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USMC Executive Flight Detachment (HMX-1 and Presidential Helo)

usmarinemike

Solidly part of the 42%.
pilot
Contributor
As far as I know, HMX-1 doesn't fly UH-1's. Only CH-46's, CH-53's, UH/VH-60's, and VH-3's. As Flash said, they do a lot of OT&E stuff and their motto is "Service to the Fleet." Good motto, considering how they've driven a part to me (a fleet guy) when I had to land in a farmer's field, and they could get me the part quicker than the fleet could (I was about a 2 hour drive from Quantico).

As Harrier Dude said, it's a highly competitive process to get into the "X". We had a number of pilots in my squadron that came from HMX-1 and they filled me in on how the process worked. Your reputation in the fleet counts for alot. You get 4 year orders to HMX-1, and they refer to them as freshman-senior years. Your freshman and sophomore year are spent "green side". You fly 46's, 53's, and 60's (that are painted green from top to bottom), doing OT&E and filling out frags that the fleet can't support (most of the TBS/IOC frags are flown by HMX). Your junior and senior years are spent "white side". That's when you're flying VH-60's & VH-3's (white on the top and green on the bottom). You may or may not fly the president, but you will fly a lot of VIP's. Every pilot spends two years green side, and two years white side. Since there's a chance to fly the president, you have to qualify for a Yankee White clearance. If you can't, you won't go there as a pilot.

Also, from what I've been told (one of the Maj's in my squadron was trying to get me to sign up for the X) everyone quals on everything. When you're green side, you'll be qual'd on 46's, 53's, and 60's - but most of your flying will be in what you fly in the fleet (i.e. a Phrog guy would fly the Phrog 2/3 of the time, and the other 1/3 would be split between 60's and 53's). The only thing that sucks about the deal is that you're gone for something like 300 days out of the year... And a lot of the guys at HMX-1 are tools.

You almost had me wanting to fly helos...almost.
 

Gatordev

Well-Known Member
pilot
Site Admin
Contributor
jamnww said:
h-60 isn't used by the marine corps right now...so only 4 services are using it.

HMX-1? (Stupid software won't let me capitalize unless I put something else here).
 

Cron

Yankee Uniform Tango
Marine One (short film)

HMX%202.jpg


There's a fantastic 15 min. documentary on HMX-1 and Marine One that you can download in its entirety, directly from here:

Trailer (right-click and save as)

Full film (142 MB) (right-click and save as)

Now this might belong in the stupid questions thread, but how does one become a part of HMX-1? I'm assuming all the pilots probably have at least one fleet tour under their belt?
 

Slammer2

SNFO Advanced, VT-86 T-39G/N
Contributor
HMX%202.jpg


There's a fantastic 15 min. documentary on HMX-1 and Marine One that you can download in its entirety, directly from here:

Trailer (right-click and save as)

Full film (142 MB) (right-click and save as)

Now this might belong in the stupid questions thread, but how does one become a part of HMX-1? I'm assuming all the pilots probably have at least one fleet tour under their belt?



Good movie. It gives the history of it without being one of those severly boring ass history shows. And different people from many aspects of the squadron get equal face time. I was expecting the typical cool modern day shots, followed by modern day pilots, long ass boring history segment, interview with a pilot from 25 years ago, more modern day shots, and close. It was very enjoyable to watch and put together nicely.
 

whitesoxnation

Well-Known Member
pilot
Contributor
Is the way HMX-1 operates (4 year program, etc) the same as VMR-1? I saw one of their C-9s at my local airport and was wondering.
 

phrogpilot73

Well-Known Member
Is the way HMX-1 operates (4 year program, etc) the same as VMR-1? I saw one of their C-9s at my local airport and was wondering.
No. VMR-1 has two different pilots - those that fly the UC-35/HH-46 and those that fly the C-9. The C-9 is a transition, so you have to apply to the transition board to get them. The UC-35/HH-46 gig is mainly for Phrog guys (since we're already qual'd in the 46), but I believe they take one or two others here and there. The orders are only three year orders.
 

highside7r

Member
None
Great to have the chance to fly with these guys while "W" does his Crawford ranch vacations. Never seen a H-3 that spotless. Crews very laid back for Marines.
 
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