Runs Crews Through Paces In CH-47 And UH-60 Scenarios
It looked like a scene out of a science fiction movie at Fort
Campbell, KY, one recent Wednesday morning as a group of 101st
Combat Aviation Brigade noncommissioned officers trained on a new
simulator for the first time. The Non-rated Crew Member Manned
Module, or NCM3, came to post last week to be used for the first
time beyond the testing stages. The module is a simulator that was
created to train helicopter crews on the rear of both the CH-47
Chinook and UH-60 Black Hawk.
U.S. Army Photo
Through specially created virtual reality glasses, which fit as
night vision goggles would, Soldiers can perfect gunnery tasks.
Also included in the simulator are ways to perfect and practice
sling load and hoist operations without ever leaving the ground.
The training can be linked with the Aviation Combined Arms Tactical
Trainer, allowing crew chiefs and other Soldiers to communicate
seamlessly with the helicopter's pilot who may be training in a
different simulator.
The NCM3 includes task-driven scenarios, which can be adjusted
by the instructor to include weather conditions, lighting
variations and other specific situations. "The weapons are M240[H]s
that we actually use in the Army," explained Sgt. 1st Class Richard
Madill. "The only thing they did was they took the mechanism out
that allows it to fire. That's the big modification that's made. It
has sensors all over to allow you to control it. It tells you when
you have your mock ammo loaded, it tells you when they pull the
triggers and different things like that."
Even the simplest of everyday occurrences adds realism to the
experience. "It creates thunderstorms, and when it has the
thunderstorms, you can actually hear the thunder," Madill said.
"You can see the lighting."
Madill is a subject matter expert from the Directorate of Training
and Doctrine at Fort Rucker, AL, who actually helped in the design
of this one-of-a-kind simulator. The realism goes beyond what the
gunners or other crew members might see on the screen during the
simulated flight. The weaponry is also affected by a control load
box, which gives the Soldier a sense of wind resistance on the gun.
"Right now, this weapon is hard to push in the opposite direction
because it's simulating that we're flying forward very fast,"
Madill said.
When equipped with the virtual glasses, Soldiers feel as if they
are on board a helicopter, and they can even lean out simulated
bubble windows created for the CH-47. "He's able to look up at the
engine compartment and make sure it's not on fire or leaking oil,"
Madill explained of the simulated window's importance to a crew
member.
The simulator is good for a number of reasons, mainly because of
safety, efficiency and flexibility. The simulator eliminates the
need to schedule a helicopter for training, saves on fuel and
ammunition costs, and lessens many of the risks faced during real
flights. Inclement weather outside also does not affect the
progression of training in the simulator. "Prior to this trailer,
we (didn't) have a trainer for the backseaters," Madill said. "For
the crew chiefs, door gunners, we don't have a trainer to be able
to do that. And this allows us to bring a guy out here and start
some sort of aircraft progression, without actually using blade
time."
With increased safety, the simulator allows easy training on
scenarios that would take much more planning and coordination
otherwise. "This allows us to train on tasks that we don't get a
chance to do normally," Madill said. "We're able to do this rescue
hoist, which in real life, it's dangerous to put a live person on
the hoist. It's dangerous, but we need to be able to train it. This
allows us to train it here. We don't have to use blade time to do
that, we don't have to (risk) someone's life."