Thought some of you guys and gals would appreciate a little trip back in time to the flights in that wonderful UH-1H “Huey” Iroquois helicopter. Those of you that don’t know what I am talking about really need to watch this video. You will find out a little bit of what we used to go through.
Crank up your audio, tighten your belts and hang on:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeBcTV5-5E8
God I loved flying in them and flying them!
Blackhawks are a nicer ride, but that’s my favorite ride…No doubt about it!
Eric,
Thanks for the memories! 
I remember with great admiration, the courageous men who flew the “Huey” in into Hot Landing Zones (LZ’s) to pull the wounded out. They were the difference between life and death for many wounded soldiers.
Records from Vietnam show that over 67% of wounded soldiers, that were rescued by the “Dust Off” crews, survived their wounds.
During my tours in Vietnam, I rode on “Huey’s” countless times. I owe my life to a courageous crew, who’s heroic efforts are responsible for me being alive today.
There was no armament on the “Huey’s”, and many flying crews perished with their birds, coming to the aid of the ground troops!
Huey’s had a distinct sound, as they approached the “LZ’s” the blades on the “Huey” had a distinctive “Whomp Whomp” sound.
Huey’s carried troops into battle, they retrieved wounded troops to safety and medical care, they resupplied the ground troops with food and ammo.
The fuel tank on the “Huey” was held in a self-sealing rubber bladder in the belly , and many times the Huey’s came back, all shot up in the main cabin just above the fuel bladders, with the soldiers all shot to Hell.
Courageous Airmen, many of who lost their lives attempting to rescue others!
Platoon Sergeant Steven H. McGarthwaite
1968 -1995, U.S. Army Retired.
Eric,
Like you and Parnelli, I spent a great deal of my life in one of our beloved “Huey’s”. They were our main mode of transportation into and out of battle in Viet Nam, and as Parn said, those unarmed Dustoff birds saved countless lives.
Nothing matches the thrill of going into an LZ, standing on the skids of a Huey. When the bird flares a bit you just jump from whatever height your at. The last friendly sound you hear is the whomp whomp of the Huey’s rotor blades as they fade in the distance.
Something about those grand old birds just makes ya feel safe.
REE
P.S. I don’t think I ever rode in a Huey that had the seats in it. That looks different.
We had them we just left them stowed at FARP unless you were flying in the C’n’C bird hauling ash and trash. Pain in the *** when you are trying to move from gunner station to gunner station. Never stood on the skid going into an LZ because I was hanging onto the butterfly handles of a M60 Delta. 
I was primarily attack helicopter and Scouts at that, so I didn’t get to haul you guys much. The few times I did well I have all of the respect in the world for the infantry no matter what branch!
The Huey flies a lot like it looks. Solid and will not surprise you when you are at the controls. The Black Hawk is a good bird, faster, more agile and can carry more cargo over a longer range. However, the Black Hawk, even today, is nowhere near as reliable as the UH-1H model of the Huey. The Black Hawk electronic engine controls will bite you quick. The engine failure rate is now down to about three times that of the Huey with it’s mechanical/analog engine controls.
Wish I could have got you guys a front seat ride in a Cobra. You know that feeling you get as your feet leave the high dive board and you begin to accelerate through space downward toward the water with nothing around you but space? That is what a front seat ride in a Cobra is like all of the time. You are in a nice flight and all of a sudden the guy in the backs seat (pilot) rolls the Cobra over upside down. He pulls back on the controls until the aircraft’s nose, and yours, is rushing straight for the ground. You are screaming, he is singing and the aircraft is groaning. He pulls up about 50 feet off of the ground, says “That was fun” and all you see is teeth in the mirror that lets you make eye contact with the pilot. Cussing at him will get you the most hair raising nap of the earth flight back to the home LZ you can imagine with him laughing all the way.
Joe, Steve, Dave, Parnelli , REE and you Eric give true meaning to Our United States of America being the home of the brave!
Thank you to each one of you outstanding gentlemen, I am forever in your debt!
