CHIEF WARRANT OFFICER 2 PETER BETRUS
A Troop, 3-17 CAV / 3CAB / 3ID
Hunter Army Airfield
Savannah, Georgia

On my two deployments to Afghanistan, I spent some time stationed at Forward Operating Base Fenty in Jalalabad, also known as Jalalabad Airfield or JAF. There were days and weeks of time where the haze was so thick that we didn’t have legal visibility to take off or land at the airfield. Often the reported visibility was one-quarter mile or even less.

To the unaided eye, the thick, foggy, smoky, soupy air looked like it was smothering everything around you. The sun would be up and there wouldn’t be a cloud in the sky, but the visibility on the ground was just amazingly awful. The most astounding part of the smog and haze was that if you were just 4-5 miles from the airfield, the conditions were unrestricted visibility and no ceilings. If you looked toward the airfield, you would see the wide cylinder of smog and haze approximately 3-4 miles across and about 500 feet high.

As AH-64 Apache pilots, we have access to two separate forward looking infrared systems, one for flight purposes and one for search/targeting (and can also be used for flight purposes if desired). In the Apache, both pilots have full flight controls in their cockpits. The pilot sitting in the back is typically flying, while the pilot sitting in the front is functioning as the sensor/weapons operator. During daytime operations, a lot of those in the AH community do not bother to optimize and utilize the FLIR system when piloting the Apache. The sensor/weapons operator will optimize and utilize the search/targeting FLIR system, but only for target search and acquisition, not for flight operations.

In a degraded visual environment, FLIR can play a big role for the pilot flying the helicopter. The FLIR has the ability to provide unlimited visibility by slicing through the haze and smoke as though it wasn’t even there. The command, while hesitant to launch any of the aircraft into the limited visibility, was more flexible if it was operationally necessary because the Apache was capable of seeing through the obscuration with the FLIR system for launch and, more importantly, recovery.

When requested to launch on a troops in contact with bad haze and poor visibility, the FLIR could make a massive difference. The pilot’s FLIR system more than likely won’t be up and operational by the time the aircraft is ready for taxi and takeoff; but as everyone knows, takeoffs are optional and landings are mandatory! FLIR generally isn’t needed for taking off, so once airborne, the pilot could continue to work on getting the FLIR system set up and optimized for use.

Alternatively, if flying in from a different FOB, the FLIR can help you out tremendously as you navigate to the runway safely, especially considering most of the FOBs are equipped with a Persistent Threat Detection System balloon and a 1,000-2,000-foot steel cable tether. The FLIR system can help you identify the landing area and help ensure the area is clear, suitable and free of obstruction to execute the approach to the runway, landing area or forward arming and refueling point successfully.

Once time is available — either before taxi/takeoff or during the flight as soon as possible — every Apache pilot should take a few minutes to get their FLIR system set up and optimized so it is there and ready for use at a moment’s notice. A pilot should be able to operate the FLIR, literally with the flip of a single switch, in the event a situation should arise. Flying around in Afghanistan, or anywhere for that matter, is full of risks. As professional aviators, we should take any steps possible to help reduce those risks.