cannonfoddertfc
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I took this photo at Boing Field, WA in late 2011 or early 2012. This VH-60N WhiteHawk is also called a "white top" and is configured to be used a Marine One. There are only a couple of them left, mostly they use the H-3 for the presidential aircraft now. Some people don't know that there is more than one white top helicopter and that the callsign "Marine One" is not aircraft specific but is used on any Marine aircraft that the president is currently on. When he is not aboard, its callsign reverts back to "Nighthawk One" and the 2nd white top (escort) is always "Nighthawk Two". These same rules apply to Air Force One but I don't know its "off duty" callsign. In the upper right corner of the picture you can see one of the 5 army UH-60L's that were used to escort M1 and NH2. If by some chance the president had gotten onto one of the Army aircraft, it would have become "Army One". And if for some reason he were to get on a Navy aircraft...yep you guessed it, Navy One. This only applies to the president though, if the vice president is onboard one of these aircraft without the president, they use a different callsign. The media always refers to the big blue and white 747 as Air Force One but again if the president isn't onboard, that aircraft uses a different callsign.
I have more pictures from that day but my ugly mug is in most of them so I wont scare you.
Some useless trivia you may not know about Marine One:
It has a modern digital cockpit even though the rest of the aircraft from this era have analog.
It has color weather radar (that bulge on the nose).
The sliding cargo doors are replaced with hinged doors and are about 5 inches thick. I know you are thinking bullet proof right....wrong, its insulation. H-60's are loud as **** but these are soundproofed and a normal conversation can be had inside without headphones during flight.
The upholstery inside is early 1970's (think old travel trailer) but is very well maintained. Pictures of the inside are not allowed.
The rotor blades cannot be turning while the president is outside of the aircraft. A rotor brake holds them stopped while he enters or exits.
The Pilots and Crew Chief wear Marine Dress Blues and do not wear flight suits. Hope they never catch fire......
HMX is the name of the Marine presidential helicopter squadron and it is not a standard duty assignment. You have to be selected for it, similar to the Tomb Guard at Arlington.
There are only a few (five I think) helicopter pilots authorized to actually fly (hands on the controls) the president, they are all Marines and the lowest ranking one that I currently know of is a Lt Col. Anything outside of this requires serious prior coordination through the secret service or a serious emergency. The 2nd pilot in the aircraft does not have to be one of the select few but he wont even touch the controls if the president is onboard. If Marine One breaks down, the president would move to Nighthawk Two and the pilot would go with him and take control of that aircraft. That aircraft would then become Marine One.
There is always a couple secret service guys (human shields) onboard with the president but the second aircraft carries what is known as the shift. The shift are the guys in black suits with submachine guns that will stay and fight while the human shields get the president safely away. Not a group of guys you want mad at you...they carry big duffle bags full of hardware that would give Rambo a chubby.
I have more pictures from that day but my ugly mug is in most of them so I wont scare you.
Some useless trivia you may not know about Marine One:
It has a modern digital cockpit even though the rest of the aircraft from this era have analog.
It has color weather radar (that bulge on the nose).
The sliding cargo doors are replaced with hinged doors and are about 5 inches thick. I know you are thinking bullet proof right....wrong, its insulation. H-60's are loud as **** but these are soundproofed and a normal conversation can be had inside without headphones during flight.
The upholstery inside is early 1970's (think old travel trailer) but is very well maintained. Pictures of the inside are not allowed.
The rotor blades cannot be turning while the president is outside of the aircraft. A rotor brake holds them stopped while he enters or exits.
The Pilots and Crew Chief wear Marine Dress Blues and do not wear flight suits. Hope they never catch fire......
HMX is the name of the Marine presidential helicopter squadron and it is not a standard duty assignment. You have to be selected for it, similar to the Tomb Guard at Arlington.
There are only a few (five I think) helicopter pilots authorized to actually fly (hands on the controls) the president, they are all Marines and the lowest ranking one that I currently know of is a Lt Col. Anything outside of this requires serious prior coordination through the secret service or a serious emergency. The 2nd pilot in the aircraft does not have to be one of the select few but he wont even touch the controls if the president is onboard. If Marine One breaks down, the president would move to Nighthawk Two and the pilot would go with him and take control of that aircraft. That aircraft would then become Marine One.
There is always a couple secret service guys (human shields) onboard with the president but the second aircraft carries what is known as the shift. The shift are the guys in black suits with submachine guns that will stay and fight while the human shields get the president safely away. Not a group of guys you want mad at you...they carry big duffle bags full of hardware that would give Rambo a chubby.
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