helicopters

Operation Allied Force

On Mar. 24, 1999, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) launched Operation Allied Force against Serbia.

Lasting 78 days, this was an unusual conflict fought at several levels. The campaign was fought at the negotiation tables, in the media, and via cyber warfare. In the air, NATO sought to destroy or at least minimize the capability of the Serbian forces, while on the ground the Serbian forces fought the Kosovo-Albanian insurgency. It also had an unusual outcome: without losing any service personnel in direct action, NATO still forced the Serbian authorities and armed forces to withdraw from Kosovo, which in 2008 then proclaimed its independence.

According to Volume 1 of Operation Allied Force by Bojan Dimitrijević & Lt-Gen Jovica Draganić, another peculiarity of this conflict was that AH-64 Apache attack helicopters failed to live up to the lofty expectations that NATO Supreme Allied Commander in Europe and commander in chief of US European Command, General Wesley Clark, and his staff had from the beginning of Operation Allied Force.

Apache failure during Operation Allied Force

A dedicated task force – Task Force Hawk – had control of the Apache helicopters and was intended to operate from Camp Able Sentry based near Skoplje in Macedonia. However, the Macedonian government refused to approve combat operations from its territory against its northern neighbor of Serbia. Albania then said it would allow the Apaches to fly from its bases. Despite the infrastructure shortages and disagreements within the US Joint General Staff, President Clinton approved the Apaches’ deployment to Albania on Apr. 3.

Task Force Hawk was organized by the US Army V Corps and its headquarters. It consisted of a single helicopter battalion belonging to the 11th Aviation Group (sometimes referred to as a regiment from Illesheim US Army barracks in Germany), initially equipped with 24 AH-64 Apaches. Subsequently, there were also some utility helicopters from the 12th Aviation Brigade at Wiesbaden, with around 30 UH-60L Blackhawks and CH-47F Chinooks. Task Force Hawk had its own land component, which was created around an artillery unit of the V Corps with 27 M-270 MLRS launchers from the 41st Field Artillery Brigade, an M-2 Bradley-equipped mechanized battalion, an armored company with M-1 Abrams tanks and other support units. It included a single battalion of the 505th Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division, tasked with protecting the air base at Rinas near Tirana, Albania, where the task force was to be stationed.

An unusual and chaotic environment

In total, the task force had some 2,600 US Army personnel. After deployment, the unit was intended to attack Serb forces in Kosovo with a combination of Apache direct attacks and MLRS strikes from a distance, especially when the ‘regular’ NATO strike aviation was unable to carry out such attacks.

The first batch of 11 Apaches and 20 other helicopters landed at Rinas on Apr. 21, after having taken off from Germany on Apr. 14. Five days later, 24 more helicopters arrived. The Apaches’ arrival coincided with a visit to Tirana by General Wesley Clark. General John Hendrix, who was in charge of Task Force Hawk, declared that it had achieved IOC (initial operational capability) on Apr. 26, and scheduled that it would be completely ready for operations on May 7. The USAF organized a major airlift from Ramstein into Albania, with Boeing C-17 transporters moving combat vehicles, protection troops, and support equipment for the Apache deployment with 635 missions.

At Rinas, Task Force Hawk was in an unusual and chaotic environment, since the airport was also used as the major hub for the delivery of humanitarian aid to Kosovan refugees, whose number had increased to several hundred thousand. Without reducing the air campaign, NATO inaugurated an additional operation called Sustain Hope to airlift humanitarian supplies to the refugees in Albania. The United States played its part in a further new operation, Shining Hope. On Apr. 4, a USAF C-17 airlifted supplies from Dover AFB to Tirana, while the 86th Contingency Response Group from Ramstein deployed to Tirana, where they increased the airfield capacity to allow more than 400 daily take-offs and landings, where earlier there had been only 10.

A premonition for further operations

There was thus a constant flow of different transport aircraft at Rinas. Rain turned the aprons where the US Army helicopters were parked to mud. As seen in a TV news report, US Army officers who welcomed General Clark after he left his C-9 on the Tirana apron had muddy boots, which may serve as an indication of the environment in which Task Force Hawk operated. Soon, one Apache was lost during a training sortie on Apr. 26. An American ABC News film crew was incidentally present and filmed footage from the scene of the night-time incident, showing the moment when the helicopter crashed into a hill, with burning wreckage and two shocked pilots taken away from the scene. “Ironically, it began as a training mission to rescue a downed pilot” reported Forest Sawyer of ABC News.

