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1 hour ago, Fido said:

It looks like an Argus in the front and a Hercules in the back with A320 wing tips.

Love the bent props..... of is that in illusion?

 

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33 minutes ago, Marshall said:

Love the bent props..... of is that in illusion?

Not an illusion

Here is a simple explanation..

""The tip of a propeller blade travels faster than the hub. Therefore, it is necessary for the blade to be twisted so as to maintain a uniform angle of attack over the whole of the blade.""

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40 minutes ago, Kip Powick said:

Not an illusion

Here is a simple explanation..

""The tip of a propeller blade travels faster than the hub. Therefore, it is necessary for the blade to be twisted so as to maintain a uniform angle of attack over the whole of the blade.""

I had seen that on the tube, but was hopping to hear from someone who was current with the technology and in particular how if any the service live of the prop was affected.  

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  • 1 month later...

For Canada, multibillion-dollar training program is the FAcT of the matter

By: David Pugliese   4 hours ago
 
7NUPJNDKTNGZTJ4BBAAIJDR7WA.jpg 

CT-155 Hawk aircraft are shown on the tarmac at 15 Wing Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. The aircraft are currently used for pilot training for the Royal Canadian Air Force, but the country hopes to enter into a new contract for future pilot and aircrew training by 2023. (Royal Canadian Air Force)

 

VICTORIA, British Columbia — The Royal Canadian Air Force plans to combine two training programs under a single, multibillion-dollar project, a move that will lead to incumbent contractors CAE and a consortium led by KF Aerospace facing off against a series of large firms.

The government plans to issue a call for bids from defense companies next year for the Future Aircrew Training program, or FAcT. A draft bid package is expected to be released by the end of the year so prequalified firms can provide feedback to the Canadian Armed Forces.

The contract is estimated to be worth at least CA$5 billion (U.S. $3.75 billion) and will provide training for Air Force pilots and crew for 20 years. Canada plans to award the contract in 2023.

The government has already approved a list of firms that will be authorized to bid on FAcT, including Babcock Canada, Leonardo Canada, Lockheed Martin Canada and SkyAlyne Canada. SkyAlyne is a partnership between major Canadian defense firms CAE and KF Aerospace. Those two companies currently provide the two main aircrew training programs to the Air Force.

Under FAcT, the number of pilots trained annually will slightly increase. The pilot production numbers for FAcT are expected to range from about 105 to a maximum of 120. In addition, air combat systems officers and airborne electronic sensor operators will also be trained under the program. Currently, that training is done in-house by the service.

 

“We’re very focused on getting this to contract,” Air Force Col. Pete Saunders, director of air simulation and training, said of FAcT. “In the end, the foundation of the Air Force is our ability to generate qualified aviators. That is what FAcT is all about.”

Consolidation

FAcT will combine two existing training programs. The first, NATO Flying Training in Canada, is provided by CAE’s military aviation training division, which operates out of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. The program offers undergraduate and postgraduate pilot training in military-controlled airspace using training aircraft with advanced glass cockpits. That contact ends in 2023.

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The second program is the Contracted Flying Training and Support, which is run by a KF Aerospace-led consortium. Training is conducted out of the Southport Aerospace Centre near Portage la Prairie, Manitoba. The program “oversees the flying training and support services contract for the Primary and Basic Flying Training, Multi-Engine and Helicopter pilot training programs,” according to the government. That contract ends in 2027.

Training for Royal Canadian Air Force pilots involves various fixed-wing aircraft — including the Grob 120A, CT-156 Harvard II, CT-155 Hawk and King Air C90 — as well as Bell 206 and 412 helicopters. Air combat systems officers and airborne electronic sensor operators are trained on CT-142 Dash-8 planes. Simulation is also extensively used in aircrew training.

Saunders said the Air Force is being as flexible as possible to allow industry competitors to come up with what they believe will be the best solution for the service’s training needs.

 

“The way we’re approaching this is that it is up to them to determine what training aids are required,” he explained. “They will determine what is the appropriate mix of simulation and live fly. They will look at the number and type of aircraft they require in order to meet their training solution.”

