New guy needs you help.

[USCGAV8R]

(your help)

I got this old (2002) picture of me in a WWII aircraft taken on Pagan Island in the Northern Marianas. I have a growing interest in all aviation but dont know to much about the older aircraft. I was hopeing one of you can tell me what fighter im sitting in. My guess would be a Grumman Wildcat or Hellcat. Thanks...

 

[Wurger]

Taking the shape of its cockpit frame, especially the windscreen ,the back part, into considration I'm conviced of that it was Mitsubishi A6M Zero Fighter.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Yeap that is a Japanese Zero.

 

[USCGAV8R]

Even better. Thanks alot.

 

[USCGAV8R]

On the money. Thanks again...

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Thats what we are here for.

What do you fly in the Coast Guard?

 

[USCGAV8R]

I dont fly, I ride. Im a Flight Mechanic on the HH-65C. I think they call it a Crew Chief in other services. I cover the pilots, operate the hoist, radios, and support the swimmer.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Yeap in the other services they call it a Crew Chief.

I was a UH-60L Blackhawk Crewchief for 6 years in the US Army. Just recently got out a few months ago. Got aprox. 1500 hours in this beautiful aircraft including over 650 combat hours. Pretty much did the same job as you except that we did not have a swimmer on board.

Do you guys maintain the aircraft as well in the Coast Guard. When my aircraft was not flying (when it flew, I flew) I fixed her up and kept her in tip top flying condition.

 

[USCGAV8R]

Oh yes, when we're not flying, we're turning wrenches. After doing the maintenance, we suit up and go on the test flight. I dont think id have it any other way.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Yeap same thing as we do. Just different title. How long have you been doing the job. I crewed for 6 years. I just got out of the military a few months ago. I got my A&P Liscense and trying to get a job turning wrenches over here for the military as a civilian.

Love flying though and will continue privatly to fly.

 

[USCGAV8R]

I spent a few years on a boat out in Guam before switching over. Since then ive been at USCGAS Barbers Point Hawaii for about three years.

We also have 60's in the Guard but we call it the Jayhawk, which doesnt sound nearly as tough as the Blackhawk.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

So do you guys have to move around like we do in the Army every 2 to 3 years or can you stay in one location. Because I would love to be a crew chief in the Coast Guard (I think it would be a rewarding job) but only if me and my wife can settle down in one place, build our house and have kids. I want to move up to Alaska as soon as she is done with college.

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

it does look rewarding although i can't help but wonder why we use different paint on our coastal helicopters, our Sea Kings are yellow yet your Jayhawks are red and white, any particular reason?

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

I dont know. That is the color that our Coast Guard chose to use.

 

[USCGAV8R]

Married people move every 4 years but its not to hard to do 2 tours back to back. Some manage to stay at the same location for up to 10 years. It all depends on the location and if your liked. Im sure you know how that goes. We hav both 65's and 60's up in Alaska.


As for the colors, the HH-65's also had more of a white paint job years back. Those were also the birds that would do polar ops on the back of our ice breakers as for our 60's, that dont deploy out on any of our ships. So if there was some type of mishap and the helo had to ditch out on the ice it would have been easier to find.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Yeah see that sucks. If I could stay in one location so that I could build my house and my family would not have to move around I would join the Coast Guard and try to go to Alaska for the 60s up there. Hell I allready have all the training and experience to work on them.

It is pretty much the same in the Army though. Married have to move every 3 to 4 years and the single guys move every 2 years. I managed to pull it off and stay at my same unit and location in Ansbach, Germany for 6 years but the fact that my unit got sent to Kosovo and Iraq helped that fact.

Infact I had orders to go to Alaska to a Blackhawk unit in Fairbanks but at the last second they took my orders and cancelled them so that I could go to Iraq.

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

As for the colors, the HH-65's also had more of a white paint job years back. Those were also the birds that would do polar ops on the back of our ice breakers as for our 60's, that dont deploy out on any of our ships. So if there was some type of mishap and the helo had to ditch out on the ice it would have been easier to find.

how would being white make them easier to see on the ice?

 

[USCGAV8R]

Sorry, what I meant was, thats why they are there current color, orange.

Old

New

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

yes that makes more sense

 

[v2]

(your help)

I got this old (2002) picture of me in a WWII aircraft taken on Pagan Island in the Northern Marianas. I have a growing interest in all aviation but dont know to much about the older aircraft. I was hopeing one of you can tell me what fighter im sitting in. My guess would be a Grumman Wildcat or Hellcat. Thanks...

the same a/c in 1994?