CH37 Marble Mt

Not a Sqd member. However Was at Danang with the VNAF CH34 Sqd & visiting Marble Mt the day the VC over ran the base & trashed some CH37 among others. That was a Wednesday where the afternoon was a Beer & Barbeque break. While on Active Duty in Mobile Training Det I went through the course on the CH37 SF PM

Ch-37

Qualified as Crew Chief on 37 at MCAF Santa Ana in Dec 65.

Still have not hooked up with anyone from that era.

Semper Fi

I was the crew chief on the last one from HMX when we took it to NAS Jacksonville to O&R ,on the way we had to land in a farmers feild to put engine oil in it other wise it was a good flight. SF

CH37 lift of Ch34s

Besides seeing some blown up at Marble Mt I had several of our H34s lifted in the field Vietnam. (1965/1966). (Photo Near Vung Tau)

Noticed they took the CH-37 picture out of the Popasmoke news letter.
Guess you guys don't rate any more

Ch-37

Looking at the photos, the bottom of the fuselage of the 37 looks very similar to the 34's. What do ya think?

Dueces"

crewed and flew in 37's from 60 to August 1966,loved those birds,set down in many a field and once in the freeway west of Tuscan Az. 12 months in nam with 37 Det, always made it home safe,glad there still some old duece guys around.semper fi,Almus Dean:)

Ch37 vs h53

Not many realize that the old HR2S if the two 2800 Recips were replaced with the two GE Turbines would be close to the CH53A. Facts is the complete tail assy was utilized on the CH53A. The tail blades , TGB & Tail Servo were exactly the same ones. Only the timing of the Tail Servo was changed to comply with the CH53 AFCS . I was trained on all the CH53 models from the A,D & E before I retired as well as the H37, H 19, HO5S, H34 & S- 61 . Was a bit familiar with the old Piaseki back at HMX-1, 1950 (Fabric covered, photo ) prior to the Boeing C46. Also had the HTL-3 at LTA when we formed VMO-2 back in 1951. SF PM

Deuce vs. H53

My first squadron was HMH-462 at MCAF Santa Ana in 1964.
I was given to understand, by the 'old salts', that the Deuce was originally designed to use turbo-shaft engines, but the fighter and bomber communities had priority for all the jet engines so Igor had to make do with left over recips.
Apparently, the H-53 was what the Deuce was supposed to have been.
I didn't serve in country with the Deuces because I signed up for the replacement draft.
Once more the 'old salts' struck: "these old birds aren't going anywhere..."
They never bothered to say there was a det already in country.
In any case, flying in the Deuce was always an adventure!
SF

Have been wondering...

RDPayne;27109 wrote: My first squadron was HMH-462 at MCAF Santa Ana in 1964.
I was given to understand, by the 'old salts', that the Deuce was originally designed to use turbo-shaft engines, but the fighter and bomber communities had priority for all the jet engines so Igor had to make do with left over recips.
Apparently, the H-53 was what the Deuce was supposed to have been.
I didn't serve in country with the Deuces because I signed up for the replacement draft.
Once more the 'old salts' struck: "these old birds aren't going anywhere..."
They never bothered to say there was a det already in country.
In any case, flying in the Deuce was always an adventure!
SF

Was that '462 at the end of hangar 2 @ LTA.,late '64/early '65 ???
I was attached to HMM-164 during that time frame & we had a sqdn. of Deuces right along side us that deployed to country.
I recall thinking that their tin-benders must've been kept pretty busy making all those drip pans scattered beneath the birds.
They had a bird in the hangar that had been barrel-rolled & made the RTB safely,but never flew again. Too much structural damage.
By the time they outposted,it had been cannibalized to the point that only a shell remained.

Checking IN ON YOU

yankeepapa9;26895 wrote: Qualified as Crew Chief on 37 at MCAF Santa Ana in Dec 65.

Still have not hooked up with anyone from that era.

Semper Fi

Charlie How you and ALL doing down there? Getting closer to the reunion and do pray I'll be able to check IN. How about you ?