Here's What It's Like To Ride In A UH-1 Huey

"Aaron Vick Starnes" (aaronstarnes) 10/20/2014 at 10:03 • Filed to: None

21

81

When someone asks, "There's a possibility you could ride in a helicopter, do you want to go?" The answer is always "YES!"

Late last night I got a call from my friend Alex. An aquaintance called him to come out and shoot some GoPro footage of a helicopter flight. Funny thing is though Alex doesn't own a GoPro. However, he didn't let this little detail stop him though. He asked if I, and my camera, would like to ride along.

That's why the crack of dawn found me scavenging for a clean shirt and stuffing my camera bag. I jumped into Alex's car and headed to Mr. Hawk's house. When we showed up and greeted one another I couldn't help but notice the confused expression on Mr. Hawk's face when Alex introduced himself.

Turns out Alex's contact information was transferred to Mr. Hawk's new phone when he synced it with the Cloud. The Alex he was trying to call never got the message and the Alex he did call, my friend, happened to also be a film maker. Despite this mix up Mr. Hawk was totally cool and invited us to ride along anyway. He turned out to be a really gracious and humble guy with an affinity for building big 4x4s and collecting surplus military equipment.

Mr. Hawk pulled the chopper out of its backyard hangar using a Jeep for a tow vehicle (what else would you use) and we went about setting up our cameras. I couldn't help but notice the way this setup made the whole rig look like an Army play set for grownups.

It's a 1968 model Bell UH-1H Huey ID #68-16197. This thing saw three years of combat action during the Vietnam War and there's even tell of it flying the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! on secret missions into Cambodia. Today's sortie was a less dangerous one; Mr. Hawk volunteered his services and his helicopter to transport four Medal of Honor recipients to a local high school to give a presentation.

Once the cameras were affixed we started rolling. The pre-flight safety speech went something like this, "This is an experimental aircraft. In the event of an emergency exit the ship at ten and two o'clock, don't go back toward the tail rotor. There's a fire extinguisher on board, it's for putting out passengers. If the ship is on fire don't try to put it out just let it burn."

US Army Major General !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! preparing for takeoff.

Everyone climbed in. I was last to load and had to cram my body into an impossibly small space between Alex and another passenger. The turbine engine made its signature whine and set the butterflies in my stomach to fluttering. Then, slowly, the rotors began to turn overhead. They began turning faster and as Mr. Hawk adjusted the blade pitch terra firma fell politely away. We left behind the roiling and swirling dust as the grass waved farewell. The big green bird moved gracefully up and forward in the same motion. I thought it would be jerkier and clumsy as it took off but I was wrong. It felt light and effortless.

Any anxiety I had about taking flight melted away as we gained altitude. I saw the rural town shrink beneath me as I looked out through the open side of the chopper. The aircraft listed to my side and I was thankful to be buckled in snugly. Eventually I stopped clicking away with my old Pentax and just tried to soak in the experience. It was surreal to actually experience the familiar womp-womp-womp sound I had only heard before in Vietnam War films.

It wasn't until later, back on the ground, that I realized what must have been going through the heads of the four decorated veterans on board, one of whom flew these things in Vietnam. For me this was a cool opportunity to spend some time in an amazing piece of military history. For them it must have represented something else entirely.

After an open air flight of maybe seven minutes we approached the practice field of the school. Mr. Hawk skillfully guided the chopper down and hovered momentarily before setting us gently down. The prop wash off the big overhead rotor scattered the orange cones that marked our landing area and beat down the short turf in a massive circle around us. The turbine engine throttled down and the blades slowed again.

I jumped down back to the Earth and I felt grateful that I was not carrying a M16 into battle while being fired on by Viet Cong. The distance from the bottom of the passenger compartment to the ground is much farther than I expected it to be. I'm 5'11" and it's nearly up to my hip. It's easy to see how someone could shatter an ankle jumping out of one of these. Once out of the chopper instinct told me to duck down and move out from under the overhead rotor with haste. Once clear of the blades I spun around to shoot a couple pictures of the aircraft with the rotors still turning.

