If you’re looking to join the National Guard it may be helpful to contact the Warrant Officer Strength Manager (WOSM) for the state you are interested in. Here is a link to help (https://nationalguard.com/contacts/wosm). You can kind of think of the WOSM as a warrant officer recruiter. They’ll be able to give you some guidance and advice on contacting the aviation unit in your state, and help with your packet. If you don’t already know, not all states have a street to seat program, the WOSM will be able to tell you more about how your particular state selects aviators. Good luck!

I own an R22 in SoCal and I am debating on selling a portion of it for partnership with 960 hours left. I’ll probably install an L3 NGT9000 and a garmin 430 in it. would love to hear your thoughts.

The Huey's rotor system was controlled by the Stabiliser Bar, which fed about half of the control input immediately, and the rest of it over a few seconds, according to the damper settings. It made the cyclic response a bit less crisp than desired, but still pretty good. I never had any problems with Hueys in 2500 hrs on them, from B models through D, H and Gunship. But, being a teetering system, you could stir the cyclic quite vigorously without doing much to the flight path or the fuselage - try that in a rigid system like a BK117 and you will be rattling the fillings out of your teeth.

If you are IFR, you are at a safety height at least 1000' above your nearest terrain. Don't need no backup checks if you have the correct QNH. If you are VFR, look out the front, and don't bump into anything. Keep a sensible amount of height between you and the lumpy bits. You should only need to look at the altimeter when doing landing calculations. Elevation data is printed on a map. It doesn't fluctuate. Anyway, this looks like a computer-generated horsefeathers question.

I use Bose A30 headsets in my heli, with an intercom and com radio set-up. I connect the A30 to my iPhone 15 Pro Max via bluetooth to take calls on my cell. However, the iPhone will not recognize a bluetooth mic as an audio source for streaming or for any reason (voice memos, etc). So, on my first stream of a flight through the Colorado Rockies, all listeners could hear was the wild audio from my cockpit being picked up by my regular iPhone mic. It sucked. I then connected a small USB-C lavalier mic to my iPhone, and tucked in up under my Bose ear cup. That improved things dramatically. The helicopter sounds were muted and my voice came across loud a clear (since I can hear myself when I talk via the intercom). But one thing really puzzles me: the mic is not picking up radio from ATC, even though it is blasting into my headphones. If the dang mic in sitting in there picking up my voice, why isn't it picking up ATC? It is at the same volume! In fact, it doesn't pick up my passengers either who talk over the intercom! Trying to figure this out is crazy! The mic has no intelligence! It is simply sitting in my ear cup. Why wouldn't it pick up all sounds coming into my headphones? What do other pilots do? As for the criticism I may get for streaming while flying thru the mountains ... I never stream without a safety pilot with me and I have been flying the Rockies for 45-years. Anyone have any ideas?

Thank you for reading this in advance. I'm in the process of building a WOFT packet and I am nearing the end of the process, and looking for some guidance. As far as LORs I am planning on using my current Medical Director (Doctor who runs our 911 EMS organization) as well as a pilot out of an aviation unit I volunteer for. I understand the selection board looks for current Army Aviators. My first question is how do I respectfully ask for a LOR from current Army Aviators. I understand it is a big ask, and I would like to go about it in the correct manor. Second, I have my flight physical scheduled for early January. No issues expected, I am healthy with no significant medical history and not on any medication. Is there anything in my power as an applicant I can do to speed the process of the flight physical? Third, how do you stand out as a competitive candidate on the oral board? What do they look for in terms of character traits? Age: 28 ASVAB:84 GT:125 SIFT:64 Thank you again, any information helps.

