Boeing CH-47F Chinook helicopter 08-08771.

08-08771

Property of

B Company - " Sugar Bears "

1st General Support Aviation Battalion (GSAB)

The unit patch of B Company - "Sugar Bears", 1st General Support Aviation Battalion (GSAB), 52nd Aviation Regiment unit patch, circa May 2012. Click-N-Go Here to view more unit patches.

52nd Aviation Regiment

Fort Wainwright

Alaska

2012

The CH-47F Fielding Poster for B Company - "Sugar Bears", 1st General Support Aviation Battalion (GSAB), 52nd Aviation Regiment, circa October 2012. Click-N-Go Here to view more fielding posters.

CH-47F Chinook helicopter 08-08771 on the ramp at Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia, 29 March 2012. Click-N-Go Here to view a larger image.

   08-08771, Boeing Vertol Tab Number M8771, was a CH-47F helicopter. The U.S. Army acceptance date 31 August 2011 at 10.2 aircraft hours. As of 10 May 2012, 08-08771 accumulated 89.9 aircraft hours.

   08-08771 was a new build airframe with all new components installed.

   At some point in 2011 after modifications (M4 Gun Mount, IRSS, ARC-231, Fifth Sensor, Left/Right Cabin Door Gunner's Seat) were completed at Millville Airport, New Jersey, 08-08771 was flown to Hunter Army Airfield (AAF), near Savannah, Georgia.

   At Hunter AAF, 08-08771 was utilized extensively for the training of multiple flight crews undergoing CH-47F Aircraft Qualification conducted by members of S3 Incorporated New Equipment Training Team (NETT). The NET Team was under contract from the Project Managers Office - Cargo Helcopters, Aviation Missile Command (AMCOM), located at Redstone Arsenal, Huntsville, Alabama, to conduct the worldwide fielding and training for the CH-47F Chinook helicopter.

   In April 2012, 08-08771 was transferred to Company B - "Sugar Bears", 1st General Support Aviation Battalion (GSAB), 52nd Aviation Regiment, Ladd Field, Fort Wainwright, Alaska, to support the NETT training of that unit. The aircraft arrived at Ladd Field at 89.9 aircraft hours, having accumulated 29.3 hours on the Georgia to Alaska Ferry Flight.

   Tasked by the Program Managers Office, the NET Team - led by Tim McCall (Director of Flight Operations for the CH-47F NET Team) - formulated a plan to ferry the aircraft from Hunter AAF via the Alaska Canada (ALCAN) Highway. 08-08771 was Chalk 4 in a flight of four, part of Sortie 1 of three sorties.

   The flight departed Hunter AAF on 10 April and arrived at Ladd Field on 18 April 2012. There were five flight days and three weather hold days.

   While enroute to Alaska, 08-08771 suffered a few maintenace issues. Chief among these was a D1 P3 Sensor Soft Fault Code displayed on the Engine Control Unit (ECU) for the Number One Engine on 12 April. This was an abort mission code and required replacement of the ECU. The replacement item was received the following day and 771 caught up with the flight at Helena, Montana the following day. The ECU failed the Power Assurance Check (PAC) and Power Assurance Test (PAT) enroute to Helena.

   The replacement item failed internally displaying a 1B code and required another replacement. The second ECU installed immediately displayed a 1B code at power on.

   The first replacement item was installed in the Number Two engine side of the airframe for troubleshooting purposes. When tested on the ground, all systems reported normal functions.

   When that unit was placed back in the Number One slot, it again displayed all normal functions. A test flight was conducted and the unit operated satisfactorily for the remainder of the ferry flight.

   Another maintenance issue that cropped up from time to time was the DASH 1 Fail Caution. The left side ground proximity light on the maintenance panel was illuminated in flight. However the aircraft continued to exhibit positive stick gradient throughout the airspeed envelope and the Longitudinal Cyclic Trim (LCT) programmed properly so it was determined the caution was an artifact of unknown origin.

   Other issues that expressed themselves, but were corrected, were loss of Map Channels 1 and 2 and the failure of the Number Two Multifunction Display (MFD).

   As of 22 April 2012, the last known location of 08-08771 was at Ladd Field.

   Aircraft status: Flyable.

9 April 2012: CW4 Bruce Linton loads some personal gear aboard CH-47F Chinook helicopter 08-08771 while on the ramp at Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia. Click-N-Go Here to view a larger image.

9 April 2012: CH-47F Chinook helicopter 08-08771 is nearly full with parts, tools and personal gear while parked on the ramp at Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia, awaiting the ferry flight to Alaska. Click-N-Go Here to view a larger image.

10 April 2012: We are not sure how many guys it takes to wash the windows on a Chinook helicopter. However, Flight Engineer Andrew "Manny" Manuel gets the task accomplished with what ever resources he can find. Click-N-Go Here to view a larger image.

10 April 2012: CW4 Bruce Linton, Copilot of 08-08771 handles the sticks over Georgia while enroute to Alaska. Bruce did 99 percent of the flying on this aircraft during the trip, while the Pilot in Command - Mark Morgan - performed the duties of mission manager and Sortie 1 senior photographer. Note: Observe closely the reflection in Bruce's visor. Click-N-Go Here to view a larger image.

