Naval History Time Line 1960 | Naval Helicopter Association Historical Society

This Naval Helicopter History Timeline is sourced using historical data and pictures from “THE NAVAL HELICOPTER-HIGHLIGHTS IN NAVAL HELICOPTER HISTORY,” written by CAPT Vincent C. Secades USN (Ret), Published by Naval Helicopter Association, Coronado, California, 2nd Edition June 2012.

400BC |1940 | 1950 | 1960 | 1970 | 1980 | 1990 | 2000 | 2010

NAVAL HELICOPTER HISTORY TIMELINE 1960

The Department of Defense Announced Two New Developments in Airborne Mine Countermeasures

February 29, 1960. – The Department of Defense announced that two new developments in airborne mine countermeasures had been successfully demonstrated to Navy and Defense officials by the Navy Mine Defense Laboratory and the Navy Air Mine Defense Development Unit at Panama City, FL. The first was an air-portable mine sweeping gear that enabled a helicopter to become a self-sufficient aerial minesweeper. The second was equipment for transferring the minesweeping gear towline from a surface minesweeper to a helicopter, from one helicopter to another, or from a helicopter to a surface minesweeper.

Bullpup Air to Air Missile Fired from Marine Corps Helicopter

June 3, 1960–Test launchings of Bullpup air-to-surface missiles from a Marine Corps HUS-1 helicopter were successfully completed at the Naval Air Test Center, Patuxent River.

HS-4 Rescued 53 Merchant Seamen

June 10,1960–Seven helicopters of HS-4 from Yorktown rescued 53 merchant seamen from the British freighter Shun Lee which was breaking up on Pratas Reef, 500 miles northwest of Manila. Under storm conditions in the wake of typhoon Mary, the helicopter took 25 men from the wreck and 28 more from Pratas Island inside the reef.

HU-4 Established

July 1, 1960—HU-4 was established at Lakehurst, New Jersey.

HS-10 Established

July 1, 1960–HS-10 was established at NALF Imperial Beach, Ca.

QH-50A (DASH) was Flown by Remote Control from a Shore Base to USS Mitscher (DL-2)

July 1, 1960. – A QH-50A was flown by remote control from a shore base to USS Mitscher (DL-2), underway in the Long Island Sound. The QH-50A was maneuvered about the ship and to a position over the flight deck before the safety pilot in the aircraft took control and landed. On 12 August, at the Naval Air Test Center, Patuxent River, an unmanned QH-50A made its first free flight. On 7 December a QH-50A made the first unmanned landing aboard USS Hazelwood (DD-531) at sea off Key West, FL. A sequence of 38 flights, including 22 simulated ASW missions, followed. Hazelwood became the trial ship for DASH development.

Navy HRS-3 Helicopter made First Recovery of an Object from Orbit

August 11, 1960–In the first recovery of an object after it had been in orbit, a Navy HRS-3 helicopter, operating from the Haiti Victory of the Pacific Missile Range, recovered the instrumented capsule discharged by Discoverer XIII on its 17th pass around the earth. The capsule was located about 330 miles northwest of Honolulu by Air Force planes which directed the ship toward the spot. Recovery was made less than three hours after the capsule hit the water.

First Free Flight of a Drone Helicopter

August 12, 1960–A QH-50A drone made the world’s first free flight of an unmanned helicopter [DASH]

Helicopters from HS-3 and HU-2 Rescue 27 Men

December 22, 1960–Helicopters of HS-3 and HU-2 from Valley Forge rescued 27 men from the oiler SS Pine Ridge as she was breaking up in heavy seas 100 miles off Cape Hatteras.

NAVAL HELICOPTER HISTORY TIMELINE 1960 till 1970

The Department of Defense Announced Two New Developments in Airborne Mine Countermeasures

QH-50A (DASH) was Flown by Remote Control from a Shore Base to USS Mitscher (DL-2)

USS Iwo Jima (LPH-2) was Commissioned

August 26, 1961. – USS Iwo Jima (LPH-2) was commissioned at Bremerton, WA. This was the first of a series of Navy ships built from the keel up as Helicopter Combat Assault carriers. Over the years, twelve LPHs were put into service, seven Iwo Jima class new-construction ships and five converted aircraft carriers. Six Tarawa class LHAs and eight Wasp class LHDs have replaced the aged LPHs, with more LHAs and LHDs in the planning stage.

Improved QH-50C (DSN-3) Completed its Maiden Flight

January 15, 1962. – The improved QH-50C (DSN-3) completed its maiden flight. It was powered by a Boeing T50-BO-8, 300 shp turbine engine, and could carry two torpedoes. Large-scale production was approved in late 1963. Three units were authorized for each of 240 FRAM-I and FRAM-II destroyers.

