The Best Helicopter in the World!!!

[Rotor-Head]

I got the privilege of working with my favorite aircraft of all time.. A fully restored UH-1H Huey from the 25th Infantry Division, Vietnam...

The video is done and there is a nice story from the owner/pilot now....

http://www.rotor-head.com/videos/huey2.html

[helipaddy]

Shawn
Absolute Magic!

[brett s]

Awesome :)

[All_In]

That was way cool!

You create excellent videos!!

[lanichol]

Wow! That is great.

It did make me ponder and a little envious.

[DennisFetters]

I have to agree, it was the best.

bu bu bu but it st st st still sh sh sh shakes th th th the sa sa sa same I re re re re remember!!

[Rotor-Head]

I have to agree, it was the best.

bu bu bu but it st st st still sh sh sh shakes th th th the sa sa sa same I re re re re remember!!

yes it does..... I think that one of those things that makes the Huey a "Huey".

[billygyro]

great vid- Shawn

i see them just about every day here in my town. shakes the whole house when they fly over. Screaming Eagles of Fort Campbell.... 101st. div.

[StanFoster]

Shawn: Thanks for that. Good job, and I enjoyed it.

Stan

[Earthboundmisft]

Shawn, very cool at high decibles, at least twice!!

[Timchick]

Awesome! Great job.

[scottessex]

Gotta love Huey's...they beat the air into submission.

[Airone]

Nice Shawn
I saw Tim's Huey 2 year's ago at the Bend Airport at the airshow we had here.
It is one of the nicest Huey I have ever seen.

[Rotor-Head]

Nice Shawn
I saw Tim's Huey 2 year's ago at the Bend Airport at the airshow we had here.
It is one of the nicest Huey I have ever seen.

Yes.. It's Immaculate....

[PW_Plack]

Thanks for capturing the start-up...it's my favorite part of the soundtrack!

[Hognose]

Damn, Shawn.

My eyes are moist and I never even piloted one of these things. Jumped from them over land and water, helicasted from them, rappelled from them, fast-roped in the tag end of their military service, hung from a STABO harness under 'em, was hunted by them in exercises. Never flew one, and never got medevaced in one.

I particularly liked the fade to black at the end. Gave me goosebumps, it did.

Heard that distinctive rotor sound, and I was 24 again, first man in the door in Ranger school on the big airmobile operation that they had every cycle, where the pilots (students themselves, checking the combat-assault box) would throw goodies to the half-starved students... you were allowed to eat whatever you could during the short lift, but you were forbidden to take anything off the bird at the end of the ride. I remember trying to jump on a cold, cold morning and the jumpmaster's face was so badly frozen, trying to spot the panels, that he canceled the jump, to the irritation of the group commander.

I remember being first man in the door on jumps, the wind blowing my legs and my rucksack as the Huey lifted effortlessly. I remember a hot summer day and on the downwind leg of our drop pattern, smelling the new-mown grass or hay in the field below. The smells and the sounds stay with you the longest.

I remember tipping upside down and starting to fall out of a STABO harness at 3000' and the other guy with me, a friend to this day, trying to hang on to me so I didn't fall. Most scared I have ever been, by a mile. I couldn't hold on any more, and let go, even though I thought it meant I would die. I caught a lucky break; the harness caught me behind the knees, and I had the strength to hold on till we were coming in, at which time the crew chief noticed my predicament.

All the terrors of my life seemed to have UH-1 rotors as an accompaniment.

I actually thought of the Huey today as my guys prepared to do an airshow (Great New England Airshow, at Westover Air Reserve Base). Our well-practiced act got canc'd by a safety panic in a nutless wonder at the National Guard Bureau in the Pentagon, and instead we're going to do something lamer -- with Chinook and/or Black Hawk support. The displays at the show include a C-123 (from which I have dozens of jumps, before they were sent to the knacker's), a Mohawk (the Army's ISR platform of the 1980s) and a number of other now-vintage craft that I remember from my youth.

The Huey was a revolution when it was new. People forget that now, but making a utility helicopter with a turbine engine made the helicopter practical, signed the death-warrant for utility and liaison STOL aircraft, and changed the face of warfare. It was miles ahead of the radial engined H-34 it replaced (that was before my time, but many of the grizzled old NCOs that mentored me rode them -- piloted by Vietnamese Air Force pilots -- into Laos and Cambodia back in the day).

The Huey first flew, IIRC, over fifty years ago. It was the YUH-40 at first. The Army's replacing them with Eurocopters, a program which hasn't gone all that well, but as others have noted the Marines are upgrading some of theirs and plan to keep using them.

