D-Day Veteran Aircraft to be Restored

During the D-Day Invasion, the Douglas C-47 Skytrain delivered troops of paratroopers to the beaches of Normandy. It also dropped American soldiers behind Germany lines so they can cut off communication lines and prevent the enemy from sending reinforcements. Gen. Dwight Eisenhower even called the aircraft as one of the most important military equipment during World War II.

The Douglas C-47 Skytrain is such a vital history artifact that the Indiana Air Search and Rescue made it its mission to restore a unit of this aircraft.

“We’re losing all of our World War II veterans. This is one veteran we’re not going to let drop,” said Charles Walker, founder and president of Indiana Air Search and Rescue.

A unit of this vintage aircraft if now sitting in an old airport hangar at the Greenwood Municipal Airport. The aircraft was found at an airport in Nashville, Tenesee where it was attached to a closed museum. Walker, with the help of Indiana Air Search and Rescue Crew Chief Tom Foreman, brought the airplane to Greenwood for the restoration project.

The Indiana Air Search and Rescue will restore the body, electrical systems and engine of the aircraft. The mission is projected to cost around $200,000, but the community is chipping in and generously offers equipment and services to make the restoration possible. They aim to finish the project in two to three years.

A lot is at stake in this project because the Indiana Air Search and Rescue is planning to use the aircraft during times of crisis. The restoration of the C-47 will not only preserve a piece of history, but will also provide a lot of help to the people of Indiana. Indiana Air Search and Rescue recently restores a UH-1H Huey helicopter which it now use for its search and rescue operations.

Source: http://www.indystar.com

Two Marine Helicopters Crash in Arizona

Yuma, Arizona – Seven marines were killed during the collision of two helicopters while training over the California-Arizona dessert on Wednesday night. It is considered one of the deadliest crashes in Marine Corps history.

The two helicopters – an AH-1W Cobra and UH-1 Huey – were conducting routine exercises in the sprawling dessert because it resembles the harsh environment of Afghanistan. The accident occurred near the Chocolate Mountains in the Califronia-Arizona dessert. Marine officials are still conducting an investigation on the cause of the accident.

Five marines were aboard the UH-1W Huey while two were manning the AH-1W Cobra. The Ah-1W Cobra is the Marine Corps main attack helicopter. It carries a pilot and a gunner. The UH-1W Huey is a utility aircraft and carries one or two pilots, a crew chief and a number of crew members depending on the mission. The troops involved in the exercise were set to be deployed in Afghanistan.

“It’s an unfortunate consequence of the high tempo of operations,” said retired Marine Col. J.F. Joseph, an aviation safety consultant. “They’re out there working on the edge trying to exploit the maximum capabilities of the aircraft and their tactics. Just by the virtue of that, in becoming combat ready, these unfortunately are not uncommon occurrences.”

Six of the marines were from Camp Pendleton, the largest base on the West Coast. The last marine was from the base in Yuma. Troops in Camp Pendleton were greatly affected by the incident and marine chaplains were sent to counsel the troops.

source: http://www.miamiherald.com, http://www.mydesert.com