Navy SH3A Seaking Helicopter Establishes a New Speed Record

February 5, 1962. – An SH3A piloted by LT R. W. Crafton, USN, and CAPT L. K. Keck, USMC, established a new speed record of 210.6 mph (183 knots) on a measured track in Long Island sound.

Contract Signed for Two Sikorsky YCH-53A Helicopter Prototypes

March 1962. –BuWeps issued a request for proposals for the Heavy Helicopter Experimental, HH(X), Marine Corps heavy lift helicopter for the transportation of equipment, supplies, and personnel during the assault phase of amphibious operations. After an intense competition with Boeing’s Chinook, Sikorsky won the contract in July of that year. In September 1962 the contract was signed for two YCH-53A prototypes, powered by two GE-T64-6, 2850 shp engines driving the six-bladed main rotor, four-bladed tail rotor, and gear boxes used in the S-64 Skycrane helicopter. The first prototype maiden flight occurred on 14 October 1964.

CNO Directs Conversion of a Few SH-3A Helicopters for the Airborne Mine Countermeasures (AMCM) mission.

October 1962. – The CNO directed the conversion of a number of helicopters for the Airborne Mine Countermeasures (AMCM) mission. These helicopters would be used for AMCM development and training, and eventually would be deployed in fleet squadrons. The Navy selected the SH-3A for this program.

Sikorsky Began Conversion of Nine SH-3As to the RH-3A Minesweeper Configuration

1964. – Sikorsky began the conversion of nine SH-3As to the RH-3A minesweeper configuration. The conversion included a pivoting towboom and towhook, tension and yaw angle indicators, and other airframe modifications.

Production Began of the Bell UH-1E Helicopters for the Marine Corps

1964. – Production began of the Bell UH-1E helicopters for the Marine Corps. 192 units were built between 1964 and 1966. They were used to perform airborne command and control, assault transport, medevac, and other utility missions.

Navy Upgrades QH-50D (DASH) with more powerful Turbine Engine and Fiberglass Rotor Blades.

April 6, 1964. – The Navy ordered production of the QH-50D model, fitted with a more powerful T50-BO-12 turbine and fiberglass rotor blades. These and several other improvements significantly increased the drone’s payload capability. Taking advantage of this increase, during the second half of the decade, under ARPA sponsorship, the QH-50D was extensively weaponized to explore its use in the Gunship and Attack Drone roles.

Navy Begins to Receive the Boeing Vertol UH-46A Tandum Rotor Helicopter

November 1964. – The Navy began to receive the Boeing Vertol UH-46A tandem rotor helicopters. That same month, USS Bell H-71 Sacramento (AOE-1) deployed with two UH-46As embarked. This was the first deployment of the UH-46 in the modern VERTREP role. The Marine Corps also began to receive the CH-46A, which replaced the HUS in the medium lift role. The Navy retired the UH-46 from service in 2004, replacing it with the MH-60S Knighthawk. The USMC, however, plans to keep the CH-46s in service until the MV-22 is fully fielded in the 2014-2015 time-frame.

Navy Uses the QH-50D as a Reconnaissance and Surveillance Vehicle in Vietnam

January 1965. – The Navy began to use the QH-50D as a reconnaissance and surveillance vehicle in Vietnam. Equipped with a real-time TV camera, a film camera, a transponder for better radar tracking, and a telemetry feedback link to inform the remote control operator of drone responses to his commands, the QH-50D began to fly “SNOOPY” missions from selected destroyers off the Vietnamese coast. These missions had the purpose of providing over-the-horizon target data to the destroyer’s five-inch batteries.

A Navy SH-3A Seaking Helicopter establishes New Unrefueled Distance Record

March 6, 1965. – An SH-3A piloted by CDR James R. Williford, USN, with Lt David A Beil, USN, as copilot and ADJ1 Paul J. Bert as crew chief established a new unrefueled distance record. The helicopter took off from the flight deck of USS Hornet, CVS-12, berthed at the carrier pier, NAS North Island, Coronado, California. Fifteen hours and 52 minutes later it settled down on the flight deck of USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVA-42), berthed at the Naval Base, Mayport, Florida. The distance of 2,116 statute miles broke the prior record by 768 statute miles.

