Huey flight time

[JAYHAWK 1962]

thank you for sharing and welcome home!

 

[hurst01]

we are not allowed to smoke within 50 of the helicopters now... I love the guy smoking in the back of the Huey in the first picture... Love the pics!

We were not allowed to smoke within 50' back then then either. We even had to stand with a fire extinguisher in hand while looking in access panels for fire during start-up. That guy is sitting in the Crew Chief seat and should have known better.

Ed

 

[Binder]

Interesting reads guys. Though not combat I spent three years as a crewchief abourd a UH-1H...Three years I will never forget to say the least.

 

[atankersdad]

Ex Navy FMF HM2 here, from 72-76. I respect the chopper pilots with the balls to drop into a hot LZ.. Many who were severely wounded owe their lives to these pilots. Others, like me, owe their lives to those who safely got us in and out of those LZs. You guys were the best...My 20 year old sons thank you...

 

[ecupirate]

I have the utmost respect for you vietnam guys took a lot of guts to do the job ya'll did.

Wreckerman that Huey at Camp Shelby flies daily, we were there for two months back early this year and only if wx was bad did it not fly. They use it for the camp medevac and for firefighting as well. We had a bad fire on the Bradley gunnery range one day and I had the privelige of watching them do airdrops for about an hour.

I have flown on a UH-60, and a BK117 "civilian medevac", the best experience however was at Ft. Irwin Ca, we were doing our NTC rotation and I was a simulated casualty and they said they were gonna do a for real medevac for practice. And I was gonna get to fly. I figured it would be a UH-60, much to my delight and suprise I heard the rotor slap of the huey. That flight made my month **** quite possibly my year, especially to know there are so few still in the military inventory. I felt extremely lucky to have been able to fly in a Huey this late in their career. Especially for free.

 

[cyberspace_7]

Good reading! Thanks Guys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[pepco]

Two Huey's up an back in flight

The group American Huey 369 now has two restored birds in the air. I have shot some video with them and have a clip up on Youtube for anyone to view. Several other videos relate to us Vietnam Vets. I served in III corp 69/70 with the 2/12th 25th div. I have a 4 on my frequent flyer ribbon. I served as a platoon leader with an mos of 11b. Welcome home brothers.

link to video:
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjWG2rls0yw[/media]

Check the "more by pepco5978" for additional videos

 

[redcoat54th]

Thanks for posting. I first flew the UH-1 in 1975 at Fort Rucker as a WOC (Warrant Officer Candidate). After flying the TH-55 in training the Huey was top of the line to fly. I flew in Alabama and Alaska and returned to civvy life in 1980. I still run outside to look whenever I hear the thump of rotor blades! By todays standards the huey is crude, but like the Jeep of WWII fame if will always have a following. How many new pilots wish they could have flown a Huey? I missed out on 'Nam and will always wonder if I had what it took! Glad I never had to find out; but all the same I wonder..............................
I salute all that flew combat. Thank you.

 

[LTWVARNG]

When I first arrived in my National Guard unit we had over 20 Hueys on the flight line. Every Drill weekend I would see a few more missing and be replaced with a Blackhawk. I would jump in a Huey whenever I could for a ride. I took the last ride in the last Huey we had with two CW5's with over 10,000 plus hours each...both Vietnam Veterans. As I departed to Flight school to fly blackhawks I was sure I would never fly in one again. Well Flatiron our rescue birds here at Rucker still fly them (they are being replaced by the UH-72 Lakota). I had to make a precautionary landing in a cow field when I had a engine chip light come on in the TH-67. So it was Huey ride time once more! Wish I had brought my camera.

 

[Pawnshop]

When I was a kid in the 80's I thought wanted to fly helicopters for a living, so I started reading everything I could about the general principals of flight. The more I learned and the more time I spent around the Jet Rangers at the local airfield, I lost interest, and eventually went in other directions. This past May at the Airsho in Temple Texas I got to be very close to a helicopter participating in a Vietnam re-enactment, and I had an epiphany: I didn't want to fly helicopters as a kid, I WANTED TO FLY HUEYS! I have not been up in one yet but I will take the first opportunity I can, and if I hit the big jackpot I will be the first in my local MVPA chapter with a flying MV!

