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To add names and information to this page please e-mail me at leemiller@ethi-usmappingmission.com. The Ethiopia-United States Mapping Mission had a wide variety of aircraft in its inventory. These are listed below by Military Designation, (Nickname), and Manufacturer. Pictures of the aircraft can be viewed under the "Flight Line-Aircraft" page. -------------------------------------------------- U-17 - Cessna 185 (Skywagon) U-1 (Otter) DHC-3 DeHavilland U-6 (Beaver) DHC-2 DeHavilland U-8D/L-23 (Seminole) Beechcraft U-9C (Aero Commander 680E) Aero Design C-47 (Dakota and Goonybird) Douglas OH-23G (Raven) Hiller UH-1B (Iroquois and Huey) Bell UH-1H (Iroquois and Huey) Bell ---------------------------------------
Aircraft flown: U-17 (Cessna 185), U-1, U-6, U-8D, U-9C, C-47, OH-23G, UH-B, UH-1H -----------------------------------
Maj. Ivan R. 'Bob' Webb (photo and additional information as of yet unavailable). Aircraft flown: (more info needed) -----------------------------------
Aircraft flown: U-17, U-1, U-6, U-8D, U-9C, C-47, OH-23, UH-1B, and UH-1H -----------------------------------
----------------------------------- Mapping Mission Pilots in no particulatr order
(Photo) Maj. Van Zandte was assigned to the 72nd in Liberia before coming to Ethiopia. Aircraft flown: OH-23G, UH-1B, U-6, U-8 -----------------------------------
Aircraft flown: OH-23G, UH-1B, UH-1H, and U-6A. Joe writes: "I flew with the Mapping Mission from Dec 1964 til Jun 1966. I knew Jack Kalmbach well, in fact we were on the same mission the day he got kidnapped and his ship blown up. I have movies as I landed at the wreckage, since Maj Patterson and I were the ones that located it. I also flew an H-13 in the recovery of the "Lady Be Good" crew in 1960." -----------------------------------
Maj. Patterson held multiple ratings in single engine Fixed Wing and Rotor Wing aircraft.
Aircraft flown: OH-23G, UH-1B, U-6 (more info needed) -----------------------------------
Aircraft flown: UH-1H and Fixed Wing aircraft. -----------------------------------
Instructor Pilot in U-6A and U-9C aircraft. Test Pilot for UH-1B, OH-23G, U-6A and U-9C aircraft.
Aircraft flown: C-185, U-1, U-6A, U-9C, OH 23G, UH-1B. Click Here to read Jack's Biography. -----------------------------------
Richard Isbel (photo as of yet unavailable) -----------------------------------
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1LT. Pete Orlin came to Ethi-US Mapping Mission as a Second Lieutenant from the 72d Engineer Survey Liaison Detachment in Liberia He received his promotion to First Lieutenant in Ethiopia, and later to Captain upon his return to the United States.
Aircraft flown: OH-23G and UH-1B -----------------------------------
Joe Pike was a veteran Army helicopter pilot who had served two tours in Vietnam and who was assigned to the U.S. Mapping Mission after completing the U.S. Army’s fixed wing transition program. Upon completion of the mission in Ethiopia he was assigned to the AH-1 Cobra transition program at Fort Stewart, Georgia and then to a third tour in Vietnam. He would later receive his Master Aviator wings and held multiple ratings in single and multi-engine fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft.
