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53's at Republic Airport, NY

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zuggerat

Registered User
we had 2 ch-53's fly in today, anyone have an idea where they came from... i wanted to head over there today to talk to the pilots but they left before i could get outa work, wonder if it was anyone on the forum.

just for info purposes the airport they flew into was Republica Airport, Farmingdale, NY (FRG) they left goin NNW at about 700 - 900 AGL from what i could tell.

:icon_smil whhaaaaammmmyy

PS... THOSE THINGS WERE FREAKIN SICK!!!!
 
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phrogpilot73

Well-Known Member
Were they grey? That would mean fleet birds or reserve birds... Were they green? That would mean they were from HMX-1. Who knows what they were doing. Cross country to an airshow, a frag supporting a college's ROTC unit, etc... Unless you know the squadron or the pilots, there's no telling.
 
M

mkoch

I'm not driving fast, I'm flying low
They probably came from here (Connecticut). I work at Sikorsky aircraft, which manufactures (among others) the H-53 and H-60 (Blackhawk) series. The main plant and test field is in Stratford, and Sikorsky Memorial airport (a public airfield) is in Bridgeport. Republic is pretty much a straight shot south across the Long Island Sound from here, I've flown there many a time. The test pilots at the plant love to take little trips around the area.

As far as the CH-53's go, they had actually been out of production for quite a while. The military just put in a bunch of orders to "refit" them (read, they couldnt get congress to let them buy new ones, so take the old one, take everything out of the frame, and put in all new parts) so the production/testing of CH-53's has been gearing up again.
 
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zuggerat

Registered User
they were grey low observable scheme... did a nice bank over the golf course i work at... made me wanna run 3 miles and do pull ups on a tree banch
 
Z

zuggerat

Registered User
mkoch said:
They probably came from here (Connecticut). I work at Sikorsky aircraft, which manufactures (among others) the H-53 and H-60 (Blackhawk) series. The main plant and test field is in Stratford, and Sikorsky Memorial airport (a public airfield) is in Bridgeport. Republic is pretty much a straight shot south across the Long Island Sound from here, I've flown there many a time. The test pilots at the plant love to take little trips around the area.

As far as the CH-53's go, they had actually been out of production for quite a while. The military just put in a bunch of orders to "refit" them (read, they couldnt get congress to let them buy new ones, so take the old one, take everything out of the frame, and put in all new parts) so the production/testing of CH-53's has been gearing up again.
Click to expand...

i used to fly to bridgeport all the time when i was takin flight lessons, great field i liked it a lot
 
M

mkoch

I'm not driving fast, I'm flying low
Yea, the pale gray is what they paint the test helos. We get flights of 1 or 2 of em fly over a couple times a day. Most of our traffic is blackhawks and the new H-92's. Last week they were flying a few of em low and slow fresh off the assembly line. Not even painted yet.
 
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zuggerat

Registered User
tell them to make sure they fly over the SE end of the pattern so i know their coming next time lol
 
USMCRugger

USMCRugger

Registered User
I'm with MAG-49 (HMH-772) at NAS Willow Grove. We have to sh*tters flying around. I think it might be them.
 
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zuggerat

Registered User
whats it like flyin those things

muuchhhooooo nice
sikorsky_ch-53_lufttankning.jpg
 
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phrogpilot73

Well-Known Member
mkoch said:
Yea, the pale gray is what they paint the test helos. We get flights of 1 or 2 of em fly over a couple times a day. Most of our traffic is blackhawks and the new H-92's. Last week they were flying a few of em low and slow fresh off the assembly line. Not even painted yet.
Click to expand...

Pale gray is what all fleet USMC aircraft are painted. When I checked into my squadron, the last camoflauge USMC helo was aircraft 06. It passed it's ASPA inspection, but we inducted it into SDLM anyway because it needed it. SDLM had already done their anniversary paint scheme that year. When our Phrog arrived, they were shocked it was still camo. They put in a request all the way to HQMC for a second anniversary paint scheme that year, so we could keep it camo. No joy - it came back the same boring gray as all the other birds on the line. But I can say that I've flown it, and I have the video to prove it.
 
ChuckMK23

ChuckMK23

Standing by for the RIF !
pilot
zuggerat said:
whats it like flyin those things

muuchhhooooo nice
sikorsky_ch-53_lufttankning.jpg
Click to expand...

This is an MH-53J from USAF - superior avionics and operational capability to USMC CH-53E (totally differentr mission of course).

MH-53J is a true all weather aircraft as well...
 
E5B

E5B

Lineholder
pilot
Super Moderator
ChuckMK23 said:
This is an MH-53J from USAF - superior avionics and operational capability to USMC CH-53E (totally differentr mission of course).

MH-53J is a true all weather aircraft as well...
Click to expand...

It still only has 2 engines though.
 
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