Szolnok Soldiers on Mountain Helicopter Training

Szöveg: Major Zoltán Tószegi | 2018. szeptember 8. 7:55

The fourteen-strong contingent of the HDF 86th Szolnok Helicopter Base participated in the Slovenian-Hungarian Mountain Helicopter Training named ’Lord Mountain 2018’ at the Ljubljana-Brnik Airport from 3-7 September.

Galéria

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The preliminary plans had to be modified, as the weather indicated that flight has its limits even in the 21st century. These should be paid careful attention in an unknown terrain, as the safe execution is always of key importance. In a mountainous environment the specifities and the rapid changes of the meteorological phenomena – mainly of the air movement – require a continuous concentration also from the experienced crews. During the task-execution every element of the two-day theoretical preparation could be and had to be practiced.

According to the first experiences of Captain István Soltész, the most challenging for the pilots is the wind shear encounter, and the lack of horizon. In such circumstances the flight technicians have a key role: on the last meters prior landing, they give information about the plane’s position as compared to the landing area, without which safe landing would be practically impossible. This requires the precise co-operation of all the crew-members.

During the trainings the soldiers had an opportunity for the selection of the landing site and the practice of landing at high altitudes above sea-level in such terrain and altitude conditions (mountain ridges, plateaus, projections and mountaintops), which they do not normally encounter in Hungary.

The team commander Major Gábor Oláh, who participated in the program for the third time, applied the lessons learnt here already in several Afghanistan missions (AAT, RSM). This time he acted as a training pilot, and pointed out that the acquired skills make each crew member more self-confident and better prepared. This year 3 helicopter-designers and 3 flight technicians could acquire valuable experiences about the specifities of the mountain flight.