OOD
1. Keep the commanding officer and executive officer informed on the status of helicopter operations.
2. Inform all departments concerned of expected receipt or delivery of personnel, mail, freight, or
HIFR operations
3. Ensure that a qualified lookout is assigned/tasked to maintain a constant visual watch on the
helicopter while airborne and within visual range
4. Display required signals
5. Ensure that the rescue boat is fully prepared and that the boat crew is detailed and available at
short notice for launch, if required
6. Maintain communications with the flight operations area, CIC, rescue boat stations, and DCC.
7. Maneuver the ship to provide favorable relative wind conditions
8. Maintain a steady course and speed during rotor engagement/ disengagement and launch/recovery
operations, or at any time an aircraft is being moved/repositioned on the flight deck until the
helicopter is clear of the ship or properly secured to the deck.
9. Maintain the flight deck in readiness for an emergency helicopter landing
10. Ensure that obstructions such as guns, antennas, cranes, flagstaffs, and lifelines are lowered, trained
clear, or unrigged, as appropriate
11. Pass permission to move, engage, disengage, launch, or recover the helicopter
12. Notify the HCO prior to course and speed changes during all phases of helicopter deck and overdeck operations
13. Grant permission to commence flight operations when HCO reports “Manned and ready” and
permission has been obtained from the commanding officer as appropriate
14. Ensure that the HCO is advised in a timely manner of all information that might affect the safety
and efficiency of flight deck operations
TAO
1. Establish communications between the helicopter and air controller in CIC. This circuit should be
monitored on the bridge.
2. Ensure that all personnel assigned to a helicopter firefighting team or to a billet that places them
on the helicopter deck during flight quarters receive training in helicopter firefighting via a CNO
approved course of instruction
3. The operation officer shall provide pilots and OOD With:
a. Time of takeoff and estimated time of return
b. Mission of flight
c. PIM of the ship and other ships as pertinent at the time of takeoff
d. Bearing and distance of destination at time of launch.
e. Bearing and distance of nearest land or other ships capable of operating aircraft
f. Communications frequencies to be employed
g. Minimum and maximum altitudes and altitude separation, if required
h. Low-visibility operating procedures
i. Hostile, potentially hostile, or unfriendly forces in the area of operations
j. ROE applicable to the mission, as required
CIC
The CIC officer on an air-capable ship shall be responsible for the control of aircraft while airborne,
except during actual launching and recovery, when the helicopter is under the control of the HCO/LSO.
He/she shall ensure completion of the CIC air operations checklist
Chief Engineer
The. chief engineer on air capable ships (air officer, when assigned) shall be responsible for the
maintenance and operation of the ship’s aviation fueling system and shall ensure that safety
precautions are observed during fueling operations
Damage Control Assistant
The DCA on air capable ships is responsible for supervision of all firefighting evolutions concerning
helicopter operations
Helicopter Control Officer. On air-capable
ships that have no aviation department, the HCO shall be designated in writing by the commanding
officer. HCOs shall be graduates of the appropriate helicopter indoctrination course, unless they are
designated helicopter pilots.
1. Supervise all transmissions from the HCS to the bridge, CIC, LSE, and helicopter.
2. Supervise all flight operations
3. Man the HCS during flight quarters
4. Originate all transmissions from the HCS to the bridge and helicopter
5. Ensure that the flight deck checkoff list is completed Obtain “Manned and ready” reports from
the LSE, crash party, and fueling team and report ready for launch, recovery, or refueling
operations to the bridge.
6. Ensure that safe flight deck procedures are observed and that all flight deck personnel are
properly attired
7. Exercise control over the helicopter during launch and recovery and over-deck operations
8. Ensure that only those personnel essential for a particular evolution are present on the flight
deck
9. Ensure that an FOD prevention walkdown is completed prior to commencement of each flight
evolution
10. Ensure that passengers to be embarked in the helicopter are manifested and briefed
11. Coordinate all movement, permission to start engines, rotor engagements/disengagements, and
launch/recovery of the helicopter with the OOD on the bridge.
Flight Deck Officer.
On air-capable ships on which the physical location of the flight deck and the HCS are such that the
safety of flight operations would be enhanced by an additional supervisor on the flight deck, an FDO
should be designated. In this case, the FDO shall be responsible to the HCO for assigned duties and shall
provide a safety backup for the LSE.
Landing Signalman Enlisted. The LSE is
1. responsible for visually signaling to the helicopter, thus assisting the pilot in making a safe
takeoff and/or approach and landing to the ship
2. He is responsible for directing the pilot to the desired deck spot and for ensuring general safety
conditions of the flight deck area, to include control of the flight deck crew. His signals are
advisory in nature, with the exception of wave-off and hold, which are mandatory. He is
responsible to and performs his duties under the supervision of the air officer, FDO, HCO, aviation
officer, or LSO as appropriate. He shall be designated as PQS qualified, in writing, by the
commanding officer.