Risk Management Magazine

Foreign object damage on a military aircraft is a serious issue. Before every mission, the entire flight crew, which is five personnel on a CH-47, checks for foreign object debris (FOD) and ensures the aircraft is ready for the mission. Depending on the crew, preflight can take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour and a half. It is supposed to be a thorough process. During deployments, however, you get into a battle rhythm and things can go unnoticed due to the monotony of day-after-day operations. In any military aviation setting, that can be devastating.

I was a relatively new pilot in command (PC) who just arrived at Fort Liberty. After getting my local area orientation and going through PC verification, I was ready to start flying with pilots. The mission was a standard training flight that would include some cross-country, hot-refuel and goggling up and end with terrain flight.

Professional courtesy can be defined as the courtesy given to senior-ranking officers or more experienced Soldiers. Unfortunately, it can also become a danger to a flight crew when inexperienced Soldiers are reluctant to announce hazards or lack the willingness to speak up and do what they know is right.