*FM 57-38

Headquarters
Department of the Army
Washington, DC
9 April 1993

Table of Contents

PREFACE

CHAPTER 1 -INTRODUCTION

1-1. EMPLOYMENT

1-2. EQUIPMENT

1-3. COMMUNICATIONS SECURITY

1-4. TRAINING

CHAPTER 2 - OPERATIONS

SECTION I. PLANNING

2-1. WARNING ORDER

2-2. INITIAL PREPARATION

2-3. COORDINATION

2-4. LINKUP WITH SUPPORTED UNIT

2-5. FINAL PREPARATIONS

SECTION II. ORGANIZATION FOR COMBAT

2-6. INSERTION

2-7. OVERLAND MOVEMENT

2-8. STAY-BEHIND OPERATIONS

SECTION III. CONDUCT OF OPERATIONS

2-9. DAYLIGHT ASSAULT

2-10. NIGHT ASSUALT

2-11. EXTRACTION

2-12. STAGING AREAS

2-13. ARTILLERY DISPLACEMENT

2-14. SUPPORT OF GROUND OPERATIONS

2-15. SUPPORT OF AIR FORCE

2-16. MIXED OPERATIONS

2-17. RADIO COMMUNICATIONS

2-18. TERMINAL GUIDANCE BY SUPPORTED UNITS

SECTION IV. HIGH-THREAT ENVIRONMENT

2-19. CONTROL AND NAVIGATION

2-20. TACTICAL INSTRUMENT FLIGHTS

2-21. AIR ROUTES

CHAPTER 3 - AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL

SECTION I. PATHFINDER ATC COMMUNICATION

3-1. SAFETY

3-2. VOICE CONTROL

3-3. FORMATS

3-4. NUMBERS

3-5. PHRASES

SECTION II. LANDINGS

3-6. TRAFFIC PATTERNS

3-7. METHODS OF ENTRY

3-8. TRAFFIC PATTERN LEGS

3-9. ADVISORY SERVICE

3-10. SPACING TECHNIGUES

3-11. FINAL LANDING INSTRUCTIONS

3-12. TAXIING AIRCRAFT

3-13. MINIMUM AIRCRAFT SEPARATION REQUIREMENTS

SECTION III. GROUND-TO-AIR COMMUNICATIONS

3-14. ELECTRONIC WARFARE ENVIRONMENT

3-15. GROUND-TO-AIR

CHAPTER 4 - HELICOPTER LANDING ZONES

SECTION I. SITE SELECTION AND LANDING POINTS

4-1. REQUIREMENTS

4-2. ALTERNATE SITES

4-3. LANDING POINTS

SECTION II. ORGANIZATION AND DUTIES

4-4. CONTROL CENTER

4-5. LANDING SITE PARTY

SECTION III. LANDING SITE OPERATIONS

4-6. COMMUNICATIONS

4-7. FLIGHT FORMATIONS

4-8. LANDING ZONE AND OBSTACLE MARKING

4-9. AIR ASSAULTS

4-10. INTERCEPT HEADING

SECTION IV. LANDING ZONE OPERATIONS

4-11. COMMUNICATIONS CHECKPOINT

4-12. AIR CONTROL POINTS

SECTION V. NIGHT OPERATIONS

4-13. TACTICAL LANDING LIGHTS

4-14. EXTERNAL LOADS

4-15. MULTI-HELICOPTER OPERATIONS

4-16. NIGHT VISION GOGGLES

SECTION VI. ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS

4-17. PILOT INPUT

4-18. COLD WEATHER OPERATIONS

4-19. JUNGLE TERRAIN

4-20. DESERT TERRAIN

4-21. MOUNTAINS

SECTION VII. APPROACH PATH CONSIDERATIONS

4-22. VERTICAL AIR CURRENTS

4-23. ESCAPE ROUTES

4-24. TERRAIN CONTOUR AND OBSTACLES

4-25. POSITION OF THE SUN

CHAPTER 5 - EXTERNAL LOADS

5-1. LANDING POINTS

5-2. TYPES OF LOADS

5-3. UNIT RESPONSIBILITIES

5-4. EQUIPMENT

5-5. SERVICE LIFE OF AERIAL DELIVERY SLINGS

5-6. AIRCRAFT LOAD LIMITATIONS

5-7. STANDARD WEIGHTS

5-8. AIR ITEMS REQUIRED FOR COMMON STANDARD LOADS

5-9. SLING LOAD THEORY

5-10. HOOKUP AND RELEASE PROCEDURES

CHAPTER 6 - DROP ZONES

SECTION I. SELECTION FACTORS

6-1. AIR DROP AIRSPEEDS

6-2. DROP ALTITUDE

6-3. DROP ZONE TIME REQUIREMENT ESTIMATION

6-4. METHODS OF DELIVERY

6-5. OBSTACLES

6-6. ACCESS

6-7. SIZE

6-8. APPROACH AND DEPARTURE ROUTES

SECTION II. DROP ZONE SUPPORT TEAM

6-9. ORGANIZATION

6-10. MISSIONS

6-11. EQUIPMENT FAMILIARIZATION

6-12. COORDINATION

6-13. SUPPORT REQUIREMENTS

6-14. DROP ZONE SUPPORT TEAM LEADER'S DUTIES

6-15. CONTROL CENTER

6-16. SIGNALS

6-17. DETERMINATION OF RELEASE POINT LOCATION

6-18. GROUND MARKING RELEASE SYSTEM

6-19. ARMY VERBAL INITIATED RELEASE SYSTEM

6-20. AIR FORCE VERBAL INITIATED RELEASE SYSTEM

6-21. AIR FORCE COMPUTED AIR RELEASE POINT

6-22. ASSAULT ZONE AVAILABILITY REPORT

6-23. DROP ZONE SURVEY

6-24. TACTICAL ASSESSMENT

6-25. AIRDROP/AIRLAND/EXTRACTION ZONE CONTROL LOG

6-26. AIR MEDICAL EVACUATION REQUESTS

APPENDIX A - OPERATIONAL FORMATS

APPENDIX B - ARMY HELICOPTER SPECIFICATIONS

GLOSSARY

REFERENCES

AUTHORIZATION LETTER

* This publication supersedes FM 57-38, 9 October 1968.