The senior defense appropriator in the U.S. House of Representatives, John Murtha (D-Pa.), told Congress on Wednesday that he’s been getting clear signals from Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and other top administration officials to keep money for the VH-71 program out of the 2010 Pentagon appropriations bill. National Security Advisor Jim Jones and Defense Secretary Robert Gates have joined Pelosi in noting that President Barack Obama won’t sign the bill if funding is included for the Lockheed Martin/AgustaWestland-built helicopter. For related news
Lone Survivor Details Helicopter Crash
Robert Decker, the only survivor of a March 2009 Cougar Helicopters Sikorsky S-92 crash off Newfoundland, told a panel that he didn’t know why he is still living while 17 others perished. “There probably is no reason, just luck,” Decker told a St. John’s inquiry into the crash. His testimony detailed his underwater escape from the helicopter and then breaking out into the surface, before eventually being pulled out of the ocean by a rescue helicopter. For related news
Cover Story Heroes: Defined
Cool composure in the midst of chaos. Presenting the winners of the 2009 Rotor & Wing Helicopter Herosim Awards, who personify the meaning of the word heros. PUBLIC SERVICE/SAR U.S. Coast Guard 2008 Alaska Ranger One of the Largest Coldwater Rescues in...
The Different Faces of SAR Training
Priority 1 considers cross training, crew interoperability and teamwork as fundamental to its Class D basic hoist rescue course. TRAINING/SEARCH & RESCUE Search and rescue (SAR) is a crowded arena with many players—from the U.S. military and Coast Guard (USCG) to local police and fire... More »
Rotor & Wing honored the winners of the 2009 Helicopter Heroism Awards during a luncheon at the Search & Rescue Summit in September. From left to right are Maryland State Police Sgt. Nate Wheelock and Pilot Jim MacKay; U.S. Park Police Sgt. Jeffrey Hertel; Diane Ramage, wife of U.S. Forest Service Inspector Pilot James Ramage, who accepted the award on his behalf; U.S. Park Police Sgt. Kevin Chittick; Ginger Ramage, daughter of James Ramage; and U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Steve Bonn, Lt. Brian McLaughlin and AMT2 Robert DeBolt. Not shown is Coast Guard AST2 O’Brien Hollow, who also took part in the 2008 USCG rescue operation involving the Alaska Ranger. Photo by Mark Cavich.
