SELECTED FIXED-WING NAVY AIRCRAFT OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE COSTS 1. The Navy maintenance man-hours per flight-hour are based on standard Navy (a) Maintenance and operating factor, in terms of men required per model of aircraft. (c) Standard utilization of aircraft factor by class for staffing purposes. (d) Excluded are administrative and housekeeping man-hours. Formula: MO factor times effective direct monthly man-hour utilization divided by class standard aircraft monthly utilization equals maintenance man-hours per flight-hour. 2. The Navy cost elements included are: (a) Operational costs: (1) Fuel and lubricants (excludes crew costs). (1) Labor costs of military personnel at base level. (2) Material costs at base level with no credit for reparable assemblies, but includes (3) Aircraft and engine overhaul labor costs and material costs, including shop ex- These costs represent the best estimate of supporting a particular type and model of Admiral DODSON. I think you are referring back to one specific helicopter that did give us a great deal of maintenance trouble. On the design of aircraft we are paying more attention all the time to designing reliability and maintainability into them. I think there has been an improvement in the helicopters in general over that one specific one you are talking about. We will supply detailed information for the record, Mr. Ford. Mr. FORD. Thank you. Mr. THOMAS. I believe you will want to explore it more in detail. (Off the record.) Mr. FORD. Will you submit for the record the operating cost per hour for your helicopters for the last 4 years so we get some comparative information and this information might be helpful and beneficial to Mr. Thomas in his subcommittee in comparing commercial against military. Mr. MAHON. Will you yield, Mr. Ford? Mr. FORD. Surely. USE OF HELICOPTERS IN WASHINGTON METROPOLITAN AREA Mr. MAHON. I would like to suggest that in cooperation with the Navy we place in the record at this point statements on the utilization of helicopters in the Washington area. We have received considerable information from all the services in connection with the utilization of these helicopters in the Washington area. I think this would be a good place to place this material in the record in a rather compact form. (The matter referred to follows:) ARMY HELICOPTER FLIGHTS-LOCAL AREA Army, Navy, Marine, Air Force, and civilian helicopters fly over a Shirley Highway area when approaching the Pentagon from the southwest. The majority of Army helicopters observed flying over the Arlington area are from the 3d Helicopter Company, a STRAF II unit, stationed at Fort Belvior, Va. A joint regulation approved by the Federal Aviation Agency establishes this route and deviations are not permitted without the expressed authority of the Washington National Airport Tower. a. What are these helicopters doing? These helicopters, in addition to training for their primary mission of supporting emergency evacuation plans, provide transportation for the personnel of DOD, DA, and other governmental agencies on official business. Fifty-two percent of the total flights have been to classified sites: Fort Ritchie, Site R, Highpoint, and various ARADCOM sites around the Washington area. The remaining flights were in support of training for the 3d Infantry stationed at Fort Myer and the Engineer Center at Fort Belvoir, Va. b. How many helicopters are involved? The 3d Helicopter Company has 25 helicopters assigned. Between October 1, 1960 and January 31, 1961, 73 flights were flown over the area in question. Due to the fact that a single helicopter making a flight to the Pentagon must pass over the Arlington area four times in completing one round-trip flight, it might seem to the residents of Arlington that many more flights are being conducted than is actually the case. c. The number of personnel involved! During the period covered, the 73 flights utilized some 40 military personnel as crew members and transported some 403 passengers. This represents 5.5 passengers per flight. d. The overall general expense of this operation? A total of 106.8 hours was flown to accomplish the 73 missions during this 4-month period. The overall general expense for this operation was approximately $8,200. e. To what extent does the Army use helicopers in transporting Government personnel to or from the Pentagon area? This question has been answered above but in addition it should be pointed out that Army regulations specifically forbid flights having a connotation of personal convenience. In this connection, please be assured that all reasonable precautions are being taken to ascertain that Army helicopters are not being used for other than official business and are for priority flights of the utmost importance. In addition to the helicopters discussed above there are eight helicopters from Fort Belvoir assigned to the executive flight detachment. The primary mission of this detachment is to provide air transportation for the President and his staff. In performing this mission, however, these