When I was a kid and a proud cadet we used to all sit around talking about the planes we would one day like to fly. All t he other kids would talk about wanting to fly the F18 or the F111, maybe even one day the F35. some would talk about wanting to fly helicopters but when It came to me my answer was always the same. The Caribou. When they would always ask me why the hell I would want to fly a Caribou, dam I wished I had this video then to show them!

One of my first instructors was an old Army Caraboo pilot. When I got to Cam Ran Bay, those of us going to the Air Cav were flown to Tan San Nuit in a USAF Caraboo.
The Army had just traded the Caraboo to the Air Force for priority in helicopter development. The AH1-G Cobra I flew in the Air Cav was developed in six months after the trade. We hated losing the Caraboo, but we needed the Cobra. The Air Force didn't want the Caraboo (they just didn't want the Army to have a cargo plane) and the Air Guard already had the Herk, so they got sent to you guys and others where they could really do some good. The Air Force didn't want the F-16 or A-10 either, but Boyd hosed the four stars on those.

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Cool,
Never got to fly one, but jumped out the back of them plenty of times back in the day. Never crashed in one, which is more than I can say for most of the military helicopters I spent time in over the years.

Chris

"best squadron badge ever"

I had to go back and look....I agree!!

I was stationed at Cam Ranh air base '69-'70, lotsa boo's plying the trade. Contact is right, the USAF didn't really want them. A great utility craft with real engines. Good to see that they are apparently still working for the RAAF.

I agree, great squadron patch. The Caribou may be one of the more utilitarian airplanes out there, but it sho' am oogly!

Cary

When Dad and I flew to AK from Minnesota in his PA140 in 98, a very dirty and beat Caribou was hauling 55gal drums of diesel from Northway to the bush somewhere. The guy flying it said he got it cheap as an insurance total. Fell thru the ice on a lake and broke its back. He hauled it out and got it flying again. Awesome Beast.
Love the Boo.

Jake


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I've seen at least 1, possibly 2 of these that have been converted to turboprops at undisclosed locations. Pretty impressive performance.

turbine conversions, heard a couple were running around Afghanistan.


http://www.penturbo.com/

A turbine Boo was flying jumpers in the US a few years ago. I never got to jump it but have many jumps from the original piston powered Boos. It was a loud and slow climb to 12,500 ft with 48 jumpers on board. I had two emergency exits from them because of engine failures. The first one was in 1985 during Golden Knight try outs. The second one was in the late eighties at the Herd Boogie in Pottstown PA, It was a violent engine seizure at 4000 ft that made the skins of the airframe buckle and twist. The pilots did an excellent job and got us out over the DZ. The planes were from a company called Newcal Aviation which advertised their Boos for sale in Trade-a-Plane every month back then.

Anyone know why I only get audio with a black screen?
Watched part of it the other day and wanted to see all of it today, but No Joy.

EDIT: Seems to have fixed itself.

when i was a young 16 yr old, i was lucky enough to get 2 weeks worth of work experience with 38 sqn, was great fun flying around the Sydney basin and Blue Mountains with the tail open and legs dangling in the breeze..