c/n 360

59-2219

x

• 59-2219 United States Army. Delivered on 15-Mar-1960. Designated as U-1A.

Initially delivered from Downsview to Addison Field, Dallas, TX., for work on its radios by Collins Radio Corporation.

Then assigned to the Polar Research and Development Center, Davison AAF., Fort Belvoir, VA ., where it was based during winter months and at Thule Air Base, Greenland during summer months.

Jan-1962. Airfield Division, Yuma, AZ., as a test support aircraft.

Mar-1967. Re located to unknown unit.

Aug-1967. It went to the New Cumberland Army Depot, PA., for overhaul.

Mar-1968. Stored at the Sharpe Army Depot, Stockton, CA., for storage.

Jan-1970. To Vietnam, arriving with the 388^th Transportation Company, Vung Tau.

Feb-1970. 18^th Aviation Company until dis-bandment.

Mar-1971. Into storage with the 388^th Transportation Company, Vung Tau,

July 1971. Scrapped and deleted from the Army inventory the following month.

• Scrapped •

Otter 360 was delivered to the United States Army on 15 March 1960 with serial 59-2219 (tail number 92219). It was assigned to the Polar Research and Development Center, Fort Belvoir, Virginia as was 92218 (358), which had been delivered the previous week. Like 92218 the Otter was painted in a high visibility overall orange colour scheme. Both Otters were delivered from Downsview to Addison, Texas for work on them by the Collins Radio Corporation, before flying to their new base at Fort Belvoir.

The Otters were based during the winter months at Davison AAF, Fort Belvoir but during the summer months were transported to Greenland in support of Army activities there. 92218 was lost in an accident in Greenland in September 1961 but 92219 survived its tour of duty there and returned to Fort Belvoir.  By January 1962 92219 was based with the Airfield Division, Yuma, Arizona as a test support aircraft, having exchanged the extreme cold of Greenland for the Arizona desert. It remained at Yuma until March 1967.

In March 1967 the Otter was flown back to Fort Belvoir on assignment to the Army Research Support Group. The wings were detached and it was strapped to a flatbed trailer and driven to Dover AFB., where it was loaded on board a C-141 Starlifter. The Otter, still painted overall orange from its original Arctic assignment, was flown to Thule Air Base, Greenland where it would be based for the next few months. It flew out from Thule supporting scientific research parties out on the icecap. This continued until late July 1967 when it was flown back to Dover and returned to Fort Belvoir.

In August 1967 it went to the New Cumberland Depot in Pennsylvania for overhaul and then in March 1968 arrived at the Sharpe Depot, Stockton, California for storage. In January 1970 it was sent to Vietnam, arriving with the 388^th Transportation Company. It was issued the next month to the 18^th Aviation Company. 92219 served with the 18^th until March 1971, as the Company was disbanding. It was put into store with the 388^th Transportation Company, Vung Tau where it remained until July 1971. It was scraped the following month and deleted from the Army inventory.

Full history up to 2005 courtesy of Karl E Hayes © from DHC-3 Otter - A History (CD-ROM 2005), now with added and updated information which Karl has supplied for the benefit of the website.