JakubJakepilot Posted December 30, 2020 Share Posted December 30, 2020 9 hours ago, YF65_CH53E said: JakubJakepilot, I have seen your Desert Storm web page, lots of great photos there, most of which I have already, but certainly I can try and shed some light on a few of the questions you have over there. First off, the fate of CH-53E, 161390, HMH-465, "Iron Horse", out of Santa Ana CA, MCAS Tustin. Crashed during a take off out of a Forward Area Refueling Point (FARP) after taking on fuel for a follow on mission. the aircraft commander had pulled no 1 & no 3 engines back to try and cool them off while taking on fuel. Pressure refueling a CH-53E is a long process, especially from a FARP as the pressure barely keeps up with the fuel we are burning while we sit there. They taxied out from the FARP and did not bring those two engines back up to 100% and attempted a take off in high heat environment and a heavy condition being freshly fueled with only (1) engine at 100%. With all three engines at 100% it would have been fine, but you see the result. I know the crew chief of this airplane personally, and he has discussed this accident with all of us 53 guys as to not make that mistake again. All survived this accident. r/Gy BIG thanks for the updated info, I will update my pages ASAP :) Btw, any chance for crew names ? Or is it "not OK" to mention them as they did something a wrong thing ? Thanks ! Looking forward for your insight on Gulf ops :) Best regards Jakub Quote Link to post Share on other sites
andyf117 Posted December 30, 2020 Share Posted December 30, 2020 (edited) I'll throw in a handful of photos that someone sent me some years ago of Gulf War CH-53Es undergoing repainting in-theatre.... 162482 of HMH-466 in "Butterfinger", an on-the-spot mix of "1 Ltr White and 3 'blops' of Tan", and "Burnt Meringue", comprising "neat Tan": 162007 of HMH-465, with the green and black areas being over-painted with "Tan": And 162494 also of HMH-465, in overall "Tan" with "darker Tan" markings: Edited December 31, 2020 by andyf117 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
YF65_CH53E Posted December 30, 2020 Author Share Posted December 30, 2020 Andy, Very cool pics. Interesting the faces are blurred out!!! But I know the Marines that painted these birds. Great pics of how and what the environment was to get these birds painted and fast!! More to come! Daniel Quote Link to post Share on other sites
YF65_CH53E Posted December 30, 2020 Author Share Posted December 30, 2020 Jakub, I will ask before I give you the crew names, just to make sure, but I think it will be okay. I also have some PAVE LOW buddies and should be able to get pics of us lifting that PAVE for you. Also I have some BuNo's and side numbers for you to put on your page. I will send that to you PM. r/Gunny Dan Quote Link to post Share on other sites
JakubJakepilot Posted December 30, 2020 Share Posted December 30, 2020 7 hours ago, andyf117 said: I'll throw in a handful of photos that someone sent me some years ago of Gulf War CH-53Es undergoing repainting in-theatre.... WOW WOW WOW, just WOW !!!!!! Totally awesome pictures, and that could make great diorama !!! I would like to ask you who has copyright for those pics, I would like to add them to my (our) great Gulf war site !! 41 minutes ago, YF65_CH53E said: Jakub, I will ask before I give you the crew names, just to make sure, but I think it will be okay. I also have some PAVE LOW buddies and should be able to get pics of us lifting that PAVE for you. Also I have some BuNo's and side numbers for you to put on your page. I will send that to you PM. r/Gunny Dan Really cannot wait !!!!! And I thought I already got all the Christmas gifts ..... 🙂 Jakub Quote Link to post Share on other sites
andyf117 Posted December 30, 2020 Share Posted December 30, 2020 (edited) 4 hours ago, YF65_CH53E said: Andy, Very cool pics. Interesting the faces are blurred out!!! But I know the Marines that painted these birds. Great pics of how and what the environment was to get these birds painted and fast!! More to come! Daniel I blurred out the faces before posting, to be on the safe side - even though the covering letter gives names (and ranks) of the three guys in the first pair... 3 hours ago, JakubJakepilot said: WOW WOW WOW, just WOW !!!!!! Totally awesome pictures, and that could make great diorama !!! I would like to ask you who has copyright for those pics, I would like to add them to my (our) great Gulf war site !! The photos were sent to me after I'd done a magazine article, and the covering letter with them specifically states "feel free to publish any or all at any time" - so effectively they became 'public domain' when I posted them earlier! Edited December 30, 2020 by andyf117 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
