The Canadian Record (Canadian, Tex.), Vol. 120, No. 27, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 8, 2010 Page: 9 of 40
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THE CANADIAN RECORD
NEWS PAGE
THURSDAY B JULY ZD ID
Crew chiefs 1 ike Canadian's Zachary
Butler 'paint p ctures' Tor pi lots
By Staff Sgt. Jeff Lowry
JOINT BASE BALAD, IRAQ—From daily
maintenance to helping pilots during flights,
UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crew chiefs
pretty much did every thing but pilot the air-
craft.
"They're the third and fourth set of eyes
and ears," said Army Chief Warrant Officer
2 Marco Mansueto, a C Company, 3rd Bat-
talion, 158th Aviation Regiment UH-60 pilot
from Greenville, N.Y. "They may spot things
that we don't spot."
Army Spc. Tim Matthews, a C Com-
pany crew chief agreed. "We're kind of the
eyes and ears of the back of the aircraft to
and as far right and
up and down as you
can. So that way ev-
erybody knows and
has constant aware-
ness of our flight
path," said Butler.
While the crew
chiefs checked and
guided the aircraft,
secured passengers
and payload during
flights, they also
maintained the air-
craft before and af-
ter flights. "They re-
Arrny Spc. Tun Matthews, a C Company, 3rd Battalion, 158th
Aviation Regiment helicopter crm> chief, checks the engine on a
UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter as part of his pre-flight inspection
on Friday, May 14. Matthews, from Seattle, has flown more than
380combat flight hours while in Iraq on his first deployment, and
has more than 530 totalflight hows.
make sm-e we're ratntirw a nictnr-e for the Amw SPC- Zachary Butler, a C Company, 3rd Battalion,
pilots,"said Matthews of Seattle. He said 158th Awation Regiment helicopter aew chief checks a cot-
ifiring flights crew chiefs also made sure terpin on a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter tail as part of his
passengers and cargo were secure. ' pre-flight inspection on Friday, May 14. Butler, from Carta- '
Aside from protecting people and pay- dtan, has more than 280flight hours while in Iraq on his
load, crew chiefs conducted in-flight checks first deployment, and has more than 400 total flight hours.
to maintain items such as fuel level, elec- Company C deployed to Iraq in December as part of Task ^
tronics sys- Force Storm in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
tems and
starts before
ours and ends after
ours," said Mansueto
of the crew ehiefs.
Those long days
mechanical
systems, ac-
cording to
Matthews.
"There
are a mil-
lion things to
look for," said
Matthews.
"You have to
know all the
systems re-
ally well so
that you can
know where
the problem
might be
coming from
or where it
might be go-
ing."
He said he
Army Spc. Tim Matthews, a always looked
C Company, 3rd Battalion, and listened
158th Aviation Regiment UH- for problems
60 Black Hawk helicopter crew that might
Chief, wraps a rope around have arisen.
his ami to begin a pre-flight
inspection on Friday, May
14. Matthews, who deployed
in support of Operation Iraq . . „
Freedom, is from Seattle, and goff mt° 1ltf
PI 1 CIO-1/N l\/l fit
he has flown more than 380
"Thewhole
flying part
of it, there's
so much that
said
thews.
Mat-
We
combat hours while m Iraq on .
, , have to trou-
ms first depiovrnent. , ,. ,,
J r ' bleshootmthe
airorwhenwe
set down somewhere."
Matthews, who has flown 380 combat
hours during the first six months of his first
deployment, noted the benefits and the de-
mands while flying throughout Iraq.
"You get to go to a lot of different places,
and you look forward to someplace new be-
cause of the different challenges that that
might entail," said Matthews, who has been in
the Army for 2,5 years.
Those challenges referred to buildings or
military vehicles that might be near a landing
zone, and thex-e was always concern for blade
and tail clearances while landing or taking off
according Matthews.
"The whole crew is working together to
the get the aircraft in and safely back up," he
said. "As crew chiefs we can help put the tires
on a specific point."
As a pilot, Mansueto said the crew chiefs
eased the pilots' flying burden and credited
the crew chiefs.' experience. "They make my
job a lot easier," he said of crew chiefs, who
were on the lookout for obstacles like trees,
towers, buildings and other aircraft. "Most
of the crew chiefs have been around longer
than the pilots, so crew ehiefs keep pilots from
messing up."
Mansueto, a 7-year Army veteran and for-
mer turbine engine mechanic, has been fly-
ing for two years. He had 200 combat flight
hours in support of Operation Iraqi Fx-eedom
and 380 total flight hours within the first six
months of his deployment.
Another C Company crew chief and fi rs t-
time deployer, Army Spc. Zachary Butler of
Canadian, agreed with his fellow soldiers that
crew chiefs helped the pilots. "Asfar as crew
chiefs go, our presence is needed to provide
clearance for the aircraft. We guide the pi-
lots," said Butler.
Butler, who has been in the Ax-my nearly
three years, had 280 combat flight hours
and 400 total flight hours within the first six
months of his deployment.
"You learn to constantly scan as far left
crew chiefs turned
the wrenches and in-
spected the aircraft to keep
the helicopters flight ready.
"We are the only people
keeping the helicopter run-
ning on a day-to-day basis "
said Matthews.
According to Butler, crew
chiefs checked for corrosion,
broken parts, missing pieces
and adjusted torque on nuts
and bolts.
"Maintenance is always
happening. That's our job,"
said Butler.
Whether they main-
tained the helicopters or
guided the pilots, the UH-60
Black Hawk helicopter crew
chiefs did it all.
A
Army Spc. Zachary Butler, a C Company, 3rd Battalion,
158th Aviation Regiment helicopter crew chief, tightens a
screw on a I 11-60 Black Hawk helicopter tail as part of his
pre-flight inspection on Friday, May 14. Butler, from Cana-
dian, Texas, has more than 280 flight hours while in Iraq
on his first deployment, and has more than 400 total flight
hours,. Company C deployed to Iraq in December as part of
Task Force Storm in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
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Brown, Laurie Ezzell. The Canadian Record (Canadian, Tex.), Vol. 120, No. 27, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 8, 2010, newspaper, July 8, 2010; Canadian, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth220847/m1/9/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Hemphill County Library.