10 April 2012: CH-47F Chinook helicopter 08-08771 while parked on the ramp near Base Operations at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, during the first of many fuel stops. Click-N-Go Here to view a larger image.

10 April 2012: CH-47F Chinook helicopter 08-08771 while parked on the ramp at the Spirit of St. Louis Airport for refuel and an overnight stop. Click-N-Go Here to view a larger image.

11 April 2012: CH-47F Chinook helicopter 08-08771 being prepped for flight at sunrise while parked on the ramp at the Spirit of St. Louis Airport. Click-N-Go Here to view a larger image.

11 April 2012: CH-47F Chinook helicopter 08-08771 on the ramp awaiting fuel at Sioux City, Iowa. Click-N-Go Here to view a larger image.

11 April 2012: CH-47F Chinook helicopter 08-08771 on the Army National Guard ramp awaiting fuel and an overnight stop at Rapid City, South Dakota. Click-N-Go Here to view a larger image.

11 April 2012: CH-47F Chinook helicopter 08-08771 on the Army National Guard ramp at Rapid City, South Dakota. Each aircraft on the ferry flight was refueled and the Daily and Preflight Inspections completed prior to heading to the hotel every day. In this image, one can see Manny and Bruce tackling the job. Click-N-Go Here to view a larger image.

12 April 2012: CH-47F Chinook helicopter 08-08771 sits broken on the ramp at Billings, Montana. The Number One Engine Control Unit (ECU) displayed a D1 code during the prestart checks. Unfortunately, this was an Abort Mission code and 771 would get left behind while the other three aircraft continued to Helena. Click-N-Go Here to view a larger image.

14 April 2012: All eight of the Sortie 1 and 2 CH-47F Chinook helicopters enroute to Alaska are shown on the ramp at the Army National Guard ramp at Helena Airport, in Helena, Montana. Four each Sortie 1 aircraft sit in the foreground (08-08711 is on the right). Click-N-Go Here to view a larger image.

15 April 2012: Coated with ice and snow, the flight is stuck on the ramp at the Army National Guard ramp at Helena Airport, in Helena, Montana. 08-08711 windows and blades are covered with a nice layer. However, the temperature would quickly rise above freezing and the ice would melt. Unfortunately, the sky would not clear and snow flurries continued throughout the day making departure impossible. Click-N-Go Here to view a larger image.

16 April 2012: Sunrise at Helena brought nearly clear sky conditions, temperatures right at freezing and weather conditions sufficient for departure to Edmonton, British Columbia in Canada. Bruce and Manny prep 08-08771 for the flight by removing engine and head covers, blade ropes and securing our personal baggage. Click-N-Go Here to view a larger image.

16 April 2012: The flight experienced high overcast conditions enroute to Edmonton. By the time the aircraft arrived, the sky was clear. After resolving the payment issue, refuel was quick and and we headed to our hotel for the night - a 40 minute drive away. Click-N-Go Here to view a larger image.

17 April 2012: Today is Tax Day in the US. Nobody really cares when you are flying an F Model Hook. The route from Edmonton to Fort Nelson began with low overcast conditions and frequent snow and light rain showers. After about 100 miles the conditions gave way to ceilings and visibility unlimited (CAVU). Still we generally stayed near the only major highway through the mountain passes because, in the event of a maintenance issue, there was no other place to land the helicopters. Click-N-Go Here to view a larger image.

17 April 2012: 08-08771 and flight shortly after arriving at Fort Nelson, Yukon Territory, for the refuel and overnight stop. Route legs at this point are long - 3 and 1/2 to 4 hours flight time - so making more than one fuel stop pushes crew rest. We are all getting tired from the trip at this point. Click-N-Go Here to view a larger image.

17 April 2012: After refuel, daily and preflight, 08-08771 and flight is put to bed for the night at Fort Nelson, Yukon Territory. Click-N-Go Here to view a larger image.

18 April 2012: Flight Engineer Andrew "Manny" Manuel, native of Hawaii, poses for a shot in front of 08-08771 on the ramp at Whitehorse Airport, Yukon Territory, on a bright and shiny, but chilly day. A push was made to continue all the way to Ladd Field from Fort Nelson in one day. Click-N-Go Here to view a larger image.

18 April 2012: Pilot in Command Mark S. Morgan, poses for a shot in front of 08-08771 on the ramp at Whitehorse Airport, Yukon Territory. Click-N-Go Here to view a larger image.

18 April 2012: Another AWESOME photograph of CH-47F Chinook helicopter 08-08771 on the ramp at Whitehorse, Yukon Territory. Damn, I love this job! Click-N-Go Here to view a larger image.

18 April 2012: 08-08771 in parking at the Sugar Bear Ramp on Ladd Field, Fort Wainwright, Alaska. D model 86-01665 sits in the background. Bummer, the trip is over. Click-N-Go Here to view a larger image.

The following CH-47F Chinook helicopters were fielded to B Company - "Sugar Bears", 1st General Support Aviation Battalion (GSAB), 52nd Aviation Regiment, located on Ladd Field, Fort Wainwright, Alaska, beginning in April 2012 and used to support the unit train-up. Airframes are routinely reassigned as necessary so there is no telling where there are now.