Aviation medicine and the Army

The purpose of this short series of articles is not to present the reader with a vast amount of technical data, soon to be forgotten, but to provide some items of general interest from the past, present, and future of Army aviation. Obviously there will be a concentration on medical matters, but the aim is to give the reader a feel for the rapid progress being made in helicopter design and the likely problems we may face in the future. The first article serves as an introduction to the series and three further articles will cover various aspects of the speciality. The second will be concerned with AAC helicopter accidents and will include accident investigation, crashworthiness and the contribution made by pilot error. The third article will cover major environmental problems of helicopters, particularly noise, vibration and thermal stress. The fourth article will examine ways in which microprocessors and modern technology will affect future helicopter and ancillary equipment development; for instance, a helicopter with no external windows has been suggested, 'The Iron Cockpit'. The fifth article will be concerned with the clinical aspects of Army Aviation medicine.