Marines conduct flight operations in urban Virginia 

MV-22B Osprey aircraft from Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263 (Reinforced), 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, stopped traffic and turned heads as they landed in several areas in and around Richmond, Va., Jan. 10.

Residents from Richmond took an interest with the Osprey's landings as they gathered, waved and took pictures of the aircraft.

"It's refreshing to see that people want to come out and see the plane. It's new and interesting," said Cpl. John A. Ward, an Osprey crew chief.

The flights gave pilots the opportunity to become familiarized with landing zones and to practice landing the aircraft in urban environments they might use during the 22nd MEU's Realistic Urban Training.

The 22nd MEU is currently conducting their Realistic Urban Training in and around Fort Pickett, Va., a Virginia Army National Guard Maneuver Training Center.

The purpose of RUT is to give Marines of the 22nd MEU an opportunity to operate in unfamiliar urban environments.

"I think the Marine Corps plays a crucial role being able to fight in an urban environment, and that means the squadron needs to be able to land and insert Marines in this environment," said Capt. Newel R. Bartlett, the Osprey tactics officer for the squadron, and native of Thousand Oaks, Calif.

Before the Ospreys took flight, teams visited each of the sites to ensure they would serve as safe landing zones for the aircraft.

"Our safety department and our operations department went out and talked to people that lived in the area," said Bartlett. "They qualified the zones by ensuring that there weren't any obstacles that could damage the aircraft or anything around that we might damage due to our down wash."

Marine crew chiefs in the aircraft watch outside of the aircraft, to ensure they don't damage anything when they are landing, said Ward.

"As a pilot you can only see the first half of where the aircraft is," said Bartlett. "I have a good 80 feet of aircraft behind me with two huge wings sticking out on the edges, so I am completely dependent on my crew."

Ward said this training was good because they get the chance to land in different places besides the same open field landing zones back at the MEU's home base of Camp Lejeune, N.C.

"Each zone had its own obstacles. Some had tall light poles, power-lines, and trees that you had to maneuver around," said Bartlett. "It was good to train in all the different types of exposures in the urban terrain."

The 22nd MEU will be the first such unit to deploy with the MV-22B Osprey.  The unit is scheduled to deploy this spring.  For more information, visit the unit's website at www.22meu.usmc.mil.
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