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DUSTOFF UNARMED HELICOPTER AEROMEDICAL EVACUATION DUSTOFF Steve Vermillion Call Sign Dustoff 40 Vietnam Tour Dates Jan 69 to Jan 70 Combat Missions 1451 Combat Hours 1127 Patients Evac’d 2410 DUSTOFF Tonight’s Presentation Background on Dustoff
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DUSTOFF
Steve Vermillion
Call Sign Dustoff 40
Vietnam Tour Dates Jan 69 to Jan 70
Combat Missions 1451
Combat Hours 1127
Patients Evac’d 2410
DUSTOFF
Tonight’s Presentation
- Background on Dustoff
- Night Non-Secure Hoist Mission
- Cockpit Voice Recording of the
Briefed Hoist Mission
DUSTOFF
BACKGROUND
- Restricted to:
- those that could not be reached by ground ambulance
- travel over rough roads would worsen the soldier’s condition
- need to reach medical facility faster than by ground
- No in flight treatment of the wounded.
- Lessons learned in Korea set the stage for Vietnam
DUSTOFF
BACKGROUND
- 57th Medical Detachment (HA) deployed to Vietnam in 1962
- Equipped with 5 UH-1A’s
- Located in Nha Trang
- The 57th Med was viewed with skepticism
- Major Kelly era--kicked it up a notch (1964)
- Dustoff call-sign originated in 1964
- Additional air ambulance detachments deployed to support
combat forces.
- The 45th Med Co (AA) arrived in country-Sept 1967
DUSTOFFMay 1962-March 1973
- 900,000 patients evacuated
- 496,473 Dustoff Missions were flown
- Average time between wounding and hospitalization--less than one hour.
- Average mission time was 55 minutes
- Standard missions averaged an enemy hit every 311 trips
- Hoist missions averaged an enemy hit every 44 trips
- 8000 hoist missions were flown
- Hoist mission considered 7 times more dangerous than a standard mission.
DUSTOFF
- About 1400 Commissioned / Warrant officers served as air ambulance pilots
- 40 aviators were killed by hostile fire
- Another 180 were wounded or injured by hostile fire
- 48 were killed and about 200 were injured as a result of non-hostile crashes
- Slightly more than 1/3 became casualties.
- 214 aviators and crewmen died flying air ambulance helicopters
- Danger factor was 3.3 times higher than any other helicopter mission
Difficulties of a Hoist Mission
- Extremely Vulnerable to Enemy Fire
- Hovering Out of Ground Effect
- Center of Gravity Limitations
- Density Altitude
- Crew Coordination
- Illumination
DUSTOFF
Critical Aspects of a Hoist Mission
Highest Risk Point
Cable Cut Switch
When the soldier is suspended on the cable.
DUSTOFF
NIGHT HOIST
MISSION
BRIEF
“Anyone can do the job when thing are going right.
In this business we play for keeps.
Ernest K. Gann
- Night Hoist
FSB Mace
- Location:
- YS 559 999
- Wounded:
- 2 US Critical
- 2 US Frag
AZ 147’
MO 11,800’
- Artillery—Xuan Loc
- Enemy Situation
- Unknown
YS 559 999
DUSTOFF
RPG-7
1.5 lbs. of C-4
7/32” ball bearings
60 degree arc--50 meters
RPG--Rocket Propelled Grenade
40 MM
Range 500 M (Stationary Target)
M-18 Claymore Mine
DUSTOFF
Decision Time !!
No Compromise!
No Rationalization!
No Hesitation!
- ETAs for gunships
- Company policy
- Command pressure
- True enemy situation
Fly The Mission!
DUSTOFF
Pay and Allowances—September 1969
Rank: WO1:
Basic Pay $378.90
Flight Pay: $100.00
Hazard Pay: $ 65.00
Subsistence: $ 47.00
Total Monthly Salary: $591.78
Annual Salary: $7,101.36
Enemy
Enemy
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Enemy
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Enemy
Enemy
