Main Recovery Helicopter Pilots

MAIN RECOVERY HELICOPTER PILOTS

Mission

Pilot

Co-Pilot

Crewman

Mercury-Atlas 1
Mission Failed

Mercury-Redstone 1
Mission Scrubbed

Mercury-Redstone 1A
Lt. Wayne Koons

Capt. Allen K. Daniel, Jr.

Mercury-Redstone 2
First Lieutenant John A. Hellriegel (or Hellridger)

1st Lt. George F. Cox

Mercury-Atlas 2
First Lieutenant Wayne E. Koons?

Captain Allen [Al] K. Daniel?

Mercury-Atlas 3
Mission Failed

Mercury-Redstone 3
First Lieutenant Wayne E. Koons

George F. Cox

Mercury-Redstone 4
Phillip Upschutte

George F. Cox¹

Mercury-Atlas 4

Mercury-Atlas 5

Mercury-Atlas 6

Mercury-Atlas 7
Cdr. J. M. Wondergrem

Lt. ig. W. Shufelt

Mercury-Atlas 8

Mercury-Atlas 9
Mead Massa

Lt G. Dubois²

Gemini 1

Gemini 2
Lt. Donald Coolican

Gemini 3
LCdr. Warren H. Winchester

Lt. ig. J. R. Walker

1st - AX3 J. Kerivan
2nd - J. D. Hightower

Gemini 4
Cdr. Clarence O. Fiske

Lt. Douglas C Bullard

Gemini 5
Cdr. Fred Highsmith

Gemini 6
Mission Scrubbed

Gemini 6A
Cdr. J. M. Pearigen

LCdr. Wm. P. Newton, USNR

Gemini 7
Cdr. Norman H. McLaughlin

Lt. ig. Jack R. Faro

Chief ASW Tech Thos. E. Jacobs

Gemini 8

Gemini 9A

Gemini 10
LCdr. Bruce S. Fleming

Lt. ig. James L. Stewart

1st - Petty Off. John S. Alman
2nd - Warren R. Watkins

Gemini 11
Lt. Arthur G Doege

Lt. Herman D. Rotsch

1st - Robert. L. Brough
2nd - Donald Scarborough

Gemini 12
LCdr. Sam Aydelotte

MOL

Apollo 201
Cdr. C. N. Tilton

Apollo 203

Apollo 202

Apollo 1 (Fire)
N/A

Apollo 4

Apollo 5

Apollo 6

Apollo 7
Cdr. E. A. Skube

Apollo 8
Cdr. Donald S. Jones

Carl Frank³

1st - Norvel L.Wood³
2nd - James B.Dorsey³

Apollo 9
Cdr. G.M. Rankin

Apollo 10
Cdr. Charles (Chuck) B. Smiley
(Recovery 3)

Lt. J. (Scotty) S. Walker

1st - Ralph. G. Slider

Apollo 11^e
Cdr. Donald S. Jones

Lt. jg. Bruce Johnson

1st - Norvel L. Wood
2nd - Stanley G. Robnett

Apollo 12
Cdr. Warren E. Aut

Glenn A. Casey

1st - Kenny V. Cunningham
2nd - Abram Dominquez

Apollo 13
Cdr. C. B. Smiley

D. G. McCarthy

1st - Ralph G. Slider

Apollo 14
Cdr.W. E. Walker

Apollo 15
Cdr. S. A. Coakley

Lt John Murphy

1st - Ernest L. Skeen?
2nd - Thomas R. Handerleigh?

Apollo 16
Cdr. Arnie Fieser

Jon S. Gregory?

Apollo 17
Cdr. E.(Ted) E. Dahill III

Lt. Dan Mahoney

1st - C. J. Delaney
2nd - V. J. Wirandy?

Skylab 1
None

Skylab 2⁴
Cdr. Arnie Fieser
Ltjg. Doug Yesensky
1st - ADJ 1 John Edel
2nd - AT 2 Walt Pinkston
3rd - AMS 3 Arther Goltz

Skylab 3
Cdr. E.(Ted) E. Dahill III

Skylab 4
Cdr. Bud Packington

John H. Winter

1st - Danny E Porter?

ASTP
Cdr. A. E. Pellerin III

Jack Thompson

1st - Vern Bender
2nd - Bob Coyell?

