Hi all,
I don’t make it over to the rotary section too often as I am a fixed wing guy but I was in Montgomery, AL today and while we were at the gate waiting for our passengers to board I saw two Blackhawks land. They both had 3 large white numbers painted on them and the doors were painted orange. I am assuming that these were some type of training UH-60’s? I have never seen any like this before. If so were they out of Ft. Rucker? Just curious.
Thanks,
Steve
More than likely, since Rucker isn’t that far away from Montgomery by air.
As I haven’t been to Rucker yet, I don’t know firsthand (I’ll be headed there in fall 05 to begin my flight training), but the numerous photos of birds I’ve seen from Rucker do have the large white numbers and day-glo orange panels for easy air-ID. Would certainly make for an interesting modelling subject!
Steve,
Those are Fort Rucker UH-60s. Nearly every helicopter at Fort Rucker has “orange” doors or panels. Some aircraft, AH-64s for example, do not. The orange is a good color to look for in case an aircraft has to make a precautionary landing or crashes. You’d be amazed how well the color shows up in the forest area. Also each aircraft normally has large white numbers and letters on the doors or tailboom. These are “buzz numbers” to aid in aircraft recognition while in the pattern or in the local flying area. Aircraft are normally numbered as such: 12-34567. The first 2 numbers are for the year and the last are the actual tail numbers of the aircraft. In this case the aircrafts “buzz numbers” would be 67A. The “A” would represent the only aircraft at Fort Rucker with 67 as the last two digits of the tail number. If you see 67C there are 3 aircraft at Rucker with 67 with the last 2 digits the same. Most of the time pilots would call on internal freqs their “buzz number” (e.g., “67A is off Tango enroute Charlie.”). The locals in the area like the numbers because if someone buzzes a house or chicken coop it is easy to call the Ops Center and say a “big aircraft with a 67A flew over my house at 50 feet.” [:D]
Thank you for the information.
Steve
Any one know where I can find a 1/35 scale UH-60 for under $40.00