Less than 2 years ago, the 25th Air Cavalry Brigade received its first AW149. About the power of the multitasking machine, about how she works with the pilot and whether it is hard to control from an analog chopper to 1 with a glass cockpit, says Major Miłosz Tomaszkiewicz, pilot-instructor AW149.
You have more than 10 years of experience in piloting helicopters W-3 Falcon. Like you and another airmen with 25th Air Cavalry Brigade Have you responded to the news that these machines in the brigade will be replaced by AW149 helicopters?
Major Miłosz Tomaszkiewicz: We had the first information about ongoing work on getting a multitasking support chopper in the spring of 2022, even before signing a contract for it. We were active in preparing the goal configuration of this machine. So we were looking for information about the full household of helicopters, about the trends in modern chopper aviation. We were glad that this kind of device was chosen due to the fact that we knew it was modern rotorplanes and 1 of the youngest helicopters in its category. The first 2 AW149s went to the unit in late October 2023. And that was the beginning of the biggest challenge for us, which is to start operating helicopters in the country.
Before that, however, as 1 of the first pilots, you had been trained on this chopper at Leonardo Helicopters Academy in Italy, at the company that developed AW149. What did that course look like?
It was a very intense, nearly three-month training divided into respective courses. The intent of the first was to familiarize us with the construction and avionics of digital helicopters, which for us, pilots of analog machines, was a very large leap. Among another things, we were given attention to how information on board is managed, what we can anticipate from the interface and what possibilities digitalisation brings and what risks it entails. The next phase is to familiarise yourself with the helicopter's design, and the next – training on human resources management on board, with peculiar emphasis on crew cooperation and applicable procedures.
After that amount of theory, we went into practice. At first, this meant training on the AW149. We started with VFR [Visual Flight Rules] flights and trained basic maneuvers to sense how the chopper was steered. Then came the time to act in emergency situations on board, as well as flights in different weather conditions. The last part of the course was the practice on the helicopter, where we could translate all the cognition we acquired on the simulator into a real flight. The completion of the training and summary of all the cognition gathered was an examination conducted on a simulator.
What proved to be your top challenge during the course?
The key was to decision from an analog helicopter, where we have classical instruments, to a device with digital architecture and glass cockpit where data is displayed on LCD screens. Here the challenge is to find ourselves in a situation where devices give us quite a few information. These include pilot data, e.g. flight speed, altitude, vertical speed, course navigation information or approach procedures for landing at different airports, as well as data from a strategy informing of approaching obstacles and to the ground or information from chopper sensors, including optoelectronic head.
We request to learn how to manage these data, due to the fact that any of them are helpful in the individual phases of the flight, but others can only overload us. Therefore, we request to full realize the principles of the strategy and manage it well to accomplish optimal results and benefits. Another challenge is to realize the AW149. The device is heavy automated, with a four-channel autopilot. For individual who has so far manually controlled and based on the machine's sense of smell, the passage to a chopper with a highly automated control strategy is not easy.
What is the practice of cooperation between the device and the pilot?
We can compare it to an advanced calculator. The pilot introduces data into the automatic control system, and the chopper performs commands very precisely. The automation works perfectly erstwhile it comes to the conditions of the flight, but the man must keep an eye on it. The pilot, ahead of the helicopter's flight path, predicts what will happen in a moment, and controls the situation in the air.
Does this mean that manual piloting skills are no longer needed?
On the contrary. Our instructors during the training pointed out that pilots switching to digital aircraft to any degree are going backwards erstwhile it comes to manual piloting skills. And they should be able to balance so that they can usage the automatic flight to execute the task as efficiently as possible, but they should besides proceed to train classical pilot skills to take over at any time.
Despite automation, was there any joy in piloting a helicopter?
It's even increased. For me the chance to learn and carry out tasks like this technically advanced and modern machine is an adventure of life. We are pleased in the brigade that together with the chopper we are gaining fresh capabilities and the ability to work with modern aviation technology. AW149 is simply a tool that changes the rules of the game on the battlefield.
What are the most crucial differences between W-3 Falcon and AW149 and the most interesting solutions in the fresh machine?
From In-3 Falcon The flight velocity has increased, both to a maximum of 313 km/h and to 287 km/h, and we can besides take on board more landing troops to 14 people. The sense of safety has increased due to the fact that the device has more power. We have acquired additional sensors in the form of an optoelectronic head utilized to observe the site and detect and track targets. Fire support has besides increased respective times. The chopper can automatically exchange information with another our platforms to jointly build awareness of the situation in the battlefield. The full automation supporting the flight is besides a convenience, thanks to which the crew can entrust any of the pilot tasks to the machine, allowing them to focus on tactical aspects of missions.
And what did the troops gain from the landing, but for the larger transport space?
An crucial novelty is the cab construction, including a wide side-by-side door. They make it easy to get in and out of soldiers in full gear or to decision a stretcher. As far as the compartment is concerned, it is possible to configure it and adjust the number of seats to the needs of a circumstantial mission. Additionally, soldiers can usage the communication strategy utilizing interfaces in the cargo compartment.
Is it possible to usage whirlplanes not only for transport?
Of course. It is simply a multi-purpose support helicopter, giving the chance to participate in the full spectrum of missions carried out as part of air-attack activities. With an advanced reflection and targeting strategy and a variety of weapons, we can be fire support for subdivisions of land, as well as conducting independent fire missions. We are besides able to carry out tasks related to diagnosis and observation. AW149 has a winch on board, so we can carry out operations in the field of widely understood rescue and medical evacuation.
Last year you completed teacher training at Leonardo Helicopters Academy. You are developing a training program in Poland for AW149. So what's the class with the fresh chopper in the unit now, what's the emphasis on?
So far we have 8 out of 32 ordered machines and we focus on building experience with this equipment. This applies not only to pilots, but besides to engineering and aircraft personnel. The plan of the mark training strategy in the country on AW149 is besides underway – we should shortly start performing tasks on a chopper involving soldiers of the terrestrial component, which will be related to the improvement of our teaching system. This year we will focus on these elements. AW149 is specified an advanced strategy that training allows us to safely usage this equipment, but in order to maximise its capabilities, we request to gain more experience by spending more hours in the air.
Major Miłosz Tomaszkiewicz–Head of the Unit – Head of Training in the 7th Air Squadron of the 25th Air Cavalry Brigade, pilot-instructor AW149. He is responsible, on behalf of 25 BKPow, for coordinating the implementation process of AW149 between the Armed Forces Agency and maker typical Leonardo Helicopters Company. He developed, among others, a program to implement a multi-tasking support chopper to equip the armed forces.
