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Flight Engineer - is he necessary? :o)


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The flight engineer has a very important purpose in the Mi-8. When I zip around the battlefield at tree top level with miniguns and grenade launchers blowing away mofos like Chuck Norris in Delta Force while chomping on a massive Cuban cigar lit for me by a virgin supermodel, the flight engineer is there to repeatedly whisper in my ear "Remember thou art mortal".

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"Hurled headlong flaming from the ethereal sky; With hideous ruin and combustion down;
To bottomless perdition, there to dwell; In adamantine chains and penal fire"

(RIG info is outdated, will update at some point) i5 @3.7GHz (OC to 4.1), 16GB DDR3, Nvidia GTX 970 4GB, TrackIR 5 & TrackClip Pro, TM Warthog HOTAS, VKB T-Rudder Mk.IV, Razer Blackshark Headset, Obutto Ozone

 

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The flight engineer has a very important purpose in the Mi-8. When I zip around the battlefield at tree top level with miniguns and grenade launchers blowing away mofos like Chuck Norris in Delta Force while chomping on a massive Cuban cigar lit for me by a virgin supermodel, the flight engineer is there to repeatedly whisper in my ear "Remember thou art mortal".

 

lol, wow!

 

Sounds like the supermodel is more useful than the flight engineer.

314-я смешанная авиационная дивизия

314th Mixed Aviation Division: The "Fighting Lemmings"- Forums: http://314thsquadron.enjin.com/ - ED Forum Group: http://forums.eagle.ru/group.php?groupid=119

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It depends on the doctrine and procedures of the nation that is flying it. In the U.S. for example, we don't fly with a flight engineer, but we do usually fly with at least one crew chief in the back (not in the flight engineer's position). In Russia and countries who have similar procedures, the flight engineer actually has quite an important role: startup and shutdown of the engines, monitoring temperatures and pressures of various system, and keeping track of how much time is spent in each power regime, and some other things I'm forgetting.

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It depends on the doctrine and procedures of the nation that is flying it. In the U.S. for example, we don't fly with a flight engineer, but we do usually fly with at least one crew chief in the back (not in the flight engineer's position). In Russia and countries who have similar procedures, the flight engineer actually has quite an important role: startup and shutdown of the engines, monitoring temperatures and pressures of various system, and keeping track of how much time is spent in each power regime, and some other things I'm forgetting.

 

 

In the US, this depends on the helicopter. The CH-47 actually has a flight engineer, and in combat an extra crewmember to man the second gun. Same on the CH-53. Most of the time, though, these guys can't operate the engines, only the APU.

 

i9 12900k @ 4.9ghz, 32gb RAM

Nvidia RTX 3090

Windows 11 x64

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Brunner CLS-E w/RS F16GRH, Virpil TCS Rotor Plus Collective, BRD F1 Pedals, WH Throttle, FSSB R3 w/WH Grip, PointCTRL v1

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In the US, this depends on the helicopter. The CH-47 actually has a flight engineer, and in combat an extra crewmember to man the second gun. Same on the CH-53. Most of the time, though, these guys can't operate the engines, only the APU.

 

When I said "we" I was specifically referring to the Mi-8/Mi-17. Besides, as you mention, the FE on a Chinook is not at all like an FE in the Russian sense.

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When I said "we" I was specifically referring to the Mi-8/Mi-17. Besides, as you mention, the FE on a Chinook is not at all like an FE in the Russian sense.

 

 

I guess I should have said "good" flight engineer...;) Anyway, you're right, they don't start engines, and it's the PC's ultimate responsibility for the other stuff you mentioned.

 

i9 12900k @ 4.9ghz, 32gb RAM

Nvidia RTX 3090

Windows 11 x64

Valve Index

Brunner CLS-E w/RS F16GRH, Virpil TCS Rotor Plus Collective, BRD F1 Pedals, WH Throttle, FSSB R3 w/WH Grip, PointCTRL v1

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I saw a YouTube video once of an Mi-8 starting up. The copilot was reading the startup checklist, the FE was doing all the work, and the captain was drinking a cup of tea! I'll have to see if I can find it again...

 

Owned by the British by any chance?

Always remember. I don't have a clue what I'm doing

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It depends on the doctrine and procedures of the nation that is flying it. In the U.S. for example, we don't fly with a flight engineer, but we do usually fly with at least one crew chief in the back (not in the flight engineer's position). In Russia and countries who have similar procedures, the flight engineer actually has quite an important role: startup and shutdown of the engines, monitoring temperatures and pressures of various system, and keeping track of how much time is spent in each power regime, and some other things I'm forgetting.

 

So basically they flip switches and look at gauges? ;)

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So basically they flip switches and look at gauges? ;)

 

Yeah, sort of like the majority of airline pilots these days. Anyway, the "Russian way" includes logging of a lot of different variables besides just flight times. The FE is responsible for recording that information as well. It's not practical to have one of the pilots doing it. Where I work, we simply don't record that information.

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So basically they flip switches and look at gauges? ;)

Yes. But keep in mind, that FE has deeper knowledge of the machine than both pilots. And in critical situations he can act quickly without taking care of piloting, and vice versa - pilot can do this job without taking care of (for example) failing engine...

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Yes and look at the poor sob in the KA-50. I know that there is a lot of computer assistance available but still you have one person dealing with flying, navigation, engine management, weapons system and targeting, threat assessment and response...... Stress level has to be high at best

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only thing stressful about the Blackshark is the lack of a cupholder and an ashtray.....its hard to steer a stick with your knee, hold a beer and light a smoke all at the same time....that and the addition of a dashboard hula dancer would be nice since the backup ADI does'nt hold its calibration for more then ten minutes

It only takes two things to fly, Airspeed and Money.

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