A motivating H-53E pic

[BigIron]

There was a lot of rotor downwash after this parade passed by....

 

[Stearmann4]

Powerful image. The maintenance effort required to facilitate that formation take off probably sent a hundred enlisted wrench-turners to the looney bin...

 

[hscs]

Can't believe that there were 6 H53s flying at the same time....

 

[BigIron]

HM-14 just did a 7 plane a few weeks ago...right over the SP line....

 

[hscs]

Sorry I missed it

 

[wrk]

That pic is badass.

 

[hscs]

Big Iron -- you all should have just done the 7 plane go and blown over the POS hanger, instead of the contractors knocking it down.

 

[ChuckMK23]

So how many airframes where cannibalized to effect that massive display?

They need new airframes badly - I am sure crews and ground pounders alike are counting the days until the 53K will arrive (and counting to to really big numbers).

 

[BigIron]

Big Iron -- you all should have just done the 7 plane go and blown over the POS hanger, instead of the contractors knocking it down.

Yes, or handed each frustruated maintainer a sledgehammer and it would have been down by COB. Said hangar is attached in pic....

(photo credit to AW2 Scott Shea)

 

[BigIron]

So how many airframes where cannibalized to effect that massive display?

They need new airframes badly - I am sure crews and ground pounders alike are counting the days until the 53K will arrive (and counting to to really big numbers).

Well at the very least, most of the problems with the E model have been fixed with the K.

 

[MasterBates]

That a WWII hangar they are knocking down?

 

[BigIron]

That a WWII hangar they are knocking down?

yep, and it's gone now....just gravel now. I think it was pre 1940.

 

[MasterBates]

Was it in bad shape, or do they just want to put up another block looking building?

 

[BigIron]

Was it in bad shape, or do they just want to put up another block looking building?

It was rock bottom and digging in.

"They" are going to replace it with the current style. Attached photo is the sea wall with the 2 HM-14 hangars in the forefront, and the old hangar. The new hangar is possibly the future home of an incoming 53 squadron.

 

[MasterBates]

Those are SMALL hangars. Our reserve squadron has one.

We could not fit all 14 aircraft in one that size. Our hangar is one of the 50's vintage ones like they have at Sherman Field.