90-00214

 

 

90-00214, Boeing D model kit number M3366, was a CH-47D helicopter. The U.S. Army acceptance date was 31 May 1991. As of 22 June 1998, 90-00214 had accumulated 861.0 D model hours and 2,359.0 total aircraft hours.    90-00214 was a conversion from the original C model Chinook 68-15992.    On 28 August 1990, 90-00214 was inducted into the D model program, converted, and was assigned to the United States Army Reserve (USAR) in Washington State on or about 19 June 1991.    In May 95, 90-00214 was part of a four-ship detachment (Detachment 1, Company A - "Hook-ers", 6th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment) flown to Beaumont, Texas, cocooned (shrink wrapped), and placed on a fast boat bound for Port au Prince, Haiti, West Indies. 90-00212, 85-24354 and 89-00137 made up the rest of the party.    At some point, 90-00214 was assigned to Company B, 2nd Battalion, 238th Aviation Regiment, Army National Guard, located at Peoria in the State of Illinois.    On an unknown date this aircraft was reportedly destroyed, details unknown.    As of 11 September 2011, this aircraft was 42.3 years old.    As of 11 September 2011, the last known location of 90-00214 was Peoria, Illinois.    Aircraft status: Destroyed.

 

 

11 September 2011: Two Soldiers with the Army Reserve's 739th Engineer Company in Granite City, hook a sling to the bottom of an Illinois Army National Guard CH-47D Chinook at the Sparta Training Area. Click-N-Go Here to view a larger image.

 

 

Sling Load Training in Sparta

 

 

SPARTA, Illinois -- The breeze was gone and replaced by gusts of air as an Illinois Army National Guard CH-47 Chinook lowered down from the sky. Marines took hold of cables connecting a 7-foot-long mobile water trailer to cables on the passing helicopter. With cables secured, the breeze returned as the water trailer rose off the ground and the helicopter flew upward.

Soldiers with the Illinois National Guard's Company B, 2nd Battalion, 238th Aviation Regiment in Peoria, supported reserve component Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Airmen conducting their first joint logistical airdrop and sling-load training mission at the training area in Sparta.

The servicemembers learned the purpose of sling loading, timely resupply, the proper hook-up procedures, safety procedures, cargo weight management and the capabilities of different sling-load capable aircraft , said, Major Garrett Kolo of Lafayette, Indiana, the U.S. Army Europe Command liaison officer for the Army Reserve element with U.S. Transportation Command at Scott Air Force Base in Belleville.

"We conducted this joint training exercise so that our Soldiers, Airmen, Sailors and Marines become familiar with working with each other during logistical operations such as what they have been experiencing in theatre," said Kolo.

Sling-load transportation of cargo aids in the movement of supplies when time is a critical factor, said 1st Lt. Andrew Hager, of Champaign, with Company B, 1st Battalion, 238th Aviation Regiment. It allows cargo to easily and efficiently moved where other methods of transportation may be hindered by the items shape or dimension.

"It's great training for Chinook crews with sling-load operations being the main mission of the Chinook and it's great to be able to work with the other components and cross train with them," said Hager.

The training allows for servicemembers to become familiar with sling-load operations and prepares them for air supported cargo movement they may have to support, said Hager.

"It can be intimidating when a Chinook is hovering just overhead with all the wind and noise and then you have to hook up slings to it," said Hager. "The training helps prepare them for that in a safe environment."

Approximately 24 different lifts were conducted with cargo that ranged between 2,000 to 10,000 pounds and two practice parachute supply drops.

"This training is an integral asset to the military in that sling-load missions provide expedient delivery and extractions of equipment in hard to access areas," said SPC Stefan Carlin of Indianapolis, Indiana, a quartermaster with the 1st Detachment, 168th Quarter Master Company (Airborne) of the Indiana National Guard.

Servicemembers began their training in a classroom where they were given instruction and a safety briefing before heading out to the exercise area for the training mission.

Once in the field, servicemembers learned how to properly and safely inspect cargo loading equipment to identify weak or malfunctioning pieces. Next, they practiced hooking up equipment to the aircraft with specific guidelines from onlooking instructors. They also performed air drops with the loads they prepared and rigged.

"Safety is the number one step we keep in mind when rigging these objects to the aircraft," said Carlin. "One missed step can lead to a dangerous situation and even disrupt the flow of the mission."

Servicemembers were split into numerous groups and stationed at different equipment sites in a large grassy field where they prepared, inspected and attached the cargo to the bottom of a hovering Chinook.

"During real-time operations servicemembers are deployed to remote location such as Afghanistan, where equipment and supplies need to be delivered in a timely and safe manner," said Carlin. "Afghanistan is a prime example where sling loads are essential due to the dramatic terrain and deadly improvised explosive devices are everywhere on the roads."

Joint military cooperation has been a key to successful joint operations. Each branch works together, playing a role in everyday operations.

"This valuable training will keep our troops performing proficiently while delivering the essential elements needed on the battlefront," said Kolo.

 

 

11 September 2011: Marine Corps Corporal Festus Blecha and Corporal Jacob Basler prepare to make a sling load hookup to a passing Illinois Army National Guard CH-47 Chinook helicopter at the Sparta Training Area. Click-N-Go Here to view a larger image.

 

 

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