O ye of little faith
In 2002, a Sikorsky HH-60J Jayhawk winched up 26 crew off the deck of the SS Sea Breeze some 230 nm east of Norfolk. With 30 POB (some 4,500 lbs of people and possessions) and a 60 knot headwinds, she made it back to terra firma with 800lbs of fuel still on board having burnt around 5,600 lbs.
If it’s numbers you want, then in 2009 a Turkish UH-60L rescued 44 persons, so that’s 48 POB.
Now I don’t know what really happened out there, but there can be no doubting the BlackHawks incredible pedigree when the going gets tough, just ask the Swedes.
And to think we turned down the chance of 56 UH-60M’s for a bloody SA.330E upgrade.
