Denying Satisfaction

Editorial Staff

Monday, March 07, 2011 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Army pilot Jim Hardy successfully flew a battle-damaged Apache helicopter back to his forward operating base in Afghanistan, despite its transmission being hit by an RPG and small arms fire.
Hardy pushed the helicopter's Timken transmission "run-dry" capability to its limits, preventing the enemy from capturing the downed chopper.
His actions earned him a medal for saving the aircraft and preventing it from falling into enemy hands.

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When a fellow Army pilot’s Apache helicopter took an RPG round and small arms fire over Afghanistan, punching a hole in the transmission, Jim Hardy says he wasn’t about to let the enemy have the satisfaction of stripping the chopper in a victory celebration. Hardy tested the “run-dry” ability of the Timken transmission to the limit by flying it back to his forward operating base, winning a medal in the process. He spoke with AVweb‘s Russ Niles at Heli-Expo in Orlando, Florida.

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