Guest IguanaKing Posted June 3, 2006 Posted June 3, 2006 Here's a vid that shows some pretty cool ****. http://www.grouchymedia.com/other_videos/pararescue/video_on_demand.cfm Keep in mind, the "captures" seen in a few of the clips are standard procedure for rescuing friendly forces in hostile territory. Watch out for some of the side links on that site though...some of them are pretty friggin' hilarious. Enjoy the vid. :D
Pilotasso Posted June 4, 2006 Posted June 4, 2006 Being a combat SAR must be one of the toughest jobs arround. They go sometimes right under enemy fire, and I dont doubt that sometimes they may also loose lives to rescue 1 pilot. Im not sure but US SAR officers seem to be alot more interventive than at least over here because they also are trained like commandoes. Heres the machine we use for that role: .
Guest IguanaKing Posted June 4, 2006 Posted June 4, 2006 It is, and its not for everybody. Remember "Wilky" in the movie "Black Hawk Down"? That was USAF TSgt Timothy A Wilkinson, he was a 291, and the movie didn't even come close. What's that helicopter in your pic?
Mike Cinch Perry Posted June 4, 2006 Posted June 4, 2006 COMBAT SAR I was a CSAR (Combat Search and Rescue Swimmer) in the US navy, and I will tell you it was a hard job, bit also one of the best in the Navy for me, My squadron HS-7 Dusty Dogs from Jacksonville, FLA was the best unit I have been to!!! Cinch
MonnieRock Posted June 4, 2006 Posted June 4, 2006 That town sounds familar hehehe. Are you still in Jax? Monnie Dual Core Poll Please Vote Rack Rig: Rosewill RSV-L4000 | Koolance ERM-3K3UC | Xeon E5-1680 v2 @ 4.9ghz w/EK Monoblock | Asus Rampage IV Black Edition | 64GB 2133mhz | SLI TitanXP w/ EK Waterblocks | 2x Samsung 970 EVO Plus 1TB | Seasonic 1000w Titanium | Windows 10 Pro 64bit | TM Warthog HOTAS w/40cm Extension | MFG Crosswind Rudders | Obutto R3volution | HP Reverb
WhiskeyRomeo Posted June 4, 2006 Posted June 4, 2006 Pretty good video. I worked with some PJs for a couple years during a stint in Combat Plans back in the late 80s. They do have a "different outlook" than your average blue-suiter, thats for sure. Something like 70 weeks of training just go get qualified. Definately an "elite force" by anyone's defination. Wilkinson got the Air Force Cross for his part in the Black Hawk Down operation. Another PJ got a posthumous AF Cross in Afganistan a couple years ago.
Pilotasso Posted June 4, 2006 Posted June 4, 2006 What's that helicopter in your pic? Its an EH-101 Merlin. The other contender for the aquisition was the blackhawk. :) But this one offered a back door like the C-130 and allows vehicles to be carried (up to 4.5 Tonnes) or up to 35 soldiers. It has 3 engines wich can be swiched off to 2 or 1 in midflight and is more fuel efficient. They are probably the most technologicaly advanced aircraft we have. Even more than the F-16's. .
Guest IguanaKing Posted June 4, 2006 Posted June 4, 2006 Its an EH-101 Merlin. The other contender for the aquisition was the blackhawk. :) But this one offered a back door like the C-130 and allows vehicles to be carried (up to 4.5 Tonnes) or up to 35 soldiers. It has 3 engines wich can be swiched off to 2 or 1 in midflight and is more fuel efficient. They are probably the most technologicaly advanced aircraft we have. Even more than the F-16's. Ah...ok...doing a little reading on this helicopter. Here, its called the VH-71 apparently, and it has already replaced the VH-3s used as Marine One by the POTUS. Thanks for the pic Pilotasso! :D Until today, I couldn't figure out what kind of helicopters those were that I saw taking off from the courtyard of the Inverness Hotel which is just west of 17/35. The prez was visiting that day, and those, along with the usual multiple-UH-60 PSD, were the only aircraft flying during the TFR. They were too far away for an ID, and I kept thinking "Are those CH-53s? They're big enough, but they can't be...Marine One has never been a 53 as far as I know."