YF65_CH53E Posted December 31, 2020 Author Share Posted December 31, 2020 Here are some more Desert Storm HMH-462 pics. These are from fellow Marines. During a night raid, one of HMH-462 aircraft suffered a hard landing. No one hurt thank goodness, and the airplane was flown back to base where it landed on some matrasses where it could have the nose gear damage repaired. Packing up and getting ready to come home. Via USAF C-5's!! Flight line full of CH-53D's, HMH-462 and HMH-463 Not a CH-53, but a CH-46 in DS colors Quote Link to post Share on other sites
YF65_CH53E Posted December 31, 2020 Author Share Posted December 31, 2020 I would be remiss if I t add some pictures of the new CH-53K "King Stallion" Getting ready for AR Deseret brown out trials at Yuma Proving Ground: Moving onto external pick off and drop offs in high brown out conditions: The CH-53K is just a beast of a helicopter. r/Gy Dan Quote Link to post Share on other sites
YF65_CH53E Posted December 31, 2020 Author Share Posted December 31, 2020 Some for "fun" CH-53 pictures My aircraft on the 15th MEU with HMM-268(REIN), YP-65, the "screwman" on the door is our parent squadron, HMH-462, and the "Red Dragon" is the HMM-268 squadron logo. My buddy Don,on our Tiger Cruise out of Hawaii, 1995. A White Top model I was able to put in my collection from a long time friend at Sikorsky. When he retired I received this from him. It sits with a model of my 1962 P35 Beech Bonanza, and a custom wood CH-53 in HMH-462 colors. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
andyf117 Posted December 31, 2020 Share Posted December 31, 2020 8 hours ago, YF65_CH53E said: Some for "fun" CH-53 pictures Might be fun to fly with a crew who look like that - but no fun trying to fly a Stallion when everything's reversed... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
YF65_CH53E Posted December 31, 2020 Author Share Posted December 31, 2020 Andy, Pretty funny huh? They published it in the calendar that way too!!!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
midnightprowler Posted January 1, 2021 Share Posted January 1, 2021 Great pics! Inspires me to work on one. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
habu2 Posted January 1, 2021 Share Posted January 1, 2021 16 hours ago, andyf117 said: Might be fun to fly with a crew who look like that - but no fun trying to fly a Stallion when everything's reversed... I didn't even notice the pic was reversed - I must have been distracted...... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
andyf117 Posted January 1, 2021 Share Posted January 1, 2021 10 hours ago, YF65_CH53E said: Andy, Pretty funny huh? They published it in the calendar that way too!!!! 6 hours ago, habu2 said: I didn't even notice the pic was reversed - I must have been distracted...... It was one of the prominent protrusions that caught my attention - refuelling probe on the wrong side! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
757flyer Posted January 2, 2021 Share Posted January 2, 2021 What was the AF Serial/Bu.No. for that first USAF H-53C that was the white top HMX-1 bird? I assume it would have kept the USAF H-53C tanks? Thanks! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
YF65_CH53E Posted January 3, 2021 Author Share Posted January 3, 2021 757flyer, The Marine Corps assigned it the BuNo 157930. I will look up the USAF ser# assigned to it. Gy Dan Quote Link to post Share on other sites
andyf117 Posted January 3, 2021 Share Posted January 3, 2021 7 hours ago, YF65_CH53E said: 757flyer, The Marine Corps assigned it the BuNo 157930. I will look up the USAF ser# assigned to it. Gy Dan As per my thread linked to on the preceding page, 157930 turned out to be the subject aircraft in the photo... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
YF65_CH53E Posted January 3, 2021 Author Share Posted January 3, 2021 Keeping with the Desert Storm theme. Here are some pics of the famous CH-53E with the girl painted in the side. There were actually two HMH-466 aircraft with this camo painted in it. Above is my friend the HMH-465 Maintenance Chief, Master Gunnery Sergeant Pat Woods. Rather delicately holding himself up....... HMH-462 aircraft The desert paint did not last very long on our oily 53's. The "Chevy" CH-53E from HMH-466 More to come!! r/Gunny Dan Quote Link to post Share on other sites
YF65_CH53E Posted January 3, 2021 Author Share Posted January 3, 2021 Some UN CH-53G/GS aircraft. In the Desert. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