It proved a premonition for the Apaches’ further operations.

The use of Apache helicopters during Operation Allied Force cancelled

Apache missions were planned to take place at night, in six-ship formations backed by other helicopters with MLRS as fire support. General Clark intended to use live ammunition exercises targeting the VJ units in Kosovo but did not get approval from Washington. During an exercise held on the night of May 4-5, another Apache (88-0228), belonging to C Troop of the 6th Squadron/6th Cavalry Regiment, was lost and both crew members were killed. “Early indications had pointed to mechanical failure, but ultimately no cause could be determined,” a later US Army report stated. The helicopter crashed in the border area, which enabled the Serbs to spread claims that it had been brought down by their MANPADS while trying to attack a Serbian border post.

The loss of two state-of-the-art helicopters and two crew members reflected negatively on General Clark among the highest military and political circles back in the United States. The use of Apaches was consequently canceled. They remained in Albania, but more as a sign of the alliance between the United States and Albania rather than a powerful tool to be used against the Serbian Third Army, which was deployed in Kosovo, Metohija, and southern Serbia.

Operation Allied Force Air War Over Serbia 1999 Volume 1 is published by Helion & Company and is available to order here.

Photo by Tech. Sgt. Cesar Rodriguez and Staff Sgt. Chris Steffen, U.S. Air Force and SSGT EFRAIN GONZALEZ / U.S. Army

Most of the Royal Canadian Air Force’s Maritime fleet of CH-148 Cyclone helicopters is undergoing repairs after cracks were found in the tails of the aircraft

Most of the Royal Canadian Air Force‘s Maritime fleet of CH-148 Cyclone helicopters is undergoing repairs after cracks were found in the tails of the aircraft.

“12 Wing Shearwater, which encompasses the entire fleet, is prioritizing the order of repair to maximize return to serviceability for each aircraft,” according to a Department of National Defense statement to CBC News on Dec. 4, 2021.

Cracks were found in three more CH-148s after they were found on one of the Sikorsky-made helicopters during routine maintenance on Nov. 26, 2021.

After CBC News requested clarification on the number of helicopters affected and where they were based, the RCAF replied that 19 out of the 23 CH-148 aircraft were found to have a cracking problem. Two were found to have no cracking and the remaining two are in long-term maintenance and have not yet been inspected.

For “reasons of operational security,” the department declined to say how recently two unaffected aircraft entered service or where they are located.

While 17 of the aircraft are based in Nova Scotia and six in Pat Bay, B.C., to support the Royal Canadian Navy’s Pacific fleet, the entire fleet is encompassed within 12 Wing Shearwater.

Sikorsky is working with the RCAF to make repairs, according to the department. Experts belonging to the service estimate that the repairs to some of the aircraft will be completed in “the next few days.”

The issue with the Cyclones has had some impact on flood-relief operations in B.C., where helicopters from 443 Squadron, operating from their base at Patricia Bay, were supposed to provide support, the statement said. It said other air assets have been able to fill the gap instead.

Sikorsky and Canada’s Department of National Defence, lead a team that has designed, built, and configured the CH-148 Cyclone for anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASuW), maritime search and rescue (SAR), overland operations, and utility missions.

Based on the Sikorsky S-92, as Canada’s first true intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) helicopter, the fly-by-wire Cyclone is equipped with a fully integrated mission system, modern sensors, and a multi-mission cabin — providing a quantum leap in maritime helicopter capability.

Entry into service with the Royal Canadian Air Force occurred in mid-2018 aboard one of the Royal Canadian Navy’s Halifax-class frigates.

The full operational capability of the fleet is scheduled for 2022.

