Six CH-53E helicopters represent the real muscle behind USS Kearsarge‘s four-month medical mission to South America. The three-engine, 25-ton birds can carry tons of supplies and dozens of people hundreds of miles through weather that would ground most types of choppers. Once Kearsarge makes landfall in Nicaragua in a few days, the CH-53E crews will ferry medical and construction teams to remote villages … and might bring patients back to the ship for badly needed surgeries.
The huge choppers’ contribution is indispensible. But the average CH-53E in the Marine Corps’ roughly 150-strong fleet is now more than 20 years old. Indeed, the CH-53E with the nose number “00″ parked on Kearsarge’s deck is the second-oldest in the Corps, manufactured in the early 1980s. Considering that “00″ and the other CH-53Es, like most Marine aircraft, are flying more than ever to support the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan plus missions like Kearsarge‘s, can they last much longer?
Yes, according to Lieutenant Colonel Will Bentley, skipper of HMH-464, the squadron embarked on Kearsarge. He compares the CH-53Es to “vintage sports cars.” Take care of them, and they’ll perform despite their “born-on date.”
That’s easy to say. But for the young Marines who actually work on the CH-53Es, that means turning wrenches and prying panels during long work shifts. According to Bentley, a CH-53E requires as many as 45 man-hours for every hour that it spends in the air. That’s more than many fixed-wing aircraft.
There’s just one comfort. Because Kearsarge is carrying just the six CH-53Es plus two Navy H-60 search-and-rescue birds, vice her usual complement of around 30 choppers and planes, there’s no need to take the CH-53Es down below into the hangar deck. The Marines can stay above on the flight deck, feeling the cool sea breeze as they work.
(Photo: me)
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FYI: All helicopters in general require more maintenance than fixed wing aircraft.
Sikorsky’s designing the new replacement 53K. supposed to be operational with Marines by 2015. One of the big design goals is to vastly lower the maintenace times required to keep them flying.
just found this article. Aircraft 00 of hmh-464 was my bird from 1999-2003. It was one old grumpy helo at least she was out on a ship where she is happy. 00 the SeaHag hates being land based stateside.