After all the passengers disembarked and loaded into golf carts to be carried off to give their presentation I got to spend a little quality time with the Huey and its owner. Small children, lead by their teachers, were allowed to get up close and personal with the chopper.

I saw my opportunity to crawl all over this thing and took it. The interior is covered with the signatures of passengers including the veterans who were on board today. Once in the chopper it smells of fuel and that hard-to-place, know-it-if-you've-smelled-it scent of an Army surplus store. In military fashion everything is built sturdy and simple.

I'll admit that I had practically no knowledge of how whirlybirds stay aloft. I started asking questions and Mr. Hawk was very generous with information.

Sunlight filters down into the cockpit through tinted glass and washes the myriad of gauge faces, switches, buttons, and levers in green. Between the pilot and co-pilot's knees is the Cyclic. Moving this stick manipulates the swashplates which adjusts the pitch of the rotor assembly to determine the direction of flight.

To the left of the pilot seat is what's called the Collective Pitch Control, or Collective Lever. This lever is home to the throttle control as well as the blade pitch control. Twist it like a motorcycle to give the chopper more gas and pull up for increased blade pitch for take off. Pushing it back down takes pitch out of the blades.

In front of the pilot's seat on the floor reside the Torque Control Pedals. These are manipulated to control the pitch of the tail rotor blades. This counteracts the torque of the overhead rotor and to spins the chopper around. Hard to visualize? Try this !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . Flying one of these seems like a balancing act.

Mr. Hawk also works with the Wounded Warrior Project taking veterans on flights in his chopper. He says the older guys just get a kick out of seeing an operational Huey. For the younger guys he does something he refers to as "Aerial Management." This is shorthand for raining hot lead onto Texas' !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! of feral hogs from the open side of an airborne helicopter in the name of population control.

This is where I had to depart. No return trip for me, which is a shame because there was talk of flying over a river which would have made for excellent video and a good story. I want to thank Mr. Hawk and Mr. Skinner for making sure everyone was safe and had a memorable experience. You never forget your firsts, and I'm glad I got the chance to have such a unique first exposure to helicopter flight.

You can see more of this Huey in action !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . You read more by me at my !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! or follow me !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .

Aaron Starnes is a journalism student and freelance writer from Texas. He works for a company that builds hot rods and does restoration work. His !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! have been featured on Jalopnik and is the author of two !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .

Rock Bottom > Aaron Vick Starnes 10/20/2014 at 10:17

2

AWESOME! Great post!

I love the Huey. Two-Blades-Good! ...unless you're trying to sneak up on Charlie. Then Two-Blades-Bad! Ha ha

crowmolly > Aaron Vick Starnes 10/20/2014 at 10:24

2

Thank you so much for sharing this.

It's really something when you think about how these things were used in combat and what the young soldiers must have felt like running off one into a firefight.

I bought one of my previous classics from an older guy who was a Vietnam helicopter crewman. That guy had seen things nobody should ever have to see.

FJ80WaitinForaLSV8 > Aaron Vick Starnes 10/20/2014 at 10:33

0

Amazing post! I can only hope to amass such an incredible military surplus collection.

Chris Clarke > Aaron Vick Starnes 10/20/2014 at 10:37

1

Great photos and commentary. What a fantastic experience.

craig-oesterling > Aaron Vick Starnes 10/20/2014 at 10:52

3

This is a cool action portrait. You should try to get him a copy.

Mosqvich > Aaron Vick Starnes 10/20/2014 at 11:23

12

I've flown on several UH-1Ns (twin engine variety) as a Missile Launch Officer in the Air Force and several UH-60s in Iraq, plus an Osprey in Iraq. Helicopters have a weird feeling of hanging from the air. On one mission, I had to test digital cameras at 10,000 feet (the helo's service ceiling) while hanging out of the aircraft held on by a harness.

