O1 retrieval in Vietnam

[Forgotten Field]

David,
Thanks for your service. What branch of service and which unit were you in? My friend's father was in the Army's 193rd Assault Helicopter Co and I have one of his uniforms from service. He is no longer with us.
For the experts out there who aren't smart enough to understand that aircraft parts don't grow on trees, there are useable parts on this airframe- ailerons, empennage, engine cylinders, carb, magneto's, instruments- all of which could go to keep the airplane flying on missions as needed.
A few months ago, there was an article in the Glider Pilot's Association newsletter written by one of the men in the teams which recovered Waco CG-4 Gliders after Operation Market Garden. It was very interesting.
Thanks for posting the neat photos. A good friend who was in equipment heavy drop at Fort Bragg had a comment about the M274 Mule- he said that if you could get one started, the best thing you could do with it was to tow the rest of the ones which wouldn't run to the dump...

[david layne]

Army. 539th Trans. Co.

[dred]

Just speculating, but I'm wondering if recovering the airframe meant it would be counted as "damaged" rather than written off as "destroyed"? Even if repair wasn't economically justifiable.

[Quest Master]

That is frigg'in awesome!!!

[TAdan]

Fascinating stuff David, thanks for sharing your pictures and your service.

[billtate]

Thanks David: a real interesting story. Being an ex-helo crew chief I found the pictures great reminders of my training except we never had to recover an aircraft. Thanks for posting.

[spriso]

These are great photos David! I really enjoy seeing stuff like this-- if you have more, please post them.

I wonder if the Chinook still exists?

Thanks,

Michael

[david layne]

When we went on an aircraft recovery we usually went as a team of two. Our duo would consist of Huey who, along with its usual crew carried a team that would secure the downed aircraft and rig it for extraction. The second aircraft of the team was a Chinook that would carry out the extraction itself.

This is our Huey. It is sitting waiting while the crew rig the O1 for extraction.

[david layne]

While we are there a Chinooks from another outfit drop off an artillery piece and some supplies.

[david layne]

We could recover Hueys



And cobras.

[david layne]

And if we worked really hard we could pick up another Chinook.

[david layne]

Where we took the aircraft we were bringing in was dependant on what the problem was with the aircraft. If it was a mechanical issue it would have been delivered to a maintenance unit. If it was damaged severally it would go to the bone-yard and be cannibalized for any useful parts.

Here a cobra is being delivered to the boneyard.




The final few feet in a cloud of dust.

[david layne]

Here are some of the aircraft in our boneyard. Some pictures are good, some not so good.

A Huey.









It will be noted that I am wearing civilian clothes. This was authorized when off duty but not when off base. An strange exception was when we flew into Cambodia prior to the 1970 invasion. Then we were required to wear civilian clothing although flying in aircraft clearly marked United States Army. Ours is not to reason why!

[david layne]

A pair of cobras

[david layne]

And a chinook that came to grief.