No more helo hoist

[Picaroon]

Python1287, you think you're ENTITLED to a helo hoist?!?
.... Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you're entitled to!
:icon_smil

That was absolutely awesome. It took me a second to get, but I had just seen that a couple months ago. Hilarious.

 

[Pugs]

It was a the Station SAR bird when I went thru. Old ass H-3.

UH-1 when I went through and we did the parasailing into the bay, you disentangled, got in your raft, the helo showed up and you bailed from the raft and they hoisted you then back down and the boat came by and picked up you and the raft and your chute.

All in all, the initial and DWEST training I went through 20+ years ago was amazingly good. It gave you darn good confidence that you could survive an over water ejection and water landing, which was the point after all.

Wonder how long until you just have a classroom session and call it good? :icon_rage Good training cost money and you guys deserve the best.

 

[phrogpilot73]

It doesn't affect anything---until you and your IP are out in the Gulf trying out your new floaties. Then it kinda sucks...?

Not really, it's probably some of the same reasoning that led to the USMC SAR in Beaufort being shut down. The Coast Guard air station is close enough, so why duplicate assets?

Seeing as how the Coast Guard's RAG (or whatever they call it) is at Mobile, I would have thought it would keep going - since they can get training out of it as well...

 

[Flash]

Not really, it's probably some of the same reasoning that led to the USMC SAR in Beaufort being shut down. The Coast Guard air station is close enough, so why duplicate assets?

Seeing as how the Coast Guard's RAG (or whatever they call it) is at Mobile, I would have thought it would keep going - since they can get training out of it as well...

The only actual rescue when I was in Pensacola was done by an HH-65 out of Mobile. A German Navy SNFO did his own Gilligan impression and was swept out to sea in a raft. A student in a T-1 found him the next day and the Dolphin went out to pick him up.

 

[Pugs]

Had a fellow SNFO turtle his hobie cat one fine day and he headed off to the south. The coasties came out and got him too after a T-47 spotted him. He was about 20 miles out before that happened though.

 

[scoolbubba]

Had a fellow SNFO turtle his hobie cat one fine day and he headed off to the south. The coasties came out and got him too after a T-47 spotted him. He was about 20 miles out before that happened though.

This is why you tie a milk jug to the top of the mast.

 

[Gatordev]

Several of the recent TW-5 mishaps yielded SAR det response, if for no other reason than logistics. Unfortunately, several of the mishaps that required "rescues" required more care than the SAR bird could give.

 

[Pags]

Several of the recent TW-5 mishaps yielded SAR det response, if for no other reason than logistics. Unfortunately, several of the mishaps that required "rescues" required more care than the SAR bird could give.

Unfortunately, SAR Med Techs (SMTs) are in short supply and your average AW is trained in only the most basic first aid.

 

[eddie]

This is why you tie a milk jug to the top of the mast.

Seriously? Not like flapping loose?

 

[eddie]

Unfortunately, SAR Med Techs (SMTs) are in short supply

Why is that? Has to be an aircrew HM or something?

 

[Gatordev]

Unfortunately, SAR Med Techs (SMTs) are in short supply and your average AW is trained in only the most basic first aid.

Very true. I didn't mean it in a sense that it was a lack of quals, but that the severity of the injuries were out of the scope of Navy SAR and more for trauma first responders, unfortunately.

 

[Pags]

Very true. I didn't mean it in a sense that it was a lack of quals, but that the severity of the injuries were out of the scope of Navy SAR and more for trauma first responders, unfortunately.

I was just trying to provide amplifying information. The unwashed masses probably tend to think that a SAR bird is a SAR bird. Unfortunately, there's a huge difference in the level of abilities between a Navy AW and PJs. I don't know what level of medical training USCG swimmers have, but I'd imagine it'd be higher than a Navy AW. The introduction of SMTs brings a lot to the Navy, but there's just not a lot of them to have them filter down to Station SARs.

To answer eddie's question: An SMT is an HM with aircrew wings.

 

[BusyBee604]

At-Sea Rescue Story

This is just a heads up for all people who haven't gotten to the last week of API yet.

My class was told by the bay ops instructors that the helo hoist in the bay has gone the way of redneck parasailing into extinction. The class before mine was the last to get to do it. Seems like only the older generations were blessed with some of the best stuff in API!

For those of you interested in reading about a very successful SAR at sea under combat conditions in No. Vietnam, go to search as follows:

Forum: MILITARY AVIATION IN GENERAL
Thread: "There I was" stories of a Vietnam era A4 Driver
Page: 4 of 6 (Posted 04-18-09 @ 04:19pm by Brownshoe (link is here)

It is the firsthand story of my shootdown & subsequent rescue along the coast of NVN near the city of Vinh on 06/25/66. I am glad I got to practice an actual at sea helo rescue prior to that deployment, as I knew exactly what to do when the chips were down. If they no longer give aircrew that realistic training, I think it's a big mistake.

I will be happy to answer any questions concerning the rescue. It really shows the success that can happen when the USAF, USN, 2 different Carriers & many Squadrons work together to rescue their "Brothers in Arms" under hazardous conditions.:icon_mi_1
BzB

 

[brownshoe]

For those of you interested in reading about a very successful SAR at sea under combat conditions in No. Vietnam, go to search as follows:

Forum: MILITARY AVIATION IN GENERAL
Thread: "There I was" stories of a Vietnam era A4 Driver
Page: 4 of 6 (Posted 04-18-09 @ 04:19pm by Brownshoe (link is here)

It is the firsthand story of my shootdown & subsequent rescue along the coast of NVN near the city of Vinh on 06/25/66. I am glad I got to practice an actual at sea helo rescue prior to that deployment, as I knew exactly what to do when the chips were down. If they no longer give aircrew that realistic training, I think it's a big mistake.

I will be happy to answer any questions concerning the rescue. It really shows the success that can happen when the USAF, USN, 2 different Carriers & many Squadrons work together to rescue their "Brothers in Arms" under hazardous conditions.:icon_mi_1
BzB

A "Giclee" print of the original painting done by the artist, Ron McCarthy, about this story.

Steve

Edit: No Mod's stepped up to correct Hugh's mistake in his link, so here's the original story.

Steve

 

[usmarinemike]

I didn't do the helo hoist or redneck parasailing, and I'm 100% confident that I can handle bailing and an extended at sea survival and rescue situation.

BTW...total bummer that there's no raft available in the T34C. Even a shark taco would be more comfy than nothing.