buried in a manure pile in a farmyard one afternoon because I couldn't believe that anybody would voluntarily hide there - I don't think that smell prevents detection. It wasn't in contact either.
 
heh... Manure pile probably fell down on top of track after it paused nearby (propwash from kiowa?)....
no one in his right mind would do that under non-whooting war conditions :)
 
Loachman said:
At my tactical limits, my main rotor would have been lower than a Twin Huey's skids at its tactical limits. It's as simple as that: nothing more than an illustration of the differences between those limits.

On the CH136 course, all pilots and observers were trained in underwire drills.

In 444 Squadron, we routinely flew under wires and bridges, in accordance with all applicable flying orders.

Did I ever/would I have flown under something actually 15 feet AGL? Not bloody likely, in peacetime at least.

Don't get so worked up over nothing.

Just pulling your leg man. I was in Haiti and Bosnia. Flew under (and also into once) wires a few times.
 
geo said:
heh... Manure pile probably fell down on top of track after it paused nearby (propwash from kiowa?)....
no one in his right mind would do that under non-whooting war conditions :)

It was too big and wide to fall over, and surrounded on three sides by concrete. It wasn't going anywhere without a major earthquake or flood. Maybe they were relying on the clouds of flies to hide them. My observer recognized them and didn't seem surprised that it was that particular crew in there.

Rotorwash - only one helicopter (Cheyenne) comes to mind with a propeller.
 
Rick Ruter said:
Just pulling your leg man.

Well please pull the other one, then, as the additional length onthis side is making things awkward.

Rick Ruter said:
Flew under (and also into once) wires a few times.

Another two things in common.
 
And you brag about that?  ;D (The through wire event I mean.)
 
Back
Top