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Polekat
| | Posted on Thursday, September 16, 2004 - 01:59 pm: | 
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One of our HAND CUT custom made LZs . Machetes were used. If only there had ben a MILLER TIME break afterwards.
(Message edited by polekat on September 17, 2004) |
Vegasbueller
| | Posted on Thursday, September 16, 2004 - 02:20 pm: |
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Polekat and Bomber: I was too young to make it over there, but had the pleasure restoring a UH1-H (Army 961)for a sheriff's office and later becoming the pilot of that same bird. I have a lot of respect for all you that were there, and especially for those of you that had to exit the green beast in the middle of the crap that you did. By the way... I managed to get a few skid rides, and even a couple on the hoist. Man what a ride! |
Polekat
| | Posted on Thursday, September 16, 2004 - 02:35 pm: |
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"By the way... I managed to get a few skid rides, and even a couple on the hoist. Man what a ride!."
If you were on the hoist/cable, I hope you lock the hook on to whatever you were sitting on.
On slicks we used the "D" rings in the floor to tie a rope to and then repel down the ropes with armament, rucks, rifles, etc.........
BTW: If you ever repel from a chopper with any speed....make sure you do it over a very soft area. |
Vegasbueller
| | Posted on Thursday, September 16, 2004 - 02:44 pm: |
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We had an "urban rescue" team and our SWAT team that did the rapelling. They would swing out go inverted and drop. Hmm can I say.. no fricking way! Just getting extracted from the woods on the hoist was enough for me. (al beit fun as could be) I like my seat up front!
We got the story from a couple guys that had the opportunity to see the cable cutter "misfires" wherein someone was dropped like a rock.
Speaking of dropping like a rock, did you ever get to do any autorotations? That was better than any ride I ever paid for. |
Bomber
| | Posted on Thursday, September 16, 2004 - 03:33 pm: |
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Pole -- sounds like we did our post-grad work at the same time/place, more or less . . . . as a LRRP, we tended to live and die by the courageous slick crfews that became, in effect, members of our team -- they were the best!
hat's off to em all, and the first round is on me
(never did see doors on em, though, even in the rain . . . .we were all pretty leery about being stuck in a wounded bird, though) |
Bigj
| | Posted on Thursday, September 16, 2004 - 05:22 pm: |
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Navy:
1983-Present
1983-1998 Gas Turbine Systems Technician(Mechanical)
1998-Present Navy Career Counseler(CRF)
1984-1985 USS Hawes(FFG-53)
1986-1989 USS San Jacinto(CG-56)
1989-1992 NRD Washington, DC
1992-1993 NRD Philadelphia
1993-1996 USS John S. McCain(DDG-56)
1996-2000 NRD San Diego
2000-Present NRD San Francisco |
Deerhunter17
| | Posted on Thursday, September 16, 2004 - 05:49 pm: |
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USN 1980- 1991 AW, sensor operator, rescue swimmer. Flew SH2F, SH60B. Got to see a lot of the world, meet a lot of great people. |
Polekat
| | Posted on Thursday, September 16, 2004 - 09:54 pm: |
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Bomber, you are probably right about going thru post grad school around the same time. Doors were there, but even when they were we road the skids. As much as slick drivers had it rough, my greatest admiration goes to the medavacs that took incoming while staying put to pull out wounded and the cobra sections that repeatedly put themselves at greater than normal risk to save my bacon more than once. The low boys on pink teams were just plain nuts and I still wonder how anyone could volunteer for that.
A toast to all of them and to ALL our soldiers past and present! |
Polekat
| | Posted on Thursday, September 16, 2004 - 09:58 pm: |
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"autorotations?"
Is that where the copter goes around in circles without moving from its location? Kind of like what the rotor does? That's part of what happened when I was in the copter and it was over loaded for the air conditions. Scared was a mild definition of what everyone felt. |
Polekat
| | Posted on Thursday, September 16, 2004 - 10:04 pm: |
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"swing out go inverted and drop"
Sometimes this happens by accident when you are top heavy due to a ruck on your back. It can be a real trip under the right circumstances.
Polekat: an honor graduate of the South East Asian School of Inhumanities :-( |
Bomber
| | Posted on Friday, September 17, 2004 - 09:23 am: |
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pole -- if memory serve, autorotation is when power to the main rotor is lost, and the rotor spins on it's own, supplying just a little lift (if things go right, just enought to create a controllable crash. i.e., one you can walk away from)
med-evacs, aye! big balls and hearts for sure --
my widfe took me to the first Vietnam Memorial in the county in Anglefire New MExico - gorgeous place, humbling memorial, with a huey up front -- I was astounded at how little they were!
oh, btw, Pole -- welcome home, and thanks for the pics! |
Impulse_101
| | Posted on Friday, September 17, 2004 - 01:36 pm: |
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We still had Hueys in Alaska in 1988-92. I even jumped them a couple of times. Those skids can be murder! The Shinooks are roomier, the Blackhawks are smoother but I loved the Hueys, just because I new that they were battle tested and they hold a special place in both the hearts of soldiers and in aviation history.
JT |
Loki
| | Posted on Friday, September 17, 2004 - 02:26 pm: |
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Auto-rotations can be fun...
I have had the pleasure of being in a MH-53J and doing some practice ones. Talk about a seat stretching experience when "The Swede" would pour the coals back into it and yank it up again.
Best elevator ride? Try fast-roping out the back.
As big and oogly as a 53 can be. Swede could make one dance. We could never figure out how he fit in the seat though, let alone move the sticks.
