Hell to Land on

Richard Bevan

Even before luxury yachts had helipads, the military saw the benefit of combining helicopters with boats

Even before the advent of luxury yachts and helipads there were military deck landings. As early as the Korean and Vietnam Wars helicopters were landing aboard boats, usually to perform administrative or medical functions.

Although in the Korean War there were no real helipads, helicopters and ships were used together. Possibly the first helicopter landing on a boat took place on 19th December, 1951, when Senator Ferguson was transferred by helicopter to the carrier Valley Forge (CV-45). A few days later, on 28 December, Francis Cardinal Spellman, on a Christmas Korean tour, visited the ship, coming on board by helicopter to celebrate Mass for the Catholic members of the crew. He left the ship, again by helicopter, off Pohang.

In the Vietnam War, there was considerable use of helipads on boats, and often very small river boats. By 1967 the Huey's were landing on elevated helipads on the Mobile Riverine Force's river boats.

Bill Janes, who piloted Hueys for the U.S. Army 191st Assault Helicopter Company said: "We called them 'Hell to land on' because we figured that somebody had gone out and measured the skids on a Huey, and gave us six inches on each side.ÊIt took...