Wing/HSM 51 SOP

Question 1

Last Update

Answer 1

11 Jan 19

Question 2

Weather Minima

Answer 2

Shore or Ship Operations - 500-1*

*If positive radar control and CCA or PAR is available for recovery, minimum launch weather mins are 200-1/2

For GUNEXs, prevailing visibility shall be equal to or greater than the max range of the weapon.

If the temp/dew point spread is less than 2 degrees and conditions for formation of fog are present, SDO or OIC shall monitor and report on weather conditions. Consideration should be given to suspening flight ops.

Question 3

Crew Requirements

Answer 3

a. COs may elect to recognize quals from outside the command. Docs shall be provided upon request. All visiting aircrew shall comply with reporting custodian’s SOP
b. Enlisted aircew should be utilized to the max extent practicable on all flights.
c. FCF checklist items shall only be conducted when the crew includes designated FCP. TFOs shall not be carreid on FCFs for the sole purpose of accumulating flight time.
d. Minimum crew requirements for tactical training events unless otherwise speificed are HAC/L3, PQM and aircrewman.
e. Min flight crew for non-FCF ground turns shall be a HAC and 1 ground maintenance person or a H2P and a PQM. Non-FCF ground turns or APU turn-ups conducted while helo in FCF status shall only be conducted by a qualified FCP, with the exception of the post FCF engine cleaning, which may be completed by a non-FCP pilot with OIC or MO approval.
f. With Co approval non-tactical/fam flights may operate without an aircrewman if: shall not be used for convenience and shall only be scheduled as required to facilitate flight schedule. Aircrewman may disembark the aircraft as required if the SDO is notified and an annotation is made on the flight schedule; aircrewmen shall be embarked on all scheduled IFR flights or flights during which IMC is expected; aircrewman shall be embarked on all night flights leaving NAF Atsugi VFR traffic or GCA patterns.

Question 4

Warm-up Currency

Answer 4

Any pilot who has not flown in 45 days shall fly a warmup flight with a current HAC. Warm-up flights should include autos and other FAM type maneuvers

Question 5

Night Currency

Answer 5

Pilots shall not fly as PIC unless they are night current. To be current: shall have flown minimum of 2.0 hours within preceding 45 days. Between 45-60 days, CO may authorize day into night transition. After 60 days, currency shall be regained by flying with a night current PIC.

NVG LZ approaches and landings shall only be conducted when the HAC has flown 1.0 hour of NVG time within preceding 45 days.

Question 6

DLQ Currency/Shipboard Ops

Answer 6

Pilots whose night DLQ currency lapses at shore shall conduct an OFT or night FLDP event within 30 days of scheduled DLQ requal periods. Shall complete no fewer than 3 evolutions (takeoff, downwind, approach, and landing).

Pilots shall be night current prior to flying night DLQ/RLQs.

Shipboard ops with true tailwinds should be avoided. HAC shall be final authority on whether or not to accept a true tail wind.

Question 7

ISATT Requirements

Answer 7

If det experiences an OIC change, ship Change of Command (fleet up XO exempt), reassignment to a new ship, or more than 60 days elapse between embarked ops. No ISATT safety observer required.

a. Day and night landing requals
b. Emergency flight quarters
c. Crash on deck drill
d. Hot refueling
e. Straightening and traversing
f. ELVA/Smoke Light
g. Lost plane homing

Question 8

Pre Deployment Mins

Answer 8

To the maximum extent practicable, pilots should fly a min of 9 hours within preceding 45 days. Obtain night and instrument currency. Durring intervals of 45 days or less between embarked ops, pilots should fly min of 6 hours and achieve night/inst currency.

Question 9

SAR/Dip Currency

Answer 9

Pilots shall have flown 2 night automatic approaches utilizeing windline rescue pattersns to a coupled hover in the preceding 60 days. Pilots failing to meet this req, shall not be scheduled to fly night SAR missions.

Pilots shall have flown 2 night/IMC dip-to-dip navigation patterns at night to a coupled hover in the preceding 60 days.

