User Panel
Posted: 9/9/2001 8:21:06 AM EDT
[img]home.att.net/~satcong/wsb/media/18266/site22.jpg[/img]
It may be hard to read, but look at the letters on the side of the Helicopter --- "Air America". These guy's visited our base from time to time in the Mekong. The ship was painted white. To show how stupid I was, I thought it was something like the "Red Cross". I could tell these guy's weren't military and actually did wear sun glasses. I got a very dirty look when taking photo's of them and the helicopter (I have a few more photo's that I have to scan before they go completely bad). No real topic, just thought it might be an interesting photo. By the way, I didn't know who "Air America" really was until I saw the movie. My life must have been really sheltered. |
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Bat21,
Any tail numbers in your photos ? [img]wsphotofews.excite.com/028/vU/3y/Ro/0J42621.jpg[/img] |
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I'll have to dig my photo's out to see if there are any readable numbers. The photo was taken in 1968. The river in background is a tributary of the Saigon River. I'm scanning all of my photo's and putting them on CD's as they are really starting to show their age despite careful storage. I have not even looked at my color slides for years. I used a Polaroid, TOPCON 35mm and Minox B camera for most of my photo's. Always carried the Minox B. My color photo's are starting to turn yellow.
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[img]home.att.net/~satcong/wsb/media/18266/site57.jpg[/img]
You can make out some of the numbers on this photo. It may be a different helicopter though since it's in color. Anyway, they liked our base of which was in the bend of the river. |
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Your collection sounds pretty extensive. By all means take measures to preserve them. I'm sure some board members would be interested in looking at some. Who knows, at some point in the future, your pics may appear in someones book with the caption "Photo courtesy of 'Bat21'."
There was a recent special on History Channel about Air America. Part of it mentioned efforts to get some recognition for some of the harrowing missions performed by these civilian pilots. |
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[img]http://wsphotofews.excite.com/017/zv/4O/Rx/oi74295.jpg[/img] [:D]
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B or C model Huey. We had re-built Army B & C's here for years, TH1L's used for training Naval Avaitors to fly helicopters. The old Naval Air ReWork Facility (NARF) re-built as many as Bell did during the height of the Vietnam war. The B & C have a slightly different blade than the D and H model, and make a much louder whump whump sound, you could hear them coming for miles. They are all gone now, they use TH57 (Bell JetRanger) for both basic and advanced training. I so see some UH1H and some AH1's. The Air Force flys several UH1 single and twin engined models here, we still see some from Ft. Rucker, but they are about to all be retired. The forest service is flying AH1's with buckets on to fight fires. A lot of H models as well.
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Recently I was at an outdoor event here in Oregon where there were about 5000 people. Several helicopters were in the area but when a Huey (not connected to the event) flew by many gray haired men immediately stood to look. I looked but it was the sound that attracted us. The doors were not slid back. Memories....
Zip06 - Class of 64 and 69. |
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Trivia
What is the Am. Indian name designated to the huey, no search engines now. GG |
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The indian name is Iroquoi. Ahh, I can't spell it but you know.
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Quoted: The indian name is Iroquoi. Ahh, I can't spell it but you know. View Quote You only forgot the "s" Good deal!! GG |
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I was a crew chief on UH-1Ms(upgraded C model( UH-1H (upgraded D model) and UH-1V (medivac version of H model. The US Arny still has 400 + hueys ( so they say) in active and reserve (NG) many active duty units have VIP birds, Medivac, transport, and test. This all recent info. I think the numbers are still around 800 total. That is twice what the army will officially say. even at fort rucker the huey is used for intrument flight and test. the army has adopted a new cincept call (LUH) light utility helicopter. this is what alot of these units are. they even got hueys painted like russian hinds. i am actually putting together this info so i can make a book on the huey. i have hundreds of photos on it. ...well, i could go on for hours. e-mail me if anyone wants to know more about the best aircraft ever made!!!!!!! huey
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I remembered that from a Discovery program about war time helicoptors. I have always been in love with that bird and I'm only thirty. Ever feel you have an unexplained connection with something and you don't know why?
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In my line of work I still ride in the 212 and 412's (civilian, of course). I love them, they have that distinctive sound and smell from the others that I ride in, such as the Puma's, Bells, Sikorsky's and even a little gas driven one that takes off and lands on a 6'x 8' trailer pulled by a riding lawnmower. Believe me, that is a trip. I have pics' of that one on my hard drive. Probably spelled Sikorsky wrong.
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well, i am only 30 yrs old too. I joined in 88. there was a ton of them around then. !!!!
i wish the army bought some bell 412s because they are just ultra modernized uh-1s |
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Here are some shots of H-1's from over the years while in service with the US Navy and VXE-6.