Photo by Dennis Jarvis from Halifax, Canada via Wikipedia

The Black Hawk Multirole Helicopter

The Black Hawk is the military’s most versatile helicopter, suited for a variety of missions, including command and control, air assaults, medical evacuations, and lift operations. Capable of carrying four crew members (two pilots and two crew chiefs) plus a fully equipped 11-person infantry squad, the Black Hawk can also hold a 105 mm howitzer or a Humvee suspended below the aircraft during sling-load operations.

The Black Hawk serves with the US military and the armed forces of 28 other countries worldwide as a tough, reliable utility helicopter.

More than 4,000 Black Hawks of all types are in service worldwide today. The US Army is the largest operator, with 2,135 H-60 designated aircraft. The same aircraft sold internationally directly from Sikorsky acquires the S-70 designation.

Marines don’t fly the Black Hawk helicopter

One of the few military branches that does not use the iconic Black Hawk is the US Marine Corps. Why?

‘Marines don’t fly Black Hawks for a couple of reasons,’ Jonathan Burba, former infantry rifleman at US Marine Corps, explains on Quora. ‘First, Marine Corps aircraft have to be able to operate off of a ship. The MV-22 Osprey and the CH-53E Super Stallion [and in the future the CH-53K King Stallion] are both huge, but are capable of adjusting to fit on a flight deck. Both aircraft are large, but they actually fold for easy storage.

‘The Ospreys and Super Stallions also have a lot more cargo capacity than a Blackhawk. The Black Hawk can carry 11 loaded troops, the Osprey carries twice that, the Super Stallion can carry 50 or 60 depending on how the interior is arranged. As far as weight goes, the Blackhawk can carry up to 9000 lbs, the Osprey and Super Stallion carry 15,000 lbs and 36,000 lbs respectively.

‘Since we operate from the sea, it’s helpful to be able to sling vehicles such as Hummers, JLTV’s and LAVs onto shore by helicopter, and since we’re operating off of a very small airport, all of the birds have to be able to handle a lot of different jobs. We didn’t use Hueys all that often the units I’ve served with, I’ve flown on 2 I think. I can’t tell you how may CH-53’s I’ve been on, it was usually that or the CH-46, the Ospreys were still being developed when I got out so I didn’t get to fly on those personally.’

VH-60 White Hawks

Burba concludes;

‘The closest the Marine Corps has to the Black Hawk are the helicopters used by HMX-1 to fly the president. The Marine One birds are from the Black Hawk family, but all the VH-60 White Hawks are being retired and replaced with a new helicopter based on the Sikorsky S-92 in the near future though.’

Photo by U.S. Army, U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps

The Black Hawk Multirole Helicopter

The Black Hawk is the military’s most versatile helicopter, suited for a variety of missions, including command and control, air assaults, medical evacuations, and lift operations. Capable of carrying four crew members (two pilots and two crew chiefs) plus a fully equipped 11-person infantry squad, the Black Hawk can also hold a 105 mm howitzer or a Humvee suspended below the aircraft during sling-load operations.

The Black Hawk serves with the US military and the armed forces of 28 other countries worldwide as a tough, reliable utility helicopter.

More than 4,000 Black Hawks of all types are in service worldwide today. The US Army is the largest operator, with 2,135 H-60 designated aircraft. The same aircraft sold internationally directly from Sikorsky acquires the S-70 designation.

Marine CH-53A and UH-1N pilot explain why the USMC uses the Huey instead of the Black Hawk Multirole Helicopter

As we have already explained, one of the few military branches that does not use the iconic Black Hawk is the US Marine Corps (USMC).

Jeff Kyle, former USMC CH-53A and UH-1N pilot, said;

‘I retired Air Force in ‘07 after 21 years. Prior to the Air Force, I served for 4 years in the Marine Corps. My entire career was maintaining and flying in helicopters. I worked on Marine CH-53A’s and became a Crew Chief. I earned my wings of gold. In the AF I worked on HH-53C’s, HH-3E’s, UH-1N’s and HH-60G’s. My flying career, where I got to count my flight hours, achieved 500 hours in the CH-53A and the UH-1N.
I also worked on U/VH-1N’s, UH-1F’s, CH-53D’s and HH-53B’s, albeit in very limited circumstances.

‘53’s are the heavy haulers, par excellence. H-1’s did a little bit of everything but did it extremely well.

