San Antonio News
"An obituary for Berry states he is the founder of the Charlie Black Aviation school in Spring Branch. FAA records show the tail number of the aircraft, N829SH, was assigned to a Vertical Aviation Technologies Hummingbird 260L, a helicopter that is built from a kit or purchased partially prebuilt. The manufacturing year is listed as 2012 and is registered to Herr.
An online brochure for the kit says it runs roughly $175,000 and does not include an engine. Optional equipment includes seating for three passengers and one pilot."
'"Richard Herr's obituary page does not yet have information, but does include a photo of a MH-53 helicopter. A video of retired Air Force Lt. Col. Richard Herr is about the same aircraft and appears to be the same individual.
During the nearly 14 minute video, Herr talks about building his own helicopter once he retired.
"I retired, got out and I built my own helicopter," Herr says. "It's the first one in the United States. The first one powered by a Corvette LS7 engine. So I've got a four-seat helicopter called a hummingbird. It's got a Bell Jet Ranger nose on it and then I got a V8 in the back."
"Even though I've retired I still fly — I've got my own helicopter," Herr says. "I'm the only guy in the United States qualified to teach in that helicopter. It's experimental, of course. So I do all my own maintenance ... I call it the mistress."
Herr says he was born at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Greene County, Ohio, and is a graduate of the University of Maryland where he was a member of ROTC and a participant in a "Flight Instruction Program." During that time he earned a pilots license for planes.
He goes on to say he became enamored with flying as a student who was given a ride on a UH-1 Iroquois "Huey" helicopter. He eventually married an unnamed Texan woman and moved to the Lone Star State.
"Married a Texas gal I live in Texas," Herr says."
"In a somewhat ominous moment from the 2020 video, he recalls receiving a warning from a military instructor about the dangers of rotor flight.
"'Are you sure about this' — you know, he was an old stiff wing guy — 'these things fly apart,'" Herr shares, noting he beat out 20 others for the chance to become a helicopter pilot. "That's how it happened, and I went to Fort Rutger right out of college."
He shares an account of serving in the Kosovo War where he says he was in combat multiple times, adding that his chopper was hit with enemy fire multiple times in Bosnia. He also briefly served in Desert Storm, he says in the video. He then reflects on his career with the Air Force.
"I felt very lucky to do it, I was glad — I wouldn't trade it. I'd do it all again," Herr says."
"Berry's obituary says he was born in Corpus Christi were he excelled in a 4H skeet shooting club his mother founded. He went to Texas A&M and had 4 children.
He also participated in other businesses.
"After witnessing his father and grandfather run a construction company, Kevin’s lifelong dream was to follow in their footsteps. He was able to bring this desire to fruition via Infinity Concrete, which was his latest endeavor where he was instrumental in the growth and development of the company," the obituary reads.
The obituary states a mechanical failure was the cause of the crash that took both men's lives."
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"A real MAN honors his contracts he enters into w/ his fellow man, no matter how painful or difficult it may be!"
Homemade helicopter in deadly Texas crash built with Corvette engine
"These things fly apart."
By Warren Brown
May 3, 2024
"The two men killed in an April helicopter crash in Comal County have been identified as Kevin Lee Berry, 43, and Richard Scott Herr, 62, by the Texas Department of Public Safety. The two were flying in an "experimental amateur-build" helicopter when they were killed in Spring Branch, according to officials.""An obituary for Berry states he is the founder of the Charlie Black Aviation school in Spring Branch. FAA records show the tail number of the aircraft, N829SH, was assigned to a Vertical Aviation Technologies Hummingbird 260L, a helicopter that is built from a kit or purchased partially prebuilt. The manufacturing year is listed as 2012 and is registered to Herr.
An online brochure for the kit says it runs roughly $175,000 and does not include an engine. Optional equipment includes seating for three passengers and one pilot."
'"Richard Herr's obituary page does not yet have information, but does include a photo of a MH-53 helicopter. A video of retired Air Force Lt. Col. Richard Herr is about the same aircraft and appears to be the same individual.
During the nearly 14 minute video, Herr talks about building his own helicopter once he retired.
"I retired, got out and I built my own helicopter," Herr says. "It's the first one in the United States. The first one powered by a Corvette LS7 engine. So I've got a four-seat helicopter called a hummingbird. It's got a Bell Jet Ranger nose on it and then I got a V8 in the back."
"Even though I've retired I still fly — I've got my own helicopter," Herr says. "I'm the only guy in the United States qualified to teach in that helicopter. It's experimental, of course. So I do all my own maintenance ... I call it the mistress."
Herr says he was born at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Greene County, Ohio, and is a graduate of the University of Maryland where he was a member of ROTC and a participant in a "Flight Instruction Program." During that time he earned a pilots license for planes.
He goes on to say he became enamored with flying as a student who was given a ride on a UH-1 Iroquois "Huey" helicopter. He eventually married an unnamed Texan woman and moved to the Lone Star State.
"Married a Texas gal I live in Texas," Herr says."
"In a somewhat ominous moment from the 2020 video, he recalls receiving a warning from a military instructor about the dangers of rotor flight.
"'Are you sure about this' — you know, he was an old stiff wing guy — 'these things fly apart,'" Herr shares, noting he beat out 20 others for the chance to become a helicopter pilot. "That's how it happened, and I went to Fort Rutger right out of college."
He shares an account of serving in the Kosovo War where he says he was in combat multiple times, adding that his chopper was hit with enemy fire multiple times in Bosnia. He also briefly served in Desert Storm, he says in the video. He then reflects on his career with the Air Force.
"I felt very lucky to do it, I was glad — I wouldn't trade it. I'd do it all again," Herr says."
"Berry's obituary says he was born in Corpus Christi were he excelled in a 4H skeet shooting club his mother founded. He went to Texas A&M and had 4 children.
He also participated in other businesses.
"After witnessing his father and grandfather run a construction company, Kevin’s lifelong dream was to follow in their footsteps. He was able to bring this desire to fruition via Infinity Concrete, which was his latest endeavor where he was instrumental in the growth and development of the company," the obituary reads.
The obituary states a mechanical failure was the cause of the crash that took both men's lives."
*******************************************************************************
"A real MAN honors his contracts he enters into w/ his fellow man, no matter how painful or difficult it may be!"
