White & Red 222nd Aviation Battalion Huey Alaska 1982.

[patches]

Remembered this one. Here's a hairy photo I took of one of the 222nd few OD painted Chinooks, taken in July 81 at Black Rapids, son of gun just flew right over our heads basically ready to land when I quickly snapped photo, a blurry one, we were bowed low at this point, and my hands where a bit jittery there as she roared in right above us .

 

Of note is the use of skis instead of wheels on the C47, even in summer months, brief as they where.

[patches]

As we see, this paint scheme on aircraft goes all the way back to WWII, as witnessed by this color plate of a Ladd Field based USAAC C-47.

 

[gwb123]

Apparently the high viz scheme was used even before WWII.

 

Here is a 1930's vintage O-38F retrieved from the Alaskan wilderness and beautifully restored by the National Museum of the US Air Force.

 

This particular aircraft crashed in 1941 and remained almost intact and untouched until 1968. The film of it at the museum that when the retrieval party went to pull it back, all it was missing were the seats. They were located in a local hunters cabin being used as chairs!

 

http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Visit/Museum-Exhibits/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/197394/douglas-o-/

 

The photo is from the museum website.

[patches]

Thanks for that gwb.

[patches]

Circa mid 60s, a Flying Banana, believe this one is from either the 19th Avn Bn at Ft Richardson, or maybe a little earlier in the 60s in the USARAL Avn Det.

[patches]

image4.jpg

Circa mid 60s, a Flying Banana, believe this one is from either the 19th Avn Bn at Ft Richardson, or maybe a little earlier in the 60s in the USARAL Avn Det.

I'm imagining in either case, USARAL Avn Det or the 19th Avn Bn, the unit patch worn would of been the Teddy Bear patch.

 

[patches]

Here's one I overlooked, and scanned now, a OH-58 Kiowa, these too were given the paint job like the rest.

[Arnie101]

Need to show one Cobra, that I thought was not there.

[patches]

Need to show one Cobra, that I thought was not there.

Thanks Arnie, yes I never got a chance to take one of a Cobra.

[steeve555]

On 5/6/2015 at 1:57 PM, patches said:

Now able to post the Chinooks, they too had the same White and Red paint jobs, though I did see on occasion one or two OD Chinooks, can't say I ever seen an OD Huey up there. Both fotos taken in Late May 82.

 

The AKARNG Hueys were O.D.   Also there was some OV-10 that I think were red and white.

[mohawkALSE]

20 hours ago, steeve555 said:

The AKARNG Hueys were O.D.   Also there was some OV-10 that I think were red and white.

You probably mean the OV-1 Mohawk, and yes they did have some in that red and white color based in Alaska.

[steeve555]

3 hours ago, mohawkALSE said:

You probably mean the OV-1 Mohawk, and yes they did have some in that red and white color based in Alaska.

Yeah meant OV-1  OV-10 were USMC

[patches]

A Flying Banana of USARAL Avn Det, like in 1960.

[atb]

I'll have to dig out my slides of Army aircraft in Alaska. In 1972-73, I lived in Haines Hall right across the road from the airfield at Ft. Wainwright. I still have a 222 AVN DUI as I think it is one of the more attractive designs.  

[patches]

14 hours ago, atb said:

I'll have to dig out my slides of Army aircraft in Alaska. In 1972-73, I lived in Haines Hall right across the road from the airfield at Ft. Wainwright. I still have a 222 AVN DUI as I think it is one of the more attractive designs.  

Wow do indeed post them, we'd all love to see them, Haines Hall, that was on the far side of the field as I recall no, meaning the other side of the field from Manchu Country?

[atb]

Yes, it was on the other side of the airfield from the 171s Infantry Bde area. There was also Pompeii Hall where the 808th Engineer Bn was housed. They were two large barracks buildings and are still there, I believe. Post HQ was on that side, too. 

[patches]

16 hours ago, atb said:

Yes, it was on the other side of the airfield from the 171s Infantry Bde area. There was also Pompeii Hall where the 808th Engineer Bn was housed. They were two large barracks buildings and are still there, I believe. Post HQ was on that side, too. 

Yes indeed, we passed it many times on runs around the perimeter of the airfield, I was going to mention Pompeo Hall, remember that one, but as far as I can remember no units were garrisoned there in 81-82.

 

Also, there were barracks on the far side of Manchu Lake , these were unoccupied as well, however in early 1982 some units of the 82nd came up to train, nothing big but just to do a spot of Arctic training, and they occupied at least one of those barracks, I had to go there for some reason with a couple of guys from my platoon, I forget why now, a detail of some kind, the very first time i was ever outside of them, but while the outside were identical to the barracks on our side, the inside was totally different, the first floor, different configuration, and each floor had open squad bays, ours were remodeled into separate 2 man rooms. I was told later that these barracks and the one on the other side of the airfield are kept up in maintenance, have all the bunks with mattress, no bedding though, other furniture etc etc, and a Mess Hall ready to open up for business on a need basis, and in winter have their Boilers running to prevent the Latrine/Plumbing pipes from freezing and blowing up, and are used for barracking all those people from the Lower 48 who come up for the really big Winter FTXs, Jack Frost etc etc.

[patches]

atb, here are two views out my 3rd floor barracks window like August 1981, one towards the PX area, the Baseball field there, and one the other way where we just get a view of a part of Manchu Lake, and a sub dispensary in the foreground, that building in the distance was the Post HQ,

 

 

[patches]

Found one more I took, got a little mold damaged as we see, Foto taken in the early fall of 1981.

[patches]

Cool right, a Sabrejet of the 144th Fighter-Bomber Squadron Alaska National Guard with the Red paint, Kulis Air National Guard Base Anchorage, Alaska. late 50s.

[patches]

A late 1960s Huey of the 19th Aviation Battalion.

[patches]

A 1974 Photo of a Chinook, here it was at least just given the Red Paint Job on the rear area, and we guess was thought to be good enough, doesn't look like the forward area was done either.

[atb]

Here's a few of my pix lookof aircraft I managed to find from my time at Ft. Wainwright in 1972. The black and white images were taken during Exercise Jack Frost '72. The others are at an Armed Forces Day display in 1972. I have some others, but they are 35mm slides and I don't have a scanner yet to convert them. I also have some other prints to copy.

 

[patches]

Here's a nice 1/35, I think 1/35 model of a Sabre of the Alaska Air National Guard in the 50s with the Red Paint for emergency's .