Here's an old video from Iraq in 2006 when I flew over Baghdad (Crappy quality):

http://youtu.be/oxm-sV75RNs?li…

Aaron Vick Starnes > Mosqvich 10/20/2014 at 14:46

1

WOW! Thanks for the response. Those pics are great.

Aaron Vick Starnes > craig-oesterling 10/20/2014 at 14:51

0

Thanks. I really liked the way this one came out. I shot a ton of pics but this one has to be one of my favorites from the day.

Aaron Vick Starnes > FJ80WaitinForaLSV8 10/20/2014 at 14:51

0

Lol. I think I'd settle for the old jeep.

Aaron Vick Starnes > Rock Bottom 10/20/2014 at 14:53

1

Are the models with four blades quieter?

Rock Bottom > Aaron Vick Starnes 10/20/2014 at 15:15

14

Four-blade choppers make noise in a different frequency range that's harder for the human ear to detect. The low frequency "WOP WOP WOP" that the 2 bladed Hueys make is fairly low frequency, which travels well and is easy for the human ear to differentiate from background noise. The higher frequency "lawnmower" noise that most 4 bladed choppers makes is a "less detectable" frequency that doesn't travel as well.

NASA and the army did some research into the detectablity of helicopter noise starting back in the 1960s or 1970s called "I Can Hear It Now" (ICHIN). If I recall correctly, it was centered on something called psychoacoustics, which is not necessarily how loud something is, but how loud people think it is. It's pretty interesting stuff and a part of the reason you really don't see 2-bladed choppers that much any more.

FJ80WaitinForaLSV8 > Aaron Vick Starnes 10/20/2014 at 20:38

0

reckon I'll go for a deuce first-

Topgun127 > Aaron Vick Starnes 10/21/2014 at 13:38

1

When someone asks, "There's a possibility you could ride in a helicopter, do you want to go?" The answer is always "YES!"

-AMEN! Always!

Nicholas Reid > Aaron Vick Starnes 10/21/2014 at 17:51

0

My, My, Mr. Starnes. You've sure come a long way from delivering pizzas in Argyle. Keep up the excellent work.

ly2v8-Brian > Aaron Vick Starnes 10/21/2014 at 22:03

8

That is no Jeep, but it is its close relative the Ford MUTT. It has a successor in the M1161 Growler which can fit inside of a V22 Osprey.

Gabriel > Aaron Vick Starnes 10/21/2014 at 22:07

1

I've worked for Bell Helicopter in Canada and live near the plant, I can definetly tell if it's a 2 or 4 blade model or if it's a 412(louder) or the newer 429(quieter) when they fly over my house. They have all their own sound signature, but the "WOP WOP WOP" of a Huey is one of the most unique.

Viggen > Aaron Vick Starnes 10/21/2014 at 22:07

1

I've flown on a Chinook and have had three Black Hawk flights. One of each in Afghanistan. A Huey flight is still on my bucket list.

G/O Sucks > Rock Bottom 10/21/2014 at 22:09

1

Thanks for the wisdom-rich comment! I'd always had an intuitive sense that something like this was at play but never knew until now. Will read more on this. Cheers!

ly2v8-Brian > Aaron Vick Starnes 10/21/2014 at 22:12

0

When my dad was stationed at Ft. Sill in the early 90's, these were still a common sight. I remember as a little one walking with him and I heard that distinct womp-womp-womp, I excitedly shouted,"It's a Huey!" My dad got a big smile on his face from that. Point is there is an, odd I would say, aura about things. Just love 'em. So awesome write up!

Hak > Aaron Vick Starnes 10/21/2014 at 22:21

2

My wife and I were in Cape Town Sth Africa and came across this old Huey joyride. It was back in 2003, so not sure if they still do it. It was pretty much the most awesome experience of my life. Jumped in the bird, doors open, lap belt on, and the thing took off to the beaches north of Cape Town. We were just cruising, and next thing he dives for the deck, skimming the waves and sand dunes, chucking tricks and all sorts. Even dropped it down onto the ground to get a feel of what it must have been like park up and jump out all guns blazing.