hemspilot Posted January 4, 2021 Share Posted January 4, 2021 On 12/30/2020 at 7:23 PM, YF65_CH53E said: Some for "fun" CH-53 pictures Looks like everything is standing at attention in that photo. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
JakubJakepilot Posted January 4, 2021 Share Posted January 4, 2021 Totally awesome info and pics 🙂 Already updated my Gulf war page with fresh info and pics, also added a CAMO note for each airframe, looks like there were atleast NINE variations in Gulf !!!!! Btw, some had/some had not the refuelling probe - why is that ? Or is it easy to install/uninstall it for various sorties ? Check the updated site HERE Keep the pics and info coming, you are doing a great job !!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
andyf117 Posted January 4, 2021 Share Posted January 4, 2021 (edited) 4 hours ago, JakubJakepilot said: Btw, some had/some had not the refuelling probe - why is that ? Or is it easy to install/uninstall it for various sorties ? I may be wrong, but with the exception of former Navy minesweepers as described and pictured by Dan on the previous page, I believe no Marines Ds had an AAR probe, but all Es did... Edited January 4, 2021 by andyf117 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
YF65_CH53E Posted January 4, 2021 Author Share Posted January 4, 2021 Jakub, The USMC CH-53D's did not have an aerial refueling probe. Only the USAF MH-53J's had AR probes installed. The USMC CH-53E's that were land based about 99% of the time will have the AR probe installed. When we are deployed aboard amphibious assault ships we remove the AR probes and store them in the hangar deck area for ease of movement while aboard the ship. Once you go aboard a ship for a deployment you become very accustomed to removing and reinstalling (R&R'ing) the AR probes. If the aircraft is to remain topside for a long duration with the AR probe installed then it is pushed back up to the deck edge so the probe does not interfere with the "foul line" on the flight deck. This ensures proper safe clearances for the AV-8B Harriers to operate as well as flight deck personnel to move in and around the chained down aircraft in aft portion of the amphib flight deck. Where 99% of the time our (4) CH-53E's would be tied down, along with the (6) AV-8B's. Andy is correct as well, as the Navy's RH-53D, and the MH-53E's most always have the AR probe installed. Even with them going aboard ships they kept them on, as most of the mine sweepers were and are land based units. Even when the HM-XX MH-53E units are used as Carrier Onboard Delivery (COD) platforms the large deck aircraft carriers they routinely fly to and from there is plenty of deck room for their probes to stay on. But again, there is exceptions to any of these rules where mission dictates. The AR probe is quickly and rather routinely R&R'd. Gy Dan Quote Link to post Share on other sites
JakubJakepilot Posted January 5, 2021 Share Posted January 5, 2021 Andy and Dan, BIG thanks for the explanation. I was quite curious about those former RH-53Ds, what they were doing in Gulf ? Just "personnel/cargo" delivery ? If I can, I would like to use your explanation on my site, I guess it could be interestning for modellers 🙂 Thanks !! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
YF65_CH53E Posted January 5, 2021 Author Share Posted January 5, 2021 Jakub, There were no USMC or USN RH-53D's deployed to the gulf war. They were kept stateside with the Marine Reserves until their retirement in the late 90's. HMH-769, and HMH-772 had the RH-53D's. When those airframes were retired both those units stood back up with CH-53E's. 53's deployed to DS: USMC: CH-53D CH-53E USN: MH-53E USAF: MH-53J Germany deployed CH-53G/GS aircraft after 1991, and they were utilized for "Operation Southern Watch" as well as United Nations transport roles for coalition forces up until Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) started and the USMC units were back on Iraqi soil, this time only with CH-53E's. The CH-53D's would see their last deployment from MCAS Kaneohe Bay Hawaii, Marine Aircraft Group 24 (MAG-24) all the way to Afghanistan for Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). By 2008 all types of the CH-53D/RH-53D were out of USN/USMC service. Not a bad operational run, as the type was introduced in 1965. 43 years of service. That is a lot of rivets vibrating in close for formation for a lot of flight hours!! r/Gy Dan Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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