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Helicopter crew chiefs

airfrogusmc

airfrogusmc

Member
phrogpilot73 said:
Welcome aboard brother... Good to see a crewchief on the board that can attest to just how important we up front think you guys are! PHROGS FOREVER!
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I was in just post Vietnam and anyone with rank Sgt and above or Capt and above had for the most part been either in Nam or involved in the evacuation. I had an opportunity to serve with some of the BEST crewchiefs and pilots that anyone could have hoped to serve with. Thanks so much for the warm welcome and it was always a team approach when I was in. I was humbled at times by the skill of our pilots. They were and are the worlds best.
S/F
 
airfrogusmc

airfrogusmc

Member
CH-4602.jpg


At Cubi point
CH-4604.jpg

CH-4603.jpg

CH-4653.jpg
 
airfrogusmc

airfrogusmc

Member
Couldn't imagine a CH-46 without a crewchief. We would get the fuel samples, prime the hydraulic system and fire up the app/apu, open her up and pre-flight, straddle the hell hole and talk the pilots in over external cargo, (who would fire the 50 cals) if a chip detector went off in the cockpit you would either say its no big deal or find a place to put her down NOW, taxi you in and out and stand outside when you fire up #1 & #2 with a fire extinguisher, pull the chocks, post flight, close her up, fold the rotor blades and tie her down, and this ain't the half of it. Phase maintenance R&R rotor, blades engines, forward & aft transmissions make sure the sparkys, bubble chasers, and metal shop guys all did what they were suppose to, man this could go on and on....
 
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phrogpilot73

Well-Known Member
airfrogusmc said:
Couldn't imagine a CH-46 without a crewchief. We would get the fuel samples, prime the hydraulic system and fire up the app/apu, open her up and pre-flight, straddle the hell hole and talk the pilots in over external cargo, (who would fire the 50 cals) if a chip detector went off in the cockpit you would either say its no big deal or find a place to put her down NOW, taxi you in and out and stand outside when you fire up #1 & #2 with a fire extinguisher, pull the chocks, post flight, close her up, fold the rotor blades and tie her down, and this ain't the half of it. Phase maintenance R&R rotor, blades engines, forward & aft transmissions make sure the sparkys, bubble chasers, and metal shop guys all did what they were suppose to, man this could go on and on....
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Good points all... Don't forget about off-duty time as well. You know that you've made an impact as an officer/pilot when you're wreck faced in a seedy bar, and one of your crewchiefs grab you and get you home. They never spoke of it again, either...
 
airfrogusmc

airfrogusmc

Member
Heres me as a young devil pup get'n ready to install the 50 cal for a gun run.


50cal.jpg


Check out the cheesy Burt Reynolds mustache:eek: It was the 70s
 
A4sForever

A4sForever

BTDT OLD GUY
pilot
Contributor
airfrogusmc said:
Heres me as a young devil pup get'n ready to install the 50 cal for a gun run. ....Check out the cheesy Burt Reynolds mustache:eek: It was the 70s
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HEY!!! You should check out MY 70's Officer sideburns and Fu Manchu !!! :) One of Admiral Zumwalt's boys ....

Ma Deuce ... now THAT's a gun ....
 
airfrogusmc

airfrogusmc

Member
Sorry to subject you all to this but heres another shot of me after a full day of flight ops somewhere in the south Pacific
CH-4606.jpg
 
airfrogusmc

airfrogusmc

Member
Does anyone know if HMM 165 is still a composte squadron? Heres a photo from 76 flying over the USS Tripoli and as you can see we had 53s, 46s, UH1Ns and Cobras at that time. Sorry for the bad photo quality it was scanned from my cruise book.
HMM1651.jpg
 
J

jamnww

Hangar Four
pilot
airfrogusmc said:
Does anyone know if HMM 165 is still a composte squadron? Heres a photo from 76 flying over the USS Tripoli and as you can see we had 53s, 46s, UH1Ns and Cobras at that time. Sorry for the bad photo quality it was scanned from my cruise book.
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Just looked into it...sorry no, they are completely a CH-46 squadron...
 
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phrogpilot73

Well-Known Member
jamnww said:
Just looked into it...sorry no, they are completely a CH-46 squadron...
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For right now. The USMC still does composite squadrons with the HMM's as the core. Only when 165 is attached as the ACE of a MEU, will they become HMM-165(REIN) or a composite squadron of Phrogs, $hitters, Cobras, Hueys, and Harriers...
 
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DAN MOFFETT

New Member
H34 Crewchief

Well I feel real old now.
I was stationed at the Pacific Missile Range Facility,Barking Sands,Hawaii 1970-73 as H34 SAR Crewchief/Plane Captain/2nd Crewman and flew with the best.
The H34 is now in the Smithsonian next to the Wright Flyer.
Preflights were 2 hours as there were alot of grease fittings to find.
My son will be joining Sept to be AW Helicopter Rescue Swimmer.
My flying has stuck with me after 34 years and are all good memories especially pulling 5 Air Force aviators out of their "little" raft 54 miles out.
Just could not convince them to swim 3 feet to the sling.
Thanks for such a GREAT WEBSITE!
Best,
Dan Moffett
AMS3
:)
 
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