Sorry for the crappy pics of the pics from the photo album, but it was back before I'd gotten into the digital age :)

filmlandgrab@gmail.com > Aaron Vick Starnes 10/21/2014 at 22:24

1

Cool, cool, 100x cool. Two 'fwap fwap fwap' rotors, single engine...Hearing those (now, never) vs. the newer twin engine, multi-blade versions, not the same. Originals were just so sinister sounding.

Chumbley > Aaron Vick Starnes 10/21/2014 at 22:43

0

Never liked helos. While planes say in the air by gliding, essentially (I know, there are engines involved), helicopters always seemed to stay aloft via thrashing .

Fallschirmjäger > ly2v8-Brian 10/21/2014 at 22:44

3

True, it's not a Jeep but for those of us who drove them it was always referred to as a "Jeep" (I never heard "Mutt" until long after they had been replaced by HMMVW's (Humvees.)

Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom > Aaron Vick Starnes 10/21/2014 at 22:48

2

In the early 90's I was in an Army Guard attack helicopter battalion, and got to fly in the Huey on a few occasions, but most fun was the Loach (OH-6) and Cobra. The Loach was the sports car of helicopters, and the Cobra was not very much wider than me. One badass machine.

ly2v8-Brian > Fallschirmjäger 10/21/2014 at 22:51

1

My dad would refer to them by either name.

Tohru > Aaron Vick Starnes 10/21/2014 at 23:13

7

I'll admit that I had practically no knowledge of how whirlybirds stay aloft.

To listen to airplane pilots tell it, it's because they're so ugly the ground repels them. They also say helicopters are a loose collection of parts headed roughly in the same direction.

Great writeup.

Stillwelding > Aaron Vick Starnes 10/21/2014 at 23:29

1

All I can remember is one college professor of mechanical engineering refering to a helicopter as a " flying fatigue test". :)

zwoof > Aaron Vick Starnes 10/21/2014 at 23:34

1

Great post! I'm not sure which I liked better, 100ft up following the Chattahoochee River in a Huey, or nap of the earth in blackout conditions in a Blackhawk. Both were quite a rush!

Andrew Daisuke > Aaron Vick Starnes 10/21/2014 at 23:38

0

Did you get to cut down any hippies?

dsigned001 - O.R.C. hunter > ly2v8-Brian 10/21/2014 at 23:39

4

I love the MUTTs. The only Jeep I ever really wanted. And yes, I know it's technically a Ford.

Autofixation > Aaron Vick Starnes 10/21/2014 at 23:39

3

I can tell you what it is like to jump out of one in flight. Make sure you butt clears the skid on the way out.

ly2v8-Brian > dsigned001 - O.R.C. hunter 10/21/2014 at 23:45

1

Ford design but multiple manufacturers.

Shaggy > Aaron Vick Starnes 10/21/2014 at 23:48

0

If the helicopter is military...the answer is NOPE.

Seriously, war shit ain't cool, "bro."

dsigned001 - O.R.C. hunter > ly2v8-Brian 10/21/2014 at 23:52

0

Some even built under license by Toyota IIRC.

ly2v8-Brian > dsigned001 - O.R.C. hunter 10/21/2014 at 23:54

0

Wow, really? Very interesting. I knew, in ironic fashion, these not Jeeps were built by Kaiser too.

Hi there > Shaggy 10/22/2014 at 00:01

4

Sure it can be. Some military equipment and vehicles are extremely reliable so as soon as they're done hauling around helicopter infantry and taking mangled men to field hospitals for the military they make great reliable used choppers and other crap for the public. Also, you should be glad that USA has the most sprawling war machine in the history of this planet.

speeddemon807 > Aaron Vick Starnes 10/22/2014 at 00:19

1

This is my favorite Huey.

d3v > Aaron Vick Starnes 10/22/2014 at 00:26

0

I'd love to hear the story behind this.

