RING of FIRE

To: All my Pedro Comrades

I have been reading the Pedro News with great interest and have enjoyed the articles and photos of our Pedro members. Let me give you a little info about me: I flew (10) years with Pedro, was one of the first firemen that started in Mar.’59 and flew my last mission Nov.’72. I served in (5) detachments, logged over 1000 flying hours in HH-43 A/B/F models and completed 100 combat mission with Det. 5, 38^th ARRS Udorn, Thailand (1967 – 1968). I was an Instructor, Flight Examiner and part of the Stan/Eval Team. Retired 1974 with 22 yrs military service and now reside in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

A short time ago our editor Steve Mock asked me “What was it like to fly and fight fires with the H-43A”? While the question is rather simple, the task of going back into memory lane some 44 years later is harder than pulling teeth. In order to give a better description, I want to cover the firefighting part first and secondly the flying part. Besides all of the hoopla, thrill, and glory of flying there were some bitter moments that should be said in conjunction with the flying and firefighting. Anyway, I wish to recall some of the things and events and try to give you my version of what I and many of the old guard encountered.

Blow air on a fire! Are you guys out of your minds?

In 1959, no one in his right mind would have thought of fanning a burning fuel fire. Our fellow civilian and military firemen from the Fire Chief on down and others with many years of experience in the fire service thought this was the most “stupid idea” ever introduced by the Air Force. On the contrary, using the downwash of a helicopter to suppress fire and save lives had merit from the very beginning until all our choppers were retired from service, as was proven many a time by men just like you.

Our story starts with a staff meeting for all Fire Department personnel at Laredo AFB, Texas in late February 1959. The Fire Chief informed us that our base was forming a new unit called H-43A Local Base Rescue Section from Air Rescue and involved training base firemen. They were asking for volunteers. I was a young Airman First Class, a veteran of Korea and full of piss and vinegar. The thrill of flying got my immediate attention and I volunteered. There were eight of us and little did I know to what paths it would take me, but that is another story.

A few days later we were given an orientation flight on H-19, I guess to see how many of us would chicken out. Then they took us to see the H-43A. It looked awkward and looked much like an ugly eggbeater. We wondered if it could really fly. We started training in early March with a Kaman Aircraft Corporation Representative who taught us the capabilities of the H-43A Huskie and its FSK. Next, he gave us a briefing on the firefighting operations.

Flight Gear, we don’t need no stinkin’ Flight Gear !!!

We were also provided a booklet of operating instructions about our new “Toy” called the Fire Suppression Kit (FSK) and nicknamed the “Sputnik” (I still have the original manual). He showed us how the FSK worked, we completed our training March 31, 1959 and received our certificates from Kaman Aircraft Corp. In the beginning there was no flight pay, no flight suits or helmets. We finally scrounged some helmets from the salvage yard and some of the mechanics were able to fix and attach microphones. For a time it was trial and error and had trouble getting things done.

Several months later, the Air Force decided to give us Hazardous Duty Pay ($55 a month) and we rotated working 30 days on and off. Well, cutting Flight Orders became a problem as Base Personnel Office did not process the orders in a timely manner and messed up the pay system. There was some grumbling and some guys dropped out or were shipped out and more guys came on board. The following year (Feb.’60) we started getting flight pay, flight physicals and began logging flying time (did not get credit for flying hours from Mar.’59 to Jan.’60) and still no flight suits. The moment we started getting flight pay that’s when every mother and son wanted to get on the chopper crew and many senior NCOs started pulling rank and politics to get in. For many years we suffered the wrath of our fellow firemen; they berated us, called us prima donnas, whirly-bird pukes and assigned us “shitty” duties. But the worst thing we suffered was denial of promotion, which was to follow many of us for years to come.

