Choppers ? (Read 3,811 times)

No, not a thread for your Harley-Davidson.


This is a story out of my book, the Germany section with photos.

Our wing had three maybe four CH-53 Super Stallion helicopters already when I arrived on base. Our maintenance squadron was performing servicing and maintenance support on them. These were used to supply and support our outlining military radar sights. Until our aircraft arrived I spent time helping the helicopter engine mechanics. I even got to take a few flights on them.



One day there was absolutely no work to be done and we were all standing around. One of the CH-53 Flight Engineers came into our jet engine shop and asked, “We are going up for some flight time around the countryside to practice low level flying, anyone want to fly along?” I asked the shop boss if I could go and he said, “Sure.” I thanked him and he added, “Take a camera if you have one.”

I retrieved my camera and ear-defenders, then ran out to the helicopter, climbed onboard and strapped into a seat. We started the two engines and the rotor blades started turning. When I looked up all I saw was a massive gear box above us that controlled the main rotor. I was wondering if I had made a poor choice to fly on a big eggbeater.

We took to the air and it was pretty smooth as we skimmed over the hilltops and flew down valleys. Soon the crew said we could get up and walk around. What was nice, was that the doors on both sides did not have plexi-glass in them, which made picture taking great. No reflections.

Our flight was going very well and I went up to the cockpit door and watched the crew for a short time. The co-pilot was paying close attention to an air navigation map and I heard him say, “High power lines coming up, five miles, three miles, one mile, and then the pilot raised our altitude and we went over the power lines. Not long afterwards he said, “Radio tower (and he gave its height) about one o’clock three miles” and we passed it with hundreds of yards to spare.

I didn’t know how long this flight would last so I figured I better quit watching the crew and take a few pictures with my camera.


We flew for about two hours past dozens of castles and some towers. I asked the crew member what those towers were and he said, “I believed they are historical anti-aircraft gun towers left over from World War II.” As the scenic countryside with all its old castles, towers, villages, and bridges passed us by I thought that this must have been the sights and sounds our Allied pilots experienced during World War II. I viewed this flight as some kind of a historical flight.

I flew maybe twice more on our CH-53 Super Stallion helicopters during late 1978. I wasn’t to experience helicopter flight again until about 2006 when my wife and I vacationed on the Hawaiian Island of Kauai’. We flew in a small Hughes MD500 helicopter around the island and made a landing in the jungle near a secluded water wall for lunch and a swim. It was a great adventure for my wife and I.

I hate PhotoBucket. Had better luck with ImmageShack.