CH-47 Video

WOW!! Brings back many memories of test hops over Holly Ridge in N.C. and CH-46A test hops over Phu Bai/MMAF!!! FUN times!! Never did all the stuff the Chinook driver did, but makes me wish we had....Some of the proudest moments That I recall after a successful mission (and all the folks were inserted, extracted, med-evaced or resupplied, etc.) was the "fly by" and hard pull around to final approach by a large formation of helicopters, but I am partial to the CH-46s...They had a great rate of climb, at least for a brief period, and after a 120 knot fly-by, then the max climb and hard pull around to starboard...was a beautiful sight, from below or above!! The '34 drivers could also put on a great show at Phu Bai, and did several times.... like when 362 was rotating to form up as a '53 squadron the last flight over Phu Bai was memorable!!!

Fly bye 262

😎 Joe you sure got that right! I don't think there is a Marine alive that didn't feel the chill when any Group of Choppers did a Fly Bye. We had many of them up in Quang tri, Phu Bai and Danang Why it always reminded me of the
victory roll the jets etc would make . Then when you had a whole group of ALL different ones togather was just breath taking. From gunships,hueys.46s
sometimes 53's and I do believe I remember a ov-10 with a fly-Bye up in Quang tri. Heard we are to have a Fly over at the WALL in DC too. Great !!have to get some good pictures of that for sure.

Fly By's

I remember a ov-10 with a fly-Bye up in Quang tri

The OV-10s were amazing when the arrived in New River, but in RVN they were unbelivable! Saw them at MMAF,don't remember any in Phu Bai when I was there, saw them in Quang Tri, but just parked....
We had a "Super Gaggle", ALL available Aircraft for my last flight in RVN, UH-1's AH-1's, UH--34's, CH-46's and CH-53's...late in 1968 from MMAF to around the Arizona Territory as I recall, When we came back....WOW what a show!!! Wish the fast movers that covered us could've participated! Not all RVN memories were pleasant, but that of my last flight was SUPER! Great way to leave!:D

Flyovers....

As an afterthought, wonder what the MV-22's are like when they fly by low and fast, turn sharply into the break for the 180*....and begin to rotate the wings for final!!! Bet that's a show in itself!!

Joe...

...those blades seem too big to fly low. I believe those blades are some 38 feet in diameter. Not much room there to get below 25 feet or so!

Ray....

Understood, Ray, and a good point. I figure they'd do real well about 100 feet or so, and we came down the Phu Bai and MMAF active a hell of a lot lower than thatand every bit as fast as my 1965 "A" model would fly!! (120-135) depending on the weather...and temp.:D

38ft in diameter leaves 19ft down and 19ft up--still got 6ft to play with to get it well (???) below 25 ft

Tom Knowles