‘The question why we didn’t use H-60’s in the Marine Corps was fairly simple. It couldn’t do the jobs we needed to get done. I’ll explain. The Huey was designed to fly a specific number of troops from point A to point B. The Huey D model derivative was the most successful at performing the mission. The mission was to take a squad into combat, drop them off, then sustain them for the duration of the mission. They literally hauled beans, bullets and unfortunately, body bags. Hueys made an outstanding medivac platform. They were small and they performed small but critical missions that had to be done.

The mission of the UH-60 Black Hawk is basically the same as the UH-1 Huey

‘The H-60 is in essence, is an “electric Huey”. The mission of the H-60 is basically the same as the H-1. The H-60 is across the board a much better, stronger, faster squad helicopter than its predecessor. It does all the same missions for the Army as was done by the Huey. The Air Force and the Navy use highly modified H-60’s. The AF uses theirs as rescue platforms. The Navy does a little bit of everything with theirs. Again, small but very critical jobs done by a small helicopter.

‘The Marine Corps MV-22’s took over the mission of the H-46, which is aerial assault. Very quickly, get in with a bunch of Marines, drop them off, then go get some more. The key here is numbers. Hauling one squad is insufficient for Marine operations. Packing the numbers of Huey’s or H-60’s on to assault carrier to do the same numbers missions that CH-46’s / MV-22’s wouldn’t be logistically feasible. Again, numbers. One 46/22 carries 20 Marines and all their toys into battle. The same number of Huey’s needed to do the same job would entail using 3 Huey’s. Deck space is at a premium on the helicopter assault carriers. In the long run, numbers decide which airframe can do the job. That job is getting the maximum numbers of troops and trash to the shore.

USMC H-1’s are doing the same job they’ve been doing since Vietnam

‘It’d be a waste of resources expecting a H-53 to haul these lighter loads. 53’s carry the big stuff. Humvees, artillery, LAV’s, whatever is big that needs to be flown to the shore in support of the assault. As a Marine Crew Chief, my Helo carried troop, rations, jeeps, trailers, construction supplies and equipment and any and all big missions.’

Kyle concludes;

‘The Marine H-1’s are doing the same job they’ve been doing since Vietnam. This includes the UH and AH versions. Small critical missions that must be done and nothing else can do them.

‘Hope this helps.

‘Semper Fi, Aim High, Fly Fight Win!’

Photo by Patrick Albright/Army; Lance Cpl. Preston L. Morris/Marine Corps via Army Times, U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps

The US Army AH-64E Apache attack helicopter Version 6.5 upgrade aligns the entire E model fleet under the same software, streamlining training and maintenance while providing a pathway for sensor/capability parity

The US Army’s AH-64 Apache helicopter is and will remain the Army’s Attack helicopter for the foreseeable future.

The Apache Project Office (Apache PO) has steadily upgraded the Apache since it was first fielded in the 1980s. The upgrades have produced the world’s premier attack helicopter which is used by the US Army and more than 16 allies around the globe.

The AH-64E Version 6.5 (V6.5), is the next version of the Apache Helicopter. It will include an upgraded software program to increase its survivability on the modern battlefield.

According to the article Apache helicopter on track for major upgrades by Belinda Bazinet, aligning with the Program Executive Office, Aviation common configuration strategy, V6.5 establishes a common Operational Flight Program software baseline across the Apache E model fleet.

“We’re very excited about the ongoing development of the V6.5 software as it paves the way for Apache modernization including the integration of the ITEP engine,” Col. Jay Maher, Apache project manager, said. “V6.5 aligns the entire E model fleet under the same software, streamlining training and maintenance while providing a pathway for sensor/capability parity.”

Other V6.5 technology enhancements and insertions include upgrades in lethality, survivability, situational awareness, navigation, and communication. It also introduces an Open Systems Interface (OSI). OSI is an initial step towards a more open systems architecture, which will ultimately allow rapid insertion of new technologies and enhanced capability in future updates. The Apache PO developed the V6.5 upgrades to address DOD security mandates, Army Aviation and Army Capabilities Manager (ACM) Attack/Recon priorities, and the 2019 Version 6 Follow-on Operational Test and Evaluation findings.

