Excellent history of the H-3: I served in HS-2 in 1960-62. Was sent to Key West with about half of the squadron on the FIP program to train on maintaining the new Sea King copters. It was an exiting time to be the first to work on them and see the pilots also sharing that experience. Sikorsky sent instructors down to do the classroom training and hands on training in the hanger needless to say they were brand new planes, but still some things would pop up for instance the new blade fold system failed and all the SS lines ( I believe maybe 6) routed up through a shaft to the rotor twisted up like long strands of spaghetti. That grounded the plane until a new set could be shipped from Stratford, Conn. It was a great experience 62 years ago.
I'm glad you enjoyed it Scott and thanks for your service! Hope to see you on the boat someday and hear Tails of Adventures on your Sea King and the BLACKNIGHTS!
I was a First crewman on the SH3-G from 80 to 83.VC-8 out of Roosevelt roads PR. We were a utility squadron so we didn't have any sonar gear. We did a lot of drone recovery and some torpedo recovery. This video brings back some good memories , thank you for that.
I was in HS-75 from 1975 till 1979. We Changed models three times while I was there. Being a reserve squadron, we got hand downs from the fleet squadrons. Some of those were in really bad shape and we needed to do major rework on them. I was a TAR and we had two reserve complements that drilled with us. When the carriers were getting ready to deploy, we usually got to go out on their workups. Lots of fun! Went out on five different carriers. The most H-3's we had at one time was 17. Had to get the hangar queens up so we could send them on their way to wherever they were destined. Hydraulic leaks were constant on some and being an Aviation Electricians Mate, we always had wiring problems because of those leaks. Changing the tail anticollision light on a flight deck was quite scary!
I was an AX (anti submarine warfare technician) 1977 to 1981 at HS-85 NAS Alameda. We mostly flew the SH-3D models. I often wonder what happened to my shipmates.
HS-7 1969-1971 was also my squadron as an AWH-2 along with Ron Monson who commented here. We had the best job in the Navy. I attended my first squadron reunion last year and really enjoyed seeing all the gang again and talking about the great time we had together. Another reunion is being planned and I plan on attending that one too. Charles Rogers, Chief Ocean Systems Technician
Thank you for this. I watched the whole thing on TV in my teens. I will never forget watching the dawn over the Pacific as Hornet steamed toward the splashdown location, then arriving there and watching "Old 66" and crewmen going about their business. Such times, with us forever. So many things I didn't know about this aircraft! So the winchman we watched was flying the bird AS WELL!!
Man this brings back memories. I served in HS-7 from 1991 to 1995 when they retired the SH-3 and transitioned to the Seahawks. Thanks for all you do and thanks for your service.
This helo used in the movie Apollo 13 launched from NAWS Pt. Mugu, I was the plane captain that “taxi’d” the aircraft out in 1994 for movie shooting. I was attached to HCS-5 based ashore out of Pt. Mugu. HCS-5 later relocated to NAS North Island before decommissioning years later.
That was my aircraft when I was in the navy. I had 1300 hours in model. HS-8 Eightballers was my squadron. Had a lot of hours dipping the old AQS-13B Sonar.
Great Show, Joe! I was lucky enough to visit the Hornet right after the museum opened... and was able to 'tour' some areas that are now off-limits. I'm a book reader and thought I knew a bit about Aircraft Carriers and Air Ops - but seeing everything first-hand was a real eye opener for me. And then hearing Joe talk about various parts of the helo was even better. Also big thanks to Ernie Cooper for his background help. Thank you both for all your hard work and efforts. I'm looking forward to more episodes.
Great walk around. I served as an AT in HC-5 (which became HSL-31) from '68 to '72. Flew both, H2s and H3s. Early on we actually also had H-19s and H-34s as well. Ream Field was a great place to serve. Seeing that this H3 was attached to the USS Iwo Jima, I also served for a short time with an H2 detachment aboard the Iwo Jima in '70.
I was in HS-2, had the SH 3A. In 1962 We did first Westpac cruise with her. Ton of tech reps on board. We had a good trip. Lost one bird during night ops, pilot flew it over the lip of an extinct volcano and clipped the landing gear, she went down inside the cone, sadly all were lost. We came home with a bunch of battle E's. Home base was Imperial Beach outside of San Diego, Ream Field. HS 2, 4, 6 and 10 were stationed there. I started out in power plants, good for the short cruises to Hawaii, but the long cruise was in the winter. I became Aviation Maintenance Administration, Logs and Records Yeoman. And it was two decks down form the flight deck, a lot warmer. Good times !! Thanks for the memories.
