Cicken Hawk Connection
There is a connection, though slim:
( Chicken Hawk refers to a book by Robert Mason, a slick pilot in B/229 in the 1st Cav at An Khe in 65-66 )
The US Army Colonel running the Op Eval at Ft Campbell was Ron Perry, who was a Captain flying an ARA * UH-1B in the 1st Cav at the same time. Ron flew three tours in Vietnam, getting shot down seven times. Last one was during the LamSon 719 operation up in I Corps, and he spent a week walking out. He ran the UTTAS Op Eval pretty much like a real tactical operation. In fact, there is a story here:
* ARA. Aerial Rocket Artillery. UH-1B with a 6 x 4 tube 2.75 rocket pod on each side. With the larger warheads, each one was about the same as a 105mm wowitzer round in terms of effect. There were also flechette rounds.
After the blade peel landing, Army regulations required that the accident pilots get a checkride before return to flight duties. Army didn't yet own any IP's etc, so I got the task. Like I said, everything was being run like a war, so up we went in the other SA UTTAS at around midnight, the following night. The two pilots were just fine but that ship had way too much 4P vibration, and upon return, I wrote it up and went over the machine with a SA crewchief who was there to assist the 101st maintenance if needed. Not finding anything major using flashlights, I told them we would give it a good look in the morning. Col. Perry comes up and says " Are you grounding this aircraft? " I told him " No, but we just had one event and it seems prudent to make absolutely certain the other ship is 100%. He says: " OK, you grounded the aircraft ". We went round and round until I said something to the effect of " Fine, have it your way ". It ws 2 AM by then and I really didn't give a you know what.
Bright and early we went out to the cornfield and found that the nose absorber bushings were shot and started replacing them. Field phone rings and Bill Paul, SA Engr VP is on the line. I could hear Bill holding the phone 3 ft from my ear. Was he upset? The message I was listening to started out with " John, the name of the company is not The Dixson Aircraft Corporation, it is Sikorsky Aircraft...." and went downhill from there. Anyway, by the time he was finished talking the absorber was fixed and bottoned up and the ship was ready to fly.
Teaser: Ron Perry was running Cobra Hall ( AH-1 school )at Ft Stewart in 1971 when we took the S-67 around the USA on tour and was the second guy I rolled that machine with.
Ought to add that one might get the wrong impression from this short anecdote. Over many years following, I counted myself very lucky to be working for Bill Paul and working with Ron Perry. Still think that Ron Perry would have made a terrific General.
Last edited by JohnDixson; 12th Dec 2014 at 12:28.
Reason: Additional thought