USAF ROTORHEAD Members

Russell Planck

Oct. 1955 – Joined the U.S. Army.

Oct. 1960 – Mar. 1961, at U.S. Army Transportation School, Ft. Eustis VA.

Dec. 1961 – Feb. 1963, at Nha Trang, RVN in the U.S. Army as an H-21 crew Chief, flying in support of the Army of Viet Nam.

Feb. 1963 – Sep. 1963, at Fort Eustis, VA. with the Army Aviation School as a Classroom Aircraft Maintenance Instructor on the UH-1A.

Sep. 1963 – Mar. 1964, at McMurdo Station, Antarctica as a Technical Inspector and T-53 Engine Specialist on the UH-1B.

Apr. 1964 – Aug. 1966, at Hanau, Germany with responsibility for 15 U.S. helicopters in Germany, Greece and Turkey.

Aug. 1966 – Nov. 1967 at Langley AFB, VA. as a H-21 Flight Engineer in the VIP Flight Section also in support of the USAF Water Survival School.

Nov. 1967 – Nov. 1968, in Thailand & Vietnam with the 21st SOS as a CH-3 Flight Engineer participating in special mission operations.

Nov. 1968 – Dec. 1968, at Langley AFB, VA. as a UH-1F Flight Engineer in the VIP Section.

Dec. 1968 – Sep. 1969, at Hamilton AFB, CA. as a HH-53 Flight Engineer with the 41st ARRS.

Oct. 1969 – Oct. 1970, at Da Nang AB, RVN as a HH-43 Flight Engineer with the 38th ARRS.

Oct 1970 – Feb. 1973, at Sumter AFB, SC. as a CH-53 Instructor Flight Engineer on CH-53’s training new personnel in special mission operations.

Feb. 1973 – Feb. 1974, at Nakhon Phanom RTAFB, Thailand with the 21st SOS as a CH-53 Flight Engineer, Instructor, participating in special mission operations.

Mar. 1974 – Oct. 1976, at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ. as CH-3E Aircraft Maintenance Supervisor. I supervised 15 mechanics maintaining 9 helicopters.

Oct. 1976 – at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ. Retired from military service.

Oct. 1976 – Oct 1977, at Managua, Nicaragua with Aircrane Systems, Inc. as a S-58T Helicopter Maintenance Instructor and Flight Engineer on Presidential Helicopter.

Nov. 1977 – Feb. 1979, at Kermanshah, Iran with Bell Helicopter International as Supervisor of Aircraft Maintenance Training on the Bell 214. Supervised 28 American and British Instructors in training an Iranian Army Helicopter Company.

Apr. 1979 – Sep. 1979, at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia with Middle East Services as a KV-107 Flight Engineer. Performed flight duties using rescue hoist and onboard firefighting equipment.

Oct. 1979 – Mar. 1980, at Long Beach, CA. with McDonnell Douglas as a MD-80 Aircraft Mechanic where I made final airframe system check prior to delivery to customer.

Apr. 1980 – Mar. 1981, at Arlington, TX. with Aerospatiale Corp. as a HH-65 Helicopter Instructor, where I developed and presented Airframe Maintenance Courses to the U.S. Coast Guard.

Mar. 1981 – Dec. 1982, at Gallarate, Italy with Agusta Aerospace as a AS61 VIP Aircraft Instructor where I developed and presented the Airframe Maintenance Course to the Iraq Presidential Flight Section.

May 1984 – May 1985, at Taif, Saudi Arabia with Agusta Aerospace as an AS61 VIP Aircraft Mechanic where I maintained three helicopters for the Saudi Royal Flight.

Dec. 1986 – Nov. 1988, at Bridgeport, CN. as a UH-60 “Sea Hawk” Aircraft Maintenance Instructor where I prepared and presented Plane Captains Course as required by Navy contract.

Nov. 1988 – May 1992, at Nelligan, Germany with Agusta Aerospace as Lead Aircraft Mechanic on the UH-60 “Black Hawk”, where I supported Army units of 15 Medical Evacuation Helicopter, supervised 8 personnel and maintained man-hour and maintenance data records.

Jun. 1993 – Jun. 1997, at Gallarate, Italy with British Institute as a English Language Instructor where I taught English as a Second Language (ESL) at the intermediate and advanced levels in commercial and private schools.

Jun. 1997 – Jun. 1998, at Mesa, AZ. with Superstition Air Services as a Aircraft Mechanic, where I performed annual, one hundred hour, fifty hour and presale inspections and made unscheduled repairs to private aircraft in accordance with applicable F.A.R.’s.

Feb. 2005 – Mar. 2007, I worked as an Armored Car Driver/Guard.