Photo: An Osprey transitions from helicopter to airplane mode by simultaneously changing the position of nacelles located at the end of each wing from vertical to horizontal. A pilot changes the nacelle setting using a coin-sized button, called a thumbwheel, located on each pilot’s thrust control lever in the cockpit. FEBRUARY 2016 | 23 even with nearly a decade of service, is still viewed as a relatively new aircraft by Marine pilots and mechanics at New River. It continues to delight, especially when tested in an unfamiliar environment, according to Marines there. Melconian, VMM-266 crew chief, witnessed the Osprey’s agility firsthand as it darted across a mountainous European landscape on a training run. She had a breathtaking view. “We flew low-altitude tactics in high mountains,” she said. “We do it all the time here, but in flat terrain. There, we flew down crevices of mountains, over valleys, over peaks. That’s when I truly saw what the Osprey could do. I was amazed at what our plane could do.” Negotiating jagged mountain ranges is one thing. Traversing the Atlantic Ocean in a rotorcraft is quite another. Perhaps a half-dozen times, Ospreys have completed transoceanic flights between the European mainland and New River—no easy feat. In late July, four Ospreys, escorted by a pair of C-130 aircraft for refueling, left the European coast and made several overnight stops before reaching North Carolina. The crossing took three days. Had the Ospreys returned home by ship, it would have required 11 days of travel. “The crew took it as a sense of accomplishment—we did it,” said Capt. Eric DeBerry, a VMM-266 pilot. “It hadn’t been done that many times. It was a source of pride for us. It makes you feel that you’re proof of concept.” • DANIEL.W.RALEY@BOEING.COM
Frontiers February 2016 Issue
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