A.J. This story is a selection from the September issue of Air & Space magazine, Donald Porter Read the harrowing story of what happened on that tragic mission. On the night of 5-6 December 1972, the remaining helicopter deployed a wiretap near Vinh, Vietnam; useful information provided from this wiretap was acted on by the United States on several occasions, such as during the Linebacker II campaign and Paris Peace Talks. The United States deployed all types of helicopter, ranging from massive troop transport choppers, to smaller multipurpose and attack helicopters, and even helicopter drones. This helicopter was chosen by the US Army over the proposals of a number of other helicopter manufactures, designated the OH-6A Cayuse, and entered service in 1965. Table of Contents 1. When the training was completed, C-141 Starlifter airlifters transported both rotorcraft and crews to Fort Huachuca, Arizona, for two weeks of mission training. In Vietnam, These Helicopter Scouts Saw Combat Up Close Scout crews argued that the Kiowa was nowhere near as nimble as the Cayuse, but scouting flights were changing. Furthermore, the helicopter was also developed into a civilian helicopter, the Model 500, which was still in production into the twenty-first century under MD Helicopters as the MD 500. 2 M134 7.62-mm 6x barrel, Gatling type twin MG pods While in Vietnam, Loach helicopters operated as part of air mobile teams. The UH-1B/C was used sparingly during the Vietnam War. The AH-6 and its troop-carrying sibling, the MH-6, are still heavily used by U.S. special-operations forces, as everything from airborne sniper platforms to transports inserting small teams to expeditionary light attack helicopters. The Loach helicopter was pitted against what was then known as the Bell Model 206. They could also use grenades and on occasion even homebuilt explosives; more aggressive units mounted forward-firing miniguns. [26], During 1972, a pair of heavily modified OH-6As were utilized by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) via Air America for a covert wire-tapping mission. That was about it.. There was one day of initial training, says Bob Moses, who was first trained as a tank crewman and then as infantry before a sudden transition to helicopter door gunner. New book recounts Newburgh man's time as Vietnam helicopter pilot I was flying wing and just dropped into the AO [Area of Operations]. The 'Loach' was one of the riskiest helicopter assignments in Vietnam Radiomen in the Vietnam War faced a 5-second life expectancy 5 cringeworthy military slang terms (that we should actually retire) From nursing to newspapers, these were the women of Vietnam By the end of the war, the Loachs replacement was imminent. The Loach helicopters used to transport personnel were given the designation MH-6, while the armed ones were dubbed the AH-6. These hunter-killer missions, among the most hazardous of the Vietnam War, tested the resolve of the OH-6 pilots and the aerial observers sitting beside them. 2 M260 2.75-in Hydra 70 rocket pods (7 or 12 each) The US military primarily used the OH-6 for observational and reconnaissance purposes. Books/Magazines Kane recalls, The vibrations were so harsh I had to return to base camp at Khe Sanh, seven miles from the Laotian border. The helicopter was hit in the Cockpit Cookie Settings, pilot. Kawasaki Heavy Industries produced 387 OH-6D Cayuses under license in Japan. All Rights Reserved. During 1960, the United States Army issued Technical Specification 153 for a Light Observation Helicopter (LOH) capable of fulfilling various roles on the battlefield, including personnel transport, escort, casualty evacuation, observation, and attack missions. Despite its strong offensive abilities, the SH-2 Seasprite was mostly used for rescuing downed friendly aircrews instead of direct combat. Another flight competition was held, this time without a submission from Fairchild Hiller. I had another lead that went through 150 feet of trees, and they survived., Shafer himself had brushes with disaster, and his luck nearly ran out on a mission west of Dak To, near the border with Laos. AH/MH-6J: US Army Special Operations variant derived from the MD-530MG. The OH-6A could be armed with the M27 armament subsystem, the port (left) side mounting M134 six-barrel 7.62mm minigun or a 40mm grenade launcher on the XM8 armament subsystem. The guidance systems on newer attack helicoptersoften working with or even controlling the cameras of reconnaissance droneshave relegated to history the hunter role in the hunter-killer missions. Both the