Courtesy Photo | Portland, Ore., native Capt. Marc Dalziel (left), commander and CH-47 Chinook pilot...... read more read more
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By Spc. Nathan Hoskins
1st ACB, 1st Cav. Div. Public Affairs
CAMP TAJI, Iraq – Before any new military aircraft makes it into the hands of pilots in the armed forces, someone gets to play with them first ... to check their airworthiness.
These pilots get to take brand new aircraft and push them to their physical and technological limits. These are experimental test pilots and they are a rare breed.
Yet, with the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division's illustrious reputation, it's no surprise that the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School has selected one of the unit's pilots to take on the challenge of pushing the limits of aviation.
Fulfilling his life-long dream, Capt. Marc Dalziel, a CH-47 Chinook pilot and commander of Company B, 2nd Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, is one of only a handful of pilots selected from the Army for this program.
"I don't know how many (pilots) applied," he said with quiet reserve, "but I hear it's pretty competitive."
The selection process occurs every year, and – since this was a life-long dream of Dalziel's – he decided to finally submit a packet.
"It was helpful to have a lot of flight time, which I'm pretty fortunate to have, and then it's helpful to be a Chinook pilot as well as a maintenance test pilot, which I've had the chance to do also," said the Portland, Ore., native.
The USNTPS is a school located in Patuxent River, Md., where seasoned pilots from all over the armed forces go to take new aircraft, fly them, and set the operating parameters for future pilots, said Dalziel.
"The technical manuals are written by experimental test pilots. They set up the operating limitations for the aircraft," he said. "The other aspect of it is the electronics. If (the equipment) has been plugged into an aircraft, it's been tested by an experimental test pilot."
Not only do the experimental test pilots have to push the limits in clear, blue skies, they also have to traverse through dangerous weather conditions, said Dalziel.
"There are a couple programs where they do the flying in icing conditions," he said. "Just like pushing the limits on the engines, they're going to push the limits on the rotors and things like that."
Being selected for the program is not as easy as just heading to the school when the next class starts; Dalziel has a lot to accomplish before his class in February 2010.
For starters, he has to complete a graduate course in a program of his choice. He hasn't yet decided what he'll get a master's degree in, but he is diligently looking, he said.
After he finishes his graduate studies, he then has to attend the Intermediate Level Education course. This is a course designed for officers promoted to the rank of major, said Dalziel.
With a graduate degree and ILE out of the way, he's ready for the USNTPS, right?
Not so fast.
After all of that, Dalziel still has to attend the fixed-wing multi-engine aircraft course at Fort Rucker, Ala. Then he'll be ready for the USNTPS.
This seems like a lot, but this pilot is ready for the challenge and the honor bestowed upon him, he said.
"It's kind of like following in the footsteps of a lot of other people who have been really great pilots," said Dalziel. "A lot of the guys who are in the Army astronaut program end up walking this same path. A lot of Army astronauts have gone through the experimental test pilot program on their way to becoming astronauts.
"If the opportunity presents itself to (become an astronaut), I'll take it, but I'd really like to just do the best I can otherwise," said Dalziel.
Although Dalziel has a lot of experience in the pilot seat of a Chinook, the twin rotor helicopters used for heavy lifting throughout the Army, he has yet to fly a fixed-wing aircraft, let alone a jet, he said.
"Flying jets is part of the course. I'm really excited to do that ... it'll be a lot of fun. It's like a childhood, second-grader kind of dream," said Dalziel with a big grin.
Although being selected for such a program would inflate most Soldiers' egos, Dalziel is grateful and humbled to have been chosen, he said.
"I know I'm in a really elite crowd of people and I'm just kind of really happy to be there," he said modestly.
| Date Taken: | 05.20.2007 |
| Date Posted: | 05.21.2007 12:36 |
| Story ID: | 10469 |
| Location: | TAJI, IQ |
| Web Views: | 483 |
| Downloads: | 348 |
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