SIFT Army Aviation Information 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the role of the Army's UH-72 Lakota helicopter?
- Primary attack helicopter
- Light utility and training helicopter (Correct answer)
- Heavy-lift cargo helicopter
- Armed reconnaissance platform
Correct answer: Light utility and training helicopter
The UH-72 Lakota serves as the Army's primary light utility helicopter for training, medical evacuation support, and domestic homeland security missions.
The Airbus H145/UH-72 Lakota entered Army service in 2006 for light utility roles including medical evacuation support, homeland security, and pilot training. It is not a combat aircraft — it serves in CONUS operations and training environments. Fort Novosel uses Lakotas for portions of the Initial Entry Rotary Wing program.
Question 2: In Army aviation, what does the term 'PIC' stand for and what are the PIC's responsibilities?
- Pilot Instructor Command — supervising student pilots only
- Pilot in Command — the pilot with final authority and responsibility for the aircraft and safety of flight (Correct answer)
- Primary Instrument Category — the instrument flight qualification level
- Precision Integrated Control — the computer system managing fly-by-wire inputs
Correct answer: Pilot in Command — the pilot with final authority and responsibility for the aircraft and safety of flight
PIC stands for Pilot in Command, the designated person with final authority over aircraft operation and ultimate responsibility for safety.
Army Regulation 95-1 defines the PIC as the person designated by the unit commander who has authority over the aircraft and responsibility for its safe operation. The PIC makes final decisions about whether to fly, route selection, fuel reserves, and emergency actions, even overriding crew members or controllers in emergencies.
Question 3: What is the significance of 'Hover Power Required' in Army aviation performance planning?
- The maximum power the engine can produce before rotor overspeed
- The power needed to hover the helicopter out of ground effect at a given weight and altitude (Correct answer)
- The power setting used during all normal cruise flight
- The minimum engine power to start the rotors spinning
Correct answer: The power needed to hover the helicopter out of ground effect at a given weight and altitude
Hover Power Required (usually expressed as HOGE — Hover Out of Ground Effect) is the power needed to maintain a stationary hover, which is maximum power demand and critical for load planning.
Hovering demands more power than cruise flight because the rotor must continuously accelerate air downward without benefit of translational lift. HOGE requires more power than HIGE (Hover In Ground Effect) because ground effect reduces induced inflow velocity below about one rotor diameter of altitude. Performance charts show whether the aircraft can hover at a given weight/altitude/temperature combination.
Question 4: What is an 'OPORD' in Army operations?
- Operation Order — a directive that communicates a commander's plan for military operations (Correct answer)
- Optional Procedures for Operations and Routing Decisions
- Operational Proficiency Optimization Review Document
- Official Pilot Operations Risk Declaration
Correct answer: Operation Order — a directive that communicates a commander's plan for military operations
An OPORD (Operations Order) is a directive issued by a commander to coordinate and execute a military operation, providing mission, enemy situation, friendly forces, and execution details.
The Army's five-paragraph OPORD format covers: Situation (enemy/friendly forces), Mission (who, what, when, where, why), Execution (concept, tasks, coordinating instructions), Service Support (logistics), and Command/Signal (command relationships, communications). Aviation OPORDs include airspace coordination, aircraft assignments, and contingency plans.
Question 5: What does 'brownout' refer to in helicopter operations?
- A temporary loss of electrical power during flight
- Reduced visibility caused by rotor downwash swirling up dust or sand during takeoff and landing (Correct answer)
- A condition of decreasing fuel causing engine problems
- Disorientation from flying into brown-colored smoke
Correct answer: Reduced visibility caused by rotor downwash swirling up dust or sand during takeoff and landing
Brownout occurs when rotor downwash lifts sand or dust into a dense cloud around the helicopter during low-altitude operations, obscuring the ground and creating spatial disorientation hazards.
Brownout (and 'whiteout' in snow) is a serious hazard because it eliminates ground reference cues precisely when they are most needed — during takeoff and landing. Pilots lose visual reference for altitude, drift, and attitude. Army helicopters in desert environments use specific brownout landing techniques, and some aircraft are equipped with radar altimeters and enhanced situational awareness systems.
Question 6: What is the 'METT-TC' framework used for in Army aviation mission planning?
- A maintenance checklist for pre-flight inspections
- A risk assessment framework covering Mission, Enemy, Terrain/weather, Troops, Time, and Civil considerations (Correct answer)
- A navigation system using multiple waypoints
- A crew qualification verification checklist
Correct answer: A risk assessment framework covering Mission, Enemy, Terrain/weather, Troops, Time, and Civil considerations
METT-TC is the Army's standard mission analysis framework: Mission, Enemy, Terrain/weather, Troops available, Time available, Civil considerations — used to plan and assess military operations.
METT-TC guides commanders and aviators in analyzing factors affecting mission success. For aviation: Mission (objective and constraints), Enemy (threat capabilities, air defenses), Terrain/weather (terrain masking, visibility, wind), Troops (aircraft available, crew status), Time (planning time, mission window), Civil (populated areas, airspace restrictions). Each factor shapes route planning, tactics, and risk assessment.
SIFT Army Aviation Information 2
What is the role of the Army's UH-72 Lakota helicopter?