To regain currency, pilots shall flight with a coupler current PIC in which currency has elapsed.

All quarterly SAR flights should include a minimum of 10 min of hoist training.

Aircrewman dipping currency: 2 dip cycles in last 90 days; recurrency: 2 dip cycles with a current aircrewman. (sim may be used; when no sim, 2 expired aircrewmen may recurrent each other provided weather is VMC and one of the aircrewman is ANI)

Question 10

Instrument Currency

Answer 10

Pilots shall have flown a min of 2.0 hours of simulated or actual instrument time within preceding 60 dyas. If currency lapses, must be regained prior to flying any other missions as PIC.

Question 11

Crew Rest Requirements

Answer 11

Ashore:
Aircrew shall not be scheduled to brief a flight event until 10 hours after completion of post-flight duties.

“Post-flight duties” defined as one hour after scheduled land time; aircrew anticipating post-flight duties in excess shall notify SDO.

Crew day for maintenance ground turns is 12 hours, exceeding requires CO approval. Aircrew shall not incur flight duties for remainder of day after relief from SDO or ASDO. Aircrewmen should not be scheduled to brief a flight event before 1000 if they ahve stood a 1600-2359 watch previous day.

Aircrew arriving from regions more than 3 time zones distant shall be down for 24 hours for every 3 times zones they have crossed, not to exceed 72 hours. Begins immediately on arrival. CO can waive. FAST results less than 86% indicate degraded cognitive performance. FAST modeling shall be used if schedule for any medium or high risk missions and landing after 1500. FAST modeling below 86% requires CO approval to fly.

At sea:
Det OICs shall comply iwth and ensure ship COs are briefed on CNAF req’s

Question 12

Radius of Action

Answer 12

a. Shipboard radius of action is 150 NM or max reliable navigation/communication range, whichever is less.
b. One way flights shall be limited to 150NM ship-to-ship and shore-to-ship and 200NM ship-to-shore

Question 13

Passenger/Orientation and Indoc Flights

Answer 13

Simulated emergencies, practice autos, intentional aircraft degradations and ordnance release shall not be performed with pax embarked or duing orientation and indoc flights. Squadron COs may waive NASTP requirements for orientees on day overwater flights.

Question 14

Low Level Flight

Answer 14

a. Overland:
Populated - 1000ft AGL
Unpopulated - 500ft AGL

b. Overwater:
Day - 50ft AGL*
Unaided night - 150ft AGL
Aided night - 100ft AGL

• NOTE: flight operations down to 50ft over water during day conditions is intended for operation or tactical training flights where altitude profiles support authorized mission or training objectives.
  c. Coupled hover - 70ft AGL*
• NOTE: Follwoing establishment of a steady coupled hover at 70ft, ac altitude may be reduced to no lower than 40ft to conduct live hoisting operations at the PIC’s discretion.
  d. Terrain Flight: 200ft AGL (only on approved low level routes and ranges)

e. SACT training:
Day - 100ft AGL
Night - 500ft AGL

Question 15

Checklists

Answer 15

Shall be completed in the CHALLENGE-REPLY-REPLY format up to rotor engagement. After engagement, CHALLENGE-REPLY.

Checklists may be performed silently by PNAC, except for items that require a response by another crewman to ensure completion.

a. If the STABILATOR AUTO MODE PBS is not illuminated when AC power is applied, stab lockpins shall be visually checkd prior to flight.
b. Rescue hoist check should be completed on first flight of the day to ensure SAR capability.
c. Single engine airspeed and stab programming shall be called on the first takeoff of each flight and stab programming shall be called after reengaging the ATUO mode subsequent to a simulated or actual failure.
d. Landing checks shall be accomplished transitioning from pad to runway or vice versa.
e. In-Flight Mission Change Checklist shall be utilized any time mission is altered from what was briefed.
f. Left seat pilot should assume controls, right seat pilot should start engines and finish through generators online. HAC should inform PC of which start is to be used.
g. When icing conditions may be encountered throughout duration of flight schedule, de-ice checks shall be completed and reported to the SDO on first flight of the day.
h. Left seat pilot should assume controls prior to moving PCLs out of FLY for shutdown, right seat pilot should pull PCLs and engage rotor brake.

