[The Old Guy]

Brown out can be a huge problem in deep fine powder if the aircraft is not set up properly to land on short final. You have to be established long before that time comes into play. I have had PIs freak out in the cockpit, both day and under NVGs, and start pulling power, where I still had the ground in sight or was comfortable with the aircraft profile in relationship to the earths surface and confined space I was landing. It is hard for a young inexperienced PI to set the aircraft profile up and hurl yourself to the earth at 500 - 700 FPM and at 70 knots. Experience and confidence in yourself and the airframe you fly has a large amount to do with it also. Use of the artificial horizon and radar altimeter s too little too late with current technology found in the majority of DOD aircraft.

This is way it is critical for the ground forces to understand aviation limitations and establish HLZs within those limits. I really thought that I understood aviation prior to flight school but was educated quickly that I was quit naïve in limitations. That third dimension is a killer.

TOG