thedrifter
10-19-02, 12:14 AM
http://www.jacksonvilledailynews.com/photo/101702_osprey.jpg
SSgt. Edward Duran works at the Avionics Functional V-22 Trainer at New River Air Station. The new simulator is designed to train Marines in the tilt-rotor maneuverability of the Osprey
Article ran : 10/17/2002
State-of-art simulator unveiled for the Osprey
By ERIC STEINKOPFF
DAILY NEWS STAFF
When Osprey maintenance crews resume training at New River Air Station later this month, they plan to use a state-of-the-art simulator unveiled Wednesday.
Marine Corps officials unveiled the new simulator during a media event at the air station. The simulator is designed to test the ability of Marines in training to respond to aspects unique to the tilt-rotor Osprey, which can fly like an airplane and take off and land like a helicopter.
The focus is to train maintenance personnel better and make a safer aircraft so more lives are not lost, said Lt. Col. Ken Fancher, MV-22 training program manager from Naval Air Training Systems Command at Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Md. Two Osprey crashes in 2000 — one in Arizona and another just outside Jacksonville — led to the deaths of 23 service members and shut down the program until earlier this year.
Wednesday, Fancher praised the New River schoolhouse staff for exceeding expectations in cost, scheduling and performance for putting the simulator in place ahead of schedule.
“They delivered the first joint (service) Marine Corps and Air Force trainer three months early and under budget,” Fancher said. “If we use the lessons learned, ultimately it will save lives.”
The new simulator is high-tech with 10 operator positions, eight for the students and two for instructors. There are four student cockpits, each with two seats and eight different touch screens that simulate controls which maintenance personnel use to check and troubleshoot the aircraft.
It can be used by Marine Corps or Air Force crews when they train to operate the Osprey.
“From the beginning, this has been a joint (service) effort, and this has two mission computers, one for the MV-22 and one for the CV-22.” said Gunnery Sgt. Jeff Pero, an aviation electronics instructor with the Naval Air Maintenance Training Marine Unit. “It is for communications, navigation and identification and allows the student to do cockpit checks here so it frees up a bird to fly.”
The system is designed to test the student’s ability to respond to problems with the nacelles that house the huge Osprey engines. In the the future, it might include a simulation of the hydraulic pressure failure that was blamed in the Dec. 11, 2000, crash near Jacksonville that claimed the lives of four Marine aviators and led to the Osprey being grounded until test flights began in Maryland earlier this year.
“We don’t want to send someone into the cockpit who doesn’t know what’s going on,” said Staff Sgt. Zachary Carpenter, airframes mechanic. “Right now, it is set up for avionics, but it will probably receive an upgrade for the airframes and standard mechanics in the future.”
With an improved version of the Osprey still undergoing flight tests at Patuxent River and another operational evaluation looming, their first step is to build a base of maintenance instructors to man their school house.
“These students have a higher level of maturity and will not be privates right out of boot camp,” Fancher said.
Although he could not speculate on when the operational evaluation might begin or even what command might supervise the testing, Fancher did say that newer, safer versions of the V-22 will start arriving at New River Air Station late next year.
“November of 2003 the first block A aircraft will be delivered to New River,” Fancher said.
Fancher said the Block A version of the Osprey includes all the corrections and safety improvements made to the old airframe.
Marine Corps officials said that they are planning to train 136 Marine students and approximately 80 Air Force students this fiscal year and the same number again in fiscal year 2004.
If everything goes well with the Osprey flight tests and the MV-22 program continues on schedule, the first CH-46 squadron could begin its transition to the new airframe sometime in fiscal year 2005, increasing training requirements even further.
A class of eight students is to begin a 21-week aviation electronics course and another class of eight the first half of a 26-week crew chief course on Oct. 28. The aspiring crew chiefs will receive more training at Marine Medium Tiltrotor Training Squadron 204 at New River Air Station.
Instructors at VMMT-204 eventually will train pilots and air crews, but a schedule has not yet been released.