Snakes, Spiders and Cactus

Well back to fire fighting. After certification we were assigned rotating duties. During the day we maintained alert status at the Base Rescue Section, then, after flying was terminated for the day we returned to the fire station to complete our 24 hour shift. We kept on practicing putting out fires with the FSK and the method for deploying the fire hose was to run out about 40 feet to the side, then backtrack and go in front on the chopper towards the fire. But once the line was charged and the rotor wash hit that side, we had a large loop and it was hard to pull back to go in with rotor wash. Well this method of loading the hose from beginning to end with one fold on top of the other may have worked fine in a flat area but not in brush and cactus areas, as we were to find out. The Laredo area was a sea of cactus, prickly pear bush and mesquite trees, also as many Rattlesnakes and king-size Tarantulas. Our crew was one of the first to use the FSK on an actual off-base crash of a T-33 on July 9, 1959 (the crew were Lt. Bert Cowden – Pilot, ABR’s A2c Johnny Hinson and yours truly). We came to find out that running the half-mile did not work in brushy areas or in trees. When the aircraft impacted the ground it scattered debris in wide area, we sat the FSK down and the chopper got into position, the nozzle-man (Hinson) took off to the side, then attempted to come back, but got held up in the brush. I went to help straighten out the hose and started spraying the wreckage. Then the hose busted from a piece of hot metal in the area where foam had not been sprayed. I walked to the wreckage just with rotor wash and found no body in the area. Seems the pilot had bailed out but the chute did not deploy. His headless body was found nearby with the head at his feet. After chopper landed, we got a stretcher and loaded the body. We flew back to the base and got back on alert status with the back-up FSK. Later a ground crew was sent out to pick up the deployed FSK and hose. An incident report was made and a copy was sent to rescue headquarters. After that a new method was designed to load the hose starting from mid-point with a fold sticking out in order to grasp loop and nozzle and head straight to the fire. I went on to participate in several other crashes.

Good Vibrations?

Now, as for the flying part the H43A was noisy with the reciprocating engine right in the back of you, the fumes made you sick, it was rough and shaky and at times scary. We sat right behind the pilot, could see his every move and the instrument panel. It was very cramped and had little room to stretch, being a short guy I didn’t have as much trouble getting in or out as our bigger guys, especially with our bunker clothing. For one thing you got plenty of air and got to see everything below.

Laredo was hotter than hell; the temperature on the ramp got to about 120˚ or higher and on a few occasions the chopper didn’t have the power to get off the ground with the 1000 lb. FSK so we took off without it. Towards the end of the month when no one wanted to go fly anymore, I would volunteer to go fly around the flagpole. But the biggest flying thrill was when one of our pilots used to do 360’s from different altitudes, one right after another. The first couple times I got sick. NO BULL!!!. My scariest flying experience was when we went on a night training flight (Pilot, Co-Pilot, a mechanic and me). The pilot was going to give this co-pilot training on “How to recover an out of control chopper”. Anyway, we flew out away from the base and it was pitch dark (not sure of the altitude). The pilot told the co-pilot to cover his eyes as he put the collective control down and put it out of configuration. We started dropping down fast!!! The co-pilot was attempting to get the chopper back in control and it kept on dropping and I started bracing myself as did the mechanic. The pilot took over the controls and it seemed like an eternity before he flared. When he turned on the floodlights, we were skimming the top of the mesquite trees maybe 10 or 12 feet from the ground. I thought for sure we were going to crash and maybe we almost did. We flew in silence back to the base and nothing more was ever said. That memory persisted for couple of years and I had some bad nightmares. But the best part was when I rode in the co-pilots seat and one of our pilots would let me handle the controls, nothing fancy just left and right turns and up and down. This was a great thrill and I loved flying, I was lucky to get some “stick time”, I also got stick time on the B model there and at another base. When the “B” model came around, it was like a flying Cadillac and according to my Individual Flight Record, I logged my first flight in the HUSKY in November of 1961. I also have my Aircrew Stand/Eval Records which contains the many forms that started in 1962 as part of the MAC requirements for airborne firemen. With the arrival of the “B” model, the era of a fine bird that introduced many of us into the art and science of helicopter firefighting ended. I had the opportunity to see the H-43A at Wright-Patterson Air Museum and it certainly brought back many memories of my flying days at LAFB until I left in Sept ’62. I have very fond memories of the Laredo Bunch (Pilots, Mechanics & Firemen) that I met there. I keep in touch with a few of them: Pilots- Lt Col(s) Clyde “Red” Lemke, Donald Van Meter, John E. Shaeffer and fireman A2C Frank G. Gonzales who came on board in 1962. I’ve lost track of all the other men.

Being a packrat, I have kept several memorabilia items, news-clippings, patches and a bunch of photos of my entire service with Pedro. Occasionally when I get nostalgic, I drive over to the base (Kirtland, AFB) to see my H-43B on static display. I wish I could share with you the other parts of my Pedro history but it would take a book. It has taken me several days just to write this and will have to do for the time being as sitting down for long periods of time certainly aggravates my back problem and who knows I may develop hemorrhoids. Thanks for the opportunity to share with you my personal experience of Flying and Firefighting with the H-43A.

Your comrade in war and peace,

Jesse Munoz, Jr.

MSGT RET.

Introduction

Notes and Letters

S.E.A. Stories

SAR Pattern

Heroes

Mr. Huskie

Flight Simulator

On Final