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Show Page HILL TOP TIMES 10 August 2. 1975 1550th Operational, Evaluation Division Testing's The Name, Safety The Game For Five People will greatly increase rescue's operational effectiveness for night rescue missions." Life support equipment testing includes survival rafts, vests, radios, helmets and numerous other items, is the complex task assigned to to "It will enable the at penetrate enemy territory very low altitude under night and weather adverse conditions to pick up a survivor and return to a serachlight ri-5- 3 friendly base. "The system will provide with the the aircrew of completing an capability entire rescue without ever seeing thet ground." The prototype Pave Low III 3 is expected to arrive at Hill AFB in December 1975 for this testing. TSgt. Don Goodlett. He sayd, "my job is to insure that a downed aircrew member has the best possible equipment to survive in almost every possible H-5- WTOWlfi. UBSmtli3ECiei:lIE y7 O . i: ?, . V : XiQ' vHAft rV I5 VC v F,if environment imaginable. "Currently, we are testing a new 'mini' one-ma- n life raft which can be carried in the survival vest. This item is extremely important to helicopter crews flying over open seas because they seldom have time to drag a life raft out of the ditched helicopter before it sinks." Although the 1550th ATTW OT&E Division is small numerically, its responsibility for testing and evaluating all new or improved ARRS equipment and procedures is OTHERS The Division's tests, although not as extensive as the helicopter testing, are equally demanding on Capt. 0 test Paul Kimmel, the officer. HC-13- 0 HC-13- Captain Kimmel says, "although I've just recently been assigned to the division, I'm already involved in several projects. are "We r. .. currently evaluating the feasibility of using a large searchlight on extremely important and fixed-win0 the aircraft and the helicopter to both HC-13- perform missions demanding. g has Each evaluation contributed to an improved rescue night system or procedure. The division continues to perform its mission, secure in the knowledge that the job it accomplishes may well result in a life saved. "Recent emphasis on the environmental impact Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Service with an additional NEW The new Pave Low III HH-5- 3 helicopter will .provide combat rescue capability. (U.S. Air Force Photo) By Capt. Joseph Drahani The 1550th Aircrew Training and Test Wing ATTW is known for its mission of training helicopter and HC-13- OT&E The Division 1550th 's the under operates commander for deputy Operations and accomplishes a rather broad task with very-fe- 0 aircraft crews. Now it is also responsible for a function of the Air Force's newest fighter, the Eagle. fixed-win- g F-1- 5 What most people don't know is that the word "Test" in the Wing's title stands for "testing aerospace rescue and recovery equipment tactics and procedures." Maj. Bob Giffcn. project officer for the helicopter-fighte- r evasive "laneuvcrs. and Test Operational Evaluation OT&E Division, explains: "In light of the rapidly advancing of technology fntential hostile nations and the possibility that we may not maintain air superiority in future conflicts, as we did in Vietnam, it is vital that we develop the optimum tactics and equipment for our rescue helicopters flying deep into enemy territory. "To accomplish this. fTsnnrl of the l.VVrth ATTW plans to fly their helicopters against the Eagle at Ijuke AFB. Ariz. "They will also fly against the 4 Phantom fighters here F-1- 5 F-- at Hill AFB "ihe project wiil determine the evasive tactics to avoid attacking fighters " people. ' According to Maj. Syd Gurley, chief of the division, "our job is to perform nearly all of the OT&E work for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration fNASAi on a simulation study of the problem. The testing program is scheduled to begin shortly and will run through the Spring of Rescue Aerospace and Recovery Service (A ARS) and provide test support for other - '" as commands major requested. imii "We frequently provide Eagle will be nying companion of the test Luke AFB. at Am. (U.S. Air Force Photo) forthcoming COM PAN I O N The support for Ogden ALC on a of variety tests of both F-1- 5 r-- --' in ti i' ' helicopter in a 1111-5- 3 equipment and aircraft." PERSONNEL OT&E Division The its portion of the performs .n Wing's mission with only five jwople. Major Curley and Maj. Bob Giffcn. both graduates of the Navy Test Kilot School, performs the helicopter-relate- 3 jr 4 ik d U testing. Capt Paul Kimmel is the Test Officer TSgt. Don HC-13- 0 Goodlett. J pararcscue specialist, tests new life support equipment and Amn Ricky Becham types the test plans and reports which arc forwarded to ARRS. Military Airlift Command MAC and other agencies for publication Ik PAVE LOW st In addition, the 1550th ATTW is working jointly with of dropping flares has restriced their use for training and we feel that a high intensity 111 In MODIFICATION 5 addition to the OT&E the is division project, on the Pave currently working Itw III Modification of the HH-5helicopter. Major Gurley. Pave Ixr Hit project officer, states: "The Pave lw III program is one of the highest priority programs in the Air Force. F-1- 3 TESTSTSgt. lKn in a pilot' sur tests a fully inflated "Mini" (l.S. Air Force Photo CWKfdletl al est. one-ma- n life raft hich can be carried |