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surplus helicopters?

maddawg308

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How do old helicopters, like the Hueys and light duty stuff get surplussed out? I know they do, because there are a number of civilian and commercial users of these old helos, including the logging industry, police, crop dusters and fire fighters, sightseers and warbird collectors. I just never see a GL auction for them.

And yes, I know you can't buy a Apache or Blackhawk, don't think I'm that stupid. We're talking older utility and oberservation helos here.

I am asking, because I just got back from Mechanicsburg PA where I saw two nearly complete OH-6 Cayuses in Navy Rescue garb parked among the rest of the worn out deuces and surplus in the outside lot. Be a shame for a couple old Tweety Birds to get cut up....
 

hndrsonj

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They used to get out. Now they will be in pieces, at least thru GL. When we give up a bird it goes to Davis-Monthan, they store it or strip it (depending) then when it is determined not to be worth saving/storing it gets sold thru GL after demil. The only exceptions we have (that I know of); is if one becomes a static display on a base then I believe it stays in the Navy inventory until it too is unusable or base closes then it goes the GL route too with demil. Also if there is a mishap the A/C remains are kept on station for a period of (I believe) 5 years, then it too goes the GL scrap metal route.
 
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wreckerman893

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Authorized agencies can draw out equipment that can't be released to the general public.
Some of the Skycranes and other heavy lift choppers were sold to private companies but there is a lot of paperwork and "big brother" involved.
There are several like new Huey tail sections at Redstone that will probably go through a shredder.
When it comes to surplussing some of the stuff our booberment bought the lunatics are running the asylum.:cookoo:
 

hndrsonj

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"Authorized Agencies" are going to be very limited on the types of A/C they can get, it isn't like it was back in the day. Should be limited to trainers, some transports and helo's mostly. As far as carcasses around, they are all over. We were just in western Puerto Rico at the Coast Guard Station a few months ago and they had half a dozen Hueys lined up at the DRMO site that will be there a long time since they don't want to deal with disposing of them. Most bases have old aircraft and MV's stashed all over (look at Eglin for example).
 

papercu

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Probaby most flying helicopters went for state use and then into private hands. Most are pick apart for spares.
I saw a old Heuy on AX MEN that had a bad landing and the company rebuilt it from the ground up because of no replacement helicopters. Wayne
 

wdbtchr

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There was a Huey on GSA a few years back(5 as best as I remember) it looked pretty good, but stated not airworthy. I have no idea what it went for, I'm a ground hog.
 

NDT

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Those all come out thru GSA. The Museum of the American GI was lucky to draw this TH1F. Here we are loading it onto my M275A2E1 with Rogers 20 ton lowboy.
 

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vj

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helicopters

i think a lot of the hueys and 58 were give to city, sheriff dept, museum, were later sold to civilians , same for the old cannons. some demill and sold to civilians. my last 15 years with the army aviation ,we sent helicopters, ever where, we sent 7 oh6 to the border patrol. to guard unit, stripped some down and the frames were dumped in the sea, for the fish, they flew some out , hauled out on flat beds, we had 32 cobras, 25 hueys, alot of 58, but don,t know where they went. another country i guess, when i retired in o3 we had blackhawks, apachie, 58deltas. one of the 58 deltas pilots put a hell fire up the 2 bro,s ass in iraq. the apachies went to afgastan and do a little damage also. wendell in tn. [ you can checkout any time you please, but you can never leave]
 

Avn-Tech

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Group,

I have seen aircraft come out for sale (not though GL) over the last ten + years.
Usually they are sold through bid, but sometime exchange (AF Museum).
Probably easier to purchase one that is already out then try to find one at auction.
If you want to get into aircraft, be prepared top spend money.
A starter Huey, starts around $25-50K.
Then you need to start finding the rest of the parts (airworthy).

If you get one and need manuals, I have full sets for most helicopter models.
I also have fixed wings, engine, forign and other manuals (approx 10K manuals).
I also have some ground support equipment (stands, jacks, ect).

Anyone have an american/Japanese F-86?
I have a spare J-47, looking for a home.
Maybe mounted in th bed of my Deuce for those times I need extra power!

Laterrrrr
Avn-Tech
 

EZFEED

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Group,

I have seen aircraft come out for sale (not though GL) over the last ten + years.
Usually they are sold through bid, but sometime exchange (AF Museum).
Probably easier to purchase one that is already out then try to find one at auction.
If you want to get into aircraft, be prepared top spend money.
A starter Huey, starts around $25-50K.
Then you need to start finding the rest of the parts (airworthy).

If you get one and need manuals, I have full sets for most helicopter models.
I also have fixed wings, engine, forign and other manuals (approx 10K manuals).
I also have some ground support equipment (stands, jacks, ect).

Anyone have an american/Japanese F-86?
I have a spare J-47, looking for a home.
Maybe mounted in th bed of my Deuce for those times I need extra power!

Laterrrrr
Avn-Tech
WOW....didn't know hueys were that much :(
I can get Mi-24 attack helicopters for $25-$50K though :) Some even running too but you cant get any logs with them so no registration.......would make a good experimental though :wink:
 

vj

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michie, tn.
pictures of aircraft

avn tech if ok send us some pictures, of anything in the air. what about the bt 13,, valtee. i like the airplane too. wendell in tn.
 

FrankUSMC

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Hate to post this, but were I work at, we rebuild UH1 Hueys and the Marine Cobras. If it is to old and not worth rebuild it goes to DRMO, to be destroyed. I saw about 7 plus Hueys there one time at DRMO, none of them were in any where near flying condition. Just shells.
One of the few, Frank USMC RET
 

coeder

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Ohio
I have a friend who's dad has two that he used to fly. He passed away about 8 months ago and they are still sitting in his yard. I just havent asked what they will be doing with them. He got them when he was a state rep.
 

co_rotorhead

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Denver, CO
I know when my unit transitioned from Hueys to 'Hawks, we flew all six down south for storage (sadly, two went by flat bed). Many of these end up as foreign military sales, or as parts. Even if you can get one for private or commercial use, it is certified as "experimental" and therefore, not for hire - that is no passengers. That limits its use for some commercial use.

Every once and a while you'll see a "restored" and flying Huey for sale and I've seen them going for $250K to $500K - really depends on how much time is on the big dollar components - like the engine, transmission and blades.

By the way, the cost to fly one is somewhere around $1500 per hour....yep, per hour.

Still playing the lotto, so whe I hit the big payout, you'll see a "UH-1H Huey" in my SS signature!
 
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