Guest IguanaKing Posted June 4, 2006 Posted June 4, 2006 Pretty good video. Another PJ got a posthumous AF Cross in Afganistan a couple years ago. That was TSgt John Chapman. He led a rescue of a Navy spec ops flight crew AND a SeAL after their aircraft was downed by RPG fire. Chapman's own aircraft had come under heavy fire and was disabled, having to make an emergency landing in hostile territory. He still led the rescue of the other downed airmen though, calling in Spectre support, and personally engaging enemy combatants. The rescue was successful, but Chapman eventually fell to his multiple gunshot wounds. :(
Stormin Posted June 4, 2006 Posted June 4, 2006 Ah...ok...doing a little reading on this helicopter. Here, its called the VH-71 apparently, and it has already replaced the VH-3s used as Marine One by the POTUS. Thanks for the pic Pilotasso! :D Until today, I couldn't figure out what kind of helicopters those were that I saw taking off from the courtyard of the Inverness Hotel which is just west of 17/35. The prez was visiting that day, and those, along with the usual multiple-UH-60 PSD, were the only aircraft flying during the TFR. They were too far away for an ID, and I kept thinking "Are those CH-53s? They're big enough, but they can't be...Marine One has never been a 53 as far as I know." Marine One is the callsign used for any USMC aircraft that has the President on board. You are correct that HMX-1 has never used a CH-53 for Presidential transport duty. Oh, and USAF PJs rock!
Brit_Radar_Dude Posted June 5, 2006 Posted June 5, 2006 Here, its called the VH-71 apparently, and it has already replaced the VH-3s used as Marine One by the POTUS.I must be a bit out of touch, never realised there was such a high profile example of the US buying UK stuff. Naturally its the Marines again who have a habit of buying the right stuff for the job and not caring too much about the "Made In xxx" label. Over 10 years ago now that I worked on some of the software for the GPS box on the EH101. If memory serves, I was messing around with the 1553 and ARINC429 interfaces.... Nice to know a piece of my Software might just be helping George Dubya to know where he is - LOL [sIGPIC][/sIGPIC] Sorry Death, you lose! It was Professor Plum....
23rd_SATAN Posted June 5, 2006 Posted June 5, 2006 Air Force CSAR might be good, but, when Capt. Scott O'Grady went down, they sent the MARINES to go get him, there is a reason for that. The AF had its SAR unit in Aviano, why did they not go? I have also heard through the grapevine that a lot of current AF CSAR guys are former marines. [sIGPIC][/sIGPIC]
WhiskeyRomeo Posted June 5, 2006 Posted June 5, 2006 Air Force CSAR might be good, but, when Capt. Scott O'Grady went down, they sent the MARINES to go get him, there is a reason for that. The AF had its SAR unit in Aviano, why did they not go? Maybe the Marines were closer?? They sent a whole bunch of people to get O'Grady. Besides the Marine TRAP mission (2 CH-53s, 2 AH-1Ws and 2 AV-8s) there were 40 other US aircraft launched or supporting the CSAR mission. 0208am: O'Grady contacts F-16s on his survival radio 0505am: Marine TRAP launches from Kearsarge 0545am: Backup CSAR team launched from base in Italy (SOC CSAR team) 0550am: TRAP mission heads toward O'Grady's position - they had to circle for a bit waiting for the fast-movers and support aircraft to get into position. 0644am: Rescue takes place 0730am: Marines and O'Grady land back on USS Kearsarge All the US Services have CSAR capabilites and CSAR missions are almost always Joint operations. The Marines were "on deck" The SOC CSAR team launched as back-up. And the AF CSAR team was the 2nd back-up option and readying a mission to launch that night if the daylight rescue attempt(s) had to be waived off. Later on (2002) O'Grady sued 20th Century Fox for damages to his character (loosely protrayed in the movie "Behind Enemy Lines". He claims he didn't curse as much as the movie character and never disobeyed orders. :smilewink: He also sued the Discovery Channel claiming they made an unauthorized production of his ordeal. Scott O'Grady alleged the commercial value of his name and identity have been damaged irreparably. O'Grady alleged invasion of privacy and says the two production companies wrongfully profited from his story without trying to secure the proper rights.