Pilot and Observer/Gunner positions were equipped with carbon fiber side panels and seats. The CH-34 Choctaw was developed by Sikorsky Aircraft for transport purposes to carry personnel and deliver supplies. The Bell OH-58 Kiowa was an entire line of military helicopters with a single engine and a single rotor. I had a wingman shot down, pilot John Shafer says. Book A Flight | This was a Recon mission for Unarmed Recon Heavy Attack Helicopters 2. It could accomplish missions that bigger, slower and louder helicopters couldnt do. ). MD-500MD/Scout and TOW Defender: Improved military version of the model 500 with 5 main rotor blades, 375-shp Allison 250-C20B turboshaft engine, and T-tail. The "OH-6C" was the creation of the Maintenance Section of The Real Cav, B Troop 7/17th Air Cavalry Squadron, which was stationed near Pleiku in early 1972. Robert Davis Travel Management Consultant, 2023 Executive Flyers +1 (512) 241-0795. The Sea Knight is a medium left-tandem rotor helicopter used for transport. We operated from fixed bases that were islands, if you will, of allied control, says Hugh Mills, who flew both Loaches and Cobras in Vietnam from 1968 to 1972, and went on to fly helicopters for the Kansas City Police Department. Stepping away from her academic career, Samantha previously worked as a Heritage Researcher and now writes content for multiple sites covering an array of historical topics. Served in Vietnam War during 1968 through 1970. A sobering statistic: Out of 1,419 Loaches built, 842 were destroyed in Vietnam, most shot down and many others succumbing to crashes resulting from low-level flying. More from us: The US Air Force Panicked When Its Top-Secret Stealth Fighter Crashed Into the California Wilderness. Towards the end of the conflict, the replacement of the OH-6 by the Bell OH-58 Kiowa was imminent across nearly all US Army units. The Bell UH-1B/C was modified from the UH-1A Cobra to include a set of machine guns for attacking ground targets. contact us here and we will remove the [12] Accordingly, during 1968, Hughes submitted a bid to build a further 2,700 airframes. [27] During June 1972, they were deployed to a secret base in southern Laos (PS-44), where one of the helicopters was heavily damaged during a training mission late in the summer. A rescue operation for the crew of a downed Loach helicopter doesn't quite go as planned and the rescuers become victims themselves. He shares memories of his service and reflects on what the war meant to him then and what it means to him now. Jim Kanes Vietnam tour abruptly ended one day in February 1971. From the rear cockpit, the pilot fired rockets from launchers fixed to the stub wings on either side; the copilot in the front operated a chin turret that held a minigun and grenade launcher. Information on U.S. Army helicopter OH-6A tail number 67-16304 The Model 369 had a distinctive teardrop-shaped fuselage that had strong crashworthiness properties and provided excellent external visibility. As the H-13s were phased out, Loaches were paired with Cobra gunships. The Hughes OH-6 Cayuse was a revolutionary rotorcraft operated during the Vietnam War. A recontoured nose allowed for greater leg and head room. The Cayuse (white) was used alongside the AH-1 Cobra (red) attack helicopters, forming (pink) hunter killer teams. In Vietnam, These Helicopter Scouts Saw Combat Up Close Cobras and Loaches, two vastly different aircraft, relied on each other to fight the enemy. In air mobile teams, a pilot would fly low while an observer would scan the ground for signs of the enemy force. The pilots dubbed the new helicopter Loach, a word created by pronunciation of the acronym of the program that spawned the aircraft, LOH (light observation helicopter). Loach crews regularly walked away from crashes that would doom others. Moore served as an Army OH-6A Loach scout in IV Corps, South Vietnam, 1968-1969: Fort Apache, Vihn Long Province. However, the U.S. Army subsequently chose to include Hughes's Model 369 for further consideration as well. Her research focused on Victorian, medical, and epidemiological history with a focus on childhood diseases. The Sikorsky S-61R is a twin-engine transport and search helicopter. The helicopter was designed around their earlier model 269/300 making use of monocoque steel tube construction techniques, allowing a strong and compact fuselage. The helicopter was inducted as the OH-6 "Cayuse" and would eventually take on the in-the-field nickname of "Loach" in reference to its "LOH" origins. In the end, Hughes lost its contract to Bell, who was deemed to