I’ve been watching periodic helicopter maneuvers over the past year and occasionally try to take a picture or two. This week, I was luck the winds were favorable to shift the return flight path just enough to get a few ‘passable’ images.
The next challenge was figuring out who I was looking at.
The Wikipedia page on Navy Aircraft Squadrons a good start but it still lists the HS-3 Tridents which have a slightly different insignia. However, given how close it was to what you vaguely see in the images, I was sure it was close. A little more Googling and I found the news story that HS-3 had moved from Jacksonville to Norfolk last year and became HSC-9. Mystery solved. (addendum: of course, had I looked at the lettering under "NAVY" on the tail, I’d have spend a lot less time on this. DOH!)
Next was the type of helicopter. Again, about 15 minutes of searching and I had it narrowed down to the MH-60 and eventually to the MH-60S. (Anyone who knows otherwise, feel free to add a comment and I’ll make any necessary changes here.) There is a great image on the U.S. Navy’s Flickr gallery.
I don’t know that much about the Tridents or most of what the Navy is responsible for from Norfolk but I do know they are a big part of this area. I also know that most of I probably don’t appreciate how much work goes on outside of the news cycle – as realized when I was reading a series of Facebook posts announcing multiple deployments to Haiti. I’ll key watching as they fly by !
And before I close, I’d be remiss if I did not say "Thank you for your service" HSC-9 !
When most non-pilots hear "experimental aircraft" they probably conjure images of crazy inventors building outrageous machines or worse, they think of scary, unreliable, dangerous fabrications. When pilots hear "experimental aircraft" many vision some of the sleekest, fastest, semi-affordable kitplanes available on the market and ask themselves if they could actually assemble one. The truth is more simple, an aircraft designated as "experimental" simply means …
A special airworthiness certificate in the experimental category is issued to operate an aircraft that does not have a type certificate or does not conform to its type certificate and is in a condition for safe operation. Additionally, this certificate is issued to operate a primary category kit-built aircraft that was assembled without the supervision and quality control of the production certificate holder.
Here is a case in point. The Boeing 787 is still an "experimental aircraft" because it has not yet been issued "type certificate". All experimental aircraft must clearly be marked for all passengers. The 787 is no exception. Look above the passenger egress. (image credit: NBC Nightly News)
There are not so many things in this world that have the emotional impact as the flying machines of the golden age of aviation. The Waco is not Howard Hughes’ H-1 or Amelia Earhart’s Lockheed Electra but it, along with Boeing’s Stearman taught legions of pilots for WWII and while many Stearmans went into post-war service as crop dusters and had dramatically short lifespans, the Wacos went into private hands and were cared for and passed from one set of caring hands to the next.
Fuel prices, FAA regulations, and liability concerns have turned many of these airborne icons of history into Hangar Queens and museum pieces; silencing them forever. Most may not pass to another generation of guardians.
This shot is from an Air Show at Hanscom Field back in 2002. The Red Baron Squadron does not fly anymore but they are still talked about in Stearman circles.
Date/Time : 2002:06:01 12:00:39 Resolution : 3040 x 2016 Focal length 35mm equivalent : 400 mm Exposure time: 1/1500 Aperture : f 9.2 ISO : 320
I’ve been watching periodic helicopter maneuvers over the past year and occasionally try to take a picture or two. This week, I was luck the winds were favorable to shift the return flight path just enough to get a few ‘passable’ images.
The next challenge was figuring out who I was looking at.
