Hi all,
is there a way to find out if the PAVE LOW at RAF Cosford served in the Vietnam war.
According to this website, yes
http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1968.html
68-8283/8286 Sikorsky HH-53C
8284 May 1971 to Jan 1972 in South East Asia, call sign JG 55. Made two known aircrew recoveries, on Sep 5, 1971 and
Dec 19, 1971. Made three-week detachment to Royal Aircraft Establishment airfield at West Freugh,
Scotland, Cconverted to MH-53M Pave Low III, later to Pave Low IV. Involved in Operation Desert Shield from Aug 1990
and later in Bosnia-Herzgovina 1992/1994 and Operation Desert Thunder in 1998. Retired Sep 26, 2008 from service
with 20th SOS and transferred to USAF Museum. Arrived by C-17 at RAF Brize Norton, UK Oct 28, 2008. Moved from
Brize Norton to RAF Cosford Dec 17, 2008 by RAF Globemaster ZZ176 for eventual display
at RAF Museum Cold War Hall. By 2009 was on display there.
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@Tank_1812 thanks for that Ryan, how did you find that out? my searches went round in circles and disappeared up their own backside.
I have used Joe’s site for decades mainly for US Navy/Marine aircraft but AF is similar. XX- is the contact year, then the numbers after are which individual airframe. Sometimes you get lucky with what others have found and added. I did also try https://www.helis.com/database/ but they did have anything useful for that bird.
Also found this by googling HH-53C 68-8284
https://www.thisdayinaviation.com/tag/68-8284/
HTH
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Another great source on the entire Pave Low Project is “On a Steele Horse I Ride” by Darrel D. Whitcomb Sept. 2012© Air University Press.
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