"USAF ROTORHEADS MESSAGE BOARD"


PLEASE MAKE USE OF THIS MESSAGE BOARD BY POSTING AIR FORCE HELICOPTER RELATED QUESTIONS, POSTING APPROPRIATELY RELATED INFORMATION, LOCATING YOUR AIR FORCE FAMILY OF HELICOPTER FRIENDS YOU MAY HAVE LOST CONTACT WITH OVER THE YEARS OR OTHER USE AS DEEMED APPROPRIATE.


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USAF helicopters th1f 66-1249 and 66-1250

Looking for original assignments for these two helicopters. Was crew chief on 66-1249 at Randolph AFB, Texas 1974-77

Re: USAF helicopters th1f 66-1249 and 66-1250

Hey, I flew these birds at the Instrument Flight Center during that time period. 66-1250 is in my time log from the 20th SOS in Vietnam, although I didn't log time in it. One or both of these birds might also have been assigned to the missile support branch at Ellsworth (my first assignment), but I have to see if I can find my flying time reports from that assignment.

Joe Viviano

Re: USAF helicopters th1f 66-1249 and 66-1250

Hello Joe,
Did you mean the Instrument Flight Center at Randolph AFB? We had five f models when I was there those years. 66-1250,66-1249, -1229, -1237, 1235 the best I can remember. We were working for Sgt. "Andy" Andrews, Sgt. Parmer, and Sgt. Benton. Pilots: Major Lyle Stephenson, and Lt. Col. Scarff I believe, others I remember faces but not names. Mechanics: Roger Hennion, Roger Kay, Sgt. Mumford, Sgt. "Smitty" Smith,William "Bill" something and others. My most memorable mission was north to Army Camp Bullis with Generals: Nunn,Flynn, and Fox. May have been a Capt. Rhienhart command pilot that day with Gen. Fox taking over after we cleared the active. I think I was the only blond haired blue eyed crew chief in that era. A1C to SRA when I took an early out November 1977. Worked a self help (electrician) project for Col. Sciples for about a year. Was curious what you looked like in those days and if any of this rings a bell. Your name sounds very familiar. Have a good day!! G. Jordan

Re: USAF helicopters th1f 66-1249 and 66-1250

Both were at Andrews when I was assigned there! 1969-75. Not sure when they got there or when they left.

Re: USAF helicopters th1f 66-1249 and 66-1250

Hello Buck,
Appreciate the info. They must have been moved to Randolph shortly before we got there. 66-1249 went civilian quite a few years back and auto-rotated into the ocean from the Dominican Republic. Odd thing, the FAA report stated that the helicopter was departing from the Dominican, and the owner out of Florida stated just the opposite!!, that the pilot was headed to the Dominican. Anyway, she went in to deep water and will never see her again!! What was your involvement with these two machines? Thanks again,
Greg
p.s. Do you remember colors at that time?

Re: USAF helicopters th1f 66-1249 and 66-1250

Hey, glad you returned the info. I was an FE on the choppers at Andrews. At the time that your helo's were there we flew h-21 and h-1's. You just didn't fly the helo you crewed, you flew all of them depending where you were assigned that day. VIP support was the game. Very good tour. The h-1's were replaced with N models and the 21's with H-3's. I remember them being AF blue with the interior being fixed up by our fabric and sheet metal shop, they really looked VIP. Leatherette etc.

Re: USAF helicopters th1f 66-1249 and 66-1250

Thanks Buck!!
Always wondered about the snazzy look these two ships had. They were used in r and d while at Randolph Field. The electronics guys had a bunch of black boxes under the rear seats and were constantly doing mod. Do you recall any presidential duty for these machines, or just high ranking officers and the such? Anyway, appreciate the info. We only had one close call at Randolph that I remember when one of our gray helicopters (forgot which tail number), had severe turbine engine overspeed while in taxi. Several of us had launched them and were standing by hanger 16 near the heli office. Everything seemed normal, with the usual *** wop *** of the huey rotors, when suddenly the turbines started screaming. The pilot just turned, looked like he had tower clearence to cross the active runway. That huey was all over the place with the crew fighting for control. Apparently the main rotor hubs locked and the collective would not budge for a bit. I think the engine gutted itself. It slammed hard enough to tweak the skids and the main rotors drooped way down toward the tail boom. The crew was ok but understandably shook up. Flight safety seized our records, but we were cleared with the blame being placed on a bezerk engine fuel control. It could have been really bad if they had of had any altitude, for it looked as if the ground effect is what kept them from rolling over!!.
Thanks again,

Greg Jordan

Re: USAF helicopters th1f 66-1249 and 66-1250

Hi Greg,

TH-1F's 66-1249 and 50 were both accepted by the USAF 31 July 1967.
They both went to 1001 AB Wing, Bolling, 5 August 1967.
Assigned to 1001 CMP Wing, Andrews, 8 September, 1968.
1249 went to 3510 MSU Group, Randolph, 14 May 1971.
1250 went to 3510 MSU Group, Randolph, 1 April 1971.
Both assigned to 12 FTA Wing, Randolph, 30 April 1972

Sid

Re: USAF helicopters th1f 66-1249 and 66-1250

Sid,
Appreciate the great info! Been wondering for years the history of these helicopters!! Had Myrtle Beach AFB as original assignment but a buddy from Pennsylvania asked me to trade with him for Randolph AFB because he was getting married. We were both in from early 74 to late 77. Anyway Sgt. Benton always told us we could still deploy that the war was not over officially. My buddy from Myrtle Beach advised me that one time they had two helicopters camoflaged, loaded on an aircraft, and headed out over the ocean!!, not knowing where, just told to pack and go! He could not tell his wife much of anything! Was curious if anyone had any knowledge of this mission if not still classified, secret,etc.?
Thanks again,have a good day,
Greg Jordan
P.s. Any info on you? Also above mission cancelled 3 hrs. out!!

Re: USAF helicopters th1f 66-1249 and 66-1250

Greg, go to this link http://www.rotorheadsrus.us/documents/615.html on our USAF RotorHeads website and look at the center photo on the forth row down to see the colors we had on our UH-1F's at the 1st HS at Andrews. This isn't one of the birds you were asking about, but they all had this color when I was there in 70-71. (by the way the photo has the wrong date on it, I took the photo in 1970, not 1960). The bird in the photo is 66-1220.

Re: USAF helicopters th1f 66-1249 and 66-1250

Thanks for the info Jim! Could you advise on the missions for these Hueys while there? Good Evening, Greg