Tuesday, June 30, 2009

 

Steve's "Otter Of The Week"! .....by Karl E. Hayes

Unfortunately, as in human life, the history and accomplishments of some Otters is very vague as compared to other celebrated "peers". Here is one such aircraft.........

All information is from Karl Hayes' "masterful" CD entitled:

De Havilland Canada
DHC-3 OTTER
A HISTORY

CONTACT KARL, CD PRICING and ORDERING INFO - De Havilland DHC-3 OTTER - A HISTORY by Karl E. Hayes
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Otter 162

Otter 162 was delivered to the United States Army on 6th October 1956 with serial 55-3304 (tail number 53304). It was assigned to the 3rd Aviation Company, Fort Riley, Kansas and moved with the Company when it deployed to Illesheim, Germany in July 1957. The Company disbanded in November 1959 but 53304 remained in Europe and by January 1962 was serving with the 207th Aviation Company, Heidelberg, Germany. In December '62 it went to the Depot at Coleman Barracks, Mannheim, Germany for overhaul, and when this was completed, in July 1963 it joined the 2nd Aviation Company in France. It was noted flying from Prestwick, Scotland to Benbecula and return on 2nd July 1965, the 2nd Aviation Company having a tasking each summer to transport Special Forces to the missile firing ranges on the Outer Hebrides. 53304 continued in service with the 2nd Aviation Company until the unit disbanded in March 1967. It then joined the 56th Aviation Detachment based at Coleman Barracks, Mannheim, Germany which took over the tasks performed by the 2nd Aviation Company. It was noted visiting Luton, England on 12th September 1967 and the airfield at Tattenhill in March 1968, transporting personnel to the nearby Fauld and Ditton Priors ammunition depots, which was one of the missions of the 56th Aviation Detachment. It visited the USAF base at Mildenhall, England on 15th August 1969. 53304 crashed on landing at Coleman Barracks in October 1969, fortunately without injury but the Otter was a write off. It was deleted from the Army inventory in January 1970.

- by Karl E. Hayes
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Transporting "Special Forces", Otter 162 probably took secrets with her to that "hangar in the sky"............

CONTACT KARL, CD PRICING and ORDERING INFO - De Havilland DHC-3 OTTER - A HISTORY by Karl E. Hayes

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