I recently started using a tool to help with elevation checks while flying in diverse terrains, and I’m curious about how others approach this. Personally, I find the concept fascinating because of how essential it is for maintaining safety and efficiency during navigation, especially when dealing with unpredictable elevations. However, I’ve encountered some moments where I wonder if I’m using it to its full potential or if there are additional considerations I might be missing. For instance, one challenge I faced recently was while flying in a mountainous region where elevation data seemed to fluctuate quite a bit due to weather and terrain conditions. I’ve noticed that this tool provides detailed elevation-related information, but I’m unsure if I should be cross-referencing it with another resource during such situations. I’d love to hear from others: do you ever double-check elevation data with another tool or method? If so, what’s been your experience? When we talk about elevation in aviation, it refers to the vertical distance between the helicopter and the ground or sea level, measured at a specific point. It’s a critical concept, especially in areas with significant terrain variation. Tools like a "live altitude tracker" are incredibly useful in providing real-time updates on altitude relative to the ground, ensuring that the pilot can make informed decisions quickly. This is particularly important when navigating through mountainous regions, where rapid elevation changes demand precise and accurate altitude readings to maintain safe clearance. One feature I’ve found particularly helpful is how this tool simplifies interpreting data in real time. It provides clear, actionable insights, and I’ve found it extremely user-friendly in that respect. However, I’ve also wondered about how pilots build trust in these tools over time, especially when visual confirmation of terrain isn’t possible. Have you ever experienced a situation where the data wasn’t entirely clear, and you had to decide how much to rely on the tool? How do you handle those moments? Another aspect I’d like to understand is how often others recalibrate or verify the accuracy of such tools. Is it something you routinely check before each flight, or do you follow a specific schedule? I’m curious about what works best for ensuring that the information provided is as reliable as possible in varying conditions. If anyone has insights or personal experiences to share, I’d really appreciate hearing them. It’s fascinating to see how different pilots use tools like these in their own unique ways to handle challenges related to elevation and navigation.

Thank you, W E Hawn! It's great having the perspective of someone that flew it as it was originally flown in Vietnam.

1. How responsive was the UH-1H? To me the UH-60 was very responsive, like a sports car. At 100-120kts it did precisely what I wanted, when I wanted. The Hotel UH1 was very stable in all normal modes of flight. One could crank it around aggressively but you have to remember that it has a "teetering hub" (what was called a 'semi-rigid underslung' hub). You need to keep at least a half positive G or so to keep it from striking the mast. 2. How quickly did the UH-1H slow down from 100kts in a quick stop? I understand the UH-60 had quite a bit more power to really stick this maneuver. One must use the rate in bringing the nose up that doesn't result in more cyclic climb than you want. The UH1 is almost a glider at times, exchanges airspeed for altitude pretty efficiently. 3. How would you describe the control feel at 100kts, sluggish, sharp, etc.? Did the aircraft fly “heavy”? I don't recall the Huey controls ever 'feeling' any different at any speed, uniformly light in all directions. Aircraft's response is more pronounced with increasing airspeed, as one would/should expect. Years ago, 1969-1970, I flew a lot of single ship night reconnaissance (Firefly, Nighthawk and Phantom 2 or 3- whatever the current terminology appropriate to the directing staff, G2/S2 or G3/S3.) Some of that assignment was nap of the Earth/low level base perimeter checks. The perimeter wire apron was common to the Arvin compound abutting the compound, creating dead end passes on that side. Rather than overfly the bases, illuminating the installation with my "bug light" I would do a a vertical reverse (kinda like a sloppy hammerhead) which required positioning the cyclic appropriately through the turn and nose down acceleration, keep the G positive and no problems.

I’m calibrating the flight dynamics of a UH-1H for personal use in MSFS 2020 and wanted to get some feedback from people with experience piloting a real, Vietnam-era UH-1H. Having flown both the Bell 206B3 and the UH-60L, I can use those as a baseline. 1. How responsive was the UH-1H? To me the UH-60 was very responsive, like a sports car. At 100-120kts it did precisely what I wanted, when I wanted. 2. How quickly did the UH-1H slow down from 100kts in a quick stop? I understand the UH-60 had quite a bit more power to really stick this maneuver. 3. How would you describe the control feel at 100kts, sluggish, sharp, etc.? Did the aircraft fly “heavy”? Thank you!