[Duke_FA57]

Morning all,

I am MAJ Duke Samouce and am with TRADOC Capability Manager (TCM)-Virtual at the National Simulation Center, Fort Leavenworth. I am and aviator qualified in OH-58, UH-1H and the AH-64. Currently, I am Simulation Operation Officer.

I work as the AVCATT Project Officer for TCM-Virtual.

I am putting together a proposal to create MTT that will specifically focus on teaching aviation leaders how to better utilize the AVCATT for collective training. Your input would be very valuable to me.

I would sure appreciate if you could make a few comments to the following areas -

1. How much does you unit use the AVCATT?

2. Do you have experience with the early AVCATT and what are your opinions of the AVCATT improvement over the years?

3. How do we increase AVCATT utilization in collective training through use of a MTT?

Any other comments are welcome.

You can blog here or email me directly with comments and observations - wellington.samouce@conus.army.mil

Thanks for your time,

MAJ Duke Samouce
Aviation Systems
TCM-Virtual, National Simulation Center
Fort Leavenworth, KS
DSN: 552 8456
COMM: 913 684 8456
Cell: 913 290 1736

[honestgolfer]

Incoming!!!

[Purdy]

Sir,
Explain contingency power and we'll go from there.

[Duke_FA57]

Originally Posted by Purdy Explain contingency power

OK Mr. Purdy,

AH-64D

Chapter 5, TM 1-1520-251-10

LIMITS – 701 TGT (°C) DIGITAL READOUT - 865–919 Single engine contingency, 2.5 minute limit (YELLOW)

LIMITS – 701C TGT (°C) DIGITAL READOUT - 879–896 Single engine contingency, 2.5 minute limit (YELLOW)

LIMITS – TORQUE (%) DIGITAL READOUT SINGLE ENGINE - 111–122 Single engine contingency, 2.5 minute limit(YELLOW)

To perform a Contingency power check. (TC 1-251,
C1, page 5-30, 28 May 2007)

The contingency power check may be in conjunction with the maximum power check power limiting was a result of the TGT limiter and not fuel flow/NG limiting. To perform the contingency power check

(1) Reduce the collective until the combined TORQUE of both engines is below the
TORQUE of the engine being checked when TGT limiting was established.

(a) Retard the power lever of the engine not being checked to IDLE and
confirm that the engine indications are stable at idle.

(2) Increase the collective to the previously noted TORQUE setting at which TGT
limiting was observed. Continue to gradually increase the collective until the TGT is
a minimum of 10°degrees above the previously observed normal limiter setting.

Note 6: While increasing the collective to achieve a TGT increase of 10 degrees above the normal
limiter setting, monitor the NP/NR to verify there is no NP/NR droop.

Note 7: When increasing the collective back to the previously noted torque setting, you must
move the collective slowly due to torque doubling on the test engine.

(3) Advance the power lever of the engine not being checked to FLY. Reestablish
cruise flight.

(4) Repeat the maximum power check and contingency check for the other engine as
required.

(5) On completion of check, select AIRCRAFT UTIL page, BLEED AIR 1 and/or 2
ON.

(6) Calculate the ETF and ATF using TM 1-2840-248-23 or an AMCOM approved
computer based ETF/ATF calculator and record the data on the MTF check sheet.
Update the aircraft DMS, forms and records with new ETF/ATF data.


Now...how about that AVCATT?

[ayson9]

[flybynight0h58]

avcatt, great for going through EPs while in a mission setting, hard to aquire lead while flying, unless they are running full lights and over a dark terrain. It is great for procedural stuff, ie doing a hellfire or calling arty, trying to do CCAs is unrealistic due to the lack of "control feedback" of a motionless sim,, if you use it for what you can and realize it limits it is not a bad tool.

[rangerreece]

I don't care for it much; personally I think the project should be scrapped. I know sir being the project manager you will want to know the in's and outs of my opinion, but I'd just like to leave it at that... my opinion. I understand this isn't what you were looking for in you post, and I do salute you on a most professional post. My reasons for my opinion are numerous and right now I just don't feel like posing them all. Good luck in your endeavor. If you can make in a workable system, than you are a better man than me, but that's not hard to be these days.

