Pave Hawks in OIF Desert Camo

Modeling Subjects Helicopters
1

Hey ya’ll - I’m looking for info on the USAF’s OIF desert camo some HH-60Gs carried if anyone out there knows about it. Colors, pix, pattern - those sort of things.

Thanks in advance

2

All I have seen them in is the standard three color European scheme and an overall Gunship Grey.

I have seen a Dark Tan and Sand one from Operation Desert Storm, not OIF.

3

HeavyArty

Nice pix! Especially the Gunship Gray one! (I may have to dig up my old 1/48 MH-60G kit and finish it like that [:D])

I’m working on markings and paint guides for all the Pave Hawk schemes so the ODS pix you supplied did help.

I’m pretty sure the 301st RQS was the only unit to use this scheme which is lighter than the ODS camo and appears to be made out of three shades of tan/sand/khaki

Here are a pic I found of the scheme. Looks like a desert version on the Euro 1 pattern but FS numbers? Don’t have a clue.

4

I think that Gino’s on the right track with overall gunship gray. I have dropped a line to a friend of mine on colors. I will let ya’ll know what I find out.

5

Oh yeah, GIno’s right on the money. All the Pave Hawks coming back from Depot are returning in overall Gunship Gray. I don’t know how many Euro 1 birds are still out there, but during OEF and OIF there was a mix of green and gray HH-60Gs. Purely speculation - maybe like in 1991, some HH-60Gs assigned for SOF missions were repainted while others tasked with CSAR weren’t? Or maybe it was just a test like the I think the scheme I’m looking for is a “test”, much like the two Barksdale A-10s and that single desert camo 363TFW F-16 from ODS.

And when I said 301st RQS, I meant to say 305th. The “DR” tailcode belongs to Davis-Monthan, not the Patrick-based 301st. I think that their Pave Hawks are going gray too

Screaminhelo, thanks for shaking the tree on this

6

Last year there were a lot of Pave Hawks going through the Corpus Christi Army Depot painted in Desert schemes. Some were two-tone sand, while some were sand and gray. So, unless the Army decided to store them for awhile before sending them to the depot, there were definately desert-schemed birds in OIF/OEF.

7

Sand & gray? Never heard of that one! You didn’t happen to get any pix of them by chance did you? [:D]

8

Sounds like the sand and gray scheme on USMC Cobras in ODS.

9

[}:)] Ha ha ha! I found some pix!

http://www.afrc.af.mil/hq/pa/gallery/06mar03/030603-01hires.htm

http://www.afrc.af.mil/hq/pa/gallery/06mar03/030603-03hires.htm

http://www.afrc.af.mil/hq/pa/gallery/06mar03/030603-04hires.htm

http://www.afrc.af.mil/hq/pa/gallery/15apr03/041503-02hires.htm

http://www.afrc.af.mil/hq/pa/gallery/14apr03/041403-09hires.htm

http://www.afrc.af.mil/hq/pa/gallery/08may03/050803-11hires.htm

http://www.afrc.af.mil/hq/pa/gallery/08may03/050803-12hires.htm

10

Interesting reference thread, and excellent pictures, thanks!!

Take care,
Frank

11

Thanks! When I’m done with my S-70 schemes, I’ll post them. Don Color won’t be losing any sleep, but they’ll get the job done.

12

Grant is correct. As one who has operated in and out of Pavehawks for the past 14 years, I can tell you that they are now coming back overall gunship gray; we call it AFSOC gray since AFSOC is taking over as the lead agency for CSAR in the USAF (was ACC and thank god that’s changed). Hell, my own squadron has 6 HH-60G’s and some are Euro and some are gray. There’s also a mix of Block 152/162 upgrades out there in each squadron, the latest mod were seeing is the removal of the HF “towel rack” antenna on the lower left tail boom (since we have SATCOM), plume detectors on the upper nose, chaff and flare boxes moved slightly forward on the tail boom, and externally mounted guns and ammo bins to free up much needed cabin space. The latter has always been a problem for us since the -60 was never really meant to be a CSAR bird. With the internal aux tanks, ammo bins and gear, there’s hardly any room left for us and out gear. BTW, ESSS was never meant as a combat configuration. It was designed for ferry flights only and combat/operational use came about out of necessity. We in the USAF don’t use ESSS due to it’s limitations on airspeed, gun azimuths, gunner situational awareness, and team ingress/egress out of the back end of the helicopter.
The only birds I saw during OIF painted in a desert scheme were USAF Reserve birds from the 301st RQS out of Patrick, and the 305th RQS out of Davis Monthan. All other Pavehawks were either gunship gray or Euro. While deployed to OEF I saw no Pavehawks in a desert scheme. They were either gray or Euro.
As far as the Tan/Sand and gray…have never seen any either operationally or during an exercise. The most current desert scheme from OIF was similar to the 3-tone desert BDU’s. Almost the exact same colors.

13

Now that I think about it, the sand/gray “scheme” could have been in the middle of a repaint. Using the underlying scheme as a guide like the Marines did in ODS with their Harriers, Cobras and Frogs.

14

Great pics trigger!! That is right on with what I have been able to dig up. My info comes from ex Air Force-turned Army folks, one was SOS maint. He says that he saw the desert scheme that trigger got the pics of but that was 8 years ago so he can’t remember the pattern well. He suspects that that is what they would use if it was an operational sceme. Two or three tone is possible, depends on who went and which planes were available. There are some euro1 paint jobs out there, but it seems that they are being replaced by gray as planes go through repaint. I will keep my eyes peeled incase I come across any AF -60’s but I kind of hope that I don’t if you know what I mean.

15

Wow awsome pictures! Great detail!

16

Thanks, and I know exactly what you mean! [;)] I’d love to check out a SAR HH-60G up close myself, but never under working circumstances!

17

C’mon guys, we’re not THAT crazy. OK…maybe we are, but you can’t hold that against a guy just because he’s got a pair of green feet tatooed to his backside. We’ll treat ya reeaaallll good, and won’t even drop ya. Besides, It’ll be a first class flight in the ole’ Pavehawk. [;)]

18

salbando,
where is 1st class, on the right and clear in back?

19

Sal

[(-D] [(-D] [(-D] Oh no no no! I trust ya’ll! [(-D] [(-D] [(-D] And if you’re offering, I’d get a kick outta taking a flight on Pavehawk Air!

Now, I’m afraid I might be too old to sign up for an aircrew or PJ job, so if my only other option for a first class ticket is breaking my [censored] legs up on Denali, then I think I’ll take a pass!