Question 16

Hot Refuel/Crew Swap

Answer 16

Pax shall not occupy aircraft during hot refueling. Aircewman shall assist in monitoring refueling ops. During crew swaps, helo shall be under the control of designated helo pilot and there shall be a PIC to PIC verbal turnover.

Personnel shall not proceed aft of countermeasures dispensers, unless arming/dearming the system, while rotors are turning.

During refueling, personnel shall not hot-seat, enter, or exit from the leftr seat position while the refueling hose is hooked-up.

Personnel shall not perform maintenance on top of the helicopter during refueling.

Question 17

Air Taxi

Answer 17

Aircraft shall ground taxi to the greatest extent possible when possibility of damage from rotor wash exists.

Question 18

Seat Belts

Answer 18

Seat and gunner’s belts shall be utilized to max extent possible. All occupants should be in crash worthy seats with seat and shoulder harness secured during take-off and landing.

Question 19

Detachment Concurrent Aircraft Ops

Answer 19

a. Detachments operating on single-spot ships with 2 manned embarked helos utilizing RSD shall not conduct concurrent flight ops unless an emergecny landing site is available within 50nm for duration of the evolution.
b. Requirement applies when ship is intended point of landing for both ac. Does not apply to fly-ons; thorough prior mission planning shall be conducted and no-go criteria determined
c. Requirement does not apply for concurrent manned/unmanned flight ops

Question 20

APU Operations

Answer 20

When the APU is required in-flight to suport essential ops, it should be started on decek to the max extent possible.

Question 21

VERTREP Power Margin

Answer 21

When conducting training, a 10% margin shall exist between IRP and max power required when load is lifted from the deck.

Question 22

RADALT Discipline

Answer 22

a. During night overwater flight below 500ft AGl, consideration should be given to setting the DH no lower than 10% less than current altitude. When in shipboard landing pattern, each pilot’s DH should be set to altitude determined by crew that best facilitates CRM. Each crewmember shall verbalize to crew their DH settings and activation of warning tones.
b. All crewmembers should acknowledge when altitude warning system aural tone is activated except in traffic pattern.

Question 23

Dipping Sonar Ops

Answer 23

a. PNAC should adjust LONG VEL and LAT VEL to control drift and limit groundspeed to no greater than 2 knots (drift limits do not apply while in cable angle mode)
b. Cable angle hover mode shall be operable for all dipping ops.
c. Dipping ops should not be conducted in seas with wave heights exceeding 15ft (Beaufort wind scale 6) during ULT or fleet level exercises
d. If cable angle exceeds 4.25-degree inner ring, all crew shall verbally acknowledge the deviation and ensure corections are being made.
e. During training ops, (sub or no sub) POCL shall be no more than half the ceiling up to 1000ft. When ceilings are above 1000ft, POCL shall be no more than 500ft below ceiling. During operational ASW, POCL need not be restricted. Howerver, ORM shall be conducted to minimize the risk to the transducer in event of malfunction.

f. Max dome depths:
1,2 - 90ft
3 - 1400ft
4 - 250ft
5 - 1200ft
6 - 300 ft

g. Crews shall complete MBIT at beginning of every flight in which dipping is to be conducted. Crews shall complete mission/weapons system checklist anytime mission power is cycled. If the MBIT fails, it does not preclude the PIC from taking the ac as long as there is a seated light indication.
h. ALFS shall only be pinged while submerged in authorized waterspace.
i. To max extent practical, POCL for final dip during training evolutions should be equal to or greater than max POCL used on that flight.
j. If ALFS installed, crews should dip on all ASW, SAR and Day/Night Fund coded flights to the max extent practicable.

