Marines work underneath the Marine Corps’ heaviest helicopter while gusts of wind and a cloud of dust swells from the CH-53E Super Stallion above them.

This is one part of the overall training experience for Marines with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 462, Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, also known as the “Heavy Haulers.”

The training mission, conducted April 19 at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, used the dual-point system to lift a 12,500-pound cement block and fly in a circular pattern around the training area.

“We do a lot of training, its very realistic,” said 1st Lt. John R. Ballenger, a pilot with HMH-462. “When we are lifting that kind of weight, it feels like you are driving a truck with a trailer attached to it.”

This type of training in the CH-53E is essential, it is imperative every pilot knows and can perform lifting techniques with the aircraft, such as the dual and single point lifting.

“It’s like everything else, practice makes perfect,” said Lance Cpl. George L. Pinepo, a landing support specialist with the 1st Combat Logistics Battalion, 1st Marine Logistics Group. Pinepo worked as an outside director during the first few hours of the mission.

The outside director is responsible for relaying the position of the CH-53E to the pilots so that they know their location to where they are above the crew. These Marines from the helicopter support team train with various helicopter squadrons from Miramar as well as Camp Pendleton to ensure their skills are honed, said Sgt. Shane Cowen, the team leader for the landing support team.

A three Marine team is responsible for connecting the load to the hooks from the helicopter while withstanding the 175-mph rotor wash, which is a powerful gush of winds produced from the spinning blades of the CH-53E. One member is the “static man” who is responsible for grounding the hooks.

The hooks must be grounded because they carry enough static electricity to kill a Marine if they grabbed them. The two metal hooks hanging from the CH-53E carry anywhere from 100,000 to 200,000 volts of electricity and must be grounded, said Pfc. Devon T. Leachman, a landing support specialist with CLB-1.

The two other Marines under the helicopter are called legmen. They are responsible for ensuring, that the weight connecting slings, are correctly attached to the helicopter.

“I love the (Super Stallion),” said Petty Officer 3rd class Victor Perez, a corpsman with HMH-462. “It is one of the best. It can pick up anything.” Perez is a corpsman who recently returned from a deployment in Iraq and has completed many missions in the CH-53E.

“This training is very beneficial to the pilots as well as the air and ground crew,” said 1st Lt. Marc W. Brinneman, a pilot with HMH-462.

“This is exactly what they do in Iraq.” [ANN Salutes Lance Cpl. George J. Papastrat, MCAS Miramar]

FMI: www.marines.mil