Aviation Officer
Aviation Officer
Posted on Aug 25, 2019
What's the best helicopter to fly in the big army if you want to pilot MH-6 Little Birds in the 160th?
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I'm assuming that there's no killer eggs in the conventional army and that they only exist within SOAR
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153A: Rotary Wing Aviator (Aircraft Nonspecific)
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Warrant Officers 15A: Aviation Officer 153A: Rotary Wing Aviator (Aircraft Nonspecific) Pilot Aviation
Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 8
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Unless the 160th has really changed. You don't come out of flight school and go into the 160th. There are flight hour requirements and NVG time before you can submit an application for the 160th. There is a selection committee that will look at your application. At least that was their procedure in 1990. BTW the original OH-6s for the 160 came from the Mississippi National Guard. As the 160th guys told me in 1990s, they get their budget from God. :-)
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CW3 (Join to see)
Nothing will be easy, every helicopter the Army flys has a bunch of pilot assistance systems, the little bird only has trim. The only aircraft that would’ve help would of been a Kiowa but that’s no longer an option. Jack Halley
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LTC Gary Earls
The OH-58 had a flaw in the tail rotor. A fellow aviator crashed one at Fort Riley. everyone got out okay but the aircraft was damaged. I was qualified in the OH-58A and one of the problems was the landing light glare at night. It was a stationary mount.
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Jack Halley
LTC Gary Earls - I hear you. I heard that we are selling all of them to Greece and other European countries.
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I assure you you will not jump straight into flying for the 160th. Worry about being accepted as a pilot first. Good luck.
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MAJ Ken Landgren
I agree with CSM. The 160th picks the best pilots with a lot of experiencing flying.
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Jack Halley
MAJ Ken Landgren - Right. I was trying to ask what would be a good aircraft to fly (blackhawks, ch-47s, etc) before you tried out for the 160th. Like what would be a similar platform to the MH-6s they fly.
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I'm totally unqualified to speak on things Army aviation, however, I can tell you one thing. It was very rewarding to look into the eyes of a young Marines who thought you were saving his life on an emergency extract even though you had just had more holes punched in your aircraft by AKs when I was flying the H-46; but it was also very satisfying to know that the guy with the AK thought twice about spraying you because he knew he would not survive when I was flying the Cobra
Any bird that gets close and personal with either side is a bird worth strapping on.
Any bird that gets close and personal with either side is a bird worth strapping on.
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Jack Halley
Great story! I didn't know that you could switch heli platforms so easily. It sounds like a whole lot of training!
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LtCol Robert Quinter
Jack Halley - Didn't say it was easy! You've also got to consider my vintage. One saying common in my day was that an optimist was a 46 pilot that bought a whole carton of cigarettes. Don't forget, I was Marine Corps and the opportunity to switch communities is dependent upon the needs of the service. I was lucky enough to also fly UH-1s and fixed wing transports over 25 years, but that's another story.
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