The Canadian government will issue a call for bids from defense firms next year for a multibillion-dollar contract to provide pilot and aircrew training for Royal Canadian Air Force personnel. (Royal Canadian Air Force)

The Canadian government will issue a call for bids from defense firms next year for a multibillion-dollar contract to provide pilot and aircrew training for Royal Canadian Air Force personnel. (Royal Canadian Air Force)

However, officials are leaving no room for flexibility in the training’s outcome. “What we are being prescriptive about is the standard that a graduate has to achieve,” Saunders said.

The service has cooperated with the qualified bidders, consulting with them on components of what will be in the FAcT bid package — essentially the request for proposals. Saunders said he hopes to release the RFP by mid-2021.

Apart from providing training and maintenance, the winning bidder must revitalize the aging training infrastructure, he added. The Air Force expects the construction of a new training center for air combat systems officers and airborne electronic sensor operators, as the current facility in Winnipeg, Manitoba, is quite old. Other new infrastructure, such as hangars, will also likely be built.

Officials are requiring the winning supplier to invest in Canada equal to the value of the contract, but the government is also focused on a winning bid that emphasizes domestic firms playing a major role in training, simulation and in-service support.

 

The government also has an ongoing competition for the acquisition of a new fighter jet to replace the Air Force’s fleet of CF-18 aircraft. Canada isn’t expected to announce the winning bid until at least 2022, with deliveries of aircraft scheduled for 2025.

But Saunders said training for that future aircraft will be separate from FAcT, as the requirements are set by a different Air Force program office.

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The government also has an ongoing competition for the acquisition of a new fighter jet to replace the Air Force’s fleet of CF-18 aircraft. Canada isn’t expected to announce the winning bid until at least 2022, with deliveries of aircraft scheduled for 2025.

But Saunders said training for that future aircraft will be separate from FAcT, as the requirements are set by a different Air Force program office.

 

Hopefully all that gets cut......and again, just my opinion....

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  • 5 months later...

407 Squadron defends Canada for 80 years

From Comox Valley Record – link to source story – thanks to CW

The Comox-based squadron celebrating special anniversary

ERIN HALUSCHAK | 7 May 2021

A 407 Squadron crew returns from an anti-submarine patrol during the Second World War. It was here their aggressive reputation earned them the moniker “The Demons.” Canadian Forces photo/submitted

A 407 Squadron crew returns from an anti-submarine patrol during the Second World War. It was here their aggressive reputation earned them the moniker “The Demons.” Canadian Forces photo/submitted

Eighty years ago, 407 Long Range Patrol Squadron was created with many responsibilities and different aircraft, but one principle has stayed the same: no matter the mission, the crews of 407 Squadron always get the job done.

Stood up on May 8, 1941 at RAF Thorney Island in England as a Coastal Strike squadron, it was tasked with attacking Axis shipping while flying the Lockheed Hudson bomber. It was in this role that the squadron earned its nickname “Demons” for its aggressive and unrelenting low-level bombing runs, destroying or damaging an estimated 500,000 tons of enemy supplies.

In 1943, it was changed to a general reconnaissance squadron and tasked to protect allied shipping from the menacing wolf packs of German U-boats, flying the behemoth Vickers Wellington bomber. Until the end of the Second World War, the “Demons” wreaked havoc on the U-boats, sinking four and damaging seven, thus helping to keep the vital supply lines from North America safe. It was here during the Battle of the Atlantic that the “Demons” lived up to their name.

The squadron was disbanded on June 4, 1945 following the end of the war but reactivated on July 1, 1952 in its current home of Comox as 407 Maritime Reconnaissance Squadron.

Flying the Avro Lancaster Mark 10 MR, its primary mission was anti-submarine warfare along with search-and-rescue and national sovereignty patrols. In 1958 the “Demons” traded in the Lancaster for the CP-122 Neptune, an aircraft specifically designed for anti-submarine warfare.

