FAA SUPPORT

I flew as chase pilot for FAA certification of the Windecker Eagle with a H-43B! In December 1967, a H-43B (1559) and a crew (P, CP, FM, & 2 FF's) from Det 18 , WARRC, Webb AFB was detached and assigned on TDY to the Windecker Corporation at Midland-Odessa Continental Airport for three days. Upon arrival we were briefed by Dr. Windecker that our mission was to fly chase the next day with our FSK and full bunkered crew in case of a crash! We did that for two days without incident. But there were some interesting side things going on! The Windecker Eagle was a two seat light commercial aircraft, manufactured completely out of fiberglass and composite materials! The only metal being the engine, firewall and landing gear! A lot of USAF officers, including a Lt General, were attending along with the FAA Certification Group! When I asked about the USAF interest, I was told they were interested in the material for radomes, etc. The other thing was we were flying along a pre-planned path and monitored by a radar site in the area. With the H-43 being a lot of fiberglass and wooden blades, I believe to this day, they were running comparison radar tests on it and us for research into Stealth technology! I was the Pilot; Dennis Olson, CP; Carlos Joiner, FM, and I don't remember the Firefighters! (JOE BALLINGER)
JOE BALLINGER IN PHOTO

DOES THIS QUALIFY?

AS A HELICOPTER BOMBER!

COURTESY OF JIM BURNS
CLARK AIR BASE

Are there any instances of the bomb (FSK) hitting something other than the ground?

H-43 BOMBER

When we were with Det 3, WARC at Kirtland we worked a lot on projects with the Special Weapons guys. They'd have us fly weapons shapes up and down their range every now and then for testing. Whenever we asked what we were doing, the slip-stick guys would just tell us we didn't have the need to know! But one of the strangest was when they came over in 64 and asked if we could fly with the clamshell's off. When we said yes, they measured the back with the same don't ask attitude. They came back in about two weeks with an apparatus you wouldnt believe! It was an aircraft seat made to fit over the back step with an old Norden Bomb sight attached to it. After we took the clamshells off, they fit it in with the seat facing backwards-(also attached was a rack for 5 finned smoke bombs and a toggle lever). I was the lucky guy who took them out over the range and try it out. The learning curve of the bombardier??? in giving me heading corrections in reverse from the bombsight was a hoot! When we finally got some what close to the target from 3000 ft AGL, we went back to base. When I told them one of our Flight mechs could do better out the side of the door with Kentucky windage, they took it out and we never heard from them again. So I guess that's why we never got to drop bombs with the H-43.

(Joe Ballinger)

"BOMB RECOVERY"

Flew a mission into Laos on an emergency basis one afternoon. We went to an" old Japanese Landing Strip" because an A-1E had made an emergency landing.

Only one small problem - there were weapons including a BLU-76B still loaded.

We needed to fly troops out, download the bomb and fly the weapons back while maintenance troops fixed the aircraft. They unloaded the 20mm cannons and downloaded the bomb. We then picked up the bomb with the external hoist and flew it home. I was on the escort CH-3 and watched this white weapon swing under the other helicopter without having a clue as to what it was...ignorance was certainly bliss as I would have been much more concerned about it had I known what it was.

All this because we were not supposed to have an armed aircraft in Laos overnight...

We'd have been a "bomber" if they needed to punch it off...

(Jim Henthorn)

APPLE PICKING

At Pease AFB in 1961 or '62 we occasionally went apple picking with our H-43s. (In the orchard where we started the fire). Our commander had expressly forbid any more of that sort of foolishness, so of course, once the urge for a nice sweet apple came on us while flying around the flagpole, we decided to sneak over there for a few. Since the best of the apples were in the upper branches of the trees, we would simply hover right in the tops and reach out for what we wanted. On landing after one of these excursions one fine day, our Det. Commander came storming out to confront the AC and the rest of us demanding to know why we had disobeyed his explicit instructions. We were at a loss to understand how he knew what we had done until we looked down in the right front bear paw and saw two bright red shiny apples. Shucks, foiled again!
(John Dorgan)

21st SOS AIRLIFTS AIRCRAFT EVACUATED FROM SAIGON

On 29 April President Ford ordered OPERATION FREQUENT WIND, the helicopter evacuation of Saigon.

Vietnamese pilots now began flying themselves and their families out of the country in anything that could get off the ground. Some headed for the American rescue fleet just off the coast, while others flew to Thailand.

In the final evacuation, over a hundred SVNAF aircraft arrived in Thailand, including twenty-six F-5s, eight A-37s. eleven A-1s, six C-130s. thirteen C-47s, five C-7s, and three AC-119s.

During the final North Vietnamese assault on Saigon, numerous South Vietnamese aircraft escaped with their pilots to Thailand. Among these were four F-5As plus 22 F-5Es. These planes were returned to the USA where they were placed in storage pending sale to other customers.

Most of the aircraft that evacuated from Tan Son Nhut and made it to Thailand were fixed wing. A few helicopters were able to reach Thai territory, though some ran out of fuel and were forced to land along the coast in Cambodia.


Most of the aircraft that flew out to the ships were helicopters. Close to 100 VNAF helicopters landed on U.S. ships off the coast, although at least half were jettisoned. Two O-1s managed to land on the USS Midway (CV-41), one of which was also jettisoned.

Immediately following Operation FREQUENT WIND, the USS Midway steamed south into the Gulf of Siam to Thailand and brought aboard over 100 American built aircraft preventing them from falling into communist hands.

The 21st Special Operations Squadron's CH-53s assisted loading aircraft aboard the USS Midway

When they were aboard, the ship steamed at high speed to Guam, where the planes were offloaded by crane in record time.

ASSAULT ON KHO TANG ISLAND—KNIFE 22

(PHOTO COURTESY JIM DUFFY)

Knife 22 was one of several CH-53s from the 21st Special Operations Squadron (SOS) along with HH-53s belonging to Air Rescue (ARRS) that were involved with inserting US Marines on a heavily defended Kho Tang Island on 15 May 1975.

The actions of that day are well documented however there is little known about one of the 21st SOS CH-53s, 68-10928 call sign Knife 22. Knife 22 sustained extensive battle damage however the flight crew was able to make it to the mainland before setting down. (Aircraft tail number was confirmed by Norm Paul who was one of the Flight Engineers that day)

Initially it was thought that the crew had landed in Cambodia. The plan was to strip what could be salvaged and then destroy the aircraft. During this process it was discovered that the aircraft was actually located in Thailand. With this knowledge the decision was made to recover the aircraft.

The above picture shows the aircraft sitting in the mud with several major components removed. While attempting to drag the aircraft from the mud the nose gear was pulled from the aircraft along with the cockpit floor. The damage was estimated in the area of 60,000 man-hours to repair.

The aircraft was eventually repaired and was seen in Germany. The aircraft is now assigned to the 20th SOS at Hurlbert Field in Florida.

Note: If you have any further information about this please advise us at rotorheadsrus@yahoo.com

OVER THE FENCE AND RETURN

CLICK ON PICTURE TO ENLARGE

ACROSS THE FENCE

RTB

The pictures are courtesy of Harvey Meltzer and depict a day going to work and then returning home. Home was the 21st SOS NKP Thailand.