Sun, Mar 06, 2011
Famed U.S. Army Pilot Jim Hardy To Appear At Heli-Expo
Timken Will Host Pilot Who's Apache's Transmission Survived
Extreme Dry-Run Conditions In Afghanistan.
Jim Hardy
Former U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 4 Jim Hardy will be the
guest of The Timken Company at its Heli-Expo exhibit March 6-7 in
Orlando, FL. Timken invites attendees and exhibitors at the show to
meet Hardy and hear his story first-hand.
Hardy piloted his Boeing Apache AH-64A 50 miles back to base
after it suffered complete transmission oil loss as a result of an
enemy air strike during operations in Eastern Afghanistan. The
Apache's transmission was built by Timken.
During a military security detail, a rocket-propelled grenade
attack left several Apache AH-64A rotorcraft severely impaired. The
worst damage was to an Apache that had lost its weapon controls and
was hemorrhaging oil from a battering of bullets and grenades. As
one of the most experienced pilots on the mission, Hardy directed
his fellow officer in the more severely wounded Apache to follow
him. Forced to make an emergency landing under open fire, Hardy
moved to quickly inspect the more damaged Apache and found its
transmission oil reservoir was completely drained. He knew that
abandoning the helicopter would require a dangerous recovery
mission; also, he considered the greater risk that the Apache could
end up in enemy hands.
Finding neither of these scenarios acceptable, the team fed six
quarts of spare oil into the Apache's constantly-depleting
reservoir, and Hardy took command of the damaged aircraft in a swap
with his fellow officer. Then, testing his own nerve and the
performance of the Apache's Timken-built transmission, Hardy
piloted the Apache nearly 50 miles back to base. The successful
26-minute journey ensured the safety of everyone on the security
detail, for which Hardy received the U.S. Army's Distinguished
Flying Cross.
"Hardy's story is an awe-inspiring reminder that the technology
Timken delivers often is involved in risky operations and sometimes
heroic events, in civilian and military service alike," says Erik
Paulhardt, Timken vice president for aerospace and defense. "We
place tremendous emphasis on the quality of our products, which
serve a mission-critical role. Whether our technology is involved
in powering flight to fight wild fires or to carry out rescues, we
never forget that every day, crucial operations rely on Timken's
promise of performance, backed by our industry leading expertise in
power transmission."
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