In response to a series of incidents and mishaps involving the AH-64A, the U.S. Army determined that AH-64A aviators needed flight training in a device capable of accurately simulating the necessary control handovers or handling qualities of the Back Up Control System (BUCS). None of the current training devices can simulate BUCS, or flight control feel and behavior after BUCS engagement. The Army Research Institute Rotary Wing Aviation Research Unit (ARI-RWARU), PERSCOM, Aviation Training Brigade (ATB), U.S. Army Aviation Center, Fort Rucker; and APACHE Modernization Product Manager Office (PMO), Redstone Arsenal, Huntsville, AL, agreed to a concerning the conduct of flight memorandum of understanding simulator support for BUCS (back-up control system) training for AH-64A aviators at Fort Rucker, Alabama. The STRATA (Simulator Training Research Advanced Testbed for Aviation) simulator located at ARI-RWARU, Fort Rucker, was identified as a primary resource to train AH-64A aviators at Fort Rucker. The STRATA research simulator has BUCS already modeled in the control loading system. STRATA’s simulation of the BUCS system includes control tube severance, SPAD (shear-pin actuated decoupler) breakage, crew contention, BUCS malfunctions, related systems malfunctions that affect BUCS (primary hydraulics failure; total A/C power loss), and handling / flight characteristics for both normal and BUCS modes. To define the area of STRATA usage and support for the AH-64A BUCS training program, the following was proposed:

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