helicopters do not use the route mentioned. DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY OFFICE OF THE COMPTROLLER INFORMATION CONCERNING HELICOPTER FLIGHTS IN LOCAL AREAS 1. The following information regarding helicopter flights in the local area is submitted in accordance with the request of Representative Mahon in his recent letter to the Deputy Comptroller: (a) The Navy has no helicopters assigned in the Washington area complex and, therefore, no personnel or costs are involved. On rare occasions the Chief of Naval Operations requests the use of a Marine Corps helicopter for the transportation of high ranking officials to the U.S. Naval Weapons Laboratory, Dahlgren, Va. This form of transportation is used only when the official's schedule does not permit travel by other means. (b) Information regarding the operation of Marine Corps helicopters in the Washington, D.C., area is contained in the attachment hereto. J. W. M. MONTGOMERY, Captain, U.S. Navy, Chief Staff Officer. INFORMATION CONCERNING THE OPERATION OF MARINE CORPS HELICOPTERS IN THE WASHINGTON, D.C., AREA 1. Marine Helicopter Squadron 1 based at Marine Corps Air Station, Quantico, Va., operates helicopters in and out of the Washington, D.C. area. 2. This squadron is committed, in part, to providing support to the White House and as a result is required to make flights as directed. Additionally, they are called upon to provide helicopter lifts to DOD officials, Members of Congress, and other dignitaries to areas in and near Washington, D.C., and provide support to national emergency plans. In fulfilling these imposed requirements, operations are conducted from NAS, Anacostia, and MCAS, Quantico. 3. A joint regulation by the Departments of the Army, Navy, and the Air Force dated February 8, 1960, and coordinated with the Federal Aviation Agency sets forth the routes and altitudes to be followed by helicopters operating in the Washington area. These routes are designed to present the least possible. conflict with conventional aircraft arriving and departing from Washington National Airport, Bolling Air Force Base, and NAS, Anacostia. One of the. routes follows the Shirley Memorial Highway and passes over the corporate limits of Arlington, Va. 5. Marine Helicopter Squadron 1 operates an average of six flights in and out of the Pentagon Heliport per week. The flights generally consist of from one to three helicopters. This squadron has 25 aircraft assigned, and should the need arise all of them would be used in executing national emergency plans. However, only eight are used for the purposes previously discussed. The other helicopters of this squadron are utilized in an operational and development role. in support of the Marine Corps Schools at Quantico, Va. This squadron has a 67438-61-pt. 2-36 total strength of 58 officers and 249 enlisted Marines to carry out their assigned missions. 6. Funding for this squadron is the same as for any other squadron operating aircraft. The Bureau of Naval Weapons allots approximately $30,000 per quarter to this squadron for its operations. Hon. GEORGE H. MAHON, House of Representatives DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE, HEADQUARTERS U.S. AIR FORCE, Washington, D.C., February 7, 1961. DEAR MR. MAHON: In response to your letter of January 25, 1961, information pertaining to Air Force helicopters in the Washington metroplitan area is set forth in the following paragraphs. The military helicopters which are seen flying over the Washington area are stationed in this area to assist in accomplishing national emergency plans which involve not only the Department of Defense but every Federal agency located in the Washington area. Under attack conditions it is quite likely that surface transportation will be most difficult. Prior to an attack, the roads will be clogged with people carrying out evacuation plans. After an attack, damage to roads and bridges will prevent rapid surface transportation. Since it is mandatory that there is an assurance of the capability for fast movement of personnel in the Washington area, both preattack and postattack, helicopters from Army, Marine, and Air Force units have been stationed at military installations in the Washington area and are maintained on a constant alert status during the daylight hours of every day, holidays and weekends included. These helicopters, depending on the situation at the time, would be available for such purposes as 1. Movement of troops to protect vital facilities. 2. Evacuation of casualties. 3. Movement of key governmental and military officials. 4. Emergency airlift of medical supplies. 5. Bomb damage assessment. 