A Navy SH-3A Helicopter Flew non-stop Seattle, WA, to NAAS Imperial Beach, CA, Using Helicopter In-flight Refueling (HIFR) capability

June 1965. – An SH-3A from HS-2 flew non-stop from Seattle, WA, to NAAS Imperial Beach, CA, a distance of over 1,000 nautical miles, using the newly developed Helicopter In-flight Refueling (HIFR) capability to take fuel from USS O’Brien (DD-725) about 100 miles west of San Francisco. During the spring of 1965, working under the auspices of RADM Evan P. Aurand, Commander, ASW Group One, HS-2 had developed the capability to take fuel from destroyers while hovering alongside. HIFR was used extensively in the Gulf of Tonkin to extend the endurance of helicopters operating independently from aircraft carriers. In November 1965, an SH-3A from HS-2 remained airborne 11 hours and 18 minutes during a CSAR mission in the Gulf with the help of four HIFRs, three of them at night.

NATC Completed a Two-Day Shipboard Suitability Trial of the RH-3A Minesweeper Helicopter

September 1966. – NATC completed a two-day shipboard suitability trial of the RH-3A minesweeper helicopter aboard USS Ozark (MCS-2). In 1967 a helicopter minesweeping detachment from HC-6 embarked aboard Ozark conducted a mine countermeasure development program on the Atlantic Fleet. A similar program was conducted in the Pacific by an HC-5 detachment embarked on USS Catskill (MCS-1).

Helicopter Support for SEAL Teams/River Patrol Boats Operating in the Mekong Delta VN

Mid-1966. – In response to the need for helicopter support for SEAL teams and River Patrol Boats operating in the Mekong Delta, HC-1 began to deploy small, two-helo detachments to four separate locations in the Delta region. The Army lent the Navy a number of UH-1B helicopter gunships and provided maintenance support for them.

HMH-362 in Vietnam Begins to Receive CH-53A Helicopters

January 1967. – HMH-362 in Vietnam began to receive the CH-53A helicopters, a ten-ton lifter powered by two GE-T64-6, 2850 shp engines driving a six-blade main rotor. They proved to be very useful in the recovering of downed aircraft.

Helicopter Attack (Light) Squadron Three (HAL-3) Was Established

April 1, 1967. – Helicopter Attack (Light) Squadron Three (HAL-3) was established at Vung Tau, CDR Robert W. Spencer commanding. A spin off HC-1, the Seawolfs took over the four HC-1 detachments. First three, and later two more detachments were added, for a total of nine. By the time the squadron was disestablished on 26 January 1972, its officers and men had been awarded 17,339 decorations and medals, making it the most decorated squadron in U.S. Navy history.

Captain Stephen W. Pless USMC Was Awarded The Medal of Honor

August 19, 1967. – Captain Stephen W. Pless, USMC, serving with VMO-6, was flying an UH-1E patrol when he heard a radio emergency call. A damaged helicopter, under Viet Cong (VC) fire, had lifted off the beach south of Chu Lai, leaving four Americans stranded and in imminent danger of being overwhelmed by the VC forces. Captain Pless and his crew, Captain Rupert Fairfield, USMC, copilot; Gunnery Sergeant Leroy Poulson, USMC, gunner; and Lance Corporal John Phelps, USMC, crewchief, decided a rescue attempt. As Captain Pless approached the area, he saw the VC forces swarming the beach and the four Americans being overrun and attacked at close quarters. Pless ordered Poulson to open fire on the VC and maneuvered into position to fire all his fourteen rockets in the middle of the VC mob, now retreating toward the tree line. He spotted one American waving his arm and immediately flared to a landing, placing the helicopter between the wounded man and the VC. With the helicopter now on the ground, the VC force reversed its retreat and began to advance toward it. Poulson immediately jumped off the aircraft and helped the wounded man, Staff Sergeant Lawrence H. Allen, USA, aboard. The other Americans were severely wounded and would have to be carried. Both, Captain Fairfield, the copilot, and Corporal Phelps got off the aircraft to help Poulson. Captain Fairfield spotted three VCs approaching from the rear of the helicopter firing at Poulson and Phelps. He opened fire with his M-60 and killed the VCs. Sergeant Allen, in spite of his wounds, grabbed an M-60 and opened fire on the VCs approaching from the left side of the helicopter. While dragging a wounded American, Fairfield and Phelps fired their pistols to the VC, now within several feet of the aircraft. At this moment, an Army UH-1Es joined the battle and began to strafe the VC. A Vietnam Air Force UH-34 landed next to Pless’ helicopter. With three wounded Americans onboard, and the fourth clearly dead, Pless decided it was time to depart and take the wounded men to a medical facility. With the VC still firing at him with automatic weapons, he had to depart over water. Grossly overloaded, he bounced off the waves four times before gaining enough speed and building his rotor rpm up. For his actions that day, Captain Stephen W. Pless was awarded the Medal of Honor. He was the only Marine helicopter pilot to receive the Medal of Honor in Vietnam, and the first of two naval helicopter pilots to do so. Captain Rupert E. Fairfield, Gunnery Sergeant Leroy N. Poulson, and Lance Corporal John G. Phelps were awarded the Navy Cross. Captain Pless and his crew represent the highest decorated helicopter crew in the Vietnam War. Staff Sergeant Lawrence H. Allen was awarded the Silver Star.

