Unique and Unusual CH-47 Chinook Loads

 

 

             Introducing our collection of unique and/or unusual loads that CH-47 Chinook helicopters have transported over the years. Please feel free to submit your photographs and stories to this collection by sending us an email.

 

 

          Holy Cow !

 

 

         
Transporting cows in the Republic of Vietnam.

 

             Dave Mason writes: ...A Special Forces Major over saw this loading. During loading the first cow, two Hmong Soldiers held the cow right and left with slings. Being a brave Farm Boy, I held the sling leading the cow on to the aircraft. About half way up the ramp the cow went crazy! The Hmongs let go and that cow charged me full force! It knocked off my glasses as I grabbed on to it's horns and it carried me all the way to the Companion Way of the Cockpit! The Hmongs returned to pull the cow away from me and tied it down in the aft of the Aircraft.

   I was really hot by this time! I could only hold on to those horns for dear life! I thought sure that cow would put me through the ceiling before they pulled it back! I moved down the steps on the starboard side and cocked a round in my 45. The Special Forces Major noticed this and said, "What are you going to do?" I replied, "I am going to shoot that SOB if they let it go again!" He replied to me, "That's right Son, you shoot it!" It was then I calmed down enough to realize that he thought I was about to shoot his Hmong Troops.

   I do not know how many times that cow smashed me to the ceiling of the Companion Way, but it sure was plenty! She knocked the wind out of me! I thought sure I would have got a medal for this, but I guess there is no medal issued to those attacked by mean cows?

   You will note the plastic put down. During the flight, I do not think any of these cows hit it once!

 

 

          Show Me The Money!

 

 

         
A CH-47D Chinook moves millions in Iraq.

          Click-N-Go Here to view a larger image.

 

 

             Above and Below: On 23 June 2004, 3 CH-47D Chinook helicopters were utilized to transport $1.7 billion of this particular U.S. donation of $2,401,600,000 from one place to another inside Iraq. Each Chinook moved about $566 million. One blue ream contained 1.56 million dollars in $100 bills and the approximate weight of the cargo per helicopter was 14,000 pounds.

 

 

         
A CH-47D Chinook moves millions in Iraq.

          Click-N-Go Here to view a larger image.

 

 

          Atomic Hookers

 

 

             Kirtland Air Force Base, circa 1969: The next three photographs show some Hookers that were sent to the Air Force Weapons Laboratory to sling load a strange looking 200 foot wide antenna and its generator. When the helicopter was hovering over ground sensors and the antenna was fired up, the device was intended to simulate the microburst energy of a nuclear blast. The story goes that the Air Force pilots couldn't hover right and the Army could do it cheaper. Hmmm, hovering over a nuclear blast...

 

 

         
Sling loading a nuclear energy generating device.

 

 

         
Sling loading a nuclear energy generating device.

 

 

         
Sling loading a nuclear energy generating device.

 

 

          Boat Loads of Fun

 

 

         
U.S. Navy Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen (SWCC) on board a rigid hull inflatable boat (RHIB) observe an Army CH-47D Chinook helicopter assigned to the 159th Aviation Regiment as it lifts another RHIB during a maritime external air transportation system (MEATS) training exercise in the Virginia Capes near Fort Eustis, Virginia on 16 July 2008. MEATS trains members of SWCC on extending their operational reach by attaching special operations crafts to helicopters for transport to remote locations for further training.

             U.S. Navy Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen (SWCC) on board a rigid hull inflatable boat (RHIB) observe an Army CH-47D Chinook helicopter assigned to the 159th Aviation Regiment as it lifts another RHIB during a maritime external air transportation system (MEATS) training exercise in the Virginia Capes near Fort Eustis, Virginia on 16 July 2008. MEATS trains members of SWCC on extending their operational reach by attaching special operations crafts to helicopters for transport to remote locations for further training. Click-N-Go Here to view a larger image.

 

 

          Contributions Accepted

 

 

             Please feel free to send in your shots and stories of unique and/or unusual CH-47 Chinook loads - no matter what it was...

 

 

          Related Sites

 

          The Main Cabin Area

 

 

          The CH-47 - 40 years old and still circling the world.

         

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