Hi Steve: I was in HS-2 Feb.60 until Jun 62. We went on WestPac cruise on board the Hornet in 1960. Was part of squadron HS-2 that went to Key West in the FIP program that trained for the new SH-3 for six months. We arrived back to Ream Field in Sept. that year. Our crews and pilots started training for the next cruise that you went on. We went on a couple of short cruises and I got suprised when I was transferred to shore duty and sent to VA-126 at NAS Mira Mar. Three of my buddies in HS-2 were Eddy Jones, Fred Blair and an salt named Pikelsimer. I really missed HS-2 when left but was glad to be with my new wife and not be gone for another 7 or 8 months again. I was fortunate to gain the 2nd.class crow AMH-2 while we were in training in Key West. It's really funny how while serving we moaned and groaned about being there but 65 years we think of them as great times.😊
Please do! Joe and I have packed a lot into the video and still after we keep finding new information on just this aircraft, it has been an incredible journey.
Absolutely great walkaround video. I'm just building scale kits of it's companions during 1979 filming of "The Final Countdown": 149010 and 148995 . Seems this one was not featured and had the modex 732 while with HS-9. Good reference for me, assuming it was not much modified since then. Would love to visit the Hornet, but it's far away for me in Germany.
I was in hs 85 in Alameda as a ad2 which surprised me when i saw the number 406. at that time the squadron was a reserve unit and I was in TAR duty (full time active ) Training active reserve.
Thanks Monkey, Joe and I really enjoy making these. So much history was done in this aircraft and we still found out more after finishing we could not put in, may half to make a second one.
This is a great video. I'm building a model of one right now. I've really missed some interior detail. I've messed up some colors. My misses have been on the interior. I'll do a better job on the exterior.
This is such a cool video of one of my all time favourite helicopters. I don't suppose you have a Sea Sprite aswell hehe. Also my instructor told me that the reason solo flight has to be done from the right seat only was because of weight and balance reasons due to the main fuel tank being on the left? That was in the R22 though
Just made a post after I saw yours. Good to see that you survived your time with HS-7. The next HS-7 reunion is in the planning stages. Let me know if you are interested and I will pass your name along. Charles Rogers
I worked on these at HS-10 NASNI, and that was all i did never made a trip on a ship. I hated it i signed up for an adventure and spent my Navy time working 40 hrs a week!
Thank you Ernest for that deep introspection 🤩 Great explanation and walk around. Me as a helicopter historian find such information very important. I hope it is fine with you for me to link up your video to my HTDI helicopter database for (148999). I’m still looking for more photographs
Hello Frank, apologize for delay is this response. I'm glad you like the video, my friend Joe (in the video) and I have been making videos since the 80's. This one is from 4/1/20 and yes the Sea King in this video is still on the USS Hornet today. I do not have problem with you connecting this to your database, besides mentioning Joe and I put a good word in for the USS Hornet as they are the ones with the awesome display of aircraft for the public.
Hello BigAce, apologize for the lateness of this reply. Yes you are correct the Sea King known as Marine One with the US President was flown by the Marines, It has since retired after 60 of service on January 23, 2021 with President Trump.
Flew the very first one with the single engine I did fly the twin engine one time but it was okay single engine it was okay flying to see can land on water and take off but it's okay for helicopter but I still rather have the Korean helicopter fleet it's better with a carburetor especially cold weather
Excellent history of the H-3: I served in HS-2 in 1960-62. Was sent to Key West with about half of the squadron on the FIP program to train on maintaining the new Sea King copters. It was an exiting time to be the first to work on them and see the pilots also sharing that experience. Sikorsky sent instructors down to do the classroom training and hands on training in the hanger needless to say they were brand new planes, but still some things would pop up for instance the new blade fold system failed and all the SS lines ( I believe maybe 6) routed up through a shaft to the rotor twisted up like long strands of spaghetti. That grounded the plane until a new set could be shipped from Stratford, Conn. It was a great experience 62 years ago.
Thanks for the tour. I served in HS 4 BLACKNIGHTS FROM 1980 TO 84 GREATEST SQUADRON EVER. BRINGS BACK SO MANY MEMORIES.
I'm glad you enjoyed it Scott and thanks for your service! Hope to see you on the boat someday and hear Tails of Adventures on your Sea King and the BLACKNIGHTS!
I was a First crewman on the SH3-G from 80 to 83.VC-8 out of Roosevelt roads PR. We were a utility squadron so we didn't have any sonar gear. We did a lot of drone recovery and some torpedo recovery. This video brings back some good memories , thank you for that.
