HCO School

All supply officers going to small boys i.e. destroyers, cruisers and frigates are now required to take Helicopter Control Officer class. This class is fairly easy compared to my supply classes or even the classes I took at OCS. It consists of one week of training, in my class' case, four days. The goal is to provide the ground work training for landing helicopters and conducting vertical replenishment. Vertical replenishment is the preferred method for supplying ships while they are at sea. Otherwise two ships have to hook themselves together and transfer pallets via wires. This is tricky if not downright dangerous depending on the circumstances.

We learned what the responsibilities of each person involved in the process were along with the process of communicating with them. There are many details to consider before the helicopter even gets to the flight deck. The flight deck has to be swept and flight quarters called. Depending on the time of day lights need to be turned on in different colors and intensities. Communication needs to be established with the pilot, command and control and the bridge.

Once the helicopter comes within a certain range control is transferred to the HCO or tower from command and control (CIC). The helicopter has the option of showing different lights depending on their situation so the HCO watches for these. The landing location is lit up and the pilot must land inside a small landing circle on the deck. The pilot watches for the right deck light color to show, meaning he has permission to land. There is another color for stopping his engines. The ship is not allowed to alter course or speed during the landing process so communication becomes crucial.

Some of the other topics we covered included rules for the flight crew to follow like only approaching the helicopter from the sides and the using the right lights and paddles during day and night time operations. How to refuel a helicopter and emergency situations. Towards the end we participated in a simulated exercise to test our knowledge and skills. The last day of class we took an exam, luckily everyone passed otherwise there would have been a makeup exam for those who failed.