Notes
1) Jim Lewis & John Rinehart - Piloted the aborted attempt to recover the capsule
2) USS Kearsarge cruise book 1963 thanks to Timothy Preston
3) Thanks to Gerard Spenkelink
4) Thanks to John Edel

References
a) http://spacecraftrecovery.com/content/recovery/recoverydata.html
b) correspondence with Dennis Dilman
c) signed Recovery Ship covers from personal collection
d) Captain's covers
e) See Apollo 11 Astronaut Recovery Teams for full information on the various Recovery teams thanks to Bob Fish of the USS Hornet Museum.

Mission	Pilot	Co-Pilot	Crewman
Mercury-Atlas 1	Mission Failed
Mercury-Redstone 1	Mission Scrubbed
Mercury-Redstone 1A	Lt. Wayne Koons	Capt. Allen K. Daniel, Jr.
Mercury-Redstone 2	First Lieutenant John A. Hellriegel (or Hellridger)	1st Lt. George F. Cox
Mercury-Atlas 2	First Lieutenant Wayne E. Koons?	Captain Allen [Al] K. Daniel?
Mercury-Atlas 3	Mission Failed
Mercury-Redstone 3	First Lieutenant Wayne E. Koons	George F. Cox
Mercury-Redstone 4	Phillip Upschutte	George F. Cox¹
Mercury-Atlas 4
Mercury-Atlas 5
Mercury-Atlas 6
Mercury-Atlas 7	Cdr. J. M. Wondergrem	Lt. ig. W. Shufelt
Mercury-Atlas 8
Mercury-Atlas 9	Mead Massa	Lt G. Dubois²
Gemini 1
Gemini 2	Lt. Donald Coolican
Gemini 3	LCdr. Warren H. Winchester	Lt. ig. J. R. Walker	1st - AX3 J. Kerivan 2nd - J. D. Hightower
Gemini 4	Cdr. Clarence O. Fiske	Lt. Douglas C Bullard
Gemini 5	Cdr. Fred Highsmith
Gemini 6	Mission Scrubbed
Gemini 6A	Cdr. J. M. Pearigen	LCdr. Wm. P. Newton, USNR
Gemini 7	Cdr. Norman H. McLaughlin	Lt. ig. Jack R. Faro	Chief ASW Tech Thos. E. Jacobs
Gemini 8
Gemini 9A
Gemini 10	LCdr. Bruce S. Fleming	Lt. ig. James L. Stewart	1st - Petty Off. John S. Alman 2nd - Warren R. Watkins
Gemini 11	Lt. Arthur G Doege	Lt. Herman D. Rotsch	1st - Robert. L. Brough 2nd - Donald Scarborough
Gemini 12	LCdr. Sam Aydelotte
MOL
Apollo 201	Cdr. C. N. Tilton
Apollo 203
Apollo 202
Apollo 1 (Fire)	N/A
Apollo 4
Apollo 5
Apollo 6
Apollo 7	Cdr. E. A. Skube
Apollo 8	Cdr. Donald S. Jones	Carl Frank³	1st - Norvel L.Wood³ 2nd - James B.Dorsey³
Apollo 9	Cdr. G.M. Rankin
Apollo 10	Cdr. Charles (Chuck) B. Smiley (Recovery 3)	Lt. J. (Scotty) S. Walker	1st - Ralph. G. Slider
Apollo 11^e	Cdr. Donald S. Jones	Lt. jg. Bruce Johnson	1st - Norvel L. Wood 2nd - Stanley G. Robnett
Apollo 12	Cdr. Warren E. Aut	Glenn A. Casey	1st - Kenny V. Cunningham 2nd - Abram Dominquez
Apollo 13	Cdr. C. B. Smiley	D. G. McCarthy	1st - Ralph G. Slider
Apollo 14	Cdr.W. E. Walker
Apollo 15	Cdr. S. A. Coakley	Lt John Murphy	1st - Ernest L. Skeen? 2nd - Thomas R. Handerleigh?
Apollo 16	Cdr. Arnie Fieser	Jon S. Gregory?
Apollo 17	Cdr. E.(Ted) E. Dahill III	Lt. Dan Mahoney	1st - C. J. Delaney 2nd - V. J. Wirandy?
Skylab 1	None
Skylab 2⁴	Cdr. Arnie Fieser	Ltjg. Doug Yesensky	1st - ADJ 1 John Edel 2nd - AT 2 Walt Pinkston 3rd - AMS 3 Arther Goltz
Skylab 3	Cdr. E.(Ted) E. Dahill III
Skylab 4	Cdr. Bud Packington	John H. Winter	1st - Danny E Porter?
ASTP	Cdr. A. E. Pellerin III	Jack Thompson	1st - Vern Bender 2nd - Bob Coyell?