For all you travelling to the Ramstein area, it might be worth checking out Coleman Barracks. We've been there yesterday (January 10th) and the place is really loaded with Blackhawks. At least 19 were outside (some rotorless, but most looked ready to fly), of which 12 were ID'ed. 6 were parked on the helipads on the northside, while the remainder was packed on the main apron.
Helipads (north to south);
91-26345 UH-60L 1-207th Avn / AK ARNG
97-26742 UH-60L 1-207th Avn / AK ARNG
88-26045 UH-60A C/5-158th Avn (Air Ambulance)
91-26342 UH-60L 1-207th Avn / AK ARNG
91-26391 UH-60L 1-207th Avn / AK ARNG (last three in white, but whole serial checked)
88-26039 UH-60A C/5-158th Avn (Air Ambulance) (rotorless)
All those were read of completly, starting with 0-26...
Main apron;
80-23453 UH-60A (Air Ambulance) (only read last three in white in the red cross)
83-23867 UH-60A 542nd? MedCo (Air Ambulance) (only read last three in white)
84-23970 UH-60L A/5-158th Avn (last three in white)
88-26038 UH-60A A/5-158th Avn (only read last three in white)
89-26162 UH-60A 104th MedCo / MD ARNG (Air Ambulance) (only read last three in white in the red cross)
97-26649? UH-60L
1x UH-60A(C) 357th Avn / SHAPE (with badge)
6x UH-60A/L US Army
This was kind of a hurdle, as the light wasn't that great during the late afternoon. Most were still in the shadow of the hangar and those in the light were nearly impossible to read with even the 75x spottingscope! The 453 is most likely 80-23453 of the 104th MedCo, as that would suggest it's here together with a sistership (162). But, there is also a 85-24453 in existence with the USAAAD (also Air Ambulance) from Ft. Irwin.
Also confirmed from our photo taken at Ramstein a day earlier was 97-26743 (so the 3 is confirmed) of the 1-207th Avn / AK ARNG departing with 97-26742. Since the latter was here, I suspect this 743 to be packed among the 6 unread one too.
Stored west of apron;
69-15605 UH-1H ex HQ/USEUCOM
Do note these units were taken from the Scramble database, but seemed quite plausible. Any help in confirmation and missing details/serials are welcomed!
Grtz Sjoerd
with the help of Reinold and Roy (x2)
Last edited by Sjoerd on 01 Feb 2009, 19:12, edited 3 times in total.
Sjoerd,
I can confirm 91-26345, 97-26742 and 97-26743 UH-60L as operational for the 1-207th Avn / AK ARNG. This helo's were seen last july at Fort Richardson as so.
Maybe they are at Coleman for maintenance?
We paid Coleman Barracks a well worth visit saturday morning (17-01-'09). A lot of blackhawks are still unidentified, hopefully someone can help us with the gaps.... This is what we could identify.
UH-1H 73-22092 PRESERVED AT GATE, Not read off.
UH-1H O-15605 (FY69) STORED EX HQ/USEUCOM
Helipad:
UH-60L O-26345 (FY91) 1-207AVN, ALASKA ARNG
UH-60A O-26039 (FY88) 5-158AVN, MEDCO unit not identified by us, but taken from former post.
UH-60A O-26004 (FY87) NN, MEDCO
UH-60L O-26742 (FY97) 1-207AVN, ALASKA ARNG
UH-60L O-26342 (FY91) 1-207AVN, ALASKA ARNG
Main apron:
On the main apron were 18 black hawks parked and this is what we could identify
UH-60A O-23756 (FY82) NN, MEDCO No main rotor, only last three read from the red cross on the nose.
2x UH-60 MEDCO
3x UH-60 with extarnal tanks
12x UH-60
Any information on those helos is more than welcome.
Checked out the airport today and the field is stilled stuffed to the brink with Blackhawks. Will post a full log when I've sorted out all the pictures and serials.
for those of you who want to get to Coleman to see the AK UH-60's...
too bad.. they did leave yesterday.
But 42 UH-60's were noted today in various hangars and platforms....
no ArNG ones were there though..
I suppose the logs will follow in a couple of days as Cristian and Harry are
still in Germany...