Morning all,

I am MAJ Duke Samouce and am with TRADOC Capability Manager (TCM)-Virtual at the National Simulation Center, Fort Leavenworth. I am and aviator qualified in OH-58A/C, UH-1H and the AH-64A. Currently, I am Simulation Operation Officer.

I work as the AVCATT Project Officer for TCM-Virtual.

I am putting together a proposal to create a MTT that will specifically focus on teaching aviation leaders how to better utilize the AVCATT for collective training. Your input would be very valuable to me.

I would sure appreciate if you could make a few comments to the following areas -

1. How much does you unit use the AVCATT?

2. Do you have experience with the early AVCATT and what are your opinions of the AVCATT improvement over the years?

3. How do we increase AVCATT utilization in collective training through use of a MTT?

Any other comments are welcome.

You can blog here or email me directly with comments and observations - wellington.samouce@conus.army.mil

Thanks for your time,

MAJ Duke Samouce
Aviation Systems
TCM-Virtual, National Simulation Center
Fort Leavenworth, KS
DSN: 552 8456
COMM: 913 684 8456
Cell: 913 290 1736

1. Not much. I personally use it because it is like a really expensive arcade game that I don't have to pay for, but it is harder than flying the actual airframe. The in-flight rearm/refuel feature is awesome (I think we need to figure out how to do that for real)!

2. Previous AVCATT model experience was in 98, or whatever they were using at the time. The database/graphics have improved, somewhat. I don't think the flight model has improved. For instance, the KW flies like it has no SCAS if you bank more than 30 degrees.

3. I don't know that an MTT will increase AVCATT utilization. The fact that some pilots get sick using the helmet viewer is a detractor, as well as the difficulty with the flight model, among other things.

I recall that a problem before this last deployment was the planning needed to conduct an exercise in the AVCATT was more than the unit wanted. In hindsight, prepping the AVCATT for a mission is probably just as much work as a real-time, real-world mission in the combat theaters.

Possibly, you could use the MTT in the near-term as the sales force to make the pitch about the collective training. The system is good for mission system training and collective mission task training, but the problems are that the flight model and the viewing system make it difficult to "take it seriously" as a training tool.

My $.02

Crazyhorse30,

Thanks for your input. I have captured your comments. I also posted this message on kiowapilots.com and have five pages of posts there now. There is some really good information and observation that you might be interested in.

Herew is a link to the post - http://www.kiowapilots.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11615

Thanks, sir, but I don't do KP.com.