Wing SOP Flashcards
FLIGHT SCHEDULE PROCEDURES
A. The SDO is responsible for overseeing the execution of the daily flight schedule. When changes to the flight schedule need to be made, those changes must be annotated on the master flight schedule and approved by the CO. In the absence of the CO, the XO, or in the absence of the XO, the Ops Officer may approve the changes. If none of the above personnel are available, the SDO is authorized to make the required change. When a change is made, the SDO shall ensure all requirements of reference (a), paragraph 4.6.1 have been met.
B. When conducting embarked det operations, changes to a published flight schedule SHALL be approved by the ship’s CO and the DET OIC.
WEATHER CRITERIA
(1) Shore or Ship Operations - 500/1*
*NOTE 1: If positive radar control and a CCA, PAR, or ILS is available for recovery, minimum launch weather minimums are 200-1/2.
CREW REQUIREMENTS
A. COs may elect to recognize the qualifications (HAC, WTI, NSI, etc.) of specific H-60 series aircraft qualified Aircrew from outside their command and may also recognize the qualifications of any H-60 series aircraft qualified enlisted Aircrewmen. Qualification documentation SHALL be provided upon request. All visiting aircrew SHALL comply with the reporting custodian’s SOP.
B. Enlisted aircrew SHOULD be utilized to the max extent practicable on all flights.
C. FCF checklist items SHALL only be conducted when the crew includes a designated FCP. COs SHALL designate minimum crew requirements for ground maintenance turns. Temporary Flight Orders personnel SHALL not be carried on FCFs for the sole purpose of accumulating flight time.
D. Minimum crew requirements for tactical training events unless otherwise specified are: HAC/L3, PQM, and Aircrewmen.
CURRENCY REQUIREMENTS: Warm Up Flight
A. In addition to minimum pilot and Aircrew currency requirements outlined in references (a), (c), and (g), and local course rules requirements, any pilot who has not flown in 45 days SHALL fly a warm-up flight with a current HAC. Warm-up flights SHOULD include autos and other FAM type maneuvers as determined by squadron COs.
CURRENCY REQUIREMENTS: NIGHT
B. Pilots SHALL not fly at night as PIC unless they are night current. To be considered night current, a pilot SHALL have flown a minimum of 2.0 night hours within the preceding 45 days. Between 45 and 60 days, the squadron CO may authorize a day into night transition to regain night currency. After 60 days, currency SHALL be regained by flying with a night current PIC.
CURRENCY REQUIREMENTS: LSO
C. All pilots and LSOs SHALL complete LSO qualification with a current LSO per references (c) and (f). For embarked dets, qualified LSOs SHALL be designated in writing by the ship’s CO for deployment. When acting as LSO on a ship for a short duration evolution (e.g. DLQs, ISATT), the LSO does not need to be designated by the ship’s CO, but SHALL brief the ship’s CO or OOD prior to commencing DLQ evolutions.
CURRENCY REQUIREMENTS: PRE-EMBARKATION PROF
E. To the max extent practicable, pilots SHOULD fly a minimum of 9 hours within the 45 days preceding fly-on for an underway period. Pilots SHALL obtain night currency (2.0 hours within 45 days) and instrument currency (2.0 hours within 60 days) prior to the embarkation flight. During intervals of 45 days or less between embarked ops, pilots SHOULD fly a minimum of 6 hours and achieve night and instrument currency prior to the next embarkation.
CURRENCY REQUIREMENTS: NIGHT COUPLERS
F. To be night coupler current per reference (b), the PIC SHALL have flown 2 wind line rescue or Night/IMC dip-to-dip patterns to auto approaches to a coupled hover at night in the preceding 60 days. PICs failing to meet this requirement SHALL NOT be scheduled to fly night SAR missions (to include Plane Guard).
CURRENCY REQUIREMENTS: INSTRUMENT
G. Pilot Instrument Flight Currency Requirements: To be considered instrument flight currency, pilots SHALL have flown a minimum of 2.0 hours of simulated or actual instrument time within the preceding 60 days. Currency requirements may be satisfied in the aircraft or flight simulator. If currency lapses, it must be regained prior to flying ant other missions in the aircraft as the PIC.
CURRENCY REQUIREMENTS: SHIPBOARD OPERATIONS
(1) Pilots whose night DLQ currency lapses while at the parent squadron’s home base SHALL conduct an OFT or night FDLP event within 30 days of scheduled DLQ requalification periods. During this event, pilots SHALL complete no fewer than 3 evolutions (takeoff, downwind, approach and landing), emphasizing DLQ-specific communications and CRM. When practical, these events SHOULD be conducted with the same aircrew expected to participate in the scheduled DLQ requalification flight. If the currency of all pilots within a squadron or det lapses while deployed, the CO SHALL attempt to regain currency through use of and H-60-series current HAC from another unit. If the operational situation precludes compliance, a waiver to the unit’s Major Command ISIC (CVW or Type Wing) SHALL be submitted and a deliberate, risk mitigated approach SHALL be employed to allow non-current HACs to regain currency.
(2) If detachments experience an OIC change, ship CoC, reassignment to a new ship, or more than 60 days elapse between embarked operations, the detachment SHALL conduct the following embarked training evolutions to reestablish readiness before resuming operations and continuing the work-up schedule. It is not required to have an ISATT observer present during this warm-up period:
(A) day & night evolutions
(B) emergency flight quarters
(C) crash on deck drill
(D) hot refueling
(E) straightening and traversing evolutions
(F) ELVA/self-contained approach
(G) lost plane homing
CREW REST REQUIREMENTS
Aircrew SHALL NOT be scheduled to brief a flight event until 10 hours after completion of post-flight duties.