Although software heavy, V6.5 includes several hardware insertions, requiring a modification work order that will support the retrofit of all V4 series and V6 series Apache E-model aircraft to V6.5. To date, V6.5 has successfully completed its Systems Readiness Review and the Preliminary Design Review. The next program major milestone, the first flight, is scheduled for fall of 2023. The V6.5 development program is slated to conclude in 2025 and version 6.5 fielding via aircraft retrofit is currently targeted to start in FY26.

In FY25, the Apache will receive additional software and hardware updates as it integrates the Improved Turbine Engine (ITE) for Developmental Testing (DT). Upon completion of the DT, the Apache will support the Advanced Turbine Engine (ATE) office in the Operational Test & Evaluation for the ITE program.

“We look forward to integrating this more capable engine onto the AH-64E and performing the necessary testing so one day we can get this into the hands of our warfighters,” Katie White, ITE Integration assistant product manager, said. “The Apache ITE Integration team has done a tremendous job collaborating with the V6.5 team, Aviation Turbine Engines Project Office, Boeing, General Electric, and other stakeholders to enable successful integration and qualification activities.”

The V6.5 is on schedule for the First Flight in the fall of 2023. The program is slated to conclude in 2025 and fielding via retrofit is currently targeted to start in FY26.

In addition to the V6.5, Boeing announced the Modernized Apache in October 2022, a Boeing concept aligned with the US Army’s future modernization efforts, keeping the AH-64 a relevant, multi-domain lethal combat-multiplier for US warfighters and international customers.

The AH-64 Apache was designed to be an extremely tough survivor under combat. The prototype Apache made its first flight in 1975 as the YAH-64, and in 1976, Hughes received a full-scale development contract. In 1982, the Army approved the program, now known as AH-64A Apache, for production. Deliveries began from the McDonnell Douglas plant at Mesa, Ariz., in 1984 — the year Hughes Helicopters became part of McDonnell Douglas.

A target acquisition and designation sight/pilot night-vision sensor and other advanced technologies added to its effectiveness in the ground support role. To reduce costs and simplify logistics, the Apache used the same T700 engines as the Army’s Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk utility helicopter and its naval cousin, the SH-60 Seahawk.

Photo by Sgt. Richard Jones / U.S. Army

The AH-1 Cobra

A member of the prolific Huey family conceived, developed and built by Bell Helicopter, the AH-1 Cobra (also referred to as the Huey Cobra or Snake) is a two-blade rotor, single-engine attack helicopter.

Even though upgraded versions of the AH-1 continue to fly with the militaries of several nations, within the US Army the Cobra has been replaced by the AH-64 Apache. However, a twin-engine version of the AH-1 (the AH-1Z Viper) still flies with the US Marine Corps (USMC) as the service’s primary attack helicopter.

Why didn’t the USMC buy Apache helicopters instead of continuing to upgrade Cobras?

‘I had this same discussion with a friend of mine that is a Marine Huey crew chief. Turns out the answer is pretty simple, it’s because the Marines still use Huey’s. But the explanation as to why they still use Huey’s goes back a bit,’ Damien Leimbach, Former Avionics Technician at US Air Force, says on Quora.

‘The original cobra was a derivative of the Huey airframe. They used the same engine, transmission, flight controls, rotor blades, tail boom, ect. In fact when first built it was called the “HueyCobra.”

‘This lineage is easy to see with the naked eye, especially the first gen Cobras that had the rounded bubble canopy.

‘Note the similarities in lines and general appearance.

‘It made sense for the Army and Marines in the 1960s to adopt a system that used so many common parts as the Huey they already had in service, as it streamlined supply and training.

The AH-64 Apache

‘But the Army and Marines have different missions. The Army’s job is to confront other Armies, who will probably have tanks. During the Cold War it was expected that the US Army would have a confrontation with Warsaw Pact forces in Europe, as a million screaming Soviets would pour through the Fulda gap with their tanks leading the way.

‘The gap was so important that the US alone dedicated the entire V and VII Corps to its exclusive defense, comprising several infantry divisions, several armored divisions, several cavalry regiments and multiple helicopter brigades.’

