Calling salbando.....

Yeah.
The C130 is for CYA. Nice to know the boys are there and can call for help. But not much use to get you out of the water.
(Knew a busdriver who transferred to helo's because he was top for a swimmer they left behind. Had to listen to this guy develop hypothermia and start to drift away and was powerless to do anything.  Finaly the Jayhawk boys got him back.)
Fishing in Alaska? There is no fishing in Alaska. . .it's called CATCHING.
You're On! But I don't think it will be any time soon.

Don

My favorite recollection was taking leave and doing some duck hunting with the old man over in Cold Bay.  As is usual, the weather one night was absolute crap...raining sideways with winds gusting to 50 knots.  SO we're sitting in a cabin not far from the ramp when I hear it.  For someone who works out of the ass-end of a -60 you recognize the sound right away.  I heard it over the howling wind and rain.  I walked out side just in time to see a single HH-60J coming in and landing at the old Trooper hangar.  They weren't there for over an hour, when they cranked up and left.  I found out later that they came in from Kodiak and peformed a hoist recovery off a fishing vessel that night.  I did find out later that an HC-130 out of Kodiak was flying cover, and had dropped off a second crew for the Jayhawk.  They didn't do a transload at Cold Bay but may have done it elsewhere.  Now bear in mind this was at night.  Now I've done the night crappy weather thing with the Herk somewhere overhead, but I tell ya what...knowing that cold water down there and drifting in and out of the fog makes it for Mr. Toads wild ride.

Gotta luv doin the SAR thing here in good ole Alaska.

Don...you ever get back up here look me up and I'll show you around the squadron...or take ya fishin.

Single ship? Never. Not even in daytime if the weather is yech.
We had to have a cover all the time, whether it be another helo or fixed wing.
The weather never stays the same for long up there.

Don

Will do and well said

Names have been released...I knew one of the pilots. 

Weather was crap and they were NOE at night on NVGs; thunderstorms, heavy rain is the word we're getting, along with one of the pilots having low time.  The one I knew was very experienced.  Who knows what happened....  Crappy weather is par for the course hear at home station (Alaska).  I know for a fact Don can back me up on that one...whattaya think Don?  Are ya up for a single ship at night during the winter to Cold Bay?

I learned the media lesson a Looooooong time ago.  They don't give a damn, as long as they get the headlines.  For cryin out loud, even our local news up here got the facts wrong the first two nights.  They even used file footage and interviews of one of our (HH-60G) drivers which was dealing with an entirely different airframe (FLIR, radar, etc..).

I remember when I was younger when I believed that reporters were noble folks in search of the truth.  Then I grew up and found that news sells like Pepsi sells, and everyone has an agenda.

Anyway, first time in a long time that the AK ARNG has lost anyone in combat.

Honor them for making the ultimate sacrifice. 

Yeah, they don't stop to think how many hours and how many flights those birds make, an accident is bound to happen sometime. From reports I read sounds like weather was the problem. 

As of last night names had not been posted on armyaircrews.com

I heard.
Makes me sad to hear the reports, especially when no one, not even the great Paul Harvey, can get it. To all of them, unless it was shot down, it is a disgrace to American the way we use such "shoddy maintenance and war materials".

Don

Not about the WWD qualified stuff Don, rather which Missing Links set.  I already knew that a lot of us on the forums are prior or current service members.   By the way, just found out our brothers in the AK ARNG lost a bird and crew this weekend (UH-60L) in Northern Iraq.  Still waiting to find out the names.

Not everybody
There are alot of military types here you know.

Don

salbando wrote:

P.S.  I'll bet everyone else is wondering what the hell we're talking about.

Hah! I bet they are....

Seriously though, thanks for the reply! Any improvement over the Testor's kit is a plus. I'd like to see what the Missing Links set(s) offer; and pictures of what you got would be outstanding. But, whenever you get the time for it. No rush. I know a couple Uncle Sam dental horror stories myself!

 

Snake,

I got the e-mail, but haven't had the chance since to take some photos of the resin.  I'll try to do that tonight.

Comparatively speaking, I think the parts look pretty dang nice and considering the alternatives...higher cost Paragon stuff, or the woefully lacking Testors kit, I think you'll agree that the Missing Links stuff is well worth the money.  The one thing is that I think Missing Links is a one man deep producer.  I had to wait a while for him to produce the stuff (I also ordered some A-7D resin which is beautiful).  But John Roll at Roll's Models is great to work with as long as you have the patience (potentially).

I'll send the pics to you tonight.  Right now I gotta go hit the clinic to pick up my dental records.  Busted an old filling off while Moose hunting this year....damn near half the tooth missing....that was back in September; I hate dentists.  You know how Uncle Sam can be concerning world-wide duty qualified. 

P.S.  I'll bet everyone else is wondering what the hell we're talking about.