TimSee > Tohru 10/22/2014 at 00:28

3

"They also say helicopters are a loose collection of parts headed roughly in the same direction." COTD

TheOnelectronic > Rock Bottom 10/22/2014 at 00:28

1

Two-bladed helicopters also have some distinct disadvantages in terms of flying; namely that if you get a little too excitable with your inputs the entire rotor shears off of the ship.

Aaron Vick Starnes > d3v 10/22/2014 at 00:35

6

It's supposed to say "experimental" but the "experi" has been either worn off or removed for giggles.

SgtBeavis > Aaron Vick Starnes 10/22/2014 at 00:36

2

Thanks for the article, it brings back good memories. I won't pretend to even hold the jock strap of some of these guys that have flown countless combat sorties since my time. I was fortunate to never have to face the dangers that they did.

I was a Huey Crewchief. Officially a Utility Helicopter Repairer (67N20). I had almost 2000 flight hours and loved every minute of it. Hueys were easy to fix and fun to fly. Every so often our pilots would give me some stick time during a maintenance test flight. It was just awesome.

The wop wop of a Huey is just so recognizable but it was like a damn lullaby to me. It was gentle music that I could easily sleep with.

Then there was the fun stuff. My last unit supported an Air Assault school and the Military District of Washington. We would get to rappel out of these birds and perform Stabo flights around the area. We even got to do some aerial gunnery practice down at Ft AP Hill. Here are a few pics from my time in the Army..

Flying above Virginia...

The hangar at Camp Zama, Japan..

My wife checking out my bird during a static display. I met her during my tour in Japan.

A little goofing of at Ft Belvoir, VA.

Aaron Vick Starnes > ly2v8-Brian 10/22/2014 at 00:37

0

Good eye! Thanks for the info.

Guamunist > Aaron Vick Starnes 10/22/2014 at 03:25

1

"There's a fire extinguisher on board, it's for putting out passengers. If the ship is on fire don't try to put it out just let it burn."

Greatest explanation ever.

945T > dsigned001 - O.R.C. hunter 10/22/2014 at 05:10

0

I am Canadian. I dream, nay, pine for an ILTIS

Rufus Sickbeard > Aaron Vick Starnes 10/22/2014 at 07:40

1

My last Huey flight came at the end of a Cold Weather training ATD at Camp Ripley, Mn in 1988 or so. Trucking through knee deep snow after a week in sub-zero temps to try and hop on that thing was not fun, but the ride was great.

Rock Bottom > TheOnelectronic 10/22/2014 at 08:03

0

Well, I have a photo that I can't circulate of what happened to this 4-blade monster when it cut it's own tail off in a full-scale wind tunnel test... so if you try hard enough, you can crash just about anything!

Thunder > Aaron Vick Starnes 10/22/2014 at 08:11

7

Quality post. But I would have focused more on the other passengers. Four Medal of Honor recipients in one place?

Roughly 2005, I accompanied my son on an overnight Boy Scout trip to the USS Yorktown, in Charleston harbor. While walking through the hangar deck, seeking lunch one day, there was a big mass of people blocking the usual walking route. I saw that a stage had been set up on the other, less direct route side, with perhaps 200 chairs, but they were empty, except for one. We wandered over that way, between stage and chairs, and as I passed in front of the one sitting individual, I walked into an invisible wall.

That was when I saw the tiny Congressional Medal of Honor pin on his lapel.

My son bumped into me from behind, as I took the moment to thank this gentleman for his service and shake his hand; I was pleased when my son did the same.

We walked away, and I described for my son what the Medal of Honor represents; it was clear to me he didn't get it.

After lunch, we walked through the Medal of Honor museum that's set up on the hangar deck. I knew he got it when, after we exited the museum, he looked at me in wonder and in an awed voice said "and I shook his hand".

TL;DR: My son and I met a Medal of Honor recipient; my son didn't recognize the significance until later, but it warmed my heart when he did.

