| Marine helicopter pilots have the distinction of flying | | | | The CH-53E is next and it's the largest helicopter in the |
| some of the oldest and some of the newest | | | | US inventory. The CH-53E is nicknamed the Super |
| helicopters in the US inventory. A career as a Marine | | | | Sea Stallion. The CH-53 is used primarily for heavy lift. |
| helicopter pilot offers excitement, challenge, and | | | | It's able to lift the LAV 25 Light Armored Fighting |
| adventure. The Marines operate a variety of different | | | | Vehicle, the M198 155mm Howitzer and it is able to |
| helicopters each performing its own specific mission. | | | | recover every aircraft in the Marine inventory with the |
| The AH-1Z Cobra is an attack helicopter whose | | | | exception of the KC-130. Even though it's primary job |
| lineage can be traced back to Vietnam. The Cobra | | | | is heavy lift the CH-53 is also used for assault |
| can carry an assortment of ammunition including but | | | | missions. The CH-53 crew consists of two pilots, a |
| not limited to machine guns, cannons, rockets, air to | | | | crew chief/right gunner, a left gunner, and a tail gunner. |
| ground missiles and air to air missiles. The cobra | | | | It's able to carry a maximum of 55 troops. Its |
| carries out a number of different functions. It supports | | | | maximum speed is 180 mph and its range is 610 nm. |
| marines on the ground. It attacks enemy armor, troops, | | | | The last helicopter in the Marine inventory isn't really a |
| and fortified positions. It also escorts other helicopters | | | | helicopter at all. Technically it's called a tilt-rotor. It's the |
| into landing zones where hostile fire is expected. | | | | MV-22 Osprey. It's officially known as a powered lift |
| Because of its thin profile the cobra can be very | | | | vehicle, which means it can take off, and land vertically |
| difficult to target by gunners on the ground. The Cobra | | | | but behaves differently from a helicopter in horizontal |
| has a crew of two pilots. | | | | flight. It combines the vertical landing capabilities of a |
| The UH-1 Huey is another helicopter that can not only | | | | helicopter with the speed of a fixed wing turboprop |
| trace is lineage back to Vietnam but was made | | | | airplane. This aircraft will revolutnize marine amphibious |
| famous by Vietnam. The Huey is used for utility | | | | operations by giving the marines a platform that can |
| missions. That's everything from ferrying troops and | | | | take off from a ship like a helicopter, dash to its target |
| cargo to transporting VIPs. The Huey has a crew of | | | | at over 300 mph and once there land vertically. The |
| three, two pilots and a crew chief. | | | | crew consists of two pilots, and a crew chief. The |
| Next is the CH-46 Sea Knight. The Sea Knight is a | | | | Osprey can carry a maximum of 32 troops or 10,000 |
| medium lift, tandem rotor (one rotor behind the other) | | | | pounds of cargo. The MV-22 has a maximum speed |
| helicopter. The Sea Knight is primarily an assault | | | | of 320 mph and a combat radius of almost 400 miles. |
| helicopter. It can operate in day or night under all | | | | The Marine Corps motto is semper fidelis which |
| weather conditions. The Sea Knight also has a | | | | means always faithful. The Corps and its pilots have |
| secondary cargo carrying capacity. The Sea Knight's | | | | faithfully and honorably served this nation. |
| crew consists of two pilots, a crew chief and an aerial | | | | If you want adventure, excitement and challenge |
| observer/gunner. The maximum speed of the Sea | | | | become a Marine helicopter pilot. |
| Knight is 165 mph and it has a combat radius of 184mi. | | | | |