Boeing's CH-47C Chinook - Presidential missions.

POTUS

Fit for a King, or at the very least the President of the United States (POTUS), a select few Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopters stood ready to transport the First Lady, Presidential staff, or White House Press Corps any where they desired to go. Two former Very Important Person (VIP) CH-47C helicopters, then stationed at Davidson Army Airfield, are pictured in the photographs that follow.

71-20948

71-20948, Boeing build number B-682, was a CH-47C helicopter. The U.S. Army acceptance date was 29 June 1972. 71-20948 accumulated 2,934.0 aircraft hours. At some point, 71-20948 was assigned to the U.S. Army Presidential Flight Detachment located at Davidson Army Airfield, near Washington, D.C. At some point, 71-20948 was assigned to the unit that would eventually become B Company - "Sugar Bears North", 4th Battalion, 123rd Aviation Regiment, located at Fort Wainwright, Alaska. Fort Wainwright was the former historic Ladd Field of World War Two era fame. B Company was the former C Company, 228th Aviation Regiment (16 October 1987 - 24 June 1994). C Company was the former 242nd Assault Support Helicopter Company (ASHC) - "Muleskinners" (located in Alaska from November 1971 through 16 October 1987). When United States involvement in the Vietnam conflict ended, 242nd ASHC was re-located from the Republic of Vietnam (RVN) to Alaska. The aviation unit in Alaska at the time was designated the 236th ASHC, 19th Aviation Battalion (April 1971 - November 1971). When the 242nd ASHC re-located to Alaska and re-formed, the unit name changed from "Muleskinners" to "Sugarbears" and the unit designation went from the 236th ASHC to the 242nd ASHC. At some point, the unit was split into two companies. One company remained in Alaska and became known as "Sugar Bears North". The other company, C Company, 1st Battalion, 228th Aviation Regiment, was relocated to Fort Kobbe, Panama and became known as "Sugar Bears South". 71-20948 remained assigned to the 242nd ASHC through approximately November 1990. On 29 January 1991, 71-20948 was inducted into the D model program and converted to 91-00237. The last known location of 71-20948 was at Boeing during the conversion. Aircraft status: Converted to D model.

This photograph of Chinook 71-20948 was taken somewhere near Washington, District of Columbia (DC), in 1976.

91-00237

91-00237, Boeing D model kit number M3386, was a CH-47D helicopter. The U.S. Army acceptance date was 29 November 1991. As of 22 June 1998, 91-00237 had accumulated 709.2 D model hours and 3,643.2 total aircraft hours. 91-00237 was a conversion from the original C model Chinook 71-20948. On 29 January 1991, 91-00237 was inducted into the D model program, converted, and initially scheduled for assignment to the Pennsylvania National Guard on or about 20 December 1991. As of 1 January 2002, this aircraft was 29.5 years old. As of 29 January 1991, the last known location of 91-00237 was at Boeing during the conversion. Aircraft status: Unknown.

71-20949

71-20949, Boeing build number B-683, was a CH-47C helicopter. The U.S. Army acceptance date was 14 July 1972. 71-20949 accumulated 2,892.0 aircraft hours. At some point, 71-20949 was assigned to the U.S. Army Presidential Flight Detachment located at Davidson Army Airfield, near Washington, D.C. At some point, 71-20949 was assigned to the unit that would eventually become B Company - "Sugar Bears North", 4th Battalion, 123rd Aviation Regiment, located at Fort Wainwright, Alaska. Fort Wainwright was the former historic Ladd Field of World War Two era fame. B Company was the former C Company, 228th Aviation Regiment (16 October 1987 - 24 June 1994). C Company was the former 242nd Assault Support Helicopter Company (ASHC) - "Muleskinners" (located in Alaska from November 1971 through 16 October 1987). When United States involvement in the Vietnam conflict ended, 242nd ASHC was re-located from the Republic of Vietnam (RVN) to Alaska. The aviation unit in Alaska at the time was designated the 236th ASHC, 19th Aviation Battalion (April 1971 - November 1971). When the 242nd ASHC re-located to Alaska and re-formed, the unit name changed from "Muleskinners" to "Sugar Bears" and the unit designation went from the 236th ASHC to the 242nd ASHC. At some point, the unit was split into two companies. One company remained in Alaska and became known as "Sugar Bears North". The other company, C Company, 1st Battalion, 228th Aviation Regiment, was relocated to Fort Kobbe, Panama and became known as "Sugar Bears South". On 14 November 1990, 71-20949 was inducted into the D model program and converted to 90-00225. The last known location of 71-20949 was at Boeing during the conversion. Aircraft status: Converted to D model.

The above photograph of Chinook 71-20949 was taken at Davidson Army Airfield, near Washington DC, in 1976.

90-00225

90-00225, Boeing D model kit number M3377, was a CH-47D helicopter. The U.S. Army acceptance date was 4 October 1991. As of 22 June 1998, 90-00225 had accumulated 1,026.6 D model hours and 3,918.6 total aircraft hours. 90-00225 was a conversion from the original C model Chinook 71-20949. On 14 November 1990, 90-00225 was inducted into the D model program, converted, and initially scheduled for assignment to the Washington Army Reserve on or about 10 October 1991. As of 1 January 2002, this aircraft was 29.5 years old. As of 14 November 1990, the last known location of 90-00225 was assigned to Company A - "Hook-ers", 5th Battalion, 159th Aviation Regiment, Washington Army Reserve (WAR) located at Gray Army Airfield, Fort Lewis in the State of Washington. Aircraft status: Flyable.

The V.I.P. Package

Chinook VIP package internal arrangement - looking forward.

VIP Package

Looking Forward.

VIP Package

Looking Aft.

Chinook VIP package internal arrangement - looking aft.

Other Chinooks in Support of POTUS

67-18531

205th ASHC - "Geronimos", unit patch from the days of Vietnam.

205th ASHC - "Geronimos", unit patch from the days of Europe.

205th ASHC - "Geronimos" D model fielding poster, 1988.

B Company, 6th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment patch used by the "Geronimos" after the unit redesignation from the 205th ASHC.

67-18531, Boeing build number B-501, was a CH-47C helicopter. The U.S. Army acceptance date was 18 June 1968. 67-18531 accumulated 2,133.9 aircraft hours. At some point, 67-18531 was assigned to the 205th Assault Support Helicopter Company (ASHC) - "Geronimos", located at Fort Benning, Georgia. On 30 September 1982, 67-18531 was inducted into the D model program and converted to 82-23780. The last known location of 67-18531 was at Boeing during the conversion. Aircraft status: Converted to D model.

Boeing CH-47C Chinook 67-18531 conducting a POTUS support mission.

67-18531, while assigned to the 205th ASHC, then stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia, got in on the act of POTUS support. Pictured above, 67-18531 had landed adjacent to a dam project near Kalispell, Montana, and awaited further instructions. The mission was flown in support of President Nixon's visit to the area.

82-23780

82-23780, Boeing D model kit number M3031, was a CH-47D helicopter. The U.S. Army acceptance date was 23 February 1984. As of 22 June 1998, 82-23780 had accumulated 2,418.9 D model hours and 4,552.8 total aircraft hours. 82-23780 was a conversion from the original C model Chinook 67-18531. On 30 September 1982, 82-23780 was inducted into the D model program, converted, and initially scheduled for assignment to Fort Campbell, Kentucky. As of 1 January 2002, this aircraft was 33.5 years old. As of 30 September 1982, the last known location of 82-23780 was at Boeing during the conversion. Aircraft status: Unknown.

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