In 1968, they traded the Neptune for the CP-107 Argus, a Canadian-made aircraft with improved sensors and endurance. This allowed the squadron to begin patrolling the vast expanses of the Canadian Arctic. In 1974, a 407 crew flew a maritime patrol from Comox to the Aleutian Islands and back at a time of 31 hours and six minutes, setting a world record for the longest un-refueled flight and putting 407 Squadron in the history books once again.

On June 11, 1981 the “Demons,” now designated as maritime patrol squadron, entered the era of computerized warfare and took possession of its current workhorse, the CP-140 Aurora. A combination of Lockheed’s P-3 Orion and S-3 Viking aircrafts, the Aurora brought with it state-of-the-art reconnaissance, surveillance and anti-submarine capabilities. This made 407 Squadron one of the most versatile squadrons in the Canadian Armed Forces, able to conduct a multitude of missions like anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare, search-and-rescue, sovereignty patrols, maritime interdiction, assistance to law enforcement and overland reconnaissance.

The squadron routinely works with allied and partner nations as well as other Canadian departments like DFO, the RCMP, the Coast Guard, Transport Canada and NORAD.

Some of its current operations include counter-narcotics enforcement off Central and South America, sanctions enforcement around North Korea, searching for illegal and unregulated fishing in the Pacific Ocean, counter-smuggling patrols in the western Indian Ocean, search and rescue missions at home, enforcing sovereignty along Canada’s west and north coasts, and tracking submarines all around the world.

From the North Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean, Afghanistan and Iraq to the Indian Ocean and East China Sea, the “Demons” are the eyes and ears of Canada’s military and after 80 years, they still get the job done.

– Capt. Ian Paone/Canadian Forces

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RCAF turns to foreign pilots to help with shortage as commercial aviators stay away

3 hrs ago  RCAF turns to foreign pilots to help with shortage as commercial aviators stay away | National Post

 

OTTAWA — The Royal Canadian Air Force is hoping Canada will open its doors to military pilots from other countries as it seeks to address a longstanding shortage of experienced aviators.

In an interview with The Canadian Press, RCAF commander Lt.-Gen. Al Meinzinger says the military is working with Canada's immigration department to streamline the enrolment of pilots from overseas.

The move comes amid some signs of progress in the military's search for more pilots to fly the air force's helicopters and planes.

Part of that success has come from a reorganization designed to keep pilots in cockpits rather than behind desks.

Yet Meinzinger says about 10 per cent of the air force's 1,500 pilot positions remain unfilled, even as COVID-19 has restricted recruitment and training efforts across much of the military.

And while there had been hopes that some former air force pilots laid off by commercial airlines due to the pandemic would flock to the military, Meinzinger says only about 15 have made the jump.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 9, 2021.

The Canadian Press

 

image.png

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Years ago I heard that an A310 FO who had been flying overseas inquired about enlisting and was told it would be very unlikely he would be able to get into anything fixed-wing and might not even have an opportunity to fly at all.

So he went for another contract overseas.

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12 minutes ago, Super 80 said:

Years ago I heard that an A310 FO who had been flying overseas inquired about enlisting and was told it would be very unlikely he would be able to get into anything fixed-wing and might not even have an opportunity to fly at all.

So he went for another contract overseas.

And now we are in the "New Reality".  I wonder if the numbers will grow?

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  • 2 weeks later...
8 hours ago, Kargokings said:

here’s yesterday’s missing “man” formation for Capt Jenn Casey

https://fb.watch/5Cb5V1e1Yv/

https://fb.watch/5Cbf9SzL_s/

Very impressive with that number of aircraft. I always have a feeling of great sadness watching that lone "bird" pitch out.

I flew in two missing man formations, one as # 4 in a diamond card 5 formation  and pitched out, and another as # 2 in 3 plane VIC formation (number 3 pitched out)... we lost some great guys back then but unfortunately most were the result of pilot error. 

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  • 4 weeks later...

Anyone who flew this bird or it's siblings?

Iconic Starfighter Aircraft Lands at Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada

d5e7a88a-8d02-71b7-dddd-47a04c31d604.png

(WINNIPEG, MB – June 15, 2021) – The Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada (RAMWC) is proud to announce the addition of a Canadair CF-104 Starfighter to its world-class aircraft collection. The Starfighter, with serial number 12703, was the first Starfighter ever flown in Canada.