[img]http://www.vaq34.com/vxe6/gentlexd158238.jpg[/img] My job as an LC-130F Loadmaster, stuff the UH-1N in the back. [img]http://www.vaq34.com/vxe6/vxelidke1.jpg[/img] UH-1N landed on top of a calved iceberg that has broken off of the Mt. Erbus Ice Tounge. It is stuck in the seasonal winter ice. [img]http://www.vaq34.com/vxe6/gentleformflight1.jpg[/img] Three HH-1N's flying form over near Cape Croizer, Antarctica. [img]http://www.vaq34.com/vxe6/gentle14nobuno3.jpg[/img] HH-1N at the edge of the VXE-5 Icefalls, The Dry Valleys, Antarctica. [img]http://www.vaq34.com/vxe6/Army_HelosZ.jpg[/img] US Army Antarctic Detachment out of Fort Eustis, Va flying UH-1B's near the Shackelton Glaicer, Antarctica 1964 |
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[img]home.att.net/~satcong/wsb/media/18266/site24.jpg[/img]
This ought to make you have "Flash Backs" Same base. Whatever helicopter flew in Nam, at one time or other landed here or was part of the detachment. I have a pic of the "Flying Crane" hauling off a tanker truck. That was a sight also. The base was primarily a PBR base, but we had ARVN's, PRU's, SEAL's, LRRP's, PCF's, Army Monitors, etc. and detachments of OH-3, Huey and Cobra Gunships. Of course, as previously seen, "Air America" blessed with their presence. |
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[img]http://www.vaq34.com/bwkiller1.jpg[/img]
UH-1N overflying a hole in the ice. A small Orca can bee seen in the water. [img]http://www.vaq34.com/killer15.jpg[/img] UH-1N landed on the seasonal ice in the Ross Sea, Antarctica. Two brave Crewmen venture out to take a couple of pictures! [img]http://www.vaq34.com/bwkiller10.jpg[/img] Close up and personal with a couple of Orcas! |
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Well I guess this will make a lot of you a little sad then: [url]http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?id=49947[/url]
The US Army has orderd the last of the Hueys and HueyCobras to be taken out of service early to save money for Comanches and more new Blackhawks. |
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[img]www.dredgeearthfirst.com/preflight.jpg[/img]
Aviator [img]www.dredgeearthfirst.com/aviator.gif[/img] |
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Packed my share of "short shafts" (input drive quills)and did my time in the "hell hole" too. 67N20- C, D models and Cobras. You ever get that bucket of rotor wash? Bien hoa AFB '67-'68. Air America...seen all over 'Nam. Just thought it was a taxi service, back then.
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[img]http://wsphotofews.excite.com/028/Xw/Dn/rw/EJ18294.jpg[/img]
Inspite of it's impending retirement, NO ONE can say the Huey didn't soldier during it's time on duty. It was a good, honest aircraft to fly and it would give all of itself to you. You can't ask more than that from a military aircraft. Ross (Yeah, that's me in the ROK and no, I wasn't flying that one. Just picking up the pieces.) |
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great pic ross. that must have been not to far in the past. that huey has gps on the wire strike. mid 90s?. as for armd lbrl., the army has said that for years. however, there are not enough blackhawks to field.....and many hawks have beem totaled out. so guess what, they keep the huey around longer and longer. the army is projecting them to be in service from 2010 to 2020. THE LAST BLACKHAWK CREW COMING FROM THE BONEYARD WILL BE TRANSPORTED IN A HUEY!!
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Sikorsky Skycranes (HH-64?- I forget the service designation) were still flying out of Bradley Field in Windsor Locks, CT, around 1980 or so- the last unit flying them, and they were sought ought for every heavy-lift job around, despite the helos' age and parts status (why do you think they kept them in CT- near Sikorsky, for parts and repairs). An impressive sight- they looked like preying mantises.
Hueys- the Massachusetts ANG is still flying some, twin-engined types, with red crosses on their sides. I see them flying in formation occasionally. Actually, I hear them, LONG before I see them... :^) |
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Damn boys....we're gettin' old . [:)]
[img]wsphotofews.excite.com/034/5k/n3/v7/0p11741.jpg[/img] |
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95th foot, sky crane ch54. as fas as those hueys go. the army flys single engine hueys. the uh1v is the medivac. the army is the only one in the us military that has the red cross on the door. there is only one (1) twin engine huey in the army inventory. it is used for test somewhere around the DC area.
