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Pacific winds whip across the nonskid of the flight deck on USS
John C. Stennis (CVN 74) as she cuts through glassy water reflecting
a bright blue sky.
Pilots with steady hands on the controls
of haze grey Sea Hawks, beat the JP-5 heavy air down and away in
time with flight crew Sailors directing each takeoff and landing.
The Chargers of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 14 and the
Raptors of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 71 are
currently deployed with Stennis. These squadrons' pilots rely on
extensive training, muscle memory and on-the-job experience to
navigate the dangers associated with their line of work.
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Jan. 20, 2016 - Three MH-60R Sea Hawks assigned to the Raptors of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 71 prepare to land on USS John C. Stennis' (CVN 74) flight deck. Providing a combat-ready force to protect and defend collective maritime interests, Stennis as part of the great green fleet is operating in the U.S. 3rd Fleet area of operations on a regularly scheduled Western Pacific deployment. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kenneth Rodriguez Santiago)
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Lt. Jason "OMG" Gaidis of HSC-14 from Brownsville,
Indiana, said big mistakes can result in the loss of life,
limb and equipment; which is why aviation officers must not
only have the necessary skills, but also confidence in their
own abilities, to overcome any challenge.
People with
distinct personalities seem to be attracted to, or develop
within this kind of job.
Lt. Pete "Therapist'"
Listron of HSC-14, a helo pilot for four years from La
Grange, Georgia, and known within HSC-14 for his energetic
character, is a good example of that. He uses his emphatic
personal motto, “Tight, tight, mega tight!” often but most
especially to describe the huge rush he experiences when
flying. He said his favorite thing about piloting helos is
when he gets to fly backwards. Flying though, requires all
of a pilot's attention while using his or her whole body to
operate the helo safely and smoothly.
“There's a lot
more to being a pilot than just going up and flying,” said
Lt. Ashley "Mr. Ping" Hallford of HSM-71, a Sea Hawk pilot
for four years, from Southlake, Texas. “There's a lot of
time commitment involved, specifically with mission
planning.”
Other than the
many various contingencies involved in planning a
mission, the physics of flying a helo present a more
fundamental challenge. Gaidis explained the complexity of
rotary-winged flight as being like a balancing act that
seems nearly impossible at first glance. However due to
extensive training, that skill becomes second nature,
similar to riding a bike or driving a car.
“Imagine
balancing three gyros on top of each other,” said Gaidis.
“For a helo pilot, you imagine the result you want and your
hands do it.”
Lt. j.g. Alex Wells of HSC-14, from
Vestal, New York, explained that officers who make it
through flight school and then graduate from either
fixed-wing or rotary-wing training are nowhere near being
finished with their education. Pilots are constantly
learning and evolving to keep up with changing technologies
so they can perform at the top of their game.
“It's
an unbelievably large amount of work to be a pilot, but it's
also a crazy amount of fun,” said Gaidis.
Each pilot
has to overcome many
difficult obstacles to reach their goal. They must graduate
from several different education courses and maintain a high
standard of physical fitness while spending countless hours
studying and training to eventually be able to fly.
Some are following a dream, living for a thrill, wanting to
improve their lives or modeling their life after someone
they admire.
“[I wanted to be a helo pilot] when I
was a kid; that's kind of what pushed me toward it,” said
Wells.
Few people are lucky enough to reach a
childhood goal the way Wells has. Perhaps that's why some
prefer to experience an individual moment up in the air to
its fullest. They devote all of their attention to the helo
and its surroundings, not just as a job they are tasked with
but as a fluid moment.
“Flying is dynamic,” said
Listron. “You're in it to win it.”
Some Sailors view
getting commissioned as a
pilot to be the next step in their career. Gaidis used to be
an aviation structural mechanic second class, earning has
aviation warfare and naval aircrew pins before commissioning
in 2010. He was a crew member aboard C-2A Greyhound cargo
aircraft when he realized he wanted to be an officer. He
applied to the Seaman to Adm. Officer Program several times
before being accepted.
“I knew I wanted it and ‘no'
means try harder,” said Gaidis. “Once the opportunity came I
worked hard for three years and made it happen.”
Other pilots pursue a family legacy with the same fervor
Gaidis had in his career. Hallford's father was a fighter
pilot in the 1980s, flying F-14 Tomcats and F/A-18 Hornets;
and her grandfather was an Air Force pilot before that.
Legacy isn't her only motivator though, she's just as
heavily influenced by her own ambitions, if not more so.
“When I'm doing anti-submarine warfare [training] and
I'm tracking a sub we can't see but can tell where it is,
it's a cool feeling,” said Hallford. “You get a lot of
experiences here you're not going to come across in the
civilian world, so I take advantage of that while I can.”
According to Hallford, Sea Hawk pilots' personalities
usually don't reflect any of the dangers involved in their
strenuous jobs.They prefer to behave and react a little more
fluidly and have laid-back personalities.
“I think
we're pretty down to earth,” said Hallford. “We're
definitely like a family.”
Despite the wide variety
of reasons people fly helicopters, pilots have formed a
tight-knit group. Listron likes the community saying they
have bonded over the years they've worked together and have
created a culture all their own akin to a brotherhood. Like
any close community, helo pilots have developed camaraderie
with one another.
More photos available below
By U.S. Navy Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Dakota Rayburn
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2016
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