The CF-104 Starfighter served NATO for 25 years and is one of the most iconic Canadian-manufactured military aircraft. It still is the fastest RCAF aircraft of all time, setting world altitude, climb and speed records.

Stephen Pajot, Curator and Operations Manager of the Canadian Starfighter Museum, purchased Starfighter 12703 in 2011. He shipped the aircraft back from Europe and spent seven years meticulously restoring it to precisely how it looked in 1966.

Recently, Mr. Pajot made the difficult decision to close the Canadian Starfighter Museum at St. Andrews Airport. However, he was determined to find the Starfighter a new home, so he secured an agreement with RAMWC for the aircraft to become the showpiece of the new museum’s Military Skies exhibit for many years to come.

“I am pleased that this aircraft will call the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada its new home,” said Mr. Pajot. “Restoring this aircraft was a labour of love for me, and knowing that the aircraft will be well looked after and displayed to many more people than ever before is very satisfying.”

Currently, only ten other Starfighters are on display across Canada. Starfighter 12703 would be the only Starfighter displayed indoors in Manitoba.

“The Starfighter has a “wow” factor that will make it a visitor favourite,” said Terry Slobodian, CEO and President, RAMWC. “Not only has it been restored inside and out, but it also has operational lights and breathtaking sounds to simulate it in flight!”

You can experience the CF-104 Starfighter yourself when the new RAMWC opens its doors in early 2022.

About the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada
The Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada was established in 1974 by a small group of visionaries committed to preserving Canada’s distinct aviation heritage. Today, with nearly 100 historic aircraft and more than 70,000 artefacts, texts, and photographs, the museum remains one of Canada’s largest and most complete aviation heritage
collections. The museum is currently building a new state-of-the-art facility on the Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport campus scheduled to open in early 2022 and will be a premier attraction for the City of Winnipeg.

Please visit us at: http://www.royalaviationmuseum.com

 

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9 minutes ago, Kargokings said:

Anyone who flew this bird or it's siblings?

Iconic Starfighter Aircraft Lands at Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada

d5e7a88a-8d02-71b7-dddd-47a04c31d604.png

(WINNIPEG, MB – June 15, 2021) – The Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada (RAMWC) is proud to announce the addition of a Canadair CF-104 Starfighter to its world-class aircraft collection. The Starfighter, with serial number 12703, was the first Starfighter ever flown in Canada.

The CF-104 Starfighter served NATO for 25 years and is one of the most iconic Canadian-manufactured military aircraft. It still is the fastest RCAF aircraft of all time, setting world altitude, climb and speed records.

Stephen Pajot, Curator and Operations Manager of the Canadian Starfighter Museum, purchased Starfighter 12703 in 2011. He shipped the aircraft back from Europe and spent seven years meticulously restoring it to precisely how it looked in 1966.

Recently, Mr. Pajot made the difficult decision to close the Canadian Starfighter Museum at St. Andrews Airport. However, he was determined to find the Starfighter a new home, so he secured an agreement with RAMWC for the aircraft to become the showpiece of the new museum’s Military Skies exhibit for many years to come.

“I am pleased that this aircraft will call the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada its new home,” said Mr. Pajot. “Restoring this aircraft was a labour of love for me, and knowing that the aircraft will be well looked after and displayed to many more people than ever before is very satisfying.”

Currently, only ten other Starfighters are on display across Canada. Starfighter 12703 would be the only Starfighter displayed indoors in Manitoba.

“The Starfighter has a “wow” factor that will make it a visitor favourite,” said Terry Slobodian, CEO and President, RAMWC. “Not only has it been restored inside and out, but it also has operational lights and breathtaking sounds to simulate it in flight!”

You can experience the CF-104 Starfighter yourself when the new RAMWC opens its doors in early 2022.

