Originally Posted by
JohnDixson
SAS, you wrote: “ there is nothing "Normal" about that operation and red lines become something to talk about after the fact.”
A USAF HH-5C pilot named Donald Carty came up to SA to help us complete a flight loads survey data flight while hooked into a C-130 (something new to yours truly). We were talking one day about the inaccuracies our H53 project pilot had found in the cruise guide system at higher speeds and higher altitudes with the new -7 engines. Discussion got around to your subject of red lines. Well, Don had been “up north“ one day and was being chased by a MIG. He dived at a cloud as that was his only possible salvation. I asked him about what his weight was and how fast he had gone. He said that he had no idea what the speed was as his total concentration was getting to that cloud as fast as he could. He did offer that the vibration level was something he hadn’t experienced before or since. They gave the ship a thorough inspection upon return (he made it to the cloud and evaded the MIG) without result. SAS, you are on point: there may occur a situation where the limitations as published become academic.
Sorry for the necro post. Don Carty is my father and he’s in really bad health right now. I was looking around the internet for tidbits and found this. Thank you for sharing. He went from a coal mining town Clintwood, VA to USNA, switched to USAF became a test pilot and ended up flying Jollys in Vietnam. He always said flying helos was the most fun he ever had. I was in IZ a few years back and just barely missed an opportunity to fly on the final (I was told) MH-53 Pave Low mission. Some of those birds dated back to my father’s era. Interesting side note; the guy that was trying to setup the flight was the backseater’s son from Boxer 22B. Names intentionally omitted.