have the superior design. The North Vietnamese deployed hundreds of the missiles, and from then on, both hunter and killer tried to stay well hidden. Total flight hours at this point: 00000265 Vietnam War helicopter pilots bring stories and aircraft to Kansas 29 of the best politically incorrect Vietnam War slang terms The Hughes OH-6A Cayuse, was designed for use as a Light Observation Helicopter (LOH) nicknamed LOACH, military scout during the Vietnam war to meet the U.S. Armys need for an extremely maneuverable observation helicopter. You had a couple of flights in the Huey, then you rode front seat in a Cobra, scout pilot Allan Krausz recounts. Vietnam Helicopters Museum - OH-6A "Cayuse" Helicopter s/n 67-16304 Donald Porter September 2017 Pilot Clyde. It was used to look for and find the VC/NVA troops in Vietnam. These rotorcraft were operated by several different organisations, the majority of which were based in Japan. [22] Its straightforward design made it easier to maintain than most other helicopters, while its relatively compact 26-foot main rotor made it easier to use tight landing zones. Infantrymen would also launch an assault from the ground. Boucher quickly discovered that life as a qualified crewman was extremely dangerous. Warrant officer John Shafer was 21 when he arrived on October 16, 1970, to fly Loaches. The UH, nicknamed Huey is a utility military chopper that was used for troop and cargo transport, medical evacuation, and sometimes for military purposes. For this, a small rotorcraft capable of landing in restrictive locations and easily transportable via US Air Force transport aircraft was necessary. The Cayuse could absorb an extensive amount of small arms fire and still bring the crew home safely. The light observation helicopter OH-6 Cayuse, or Loach (based on the LOH acronym), was a Vietnam-era helicopter designed with speed and maneuverability in mind. [2] This shaping, combined with the provision of internal bulkheads, has been attributed as giving the rotorcraft its uncommonly strong crashworthiness properties. The 1-245 modified infantry night vision goggles and worked to develop the necessary skills for rapid deployment with Little Birds and C-130s.[31]. [16], Early on in the OH-6's career, the type demonstrated its performance in a particularly prominent manner via the setting of 23 individual world records for helicopters during 1966 in the categories of speed, endurance and time to climb. Terms of Use The small-arms protection aircrewmen armor that was introduced in 1966 was a vest with pockets containing composite laminated plates commonly called chicken plates. (He later transferred to the Air Force and flew F-4 Phantoms, and eventually became an airline captain.) Following a contentious selection process that included allegations of industrial espionage and political favoritism, the first Hughes OH-6A observation helicopters arrived in Vietnam in December 1967. Both Loach and Cobra have been in production, on and off, in one form or another ever since. Two (2) Crew: one Pilot, one Observer/Doorgunner. In addition, an M60D 7.62mm machine gun could be mounted in the front port (left) or rear starboard (right) door openings. Rattler One-Seven puts you in the helicopter seat, to see the war in Vietnam through the eyes of an inexperienced pilot as he transforms himself into a seasoned combat veteran. Over time, the effectiveness of this pairing was such that enemies would often decide against firing on the relatively vulnerable OH-1 in fear of the response that would be unleased by the AH-1. Vietnam following a morning mission with the 11th Special Forces (SF) at Long Than North, South Vietnam. Light Observation Helicopter - Wikipedia The OH-6A replaced the Korean era OH-13 Sioux and OH-23 Raven light observation helicopters. The LOH program opened the floor to several companies to come up with their own designs. The Aircraft Division of Hughes Tool Company came up with the Model 369, which became one of three finalists, alongside designs from Bell Helicopter Company and Fairchild Hiller. This. When the opposing forces exposed themselves, the crew would call upon an accompanying Bell AH-1 Cobra to attack. However, the choppers frame ensured the crewmen within remained safe. The Light Observation Helicopter ( LOH) program was a United States Army program to evaluate, develop and field a light scout helicopter to replace the Army's aging Bell OH-13 Sioux. [22] All American rotorcraft in the theatre had to be operated more cautiously following this development. Its like a street cop going into a