Hurlburt Field

Tim47SIP · Mar 5, 2006

Anyone know who the contractor or Unit is that flies the C-47 and the rest of those civilian aircraft as well as the MI-8 and AN-2 based at hurlburt? I have heard GOONXX (left the number out) talking with ATC flying the Bosner C-47. I am trying to get in contact with the individuals that fly those aircraft. Any info would be great. PM me. Thanks, Tim.

Pistlpetet · Mar 5, 2006

The same guys that fly Threat Aircraft for the Army at Polk, El Paso, NTC spend a lot of time flying at Hurlburt. My friend just quit from flying Mi-17s for them. Some of their aircraft are down there on occasion also. Just letting you know that they might not all be from the same operator.

McGillicutty · Mar 5, 2006

Tim47SIP said:
I am trying to get in contact with the individuals that fly those aircraft.

It's going to be tough. I've been at the 19th for a while and haven't even seen someone wearing a 6th SOS patch since I've got here. I hate to give the old "Try PAO" routine, but that might be your best bet.

pgcfii2002 · Mar 5, 2006

Hey, who is McGillicutty???

dtfl · Mar 5, 2006

That unit is a 16 Spec Ops Wing unit - All Active Duty AF individuals.
They lease that AC.

mudkow60 · Mar 6, 2006

It's the 6th SOS... I used to talk to those guys when I was flying out of Pensacola. Nice people.

Good luck.

SIG600 · Mar 6, 2006

All those russian a/c are kept in Destin at the airport there. Drive down to the North end of the field, where the hangars are and you'll find em stashed down there. At one point I saw a hangar down there opened up with 4-5 more fuselages inside and piles of parts, that was a while ago though. Interesting operation.

dtfl · Mar 7, 2006

SIG600 said:
All those russian a/c are kept in Destin at the airport there. Drive down to the North end of the field, where the hangars are and you'll find em stashed down there. At one point I saw a hangar down there opened up with 4-5 more fuselages inside and piles of parts, that was a while ago though. Interesting operation.

Umm..No they aren't. They sit on the parking ramp at Hurlburt. I work Current Ops there and schedule them and talk to them all the time.

mudkow60 · Mar 7, 2006

I have seen them at both locations. When asked, the ones at Destin are under gov. contract, flown (I think) by civilans. The Destin bunch are the 6th SOS. I have a pic of their turbo DC-3 landing at Florala.

SIG600 · Mar 7, 2006

dtfl said:
Umm..No they aren't. They sit on the parking ramp at Hurlburt. I work Current Ops there and schedule them and talk to them all the time.

You mean these? (North end of Destin's hangars)

http://maps.google.com/?ll=30.402264,-86.474821&spn=0.002221,0.005032&t=k

There were about 4-5 more Hind's there over Christmas when I was there. Don't know anything about the operation but like Matt said, I'm sure they move around.

CDogg · Mar 8, 2006

The Hind that was at the Destin airport was for sale by Courtesy Aircraft not too long ago. It was also used in the Katrina relief effort... Good folks at Hurlburt, I banner towed last summer and had to fly past that field almost every day multiple times. Most already know, but that's where they trained the B25 crews for the Doolittle raid. Cool stuff.

dtfl · Mar 8, 2006

The Hind that the 6th used was there for a short time. I used to stare at it on my closed circuit TV while working flying ops at night. The Army has an agressor squadron of MI24s-nothing secret about that. The C47 sits on the ramp at HRT. No-place else...you can show me all the google maps you want - but drive down Hwy 98 and look. Trust me. They lease it...it sits at HRT. There is nothing magical or mystical going on. They lease their aircraft from dealers around the US. As far as I know DESTIN, FL isnt a location.
Look, I WORK AT HRT. That squadron leases aircraft to get qualified to fly different aircraft. That is it. Period. If you want to get affiliated you have a long journey ahead of you...get into the military - get in contact with them..get picked...etcSig6000 you can believe whatever conspiracy theory you want. Drive down to Destin and I bet you a case of beer there aren't any MI24s sitting there this afternoon....just a couple private props and a Lear or two with some Spring Break chicks that Daddy let take the jet.

mudkow60 · Mar 8, 2006

You can bet whatever you like, but there IS an MI-8 and an MI-24 (plus an AN-2 -think that is what the big biplane is called) at the DESTIN-FT. WALTON airport. If you would like, I have pics of when I flew in there.

These are not the 6th SOS birds. Those are at Hulburt. They also have the big, two engine AN-something there. Also have pics of that when I was flying the ILS at Hurlburt.