Contact Eric Steinkopff at esteinkopff@jdnews.com or at 353-1171, Ext. 236.
http://www.mca-marines.org/Leatherneck/Osprey.gif
The Marine Corps wants the MV-22 Osprey to work and is making sure the program has the resources it needs. A ribbon cutting was held Oct. 16 to unveil an avionics functional trainer, and the first eight students will arrive within a few weeks to learn how to maintain the tilt-rotor aircraft. (Official USMC photo)
Sempers,
Roger
SSgt. Edward Duran works at the Avionics Functional V-22 Trainer at New River Air Station. The new simulator is designed to train Marines in the tilt-rotor maneuverability of the Osprey
Article ran : 10/17/2002
State-of-art simulator unveiled for the Osprey
By ERIC STEINKOPFF
DAILY NEWS STAFF
When Osprey maintenance crews resume training at New River Air Station later this month, they plan to use a state-of-the-art simulator unveiled Wednesday.
Marine Corps officials unveiled the new simulator during a media event at the air station. The simulator is designed to test the ability of Marines in training to respond to aspects unique to the tilt-rotor Osprey, which can fly like an airplane and take off and land like a helicopter.
The focus is to train maintenance personnel better and make a safer aircraft so more lives are not lost, said Lt. Col. Ken Fancher, MV-22 training program manager from Naval Air Training Systems Command at Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Md. Two Osprey crashes in 2000 — one in Arizona and another just outside Jacksonville — led to the deaths of 23 service members and shut down the program until earlier this year.
Wednesday, Fancher praised the New River schoolhouse staff for exceeding expectations in cost, scheduling and performance for putting the simulator in place ahead of schedule.
“They delivered the first joint (service) Marine Corps and Air Force trainer three months early and under budget,” Fancher said. “If we use the lessons learned, ultimately it will save lives.”
The new simulator is high-tech with 10 operator positions, eight for the students and two for instructors. There are four student cockpits, each with two seats and eight different touch screens that simulate controls which maintenance personnel use to check and troubleshoot the aircraft.
It can be used by Marine Corps or Air Force crews when they train to operate the Osprey.
“From the beginning, this has been a joint (service) effort, and this has two mission computers, one for the MV-22 and one for the CV-22.” said Gunnery Sgt. Jeff Pero, an aviation electronics instructor with the Naval Air Maintenance Training Marine Unit. “It is for communications, navigation and identification and allows the student to do cockpit checks here so it frees up a bird to fly.”
The system is designed to test the student’s ability to respond to problems with the nacelles that house the huge Osprey engines. In the the future, it might include a simulation of the hydraulic pressure failure that was blamed in the Dec. 11, 2000, crash near Jacksonville that claimed the lives of four Marine aviators and led to the Osprey being grounded until test flights began in Maryland earlier this year.
“We don’t want to send someone into the cockpit who doesn’t know what’s going on,” said Staff Sgt. Zachary Carpenter, airframes mechanic. “Right now, it is set up for avionics, but it will probably receive an upgrade for the airframes and standard mechanics in the future.”
With an improved version of the Osprey still undergoing flight tests at Patuxent River and another operational evaluation looming, their first step is to build a base of maintenance instructors to man their school house.
“These students have a higher level of maturity and will not be privates right out of boot camp,” Fancher said.
Although he could not speculate on when the operational evaluation might begin or even what command might supervise the testing, Fancher did say that newer, safer versions of the V-22 will start arriving at New River Air Station late next year.
“November of 2003 the first block A aircraft will be delivered to New River,” Fancher said.
Fancher said the Block A version of the Osprey includes all the corrections and safety improvements made to the old airframe.
Marine Corps officials said that they are planning to train 136 Marine students and approximately 80 Air Force students this fiscal year and the same number again in fiscal year 2004.
If everything goes well with the Osprey flight tests and the MV-22 program continues on schedule, the first CH-46 squadron could begin its transition to the new airframe sometime in fiscal year 2005, increasing training requirements even further.
A class of eight students is to begin a 21-week aviation electronics course and another class of eight the first half of a 26-week crew chief course on Oct. 28. The aspiring crew chiefs will receive more training at Marine Medium Tiltrotor Training Squadron 204 at New River Air Station.
Instructors at VMMT-204 eventually will train pilots and air crews, but a schedule has not yet been released.
Contact Eric Steinkopff at esteinkopff@jdnews.com or at 353-1171, Ext. 236.
http://www.mca-marines.org/Leatherneck/Osprey.gif
The Marine Corps wants the MV-22 Osprey to work and is making sure the program has the resources it needs. A ribbon cutting was held Oct. 16 to unveil an avionics functional trainer, and the first eight students will arrive within a few weeks to learn how to maintain the tilt-rotor aircraft. (Official USMC photo)
Sempers,
Roger