HC-1 Splits into Four Different Squadrons

September 1, 1967. – HC-1 was split into four different squadrons: HC-1, HC-3, HC-5, and HC-7. HC-1 retained the plane guard mission. HC-3 assumed the vertical replenishment mission. HC-5 became the Fleet Replacement Aircrew Training squadron. HC-7 took on the CSAR and minesweeping missions. In fulfilling the CSAR mission off the coast of North Vietnam, Navy helicopter crews wrote many pages of heroic history. The story of a rescue by HC-7 Detachment 104 in a dark summer night in 1968 is a stellar example.

LTJG Clyde E. Lassen Was Awarded the Medal of Honor

June 19, 1968. – Shortly after midnight on 19 June 1968, LTJG Clyde E. Lassen, with copilot LTJG Leroy Cook, and gunners/rescue aircrewmen ADJ3 Donald West and AE2 Bruce Dallas, launched from USS Preble (DLG-15), on station off the coast of North Vietnam. Two aviators had ejected twenty miles inside enemy territory after their F-4J aircraft was hit by a surface-to-air missile. After locating the survivors in a heavily wooded area, Lassen set his UH-2A down on a rice paddy while urging the two survivors to come out of the thick vegetation. The UH-2A began to take small arms fire. With “Come get us” calls coming through his earphones, Lassen decided to try to get above the survivors and hoist them aboard. Using the illumination from RESCAP parachute flares, Lassen positioned the helicopter above the survivors, between two towering trees. Before the air crewmen could begin the hoisting operation the flares went out and the world went pitch black. The helicopter hit a tree and started to spin right. Lassen regained control and waved off. The UH-2A had lost a door but was still flyable. A new RESCAP arrived with more flares. Lassen determined that the survivors would have to make their way to the clearing if they had any hope of being rescued. As Lassen approached the clearing for a second landing, small arms fire erupted along the perimeter. The survivors were too far away and Lassen aborted the approach. During the third approach the last of the illumination flares went out. Lassen decided to turn the landing light on and expose the aircraft to enemy gunners rather than to abandon the survivors. For two minutes he hovered, with the landing gear just touching the mud, while Dallas and West blasted away at the tree line nearby. Finally the survivors, LCDR John Holtzclaw and LCDR John A. Burns emerged from the dark and were yanked inside the helicopter. With the aircraft vibrating abnormally, a malfunctioning compass, and a low fuel state, Lassen headed for the coast while dodging antiaircraft fire. He landed the crippled helicopter aboard the closest ship available, USS Jouett (DLG-29), with 135 pounds of fuel, five minutes of flight time, left in the tanks. For his heroic actions LTJG Clyde E. Lassen was awarded the Medal of Honor. He was the second helicopter pilot to receive the MoH in U.S. Navy history, and the only one during the Vietnam War.

Navy Orders 40 Bell Jet Ranger Helicopters, TH-57A, as Primary Trainers

January 1968. – The Navy ordered 40 Bell Jet Ranger helicopters, Navy designation TH-57A, to be used as primary trainers. Deliveries to HT-8 began in October 1968.

Marine Corps Awards Bell a Contract for 49 AH-1J Sea Cobras

May 1968. – The Marine Corps awarded Bell a contract for 49 AH-1Js. The Sea Cobra featured the 1,290 shp Pratt & Whitney T400 twin-pack engine. The new attack helicopter was armed with guided anti armor missiles, unguided rockets, 20-millimeter cannons or 7.62-millimeter machine guns. HMA-269 was the first to receive the Sea Cobra in April 1971. As an interim measure, the U.S. Army had transfered 38 AH-1Gs to the Marines in 1969. Through the 1970s, various models of the AH-1 were produced, featuring improved armament and more powerful engines. AH-1 development and deployment continues to the present, the most recently acquired model being the AH-1Z Viper, which is expected to continue in service until 2018.

CH-53D Sea Stallion Completes its Maiden Flight

January 27, 1969. – The CH-53 D, a more powerful version of the Sea Stallion, completed its maiden flight. CH-53Ds began to arrive in Vietnam later that year.

