National Guard officials unveil two new Lakotas and high-tech training simulator

By BRAD RHEN
Lebanon Daily News

INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. — "Like a sports car," is how Chief Warrant Officer 4 Joe Puckett described the UH-72 Lakota helicopters unveiled yesterday at Fort Indiantown Gap when asked to compare it to Blackhawk helicopters.

"It's a lot of fun to fly," said Puckett, an instructor pilot with Eastern Army National Guard Aviation Training Site at the Gap. "It handles well, and it's got plenty of power to do what we need it to do."

National Guard officials yesterday unveiled two new Lakotas, a light-utility helicopter designed for noncombat roles, and a high-tech training simulator for it.

The Gap is one of only a handful of installations that has Lakotas and the only training site for the helicopter, said Maj. Gen. Jessica Wright, adjutant general of the Pennsylvania National Guard.

"It wasn't a surprise to me, not at all, when they selected the Eastern AATS as the place for this training," she said. "They are the premier aviation- training site in the nation. They are the tip of the spear when it comes to Army aviation."

There are currently two Lakotas at the Gap, and two more are scheduled to arrive by the end of the year. The Gap is scheduled to have a total of eight by 2012.

The Lakota is a commercial aircraft built for the military with slight modifications to conduct general support tasks in noncombat environments such as civil search and rescue, evacuation, counter-drug and limited civil command and control operations through Homeland Security.

It is a twin-turbine engine, single-rotor helicopter, and operations can be conducted during the day, at night and in all types of weather. It can fit up to 11 people.

"In my opinion ... the UH-72 is a truly great aircraft, well-equipped and a resource-multiplier for governors and [adjutant generals] across the country," said Col. Timothy Hilty, commander of the EAATS.

Since the Army took delivery of its first Lakota in November 2006, its builder, EADS North America, has delivered a total of 25 helicopters. Plans are to field a total of 345 Lakota helicopters by 2017.

The Lakotas at the Gap will primarily be used for training with a secondary mission to support state missions.

"This aircraft is newer technology than what we've had in a while," Puckett said. "The visibility in this aircraft is awesome. It allows you to see a lot better. It really reduces the workload on the pilot and enables you to concentrate on the mission a lot better."

Puckett, who lives in North Cornwall Township, actually flew one of the helicopters from the plant in Columbus, Miss., to Fort Indiantown Gap earlier this year.

"It was a nice flight," he said. "It was a nice, relaxing chance to get time in the aircraft."

Hilty said the EAATS is the premier reserve-component aviation-training center in the country and is the right choice to conduct training on the Lakota.

"Without a doubt, the unveiling of the Lakota opens up a new chapter in the lineage and training history of the Easter AATS," he said.

The new simulator, known as a cockpit-procedure trainer, is the only one of its kind in the Army. It is a nonmotion flight trainer and is designed to maintain proficiency of pilot skills in day and night and using night-vision goggles.

Pilots can practice flying in a multitude of different environments, including many actual cities. Yesterday, Chief Warrant Officer 4 Dale Bevans of Fredericksburg used the simulator to take a flight down the Las Vegas strip.

In addition to the Lakotas, the Gap is also home to Blackhawk, Chinook, Apache, Kiowa and the ever-reliable Huey helicopters.

Copyright 2008 Lebanon Daily News