When pigs fly... with ospreys

by 2nd Lt. Mark Lazane, 1st Special Operations Wing Public Affairs


A CV-22 Osprey, a tilt-rotor aircraft assigned to the 8th Special Operations Squadron, prepares to take off as an A-10 Thunderbolt II flies overhead. The two aircraft flew together recently as part of training opportunity at Hurlburt Field, Fla. The 8th SOS is the only operational CV-22 squadron in the Air Force. (U.S. Air Force photo /Senior Airman Julianne Showalter)

HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. (AFNS) -- What do you get when you cross an osprey with a warthog?

For a zoologist, the question may seem preposterous.

In Air Force terms, instead of an odd looking winged-swine hybrid, the result is immense firepower and unparalleled close-air support capability for the rapid infiltration and exfiltration of troops in the battlespace.

For the first time, the tilt-rotor CV-22 Osprey and the fixed-wing A-10 Thunderbolt II, often nicknamed the Warthog, teamed up for some high-flying training recently.

"It is like having a little angel flying on your wing," said Capt. Luke Sustman, a CV-22 evaluation pilot. "Having these (A-10) pilots out here gave them a perspective of what we do and how they help us."

The affinity for their sister aircraft was mutual.

"Impressive," said Capt. Andrew Hood, an A-10 pilot from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., after his inaugural flight aboard a CV-22. "The Osprey definitely revolutionizes the way we fight."

Captain Hood was one of a handful of A-10 pilots aboard the Osprey as the two air frames flew and practiced with one another. Representatives from the 8th Special Operations Squadron invited several A-10 pilots to fly in the Osprey to experience the unique airframe and to learn about its unique capabilities.

According to Captain Hood, one advantage of the Osprey is that it is far superior to traditional helicopters when it comes to escorting a rescue aircraft to its intended destination, either to drop off or pick up individuals in the fight.

One large advantage the CV-22 has over traditional rotary wing assets is the speed at which it is able to operate.

"Most of the time, helicopters go kind of slow," Captain Hood said. "The CV-22 is almost as fast as we are. It's able to get to its destination a lot faster (than traditional rotary wing aircraft)."

"The CV-22 can go twice as fast and twice as far as rotary wing assets," said Tech. Sgt Erik Davis, a CV-22 flight engineer.

"Speed is a huge usage boost because the A-10 doesn't have to stay exposed as long when it's providing escort," said Maj. Mike Holder, a CV-22 evaluation pilot and the mission commander.

The 8th Special Operations Squadron at Hurlburt Field is currently the only operational CV-22 squadron in the Air Force. Because of their uniqueness, they continually look for ways to practice and familiarize themselves with other aircraft.

"We are validating everything we talk about on the ground," said Major Holder. "It's very exciting to be on the cutting edge of technology for the Air Force."

As someone who has flown helicopters in two branches of the military, Major Holder understands the benefits of having an airframe such as the CV-22 Osprey.

"We're defining tactics rather than refining them," said Major Holder, an Army AH-1 Cobra and AH-64 Apache pilot prior to joining the Air Force. "We expect to do a lot more (inter-airframe training)."

The training, although historic, was business as usual for Sergeant Davis.

"This is another capability that we've shown we can do," Sergeant Davis said. "We feel pretty confident in our training with them, but there are a lot of steps we have to take."

Major Holder is confident his aircraft could survive if called upon at any time.

"I feel we are 100 percent ready to deploy right now if needed," he said. "We recently completed our initial operating training exercise and (the aircraft) flew great. I'm excited to fly the Osprey."

USAF CV-22 Osprey flies first SAR mission

by Lia Martin, 377th Air Base Wing Public Affairs


KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. (AFPN) -- A CV-22 Osprey assigned to the 58th Special Operations Wing here participated in the aircraft's first search and recovery mission, responding to the fatal crash of a medical aircraft in the mountains of southern Colorado.

Airport officials lost contact with the Arizona-based Beechcraft King airplane at 11:22 p.m. Oct. 4 as the air ambulance headed toward San Luis Regional Medical Center while responding to a medical call.

At about 9:15 a.m. Oct. 5, the Air Force Rescue Center contacted Kirtland Air Force Base with a call to help at the request of civil authorities. Initially, the mission was considered search and rescue because the condition of those aboard the downed aircraft was unknown.

The response team quickly prepared to take off. Aircraft included the CV-22, a pair of HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters, and a MC-130P Combat Shadow to provide aerial refueling and serve as air mission control for the operation. Capt. Scott Gwin, aircraft commander on the Osprey, credited the maintenance crew for preparing the aircraft for the speedy search and rescue effort.

The Osprey took off between 11:35 and 11:40 a.m.

"We knew our piece of this was to get up there as quickly as we could and find the crash site," Captain Gwin said.