About the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada
The Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada was established in 1974 by a small group of visionaries committed to preserving Canada’s distinct aviation heritage. Today, with nearly 100 historic aircraft and more than 70,000 artefacts, texts, and photographs, the museum remains one of Canada’s largest and most complete aviation heritage
collections. The museum is currently building a new state-of-the-art facility on the Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport campus scheduled to open in early 2022 and will be a premier attraction for the City of Winnipeg.

Please visit us at: http://www.royalaviationmuseum.com

 

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Cool!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Canadian Forces pilots not warned about autopilot before deadly Cyclone crash in 2020

From CTV News – link to source story

By Michael Tutton, The Canadian Press Staff | Friday, June 25, 2021

CAF members killed in CH-148 crash identifiedFrom top left: Sub-Lieutenant Abbigail Cowbrough, a Marine Systems Engineering Officer; Sub-Lieutenant Matthew Pyke, Naval Warfare Officer; Master Corporal Matthew Cousins, Airborne Electronic Sensor Operator; Captain Maxime Miron-Morin, Air Combat Systems Officer; Captain Kevin Hagen, Pilot; Captain Brenden Ian MacDonald, Pilot.

HALIFAX — As a pilot guided one of Canada’s navy helicopters up into a tight turn, neither his training nor cockpit indicators warned of how a built-in autopilot would take control and plunge the Cyclone into the Ionian Sea, a military report has concluded.

All six Canadian Forces members on board died in the crash on April 29, 2020.

According to a board of inquiry report obtained by The Canadian Press, when the pilot was flying the turn, commonly called a “return to target,” he had pointed the nose up and used his feet to turn the helicopter’s tail, overriding the autopilot to complete the manoeuvre of less than 20 seconds.

The report, however, said testing wasn’t done during the aircraft’s certification to identify what would happen if a pilot overrode the autopilot more than “momentarily” and in certain complex situations. “The automation principles and philosophy that governed the Cyclone’s design never intended for the (autopilot) to be overridden for extended periods of time, and therefore this was never tested,” it said.

This was the case even though — as the report stated — pilots are known on occasion to override the autopilot system without manually pressing a button on their control stick, called the cyclic.

The report said that at the time of the crash, the autopilot — referred to as the flight director — was set to an air speed of about 260 kilometres per hour before one of the pilots pitched the aircraft’s nose upward for the turn.

It was supposed to fly back over HMCS Fredericton and practise hoisting people onto the deck. Instead, the frigate’s CH-148 Cyclone helicopter crashed off the coast of Greece while returning from a NATO training mission. That crash caused the worst single-day loss of life for the Canadian Armed Forces since six soldiers were killed in a roadside bombing in Afghanistan on July 4, 2007.

The report indicated the crash might have been averted if the pilot had manually chosen to turn off the autopilot during the turn. But it also stated that it wasn’t unusual for pilots to override the autopilot and there were no explicit instructions in the manuals on the necessity to manually turn off the flight director.

In addition, the report said the pilot appeared unaware the computer would attempt to regain control near the end of the turn.

When the helicopter flipped around, the report said, the pilot pulled back as far as he could on the cyclic, attempting to right the aircraft that the computer was flying into the sea. Within seconds, the helicopter hit the ocean at massive force.

The board of inquiry said it found no evidence the flying pilot recognized he had lost control of the aircraft until it was too late.

Critical to the crash, the report said, was the aircraft’s software, which was certified by the military. If the autopilot is overridden, the computer accumulates digital commands, referred to as “command bias accumulation.” The more commands a pilot sends manually to the computer while the aircraft is coupled with the autopilot, the more this bias accumulation occurs, the report said.

‘PILOT’S ABILITY TO CONTROL AIRCRAFT WILL BE REDUCED OR LOST’

After a pilot overrides the air speed set by the autopilot, a “feed forward look” occurs, the report said, adding that in some situations, “the pilot’s ability to control the aircraft will be reduced or lost.”

The board of inquiry said the pilots’ training didn’t cover “with sufficient detail” certain risks of flying the aircraft, leaving the flyers unaware the autopilot would seek to keep control of the helicopter.

The return-to-target manoeuvre, which led to the crash, was being flown by others in the maritime helicopter community, the report said. That manoeuvre has been disallowed since the crash.

