[Vhfcn-l] Fancy Toys

Mon Apr 20 21:49:32 EDT 2020

Conversely, I had Chinook and Huey under my belt and got a government job
working at Ft. Indiantown Gap,.AASF #1, in 1975. The Chinooks weren't in
yet from New Cumberland Army Depot, so we got to do odd jobs, like looking
for a gallon of prop wash, or an ASH receiver from stores. Fortunately, I
already had those tricks pulled once.
Anyway, out the back door of the hanger they had aircraft going to either
the bone yard or local law enforcement.
B and C Huey's (Pa. had H and M Huey's), there was a Otter and a Bell 47,
with wood blades.
During the spring and summer months, the afternoon deluge was almost
predictable. And I hated that Bell 47. We'd get the track spot on and by
evening the pilot couldn't sit in the cockpit and run it up. You could look
at the track and see 1 or 2 inches of out of track. Probably an
exaggeration, but it was visable.
The local law enforcement waiting for this thing came and got it on day 4
and flew away with a grin on his face. Really?😬
The B & C,s went back to the bone yard for disposal.
We finally got our CH47's and took up almost all of my time. But, I'd go
sit in a Huey H model and remember, but I really liked the 540 rotor
shuffle of a Mike at takeoff. What a kick in the ass.

On Mon, Apr 20, 2020, 11:21 AM Arnold B Christensen via Vhfcn-l <
vhfcn-l at lists.vhfcn.org> wrote:

> Fancy only because they are newer and look cool.
>
> Crew Chief Nightmare?  A helicopter is just another helicopter and if
> a crew chief is really interested learning his trade he will learn
> his helicopter and what is different and actually easier to maintain
> than his old helicopter. No more taking a gunner and giving him a
> Crewchief MOS with no schooling in that MOS and giving him a
> helicopter to maintain. I did not accept that idea after Vietnam and
> you cannot convince me that it is a good idea. Proven to me with time
> as The Chief Tech Inspector in a Direct Support Aircraft Company in
> Germany and the same position in a General Support Chief TI at Ft
> Campbell. I started out in Army Aviation in a Aviation Section as the
> Aircraft Parts Supply guy.  We only had 2 H-21C's and 3 different
> models of H-13's.  When I had time from the supply business I would
> roam the hangar and assist the crew chiefs on their brand of
> helicopter.  I learned what their jobs entailed. I had several great
> instructors that never signed up for that job to teach me but even if
> they did not know it they did it. One day one of the H-21s asked me
> if I would take his place flying on missions and I jumped at it. Had
> to go on several flights to learn what he did during flight. After my
> first re-up in 61 I asked for H-21 school but the Army had decided to
> no longer accept and school request at Ft Rucker as the aircraft was
> going to be phased out. The Officers and NCO's offered me a chance to
> do OJT and maintain one of our 21's for 90 days and if they thought I
> knew what was what I was made a H-21 Crewchief  and had my very own
> Tandem Rotor, powered by a large round engine and 6 blades,
> 3transmissions and 2 rotor head to fly. By the way all of our
> helicopters were equipped with always fully inflated floats because
> just about every flight was over stretches of water, sometimes for
> long distances. And...we were usually hauling VIPs. Flights over the
> Atlantic along the south side of Long Island NY and down the coast of NJ.
>
> Got transferred to Germany to another small Aviation Section and Army
> had not 21's in country but the Germans had some. The Aviation
> officer was not about to loan me to the Germans so he said that since
> I could maintain an H-21 I ought to be able to handle the units 55 yr
> model OH-13H.  Little did he know about assisting guys to maintain
> the 3 different models we had. The one in Germany didn't have any
> floats so that was one less thing to maintain. We also had a L-20A
> Airplane which some of you called a U6A. We also had a L-19D which
> some of you again may recognize as the O-1. But we were like a family
> in that Aviation Section just as it had been in the Original Aviation
> Section on Staten Island. After 3 yrs in Germany I return stateside
> and was assigned to attend the CH47A Chinook course.  Holy Chit this
> thing was big and had stuff I never saw beforE. Talk about ease of
> maintenance this thing did not have cables from one end to the other
> that had to be adjusted for tension due to changes in Temp. It had
> solid controls with rod end bearings that needed nothing but a look
> see. It did not have 6 wooden blades that soaked up water of any kind
> if left parked on the ramp. Weird rotor vibrations told you what had
> happened when you leave your lady outside and a front full of thunder
> storms come thru. Two big Turbine engine that start every time you
> hit the engine start. Small APU in the tail that could be turned on
> and provide all the hydraulic and electrical power you could ask for.
> Boy it had a lot of stuff that my old 56 year model 21 had but better
> and more room to work on it too.
>
> There has to be adequate testing of anything toted as New and
> Improved.  People who will take care of and operate it by listening
> closely to their instructors.
>
> I will add that it is just that easy. ;-)
> Da Foot
>
>
> At 08:02 PM 4/18/2020, Bruce Hendrickson via Vhfcn-l wrote:
> >Awesomeness, crew chief nightmare
> >
> >On Sat, Apr 18, 2020 at 8:29 PM Bruce E. Carlson via Vhfcn-l <
> >vhfcn-l at lists.vhfcn.org> wrote:
> >
> > > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4wmTaHr05M
> > >
> > > Respects -- Bruce
> > >
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