AFSOC Grounds CV-22 Osprey Fleet Over Safety Issue

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I'll go out on a limb and say a problem with the drive train is a solid reason to ground the aircraft. It will be interesting to see what the Navy and Marines do in response.

AFSOC Grounds CV-22 Osprey Fleet Over Safety Issue - Air Force Magazine

Air Force Special Operations Command grounded its CV-22 Osprey fleet Aug. 16 as part of a safety stand down, with no timeline set for the aircraft to begin flying again, the command confirmed to Air Force Magazine.

The stand down, ordered by AFSOC commander Lt. Gen. James C. “Jim” Slife, comes after two incidents of “hard clutch engagement” in the past six weeks, AFSOC spokesperson Lt. Col. Rebecca Heyse said in an emailed statement.

Hard clutch engagement involves the clutch connecting the rotor gear box to the engine slipping, then catching hard, causing the aircraft to lurch.
 
The only thing I’ve ever “ridden into battle on” is a 47.
Man, I have love in my heart for the 60, I really do. I've deployed and done everything you can do (all advanced employment, all environments, etc) from all the airframes we are talking about- but for what we do, the MH47 should really be our primary ride.

Back in the early days of what they were calling the CSARX program (looking for a new helicopter), a really funny quote I heard thrown around was, "Dude, just give them the 47 and put enough money into them that the pilots don't bitch. The 47 is perfect- strong, fast, capable, durable, and you can almost fit a whole team of PJ egos in the back, it's so big."

I tend to agree... almost a whole team.
 
Man, I have love in my heart for the 60, I really do. I've deployed and done everything you can do (all advanced employment, all environments, etc) from all the airframes we are talking about- but for what we do, the MH47 should really be our primary ride.

Back in the early days of what they were calling the CSARX program (looking for a new helicopter), a really funny quote I heard thrown around was, "Dude, just give them the 47 and put enough money into them that the pilots don't bitch. The 47 is perfect- strong, fast, capable, durable, and you can almost fit a whole team of PJ egos in the back, it's so big."

I tend to agree... almost a whole team.
I spent a lot of time around 47s when I was in the 101st (heavy weapons platoon, that's how we normally got around) but it wasn't until I got to the 160th that I realized how capable that platform is. Fastest helicopter we've got, can go the highest (I think?) and can carry... all of the things. Plus I really liked the culture of their pilots.
 
I spent a lot of time around 47s when I was in the 101st (heavy weapons platoon, that's how we normally got around) but it wasn't until I got to the 160th that I realized how capable that platform is. Fastest helicopter we've got, can go the highest (I think?) and can carry... all of the things. Plus I really liked the culture of their pilots.
Until we can figure out how to use the questionable gender heart eye emoji twice in one post (thanks, @ShadowSpear ) this quote and like will have to do.

We are in violent agreement.
 
I guess just the outward appearance has survived, but even back in '71 we knew a good thing when we saw one.

Hermit Park Resup 3_0.jpg

Our version from Boeing Vertol, a flight of 46's over Red Beach, Danang '71,

7ba47af7b949d44b6b11effa77ffb0c9.jpg

I flew in more 46s than any other helicopter.


The 1st CAV got the first 47's in 1966.
 
Until we can figure out how to use the questionable gender heart eye emoji twice in one post (thanks, @ShadowSpear ) this quote and like will have to do.

We are in violent agreement.
The closest I ever got to going on a combat op was in an MH-47 in Asadabad. It was dark, of course, and I was sleeping in the back of the MH like a good little 160th intel officer, awaiting transpo back to Bagram after accompanying the strike package to the forward staging area. The blades started spinning and I was like "Oh good, we're going home," but then a whole bunch of angry Rangers ran up the ramp and strapped up. The ramp started closing and a Ranger NCO came around counting troops. In my sleep-muddled state I was like, "OK, I guess now I'm committed, I'll be the best M240B assistant gunner/ammo bearer I can be when we hit the ground." I had been an Infantry officers and served in the Task Force with the Rangers for a long time, so my biggest worry wasn't that I wouldn't know what to do or that I might get shot up. My biggest worry was what I would tell my battalion commander when I got back to base, because he explicitly told me several times that I was **not** to go on the objective (which was fine, because I never had any intention of doing that anyway, on any mission I ever went on).

Fortunately for all involved, the mission got called off almost as soon as it was "on," the blades spun down, the Rangers got off, and I napped back out until it was time to fly home.

My most memorable part of that whole trip was that we did a very rare daylight movement back to Bagram. This was the first time I ever saw that part of Afghanistan in the daylight. I was in the jump seat so I had a great view. It was absolutely beautiful country.
 
I never had any 'real' time in the -22; in-service and orientation flights doing enroute care/CASEVAC training. Never liked it. Just didn't 'feel' right. Most of my time was on the -46, a little time on the -53, and even less on the -60 (because we were expected to do enroute care/CASEVAC on non-Marine AC as well).

I really enjoyed the -46, even though they were older than any of the crew.
 
The Army did a good many of our medevacs, in Huey’s, escorted by Marine AH-1s. I don’t know how they determined that configuration…maybe it was just convenient. There was common consensus in my company that Army Huey pilots were less reluctant than Marine 46 pilots to risk their ships and come into an LZ still warm and unsecured. Not a criticism of Marine pilots…their regulations may have stipulated more caution. But we had great faith in those Warrant Officer Army Huey pilots.
 
The Army did a good many of our medevacs, in Huey’s, escorted by Marine AH-1s. I don’t know how they determined that configuration…maybe it was just convenient. There was common consensus in my company that Army Huey pilots were less reluctant than Marine 46 pilots to risk their ships and come into an LZ still warm and unsecured. Not a criticism of Marine pilots…their regulations may have stipulated more caution. But we had great faith in those Warrant Officer Army Huey pilots.

In Vietnam it was a numbers game. The Army holds a helicopter advantage of something like 8 to 1 to the Marines. They also had some units that were dedicated dust off, the Marines always did CASEVAC as a flight of opportunity. That is still largely the case which is why we train on aircraft from all the services.
 
To clarify my earlier post: when I said "in the Task Force with the Rangers," the Rangers were in the Task Force and I was in another unit with the Task Force. I was not with the Rangers.

No one asked me about it, but I wanted to be clear about that point.
 
To clarify my earlier post: when I said "in the Task Force with the Rangers," the Rangers were in the Task Force and I was in another unit with the Task Force. I was not with the Rangers.

No one asked me about it, but I wanted to be clear about that point.

Stolen Valor! Stolen Valor!!

Seriously, no one here doubts your integrity. I don't think anyone batted an eye.
 
To clarify my earlier post: when I said "in the Task Force with the Rangers," the Rangers were in the Task Force and I was in another unit with the Task Force. I was not with the Rangers.

No one asked me about it, but I wanted to be clear about that point.
Don’t you love being in a community where people are so high strung you need to elaborate on stories and provide every minute detail to avoid someone shouting “sToLeN vAlOr!”

ETA- this is not in response to @Devildoc who posted just as I was posting
 
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