28-07-2006 11:51

Kyle Love

Re: pic: Austin Butler Driving Blackhawk H-60

I can only hope to follow in his footsteps....only in racing...

28-07-2006 12:18

David Kelly

Re: pic: Austin Butler Driving Blackhawk H-60

Since when can you "drive" helicopters?

28-07-2006 12:54

Andy Baker

Re: pic: Austin Butler Driving Blackhawk H-60

I can't drive a helicopter. Nor can I operate one. Austin can, as the pic shows.

28-07-2006 13:25

KenWittlief

Re: pic: Austin Butler Driving Blackhawk H-60

isnt he on the wrong side? I thought the pilot sits on the left and Navigator sits on the right?

Or maybe not - been a long time since I was in a Blackhawk :^)

28-07-2006 13:31

Tytus Gerrish

Re: pic: Austin Butler Driving Blackhawk H-60

the throttle/collective pitch lever are usually located in the center of the aircraft between the two seats. the cyclic pitch lever is located between the pilots legs and is used with the pilots strong hand as it is what you use to control the aircraft for the most part. so if your right handed you want the throttle/collective pitch in your left hand so you would sit on the right. Most models of the blackhawk like the UH-60 have a cyclic pitch lever for both the left and right seats making the aircraft ambidextrous and gives a Co-pilot the ability to fly if the pilot is incapacitated.

28-07-2006 14:51

Clark Gilbert

Re: pic: Austin Butler Driving Blackhawk H-60

Wow, that's pretty cool... Can't wait to here about this when he moves into the building next to mine next month.

28-07-2006 15:20

dubious elise

Re: pic: Austin Butler Driving Blackhawk H-60

That is awesome. Andy, do you know if this was from his training this summer in/around San Francisco?

28-07-2006 16:26

Steve S.

Re: pic: Austin Butler Driving Blackhawk H-60

drive helicopter= NO!!

fly helicopter= YES!!

its flying, not driving.....

28-07-2006 16:52

Andy Baker

Re: pic: Austin Butler Driving Blackhawk H-60

Point taken. Anyone else want to pile on?


AB

28-07-2006 16:53

Greg McCoy

Re: pic: Austin Butler Driving Blackhawk H-60

It would be way cooler if it had Rolls-Royce engines

28-07-2006 16:55

Mike Schroeder

Re: pic: Austin Butler Driving Blackhawk H-60

Baker, the next time someone says somthing about your literary ability don't sell them your stuff

28-07-2006 17:36

JaneYoung

Re: pic: Austin Butler Driving Blackhawk H-60

I'm just taking a guess here but I'm thinking that piloting the Black Hawk would be a total rush for someone with Austin's background in FIRST and with team 45. That's a lot of power so you know he had to be grinning.
Jane

28-07-2006 17:46

Clark Gilbert

Re: pic: Austin Butler Driving Blackhawk H-60

Austin is in the Navy ROTC, but all we have are pictures of him with helicopters and a LAV! Where's the boat?

28-07-2006 17:50

JaneYoung

Re: pic: Austin Butler Driving Blackhawk H-60

^Multi-tasking?

28-07-2006 18:10

David Kelly

Re: pic: Austin Butler Driving Blackhawk H-60

Hey, SHIFT HAPPENS.....

28-07-2006 20:35

Bill_Hancoc

Re: pic: Austin Butler Driving Blackhawk H-60

Somebody knows his stuff about helecopters

28-07-2006 21:45

Tytus Gerrish

Re: pic: Austin Butler Driving Blackhawk H-60

I was one of those kids that while growing up was fascinated by every aircraft especially military aircraft and for me particularly helicopters. it clearly does have an effect on me because at the moment i do design and drafting at Pratt&Whitney's test facility In West Palm Beach where we test Engines like the F100-(F-16 FALCON / F-15 EAGLE) F119-(F22 RAPTOR) F135-(F-35 JSF) Also on site is Sikorsky The producers of the UH-60 and its variants. so coming or going from work i often see a BlackHawk or two as I'm driving to my building good thing the road is straight there or o wouldn't be able to pay as much attention to the helicopters.

28-07-2006 22:01

David Kelly

Re: pic: Austin Butler Driving Blackhawk H-60

Pratt??? ssspppphhhhh... Far inferior to the Rolls-Royce engines that rule the skies!! Fultz, jump in here.

28-07-2006 22:11

Andrew Blair

Re: pic: Austin Butler Driving Blackhawk H-60

Rolls-Royce ruled the skies over Berlin, James Bond car stunts, and soon, commercial airlines, but they just can't take it to the mach! (I know, I know, cheesy...)

28-07-2006 22:42

Tytus Gerrish

Re: pic: Austin Butler Driving Blackhawk H-60

actually the F135 Engibne is a joint venture between Rolls-Royce and Pratt&Whitney

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F135

29-07-2006 00:18

Michael Hill

Re: pic: Austin Butler Driving Blackhawk H-60

Hey cool, We're testing the F119 Turbine now at work. I'm working at the Turbine Research Facility in the Air Force Research Labs at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The stupid thing's bein' a jerk right now. It's vibrating our rotor to high heaven. We just had to go get it balanced.

30-07-2006 21:56

Austin

Re: pic: Austin Butler Driving Blackhawk H-60

Man, so much conversation, so much knowledge...

Tytus was totally right about the cyclic/collective "pilot-seat" thing. Both the front seat guys are fully-qualified pilots, and on the H-60B there is also a collective on both sides. But usually the left seat guy is the "TAO" and messes with the communications, radar, and weapons systems and the right-seat guy flies the aircraft.

...Just another minor point...blackhawk it is, but we "squids" coined it the "Seahawk" just to be all cool and Navy-like. :-)

Clark...perhaps I'll post a boat picture when I get home and have full computer access (I'm just on one of those pesky Navy computers right now). That way I can prove I'm actually in the Navy and not the Army or Marine Corps.

Elise... yep, that pic was taken during my time in San Diego. Though I was flying at NOLF Imperial Beach (Naval Outlying Field) about 1.7 miles north of Tijuana.