Leimbach continues;

‘The Army wanted something with a more anti-armor punch than what the Cobra could deliver back in the 70’s, and so it paid for the development of the AH-64 Apache to replace it.

‘Moving infantry around in Europe required hauling a little more than the Huey could provide as well, so the Army paid for the development of the Blackhawk to replace it.

‘The US Air Force also recognized the Fulda gap’s importance, and concentrated its airpower in this corridor, partially distributed amongst small bases in the region.

‘This dedicated anti-armor mission also led to the development of one of the world’s most iconic airplanes, the A-10, specifically designed to confront tanks in Europe.

AH-1 Cobra Vs AH-64 Apache

‘But wait, isn’t this about the Marines?

‘It is. What you will look for very hard but not find a lot of are Marine bases in Germany or Marine divisions stationed there. That’s because blunting an armored assault across the plains is not their job. Their job is to assault beaches, and to fight from ships to support those beach landings.

‘The Apache could carry a little more and go a little faster than the Cobra, but it was twice the weight of a Cobra and also twice the price. It took up more space on deck and consumed more fuel, and was also more maintenance intensive.

‘It’s a similar story with the Huey and the Blackhawk. A little bigger, a little faster, but much more expensive.

‘More importantly, the Apache was a Hughes (now Boeing) product, and the Blackhawk was from Sikorsky. So, zero parts commonality with each other or either of the two Bell helicopters the Marines already had.’

Leimbach concludes;

‘So, the Marines decided they didn’t need the new toys, and kept upgrading and improving what they had in order to keep the very efficient system of common training, tools and interchangeable parts going. The new models are fantastically lethal, less expensive, and both save space and share parts, dramatically simplifying maintenance and logistics.’

Photo by U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps

Diarrhea in the cockpit of an attack helicopter

Diarrhea was a common and serious medical condition that afflicted many US troops in Vietnam, in other conflicts and in peace time.

Helicopter pilots and others flying props off mainland airbases got it more often than jet-jockeys, particularly those operating from Thailand or carriers who only picked it up during RnR in-country.

You wouldn’t laugh about it if you had it, and people they served with were more understanding.

What is it like to have diarrhea in the cockpit of an attack helicopter?

AH-64 Apache nighttime deep attack training mission

Buzz Covington, former US Army AH-64 Apache co-pilot/gunner (CPG), recalls on Quora;

‘There I was…. (All good aviator stories start like that) I was a relatively new front-seater in A-Model Apaches back in 1998, stationed in Illesheim, Germany. Though one of the newer pilots in the squadron, my back-seater Dave and I had been selected to be the lead aircraft of the lead troop for a nighttime deep attack squadron training mission.

‘Things are very busy leading up to a large training event like this, and I had not had time to eat during all of the last-minute planning and knee-board packet production. Knowing I had about five minutes before the last “tail boom update brief”, I ran across the street to the little shawarma stand that a local Turkish guy ran on our post. I grabbed a hot turkey shawarma and munched on it as I made my way over to my troop commander’s aircraft. Brief complete, we hopped into our Apaches as the sun set.

‘The entire mission consisted of a two-hour loop around Bavaria at about 500 hundred to 1000 feet, filling up at a FARP, proceeding to a release point, and then a nap of the earth (NOE) insertion to an attack by fire position for a simulated attack on the bad guys.

Basketball growing inside an AH-64 Apache gunner guts

‘Things were going pretty well through the first thirty minutes of the flight, and we were hitting our ACPs plus or minus 10 seconds (which is pretty impressive in an old A-Model Apache with a doppler nav system!), when out of nowhere, I started feeling like there was a basketball growing inside my guts! Sharp, stabbing pains in the abdomen told me that something wasn’t right. I told my back-seater that I wasn’t feeling so hot.

‘Dave was a combat medic in his previous Army MOS, and gave me some wise advice. “Don’t let it fester… push that gas out!” Within a minute, I was glad I took his advice and started farting something fierce. The pressure in my guts went away, but the smell in my cockpit was pretty vile.

