Army helicopters complete unprecedented flight drill over water
ROC Central News Agency
2010/09/17 22:50:54
Taipei, Sept. 17 (CNA) The Army Aviation Special Forces Command held an unprecedented drill in early September in which a fleet of military helicopters flew from Taiwan proper to the outlying Penghu Islands in formation.
In a report on the drill Friday, the United Evening News said Army choppers had never flown such a long distance in formation over a body of water as they did when they flew to Penghu, a group of islands 50 kilometers off Taiwan's southwestern coast.
The drill was first disclosed by the Ministry of National Defense's on its news wire on Sept. 12. Though the military did not disclose how many helicopters participated in the drill, it praised the special forces for "creating a historic first by completing the 'long-distance formation flight drill over water.'"
The ministry said the fleet, comprised of CH-47SD, AH-1W, OH-58D and UH-1H choppers, took off from three bases for flights destined to Penghu's Makong airport.
The United Evening News, which reported that the flight lasted around 50 minutes, said it is much more challenging for helicopters to fly over water than over land for long distances because there is no terrain that can be used as an aviation guide for the aircraft.
The drill was scheduled to include a live-fire exercise, but that was canceled due to the influence of a tropical storm, the daily said. (By Elizabeth Hsu) enditem/ls
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