Restored & Flying Sikorsky H-19/S-55

[okikuma]

Here's an interesting video of a restored and flying Sikorsky H-19/S-55 Chickasaw. A quick Google search and this airframe is registered to Sparta Rotors in Newton, New Jersey.

Wayne

Sikorsky S-55.mov - YouTube

[okikuma]

Those who want to "check out" in an H-19, Then you must view this old US Army Training Film.

Wayne

Transitional Helicopter Flight Training (1956) - YouTube

[Dennis D]

Wayne
Back in the early eighties I worked as a grunt for Wright Air Lift International, they were a small helicopter air crane service based out of Long Beach airport in California.
The Los Angeles Sheriff Department still flew an S55 out of there, everything at our hangar stopped when they towed the S55 out and fired up that old radial, truly a beautiful noise !

[Hueychief]

I have a few hours in an S-55.
REALLY LOUD!

[WaspAir]

The Vertical Aviation Technologies guys down at Sanford, FL, made a super-quiet version intended for things such as Grand Canyon tours where the noise footprint was important (they called it the "Whisper Jet").

http://vertical-aviation.com/videos/...ocity-testing/

[Scary Gary]

There was one of these that showed up at Scappoose about three years ago.
It showed up out of nowhere and a cuppel of months later it was gone.
No one knew who it belonged to or what it was doing there.
It was white with Warner Brothers cartoon caricatures painted all around the thing.

[hillberg]

Los Angeles Airways had S-55s-Mail runners & people movers. Dad,Mom ,Aunt,Uncle worked for LAA. (LA sheriffs had S-58s & 58Ts)

[okikuma]

Hi Don,

I do remember Los Angeles Airways and the two crashes in 1968 that started their demise.

The picture of the Los Angeles County Sheriff Department's S-58T was taken at Hansen Dam Recreation Center during one of the American Heroes Air Show about 10 years ago.

Wayne

[hillberg]

What killed LAA was the second crash , Berlins grandson hopped rides on the helicopters. the S-61 crashed & His grandkid was killed, It ripped out his heart, Aunt Peggy handed out the checks & locked the doors.

[E6B]

Originally Posted by hillberg

What killed LAA was the second crash , Berlins grandson hopped rides on the helicopters. the S-61 crashed & His grandkid was killed, It ripped out his heart, Aunt Peggy handed out the checks & locked the doors.

A senior dispatcher of ours at Golden West Airlines was from LAA, Norb Anderson.

[okikuma]

That's the first I heard about Berlin's grandson, then again I was eight years old when the crashes happened. I always learn something new. Thanks for the info Don.

Wayne

[hillberg]

George Bingo was an A & P Instructor at Orange Coast Colege in Costa Mesa , He was a mechanic for LAA. Met Dick Folk who was a pilot.

[Kid]

Two big birds like that flew out of the downtown airport yesterday--looked the same, the way the pilot sits up top??

same dull white-beige--paint job on both and red insignia-- not close enough to read

[Colin Gibson]

First helicopter ride I had back in the 1960s at Reefton, South Island New Zealand.
My Dad rode up the top with the pilot. The helicopter was in the area because a wealthy saw miller had hired it to go look for a missing war bird in the area. They didn't find it and it is still missing. Corsair NZ5517
Colin