By SUSAN KENNEDY
In an effort to woo cadets into joining the aviation branch of the Army, members of the 211 Aviation Brigade of the Utah National Guard took members of BYU’s ROTC on an orientation flight Saturday.
Cadets are required to make a decision about which division to join in the first semester of their senior year. Thus, the flight served not only as an orientation for interested cadets, but also as a recruitment exercise.
“The purpose was to give an overall experience to those who haven’t flown before and to help cadets overcome their fears of flying,” said Quinton German, a junior from Sumter, S.C., majoring in political science.
Jim Oliphant, a senior from Provo, majoring in political science said, “It was a great opportunity to show the beginning cadets what we do in the Army.”
About 15 cadets, the majority of which had never flown before, crowded into two Blackhawk helicopters and received a tour by air. They were accompanied by two cadre.
They began at Provo Airport and flew over BYU, Utah Lake and over the Five Mile Pass area.
During the 40 minute flight, pilots flew at three different levels: standard flight (approx. 2,000 feet), contour and nap of the earth levels. At standard flight or low level, the helicopter maintains a constant altitude and speed. The other two are at low altitudes, staying as close to the earth as possible. Nap of the earth level is used in combat to avoid detection by radar.
Josh Nolan, a junior from Ypsilanti, Mich., majoring in Spanish said, “I was really scared at first. In fact, I even threw up, but then my ROTC training kicked in and I was able to overcome my fear.”
Although it was loud inside the helicopter, cadets were able to communicate with the pilots by intercom and ask questions.
Eric Nebeker, a senior from Woodinville, Wash., said he was glad he was able to ask the pilots questions concerning navigation.
“My favorite part of the whole thing was flying really low, especially when we buzzed some cattle,” he said.
Although most cadets were not convinced to join the aviation branch, cadets enjoyed the ride.
