Attended FE school @ Sheppard Jun 1967 for the CH-3C, FE School @ Eglin for Rescue Hoist/Door Gunner, Survival school@WA, then Philappine Jungle, school. Jan to Oct @ NKP, all of Oct @ Danang, Back to NKP in Nov,departed 25 Dec 68. Leave in MD and then on to Patrick,Det 15 until Mar 1970. Trained @ Eglin on the HH-53 for a tour to Udorn, Stopped @ Phillapine Jungle school then to Udorn. Left Udorn in Apr 1971 for Pacific trip. Ferried Tail # 433 and 435 from Danang to Clark to Okinawa to Yokota Mishawa to Shimia to Elmendorf to McCord to Hamilton, CA. Picked up two New HH-53C @ Eglin and flew to Rapid City SD to Calgari to Elmendorf to Shimia got followed by a Mig 21 to Mishawa, to Okinawa to Clark to danang to NKP. Completed tour in Jun 71. Transfered to Woodbridge RAF with two HH-53Cs. Flew as CC and Later Maintenance Super until Jun 75. Transfered to Hill AFB flying HH-3Es, moved the 1551st to Albuquerque in Dec 75. Flew HH-3Es until Jun 1978. Accepted into the Flight Engineer program as C-141 FE.
Image
HH-3/CH-3E Jolly Green Giant Details
Aircraft/Missile Information
Later, 50 CH-3Es were modified for combat rescue missions with armor, defensive armament, self-sealing fuel tanks, a rescue hoist and in-flight refueling capability. They were redesignated HH-3Es and used extensively in Southeast Asia under the nickname "Jolly Green Giant."
USAF variants served in numerous air rescue squadrons and aerospace rescue and recovery squadons of the Military Airlift Command (MAC), rescue squadrons of the Air Combat Command (ACC) and other USAF major commands world-wide. The aircraft was also used by a number of Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard rescue squadrons. All USAF HH-3Es, to include Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard, were retired in the 1990s and replaced by the current HH-60G Pavehawk.
CH/HH-3 Jolly Green Giant HH-3F Pelican Specifications Main rotor diameter 62 ft. Fuselage Length 73 ft. 0 in. Height 18 ft. 1 in. Weight 22,050 lbs. loaded Armament Provisions for two .50-cal. machine guns Engines Two General Electric T58-GE-5 turboshaft engines of 1,500 hp. each Crew Three Cost $796,000 Maximum speed 177 mph. Cruising speed 154 mph. Range 779 miles with external fuel tanks Service Ceiling 21,000 ft.