This was a fun blast from the past. I spent 660 hours riding around in the back of the mighty H-3. AWH2 Peter Swanson, 1968-72.
I was in HS-75 from 1975 till 1979. We Changed models three times while I was there. Being a reserve squadron, we got hand downs from the fleet squadrons. Some of those were in really bad shape and we needed to do major rework on them. I was a TAR and we had two reserve complements that drilled with us. When the carriers were getting ready to deploy, we usually got to go out on their workups. Lots of fun! Went out on five different carriers. The most H-3's we had at one time was 17. Had to get the hangar queens up so we could send them on their way to wherever they were destined. Hydraulic leaks were constant on some and being an Aviation Electricians Mate, we always had wiring problems because of those leaks. Changing the tail anticollision light on a flight deck was quite scary!
I was an AX (anti submarine warfare technician) 1977 to 1981 at HS-85 NAS Alameda. We mostly flew the SH-3D models.
I often wonder what happened to my shipmates.
Thanks for your service Steve, Joe was stationed at Alameda also and he has stead in touch with a lot of them and has a reunion from time to time.
Very Interesting - I was on the flight deck crew of the USS Randolph CVS 15 in 1968 and we had the H-3s on board.
HS-7 1969-1971 was also my squadron as an AWH-2 along with Ron Monson who commented here. We had the best job in the Navy. I attended my first squadron reunion last year and really enjoyed seeing all the gang again and talking about the great time we had together. Another reunion is being planned and I plan on attending that one too. Charles Rogers, Chief Ocean Systems Technician
Thank you for this. I watched the whole thing on TV in my teens. I will never forget watching the dawn over the Pacific as Hornet steamed toward the splashdown location, then arriving there and watching "Old 66" and crewmen going about their business. Such times, with us forever. So many things I didn't know about this aircraft! So the winchman we watched was flying the bird AS WELL!!
I was an AMH2 in HS-9 then HS-5 out of NAS Quonset Point from 1967 to 1970. Lots of memories.
Very cool. Sea King was incredibly capable for its time and proved that via longevity. Thanks for the tour.
Excellent video! I learned a lot. In November 1972 I flew from the USS New Orleans to the USS Kitty Hawk in a Sea King right behind the Pilot.
Man this brings back memories. I served in HS-7 from 1991 to 1995 when they retired the SH-3 and transitioned to the Seahawks. Thanks for all you do and thanks for your service.
This helo used in the movie Apollo 13 launched from NAWS Pt. Mugu, I was the plane captain that “taxi’d” the aircraft out in 1994 for movie shooting. I was attached to HCS-5 based ashore out of Pt. Mugu. HCS-5 later relocated to NAS North Island before decommissioning years later.
That was my aircraft when I was in the navy. I had 1300 hours in model. HS-8 Eightballers was my squadron. Had a lot of hours dipping the old AQS-13B Sonar.
Great Show, Joe! I was lucky enough to visit the Hornet right after the museum opened... and was able to 'tour' some areas that are now off-limits. I'm a book reader and thought I knew a bit about Aircraft Carriers and Air Ops - but seeing everything first-hand was a real eye opener for me. And then hearing Joe talk about various parts of the helo was even better.
Also big thanks to Ernie Cooper for his background help. Thank you both for all your hard work and efforts. I'm looking forward to more episodes.
Great walk around. I served as an AT in HC-5 (which became HSL-31) from '68 to '72. Flew both, H2s and H3s. Early on we actually also had H-19s and H-34s as well. Ream Field was a great place to serve. Seeing that this H3 was attached to the USS Iwo Jima, I also served for a short time with an H2 detachment aboard the Iwo Jima in '70.
I was in HS-2, had the SH 3A. In 1962 We did first Westpac cruise with her. Ton of tech reps on board. We had a good trip. Lost one bird during night ops, pilot flew it over the lip of an extinct volcano and clipped the landing gear, she went down inside the cone, sadly all were lost. We came home with a bunch of battle E's. Home base was Imperial Beach outside of San Diego, Ream Field. HS 2, 4, 6 and 10 were stationed there. I started out in power plants, good for the short cruises to Hawaii, but the long cruise was in the winter. I became Aviation Maintenance Administration, Logs and Records Yeoman. And it was two decks down form the flight deck, a lot warmer. Good times !! Thanks for the memories.
