340

c/n 340

59-2203

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c/n 340

59-2203

• 59-2203 United States Army. Delivered 10-Sep-1959. Designated as U-1A.Aviation Company, Fort Riley, KS.

Unknown date. Aircraft not sent to Vietnam, taken over by the 1063rd Aviation Company, a unit of the Iowa National Guard, based at Waterloo, IA.

Oct-1961. 1063rd Aviation Company moved to Fort Riley, KS.

Jul-1962 Remained at Fort Riley as an operational support aircraft.

Feb-1966. To Vietnam to join the 54^th Aviation Company. Named “Big Daddy 203”.

Incident. During Operation Cedar Falls, Vietnam. Jan-1967. Received infantry hits during a radio relay operation.

Incident: South of Saigon Feb-1967 Engine failure. Landed safely without damage or injury to occupants.

Incident: Near Duc Hoa, Vietnam. Mar-1967. Engine failure. Landed safely without damage or injury to occupants.

1968 & 1969. With the 54^thAviation Company based at Rach Gia until disbanded in Jan-1971.

Jan-1971. 56^th Transportation Company for storage.

Feb-1971. 388^th Transportation Company, Vung Tau. Stored until Jul -1971 after which it was scrapped.

• Scrapped •

Otter 340 was delivered to the United States Army on 10th September 1959 with serial 59-2203 (tail number 92203). It was assigned to the 18th Aviation Company, Fort Riley, Kansas. When the Company departed from Fort Riley in December 1961 to deploy to Vietnam, a number of its Otters which were not then fit to travel remained at Fort Riley, including 92203. The operation of these Otters was taken over by the 1063rd Aviation Company, a unit of the Iowa National Guard, based at Waterloo, Iowa. In October 1961 this unit was upgraded to Active Duty status and sent to Fort Riley to operate the Otters which the 18th Aviation Company was leaving behind. The 1063rd Aviation Company operated 92203 until July 1962, after which it remained at Fort Riley as an operational support aircraft. In February 1966 it went to Vietnam and joined the 54th Aviation Company. It is mentioned a number of times in the unit's history for 1967. During January 1967 “Big Daddy 203 (the 54th Aviation Company callsign was Big Daddy) flown by Captain Phillip B. Szymanowicy and Warrant Officer Charles Spangler crewed by Specialist William Jones received hits during a radio relay operation at Cedar Falls. They elected to continue the mission. Captain Szymanowicy and WO Spangler received the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry”. In February 1967 “Big Daddy 203" had an engine failure south of Saigon but due to the professional skills of CW3 McKinney and Captain Couilleau, the aircraft was landed safely without damage or injury to crew or passengers”. In March 1967 the Otter again had an engine failure near Duc Hoa, flown by WO Jacob Staples and WO Jack Crist, and was again landed safely without damage. It appeared to settle down after these incidents. During 1968 and 1969 it was based at Rach Gia with the 54th Aviation Company.

92203 continued to fly for the 54th Aviation Company until January 1971, as the unit was disbanding. It went that month to the 56th Transportation Company for storage, and the following month to the 388th Transportation Company, Vung Tau, the unit tasked with disposing of all the Army Otters in Vietnam. It remained in storage at Vung Tau until July 1971, at which stage it was deleted from the Army inventory and scrapped.