My mother is going to turn 84 this December, and way back when she was a young girl she worked at Sikorsky. One of her favorite jobs was 'Flight Recorder', she would ride in the Choctaw and write down everything the pilot mentioned about the craft before it was shipped / returned to Vietnam.
i was a plane captain on a UH-34D while in the Navy in 1969-70. A thorough preflight took about 45 minutes, and flyin down below was awesome, although the vibration after an hour hop would wear me out! Ours was still painted OD green.
The first time our dad took us to the MCAS El Toro Air Show was in 1966, and we were directed to park via a road on the the northeast edge of the base. As we were slowly driving in, this placed us right under the very low flight path of massed H-34s, CH-46s and some Hueys as they demonstrated landing troops in a battlefield LZ. It was an impressive sight to see so many helicopters coming in. Quite the first impression of the first of many air shows at the base.
Oooorah! 1968 off the West Coast 34's taking troops to the beach at Camp Pendleton from the USS Vancouver LPD-2. High density altitude and they had to kick a couple of Marines off just to get off the deck. All the way to the beach and the mains dragging in the water.
I think as of today this helicopter is now located in Brewster Wa in their fleet of other S58 I think it should of gone to Fantisy of Flight in Florida be in one of Kermit Weeks hangers its one of the last piston engine helicopters made by Sikorsky before they all went to turbine power. its a vietnam war helicopter but not sure if it meets Kermit weeks collection criteria he collects wwl wwll early airliners and early helicopters he collects.
Was the H-34 much worse than the Huey? It looks a lot older in shape and I read it was the last piston engined chopper in service. So was it simply a lack of Hueys that led to the ongoing need for the H34s to press on, or were there distinct advantages and disadvantages for either aircraft in respect to the mission(s) they were assigned to?
Idk why he started crying like a little wimp at the end. No reason, just a helicopter restoration. Jesus Christ. He’s no marine. Not a real marine at least.