Rock Bottom > G/O Sucks 10/22/2014 at 08:13

2

Rotorcraft acoustics in general is a really neat field of study. There's been some great research by the US Army Rotorcraft Directorate and the NASA Rotorcraft Branch, if you want a place to start! And I'm not sure anyone's ever said I possessed wisdom, but I've been lucky enough to get yelled at by a lot of smart people!

geffs10 > Aaron Vick Starnes 10/22/2014 at 09:33

1

This is on my bucket list for sure!

stayingclassy > Aaron Vick Starnes 10/22/2014 at 09:44

1

THWOPA THWOPA THWOPA...!!

that sound just perks me up

reminding me of those childhood days, in absolute awe of things in the sky.

my dad really loved aircraft of all sorts, having grown up in the glory days of aviation when anything was possible, and ideas turned from paper to airborne in a fraction of the time possible today.

seeing a Huey was pretty rare, so very special.

Collin > Aaron Vick Starnes 10/22/2014 at 10:08

2

Weird. I rode in one the other week too. Fun times. I couldn't get CCR out of my head afterwards though.

T5Killer > Aaron Vick Starnes 10/22/2014 at 10:36

0

I would love to ride in a UH-1 its a classic.

RichardNixon72 > Shaggy 10/22/2014 at 10:50

1

You realize that helicopters like the Huey - in civilian or miliarty guise - have been responsible for saving tens maybe hundred of thousands of lives since their introduction in the '40s?

Moron.

Ntovorni > TimSee 10/22/2014 at 11:00

0

I've heard it as "A loose collection par parts headed roughly in the same direction to fail at the same time". Same thing though...haha

destes > Tohru 10/22/2014 at 11:08

3

I was a Huey mechanic/crew chief in the Army from '78-'81. One of my favorite things I heard was from one of the Chinook crew chiefs. The have five transmissions and miles of hydraulic lines and he told that if you didn't see a leak somewhere in the aircraft, you were probably out of hydraulic fluid.

ChrisFu > Aaron Vick Starnes 10/22/2014 at 11:10

3

Down the hall from my desk, 1966

GrayHays > Aaron Vick Starnes 10/22/2014 at 11:13

3

Um, is that guy wearing a CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR?

[clicks link]

Throughout that day Maj. Brady utilized 3 helicopters to evacuate a total of 51 seriously wounded men, many of whom would have perished without prompt medical treatment.

Dang.

Gonemad > Aaron Vick Starnes 10/22/2014 at 11:17

1

Dat sound. I wonder why there aren't so many Youtube videos of THE chopper taking off.

destes > Aaron Vick Starnes 10/22/2014 at 11:26

1

I was a Huey mechanic/crew chief in the Army from '78-'81. I loved working on them and flew every chance I got. Our company had 12 of the aircraft, and most of them had patched holes from ground fire during Vietnam. They're tough and can take a lot of abuse. I was part of the crew that did pre phase and post phase inspections. I went out with the test pilot on the flights and would work through the check list of all the test that we were supposed to do and write down the results. The chopper would come in for any corrective actions that need to be taken , and then we'd take it back out to verify that everything had been corrected. The pilot that flew most of these flights was one of the best we had and we used to do all sorts of crazy stuff after the testing was done. One winter, after the checklist was done, he looked over and grinned at me and said lets have some fun. He pulled the collective up and got light on the skids and proceed to move slowly forward, left and right. Then he'd lift up, move over some and repeat the process. After five or six times doing this, we pulled up to a hover at about 100 ft. When you looked back down at the ground, he had written his name in the snow with the skids in giant letters. They were kinda crude, but you could definitely read them. Another time he left skid marks on top of one of the hangers.

He also taught me some basic emergency flying techniques, like if the pilot gets shot and I need to fly enough to at least land safely. I've got about two hours stick time.

Rusty Shackleford > Aaron Vick Starnes 10/22/2014 at 13:10

2

This reminds me of an experience I had in a '68 Huey as well. I had a friends that worked at Hayward airport, in the Bay Area, about 10 years back that called me up and asked if I wanted to go for a ride in a Huey. I was there faster than I probably should have been. I was warned I would be riding gunner, was given a heavy jacket as it was a cold morning and we were off. Riding gunner with the doors open was an experience. We buzzed a heard of cows in the hills just above Pleasanton and watched the scatter and flew through Niles Canyon at an altitude that can only be described as low. The best part was as we were coming in to land, one of the only private Chinooks in the country was parked on the tarmac, so naturally we gave it a buzz.