DASH Operations Ceased Fleet-Wide

November 30, 1970. – DASH operations ceased fleet-wide. Although DASH was a sound concept, its faulty implementation sealed its fate. The Achilles heel of the system was the electronic remote control system. The lack of feedback loop from the drone to the controller, and its low radar signature and lack of transponder accounted for 80% of all drone losses. With the DASH program officially terminated and ARPA ceasing to develop new QH-50 applications in 1974 due to budgetary cuts following the end of the Vietnam conflict, the remaining QH-50C/D drones were transferred to the Naval Air Warfare Center, China Lake, and the Army White Sands Missile Test Range to be used as targets. In 1995 the Navy transferred their exiguous drone inventory to the Army Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training, and Instrumentation (PEO-STRI) at White Sands.

NAVAL HELICOPTER HISTORY TIMELINE 1962

Improved QH-50C (DSN-3) Completed its Maiden Flight

Navy SH3A Seaking Helicopter Establishes a New Speed Record

February 5, 1962. – An SH3A piloted by LT R. W. Crafton, USN, and CAPT L. K. Keck, USMC, established a new speed record of 210.6 mph (183 knots) on a measured track in Long Island sound.

Mercury Spacecraft Recovery

February 20, 1962–Lieutenant Colonel John H. Glenn. USMC, in Mercury spacecraft Friendship 7, was launched from Cape Canaveral by an Atlas rocket. His three turns about the earth were the first U.S. manned orbital flights. He was recovered some 166 miles east of Grand Turk Island in the Bahamas by the destroyer Noa (DD 841) and then delivered by helicopter to the carrier Randolph.

Contract Signed for Two Sikorsky YCH-53A Helicopter Prototypes

Another Mercury Spacecraft Recovered

May 24, 1962–Lieutenant Commander M. Scott Carpenter in Aurora 7 was launched into orbit from Cape Canaveral on the second U.S. manned orbital flight. Upon completing three orbits he returned to earth landing in the Atlantic 200 miles beyond the planned impact area. He was located by a Navy P2V, assisted by para-rescue men dropped from an Air Force RC-54 and, after almost 3 hours in the water, picked up by an HSS helicopter from Intrepid and returned safely to the carrier. His capsule was retrieved by the destroyer John R. Pierce.

Mercury Spacecraft Recovered

October 3, 1962–Sigma 7, Commander Walter M. Schirra pilot was launched into orbit by a Mercury-Atlas rocket from Cape Canaveral and, after nearly six orbits and a flight of over 160,000 miles, landed in the Pacific, 275 miles northeast of Midway Island. Helicopters dropped UDT men near the capsule and it and Commander Schirra were hoisted aboard Kearsarge.

CNO Directs Conversion of a Few SH-3A Helicopters for the Airborne Mine Countermeasures (AMCM) mission.

October 16, 1962. – The CNO directed the conversion of a number of helicopters for the Airborne Mine Countermeasures (AMCM) mission. These helicopters would be used for AMCM development and training, and eventually would be deployed in fleet squadrons. The Navy selected the SH-3A for this program.

Marine Corps Transition Two Fixed Wing Squadrons to Helicopters

November 5, 1962–Two Marine Corps helicopter squadrons began, as additional duty, a transition training program in which some 500 Marine aviators qualified in fixed-wing aircraft would be trained to operate helicopters. The need for the special program arose from the increased proportion of helicopters in the Marine Corps, coupled with an overall shortage of pilots and the inability of the Naval Air Training Command to absorb the additional training load within the time schedule allotted.

NAVAL HELICOPTER HISTORY TIMELINE 1963

Naval Helicopters Fly Relief Missions in Morocco

January 7-13, 1963–Helicopters from NAS Port Lyautey, NS Rota and Springfield flew rescue and relief missions in the flooded areas of Beth and Sebou Rivers in Morocco. Over 45,000 pounds of food, medicines and emergency supplies were flown in and some 320 marooned persons were lifted to safety.

HS-9 Helicopters Make Texas Towers Rescue off Cap Cod

September 6, 1963–Five SH-3A helicopters of HS-9 based at NAS Quonset rescued 28 workmen from two Texas Towers shaken by gales and heavy seas off Cape Cod.

NAVAL HELICOPTER HISTORY TIMELINE 1964

Sikorsky Began Conversion of Nine SH-3As to the RH-3A Minesweeper Configuration

Production Began of the Bell UH-1E Helicopters for the Marine Corps

First Helicopter Landing on a Combat Store Ship Mars (AFS-1)

February 28, 1964–A helicopter piloted by Commander D. W. Fisher of HU-1 made the first landing on the deck of the combat store ship Mars (AFS 1) during her shakedown cruise off San Diego. Although the concept of vertical replenishment at sea had been discussed and tested as early as 1959 and helicopter platforms had been installed on certain logistics ships since then, commissioning of the Mars provided the first real opportunity to incorporate the helicopter into the fleet logistic support system.