The report makes six recommendations, five of which involve better training for pilots to make them aware of the potential problems that could occur if they override the autopilot. It recommended creating special cockpit signals pilots could use to warn each other about overriding flight directors for extended periods of time.

The report also recommended the military consider an engineering change “to automatically disengage the flight director under certain conditions, such as when the flight director is overridden in multiple axes, or for an extended period of time.”

According to a senior military source, that recommendation is not shared in a second, independent report by the military’s Directorate of Flight Safety, expected to be released next week.

The second report said pilots must be well trained to almost instantly press a single button on their control stick to disengage the autopilot if they’re not getting the response they want out of their controls. It said, however, that automatically disengaging the autopilot might pose its own risks in some situations, especially when a pilot believes the autopilot will keep functioning.

The second report instead argued that the software — and its “bias accumulation” — needs to be addressed by American aviation company Sikorsky Aircraft, the manufacturer of the Cyclone.

RCAF CH-148 Cyclone helicopter

“We need to look at that software and see if we can eliminate this from the software altogether, being careful to understand when you make any changes like that you may introduce a butterfly effect and cause problems elsewhere,” the source said.

The board of inquiry report, signed by three members of the panel on Nov. 20, 2020, concluded the pilots were not distracted and the crew “flew well together.” It added that the aircraft captain had a strong command of the helicopter and the co-pilot showed “good situational awareness” throughout the mission.

The second report is expected to provide further analysis on the factors behind the crash.

The military source said the recommendations of the two reports must be meshed into a single set of findings for consideration by senior Royal Canadian Air Force officers.

A spokeswoman for Sikorsky referred all questions on the report to the Canadian Forces.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 25, 2021.

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4 hours ago, Kargokings said:

Canadian Forces pilots not warned about autopilot before deadly Cyclone crash in 2020

From CTV News – link to source story

By Michael Tutton, The Canadian Press Staff | Friday, June 25, 2021

CAF members killed in CH-148 crash identifiedFrom top left: Sub-Lieutenant Abbigail Cowbrough, a Marine Systems Engineering Officer; Sub-Lieutenant Matthew Pyke, Naval Warfare Officer; Master Corporal Matthew Cousins, Airborne Electronic Sensor Operator; Captain Maxime Miron-Morin, Air Combat Systems Officer; Captain Kevin Hagen, Pilot; Captain Brenden Ian MacDonald, Pilot.

HALIFAX — As a pilot guided one of Canada’s navy helicopters up into a tight turn, neither his training nor cockpit indicators warned of how a built-in autopilot would take control and plunge the Cyclone into the Ionian Sea, a military report has concluded.

All six Canadian Forces members on board died in the crash on April 29, 2020.

According to a board of inquiry report obtained by The Canadian Press, when the pilot was flying the turn, commonly called a “return to target,” he had pointed the nose up and used his feet to turn the helicopter’s tail, overriding the autopilot to complete the manoeuvre of less than 20 seconds.

The report, however, said testing wasn’t done during the aircraft’s certification to identify what would happen if a pilot overrode the autopilot more than “momentarily” and in certain complex situations. “The automation principles and philosophy that governed the Cyclone’s design never intended for the (autopilot) to be overridden for extended periods of time, and therefore this was never tested,” it said.

This was the case even though — as the report stated — pilots are known on occasion to override the autopilot system without manually pressing a button on their control stick, called the cyclic.

The report said that at the time of the crash, the autopilot — referred to as the flight director — was set to an air speed of about 260 kilometres per hour before one of the pilots pitched the aircraft’s nose upward for the turn.

It was supposed to fly back over HMCS Fredericton and practise hoisting people onto the deck. Instead, the frigate’s CH-148 Cyclone helicopter crashed off the coast of Greece while returning from a NATO training mission. That crash caused the worst single-day loss of life for the Canadian Armed Forces since six soldiers were killed in a roadside bombing in Afghanistan on July 4, 2007.

