Who Would Have Thought Submarines Could Fly

In 1993 to 1995 I was the Deputy Commander, and then Director of Test Operations, for an a Special Operations Test Organization here in the Florida Panhandle.  The role of the unit was to evaluate new equipment and tactics to determine if they were suitable for use.  In that role I oversaw a bunch of tests; ranging from new electronic jamming techniques, new bullets for the guns we have on our aircraft, to new airdrop techniques.  It sounds cool, but mostly I spent my days trying to get the test directors to write down what they did and how it worked, rather than just send out a brief e-mail.  

One day I come into the office from lunch and I have two of my noncommissioned officer (NCO) test directors waiting for me.  My secretary says they’ve been a while and it is important that I meet with them.  So into my office we go.

I don’t remember exactly who started the conversation but it went something like this...

“Sir, you know we’ve been helping the Army and the Navy with their test.” I say I remember, but since it wasn’t one we were directly responsible for I didn’t pay much attention to the details.  “Well anyway, they were out on the water range this morning and had a bit of a problem.”  [The water ranges are in the Gulf of Mexico and we do a lot of flying there to avoid the local population areas.]

I reach behind me to grab a cup of coffee, while I wave the NCO to continue.  “You know sir, we weren’t in charge, we were just helping.”  At this point I start to get a sinking feeling we are talking about more than “a bit of a problem.”  I ask them to get to the point so we can figure out what we need to do.  “What were the test points for today?”

“THEY were doing sling testing [a procedure where something is attached by straps and carried under the helicopter] and they had to jettison the load.”  Okay, so far not too bad, this is why we test isn’t it?  So I ask, “What were they carrying?”  The answer, one of the SEALS new mini-subs.  They now have my undivided attention.

“They picked up the sub over at Panama City and were slinging it out to a rendezvous point where they were going to meet up with the SEALS, lower the sub and let them do their thing.  Everything was going great until the 47 started to make a high speed turn and then all the sudden the sub flew up and hit it.  Just before it hit the aircraft the hoist operator tried to jettison it, but it was too late.  They Navy is starting the recovery operation now, we know where it went in and it's only about 200 feet deep in that area.”  How high were they when the jettisoned I ask?  About 1,500 feet give or take is the answer.

“We talked with their engineers, none of them thought that the sub would behave like that!”  “Behave like what” I ask.  “You know, go flying around like an airplane.”  I stare at them for a long moment and then ask “how do subs work?”  The answer I get back is one of my favorites.  “I don’t know, I guess they kind of fly through the water?”

We ended our support for the test and left the Army and Navy to figure out what went wrong, but I would have loved to meet the pilots of the MH-47 at the officers club and had them explain to me how a helicopter can have a mid-air with a sub at 1,500 feet above the Gulf of Mexico.