'Moonlighter' CH-46E operating in an evacuation exercise during WTI 2-10

Stored at Davis-Monthan AFB in 2014.

Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron (HMM) 764 Moonlight, of Marine Aircraft Group 46, 4th Marine Aircraft Wing, became on 13 January 2013 the first US Marine Corps Reserve squadron to transition to the MV-22B Osprey. Until that time they flew these great Frogs, the nickname of the Sea Knight. The squadron officially redesignated to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 764 when they received the Osprey, and relocated to MCAS Miramar (CA).

At that time, this Sea Knight was provided with a brand new colour scheme. The CH-46F was seen at the flightline of homebase El Toro (CA). Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron (HMM) 764 "Moonlights" ('ML-xxx'), a US Marine Corps Reserve unit, was reloacted to Edwards in 1999 and eventually transferred as the first HMM-reserve unit to MV-22B.

During a routine training flight near NAS Fallon (NV), two CH-46s from HMM-764 were executing a tactical formation flight but they came too close to eachother. One Frog turned in the formation over the other. The rotor blades of the lower helicopter chopped through the fuselage just behind the crew front door of this 153358, killing two Marines. The pilots managed to autorotate to the ground and survived. The crew in the other aircraft were uninjured. Here 153358, in the old green colours, can be seen at the flightline of El Toro.

KM.64.

The US Marine Corps operated with many CH-46 Sea Knights. This one was pictured at the now closed MCAS El Toro (CA) air base while in service with the Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron (HMM) 764 Moonlight, a USMC Reserve squadron.