6. Emergency communications in event other means fail. To maintain the operational readiness of the helicopter pilots and crew, alert exercises are ordered frequently and can occur any day of the week including holidays and weekends. During the conduct of the exercises the helicopters must fly prescribed prearranged routes and must simulate landings and takeoffs from prescribed areas. In addition, the pilots must maintain their flying proficiency and become familiar with the prescribed heilcopter flight patterns and landing areas which they may be forced to use during an emergency. This many times requires week end flying because of availability of standby helicopters and weather conditions which may have existed during the previous period. The majority of the helicopters in the Washington area are not equipped to fly during darkness or poor weather. Peacetime safety regulations further reduce the conditions under which they may fly. As a result an effort is made to utilize every opportunity, regardless of the day of the week, to conduct crew training and flight proficiency and to exercise alert plans. In addition to the training and proficiency flights, the helicopters stationed in the Washington area are utilized to assist troop units in the area in the conduct of their training exercises by providing troop airlift, casualty evacuation, and aerial resupply. They are also utilized to provide group transportation for military and governmental officials on official business to military installations and areas within the vicinity (50-100 miles) of Washington. The latter service is provided when the time for the trip is limited and the officials must return to Washington immediately after the completion of their business. This utilization of the helicopters is encouraged to a limited degree because it provides additional opportunities for the helicopter crews to train and become familiar with air routes and landing areas within the vicinity of Washington. These aircraft will be used also for performance of air rescue services in this area should such be required at a time the aircraft are not committed to their basic mission. At the present time the Air Force has eight helicopter aircraft assigned in the metropolitan area of Washington-two H-13's based at Washington Na tional Airport and six H-21's based at Andrews Air Force Base. A total of 50 military personnel and no civilian personnel are directly involved in the operation and maintenance of these aircraft. The H-21 organization is manned and equipped to operate on a dispersed basis if necessary. The overall expense for fuel and maintenance of these aircraft over the past calendar year was about $230,000. In connection with your observation, it is noted that the helicopter air traffic routes prescribed by FAA require movement of the aircraft along Shirley Highway to the south and up the Potomac River to the north. Also with respect to total impact on the residents of this area it is estimated that during the past year many of the sorties flown represent flights of aircraft belonging to and being demonstrated by civilian manufacturers. Sincerely yours, ROBERT J. FRIEDMAN, Major General, U.S. Air Force, Director of Budget. Mr. ANDREWS. May I ask a question, Mr. Ford? Mr. ANDREWS. You said it takes 3 hours of maintenance to keep a helicopter in the air 1 hour. How many air hours do you fly it before you start working on it on the ground? Admiral DODSON. We have a system of checks, depending upon how long the airplane had flown. Of course, after every flight there is a certain amount of line maintenance and check before the next flight and this adds up to that approximate 3 to 4 hours maintenance per hour of flight. Mr. ANDREWS. Regardless of length of the flight. Admiral DODSON. Regardless of the length of the flight there is a line check by a mechanic before the next flight. Also after a period of, say, 30 hours flight, the plane is put down for a more thorough review and check by our maintenance personnel. Mr. ANDREWS. How long could you fly one of these helicopters safely before you had to do some major work on it? Admiral DODSON. It is a combination of both flight hours and calendar months of operation. Before we do any real major work the helicopter like our other airplanes is flown for a period of 12 to 15 months. Then it is run into one of our major overhaul facilities for a progressive aircraft rework, which is a very thorough inspection and rework in some depth. It is not a complete tear down and overhaul, however. Mr. ANDREWS. Have you answered my question as to how long you fly a helicopter before you would do some major overhaul or rework on it? Admiral PIRIE. I think I can take it. Mr. Andrews, I think it varies. This overall number of hours for maintenance is a combination of what the mechanic does daily on the airplane, of the checks that are made at periodic intervals, 20 hours, 40 hours, 80 hours, 120 hours, plus, as Admiral Dodson says, the rework, periodically and the combination of all of that maintenance taken in toto is taken against the total number of hours that this helicopter flew during that 18-month period or 15-month period. A helicopter might stay in the air 5 hours and he comes down and the mechanic works on it for 30 minutes before it goes back in the air again but on the other hand, there might be something wrong with it and he might have to work 8 hours on it. It is a combination of time, totals in maintenance time versus the totals in flying time. |