Question 24

Hung Dome

Answer 24

a. Air Boss or HCO shall ensure all personnel are clear of landing spot with exception of min maintenance personnel (approx 4)
b. Consideration should be given to securing mattress or padding to deck with tie down straps.
c. LSE should be positioned in best location to provide signals

d. If lowered to deck and sufficient POCL exists to allow maintenance personnel to disconnect the dome, they shall ensure the dome is grounded and then disconnect. After dome is detached, crew descends and cable shall be walked with 2 person integrity away form the alnding spot. If insufficient POCL, crew may opt to lower dome onto padding then slide over to land.
e. After landing and placement of chocks and chains, cable should be placed in aircraft prior to shutdown.

f. Preferred recovery spot is Chess Romeo. If possible, dome should be recovered on grassy area to southeast or northwest of pad or on pad itself.
g. If unable to recover dome ashore, fly dome to shallow water invicinity of Chess; lower dome from hover, jettison upon water entry and mark location.
h. If required to recover at Atsugi, designated recovery area is grassy area just south of Charlie East.

Question 25

Electronic Kneeboard

Answer 25

Authorized while airborne. Prior to using an EKB in flight, all crewmembers shall be briefed on who is using a tablet, for what puprose, and any in flight duties shifting to other crewmembers while the tablet user is heads-down.

Question 26

Ordnance Safety

Answer 26

a. Hot refueling with live ordnance loaded is prohibited ashore. Hellfire CATM, REXTORPS, empty DRL, sonobuoys, smokes, SUS and door guns are authorized to be carried during hot refueling ashore. Hot refueling with ordnance is permitted afloat with ship CO’s approval.
b. Aircrew authorized 1 approach and 1 landing with missiles and/or rockets loaded.
c. Straightening, maneuvering, and traversing of ac while loaded with CATMs shall be limited to qualified personnel. Training prohibited. Downloading warshot missiles shall be conducted prior to evolutions, except in emergency with authorization of ship CO.
d. When carrying live weapons, simulated attacks on civ or mil aircraft, vessels, structure or ground vehicles may not be conducted.
e. Helos experiencing in-flight emergency that connot be resolved shall preoceed to Chess Romeo for assistance from EOD personnel. HAC shall contact SDO for coordination. Crews shall determine optimal route to Chess taht will minimize hazards to persons and property on the ground and other ac.

Question 27

Guns

Answer 27

Pax shall not be embarked when the GAU-21 is installed. If CSW required, M240 shall be utilized. M240 shall be kept in the stowed position when not in use and ammo cans shall be secured to prevent missile hazards.

Crews conducting live GUNEX events shall be responsible for own range clearance to a min of 5nm byond max weapon employment envelopes.

Prevailing visibility shall be equal to or greater than max range of weapon.

Question 28

Smoke Markers

Answer 28

a. Except in emergency, smoke markers shall not be dropped closer than 10nm from the coastline or in inland waterways, unless on a designated range or dip area.
b. Smokes than cannot be de-armed shall be jettisoned outside of 10nm from coastline and prior to returning to homebase and/or final landing.

Question 29

Ordnance Carriage

Answer 29

With exception of sonobuoys and smokes, carrying live ordnance over populated areas shall be avoided. If mission requires flight to a facility near a populated area, the most direct route that will minimize civilian exposure shall be used.

Question 30

Sonobuoy Launcher

Answer 30

a. Removal or replacement of sono launcher cover should not be performed with rotors engaged. If the cover is removed or replaced with rotors turning, 2 person integrity shall be used.
b. The sono launcher cover shall be fastened with all possible attachement bolts, but no les than 11 total. All corner bolts are required and missing bolts shall be documented on a MAF.
c. Sono launcher cover shall not be installed with the launcher pressurized.