 

[pepco]

Yeh there is no other ride like the Huey. The sound to a combat veteran of Vietnam can be heard for miles, while others have no clue it is coming. I noticed the pics from Pawnshop show the 101 Cav. insignia. We flew most of our missions with the Hornets. Huey 369 was a medivac and had a short lived tour as with most medivac. (6 months was the norm). The newest bird 803 lasted 2 1/2 years. 803 went into a hot LV and had to land hard, breaking the skids on impact. The started to scuttle the ship when a Col. came in and asked if it still ran. The answer was yes and he told them to fly it out. The returned to base, landing on a quickly made pad of sand bags. You can see and hear more about both ships at www.americanheuy369.com. Thanks for the input guys....

 

[SasquatchSanta]

Rich (gohot229),

I see from your album that you are a descendent of royalty. I'm sure you've made your grandfathers proud. Thank you for shareing your story.

Welcome home brother.

 

[gunhog11]

. Well Flatiron our rescue birds here at Rucker still fly them (they are being replaced by the UH-72 Lakota). I had to make a precautionary landing in a cow field when I had a engine chip light come on in the TH-67. So it was Huey ride time once more! Wish I had brought my camera.

Blasphemy

We here on the USAF side of Cairns are still flying them too, both the straight UH as well as the upgraded TH. Surely you see us on the A and D ramp parking?

Still flying the UH-1H, and loving it!

 

[elkhunter]

Here are some pictures of DeHavilland U-1A "Otters" and a DeHavilland U-6A---L20 "Beaver" which flew in the Korean War. the "Otter" was used in the Viet Nam Conflict. There is also a picture of a helicopter a H21-C Vertol and used in both conflicts also. The markings of the OD "Otter" belong to a U.S. Army unit based at Ban Me Thuot,South Viet Nam in 1968.. If you look close enough at the "Beaver you will see two F-86 Sabres to the top right of the plane.The other "Otter" pictures are planes used by the 19th Aviation Battalion in Fort Richardson,AK andf Fort Wainwright,AK U-8"Seminole and U-21A"Utes" twins are also pictured. Hope you enjoy them.

 

[LTWVARNG]

Blasphemy

We here on the USAF side of Cairns are still flying them too, both the straight UH as well as the upgraded TH. Surely you see us on the A and D ramp parking?

Still flying the UH-1H, and loving it!

I ment the Army! The Air Force will fly those for many years to come. Kinda weird how that works!

 

[elkhunter]

Aren't the C-12's the same plane that the Army calls U-21A's?

 

[EnteJager]

No, U-21's are no longer in the inventory, they were non pressurized A90 KingAirs.

The C-12 (BE-200 KingAir) is quite a bit larger, pressurized, A/C ect. I transitioned from the rotor side to fixed wing back in '96. Could have used King Air 350's instead of the 200's but that is another story. Flew C12 R's in the Army Reserve.

Never left helicopters, still fly them on the civilian side, and love it.

 

[elkhunter]

Thanks EnteJager for the info, I admit I don't know a lot as I have been out of the Army since 1969. Thanks also for your service. 19th Aviation Battalion Fort Richardson,AK 1967-1969.

 

[papabear]

Wasn't in Vietnam, came in service in 1971. Light Infantry. Never a pilot or crewman of a huey but got lots of rides in them. 9th ID, 101st etc.
As someone else said...there is no better sound than that "whop whop" sound coming to take you home...or at least to somewhere else

I liked the huey much better than the blackhawk.

 

[elkhunter]

Here are a couple of more pictures of planes used by the U.S. and Canada, one is the Dehavilland "Otter" and the other os a UC-6A Norseman.. Enjoy!