Pave Low to retire

[SHAR67]

Hi all

i went to RAF Mildenhall yesterday to photograph the retiring of the MH-53 Pave Low's and so here are the pic's.

Cheers Clive.

[Kyrre]

Mmm... lovely pics.

I've had these guys on my airfield many a time doing all sorts of ops. As one does. Pity to see them go, cuz they're down right mean. But I guess they couldn't find any more fuselage to put more add-ons.

What's taking over for these? Just the Blackhawk? Osprey?

K

[SHAR67]

Cheers Kyrre

the blackhawks from RAF Lakenheath are replacing there role.

[Andy K]

That is a real shame the MH-53's are retiring. Wow, another one of my favourite aircraft a soon-to-be museum piece......sad I have fond memories of Superjolly's at airshows. I remember one show the crew were ordered to put black tape over the serial numbers for 'security' reasons. Even the crew found this funny.

[J35 Draken]

Cheers Kyrre

the blackhawks from RAF Lakenheath are replacing there role.

I think some of the uses of the HH-60's and the MH-53's do overlap but they don't do the same role. The 53's are involved more with special operations over enemy lines etc. whereas the Blackhawks are at LN to provide CSAR for the 48th FW.

[Nev]

Such a beast of a plane, sad to see them go

Aren't the USAF meant to be getting some Ospreys for CSAR? And don't they have some Chinooks in that role as well?

[Richard E]

Such a beast of a plane, sad to see them go

Aren't the USAF meant to be getting some Ospreys for CSAR? And don't they have some Chinooks in that role as well?

Apparently it's more complicated than that: the Osprey isn't a replacement for the MH53 it's being described as a new capability and the Chinook was selected as the USAF's CSAR platform but the secection process is being rerun after the other two contenders cried foul over some of the way it ws run. There are quite a few threads on ARC covering both questions.