My AFSC was A43550B Flight Engineer specialist (Helicopter). I had a
secondary AFSC of A43150 Helicopter mechanic. I was a flight engineer
on HH3E Jolly Green Giant rescue helicopters. My duties included
maintaining, preflighting, post flighting the helicopter while on the
ground at remote operating sites such as LIMA 20A, LIMA 36 and other
LIMA sites. In flight duties were monitoring engine and other aircraft
systems, manning the door gun position, and the most important duty was
operating the rescue hoist.

During a rescue the flight engineer verbally guided (talked) the pilot
into a hover position over the survivor. Once in a steady hover over
the survivor the Engineer lowered the hoist cable with a forest
penetrator or other rescue devise as required to the survivor. Often
times a PJ (Pararescue specialist) was lowered to assist the survivor.
When the survivor is secured on / in the rescue devise the engineer
hoist him and the PJ into the helo. While all this is going on the
Engineer is continually talking to the pilot giving him updates on the
hoist cable position, survivor status, keeping the pilot in a stable
hover over the survivor and threat status. All this happens very fast
over a few minutes. Some times those few minutes can seem like a life
time.

When not flying or maintaining the helicopter Flight Engineers drank
huge amounts of Singha, Jim Beam and enjoyed SYTs.

Russ O'Neal