Hi Steve: I was in HS-2 Feb.60 until Jun 62. We went on WestPac cruise on board the Hornet in 1960. Was part of squadron HS-2 that went to Key West in the FIP program that trained for the new SH-3 for six months. We arrived back to Ream Field in Sept. that year. Our crews and pilots started training for the next cruise that you went on. We went on a couple of short cruises and I got suprised when I was transferred to shore duty and sent to VA-126 at NAS Mira Mar. Three of my buddies in HS-2 were Eddy Jones, Fred Blair and an salt named Pikelsimer. I really missed HS-2 when left but was glad to be with my new wife and not be gone for another 7 or 8 months again. I was fortunate to gain the 2nd.class crow AMH-2 while we were in training in Key West. It's really funny how while serving we moaned and groaned about being there but 65 years we think of them as great times.😊
Great video. Very well done. Interesting commentary from a personal perspective. I'm going to have to make it to the museum, one of these days.
Please do! Joe and I have packed a lot into the video and still after we keep finding new information on just this aircraft, it has been an incredible journey.
Man I cannot wait for DCS= "Digital Combat Simulator" to make one of these. Such a bad ass Heli. I WANT IT!!
Absolutely great walkaround video.
I'm just building scale kits of it's companions during 1979 filming of "The Final Countdown": 149010 and 148995 . Seems this one was not featured and had the modex 732 while with HS-9. Good reference for me, assuming it was not much modified since then.
Would love to visit the Hornet, but it's far away for me in Germany.
The sea king and the jolly green are my favorite helos ever.
Excellent Video, thanks!
Thumbs up! Great video....now I know about this legacy helicopter.
Very cool vid, thanks for showing it.
I was in hs 85 in Alameda as a ad2 which surprised me when i saw the number 406. at that time the squadron was a reserve unit and I was in TAR duty (full time active ) Training active reserve.
super walkround top video
Thanks Monkey, Joe and I really enjoy making these. So much history was done in this aircraft and we still found out more after finishing we could not put in, may half to make a second one.
Thanks for a informative interesting video
Cool.. thanks from NZ 👍🇳🇿
Excellent, thanks for this.
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks WLBlue.
Worked on the Alpha's Delta's and Hotel's of this aircraft. HS3 and HS1 in Jacksonville Florida..
Thanks for your service Gary, you and Joe would have lots to talk about.
I'd love to visit this Museum
Thank you soooo much! A lot of usefull information
This is a great video. I'm building a model of one right now. I've really missed some interior detail. I've messed up some colors. My misses have been on the interior. I'll do a better job on the exterior.
This is such a cool video of one of my all time favourite helicopters. I don't suppose you have a Sea Sprite aswell hehe. Also my instructor told me that the reason solo flight has to be done from the right seat only was because of weight and balance reasons due to the main fuel tank being on the left? That was in the R22 though
If I could turn back time. HS-7 to 1969 to 1971 AW3H
Just made a post after I saw yours. Good to see that you survived your time with HS-7. The next HS-7 reunion is in the planning stages. Let me know if you are interested and I will pass your name along. Charles Rogers
Being on a flight crew sounds like slot of fun..maybe boring at times but man I wanted to fly in Helos
I worked on these at HS-10 NASNI, and that was all i did never made a trip on a ship. I hated it i signed up for an adventure and spent my Navy time working 40 hrs a week!
Thank you Ernest for that deep introspection 🤩 Great explanation and walk around. Me as a helicopter historian find such information very important. I hope it is fine with you for me to link up your video to my HTDI helicopter database for (148999). I’m still looking for more photographs
Hello Frank, apologize for delay is this response. I'm glad you like the video, my friend Joe (in the video) and I have been making videos since the 80's. This one is from 4/1/20 and yes the Sea King in this video is still on the USS Hornet today. I do not have problem with you connecting this to your database, besides mentioning Joe and I put a good word in for the USS Hornet as they are the ones with the awesome display of aircraft for the public.
Isn't this the same type of helicopter that transports the POTUS, VPOTUS?
Hello BigAce, apologize for the lateness of this reply. Yes you are correct the Sea King known as Marine One with the US President was flown by the Marines, It has since retired after 60 of service on January 23, 2021 with President Trump.
SUPER 😊👉👍👈
Are the buoyancy bags the primary means of floatation or will the Seaking still float without the buoyancy bags inflated?
Since what year is it with the USS Hornet Museum?
Flew the very first one with the single engine I did fly the twin engine one time but it was okay single engine it was okay flying to see can land on water and take off but it's okay for helicopter but I still rather have the Korean helicopter fleet it's better with a carburetor especially cold weather
HS-9 76-79
Leviathan GTA San Andreas
I enjoyed that tour, being a ground pounder myself, flying in a Sea king must have been quite enjoyable.
Frigging Navy always having fun.🪖🇺🇸👍😃