[AndyMiller]

I have not seen the AVCATT in several years, so I have no new opinion. I can only hope it is better than what I saw years ago. I have already PM'd with MAJ Samouce.
I would agree with Reece on this one, and I suspect many others have opinions similar to ours. I think it was a bad system to begin with and pouring more time, energy and money into a flawed system is a bigger mistake. The system was designed then built with very little input from the aviators it was supposedly designed for. When I was at L3 in late 2002 and early 2003, the engineers who built it had never even seen a real Kiowa Warrior -- Fort Hood was less than a 2 hour drive away and there were 2 squadrons there!
I realize simulations is the way of the future in the Army; after all all those senior guys have to work some where when they retire. The LTC that was the liaison officer in the L3 office on my first visit to L3 was in the production area wearing a L3 employee badge and a Members Only jacket on my next visit.
It is pretty much a JANUS exercise with better graphics, but now instead of tying up a couple of aviators for pucker duty, you tie up a platoon or troop to "fly" the "missions."

[dirtyharry71]

I think the systems is a great tool to develop AMC's and leaders about to deploy, fly AOR and Airfields prior to getting in theater, work on battle tracking (if you put battle CPT, NCO, RTO in the BMC room at the role model stations), and get switch time for systems we no longer facilitate pilots to use like Hellfire in Garrison. At Drum the Lift guys are using the hell out of it and seem pleased; AND they have a full motion sim five feet away. The current commander gets it and knows how it can help train his unit.

Pilots who you send have to realize it is not full motion [Young guys, you don't want a full motion sim. You will lose flight time]. You don't have the "seat of pants" feel but everything else works as in the aircraft. Try to fire a LOBL with Range as laser, you won't get a box. Try to contact the ground unit in contact on the wrong freq or not cypher, you won't get an answer.

AVCATT is a good tool for what it was developed for. Tactical Training; not procedural. Key is to have a mentor in the flight when you are developing a younger person (AMC, PC). Good tool to use while you wait for your stuff to come back from port, while it is at port, when you are plussed up to 155% strength because you are the only unit not deployed at the time, or if your unit is organized enough to use a Support, ITC, Mission cycle.

A few things the AVCATT does very well: Rockets (when fired 30' out of trim with full deflection of the VSI) won't come close to target, Radios not cyphered-won't be able to talk to units, Lasing with Range won't launch a Hellfire, flying while using instrument scan for basic orientation (trim, VSI, Airspeed) become more important; as they would in a brown out condition. For KW pilots, we get weak in this last area as we actually fly an aircraft more then work a system.

Getting SME's hired on (as Andy hinted at) would enhance the system working for the customer. Drum's hadn't had an Aviator for a while. The compu-geeks knew how to make the computers work, but had no idea what the pilots were talking about even when someone took the time to explain it instead of just yelling "The Avcatt is F##'$'d up" Get some SME''s on payroll who are trainers and know what needs to happen and how it has to work.

[dirtyharry71]

An example of better AVCATT use for a Troop?

Four pilots who haven't been to [Area X], two PC's. One mentor (IP/SP squared away PC who just came back) sitting in the BMC room to monitor and DEVELOP. Total cost: Five bodies for 2-4 hours.

Four Pilots (could even be in conjunction with the above), One Battle CPT, NCO, and RTO sitting in the BMC. Cost to unit: 7 bodies for 2-4 hours. By doing this early on, you may not just get the "Roger" or "Standby" call as often as in the past. Maybe the TOC will actually understand the job better. BFT, UAV, and radios are all simulated with no required resource from the unit; other then the Soldier to be trained and the senerio.

In both cases, all units DO have people not flying, doing add duties, and other things daily. Management is the only obsticle. The benifet is a focused training period where you can come back and review mistakes or good actions and discuss, develop, and train.