Mapping Mission aircraft flown: U-17, U-6, U-8D, U-9C, C-47 and UH-1H -----------------------------------
Joe Adams was dual rated in both Fixed Wing and Rotor Wing aircraft. (photo and additional information as of yet unavailable). Aircraft flown: OH-23G, UH-1B, U-1, U-6A, U-8, U-9C, U-17 (Cessna 185) ----------------------------------
CW4 Richard "Dick" Birk was Dual Rated - Fixed Wing and Rotor Wing aircraft. (photo as of yet unavailable) Mrs. Bernice Birk writes: When he left the states he flew into Tripoli. From there he was sent to Germany with another pilot (I think Capt. Newport) and two crew chiefs to pick up two Huey helicopters. Upon arrival back at Wheelus AFB they went to the Sudan to map the country. When it became too hot to see thru their instruments they were sent to Ethiopia. I don't remember exactly when they arrived in Addis but it would be sometime the summer of '64. Our children and I arrived in Addis in December of '64. We returned to the states in Mar. '66. There was a possibility that we would be returning to Addis and he would be flying as a civilian. He had an interview with Eastern Airlines-was hired so obviously we did not return. He retired from the reserves with the rank of Maj. He was medically retired from Eastern Airlines in 1989. He passed away in 2003 and is interred in the Florida National Cemetery at Bushnell, Fl. Aircraft flown: OH-23G, UH-1B, U-1, U-6A, U-8, U-9C, U-17 (Cessna 185) -----------------------------------
Mike Berry (photo and additional information as of yet unavailable). Aircraft flown: UH-1H -----------------------------------
Rod Bither writes: "While in Ethi, I was given a check-out in the UH1 by CWO Reed. I happened to be flying with Jack (Kalmbach) (I was the other ship in a field classification mission) when I saw very black and ominous smoke coming from the West, the location of Jack's route for classification. Lot's of comm work and immediate search of the area looking for Jack and crew. I thought initially that the A/C had crashed but upon landing it was clear there were no remains in the ship and no dynamic damage to the rotor system (blade tips had not burned and clearly had no impact damage) more later." (Photo as yet unavailable)
UH-1H (more info needed) -----------------------------------
Mapping Mission aircraft flown: H-23 and UH-1A
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Mr. Tim Wolfe held multiple ratings in single and multi-engine fixed wing aircraft and rotor wing aircraft. Aircraft flown: C-17, U-1A, U-6, U-9, U-10, C-47, OH-23G, and UH-1B. -----------------------------------
Mr. Jack Miller was an Ex-U.S. Army Air Corps, U.S. Army Air Forces, United States Air Force, Air Defence Command fighter pilot who flew single engine piston fighters in WW-2 (P-47 and P-51), single engine jet fighters during the Korean War (F-80 and F86) and post-Korean War Era (F-102). After leaving actice service he was a Civilian Flight Instructor with ServAir, a civilian flight school under contract to the U.S. Government. Jack first went to Ethiopia in 1961 as a flight instructor with the National Airlines Training Program (NATP), a joint U.S. State Dept. (Point-4)/Trans World Airlines/Ethiopian Air Lines and Ethiopian Aviation Authority project tasked with training Ethiopian citizens as pilots and aircraft mechanics, and in other positions in the aviation field so that eventually they could take over the day-to-day operation or their airline, Ethiopian Air Lines. From 1963 until 1965 Jack flew with Mr. Al Temple and Mr. Don Davis for USAID/RICP/Locust Control in Ethiopia. In the summer of 1966 he returned to Ethiopia to fly for the Ethiopia-United States Mapping Mission and remained with them until the completion of that mission in the summer of 1970.
Mapping Mission Aircraft flown: U-17 (Cessna 185), U-1, U-6, U-8D, U-9C, C-47, OH-23, UH-1B and UH-1H -----------------------------------
Mr. Lee Rodawalt came to Ethiopia as a retired career Army Aviation officer. His proficiency was in helicopters; however, Mr. Rodawalt had numerous hours in various fixed wing aircraft throughout his military career. His assignment with Ethiopia-United States Mapping Mission required him to fly all of the aircraft in inventory.
