The last 53D I flew was out of Lash Kar Gah in 12-13 I think. Crew was outta Hawaii I believe and we’re some squared away dudes but them poor bastards looked like beggars with all the hydraulic fluid that dripped from it. I even looked like I’d flown 10K miles just riding after an hour flight.
Good memories.
All the CH53D's final days were in Hawaii. Hydraulic Fluid is a good thing! Not bad for 40 years of service.The CH53K is a thing of Beauty and a Beast of a machine. Full Glass Cockpit, Fly by Wire, No engine or transmission limitations. Wider cabin and narrower footprint.
I saw an E variant grab a small dozer in East Timor. Took a couple of tries since the mud was making a little suction to the tracks. They moved it a few feet and the 53 made off with it. It was a cool sight though. The pilot was the MEU XO who flew for awhile with the 160th and was rumored to have the most hours in a 53 as any pilot at the time. Great dude.