The report indicated the crash might have been averted if the pilot had manually chosen to turn off the autopilot during the turn. But it also stated that it wasn’t unusual for pilots to override the autopilot and there were no explicit instructions in the manuals on the necessity to manually turn off the flight director.

In addition, the report said the pilot appeared unaware the computer would attempt to regain control near the end of the turn.

When the helicopter flipped around, the report said, the pilot pulled back as far as he could on the cyclic, attempting to right the aircraft that the computer was flying into the sea. Within seconds, the helicopter hit the ocean at massive force.

The board of inquiry said it found no evidence the flying pilot recognized he had lost control of the aircraft until it was too late.

Critical to the crash, the report said, was the aircraft’s software, which was certified by the military. If the autopilot is overridden, the computer accumulates digital commands, referred to as “command bias accumulation.” The more commands a pilot sends manually to the computer while the aircraft is coupled with the autopilot, the more this bias accumulation occurs, the report said.

‘PILOT’S ABILITY TO CONTROL AIRCRAFT WILL BE REDUCED OR LOST’

After a pilot overrides the air speed set by the autopilot, a “feed forward look” occurs, the report said, adding that in some situations, “the pilot’s ability to control the aircraft will be reduced or lost.”

The board of inquiry said the pilots’ training didn’t cover “with sufficient detail” certain risks of flying the aircraft, leaving the flyers unaware the autopilot would seek to keep control of the helicopter.

The return-to-target manoeuvre, which led to the crash, was being flown by others in the maritime helicopter community, the report said. That manoeuvre has been disallowed since the crash.

The report makes six recommendations, five of which involve better training for pilots to make them aware of the potential problems that could occur if they override the autopilot. It recommended creating special cockpit signals pilots could use to warn each other about overriding flight directors for extended periods of time.

The report also recommended the military consider an engineering change “to automatically disengage the flight director under certain conditions, such as when the flight director is overridden in multiple axes, or for an extended period of time.”

According to a senior military source, that recommendation is not shared in a second, independent report by the military’s Directorate of Flight Safety, expected to be released next week.

The second report said pilots must be well trained to almost instantly press a single button on their control stick to disengage the autopilot if they’re not getting the response they want out of their controls. It said, however, that automatically disengaging the autopilot might pose its own risks in some situations, especially when a pilot believes the autopilot will keep functioning.

The second report instead argued that the software — and its “bias accumulation” — needs to be addressed by American aviation company Sikorsky Aircraft, the manufacturer of the Cyclone.

RCAF CH-148 Cyclone helicopter

“We need to look at that software and see if we can eliminate this from the software altogether, being careful to understand when you make any changes like that you may introduce a butterfly effect and cause problems elsewhere,” the source said.

The board of inquiry report, signed by three members of the panel on Nov. 20, 2020, concluded the pilots were not distracted and the crew “flew well together.” It added that the aircraft captain had a strong command of the helicopter and the co-pilot showed “good situational awareness” throughout the mission.

The second report is expected to provide further analysis on the factors behind the crash.

The military source said the recommendations of the two reports must be meshed into a single set of findings for consideration by senior Royal Canadian Air Force officers.

A spokeswoman for Sikorsky referred all questions on the report to the Canadian Forces.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 25, 2021.

That's crappy software design, in my opinion.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Justin and his gang have millions or is it billions to give to other nations and to spend on "Fluff Programs" but     (  or perhaps I am being too critical. ?    )

Federal plan to upgrade search-and-rescue choppers grounded by 'unaffordable' cost estimate

A defence department project to extend the life of the air force's search and rescue helicopters has hit a major snag, forcing senior officials to go back to the drawing board.

Three years ago, the Liberal government announced plans to refurbish the CH-149 Cormorant fleet to keep the 14 aircraft flying and saving lives until 2042.

 

It chose to sole-source the project with European aircraft manufacturer Leonardo.

Two years ago, on the eve of the last election, Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan announced that an additional two helicopters would be added to the fleet.

But newly-released Department of National Defence (DND) procurement documents show that the company came back with a sky-high cost estimate last fall.

"Negotiations with the contractor were put on pause due to the proposals being unaffordable," says a one-page internal presentation used to update senior officials.

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