Marine Corps Helicopters Rescues 11 in Peru

March 23, 1964–Two Marine helicopter crews of VMO-1 rescued 11 sick, injured and wounded members of a road engineering party that had survived attacks by hostile Indians in the dense jungle of the Amazon basin near Iquitos, Peru. Their helicopters were transferred ashore in the Canal Zone from Guadalcanal and were airlifted to Iquitos by a U.S. Air Force C-130.

Astronauts Complete Helicopter Flight Familization Program

April 1, 1964–The last of 15 astronauts completed a helicopter flight familiarization program at Ellyson Field, as a phase of their training for lunar landings. The training was designed to simulate the operation of the Lunar Excursion Module of Project Apollo. Instituted by the Navy at the request of the NASA, the program was scheduled in a series of 2-week courses for two students and had been in progress since 12 November 1963.

Navy Upgrades QH-50D (DASH) with more powerful Turbine Engine and Fiberglass Rotor Blades.

New Opportunities to become a Navy Helicopter Pilot

April 23, 1964–The Chief of Naval Operations broadened the opportunities for Naval Aviators to qualify as helicopter pilots by extending responsibilities for transition training to commands outside the Flight Training Command.

Medical Aid to Haiti and the Dominican Republic

August 29, 1964–Boxer and two LSD’s arrived off the coast of Hispaniola to give medical aid and helicopter evacuation services to people in areas of Haiti and the Dominican Republic badly damaged by Hurricane Cleo.

Navy Begins to Receive the Boeing Vertol UH-46A Tandum Rotor Helicopter

Marine Corps Helos Provide Typhoon Relief in South Vietnam

November 17, 1964–Helicopters of HMM-162 from Princeton, began delivery of 1,300 tons of food and clothing to people in the inland areas of South Vietnam flooded by heavy rains following a typhoon.

Navy and Coast Guard Helicopter Rescue17 off Norwegian Tanker Splitting up in the Atlantic

November 26, 1964–Nine helicopters of HU-2 and four from NAS Lakehurst, assisted the Coast Guard in the rescue of 17 men from the Norwegian tanker Stolt Dagali cut in two by collision with the Israeli liner Shalom off the New Jersey coast.

NAVAL HELICOPTER HISTORY TIMELINE 1965

Navy Begins to Receive the Boeing Vertol UH-46A Tandum Rotor Helicopter

Navy Uses the QH-50D as a Reconnaissance and Surveillance Vehicle in Vietnam

A Navy SH-3A Seaking Helicopter establishes New Unrefueled Distance Record

Marines Land at DANANG

March 8, 1965–With surface and air units of Seventh Fleet standing by, 3,500 Marines, including a helicopter squadron and supporting units, landed without opposition at Danang, an air base near the northern border of South Vietnam.

Gemni 3 Spacraft Recovered

March 23, 1965–Astronauts Virgil Grissom and John Young landed their Gemini 3 spacecraft east of Bermuda roughly 50 miles from the intended splash point. The craft was spotted by Coast Guard helicopter about 20 minutes after the landing and within an hour the two astronauts were picked up by helicopter and delivered to Intrepid.

Americans Evacuated from Dominican Republic

April 27, 1965–As revolt in the Dominican Republic threatened the safety of American nationals, Boxer sent her Marines ashore while embarked helicopter pilots of HMM-264 began an airlift in which over 1,000 men, women and children were evacuated to ships of the naval task force standing by.

A Navy SH-3A Helicopter Flew non-stop Seattle, WA, to NAAS Imperial Beach, CA, Using Helicopter In-flight Refueling (HIFR) capability

Gemni 4 Spacecraft Recovered

June 7, 1965–The Gemini 4 spacecraft of J. A. McDivitt and E. H. White splashed in the Atlantic about 40 miles off target after a 4-day flight. Minutes later Navy frogmen dropped from a helicopter to attach the flotation collar and in less than an hour after landing the astronauts were landed by helicopter on the carrier Wasp which had kept position for possible landings in each orbit since blastoff on 4 June.

HU-1, 2, and 4 Helicopter Squadrons Re-Designated

July 1, 1965–Helicopter Utility Squadrons (HU-1, 2, 4) were re-designated Helicopter Combat Support Squadrons (HC-1, 2, 4) and Utility Squadrons (VU) were re-designated Fleet Composite Squadrons (VC) as more representative of their functions and composition.