RADIUS OF ACTION
The following radius of action ranges are max ranges. PICs SHALL give due consideration to paragraph 4.1.2.1 of reference (d) prior to embarking on a mission. Particular attention must be paid during peacetime operations to environmental conditions (water temp, sea state, winds, etc.) and availability of assets to conduct a SAR in a timely manner.
A. Shipboard radius of action is 150 NM or maximum reliable navigation or communication range, whichever is less. Radius of action beyond 150 NM in support of specific operational or tactical training missions may be approved by assigned CVW Commander (or Type-Wing Commander when independently deployed), provided deliberate ORM has been conducted. Time spent beyond 150 NM SHALL be limited to the minimum required to accomplish mission objectives.
B. One-way flights ship-to-ship or shore-to-ship SHALL be limited to 150 NM (or 200 NM with a functioning AUX tank). Ship-to-shore range is 200 NM (or 250 NM with a functioning AUX tank) - shore being defined as the nearest point at which a safe landing can be made.
PASSENGERS/ORIENTATION AND INDOCTRINATION FLIGHTS
A. Simulated emergencies, practice autos, intentional aircraft degradations and ordnance release SHALL NOT be performed with passengers embarked or during orientation flights (to include midshipman fam flights)
B. Completion of NASTP is mandatory for all orientees unless waived in rare cases by designated approval authority per section 3.3 of reference (a).
LOW LEVEL FLIGHT PROCEDURES
Unless dictated by operational requirements or as directed/required by controlling agencies, published restrictions, or approved training ranges, the following minimum AGL flight altitudes SHALL be observed:
A. Overland: Populated 1000’AGL / Unpopulated 500’AGL
B. Overwater: Day 50’AGL* / Unaided Night 150’AGL / NVD 100’AGL
*NOTE: Flight operations down to 50’ over water during day conditions is intended for operational or tactical training flights where the altitude profiles support authorized mission or training objectives.
C. Coupled Hover: 70’AGL
*NOTE: Following establishment of a steady coupled hover at 70’, aircraft altitude may be reduced to no lower than 40’ to conduct live hoisting operations at the PIC’s discretion.
D. Terrain Flight (Low Level Routes): 200’ AGL (only on approved low level routes and ranges).
E. SACT Training: Day 100’AGL / Night 500’AGL
CHECKLISTS
All checklists SHALL be verbally completed in the CHALLENGE-REPLY-REPLY format up to rotor engagement. After rotor engagement, checklists SHALL be in the CHALLENGE-REPLY format. When necessary to avoid interference with other cockpit duties and when safety of flight is a consideration, checklists may be performed silently by the PNAC, except for items that require a response by another crew member to ensure their completion. Additional requirements include:
A. If the STAB AUTO MODE PBS is not illuminated when AC power is applied, stabilator lock pins SHALL be visually checked prior to flight.
B. The Rescue Hoist Op Check should be completed on the 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 stabilator programming SHALL be called after reengaging the AUTO mode subsequent to a simulated or actual failure.
D. The landing checklist SHALL be accomplished when transitioning from pad to runway operations or vice versa
E. In-flight Mission Change Checklist. Aircrew SHALL utilize the In-Flight Mission Change Checklist any time that the mission is altered from what was briefed.
HOT REFUELING/CREW SWITCH PROCEDURES
A. Passengers SHALL not occupy the aircraft during hot refueling.
B. During crew switches, the helicopter SHALL be under the control of a designated helicopter pilot and there SHALL be a PIC-to-PIC verbal turnover. The new crew SHALL begin with step 10 of the “Post Engagement Checks”
C. Personnel SHALL not proceed aft of countermeasures dispensers, unless arming/de-arming the system, while rotors are turning.
AIR TAXI
Aircraft SHALL ground taxi vice air taxi to the greatest extent possible whenever the possibility of damage from rotor wash exists.
INTER-SQUADRON OPERATIONS
Flights such as DLQs, detachment fly-offs, and section/formation operations, where multiple squadrons may participate, require a joint brief between PICs. This brief may be face-to-face, PHONECON, VTC/GVC, message, email or per SOPs as applicable.
USE OF SEAT BELTS
Seat and shoulder harnesses SHALL be utilized to the maximum extent possible per references (a) and (c). All occupants of the aircraft SHALL be in crash worthy seats with seat and shoulder harness secured with the exception of Aircrewman participating in CVN launches or recoveries, hoist operations, troubleshooting, crew-served weapons operation, night formation flying, CAL or LZ flights, or other mission-specific situations deemed necessary by the PIC. The PIC must carefully weigh the risk of potential injury or death of crew members against the benefit of the mobility provided by Aircrew in gunner’s belts.
FLIGHT DEMO GUIDELINES
A. All flyovers SHOULD be:
(1) Non-maneuvering, generally wings-level passes of one to two aircraft (waiverable to four)
(2) Restricted to a single pass over a fixed point at a specified time
(3) Conducted no lower than 500’ AGL, with consideration given to the height of obstacles in the vicinity of the flyover location
(4) Conducted no slower than 60 KIAS
B. Any deviations to the above requirements, such as lower altitudes, obstacle clearance, airspeeds, multiple passes or other maneuvers must be specifically requested through Type Wing for TYCOM approval and will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
C. Flight demonstrations involving other than flyover profiles (Family Day/Tiger Cruise/Air Show/SAR Demonstration) are considered Aerial Demos and requests must be submitted per reference (h).