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15th
Aviation Group |
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| Group History | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 19.. - 19.. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 15th Aviation Group DUI |
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| (Source: Yearbook of the 15th Aviation Group (Cbt), "Flying Mustangs," 1969-1970, submitted by Hanno Englaender, Germany) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| ORGANIZATION (1967): | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| (1) US Army Flight Operations Facility, Europe (2) USAREUR Aviation Safety and Standardization Detachment - originally based at the Schleissheim AAF near Munich; moved to Gablingen in 1967 (?) |
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| If you have more information on the history or organization of the 15th Aviation Gp, please contact me. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 122nd Aviation Company (Aerial Surveillance) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| See "Border Aerial Surveillance" on the Overview Page, Army Aviation section, for some information on the 122nd Avn Co's role in providing aerial surveillance along the West German border to East Germany and Czechoslovakia during the 1960s. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (Source:STARS & STRIPES, June 2, 1969) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 122nd Aviation Company (Aerial Surveillance) The 122nd Avn Co (AS) is the Army's only aerial surveillance unit in Europe and comes under the operational control of the DCS, Intelligence (Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence) at HQ USAREUR. Maj Clydie J. Crawford is the CO of the unit that is stationed at Fliegerhorst AAF near Hanau. With 17 officer pilots and 142 enlisted men, the company is equipped with the OV-1B MOHAWK twin turbojet airplane. Its mission is to keep watch on Warsaw Pact troop movements and activities along the East German border. Using visual and photographic means, as well as side-looking radar (SLAR), the plane can detect even the slightest movement of vehicles including in the rain or at the dark of night. Because of the long-range capabilities of the SLAR radar, the Mohawk can operate at a safe distance from the border and still see deep into East bloc territory. All missions are flown with a single pilot and an enlisted technical observer. The SLAR provides a permanent film record. Aircraft position, date, time, and other intelligence data are recorded directly onto the film edge as well as being transmitted to a ground station. The ground data link terminal is housed in a shelter mounted on a ¾-ton truck. The power supply is mounted on a trailer. The terminal receives, displays and records radar pictures and data-annotation information that is transmitted from the SLAR while in flight. Other components of the surveillance system that are on the ground are the portable tactical imagery interpretation facility and the portable film processing laboratory darkroom. The 122nd Avn Co (AS) is supported in its intelligence gathering mission by the 30th Trans Co (AAM) - performing technical supply and higher echelon maintenance - as well as by the Avionics Platoon of the 245th Trans Co (Acft GS) - providing electronics and signal equipment support. |
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| 351st Aviation Company | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 351st Aviation Company Patch (after transition to UH-1) |
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| 1969 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (Source: Email from George Reese) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Since I got to the 351st before the CWO -- I ended up leaving first, before other Hueys replaced the H-34s. So it seems that once the 351st transitioned to the Huey -- they also came up with a unit patch. I have hundreds of Army Aviation photos that some of your viewers might like to see. The site is www.flyarmyair.com. |
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| 1971 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (Source: Email from Larry A. Magnello, 351st Avn Co) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| After I left the 1st Air Cav Division in Vietnam at
end of 1970, I was sent to 351st Avn Co located at
Wertheim, southern Germany. Our main base was out of
Schweinfurt, Germany. They
never said much to us about the structure of the unit.
I flew once to Schweinfurt base but don't know the
battalion. I was the flight medic there and worked with the Flight surgeon there who black mailed the pilots in order to let them fly their helicopters or he would flunk them on the flight physicals. We had just Hueys there and one spotter airplane. We lost one huey on medivac and it crashed into the mountain at night during rain and they all died including a medic sergeant Rayburn who had a silver star and 3 purple hearts. Was a nice place and unit sitting on a mountain across the valley was a castle. Best part of my army tour of duty. |
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| Related Links: 122nd Aviation Company - Walter Lafford and Gary Holt have created a web page dedicated to this unique aerial surveillance unit in Germany flying the OV-1 Mohawk. |
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