EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. —
Lt. Col. Mary Clark stepped out to the MH-139A Gray Wolf with confidence.
Confidence gained from participating in and main within the developmental efforts of the Air Power’s first acquisitioned helicopter. These early labors from idea to actuality culminated as she climbed into one of many pilot seats for the MH-139A’s first flight below Air Power possession right here Aug. 17.
“This milestone actually represents the start of Air Power testing for the Gray Wolf,” stated Clark, a former necessities officer with the Gray Wolf program, now on the 96th Operations Group. “We will now open up these check factors for the navy and push the envelope extra to make sure we’re delivering that operational functionality the items want out of the helicopter.”
The Gray Wolf achieved this milestone after incomes its navy flight launch, Aug. 12. The brand new standing permits Air Power-only aircrew to conduct testing on navy capabilities of the MH-139A as this system strikes ahead. Previous to the navy flight launch, navy and Boeing contractors shared the flight duties for the reason that plane’s arrival right here in December 2019.
Throughout that two-and-a-half-year interval, the navy testing fell to the 413th Flight Take a look at Squadron and the AFGSC Detachment 7, wherein Clark was a former commander. The 413th FLTS is the Air Power’s solely rotary-wing developmental check unit.
“We realized so much during the last two years,” Clark stated. “That have allowed us to form our check plans and finally save time. We already know some baseline foundational issues we don’t must re-establish in our personal program.”
The plane’s first flight below its new name signal, Lycan, which means werewolf, passed off above and round Duke Discipline, an auxiliary discipline North of Eglin. The aim of that flight was to validate processes, checklists, upkeep, emergency procedures and aircrew communication and coordination.
Tech. Sgt. Alexander Graves, an AFGSC Det. 7 particular missions aviator, was a part of each MH-139 first flights with Boeing in early 2020 and now the all-Air Power flight. The Airman stated he hadn’t mirrored on his place in Gray Wolf historical past as the primary enlisted to fly in and instruct on one of many Air Power’s latest plane.
“What an honor,” stated Graves, a former C-130 loadmaster, who was chosen to be a part of the Gray Wolf program. “I by no means thought in my profession I’d be ready to do one thing like this. It’s so rewarding to lastly check the issues we’ve been build up and to see that work we put in during the last two years repay now.”
The aim for the subsequent 15 months of testing on the 4 MH-139As right here will likely be to validate the protection of the plane and outline the boundaries and maneuvers that may be carried out. The developmental testing right here will make certain the MH-139A meets AFGSC necessities for operational missions and outline baseline operational capabilities upon which to construct techniques, strategies, and procedures.
The MH-139A will substitute the Air Power fleet of UH-1N plane, rising capabilities in velocity, vary, endurance, payload, and survivability. The Air Power will purchase as much as 80 helicopters, coaching units, and related help tools. The plane will present vertical airlift and help to 4 main instructions and different working businesses.
From these humble beginnings in idea to feeling the MH-139A’s wheels go away the pavement, Clark stated it was really a magical second.
“It’s simply extraordinarily satisfying to now personal and fly one thing we labored so laborious to get,” she stated smiling. “In the present day the leash was off and we might lastly run with the Gray Wolf.”
