uh1h Archives - The Rotary Wing Show Podcast

HRT’s UH-1 helicopter at 8,000 feet and litter with patient on the wire after a 500ft fall on mountain side.

Nestled in the north west corner of the US, just north of Seattle is Snohomish County and the operating base of their Helicopter Rescue Team. The HRT conducts approximately 80 rescues a year, predominantly mountain rescues of hikers. Two of their team, Chris Moriarty and Bill Quistorf, took the time out for a chat about their setup, the operating area and its challenges and the skill sets within the organisation.

The Snohomish County Helicopter Rescue Team operates 2 helicopters.

SnoHawk 10 is a highly modified Vietnam era Bell UH-1H – Fast Fin and tailboom strake kit, Bell 205 tail boom, Bell 212 Tail rotor/gearboxes, more powerful Lycoming T53-L703, Garmin G500H’s, NVG-compatible cockpit – which is the main workhorse for rescue missions and training. It is a beautiful looking ship. A typical mission would include 5 crew and a range of role equipment operating up to 9000′ elevation. Depending on the nature of the site and casualties the crew may have to offload people and equipment and/or burn fuel for sufficient power margin.

Chris Moriarty is a Rescue Technician (or Tech) with HRT. And Bill Quistorf is the organisation Chief Pilot.

SnoHawk 1 is a Hughes 500-P (military NOH-6P) which flew in Vietnam with Alpha Troop, 3/17 Air Cavalry. It was a specially modified machine for covert CIA/Air America style missions with 4 bladed tail-rotor, an extra main rotor blade and (now removed) oversized engine exhaust muffler. SnoHawk 1 can provide law enforcement and missing persons support. It was used to fly more regular police patrols but budget reductions have curtailed the flying hours possible.

The HRT team itself is unusual in that it consists of only a few full time salaried members and then a pool of approximately 30 volunteers who man a roster. Skill sets of the volunteers include rescue technicians, flight medics, crew chiefs, pilots, and ground support personnel. These people have their own separate day jobs and interests that then come together to form the capability. On any particular day when the HRT is activated the rostered on team members will meet at the ‘Taylor’s Landing’ base and assess the callout mission.

Team training is conducted twice a week. A number of other agencies also use the base facility for training and there is a tower mounted Huey frame avaliable for rappelling drills.

Mountain rescue makes up most of the HRT callouts. Note the cloud ceiling on the hills in background.

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Links from this week’s episode:
Support the podcast on Patreon
Snohomish HRT Website
Snohomish HRT Facebook

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Chief Pilot Bill Quistorf with Dr. Drew Scheele who flew the HRT’s Hughes 500-P (military NOH-6P) in Vietnam with Alpha Troop, 3/17 Air Cavalry.

Do you have a question about Snohomish County Helicopter Rescue Team’s operations? Be part of the conversation by leaving a comment below.

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Wing Commander(Ret.) Jack Lynch flew Iroquois Gunships with 9 SQN RAAF in Vietnam

Jack Lynch was a ‘Bushranger’ pilot in Vietnam for the Royal Australian Air Force. These were Iroquois UH-1H helicopters fitted out as aerial gunships which provided close air support to Australian troops.

Listen to Part 1 of the interview here

A pair of low flying Sabre jets over Jack Lynch’s childhood property was the seed for a 50+ year career in and around aviation.

After graduating from RAAF pilots course and being posted to helicopters, Jack found himself in Vietnam as one of the early pilots in the Australian version of an armed UH-1H gunship.

The configuration consisted of 2 x twin M-60 machine guns for the door gunners, 14 M158 rockets and 2 XM-21 fixed forward firing mini guns capable of 4000 rounds a minute. Armoured seats were scrounged and procured to provide some level of protection for the pilots.

Aiming of the rockets and mini-guns was conducted through an aiming reticle that could be swiveled down in front of either pilot. It was then up to the pilot to fly the helicopter to place the aiming point on the target. ‘Danger Close’ is the term used when aircraft are firing close to the line of friendly troops. Experienced crews would be able to lay down fire to within 25 metres and sometimes closer to ground troops in contact requiring incredibly precise flying skills.

The concept of operations was for 2 helicopters to conduct a racetrack pattern such that one helicopter was always on its target run. As the first aircraft broke away the door gunners would open up to suppress the target and at the same time the second aircraft would start its run. The first aircraft would then race at speed back to the start of the pattern ready to start its run as soon as the second aircraft commenced it’s break.

9 SQN RAAF conducted 237,424 missions with 16 Hueys (4 were converted to the Bushranger configuration).

Vietnam. An RAAF crewman fires his M60 at enemy positions whilst expended bullet casings pour from the minigun of RAAF Iroquois helicopter gunship (Bushranger) A2-773 as it sweeps into action.

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Links from this week’s episode:
Support the show on Patreon

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The 9 SQN Iroquois were eventually transferred to the Australian Army which maintained the Bushranger capability almost unchanged right up until 2004.

Painted blades to help the overhead command and control aircraft to guide treetop helicopters on to landing areas.

Do you have a question about the Bushrangers or something mentioned in the episode that you want to ask? Be part of the conversation by leaving a comment below.

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RWS 62 – Snohomish County Helicopter Rescue Team

RWS 54 – Huey Gunships with Jack Lynch Part 2