CH-148 Cyclone Progress

[Halifax Tar]

Ha! Then we were probably aboard at the same time, albeit for a few days. I was between my 3rd and 4th years of RMC and they sent me and 7 other snotties to Halifax for the summer; 4 of us on TOR and 4 on ATH. We ended up getting pawned around the fleet to whichever ships were sailing, but our "home base" was TOR between those sails. I think we arrived early June? Sailed on STJ, IRO, and all TOR sails that summer.

I think one of my best friends did that deployment to TG 1-10 with you; stoker from TOR. Blanchard? He was there for the Africa trip and the Volcano. I don't remember the shit boat story, but he had glowing things to say about your CO.

I seem to remember a bunch of you folks on board around that time. Small world eh ?

I do remember Blanchard.

The shit boat, was a ghost vessel we found adrift in the Mediterranean. It wasn't registered and was said to have been scrapped. It had broken down and was full, and I mean full to the gunnels, with Iraqis. The decks were inches thick with fecal matter and other waste and our NBP stayed onboard that boat for a few days (3 ?) waiting for the USN to show up and take over. To this day I don't know what happened that ship and those people.

Cdr Virgin is the best man I have ever worked for, hands down. If he called me now and said lets go, I wouldn't hesitate.

 

[Navy_Pete]

That sounds about right to me. I would have been nearing the end of time on TOR.



I feel like that sailor was from TOR too no ? I don't remember much of the details around that one.

I'm not too clear, would have guessed PRE, but fuzzy on the details. Was there on ATH, along with PRE and a CPF (guess TOR) in a mini TG. From what I vaguely remember, he was walking back on his own and 4 or 5 of them jumped him for no really good reason on I think one of the first nights alongside. I don't think they ever caught the person, but also vaguely remember that the skipper on the UK ship was pretty pissed and imposed some group punishment with very restricted shore leave and I think very early curfews.

 

[daftandbarmy]

There's always this option to replace the Cyclone

You Can Buy The State Department’s Totally Upgraded S-61T Helicopters That It Barely Used​

The U.S. State Department spent untold millions on refurbishing the second-hand helicopters and now they could be yours on the cheap.

If you’re in the market for a baker’s dozen of refurbished Sikorsky S-61T helicopters, the U.S. State Department will happily sell you the ones it has sitting in a hangar in southern Florida. The State Department had originally planned to buy more than 100 of these choppers to move diplomats and other personnel in high-risk areas, such as Afghanistan. Delays and other issues left it with a fleet of less than 20, most of which went straight into storage.

The General Services Administration (GSA) is already auctioning off the first five S-61Ts – with the U.S. civil registration numbers N107WK, N122WU, N375WS, N575AW, and N898WC – each of which has a starting bid price of $500,000. This does not meet an unspecified reserve price for a final sale, though. The State Department plans to sell its remaining fleet of these helicopters, 13 in total, via GSA within six months, according to the Department’s Press Relations Office.

“There is no longer a State Department mission requirement for them,” the State Department told The War Zone in a statement via Email. “These specific aircraft will not be replaced.”

The S-61Ts were refurbished ex-U.S. Navy and NASA SH-3 Sea Kings, which were themselves military variants of the S-61 series. The Sea King has been all but retired from U.S. military service for years now. The U.S. Marine Corps is still using heavily modified VH-3D Sea Kings, more commonly known as Marine Ones, to shuttle around the President of the United States, their family, and their closest advisors, but is planning on replacing them with new VH-92As over the next four years.

You Can Buy The State Department's Totally Upgraded S-61T Helicopters That It Barely Used

The U.S. State Department spent untold millions on refurbishing the second-hand helicopters and now they could be yours on the cheap.

www.twz.com

Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King Regeneration​

In February 2010 the US Department of State announced its intention to purchase up to 110 Sikorsky S-61Ts, to support its operations in Afghanistan and other countries around the world. An agreement was signed with Sikorsky.

Carson Helicopters, a major civilian operator of the S-61, is a joint developer with Sikorsky of the S-61T Triton which is a fully modernized version of the elderly S-61 which was designed and entered service in the early 1960s. Despite its age the S-61 has an excellent reputation as a reliable workhorse with a strong and durable construction, and it is these qualities which make their re-manufacture a viable alternative. Each conversion takes six months to complete and provides a full Sagem “glass cockpit”, a modular wiring harness, engine and transmission improvements, and composite main rotor blades in order to add extra speed and another 1,200 pounds of lift capacity.

Over twenty SH-3 Sea Kings, the military version of the S-61, comprising of SH-3D, SH-3G and SH-3H have been sourced from AMARG and provided with civilian registrations prior to being overhauled. Several more have been allocated for the project but remain in AMARG, awaiting their turn.

The first converted airframe was delivered to the U.S. State Department on December 2, 2010.

The AMARC Experience - Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King Regeneration

AMARC - Aircraft Maintenance And Regeneration Center. 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group. Comprehensive source of information on the important j

www.amarcexperience.com