Photo By Master Sgt. Ryan Campbell | Aviators assigned to the New York Army National Guard's Army Aviation Support Facility...... read more read more
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LAKE PLACID, N.Y. (July 6, 2020) – Soldiers from the New York Army National Guard’s Aviation Support Facility #3 spent July 6, 2020 with forest rangers and conservation officials flying over Whiteface Mountain, one of the Adirondacks fabled high peaks, to look for places they can train without impacting endangered plants and animals.
Flying in a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter from the Albany airport, the Soldiers met with state officials to discuss the possibility of using rocky outcrops around the mountain. The training depends on environmental factors such as threatened species of plants and animals on the mountain, requiring the Army to apply for a permit to train.
"We did some coordination training with the Department of Environmental Conservation as well as ORDA, the Olympic Regional Development Authority, to look at using Whiteface Mountain,” said Lt. Col. Kevin Ferreira, commander of AASF #3, “for helicopter training, high altitude training, pinnacle training and power management training for our crew members.”
At 4,867 feet, Whiteface Mountain is the fifth-highest mountain in New York. It’s height, would allow the aviators to simulate conditions that they might find in Afghanistan.
“To do the environmental training that we’re looking at doing and the altitude training, Whiteface Mountain is probably one of the tallest mountains around,” Ferreira said. “So it is a unique area that can offer that.”
If you don’t have a helicopter, or don’t want to hike, Whiteface Mountain also has a road where you can drive to the top, and then take an elevator ride to the summit. There’s also a state-owned ski resort run by ORDA.
At the top however, lives the Bicknell’s Thrush, a bird currently listed as vulnerable due to decreasing habitat. It is one of North America’s rarest birds and nests in trees and shrubs at the top of mountains and one of the species that could impact where the aviators can train, according to Emma Lamy, sustainability and environmental compliance officer for ORDA.
Ferreira explained though, that with Whiteface Mountain being less than two hours away by helicopter, it is uniquene in being able to simulate conditions they might find in a combat zone.
“The altitude adds a great training value to our crew members to evaluate performance considerations of the aircraft, how much weight the aircraft can use to actually perform the mission,” Ferreira said. “Which then helps to relate to going and flying combat missions in Afghanistan or other high-altitude parts of the world.”
Ferreira also explained that the training would give them experience in power management which would help with things such as staying in the air longer during search and rescue missions abroad and even when called upon at home in New York.
They will also conduct pinnacle training, where only one wheel of the helicopter would touch down on the landing zone while the aircraft hovers, a form of landing on uneven and rocky ledges.
However, there is an approval process the New York Army National Guard must go through first in order train at the mountain.
“I’m working with the New York National Guard to do the environmental assessment of the touch down locations and where they plan on using the mountain to train,” said Lamy.
Lamy said her role is to ensure that certain animals and alpine plants on Whiteface Mountain are not harmed, as some of the species are considered threatened.
“The way it’s going to work is I’m going to go back and look at the intensive use area mapping of this area and work with the Army to overlay where the endangered species are, where the touch down locations are and where we actually have land,” Lamy said.
Whiteface Mountain is surrounded by wild forest that is not available for use, Lamy explained. The goal then she said, is to bring all agencies together that manage the Whiteface area to determine what is useable within the boundaries available, based on potential spots identified by Ferreira and his Soldiers.
“Basically, what they have to do is choose these spots and then we perform the environmental assessment to discuss potential impacts and then Army will apply for a temporary, revocable permit from ORDA,” Lamy said.
Various New York agencies such as the Department of Environmental Conservation as well as the Fish and Wildlife Service maintain databases that identify threatened and vulnerable species and where they are across the state.
Lamy said it is then required to go in and verify that these species are in fact present at the area in question.
If approved, Ferreira said his aviators would look into a September to May timeframe to conduct the training, with one aircraft at a time. He explained they are looking to avoid peak season for tourists, nesting season for the wildlife and after all daily operations at the mountain had closed for the day.
Ferreira, who has been an Army aviator for 25 years, said it was a perfect day for flying and scouting out landing zones around Whiteface Mountain.
From flying a “nap of the earth” approach to the mountain, where his Blackhawk flew at extremely low levels through the mountains and ravines of Adirondacks, to finding exactly what they need in order to have the training they want.
Hovering over Whiteface Mountain gave the aviators a unique look at the ski slopes, resorts and hospitality, nestled around an area that many species of plant and wildlife call home. More than anything though, they want to be good neighbors to the community and not hinder anyone’s use of the mountain.
“We do like to be user friendly to the environment as well as to the people that are using the mountain,” Ferreira said.
| Date Taken: | 07.15.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 07.15.2020 09:50 |
| Story ID: | 373937 |
| Location: | LAKE PLACID, NEW YORK, US |
| Web Views: | 80 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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