Low-levels

You need to go to the chart room and get some maps. They are in that case on your left just as you walk into the room where you got your cockpit diagram when you checked in. There is a sign on the outside detailing exactly which maps you'll need. Also, grab a Pensacola area training chart. Then go by NATOPS and get a copy of the new Low Level SOP. The navigation route checkpoints are in Appendix A of the RWOP. Do yourself a favor and enter the Lat/Longs into PFPS and then fine tune them in Falconview. Some of the saved routes in the ready room are wrong.

Charts: Green Route - Pensacola 1:250,000 JOG-AIR Orange Route - Munson 1:50,000 and Harold 1:50,000 (You will need to cut these and tape them together. Tape the legends to the back.) Purple Route - Crestview 1:50,000 and Dixie 1:50,000 (Also, cut these and tape these together) You will want to laminate the Green Route JOGAIR (with no check points on it!) and the Purple Route Crestview/Dixie (with the checkpoints and lines drawn) charts. You'll re-use the JOGAIR many times (Green Route forward/reverse, getting to/from the Purple route, and then NVG routes), and will re-use the Crestview/Dixie for Purple forward/reverse, and formation Purple forward/reverse. The Orange Route Munson/Harold map doesn't need to be laminated, but can be if you want.

The key here is the brief, go into the computer lab and watch the video (it is the brief for the first route so watch it right away). Not all the information in this video is still accurate. For example, in the video the squawk given for the flight, in the Western Area, is the Eastern Area Squawk (see RWOP Page 1-3 Figure 1-2). Practice the brief. Get someone who is already in Low levels to check your chart and to help you prepare your first brief.

[[media:LLRoutes.jpg| All routes ]] are planned at a groundspeed of 90 Kts. The Green and orange routes are flown at 500 AGL, and the purple Route is flown at 200 AGL.


 * N4301- The Green Route forward followed by TLA's at Site 8
 * N4302- TLA's at Site 8 followed by the Green Route reverse
 * N4303- The Orange Route forward followed by TLA's at Harold
 * N4304- The Purple Route forward followed by TLA's at Harold
 * N4305- The Purple Route reverse followed by TLA's at Harold

Need to Know for Low Levels
Go on YouTube and search for your route. There are moving Google Earth videos of the routes. The videos will pause momentarily on the checkpoints so you can study them.

Briefing Packet

At the beginning of your brief, you need to present the IP with a packet containing the following items:
 * Briefing Sheet- these are found in the pubs room to the right of the grade sheets
 * Smart Card- this is a frequency page that has all the freqs you will need for the flight, UHF presets and VHF manuals. These are on the computers in the weight and balance room by the fax machine.  Find one for the flight you doing, change the name of the IP and student, and check the information on the card. Make sure the ground frequency is 317.65.
 * Route Card- this is what you get off PFPS and Falconview. This will list all the checkpoints, the heading to the next checkpoint, leg timing, total time, distance, and expected fuel burn.  For most routes this will be on two pages.  Use a copier to put both pages on the front and back of one.
 * Gradesheet- found in the same place they always are

Make a packet for yourself also. It will help you to organize the information, brief, and then during the flight.

Bingo Fuel

Bingo Fuel is the minimum fuel needed to get to fuel from your furthest point, arriving at that source of fuel with 10 gal. You need to identify the point in flight so make sure to mark it on your chart. At that point, inform the IP you are at the Bingo Fuel point, check your fuel on board against the Bingo number, and report the difference. If you are at Bingo Fuel you must turn for the nearest fuel source and fly at your Max Range Airspeed. If you have the time, report your fuel vs required fuel at every checkpoint. This is obviously easier to do on the Green route than the Orange/Purple, but you should be checking fuel at as many checkpoints as possible. If at any time you find you are at or (somehow) below the minimum fuel required at that checkpoint, discontinue the route and go get fuel. Note that while the FTI has your Bingo route going back to NSE, there are often much closer fuel sources depending on where on the route you are (Site 8 or Bay Minette to the west, Crestview or Florala to the east). So if you spring a fuel leak, don't think you HAVE to go back to NSE just because your planned Bingo route says to.

You need to compute your Bingo Fuel in your preflight planning. For the Green Route the checkpoint will be Checkpoint 5.
 * Determine the distance from Checkpoint 5 to Site 8 and the Magnetic Heading.
 * NATOPS Chapter 26, calculate your Max Range Airspeed and Fuel Flow.
 * With the Max Range Airspeed and Distance you have, compute time on the whizwheel.
 * Use the time calculated and the Fuel Flow from the chart in Chapter 26 to find the fuel needed.
 * Add that fuel to the 10 gal to get your Bingo Fuel.
 * Do not forget you label your chart with the Bingo Fuel Number, Max Range Airspeed, and Magnetic Heading to the fuel.

NO HOVER T/O    FTI  paragraph 409  page 4-18

“TWIST GRIP IS FULL OPEN, Nf/Nr 100%, __ GALLONS, GOOD GAUGES, CAUTION PANEL IS CLEAN CLEAR LEFT, RIGHT & ABOVE”


 * 1. In a hover, make a clearing turn and land.
 * 2. Trim the controls in the neutral position. Establish a hover scan and smoothly raise the collective in a continuous pull NTE 85% TRQ.
 * 3. As the helicopter leaves the ground, apply forward cyclic to begin forward motion. Maintain heading with pedals.
 * 4. Maintain an outside visual scan and continue to accelerate, gaining airspeed to reach translational lift as soon as possible while maintaining a safe ground clearance.
 * 5. At 40 KIAS, adjust power and intercept normal forward flight parameters.

Tactical Landing Area (TLA) selection criteria

At Site 8, TLAs are conducted to the autorotation lanes. At Harold, they're conducted pretty much wherever you want.

360° 180° 90°
 * Conduct a low recon pass just as you did for CAL's back in tactics. This pass will be made at 200' AGL at 80KIAS.
 * As you fly over the point to finish the recon pass enter a hard, level turn for the 180° position.
 * Abeam at 200’AGL and 80KIAS.
 * Continue level turn and begin to decel to 90° position at 150’ and 60KIAS
 * Continue decel to intercept courseline at 100’ and 45-55KIAS.
 * Maintain balanced flight until on courseline
 * Rate of closure and descent rate are controlled to arrive over point.
 * The descent will be very similar to the steep approach from tactics.
 * For a 180° approach, set up on a tight downwind.
 * Abeam at 200’AGL and 80KIAS.
 * Continue level turn and begin to decel to 90° position at 150’ and 60KIAS
 * Continue decel to intercept courseline at 100’ and 45-55KIAS.
 * Maintain balanced flight until on courseline
 * Rate of closure and descent rate are controlled to arrive over point.
 * The descent will be very similar to the steep approach from tactics.
 * For a 90° approach, dog leg out on the downwind to give yourself the space to set up for the 90°.
 * Initiate to arrive at 90 at 150’ AGL and 60KIAS
 * Continue decel to intercept courseline at 100’ and 45-55KIAS.
 * Maintain balanced flight until on courseline
 * Rate of closure and descent rate are controlled to arrive over point.
 * The descent will be very similar to the steep approach from tactics.