Question 31

Flightline Procedures

Answer 31

a. Single hearing protection required within 200ft of ac with rotors turning or within 50ft of ac with only APU turning. Double hearing protection is required when within 30ft of ac with rotors turning or APU running for extended periods of time.
b. Rings shall not be worn while operating or working on ac or moving ground support equipment.
c. No one shall climb on top of aircraft unless both engines are secured. If only the APU is operating, personnel may climb on top with permission of PIC. In this case, PIC shall ensure one of the aircrew visually checks top of ac for integrity and FOD prior to engine start.
d. Personnel shall wear cranial with strap fastened whenever climbing on ac. This requirement may be relaxed only as long as required to perform maintenance or inspection in whihc headgear restricts proper accomplishment of the task.
e. All personnel shall enter/exit rotor arc at 3 or 9 o’clock positions. Personnel shall not enter rotor arc when pilots are entering or exiting the cockpit.
f. Personnel shall not transit rotor arc while engines are running and rotors are not engaged.
g. Backup hydraulic pump shall be secured when personnel are on top of the helo except when maintenance requires the pressurization of the hydraulic systems. Movement of flight controls with maintenance personnel on top of the helo shall be thoroughly briefed and under the control of a PC or LSE.
h. A 50ft ICS long cord should be used on all FCF ground turns.

Question 32

Panel/Cover/Cowling Fasteners

Answer 32

TGB - 2 - 3
IGB - 2 - 3
Vertical Tail Driveshaft - 2 - 2
Other Tail Driveshaft - 1 - 1

Flight with unfastened, broken or missing corner fastners is not recommended. Should be fixed as soon as practicable.

Question 33

RAS and Ship Weapons Firing

Answer 33

a. Aircraft should be airborne or in the hangar during all ship weaons firing evolutions.
b. For RAS evolutions, consideration should be given to hanagaring the ac, if not airborne, when shot lines are being fired from the replenishment ship in vicinity of flight deck.

Question 34

Emergency Procedure Initiation/Prohibited Maneuvers

Answer 34

a. Sim emergencies, with exception of SAS/AFCS, shall only be introduced in the aircraft under the cognizance of a designated HAC.
b. Compound emergencies involving the degradation of 2 or more unrelated systems shall not be introduced, initiated or practiced.
c. No circuit breakers shall be pulled ot initiate a sim emergency; COs may authorize: ANI and current qualified FRS instructors may pull cb to simulate rescue hoist, cargo hook, RAST, Mission Power, RADAR and Acoustic malfunctions.
d. Practice autos at night are prohibited. In addition, sim emergencies requiring actual degradation of ac at night are prohibited with exceptions: single-eng approaches and landing to prepared surface with adequate overrun and undrrun, single-eng running landings, boost-off/failed SAS/AFCS, simulated lost ICS, STAB auto mode fail.
e. Pilot and copilot RADALT shall be operable for practice autos
f. Simulated single eng failures from a HOGE shall only be initiated over a surface where a run-on landing can be made.
g. Dual eng malfunctions, tail rotor drive emergencies, total AC power failure and in-flight emergency simulation that require placement of an engine to DECU lockout shall only be accomplished in OFT.
h. All crewmembers shall be in the same ICS conference for: sim eps involving degradation of ac or dynamic maneuvers including autos.
i. When conducting SAR training overwater at night, sim eps that degrade ac systems are prohibited with exception of sim hoist failure.
j. Sim eps that degrade ac systems shall not be conducted when the dome is deployed.
k. Eng failure in HOGE training shall not be conducted at night.

Question 35

DECU Lockout

Answer 35

a. In flight training operations in DECU LOCKOUT, with exception of scheduled FCF training under cognizance of FCP are prohibited.

Question 36

H2P/H2P Flights

Answer 36

Simulated emergencies, movement of PCL from FLY, night coupled approaches and 180 degree autos are prohibited. Shipboard H2P/H2P lfights may be scheduled by OICs with the permission of squadron and ship COs and shall be conducted as day, VMC, non-tactical training flights.

Question 37

CAL/LZ

Answer 37

IRP shall be 10% or greater to proceed with approach. Operational CAL flights other than those of op necessity shall also adhere to this margin.