Dennis is right about the shake, for sure. I dunno how you're going to avoid it on a teetering rotor that size.

My dirty Huey secret: in my "war room" where all my I-love-me certificates and way too many war books hang, there's a strange looking seat. It's the armored command pilot seat (right seat) from a UH-1B that we were tasked to destroy once. The seat followed me home (grin) and sits there, with a couple of good Huey pilot books (including David and Jay Groen's) on it to entice the visitor into a reading session.

If you stop by and try it out, and find yourself making whup-whup-whup noises, I'll never tell.

cheers

-=K=-

[Timchick]

Thanks for capturing the start-up...it's my favorite part of the soundtrack!

Paul,
That's what I like about this video, the sound: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nF1vihmlVDg

[Rotor-Head]

Damn, Shawn.

My eyes are moist and I never even piloted one of these things. Jumped from them over land and water, helicasted from them, rappelled from them, fast-roped in the tag end of their military service, hung from a STABO harness under 'em, was hunted by them in exercises. Never flew one, and never got medevaced in one.

I particularly liked the fade to black at the end. Gave me goosebumps, it did.

Heard that distinctive rotor sound, and I was 24 again, first man in the door in Ranger school on the big airmobile operation that they had every cycle, where the pilots (students themselves, checking the combat-assault box) would throw goodies to the half-starved students... you were allowed to eat whatever you could during the short lift, but you were forbidden to take anything off the bird at the end of the ride. I remember trying to jump on a cold, cold morning and the jumpmaster's face was so badly frozen, trying to spot the panels, that he canceled the jump, to the irritation of the group commander.

I remember being first man in the door on jumps, the wind blowing my legs and my rucksack as the Huey lifted effortlessly. I remember a hot summer day and on the downwind leg of our drop pattern, smelling the new-mown grass or hay in the field below. The smells and the sounds stay with you the longest.

I remember tipping upside down and starting to fall out of a STABO harness at 3000' and the other guy with me, a friend to this day, trying to hang on to me so I didn't fall. Most scared I have ever been, by a mile. I couldn't hold on any more, and let go, even though I thought it meant I would die. I caught a lucky break; the harness caught me behind the knees, and I had the strength to hold on till we were coming in, at which time the crew chief noticed my predicament.

All the terrors of my life seemed to have UH-1 rotors as an accompaniment.

I actually thought of the Huey today as my guys prepared to do an airshow (Great New England Airshow, at Westover Air Reserve Base). Our well-practiced act got canc'd by a safety panic in a nutless wonder at the National Guard Bureau in the Pentagon, and instead we're going to do something lamer -- with Chinook and/or Black Hawk support. The displays at the show include a C-123 (from which I have dozens of jumps, before they were sent to the knacker's), a Mohawk (the Army's ISR platform of the 1980s) and a number of other now-vintage craft that I remember from my youth.

The Huey was a revolution when it was new. People forget that now, but making a utility helicopter with a turbine engine made the helicopter practical, signed the death-warrant for utility and liaison STOL aircraft, and changed the face of warfare. It was miles ahead of the radial engined H-34 it replaced (that was before my time, but many of the grizzled old NCOs that mentored me rode them -- piloted by Vietnamese Air Force pilots -- into Laos and Cambodia back in the day).

The Huey first flew, IIRC, over fifty years ago. It was the YUH-40 at first. The Army's replacing them with Eurocopters, a program which hasn't gone all that well, but as others have noted the Marines are upgrading some of theirs and plan to keep using them.

Dennis is right about the shake, for sure. I dunno how you're going to avoid it on a teetering rotor that size.

My dirty Huey secret: in my "war room" where all my I-love-me certificates and way too many war books hang, there's a strange looking seat. It's the armored command pilot seat (right seat) from a UH-1B that we were tasked to destroy once. The seat followed me home (grin) and sits there, with a couple of good Huey pilot books (including David and Jay Groen's) on it to entice the visitor into a reading session.

If you stop by and try it out, and find yourself making whup-whup-whup noises, I'll never tell.

cheers

-=K=-

Great stories... I'll sit in that seat and DEFINITELY make some noises...

[Fly Army]

sorry to throw a monkey wrench in all this but I will say that of all the Army helicopters I flew the Huey was absolutely my LEAST favorite.

[okikuma]

Hi Shawn,

Thanks for sharing that wonderful video. The owner sure does fly that UH-1 like I wear an old shoe. Many of us still have a soft spot for the old Huey.