SIG600 · Mar 8, 2006

dtfl said:
you can believe whatever conspiracy theory you want. Drive down to Destin and I bet you a case of beer there aren't any MI24s sitting there this afternoon....just a couple private props and a Lear or two with some Spring Break chicks that Daddy let take the jet.

Dude seriously... what are you getting worked up about? Kow and I have both told you, and I linked a picture to them sitting at Destin. There's no conspiracy theory.... just some dudes running some operation out of there. Don't know the details, and don't care, just posting what I saw. Seen lots of Russian stuff on their end of the field before... however I've only dropped by once in the last year or so, and that's when I was in town over Xmas. If you want to know more, call Miracle Strip aviation and maybe they can help Tim out. I'll say it again, I've personally seen an AN-2, several Hinds, and an MI-8, all at once there. And oh yeah an AN-32 once (two years ago or so).

payola · Mar 8, 2006

SIG600 said:
call Miracle Strip aviation and maybe they can help Tim out. I'll say it again, I've personally seen an AN-2, several Hinds, and an MI-8, all at once there. And oh yeah an AN-32 once (two years ago or so).

I flew in/out of Destin a few times late last year. Every time we would taxi past the hangars a comment was made about those things sitting out there. Never saw them move, but they were definitely there. I sifted through my pictures from Destin, and have some overhead shots of the city and the airfield, but don't have any specifically of that area. I have a couple that if you zoom in you can make out the Hind sitting next to the trees, but by that point it's so fuzzy they almost looks like the Bigfoot pictures (so I doubt the skeptics would believe them anyway)...

FlyingGuy · Mar 12, 2006

There are lots of ex-Soviet aircraft in the world. You can buy one if you've got cash. Many have been bought by various capitalists and can be leased. The governments that used to own them couldn't afford to keep them once the USSR went away. Lots of old C-47s still flying too. Some have been upgraded with turboprops and glass. If you want to fly them as a civilian you probably could very easily at very low pay. Some of these Russian builts as well as C-47s are among the most widely used planes in the world - Third World that is.

Tim47SIP · Mar 12, 2006

Lighten up!

OK, I'll give you guys the skinny on the Hips, Hinds, and the AN2 at Destin. The mans name is J.W. Odem who owns the aircraft. He also has a King Air and possibly a Citation. I am very good Friends with his right hand man. He bought them to lease them out for movies, or whatever. He has a couple of mechanic/pilots from Russia who do most of the work on them. He is one of the wealthiest land developers in the area.
These aircraft ARE NOT the ones you saw at Hurlburt. Those (Hind, Hip, and AN2) belong to the U.S. Army and are the ones that are flown around the US to places like Nellis, Polk, Hurlburt, Etc. That is a detachment out of Davidson AAF (I believe-not positive). I am not sure if the AF has their own, but I talked with a friend who flies for the Army detachment and he stated that the aircraft were there a while back. The aircraft that are at Hurlburt, the C47, Pilatus, Russian turbo prop, and one other have been there as the two posters above have stated. I was inquiring about that unit because I was told they were civilian contractors flying them. I appear to have been misguided on the civilian part. I live one mile from the base and was looking for something closer to the house to do. I am gone 5 days a week on AD as well as when I was working with ASA. It is just getting old.

MUDCOW- do you get in to Florala at all for training?? I get in there a couple times a week and look for you, but alas, I haven't got to meet the famous Mat.
Tim

mudkow60 · Mar 13, 2006

Tim-

I was in P cola last year as a SAR pilot. I am out of the Navy, but will be doing my Coast Guard transition training in Mobile around mid to late July. I am planning a weekend trip or two to Pensacola and Destin to see friends...

... but, the helos and a/c at Hurlburt are flown and owned (I assume) by the AF 6th SOS.

Not to add fuel to the fire, but I have been told by friends that the Navy has a Hind that they fly out of Fallon, NV. Two of my buddies swear it came over a ridge and mock-targeted the HH-60 they were in.

Tim47SIP · Mar 13, 2006

See Ya!

Not to add fuel to the fire, but I have been told by friends that the Navy has a Hind that they fly out of Fallon, NV. Two of my buddies swear it came over a ridge and mock-targeted the HH-60 they were in.

Yep, the hind was an Army aircraft. They have several and fly them at any location that requires OP4. I was chased all over the Nellis range and kicked it's but. But that was an older model. Anyway, good luck on your new career. By the way, good choice!
Tim.