Yours truly,
Steve Molcsan
Eric,
Nap of the earth flying!!! Yeah, Buddy, flat out witih the tree tops tickling the belly of the bird. Almost as much fun was NOE over a river. Great way to get a shower with all your gear on. Rappeling out of a Huey was fun, so was getting extracted on a McGuire rig.
Your really makin me miss the old Huey.
My daughters fiance is a NG Rotory Wing Mechanic. Nothing against him at all, cept he works on Blackhawks. Didn’t trust them when I was in, still don’t.
REE
Thanks Steve, but don’t give me credit where it isn’t due. I never served in Vietnam, and I never saw combat. I was an Air Traffic Controller at Ft. Stewart Georgia. Wright Army Airfield was a training base for many of the Army’s fixedwing pilots, and a few of the flingwing pilots as well. We had several of the Hueys at the airfield and I was always fascinated with them during run-up. I remember well listening to those turbines cranking up and then the sound of the rotors slapping the air. Fond memories indeed. Those birds really meant something special to everyone who encountered them. I can even smell them today in my minds eye (nose.) Thanks Hewes Aircraft for an awsome bird.
U.S. Army '66-'69
Seats. That's what Helmets were for when you went into a hot zone.
Thanks for the posting. It reminded me of good times & bad times but time mellows out the bad times…
Thats the only chopper I ever flew in and liked it very much, but the same as Lotech, I never saw combat,
We were lucky.
Very…The best time I had was in an N model flying NOE in the Sandia Mountains in NM with a studen pilot from Air Rescue…
It’s a good ole work horse and has served the country well. Being a REMF with the ARNG I have never had anyone trying to shot me down but I have rode in and work on the UH-1B, D, H & M. Too many moving parts for reliable transport, but if you need to transport more than 4 people to remote locations with limited aircraft facilities get in the slick. Now if there are only 4 of you and one can drive get the LOH (OH-6A) one of Mr Hughes’ finer efforts.
My college room mate with 11,500+ flying hours had a Huey cyclic in his hand when gravity reached up and pulled him to the ground. His best friend, who he talked into dropping out of his MBA program, was shot down 3 times flying dustoffs up near the DMZ. He’s buying timber in No. MS now. They were friend to the end.
Thanks for all the crazy things you did guys.
Loved flying in them. Always remember the sound as they came to pick us out of the jungle. Loved riding the skids as we were taken from one place to another. Only landed in hot LZ’s in the 46’s with the 50’s out the window. Used to sit outside Hue and watch the huey’s work. Many good memories and many not so good. But I loved them and still hear one once in a while. Rest of my family thinks I nuts, I hear them 30 seconds before they know they are near…LOL. But those rides and sounds will never go away.
The Men who flew them and the crew I have always admired. I marvel at their dedication to come in hot and pick us out and MedEvac the wounded under intense fire and still get off the ground.
Thank you so much for being there and giving us the very best of yourselves.
Bill
Sgt. USMC
68-69, Leatherneck Square, Hue, Phu Bai
M Co 3/3 and 3rd CAG
Just have to add some background–As a 16 year old I watched Igor Sikorsky fly IGORS NIGHMARE. one of the first in 1939. It had fan belts from the engine to the roters. Fan belts everywhere. Flew one hour and thirty minutes–for show it hovered a few feet off the ground a man walked up to it and added a suit case to the craft and it flew away. Later a model had to fly from Conn to Wright Field in Ohio using road signs and stopping people for directions. The first model use to hang in the Conn state building at the New England Fair. Wish we had them in that other war—
My two boys and I had a ride in a Bell with the glass dome cockpit. Crazy kids told the pilot I flew in WWll. The tourist ride was a slow climb level off and ride —not ours. Afoot of the ground,forward tilt,down the valley thru the trees, water spray at the lake. Yes we should have had them in WWll BILL
Mr. Fitzgerald, I would love to be able to sit down and chat with you. Obviously you have been there and done that and enjoyed life along the way. The note about the first cross country helicopter flight is great, the pilots I spent time with in the National Guard were always saying IFR meant I Follow Roads, I guess it really does. Some of the guys were accused of hovering at traffic lights when they turned red.