Gemni 5 Spacecraft Recovered

August 29, 1965–Gemini 5 splashed into the Atlantic 90 miles off target after a record breaking 8-day space flight, and 45 minutes later Navy frogmen helped astronauts Gordon Cooper and Charles Conrad out of their space ship and aboard a helicopter for flight to the prime recovery ship Lake Champlain.

U.S. Army Helicopters Go Ashore in South Vietnam

September 11, 1965–First elements of the First Cavalry Division, U.S. Army, with their helicopter and light observation aircraft, went ashore at Qui Nhon, South Vietnam, from Boxer in which they had been transported from Mayport, Fla., by way of the Suez Canal.

Gemni 7 Spacecraft Recovered

December 18, 1965–Helicopters of HS-11 recovered Lieutenant Colonel Frank Borman, USAF, and Commander James A. Lovell, in the western Atlantic about 250 miles north of Grand Turk Island and delivered them to Wasp. During their 14-day flight in Gemini 7, the astronauts carried out many experiments in space, including station keeping with Gemini 6A, and established a new duration record for manned space flight.

NAVAL HELICOPTER HISTORY TIMELINE 1966

First Unmanned Apolo Spacecraft Recovered

February 26, 1966–The first unmanned spacecraft of the Apollo series, fired into suborbital flight by a Saturn 1B rocket from Cape Kennedy, was recovered in the southeast Atlantic 200 miles east of Ascension Island by a helicopter from Boxer.

X-22A VTOL Research Aircraft First Flight

March 17, 1966–The X-22A VTOL research aircraft made its first flight at Buffalo, N.Y.

Helicopter Support for SEAL Teams/River Patrol Boats Operating in the Mekong Delta VN

July 1,1966. – In response to the need for helicopter support for SEAL teams and River Patrol Boats operating in the Mekong Delta, HC-1 began to deploy small, two-helo detachments to four separate locations in the Delta region. The Army lent the Navy a number of UH-1B helicopter gunships and provided maintenance support for them.

Flight Test of a Helicopter Capsule Escape System,

March 31, 1966–Flight test of a Helicopter Capsule Escape System, involving recovery of personnel by separation of the inhabited section of the fuselage from the helicopter proper, demonstrated the feasibility of its use during inflight emergencies. The test was conducted at NAF El Centro with an H-25 helicopter.

CNO Established LHA Program

July 19, 1966–The Chief of Naval Operations established the LHA program to bring into being a new concept of an amphibious assault ship. Plans developed through preliminary study envisioned a large multipurpose ship with a flight deck for helicopters, a wet boat well for landing craft, a troop carrying capacity of an LPH and a cargo capacity nearly that of an AKA.

HS-3 Recovers Astonauts

July 21, 1966–A helicopter assigned to HS-3 from Guadalcanal recovered astronauts John W. Young and Michael Collins after their landing in the Atlantic 460 miles east of Cape Kennedy. The astronauts had spent over 70 hours in space, had docked with an Agena satellite and Collins had made a space stand and a space walk.

NATC Completed a Two-Day Shipboard Suitability Trial of the RH-3A Minesweeper Helicopter

September 3,1966. – NATC completed a two-day shipboard suitability trial of the RH-3A minesweeper helicopter aboard USS Ozark (MCS-2). In 1967 a helicopter minesweeping detachment from HC-6 embarked aboard Ozark conducted a mine countermeasure development program on the Atlantic Fleet. A similar program was conducted in the Pacific by an HC-5 detachment embarked on USS Catskill (MCS-1).

HS-11 Recovers Gemni Spaecraft Astronauts

September 15, 1966–A helicopter assigned to HS-3 from Guam recovered Gemini 11 astronauts Charles Conrad and Richard Gordon at sea 700 miles off Cape Kennedy. The recovery marked the end of a 3-day mission in space in which the astronauts completed several dockings with an Agena satellite, established a new altitude record of over 850 miles and Gordon made a walk in space.

USS Oriskany Helicopters Rescue Entire Crew of 44

September 16, 1966–Helicopters from Oriskany rescued the entire crew of 44 men from the British merchant ship August Moon as she was breaking up in heavy seas on Pratas Reef 175 miles southeast of Hong Kong.

HS-11 Recovers Last Gemni Spacraft Flight Astronauts

November 15, 1966–Wasp made the last recovery of the Gemini program, picking up astronauts James A. Lovell, Jr., and Edwin A. Aldrin, Jr., and their spacecraft 600 miles southeast of Cape Kennedy. The astronauts were lifted from their spacecraft to the ship by an SH-3A helicopter of HS-11.

