HDF Mi-17 AAT Starts Mission

The Mi-17 Air Advisory Team is the latest mission of the Hungarian Defence Forces. The first rotation of the eight-man contingent drawn from the personnel of the HDF 86th Szolnok Helicopter Base deployed to Afghanistan at the end of August 2011. The Hungarian mentors are attached to the Mi-17 advisory team of the Italian Air Force in Herat Province and are serving in the Afghan Air Force (AAF) training school located at Shindand Air Base.

The HDF Mi-17 Air Advisory Team (AAT) has been assigned to the NATO Training Mission–Afghanistan (NTM-A) and is operating under Lt.-Col. Gyula Pelczéder. The HDF AAT is composed of helicopter pilots, on-board mechanics, a door gunner and aviation technicians – all of them are seasoned mentors. The contingent is tasked with providing (further) training for the Afghan Mi-17 transport helicopter crews, preparing them for the aviation unit maintenance (AVUM) tasks and mentoring the related technical activities.

Lt.-Col. Gyula Pelczéder, the commander of the Hungarian AAT said the mission is a priority in the life of the Hungarian Defence Forces. This has been the first occasion for the members of the Hungarian transport helicopter crew community to deploy to an area of operations (AO) and join a mission that meets the characteristics of their activity in Hungary. Thus the lessons learned in Afghanistan are really invaluable for the Hungarian Defence Forces.

The mission-specific training of the Hungarian helicopter pilots to deploy to Afghanistan was conducted at a number of sites in several phases. The annual exercise Lord Mountain in Slovenia and the flight simulator training in the Czech Republic – which involved emergency flying drills too – were a great help in their mountain flying training practice. Their preparation for flying at high temperatures in clouds of dust above the local terrain features was implemented in the AO under the guidance of US pilots flying the same type of aircraft.

The Afghan pilots joining the training program have different levels of preliminary flight experience – some of them are complete novices, while there are some seasoned pilots who have not flown for a long time. Besides, the active-duty transport helicopter pilots of the AAF are also taking the course to brush up on their skills. The fact that several of the techniques suggested by the Hungarian mentors have been introduced into the school curriculum attests to the professionalism of our airmen. “I am proud that the airmen of the first AAT rotation can contribute their share to the establishment of the system of Afghan transport helicopter training on behalf of the community of Hungarian transport helicopter crews", Lt.-Col. Gyula Pelczéder said.

Photo: Mi-17 Air Advisory Team