WhiskeyRomeo Posted June 5, 2006 Posted June 5, 2006 Here, its called the VH-71 apparently, and it has already replaced the VH-3s used as Marine One by the POTUS. I must be a bit out of touch, never realised there was such a high profile example of the US buying UK stuff. Naturally its the Marines again who have a habit of buying the right stuff for the job and not caring too much about the "Made In xxx" label. Over 10 years ago now that I worked on some of the software for the GPS box on the EH101. If memory serves, I was messing around with the 1553 and ARINC429 interfaces.... Nice to know a piece of my Software might just be helping George Dubya to know where he is - LOL I don't think the VH-71s are in service quite yet. Also the EH101 is probably the leading candidate in the CSAR-X program to replace the current CSAR helo's. Could be a LOT more of them than the 23 or so in the VH-71 programmed buy.
enigma6584 Posted June 5, 2006 Posted June 5, 2006 It is, and its not for everybody. Remember "Wilky" in the movie "Black Hawk Down"? That was USAF TSgt Timothy A Wilkinson, he was a 291, and the movie didn't even come close. What's that helicopter in your pic? What scene are you referring to InguanaKing? I had just watched that movie a couple of weekends back and can't recall the scene you alluded too.
Guest IguanaKing Posted June 6, 2006 Posted June 6, 2006 His character was in a number of scenes in the movie, the problem was that the movie almost kinda made it look like he was one of the Delta guys. If you were talking about the post I made after that one, that was a different guy, and they haven't made a movie of that. :smilewink:
Guest IguanaKing Posted June 6, 2006 Posted June 6, 2006 I don't think the VH-71s are in service quite yet. Also the EH101 is probably the leading candidate in the CSAR-X program to replace the current CSAR helo's. Could be a LOT more of them than the 23 or so in the VH-71 programmed buy. They are for Presidential Transport duty though. Those four helicopters all in colors of the POTUS (two were VH-60s) the other two were DEFINITELY too big to be VH-3s.
23rd_SATAN Posted June 6, 2006 Posted June 6, 2006 Maybe the Marines were closer?? They sent a whole bunch of people to get O'Grady. Besides the Marine TRAP mission (2 CH-53s, 2 AH-1Ws and 2 AV-8s) there were 40 other US aircraft launched or supporting the CSAR mission. 0208am: O'Grady contacts F-16s on his survival radio 0505am: Marine TRAP launches from Kearsarge 0545am: Backup CSAR team launched from base in Italy (SOC CSAR team) 0550am: TRAP mission heads toward O'Grady's position - they had to circle for a bit waiting for the fast-movers and support aircraft to get into position. 0644am: Rescue takes place 0730am: Marines and O'Grady land back on USS Kearsarge All the US Services have CSAR capabilites and CSAR missions are almost always Joint operations. The Marines were "on deck" The SOC CSAR team launched as back-up. And the AF CSAR team was the 2nd back-up option and readying a mission to launch that night if the daylight rescue attempt(s) had to be waived off. Later on (2002) O'Grady sued 20th Century Fox for damages to his character (loosely protrayed in the movie "Behind Enemy Lines". He claims he didn't curse as much as the movie character and never disobeyed orders. :smilewink: He also sued the Discovery Channel claiming they made an unauthorized production of his ordeal. Scott O'Grady alleged the commercial value of his name and identity have been damaged irreparably. O'Grady alleged invasion of privacy and says the two production companies wrongfully profited from his story without trying to secure the proper rights. Meh, I still think there is another good reason the AF did not send its CSAR peeps. [sIGPIC][/sIGPIC]
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