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Blackanthem Military News
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Last Updated:
Jul 23, 2008 - 2:26:24 PM |
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Blackanthem Military News
MOSHANNON, Pa. - Precision may not be the first thing that comes to mind when one thinks of a CH-47 Chinook helicopter, but that is exactly what was expected of three Pennsylvania National Guard pilots during a recent mission in Moshannon State Forest in Centre County.
Helming the largest helicopter in the Pennsylvania aerial arsenal, the pilots successfully airlifted two prefabricated bridges into dense forest via sling-load during an intense training mission the Guard performed for the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. The bridges were placed onto wooden platforms located at each side of a creek along the 75-mile Quehanna trail.
The pilots were CW4 Jeff Reep, CW2 Angie Harris and WO1 Nathan MacLane, who are all from Company B 2/104th Aviation Battalion, 28th Aviation Brigade, based out of Fort Indiantown Gap, Pa.
The margin of error was less than a few inches on the ground, but with 130 feet of cord between the helicopter and the bridge, Harris said a minor twitch up top translated into a major sway below. As a result, Harris hovered patiently for nearly 25 minutes trying to set the 6,000-pound, 70-foot section of bridge into place.
MacLane, who piloted the aircraft during the other bridge placement, had similar troubles. Reep, who sat in the other pilot seat during both placements, said a number of factors, such as the length of the slings, rotor wash and the low weight of the fiberglass bridge caused the placement to be difficult.
Harris had a simpler explanation: "It was a bridge, and it sure did fly like a bridge."
Harris and Reep, as well as Staff Sgt. Gregory Heinbaugh, flight instructor engineer, have all performed similar missions. But, this was the first mission of its kind for Lane and flight engineer Sgt. Blake Andrews. The final crew member, Sgt. Joe Pape, had only performed one such mission prior to the bridge lift.
The hard work of the pilots and crew did not go unrecognized. DCNR spokesperson Jason Albright said the help was much appreciated.
"The Egyptians built the pyramids, so anything is possible," he said. "Who knows, maybe we could have done this without the help of the National Guard, but they sure saved us a lot of time, money, effort and injured workers, at the very least."
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