bad neighborhood. Cobra Gunship, Huey and Loach OH-6 Members of C Troop, 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry dedicated an OH-6 Loach Scout helicopter flown by their unit during the Vietnam War Though Cobra pilots were trained Stateside, most Loach pilots didnt take control of OH-6s until arriving in Vietnam. The Chickasaw was a multi-purpose helicopter designed for both the US Army and Air Force. The Loach's main role was reconnaisance and observation. Armed with a 40mm grenade launcher in a nose turret, and two 19-tube 2.75 inch rocket launchers, the "OH-6C" was ready to take on anything. But the Army decided that it would be more prudent to keep the unit in order to be prepared for future contingencies. "Pink teams" of scout and attack helicopters, such as OH-6 "Loach" or OH-58 Kiowa scout helicopters and the AH-1 Cobra attack helicopter during the Vietnam War; In anti-submarine warfare an Maritime patrol aircraft may be employed as "hunter", with surface ships such as destroyers as killers. Queer John was famous not just for crashing, but for keeping the crew safe while it did so. During the Vietnam War the OH-6 helicopters served in huge numbers and were used for light observation and utility roles. Hughes OH-6 Cayuse | Military Wiki | Fandom It can cruise at speeds of 150 mph. In 1966 it entered military service with the US Army. It is the product of many hours of research and work made possible with the help of contributors, veterans, insiders, and topic specialists. The Cobra is a single-engine attack helicopter produced by Bell Helicopter as a primary attack helicopter in the Vietnam War for aerial assaults or as air cavalry. (7.62MM) Unit: DIR SUP / TRAN The Army officially adopted the Bell OH-58 Kiowa in 1969. Furthermore, a number of civilian customers also flew Kawasaki-built OH-6s for a variety of missions, including emergency medical services (EMS), law enforcement, and agricultural work. Lt. Col. Optional and variable (attack and special forces versions only). (Scouts were known as White Teams and Cobras as Red; the two colors combine to become pink. Since units were all but permanently assigned to particular areas, they came to know the local geography intimately and could spot anything out of the ordinary. Other Army pilots, most of whom flew Cobras or Hueys, thought of Loach pilots as a little offbeat. 2 TOW missile pods (2 each) The campaign included the first major use in the war of Soviet-built, shoulder-launched anti-aircraft missiles. Fortunate son intensifies : r/memes - reddit [5] Accordingly, the bidding for the LOH contract came down to Fairchild-Hiller and Hughes. Date: 03/25/1970 The Seasprite was an anti-submarine and anti-surface helicopter that had over-the-horizon targeting facilities. On 1 October 1986, to help meet the increasing demands for support, the 1-245th Aviation Battalion from the Oklahoma National Guard, which had 25 AH-6 and 23 UH-1 helicopters, was placed under the operational control of the 160th. The Cayuse was Hughes' longest-running helicopter program and, during the Vietnam War, as many as 100 OH-6As were built a month. 2 M75 40-mm grenade launchers Helicopter Pilots Who Died in the Vietnam War - VHPA While Hiller did not participate in the rebidding, Bell opted to, submitting their redesigned Model 206. Its formal name is derived from the Cayuse people while its "Loach" nickname comes from the acronym for the Light Observation Helicopter (LOH) programme that it was procured under. The Hughes (Model 500M) international military version was sold in ten countries and built under license in Italy and Japan. The enemy was moving toward us when a [command and control] ship picked us up. [22], Following the April 1980 failure of Operation Eagle Claw (the attempted rescue of American hostages in Tehran), it was determined that the military lacked aircraft and crews who were trained and prepared to perform special operations missions. To counter the US, the Vietnamese employed their helicopter fleets of mostly Soviet-made aircraft. Built by Hughes Tool Company, it was designed to be a scout helicopter during the Vietnam war. Two of these designs, those submitted by Fairchild-Hiller and Bell, were selected as finalists by the Army-Navy design competition board. Anthony is our resident military expert who uses his experience to write about all aspects of flying in the military, including what it takes to become a pilot and serve your country. The US Army subsequently reopened the LOH program to engineering companies, offering a new contract for 2,700 additional airframes.