Pain hits again

‘The mission was progressing pretty well, and were now about an hour and a half into it. About 15 minutes before we were to go into our FARP, the pain hit me again. I only THOUGHT I knew what gas pains were before, but this was excruciating! I broke out in a sweat, my mouth went dry, and I felt clammy all over. Dropping my maps to the floor, all I could do was grab to “go fast” handles up by my head, and begin to pray.

‘I told Dave that this was no regular gas pain and that we needed to consider aborting. He told me to start farting again, but this time I wisely ignored him. Luckily (?), we were on the part of our flight that took us relatively close to our home base. Dave called our troop commander, and told him “Blackjack 6, Gun One needs to RTB due to incapacitated CPG”. “Negative, Lead. Stop fucking around and maintain radio silence!”

‘Dave was not happy to have his decision to abort squashed like that…. “Blackjack 6, Gun One departing flight to the west”. And with that, yanked the aircraft into a descending left turn towards our base!’

Huey NDB approach

Covington continues;

‘The cuss words that came at us from our boss would have been funny had I not felt like I was going to barf and crap myself at the same time. I swear that my ass was smelling porcelain, because the closer we got to our base, the worse the cramping became, and the pressure against my sphincter continued to grow exponentially.

‘As Dave was getting ready to contact our tower, we heard a German Huey call in, and request the NDB approach [non-directional beacon approach, a non-precision approach providing lateral guidance only], which was granted. As you can imagine, a Huey flying an NDB approach at night is not a quick event. Dave asked me if I wanted to call in as a medical emergency which would have given us priority, but I said no, knowing that we would then have fire trucks, ambulances, and probably the post newspaper waiting for us on the ramp.

‘So, while I drooled all over myself and prayed to the poop gods, we fell in behind the Huey as he completed his approach. Once the Huey made his low approach and departed, Dave requested to land directly to parking (which I didn’t even know you could do). Approved, he made a beeline for our ramp, and I really thought I was going to make it!

Losing control of bodily functions

‘Unfortunately, the second our wheels hit the ground, I lost all control of my bodily functions….

‘I felt like I was falling through my own ass as I passed what felt like gallons of hot steaming shit right into my flight suit. The smell was the most horrific thing I have ever experienced, and left me in no doubt that some evil demon was inside my intestines, and casting nefarious spells on my rectum. I tried to hold myself up off the seat, but it was no use, and the seat cushion was already becoming squishy.

‘One of our crew chiefs saw us coming into parking way too early, and came running out to our spot. As he approached the aircraft to ask what was going on, I tried waving him away, and Dave was apparently pointing at me, to explain what the problem was.

‘To my horror, he reached up and opened my canopy door. It looked like he had been punched right in the face by Mike Tyson, and he went reeling backwards so fast that he tripped and fell on his ass.

In agony as the AH-64 Apache blades slow down

‘I could only sit there in agony as the blades slowed down, and finally extricated myself from the cockpit. Mind you, the entire time, I am still shitting. I started the long walk towards the hangar (still shitting), and noticed that my flight boots were completely filled with diarrhea, and were now overflowing and I left a trail of little shitty footprints all the way across the apron, through the hangar, and finally into the bathroom.

‘I sat in there, stripped down, and continued to shit for about another 15 minutes, almost non-stop and I had no idea my body even held that much liquid! Not knowing what to do, I just sat there. My trusty pal Dave finally showed up with a t-shirt wrapped around his face to somehow block the smell of death, and asked what he could do for me.

‘Following my instructions, he ran over to his place and returned with a garbage bag for my clothes, some sweats, and an entire box of baby wipes. He then called an ambulance for me, and they took me to the clinic. I received four bags of a saline IV, and stayed in the clinic until the next day with a bad case of food poisoning.’

AH-64 Apache gunner call sign: Muddy

Covington concludes

‘I was later presented with the infamous seat cushion as a trophy of shame, and my call sign was “Muddy” for a long time. Despite doing lots of neat things in the following years of my career, going off to combat numerous times, protecting great Americans on the battlefield, and dispatching scores of enemy combatants, I still occasionally meet somebody from our community, and they ask “Hey! Aren’t you that guy that shit himself in an Apache?”’

Photo by Scene Camera Operator SGT. Brian Cumper / U.S. Army and Boeing