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Quoted: great pic ross. that must have been not to far in the past. that huey has gps on the wire strike. mid 90s?. as for armd lbrl., the army has said that for years. however, there are not enough blackhawks to field.....and many hawks have beem totaled out. so guess what, they keep the huey around longer and longer. the army is projecting them to be in service from 2010 to 2020. THE LAST BLACKHAWK CREW COMING FROM THE BONEYARD WILL BE TRANSPORTED IN A HUEY!! View Quote No GPS on that one. It was 1991. It just had the standard VHF, UHF, single FM, VHF-NAV, ADF, package. In fact I've never seen a GPS in an aircraft. Could be the shadows and the angle. It is of course, not upright [;)] The lower WSPS cutter worked as advertised and broke off at the "breakaway" tip when it dug into the rice paddie. Once we rolled it upright we found it buried in the ground. We cut the tailboom off with a saw and stuffed it, and the complete rotor head (blades and all) in a CH-47D. Then we slung the airframe under the Chinook and slung it down to Camp Hump for our sister company to take apart. Wound up doing three other recoveries in the year I was there. Two OH-58s that hit mountains, and two AH-1s that hit each other. That last one was hard emotionally. Some of the crews' remains were still in there. We also had a UH-1H shot down by the NKPA, but they got it down on our side. The unit's MTP wound up flying it back on it's own power, so they didn't need me to do it. Ross |
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Quoted: Sikorsky Skycranes (HH-64?- I forget the service designation) were still flying out of Bradley Field in Windsor Locks, CT, around 1980 or so- the last unit flying them, and they were sought ought for every heavy-lift job around, despite the helos' age and parts status (why do you think they kept them in CT- near Sikorsky, for parts and repairs). An impressive sight- they looked like preying mantises. Hueys- the Massachusetts ANG is still flying some, twin-engined types, with red crosses on their sides. I see them flying in formation occasionally. Actually, I hear them, LONG before I see them... :^) View Quote 95th I was in the UH-1H unit that shared the Bradley facilities with the Skycrane unit. The helicopters were CH-54B (the B model was more powerful than the A models). Yeah they were in demand, and spent many AT's living in Hotels (instead of the field) so they could help out different states and the Coast Guard. They even had a bucket at the field for fire fighting. When I got out of the CTARNG in 91 (summer after Gulf War) they still had the 54's (including the first 54B built and the last one built). Several had already been shrinkwrapped for parts storage. Alas, there are no more CH-54s there and from what I understand are/were going to the CH-47s, and my old unit was supposed to go to the UH-60s (heck a good number of our pilots worked for Sikorsky - some as engineers). I haven't been to that end of Bradley field in 10 years to check them out - now I'll have to swing by the next time I'm visiting the relatives. |
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never did like riding in a bucket of rivets, all trying to come appart, stay with the fast flyers...pat
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Quoted: 95th foot, sky crane ch54. as fas as those hueys go. the army flys single engine hueys. the uh1v is the medivac. the army is the only one in the us military that has the red cross on the door. there is only one (1) twin engine huey in the army inventory. it is used for test somewhere around the DC area. View Quote Thanks for the correction- BTW I wonder where these choppers are coming from, and going to? They usually fly Weds. and Sats. SW to NW. I haven't seen them in the past few weeks, but see a lot of Blackhawks- very dark in color, no apparent markings I can see (no this is not going to be a black helicopter thread... :^) ). Mkgs must be camouflaged? What sorts of helos do the ANGs fly now? |
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Quoted: (snip)Alas, there are no more CH-54s there and from what I understand are/were going to the CH-47s, and my old unit was supposed to go to the UH-60s (heck a good number of our pilots worked for Sikorsky - some as engineers). I haven't been to that end of Bradley field in 10 years to check them out - now I'll have to swing by the next time I'm visiting the relatives. View Quote Looking through an old photo album, I found a pic from 1984 of a CH-54 in the background at Bradley Field, rotors folded back over its fuselage and sitting disconsolately in a hangar. It looked pretty beat already. I took it while I was part of a volunteer team towing all the aircraft (F-89, B-17, B-47, etc.) from the old Bradley Air Museum, that had been extensively damaged by a tornado in '79, (such things as a C-133 got destroyed by Mother Nature) to their new digs at the New England Air Museum, just a few thousand feet away. |
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95th the army guard still fly UH-1Hs, UH-1Vs, AH-1Fs in large numbers. They also have a good amount of AH-64As, UH-60A/Ls, Ch47s and Oh58a and Ds. along with some fixed wings. I looked at that pic again. it was a shadown, not GPS. they started putting GPS on the top wire strike in the early 90s, however, alot of them dont have them, even now.
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[img]home.att.net/~satcong/wsb/media/18266/site32.jpg[/img]
I didn't think the post would really go anywhere. Didn't realize how many worked around or flew helicopters. I guess this photo is what your talking about? Same Base 1968. |
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