Flying the Legend of Lockheed P3 Orion

The Orion P3 is an aircraft that has made the history of the fight. The fortune of an exchange was no words experience for me.

We start saying that the P3C Orion, the version of the German Navy which I flew, is a turboprop four-engine derived from the Lockheed L-188 civil aircraft. Totally modified for military purposes, in particular for surveillance, Antisom warfare, maritime patrol, reconnaissance, etc., it has been flying operationally for more than 50 years and continues to do that undergoing continuous upgrades. The aircraft inside is really  different from the previous versions. The "smoky" engines remain which make it indistigible in the skies, the central stand is really more full-bodied since the instruments must be practically quadriplicated because of the 4 engines. Fortunately, analog instruments give a great help, as soon as one needle is not in line with the others it immediately catches your eye. A very different thing compared to my previous aircraft (twin engine) is the management of the BP RPM connected to the propellers; the system always tends to keep constant revolutions, an engineering choice perhaps from the 60s. I do not know why, ebut someone speaks about a greater "reactivity".

I gained my final gift on the field

The TEV (flight engineer) station allows you to supervise and manage the engine panel if necessary, leaving the pilot free during the operational phases where he often has his eyes out (towards the sea). The vision of the sea and the blue horizons is a constant for those who have flown for a long with naval aviation. It is a charm that few people can understand, such as the concept of the flight crew, typical uses and procedures in the Antisubmarine's world.

After the crew met for the briefing in the operating room, we made an update briefing on board. The aircraft has a lot of space in the rear, where there is a logistic area, we make a final tactical briefing with the flight crew only. In this flight mission with the Sixth Crew, we are engaged in an exercise involving military ships with helicopters embarked in support of them, as well as two submarines. A Canadian aircraft (CP140 Aurora, also based on a P3 cell), already "hot" on a contact below the surface, must be replaced. Despite the robust and masculine configuration of the American military aircraft of the 60s / 70s, the cockpit is betrayed by various retrofits, such as that of the Pilot Flying Display.

After a fast transit at high altitude, we go down to low altitude, gaining contact, the naval helicopter below us leavse the typical wakes on the sea surface, often more visible than the helicopter itself.

The ship has the tactical control of the situation, but the best moment is always the visual confirmation of the contact.

Identifying a submarine at snorkel altitude is not easy at the beginning, you have to practice your eye, but when it appears it is something really fascinating. When there are typical conditions  it is also possible to visually perceive the silhouette of the sub under the surface of the sea, like a ghost in action.

The mission lasts "only" 6 hours, the contact is "tracked" for a long time before simulating a deliberate attack with the release of "artifices". The re-entry takes place at high altitude with an IFR pick up. The four engines make their job especially during the climb, at low altitude I have almost the impression that two are sufficient.

The landing closed an incredible exercise mission at very low altitude over the sea, always below 1000 ft, with low pass even below 300 ft. Despite a rather rigid structure for maneuvering at low altitudes, you can appreciate a certain easy handling and manouverability at all altitudes and really large spaces on board (certainly inherited from the previous civil airframe). For the rest, the platform completely modified over the years houses a very wide range of sensors and equipment.