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Texas
Tower Helicopter Support
Otis AFB, MA
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Notes from Ron Mecklin - In 1959, I was rotated back to the states and posted to Otis AFB, MA to fly the H-21B in the Air Rescue mission. Otis was a very active base with units of F-101 fighters, C-121 radar picket A/C and C-97 aerial refueling aircraft. While assigned there I was sent to Goose Bay, Labrador on a temporary assignment to fly Air Rescue missions in that area.
My last assignment with the H-21 was there at Otis AFB flying radar site support missions to the three active Texas Towers located off Cape Cod and Long Island. Again, we were to provide personnel and parts/equipment transport to these off shore sites. We scheduled weekly trips to each radar station and were available for medical evacuation and ROCP parts or Specialist equipment/personnel transport. Because of the extensive over water flying, we flew each mission with two helicopters in case one went down with a problem. This would have provided rapid rescue of personnel in the case of an emergency. This provided a bit of a problem at the tower site because there was only room for one helicopter on the flight deck. We would land one aircraft while the second orbited the Texas Tower. When the first aircraft was unloaded and re-loaded and refueled, it would take off and orbit waiting for the second aircraft to do the same. When it became airborne, we would fly back to Otis together. |
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The Otis AFB based 'Texas Tower' H-21B 's had very successful off-shore (256km) round trip people and things transport missions. The Texas Tower Helicopter Pilots were assigned to the 551st AEW&C Wing, Operations Squadron. Otis AFB, Massachusetts. Some of the Pilots were Allan 'Sonny' Hopkins, Ed Flanigin (later at Edwards), Wilbur Parker, Ed Brooks, Robert Naylor and myself, John H. McLeaish. I flew 1200 hours in support of the Towers.
Here's Texas Tower #2 - 128nm east of North Truro, Mass (Cape Cod) --H-21B's were the mainstay of personnel and magnatron and other material support. Landings were somewhat hampered by wind over the radomes. We used an increased RPM landing technique --never had a landing or take-off accident.
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Here's an H-21B on final for a landing aboard TT-2.
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Note the flotation bags on the side of the aircraft. Only 'tested' once --in actual use!!! Only one H-21B had to be ditched at sea and the flotation bags (untested) worked as advertised. The crew stepped into the life rafts and were hoisted aboard the second H-21.
All missions originated from Otis AFB and without refueling. All were max gross flights. We had 'steel' rings installed in the R1820-103 Wright recip engine.
During my three years at Otis and the Texas Tower H-21B operation, I wrote the study for a twin turbine replacement for the 21' . The V-107 (CH-46) was addressed as the most likely candidate but they wound up with 'cast-off' CH-3Bs after I'd left. (At least it was two engines! That Atlantic water temp never got above 47 degrees and our H-21's all developed "strange" noises the further out to sea on every mission!) Just nickel knowledge.
LT COL John H. McLeaish USAF (ret)
In 1963, three CH-3B's were purchased from the Navy and flown directly from the Sikorsky factory to be placed into service supporting the Texas Towers.
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The CH-3B in the center photo (62-12574) was named the “Otis Falcon”. It made a flight from New York to Paris, France in 1963.
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