The captain pointed out that an advantage of the Osprey is that it can take off and land just about anywhere -- saving minutes and hopefully lives.

The Airmen knew weather and altitude would be major obstacles in the rescue effort. The last known radar of the air-ambulance placed it near the top of a huge mountain. The altitude of the crash was expected to be higher than 11,000 feet. Helicopters of any kind have challenges in higher altitudes.

Captain Gwin searched the west and then the east side of the mountain as high as the Osprey could go before clouds made it impossible to see. By then, the MC-130P was orbiting above the site and above the cloud cover and was able to find the crash site with its sensors.

The MC-130P passed the crash location coordinates to the Osprey crew so they could make visual contact and determine if there was evidence of survivors.

Seeing no such evidence, Captain Gwin gave the coordinates to the HH-60G crews so they could land at the crash site and search the area.

Capt. James Grigson, also of the 58th Special Operations Wing, was co-pilot for the HH-60G that landed near the crash site. He said the crew took out some of the fuel tanks from his helicopter to make the aircraft lighter. This would allow the helicopter greater flexibility in landing in a higher altitude but it also meant they would need to refuel in the air at some point during the operation.

"We were on the ragged edge of performance with minimal fuel," Captain Grigson said. "We had 30 minutes to work with."

Captain Grigson said they flew to the ranch where civilians were monitoring the rescue operation at a lower elevation. They picked up a local paramedic to help the crew decide which medical facility was appropriate after seeing the injuries of any survivors. The HH-60G then flew to the crash site.

The helicopter landed on the mountain at nearly 12,000 feet. The second HH-60G was too heavy to land. The civilian paramedic and a pararescueman searched for survivors but found none.

The crews called in civilian rescue workers to retrieve the three bodies of the crash victims: a nurse, a paramedic and the pilot of the fallen aircraft.

Though the Osprey was primarily built to be an amphibious assault transport of troops, equipment and supplies from assault ships and land bases, it has proved it can be versatile on search and rescue missions. The Osprey incorporates features of a helicopter and a fixed-wing plane.

The Osprey is a tilt-rotor aircraft which can operate as a helicopter when taking off and landing vertically. Once airborne, the CV-22 converts to a high-speed, fuel-efficient turboprop airplane.

The Osprey can fly at 316 miles per hour in airplane mode and 115 miles per hour in helicopter mode. The aircraft's ceiling is 26,000 feet and it can hold 60,000 pounds of cargo. The aircraft is used by the Air Force, Marines and the Navy.

Kirtland Air Force Base has four CV-22 Ospreys, with plans to add two more by fiscal 2010.

Air Force Osprey Goes Navy Aboard Bataan

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class (SW/AW) Brian Anderson, USS Bataan Public Affairs

A U.S. Air Force CV-22 Osprey, assigned to the 8th Special Operations Squadron (8th SOS), approaches amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5) during deck landing qualifications (DLQs). The 8th SOS is one of 11 flying squadrons in the 1st Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, Fla. The Osprey is conducting various DLQs with Bataan as she transits the Atlantic. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jeremy L. Grisham.

An Air Force CV-22 Osprey used the flight deck of the multi-purpose amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5) for training Aug. 13-14 while the ship was underway off the Atlantic Coast.

The single aircraft, from the 8th Special Operations Squadron (8th SOS) in Hurlburt Field, Fla., and its crew of instructors spent the evening landing and taking off for deck landing qualifications. According to Air Force Capt. Paul Alexander from 8th SOS, this CV-22 is part of a four aircraft squadron that is designated as the first fully operational CV-22 squadron.

The Air Force purchased 50 of the tilt-rotor aircraft, predominately used by the United States Marine Corps, for use by the Air Force Special Operations Command. The first deployment for the special operations CV-22s is set for 2009.

For the pilots who landed aboard Bataan, the chance to land somewhere other than the ground was an exciting first.

"We brought some instructors aboard who have never landed on a ship," said Alexander. "We have a flight deck simulator that we use to train for these situations, but it is just a simulation. By coming out here, we practice on something that is real."

The CV-22 Osprey is a tilt-rotor aircraft that combines the vertical takeoff, hover, and vertical landing qualities of a helicopter with the long-range, fuel efficiency and speed characteristics of a turboprop aircraft.

The visit by the CV-22 is not a first for Bataan. The ship served as a "nest" for the MV-22 Osprey in 2003, and again in 2005 when Bataan's flight deck took on a record eight Marine Corps MV-22 Ospreys at one time.

"It's a great experience any time we get to deal with this aircraft," said Bataan's Air Boss Cmdr. Kris Croeber. "As large as they are, and with the amount of down wash these planes produce, it is a challenge for everybody involved.

"They all can learn something," said Croeber. "The experience is great for those pilots and great for us because we deal with Marines on this platform, and the Osprey is the future of Marine Corps aviation."