Surprised at Being Alive: An Accidental Helicopter Pilot in Vietnam and Beyond
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CG Commanding General
CH-46 Boeing-built Sea Knight, Marine Corps Medium Lift Helicopter
CH-47 Boeing Chinook Army medium Lift Helicopter
CH-53 Sikorsky-built SeaStallion Series Helicopter
Chalk Army term for aircraft position in a multi-aircraft flight, i.e. the second aircraft is “Chalk 2,” the third “Chalk 3,” etc.
Chinook Boeing CH-47 Series Helicopter
CO Commanding Officer
CQ Carrier Qualification
CWO Chief Warrant Officer, Grades 2–4
DA Density Altitude
Dash 1, 2, etc. Marine Corps term for aircraft position in a multi-aircraft flight, i.e. the second aircraft is “Dash 2,” the third “Dash 3,” etc.
DMZ Demilitarized Zone
DSSN Director of Safe, Standardization, and NATOPS
E&E Escape and Evasion
ELVA Emergency Low Visibility Approach
EMCON Emissions Control
FAR Federal Aviation Regulation
FBO Fixed Base Operator
FFAR Folding Fin Aerial Rockets
Fox Mike FM radio
Frog Boeing CH-46, used interchangeably with Sea Knight and Phrog
FSB Fire Support Base also called Firebase
GCA Ground-Controlled Approach
GED General Educational Development—high school completion certificate
H&I Harassment and Interdiction (a type of artillery mission)
HAC Helicopter Aircraft Commander (Marine Corps term)
H2P Helicopter Second Pilot (Marine Corps term)
MHH Helicopter, Marine, Medium—designation of tactical CH-46 squadrons
HMT Helicopter, Marine, Training—designation of initial training squadrons
Huey Bell UH-1Series helicopters
ICAO International Civil Aviation Organization
ICS Internal Communication System
IFR Instrument Flight Rules
ILS Instrument Landing System
IP Instructor Pilot
KIAS Knots Indicated Airspeed
KIA Killed in Action
IMC Instrument Meteorological Conditions
LPH Landing Platform Helicopter, a US Navy Helicopter Carrier
LPD Landing Platform Dock, A class of US and British Navy Amphibious Ships
LSD Landing Ship Dock, A class of US Amphibious Ships
LF6F Landing Force, 6th Fleet
LOACH Light Observation Helicopter Hughes-built OH-6 Cayuse Series Helicopters
LSE Landing Signal enlisted, a “Yellow Shirt”
LZ Landing Zone
MCAS Marine Corps Air Station
MEW Marine Expeditionary Unit
MEW (SOC) Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable)
MRE Meal, Ready to eat
NATOPS Naval Air training and Operating Procedures Standardization
NAVAIR Naval Air Systems Command
NCO Non-Commissioned Officer
NCOIC Non-Commissioned Officer In Charge
NDB Non-Directional Beacon, a homing radio that allows the pilot to fly to a navigation beacon or a commercial Am radio station
NEO Nationals Evacuation Operation
NOE Nap-of-the-Earth
NVA North Vietnamese Army
NVG Night Vision Goggles
OAT Outside Air Temperature
OCS Officer Candidate School
OD Olive Drab
ODO Operations Duty Officer
OH-6 Hughes Cayuse Observation Helicopter, a LOACH
OH-13 Bell Sioux Army Observation Helicopter
OH-23 Hiller Raven Army Observation Helicopter
OH-58 Bell Army Observation Helicopter
Ops O Operations Officer
PA Pressure Altitude
PAX Passenger(s)
Phrog CH-46, used interchangeably with Sea Knight and Frog
PMC Portuguese Marine Corps
PSP Pierced Steel Planking
PX Post Exchange
PZ Pickup Zone
R&R Rest and Relaxation
RLO Real Live Officer, i.e. a commissioned officer versus a warrant officer
RMI Radio magnetic Indicator
RN Royal Navy
RON Remain Over Night
RPG Rocket Propelled Grenade
RPM Revolutions per Minute
SAS Stability Augmentation System, a semi-autopilot
SDO Squadron Duty Officer
SEA Southeast Asia
Sea King British version of the Sikorsky H-3, The mark IV Commando
Sea Knight CH-46
Sea Stallion CH-53
Shitter CH-53
Snake AH-1
SOCEX Special Operations Capable Exercise
SOI Signal Operating Instructions
SOP Standard Operating Procedure
SWAT Special Operations and Tactics
TACAN Tactical Air Navigation System
TAD Temporary Additional Duty
TDY Temporary Duty
TERF Terrain Flying
TH-13t Bell instrument flight trainer version of the Army OH-13
TOC Tactical Operations Center
TRAP Tactical Recovery of Aircraft and Personnel
U-6 de Havilland Canada Beaver, Army Utility Airplane
U-8D Military Version of Beechcraft Twin Bonanza
UH-1 Bell Huey, Army and Marine Corps Utility Helicopter
UHF Ultra High Frequency Radio, used for communications
VC Viet Cong
V/STOL Vertical/Short Take-Off and Landing
VFR Visual Flight Rules
VH, VK, etc. Royal Navy 846 Squadron Aircraft Identifiers, e.g. “Victor Hotel”
VIP Very Important Person
VMC Visual Metrological Conditions
VNE Velocity Never exceed
WO1 Warrant Officer, Grade 1
WOC Warrant Officer Candidate
WTI Weapons Tactics Instructor
XO Executive Officer
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Many thanks to Doug Brooks, Al Venter, and Neall Ellis for helping me find the path to getting this book published.
A special thank you to my best friend, lover, wife, and editor, Mariellen, for encouraging me to write, being patient while I did, and then editing my work over and over again. Without her this would never have happened.