W. J. Stanley H. Pratt, M.D. 1 December 1978 Page Two To speak more directly to the question that Harry Brown presented yesterday, I am very much opposed to baaing a light helicoptor aboard our chartered vessel for the January-Sebruary medical survey. I have a number of reasons for taking this position, but first I think it would be wise for me to outline my qualifications for making these observations and recommendations. _ For 30 years I was a Haval aviator as well as a Haval physician and flight surgeon. For the first li years of that periodII was solely a Naval aviator and had rather extensive experience with helicoptors. During my period of shipboard duty aboard several Forrestaidclass carriers, first as a Junior Medical Officer and then as a Senior Medical Officer, it was my responsibility to assure safety of flight, particularly in helicoptor areas, both landing on the flight deck of large carriers and in support of surface ships of the size of destroyers... I am thoroughly familiar with the problems associated with light helicoptor support of small shipa. I have a long list of references of accident reports involving attempts to support light helicopoors on small vessels. This is an extremely hazardous operation even under ideal conditions. The period of the medical survey includes the roughest weather of the year and we can almost guarantee 30-knot winds and rough seas throughout the entire survey. A@:¢he_survey leader and medical officer in charga of this survey, I will not accept the responsibility for the hazards presented by a helicoptor operating off the ship. A compounding problem which I suggested to Harry and which apparently has not been considered in the past, is the fact that Kwajalein, as a highly restricted military area, has some very stringent rules concerning overflights There would have to be some very significant modiby private aircraft. fications of their present security measures to allow any private overflights. Again, I have no advance warning as to when there might be incoming missiles into the Kwajalein test range, and there would have to be constant communication between the ship at sea and the Kwajalein operations center so that a private helicoptor didn't stray into an area of incoming missiles. All of these problems I'm afraid would interfere with the basic mission of this ship which 1s the support of the DOE Medical Program during this time frame. I would suggest that if Mr. Otterman has potentially pressing (1) he can business obligations in some other area that he has two options: he is while him for problems those solve to surrogate suitable a appoint aboard the ship; or (2) he can make arrangements for a private charter, fixed wing atreraft to pick him up landing in the lagoon of either Utirik or Kwajalein. As each day unfoléd and we come face to face with new and more unusual requests (demands) from Mr. Otterman regarding the details of this charter arrangement, I find myself more and mowe skeptical about the future renewal of this contract. I assume that the previous adminiatrative arrangements concerning the control of the vessel, schedule, and the disposttion of the veasel in port will be as it has been in the past with our previous vessel Mma )uankh 4