Mark Huber is an aviation industry veteran who has worked in the flight training, aircraft sales, aircraft component, and airport development businesses. He has flight time in more than 50 different and diverse aircraft, including helicopters, aerobatic aircraft, vintage warbirds, jet fighters, business jets and turboprops, and transport-category aircraft. He has jumped out of several of these—on purpose—with a parachute. His defense and aviation journalism has been published in a variety of national and international periodicals.

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Mark Huber

The Air Force completed 30 days of weather chamber trials on the Sikorsky HH-60W Jolly Green II earlier this month at the McKinley Climatic Lab at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. The testing subjected the aircraft to temperatures ranging from 120 degrees to minus 60 degrees Fahrenheit as well as 45-mph winds in heavy rainfall. Aircrews checked key systems performance during those conditions in aircraft and crews underwent evaluation&nbsp;for their ability to perform tasks while wearing cold-weather gear.

 


“Operating the HH-60W in the extreme conditions was a truly unique experience as a pilot and a tester,” said Lt. Col. Ryan Coates, 88th test and evaluation squadron pilot, who also performed most of the testing. “Checking system performance under the stress of heat, cold, heavy wind, and rain will give us real-world data regarding the helicopter’s capability to perform the rescue mission worldwide in various environments, which is exactly what the operator needs to make solid employment decisions."

 


The test aircraft is being returned to Sikorsky West Palm Beach for further evaluation. The HH-60W is the follow-on aircraft to the HH-60G Pave Hawk, which the Air Force&nbsp;first deployed in 1982. The HH-60W features numerous improvements including double the internal fuel capacity and modern weapons and defensive systems. Current Air Force plans call for the acquisition of 113 aircraft.&nbsp;&nbsp;

News and issues regarding all manner of civil and military rotorcraft and their powerplants, including helicopters, tilt rotors and unmanned air vehicles.

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News and issues relating to the aerospace industry that are related to the science, engineering and business of flight in space involving civil, industrial and military applications, and similar topics related to flight in the atmosphere of the Earth that are not covered more directly by other AINonline subject channels. In other words, both astronautical and aeronautical subjects, except for those aeronautical topics that are specifically covered elsewhere on this website.

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