First huey ride? strapped to a litter and looking down out the door at the ground and thinking "What if....?" |
Charlieboy6649
| | Posted on Friday, September 17, 2004 - 04:02 pm: |
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USMC is still using the Huey. The plan is to retire the old into beefier engined models with an extra set of blades. A quad bladed super Huey. The same goes for the Cobra. |
Polekat
| | Posted on Friday, September 17, 2004 - 05:49 pm: |
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'if memory serve, autorotation is when power to the main rotor is lost, and the rotor spins on it's own, supplying just a little lift (if things go right, just enought to create a controllable crash. i.e., one you can walk away from)"
Thanks for the information. I was just an occasional rider and never got in to the driving off it. All I wanted was to get me from one place to the next and in one piece <G>
(Message edited by polekat on September 17, 2004) |
Vegasbueller
| | Posted on Saturday, September 18, 2004 - 02:09 am: |
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Yeah Polekat, we practiced them all the time, you just cut the power, watch the airspeed and rotoe rpm, and let the thing fall like a greased piano till jut the moment then pull in some pitch and you can set it down as smooth as a baby... or you can run the thing on skidding along the ground cutting corn rows behind you. (been there for that one too) |
Kelly
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 21, 2004 - 01:11 am: |
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53's are fat, slow, unreliable pigs.
How fitting that they are mentioned here.  |
Charlieboy6649
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 21, 2004 - 11:42 pm: |
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Fat, yes, 25 combat loaded men.
Slow? Fastest helicopter in the Marine Corps... It can travel at speeds approaching 200 knots!
I don't know about unreliable, as long as it's dripping hyd fluid, we know it's not empty! LOL! |
Kelly
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 22, 2004 - 12:05 am: |
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We have 53's here at Hurlburt. Dont the MC versions have 3 engines? that would make them faster. I know that I've been on them when the gunners had to pump more hyd fluid into them to keep them flying!!! not fun. A total loss system isnt good on an aircraft in my eyes.... ;0 |
Loki
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 22, 2004 - 12:11 am: |
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Kelly,
and you are sitting on Hurlburt.....
I spent my time on the 3E at Osan with the 31st. Then arrived at Hurb to play with the Talon I.
Reliability has alot to do with the maintainers and pride in their work. |
SouthernMarine
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 22, 2004 - 08:36 pm: |
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I was always told by some crew chiefs, that if the 53 WASN'T dripping Hydraulic fluid, you didn't want to be on it  . |
Kelly
| | Posted on Saturday, September 25, 2004 - 12:17 am: |
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If it's not dripping, then it's out of fluid.
We have the world's best military but cant keep aircraft from leaking... how ironic! |
Loki
| | Posted on Saturday, September 25, 2004 - 01:01 am: |
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The echos actually have a larger airframe to along with the extra engine.
A PaveLow is overweight with all the extra goodies on it as it is.
Have you seen the video of the 53 doing the barrel roll?
A B-model 53 is actually faster than a Blackhawk. |
Charlieboy6649
| | Posted on Saturday, September 25, 2004 - 02:58 am: |
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And an extra blade.... Love that video! |
Loki
| | Posted on Saturday, September 25, 2004 - 10:46 am: |
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Kelly,
We have the worlds fastest airplane and it leaks worse. Until the skin gets hot enough to expand. |
Kelly
| | Posted on Saturday, September 25, 2004 - 11:58 am: |
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The SR-71 was purposely allowed to leak. The 53 doesnt get hot enough to expand and it doesnt pressurize either. |
Blake
| | Posted on Saturday, September 25, 2004 - 09:03 pm: |
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Neither do you, and yet we don't deride you in public. |
Loki
| | Posted on Saturday, September 25, 2004 - 09:17 pm: |
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I am just a rotorhead living in a fixed wing enviroment......
That fixed wing has four turbo-props attached to it though.
Blake, I deserved it. I forgot to put the smiley face on the SR quip. |
Kelly
| | Posted on Saturday, September 25, 2004 - 10:41 pm: |
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Ohh, Blake got me there...
Tell me again how you are the fastest in town with race rubber. |
Blake
| | Posted on Sunday, September 26, 2004 - 02:29 am: |
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I'm neither fast, let alone "the fastest" nor do I use racing tires "in town." |
Buellblastrider
| | Posted on Sunday, October 03, 2004 - 08:14 pm: |
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my dad is. Vietnam. was shot (2 bullets) still has them inside. and obviously a purple heart |
Brucelee
| | Posted on Sunday, October 03, 2004 - 11:27 pm: |
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"my dad is. Vietnam. was shot (2 bullets) still has them inside. and obviously a purple heart"
Hats off to him. Kudos and thanks for his service. |
Odie
| | Posted on Monday, October 04, 2004 - 12:03 am: |
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1983-1989 Group Armorer at 10th SFG(A) at Ft. Devens Ma.
1989-1994 5/101st ABN Ft. Campbell, Ky.
1994-1997 2/1 AVN Katterbach Germany
1997-2001 1/212th AVN Regt Ft. Rucker, Al.
2001-2002 2/2 AVN Regt, Camp Stanley Korea
2002-2004 1/212th AVN Regt Ft. Rucker, Al.
Desert Storm
Restore Hope (Somalia)
IFOR (Bosnia)
Now retired but still flying for the Govt as a contractor test pilot in UH-60 Blackhawks |
Brucelee
| | Posted on Monday, October 04, 2004 - 10:42 pm: |
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Odie,
Great resume. Thanks man! |
Odie
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 06, 2004 - 01:45 am: |
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Thanks Rich, I got the pipe today....work, work, work...... |
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