It is said that when the last crew retires the last UH-60 to the bone yard, a UH-1 will be there to pick them up.

Find a copy of the IN THE SHADOW OF THE BLADE. It's available on DVD. I pruchased my copy at Nellis AFB BX. That documentary will make you cry. Look it up on the web.

25th ID. My Grandfather stood up with that Division in Hawaii and fought all across the Pacific in WW2. My Brother and Cousin served "In Country" from 1969 - 70 at Cu Chi in Damn Nam. I was attached for a short time to the 25th AV BDE for training back in the 80s. Just last week, I saw a number of 25th ID soldiers at Ft Irwin and soon will be deploying to the "Box."

If fuel wasn't so high, I'd restore a UH-1 myself.

Wayne

[scottessex]

sorry to throw a monkey wrench in all this but I will say that of all the Army helicopters I flew the Huey was absolutely my LEAST favorite.

I guess when you can fly apache's, everything else pales by comparison.
How about posting some of that Apache flying video! :usa:

[Timchick]

Hi Shawn,

Thanks for sharing that wonderful video. The owner sure does fly that UH-1 like I wear an old shoe. Many of us still have a soft spot for the old Huey.

It is said that when the last crew retires the last UH-60 to the bone yard, a UH-1 will be there to pick them up.

Find a copy of the IN THE SHADOW OF THE BLADE. It's available on DVD. I pruchased my copy at Nellis AFB BX. That documentary will make you cry. Look it up on the web.

25th ID. My Grandfather stood up with that Division in Hawaii and fought all across the Pacific in WW2. My Brother and Cousin served "In Country" from 1969 - 70 at Cu Chi in Damn Nam. I was attached for a short time to the 25th AV BDE for training back in the 80s. Just last week, I saw a number of 25th ID soldiers at Ft Irwin and soon will be deploying to the "Box."

If fuel wasn't so high, I'd restore a UH-1 myself.

Wayne

Here's a clip about In the Shadow of the Blade: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwFhjtYxXPs

[cgmg]

I loved the whole thing, especially the startup split screen with the instrument panel!

Can't complain about the music, either.

[Fly Army]

I guess when you can fly apache's, everything else pales by comparison.
How about posting some of that Apache flying video! :usa:

Actually that's an F model Cobra in the picture or FMC as it was called. I never flew the Apache. When I was offered the chance I was too focused on getting fixed wing time to make the switch. Truth be told my favorite Army Helicopter was actually the OH-6 :whoo:. Far and away more maneuverable than the Cobra and even the 58 Delta (boy that would probably cause some fights at the O-club). I have not flown the UH-72 but I look forward to maybe getting a chance.

Randy

[Rotor-Head]

The video is done and there is a nice story from the owner/pilot....

http://www.rotor-head.com/videos/huey2.html

[Dirtydog]

Used to work on the Cobra's while I was in the mil. I was a crew chief on the AH-1G's Q's and the S model I was at Ft. Hood, TX when the army was talking about buying the Apache's. they were also testing the OH-58 with the bubble sights on the main rotor hub. looked funny! I can't say which is better I did get some stick time in the cobra and the OH-58.
To me I like the Cobra!

[WindRyder06]

Shawn,

Another great video from the master!! It brought tears to my eyes and wishes to fly the old "Pig Boat" one more time. The guys that were stationed with me at the 82nd Med in Ft. Riley had another name for the Huey, Harley of the Sky. No matter where you are or who you are, you know the sound of that bird.

Thanks for the ride Shawn.... How ya gonna top this one?

[Rotor-Head]

Shawn,

Another great video from the master!! It brought tears to my eyes and wishes to fly the old "Pig Boat" one mre time. The guys that were stationed with me at the 82nd Med in Ft. Riley had another name for the Huey, Harley of the Sky. No matter where you are or who you are, you know the sound of that bird.

Thanks for the ride Shawn.... How ya gonna top this one?

Thanks.... It was a great thrill to shoot that video... I spent about 4 hours shooting that Huey from inside and on the ground.. That rotor-thump goes right through you when it's doing 90kts 10 feet above your head... a real thrill for me to say the least.... and I made a good friend from it as well.. Tim, the owner/pilot... win win

[StanFoster]

Shawn: I havent replied because I hadnt seen your work till now. Wow! You bring it right to me! You are very gifted at what you do. My internet connection I call "medium speed" its better than dial up...but I still refrain from attempting to watch videos. Yours was worth the download wait!


Stan