Question 38

ELRF

Answer 38

May be used for mission training purposes outside of an approved laser range, but shall not be used on personnel or wildlife. Crew acknowledgement is required when selecting ELRF from FLIR menu. The ELRF shall not be fired unless crew concurrence has been received following the “ARM ELRF” prompt.

Question 39

NITE Lab Currency

Answer 39

Shall be 24 months from the last day of the month in which the training is received. May be accomplished within 60 days preceding expiration of current training and is valid for 24 months from last day of month in which currency expires. Pilots and aircrewmen shall not fly NVD aided events unless they are NVD NITE Lab current.

Question 40

Flight Schedule Procedures

Answer 40

a. Aircrew shall check-in with the CO piro to the first flight at the command.
b. New check-in pilots shall take the Course Rules and SOP exams prior to first flight. New check-in aircrewmen shall take SOP exam prior. Pilots returning from deployment greater than 90 days and visiting pilots not based at RJTA shall take course rules exam prior to flying in the local area.
c. First shipboard flights ofr HACs new to a det should be a HAC-HAC flight to the max extent practicable.
d. Upon a det’s return from a deployment greater than 90 days, HACs shall fly one flight as a copilot in the local area with a review of course rules.
e. The NATOPS Emergency of the Day listed on schedule shall be discussed by all flight crews.
f. Every flight should be debriefed and then turned into SDO.

Question 41

MTS

Answer 41

In flight, MTS should be powered on and stowed when not in use. MTS should be powered off when exposed to significant water intrusion.

MTS should be stowed and deselected at all stations prior to descent below 150ft when conducting practice auto or manual approaches into a coupled hover.

Question 42

Flight Procedures

Answer 42

a. Takeoff with boost secured is prhobited.

b, Cabin door should remain closed during overland flight in the local area. If opened, the PIC and aircrewman shall ensure security of cockpit and cabin area.

c. Aircrewman shall utilize eye protection at all times when the cabin door is open.
d. NVGs shall be carried in the ac for all night flights.

Question 43

Dry Suits

Answer 43

Donning of anti-exposure suits is required when water temp is below 60F or when OAT corrected for wind chill is at or below 32F. However, when water temp is 51-59F and OAT corrected for wind chill is >32F, suits not required when expected time of rescue is less than 1 hr.

Question 44

Hangaring Aircraft

Answer 44

a. Smokes and AUX CADs shall be removed from the helo prior to being hangared.
b. Helos should be fully refueled prior to being hangared to reduce the fire hazard associated with fuel vapors and to minimize damage to the fuel system caused by condensation and micrbiological growth.

Question 45

Washrack Policy

Answer 45

a. After all flights which expose helo to significant amounts of salt water spray and after last flight of the day, helos shall be fresh water washed.
b. Prior to entry into wash rack, pitot heat shall be turned on and tail wheel shall be locked. HAC shall ensure pitot heat turned back off after.

c, Helos armed with live external ordnance or CATMs shall not proceed through wash rack.

d. If unable to use wash rack due to OAT (4C/39F) or ordnance carriage, HAC shall initiate a MAF.

Question 46

Hoist/SONAR MAF

Answer 46

Aircrew shall inform maintenance and initiate a MAF anytime the rescue strop, hoist cable, or transducer makes contact with salt water.

Question 47

IMDS/Maintenance Card

Answer 47

An ac maintenance card shall be created upon completion of the last flight of teh day or if determined that a maintenance card is required for troubleshooting. PICs will take 2 IMDS and 1 maintenance card for each flight.

Question 48

Autorotations

Answer 48

a. Helo gross weight should be 19,500lbs or less. Crews shall conduct deliberate ORM if possibility of conducting autos heavier exists.
b. Practice autos to a site without a suitable paved are ahead for a forced running landing are prohibited. Bravo-one represents min length required.

Question 49

Weapon Training

Answer 49

Crews conducting live weapon training flights shall review and complete as a crew, the applicable weapon checks within 7 days of actual flight.