Ohio Army National Guard, Company A, 1-137th ASLTHB

Ohio Army National Guard, Company A, 1-137th ASLTHB, ESGR 'Boss-Lift' Day 2002

I was invited to attend the 2002 Employer Supporting the Guard and Reserve event, conducted by Ohio Army National Guard, Company, 1-137th ASLTHB, at the Franklin County Ohio Army Guard Flight Facility. The unit flys UH-60A Blackhawk helicopters primarily (-- the earlier airframes are down to just two left in service). The thumbnail gallery of all snapshots is down this link.

(Sorry for the slight shake on some of the snapshots -- I (on the right <smile>) was not able to brace and isolate vibration as well as I would have liked. Also interior cabin shots are too dark -- a fill flash is needed. Maybe I can rig a a tri-pod or gyro stabilizer to isolate and give the camera the mass needed to eliminate this next time <smile>). I have removed or editted a couple of really bad ones.

This year's event was conducted on Saturday, September 14, 2002. It ran from about 10 am to Noon, at the facility at the Rickenbacker Air Base, in the beautiful AAS Facility # 2, located in southeast Franklin County, Ohio. Additional operations were conducted at the older AAS Facility # 1 in Summit County, Ohio, and also in Greene County, and Hamilton County, Ohio.

The unit flys as the "Pale Rider's", and the fierce images that name conjures up, are belied by the courtesy and quiet professionalism which the employer representatives were shown.

An introduction, a walkthrough of the beautiful clear-span maintenance facility (absolutely spotless) -- well ventilated, illuminated, with an epoxy floor. A 'in-vehlcle' familiariazation was given, touching on fire suppression, evacuation routes and tools, first aid components. Safety harness and loading and egress protocol were also reviewed.

Then in for a pre-loading video on capabilities and versatility of the Blackhawk. A bit more on ear-plugs (I brought a set of shooting earmuffs, which worked fine), and anti-naseua precautions.

Then onto the field for loading and buckling in -- the aircraft was 'hot' and already pre-flighted. We taxiied about 20 feet up (note ground shadow of the aircraft), across the tarmac, and the access lane to the main runway, where we entered the runway airspace.

Gaining cruising altitude (I think they were striving for no G effects, and they succeeded), we headed westerly, finally attaining a flight cruising alitiude between 950 to 1050 feet above ground, according to the altimeter (dark shot).

Turning north, we crossed S R 104, and then I-70 at about Central Avenue (good shot of Franklin County Stadium, where the Columbus Clipper's play). We continued past the Scioto Country Club, parallel to the Scioto River (The Jones Middle School, Devon Swim Pool, and Barrington Elementary School complex of the Upper Arlington School District are shown in the center), until we intersected I-270 in the Dublin Metro Center area (The OCLC facility is clearly shown). We followed I-270 clockwise, past the Busch brewery at I-71 and I-270. Continuing past the Easton shopping facility, we diverged at Hamilton Road to cross the main runways at Port Columbus.

Regaining I-270 at perhaps the US 33 SE crossing, we vectored on to land from the East on the main runway at Richenbacker. Forty minutes to circumnavigate the 54 mile circumfrence of I-270 implies an average speed of about 80 mph. Peak speed was about 100 mph most of the loop.

I had my consumer grade GPS with me and in tracking mode (hoping to gain data for a 3-d mapping profile), but in flight it was complaining about lack of signal. This is probably due to the Faraday cage which the outer shell of the aircraft represents. I am working on data recovery -- we'll see (Update: nope -- not useable -- but I have the track down and back). Maybe next year, I can ask for permission to hang an external antenna out the open windows aft of the pilot crew.

Conditions were ideal - no precipitation, clear air. Haze limiting visibility to maybe 10 miles. The shots on the Columbus center city office towers from the I-270 outerbelt show the haze effect well. Great flying weather.

We approached and paralleled along the runway (good lighting on the instrument cluster) as a fixed wing aircraft would (save we taxiied back in perhaps 20 feet above the taxi lane back in to the Flight Facility compound). This choice of route path surprised me -- I had not thought through the fact that simply flying straight to and landing at the storage tarmac area would be chaotic for air traffic control and safety purposes.

Walkthrough tours of training offices, the flight operations center, the flight briefing room, and a view of the aircrew Life Support locker room.

Back in for a briefing and Q and A on the labor rights and responsibilities of both the reservist, and the employer. Reasonableness is the order of the day.

Then a final detail tour of maintenance operations in more detail, and some more inspection of the hardware systems back in the shop, and we were done all too soon. The training simulator at Ft Campbell in Kentucky sounds like a wonder as well.

Thanks for the great morning.

We had offered, and gotten an acceptance summer 2001, to host a local unit website, but had not heard back with content. In speaking with the CW4, in light of the events of September 11, 2001 and following, an enhanced awareness of information security has prevented them from using that facility. This page is not under formal DoD governance, and gives an opportunity to show Company A running through its paces.

Thanks, guys and gals, for all you do.