NAVAL HELICOPTER HISTORY TIMELINE 1966

HMH-362 in Vietnam Begins to Receive CH-53A Helicopters

January 1, 1967. – HMH-362 in Vietnam began to receive the CH-53A helicopters, a ten-ton lifter powered by two GE-T64-6, 2850 shp engines driving a six-blade main rotor. They proved to be very useful in the recovering of downed aircraft.

VR-24 and Helicopters from NAF Sigonella ProvideEarthquake Relief

January 19, 1967 – A C-130 Hercules of VR-24 and helicopters from NAF Sigonella delivered food, clothing and medicine to the west coast of Sicily to aid some 40,000 persons made homeless by an earthquake in the region of Montevago.

Helicopter Attack (Light) Squadron Three (HAL-3) Was Established

Marine Observation Squadron 2 (VMO-2) Stationed at Da Nang, South Vietnam, Received the First OV-1OA, Broncos

July 6, 1967 – Marine Observation Squadron 2 (VMO-2) stationed at Da Nang, South Vietnam, received the first OV-1OA, Broncos, to arrive in South Vietnam. The aircraft, specifically developed for counterinsurgency warfare, was immediately employed for forward air control, visual reconnaissance and helicopter escort.

Captain Stephen W. Pless USMC Was Awarded The Medal of Honor

HC-1 Splits into Four Different Squadrons

HS-5 Recovers Apollo Astronauts

October 22, 1967 – Helicopters of HS-5 from Essex located and recovered astronauts Walter M. Schirra, Donn F. Eisele, and R. Walter Cunningham about 285 miles south of Bermuda and delivered them safely to the ship. It was the end of an 11-day mission in space and the first manned flight of the Apollo program.

NAVAL HELICOPTER HISTORY TIMELINE 1966

Navy Orders 40 Bell Jet Ranger Helicopters, TH-57A, as Primary Trainers

January 1, 1968. – The Navy ordered 40 Bell Jet Ranger helicopters, Navy designation TH-57A, to be used as primary trainers. Deliveries to HT-8 began in October 1968.

Marine Corps Awards Bell a Contract for 49 AH-1J Sea Cobras

May 1, 1968. – The Marine Corps awarded Bell a contract for 49 AH-1Js. The Sea Cobra featured the 1,290 shp Pratt & Whitney T400 twin-pack engine. The new attack helicopter was armed with guided anti armor missiles, unguided rockets, 20-millimeter cannons or 7.62-millimeter machine guns. HMA-269 was the first to receive the Sea Cobra in April 1971. As an interim measure, the U.S. Army had transfered 38 AH-1Gs to the Marines in 1969. Through the 1970s, various models of the AH-1 were produced, featuring improved armament and more powerful engines. AH-1 development and deployment continues to the present, the most recently acquired model being the AH-1Z Viper, which is expected to continue in service until 2018.

LTJG Clyde E. Lassen Was Awarded the Medal of Honor

Marine Observation Squadron 2 (VMO-2) Stationed at Da Nang, South Vietnam, Received the First OV-1OA, Broncos

July 6, 1968–Marine Observation Squadron 2 (VMO-2) stationed at Da Nang, South Vietnam, received the first OV-1OA, Broncos, to arrive in South Vietnam. The aircraft, specifically developed for counterinsurgency warfare, was immediately employed for forward aircontrol, visual reconnaissance and helicopter escort.

HS-4 Recovers Apollo 8 Astonauts

December 27, 1968 – Helicopters of HS-4 hovered over Apollo 8 after it ended its historic flight around the moon with a predawn splashdown in the Pacific within 3 miles of Yorktown. At first light, astronauts Frank Borman, James A. Lovell, and William A. Anders were picked up by helicopters and carried to the ship.

NAVAL HELICOPTER HISTORY TIMELINE 1966

CH-53D Sea Stallion Completes its Maiden Flight

January 27, 1969. – The CH-53 D, a more powerful version of the Sea Stallion, completed its maiden flight. CH-53Ds began to arrive in Vietnam later that year.

HS-3 Recovers Apollo 9 Astronauts

March 13, 1969–Apollo 9 Astronauts James A. McDivitt, USAF, David R. Scott, USAF, and Russell L. Schweickart were recovered by a helicopter from HS-3 off Guadalcanal after completing a 10-day orbit of the earth.

HT-8 Provides Hurricane Camille Emergency Assistance and Relief

.August 17, 1969–Hurricane Camille swept into the Gulf Coast near Gulfport, Miss., leaving many people homeless and causing heavy property damage. Naval Aviation performed emergency assistance and Helicopter Training Squadron Eight (HT-8) received a letter from the President praising it for services rendered during the disaster.