Mapping Mission Aircraft flown: U-17 (Cessna 185), U-1, U-6, U-8D, U-9C, C-47, OH-23, UH-1B and UH-1H -----------------------------------
Mapping Mission Aircraft flown: U-17 (Cessna 185) , U-1, U-6, U-8D, U-9C, C-47 (need more info) -----------------------------------
Mapping Mission Aircraft flown: U-17 (Cessna 185) , U-1, U-6, U-8D, U-9C, C-47 -----------------------------------
Mapping Mission Aircraft flown: C-47 (need more info) -----------------------------------
(photo as of yet unavailable) Mr. Rose was severely injured when the UH-1B he was flying (N1901R) lost an engine and couldn't maintain rotor RPM. Mapping Mission Aircraft flown: OH-23, UH-1, U-17 , U-1, U-6, U-8D, U-9C, C-47 Pete Orlin writes: "Bob Rose was a great pilot. I had him for an advanced instructor at Ft. Rucker, Alabama. He was the finest helicopter pilot I ever flew with. He was an artist with the Huey, especially at autorotations. The only reason that everyone survived the crash was because of his exceptional skill." CLICK HERE to see photos taken at the crash scene by Lt. Col. Elbert D. Berry, Commanding Officer 64th Engineer Battalion who was on that flight. -----------------------------------
Mapping Mission Aircraft flown: U-17 , U-1, U-6, U-8D, U-9C, C-47, H-23, UH-1 -----------------------------------
Mr. Richard P. (Dick) Van Leer AKA "VAN" held multiple ratings including single and multi-engine Fixed Wing aircraft and Rotor Wing aircraft. Mapping Mission Aircraft flown: U-17 , U-1, U-6, U-8D, U-9C, C-47, H-23, UH-1 -----------------------------------
Mr. Steve Testa (photo and additional information as of yet unavailable). -----------------------------------
Mr. Glen Pearson (photo and additional information as of yet unavailable). ----------------------------------- Please send additional information concerning Flight Line Personnel to leemiller@ethi-usmappingmission.com. | ||
Lt. Col. Don E. Finney was a 
Maj. Homer L. Brem was multi-rated in both Fixed Wing and Rotor Wing aircraft. 
Maj. Phillip Pitts
Maj. Joe Sites held multiple ratings in single and multi-engine Fixed Wing and Rotor Wing aircraft. 
Major John W. Patterson arrived in Ethiopia as a Captain and was promoted to Major. Maj Patterson and Joe Sites were the ones who located the UH-1 that ELF soldiers destroyed after taking the crew prisoner. Please forward any additional information to 
Captain James T. (Jim) Campbell 1969 - 1970 Commanding Officer: Air Field Operation. (more information soon to follow).
Jack Kalmbach is a 
CAPT. Dennis Eugene (Denny) Newport 
Jim O'Connor - Aircraft flown: UH-1H , U-1 Otter, U-6 Beaver, U-17 (Cessna 185) and the C-47
1LT PETE ORLIN 1965-1967
CAPT. JOSEPH L. PIKE 1969-1970 
Sam Raines was dual rated in both Fixed Wing and Rotor Wing aircraft. Mapping Mission Aircraft flown: UH-1H , U-1 Otter, U-6 Beaver, U-17 (Cessna 185) and the C-47
CW3 Harry Brian
CW4 Thomas 'Tom' Dunaway 
Tim Wolfe flew for Mapping Mission in Ethiopia, the Sudan, and all points beyond.
Mr. Miller held multiple ratings in single and multi-engine fixed wing aircraft, single engine jet aircraft and rotor wing aircraft. Member of Battalion Flight Standardization Board.
Mr. Lee Rodawalt, ret. Major, was a 
Mr. William T. 'Hap' Linderman held multiple ratings in single and multi-engine Fixed Wing and Rotor aircraft.
Mr. Irvin 'Pappy' Rice was rated in single and multi-engine Fixed Wing aircraft as well as Rotor wing aircraft.
Mr. Gerald Johns was an ex-U.S. Navy pilot who held multiple ratings in single and multi-engine Fixed Wing aircraft.
Mr. Richard (Dick) Babbit held multiple ratings in single and multi-engine Fixed Wing and Rotor Wing aircraft.
Mr. Richard (Dick) Van Leer at the Organization Day celebration at Mapping Mission 1967.
