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  • FoxVC10

Whats that on the back of the aircraft carrier?

On the back of Kitty Hawk with HMAS Melbourne alongside at Pearl Harbour.

Looks like a Turbo Porter…

Picture from Making It Harder Than Necessary? 12 Dec 2012 By Tommy H. Thomason
http://thanlont.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/making-it-harder-than-necessary.html

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By: wilkofife - 1st February 2013 at 09:25

I can reveal that the Porter was there to carry a V.I.P. Australian statesman on a courtesy visit.

The visit was cut short after twenty minutes when Sir Les Patterson discovered there wasn’t a bar on American ships……..:D

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By: pagen01 - 1st February 2013 at 08:36

Revising the idea of M Class submarines and the Parnall Peto!:D

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By: Newforest - 1st February 2013 at 07:38

Looks like an April 1st project. 😀

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By: ngatimozart - 1st February 2013 at 05:40

😮 Would you care to explain what on earth is going on with that last shot of the Skyhawk on the Sub? 😮

Was a classified RAN project.

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By: Cherry Ripe - 31st January 2013 at 18:09

I haven’t found any mention of PC-6s registered in Hawaii in the late 1970s.. which would suggest that it was something they “brought with them”.

Edit: According to this there were no actual PC-6s on Air America’s inventory by 1978. The tail livery doesn’t match AA anyway, nor does it match another known CIA operator of PC-6s, Continental Air Services. So is it a civvie bird on a carrier? Hmm.

Edit2: Oh-hoh! How does this livery look for a match? Bird & Sons, another cover operator.

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By: Lazy8 - 31st January 2013 at 17:55

http://a4skyhawk.org/?q=2g/humor/aus_sub.htm

I have a suspicion there may be more to it…

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By: hunterxf382 - 31st January 2013 at 17:41

but at least a Turbo Porter could land on a carrier…
http://a4skyhawk.org/sites/a4skyhawk.org/files/images/imported/2g/humor/aus_sub.jpg

😮 Would you care to explain what on earth is going on with that last shot of the Skyhawk on the Sub? 😮

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By: Lazy8 - 31st January 2013 at 17:33

The entry before the bit about the admiral might be pertinent too. If they had gone to Africa they might have been doing something clandestine – I’ve no proof, but it’s not impossible.

I do have an alternative explanation:
http://pixar.wikia.com/Planes

😀

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By: Cherry Ripe - 31st January 2013 at 17:24

Could it be the admiral’s barge? 😀

Funny you ask that; whilst moored at Pearl in late 1978 Admiral Davis succeeded Admiral Hayward as CINCPAC, onboard CV-63… according to this.

And it’s definitely about that date, or at least after October 1977 when VF-213 re-equipped with F-14s; you can see their tail insignia on the port fantail.

Edit: an on a tangent, this is an interesting article on how pressure from Helio lead to the cancellation of a Navy programme to use the Porter to support brown-water ops in Vietnam. Several years later the USAF “discovered” the Porter again for Credible Chase.

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By: davecurnock - 31st January 2013 at 16:23

Could it be the admiral’s barge? 😀

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By: FoxVC10 - 31st January 2013 at 16:06

Don’t you mean stern?

Apologies, but I am an ex crab, not a navy b*mmer.

Its front and back of a boat, toilet not a head and none of that man overboard malarkey for me!

Its a lovely photo thou, you can see the size differences between the two carriers clearly.

Just seems odd to find something like a PC-6 on an American (or any) boat. My first thoughts also where ex Vietnam but the photo is dated 1978 so a little late. The aircraft isnt protected either so probably not a delivery.

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By: Flanker_man - 31st January 2013 at 14:08

The US Army operated the Helio U10 Super Courier in Vietnam – maybe one of those???

Ken

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By: ericmunk - 31st January 2013 at 12:52

HMAS Melbourne was used to deliver Australian Army Porters to Vietnam in the early seventies.

Edit: obviously 1978 was a tad late for the Vietnam war… Picture would have been taken during Exercise RIMPAC 78.

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By: Al - 31st January 2013 at 12:51

Can make it out a little better on another image of the same occasion, 10th May 1978…
http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2738/5703522774_60af712405_b.jpg
http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm14/handshifterAl/TurboPorter.jpg
but at least a Turbo Porter could land on a carrier…
http://a4skyhawk.org/sites/a4skyhawk.org/files/images/imported/2g/humor/aus_sub.jpg

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By: Phantom Phil - 31st January 2013 at 12:45

Looks like a PC-6 Turbo Porter to me….

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By: TonyT - 31st January 2013 at 12:28

I see it on the back of the roof, it looks like one.

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By: mantog - 31st January 2013 at 12:28

Seemed light hearted to me…

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By: hampden98 - 31st January 2013 at 12:23

Don’t you mean stern?

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