Talk:Brownout (aviation)

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A fact from Brownout (aviation) appeared on Wikipedia's Main Page in the Did you know? column on 27 June 2007.

This article or section deals primarily with the United States and does not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please improve this article or discuss the issue on the talk page.

This article begins thus:

In aviation, a brownout, or brown-out, connotes in-flight visibility restrictions due to dust or sand in the air.

That may be what it connotes, but what does it denote, i.e. what does the word literally mean? It doesn't seem like a very good idea to give connotations such a prominent place in the article without going on to set the reader straight about the literally meaning, as opposed to the connotations. Michael Hardy 13:03, 27 June 2007 (UTC)

That was a direct quote from what is now reference #1 (which is now quoted). Dhaluza 01:58, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Pro- and counter-measures

I hope this article sees some growth, because it seems to suggest new tactical issues and technology.

• How much of the brown-out is accidental? If I were sitting in a bunker in Iraq reading this I'd want to plow the desert around it so it would be ready for the Americans - is that done?

• Why isn't a short range radar or sonar used to provide a good view of the landscape regardless of dust? Heck, at such a low altitude I'd think a person could hear where the ground and nearby buildings were located from the echo of the helicopter - if it weren't for the noise of the helicopter itself. 204.186.148.72 14:24, 27 June 2007 (UTC)

Yes, site selection and preparation, and electronic systems are both among the countermeasures used, along with pilot technique. For site prep, a number of different types of mats have been used. Sites are also sprayed with jet fuel or "Rhino Snot". There is a visual system that takes a picture of the site before brownout, and then uses displays this picture to the pilot with adjustments based on GPS inputs. I just didn't have the time (or energy) to source and add this info yet. Dhaluza 01:58, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Globalize tag

I figured someone was bound to add this, because so much of the available info is from US sources. It would be interesting to know if Brownout is an Americanism, and if there is an equivalent British term that will produce additional international sources. As it is, I looked at all the sources I could find, and the only one with an international view was the info on the Dutch CH-47 crash in Afghanistan (which I added). I would appreciate any help on getting more international sources. But the U.S. view is based on the availability of source material, and a U.S. bias in aviation coverage is often a reflection of U.S. Government policy to put all government documents in the public domain. So, if no one objects, I would like to move this tag to the talk page. Dhaluza 01:58, 28 June 2007 (UTC)