The pilots of the chopper were the same pilots that had flown her in Vietnam and had infact crashed her 3 times during the war because their transmission had been shot that many times. They bought her in an army auction and restored her to her former glory. If anybody here ever has the chance to ride in a Huey, DO IT.

Aaron Vick Starnes > Viggen 10/22/2014 at 14:42

0

Incredible pic! I'd love to ride in one of those, they look fascinating.

Aaron Vick Starnes > ly2v8-Brian 10/22/2014 at 14:44

1

Hueys certainly illicit an emotional response. Glad you liked the story.

T5Killer > Tohru 10/22/2014 at 14:48

3

I whipped this up for a Helicopter FB group I am part of (former 15G US Army)

Aaron Vick Starnes > Shaggy 10/22/2014 at 15:06

0

Are those brotation marks?

Aaron Vick Starnes > SgtBeavis 10/22/2014 at 15:12

0

Great pics! This experience drove home the sentiment for me, "I won't pretend to even hold the jock strap of some of these guys that have flown countless combat sorties since my time. I was fortunate to never have to face the dangers that they did."

Aaron Vick Starnes > Hak 10/22/2014 at 15:12

0

Dang that's close to the water. Sounds exciting.

Aaron Vick Starnes > destes 10/22/2014 at 15:20

1

That's amazing! I have a bud who is a helo mechanic for the Army he told me a little about the pains they go through to keep these in ship shape. It's more than picking up a wrench and just going at it...

Aaron Vick Starnes > GrayHays 10/22/2014 at 15:26

0

RIGHT!?! Airlifting wounded soldiers out of an embattled minefield, that's genuine courage. There's a great photo gallery on his site. http://generalbrady.com/

destes > Aaron Vick Starnes 10/22/2014 at 16:03

0

It is. And for me, that was 30 years ago. I gotta think that now they're even more difficult to maintain.

homebrewED > Aaron Vick Starnes 10/22/2014 at 16:23

0

Should have filed this in Foxtrot Alpha and/or FlightClub... this doesn't seem to fit in with the theme of Oppositelock, heh

Viggen > Aaron Vick Starnes 10/22/2014 at 19:16

0

It is! The aircraft rocks you to sleep after about 45 minutes. The CH-47 is a truly impressive machine, and I'm proud to say I get to maintain them.

Daewoo10356 > Aaron Vick Starnes 10/22/2014 at 22:31

1

That was an amazing article. It really brought me back as I was reading it the Royals were putting some runs on the Giants and I could remember back to the mid 80's watching the Royals wind World Series games and watching Vietnam movies with my dad and hearing the Huey womp.

TheStigsGermanCousin > Aaron Vick Starnes 10/22/2014 at 22:33

1

I love the UH-1

Aaron Vick Starnes > Chris Clarke 11/18/2014 at 14:52

0

Thank you.

Aaron Vick Starnes > crowmolly 11/18/2014 at 14:53

0

It made me feel a deep sense of gratitude that I was not in that situation.

Aaron Vick Starnes > speeddemon807 11/18/2014 at 14:54

0

Awesome!

MysteriousPete > Tohru 11/26/2014 at 18:54

0

Well, Huey pilots in 'Nam won a lot of alcohol in bets with Phantom jocks over whether the Jock could hover a Huey. The Phantom folks learned it's one hell of a lot harder than it looks.

Tohru > MysteriousPete 11/26/2014 at 18:56

0

To be fair, a fair bit of the Huey pilots had trouble hovering them.

olesentv > Aaron Vick Starnes 04/29/2015 at 19:50

1

The UH-1 Yankee Huey Helicopter koo

Aaron Vick Starnes > olesentv 05/07/2015 at 15:13

0

Awesome!