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CURT CASEY
has an extensive aviator background in army helicopters using night
vision goggles which perfectly prepared him for his well informed
presentation to at the September Luncheon Meeting. Curt is Marketing
Director for Kaiser Electronics. Kaiser is the leading supplier
of electronic and optical display systems for all US military services
as well as many of the allied services.
Curt spoke at
length about the Helmet Mounted Display System (HMDS). As for the
helmet itself, it must be light enough to allow aircraft to perform
9 G's and not become a 36 pound anvil on the pilot's head; conversely,
strong enough to survive a helicopter crash which exposes the crew
to rotor blades still in motion and breaking up, Ugh!, and, to be
removable from the aircraft as the aviator's personalized helmet
in his helmet bag.
The result is
a very light weight yet very strong personalized helmet. Unique
to this HMDS helmet is the add on snap-on attachment of the optical/solid
state electronics, which incidentally, remains with the A/C as an
integral part of the A/C's weapons system. Curt said it accommodates
a person's eye glasses as well as the conventional sun visor, while
a pilot is incidentally, doing 550 kts at 500 ft. at night, yet
equally suited for a helicopters operating or landing in a sand
storm. He said it is extraordinary stuff and it works!
The HMDS helmet attachment combines optically the best of the Forward
Looking Infra Red (FLIR) thermal system symbolically with the Heads
up Display (HUD). Its field of view is 35 degrees vertically and
52 degrees horizontally with brightness three time that of a sunny
day.
While wearing
the HMDS all an aviator needs to do is look over the battlefield
or directly at the target and the helicopters weapons continually
come to bear at the same rate his head turns so as to be continually
fixed on the target. Using the same techniques in a fast pointy-nosed
A/C provides the rocket weapons with a continuous updated "fix"
on a moving target. No longer is it required to first get on the
aircraft's six o'clock position. One only need be off the target's
wing, low or high. The smart rockets of today can perform a 180
degree turn after being launched and hunt down the opponent, fire
and forget. Boy, that's not by the Marquis of Queensbury's Rules
at all - sounds almost unfair.
Additionally,
the big battlefield picture can also be provided for situational
awareness to the pilot through the data links now available. For
instance, the data link will place an X over a target vehicle, thus
informing the pilot of one or more friendly targets among the enemy
targets available. All this combined makes for an ideal close air
support adjunct-- either air to air or air to mud.
Curt's Power
Point presentation made following his story line very easy
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I hope those
that attended the September luncheon were as impressed with the
new innovations that enable our pilots and aviators to do more and
do it easier and with more precision as I was. Curt Casey did a
great job in the presentation about the new phase of Helmet Mounted
Displays. October, being the month of the Navy's 228th Birthday
(the 13th) and the 158th Birthday of the United States Naval Academy
(the 10th) brings us an active duty Navy type as our program. CAPT
Mark Sickert, USN is the XO of the USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74).
Mark's bio lies
elsewhere in the OP Plan. But......you don't want to miss this one.
Mark will be showing us many videos that his folks took of action
in Afghanistan as part of their just recently completed cruise.
As most of us
know, in November we celebrate the 228th Birthday of the United
States Marine Corps so it is fitting that we have as our speaker
MGEN James Amos, USMC, CG, 3rd MAW at MCAS Miramar. Yes, for all
you cake lovers out there, there will be a cake cutting ceremony
and the presentation of the Commandant's Message, in accordance
with Marine Corps tradition. Bring your brides or other guests.
Our speaker
for December will be RADM. Steve Briggs, USN(RET) from Northrup/Grumman
giving us a sit-rep on the newest UCAV, or Unmanned Combat Assault
Aircraft.
As the year
draws to a close, I want to thank you all for your support and ideas.
It has made this job just a tad more palatable......thanks Danny
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Our Insurance
problem is solved and coverage is now a reality. Through the diligent
efforts of Ray LeCompte and Tim Brown, and the helpful assistance
of Dick Martin of Two Block Fox, we are now covered for General
Liability. Apparently it all began when I wrote that we needed some
help, and if anyone knew someone in the Insurance business, please
contact Ray or Tim. Up steps our GPS member, Selwyn Ramsay, and
puts these two in contact with Mr. Martin. Voila! We are now better
covered than before, and for less. Congratulations, all.
Deadlines for
columns being what they are, I can only tell you that some hearty
Gramps members took off for Reno for the Tailhook Convention the
took place September 18th through the 21st. Which obviously means,
(as you read this), we've already been there and are back. The Tailhook
Convention is well on its way back, thanks greatly to the efforts
of one of our past speakers, ADM Mike Bowman, USN (Ret.). The convention
has increased in attendance over the past years and was expected
to go over the 3000 mark for 2003. They have great Symposium panels,
interesting exhibits, and always something for the ladies. If you
didn't make the 2003 convention, shoot for the one in 2004. J.R.
and Denyse Davis, at Tailhook would be glad to talk to you about
it.
Our Ops-O, Danny
Musselman, has presented us with the speakers who have been lined
up for the rest of the year. Next month it'll be the Executive Officer,
CAPT Mark R. Sickert of the USS John C. Stennis, CVN-74. November
will be MGen James Amos, CG, 3d MAW, MCAS Miramar. Look for a special
event after the General's presentation. It has to do with the Marine
Corps birthday that month. Suggest making your reservations early.
The room will undoubtedly be filled with (justifiably) Proud Marines.
December will be RADM. Steve Briggs, of Northrup/Grumman, who will
present us with a briefing on the latest UCAV, the unmanned aircraft.
For January, we have received a tentative possibility of the COMNAVAIRPAC,
ADM Mike Malone. That is always based on future assignments for
the "Air Boss", but we can keep our fingers crossed.
At our September
luncheon, past Skipper, Dick Martin, headed up the nominating committee,
and presented the luncheon attendees with the 2004 list of nominated,
future office holders for Gramps. Our next proposed "leader"
will be the man that so ably filled in for me when I was laid up.
Mr. Jim Menees has been nominated for Commanding Officer. Other
nominations include Mel Locke as Executive Officer, and Andy Gilcrest
as the Operations Officer. This is going to leave us with some opening
vacancies. With Mel moving up, that leaves us with an opening for
Public Affairs Officer. Chuck Howe is still trying to find someone
to take over his duties as Op-Plan Distribution. Chuck needs a replacement,
for personal reasons. Do we have any volunteers out there?
Guess that's
enough for this month. Be talking with you later. Bud
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