Photo History Around Paine Fi...

Photo History Flying Out of Paine Field #2

More adventures of The Hookers. We were immediately interested in the water landing capabilities of the Chinook and made many trips into local lakes.

Through an agreement with Weyerhaeuser the Hookers set up a training site called Area Echo. It was located in the mountains east of Mt Index.

Our reputation for tackling challenging sling load missions spread throughout the Pacific Northwest. Besides our annual work on Mount Rainier we flew missions for the Clallum Bay High School setting 90-foot light poles for their football stadium. Through our airshow participations in Abbotsford, Kameloops and Vanderhoof we were invited to support the Canadian Forces at their Williams Lake engineers encampment.

In addition to all the support activities flown throughout the region we maintained readiness through many flight hours dedicated to aircrew training to include, Chinook simulator sessions at Fort Lewis, sling load training at Area E, and the many hours flown in check rides. At the same time all functions of the company were trained to Army deployable combat readiness. Deployment to the first Gulf War would test that training.

This

Williams Lake BC Annual Training 1984

A Hooker air crew was asked to split off from their usual annual training being conducted at Boise, Idaho in the summer of 1984. The lucky crew flew north to Willliams Lake to the Canadian Forces Training Center where they were treated like royalty.

WILLIAMS LAKE Annual Training 84

One of our tasks was to pick up 8000 lbs of Ammonium Nitrate explosives for the grand finale of the week's exercise. The crew picked up the cargo in Kamloops and flew it back through a thunderstorm.

While in Williams Lake the crew responded to a vehicle accident involving two soldiers who were trapped when their pickup truck rolled over pinning them in the wreckage. The helicopter crew

Mike & Doug, LZ Hotel 3-79

Hooker 31 and Hooker 52 landed on a frozen pond just below Landing Zone Hotel. The LZ is at the top of a 5,500 foot mountain. The north side of the summit drops off in a sheer cliff, 3000 feet to the valley floor below.

On this day the Chinook was gently set on the snow while slowly lowering the thrust. At the time we didn't know there was a frozen pond below us. All seemed solid so we began shutting down the engines. Just as the rotors began to slow down there was a sickening crunch as the helicopter broke through the ice. There wasn't much Doug nore I could do. The Chinook only fell 6 inches but it was enough to scare the hell out of us. Another exciting Doug and Mike aerial adventure.

Mike Jones CH-47A 10-77

A Model Chinook over Snohomish

LZ Hotel Pinacle 11-78

Our training are had a great aft gear pinacle landing site, LZ Hotel. Just under the nose there is a 3000 foot vertical cliff. In the wintertime, the LZ is covered with deep snow. Scattered around the training area were 8000 and 10000 pound concrete blocks. 8 landing zones were laid out and included pinacles, confined areas, ridgelines and an NOE route used for both day flights as well as NVG training.

Hook At Sunset-800mm 5:76

I took this one evening as Captain John Brockliss, our maintenance test pilot was finishing up a flight. It is not a double exposure. I used a Nikon F3HP 35mm film camera and an 800mm f/8 telephoto lens to capture John as he flew the traffic pattern at Paine Field

Hooker in Cascade Mountains 9-80.jpg

Hooker Flt Line, PAE 1976

Our Hooker ramp at Paine Field. 20 years later the unit moved to Ft Lewis. Not a happy move. We lost half the FEs and crewchiefs and a bunch of pilots by doing this.

Hooker at Lake Kachess 5-78

Headed Home over Hood Canal8-78.jpg

Thursday nights were AFTPs (Additional Flight Training Periods) Given the limited 1.5 hours endurance of the A models we usually flew what was called the "Iron Triangle" from Paine, Whidbey NAS, for a GCA and back home, PAE to Kitsap airport, Boeing Field and home, or Paine, Harvey Field in Snohomish, Arlington Airport and back home. On really bad weather nights we practiced slope landings and hover work on the airfield.

On Twin Lakes 9-80

Jack Combs hovers over the lower lake while I took pictures. Great fun while it lasted.

Mount Bakers Summit 2-78

I jumped out to get this shot while perched on top of Mount Baker at 10,780 feet.

Flying Buddies

High Ice On Movie Location

The Hookers flew in support and in front of the cameras for an NBC Movie of the Week called High Ice, starring David Janssen. This was taken near the summit of Whitehorse Mountain. On the left is the 3000 foot sheer cliff we operated on.

Cascade Alpine Lake & Ice Cave

McAllister's Flying Service, Mike Jones

Charlie's was our favorite refueling stop when near Yakima. He had the government contract and we took full advantage of it. A lot of aviation history right here.