thedrifter
01-15-07, 07:56 AM
New life for an old war horse
By: JOHN HUNNEMAN - Staff Writer
FRENCH VALLEY ---- For most in the crowd at Murrieta's Veterans Day parade in November, the flyover by the Vietnam-era Bell UH-1B "Huey" helicopter at the end of the event brought about a swell of patriotic pride.
For a few, however, the telltale "whoosh" of the chopper's rotors took them back to a time when climbing aboard a Huey meant they were headed either to or from danger ---- or, if wounded, that help was on the way.
The helicopter gunship that flew over the parade was restored and is owned by the Wings and Rotors Air Museum located at French Valley Airport.
On Dec. 26, another Huey arrived for restoration at one of two hangars the museum occupies at the airport.
"It was sort of a Christmas present," said Shayne Meder, a retired Air Force master sergeant and the museum's marketing director.
The helicopter was acquired from an Arizona company that specializes in military aircraft. In exchange for restoring another Huey to be displayed at a different museum, Wings and Motors received the Bell Helicopter UH-1H 64-13619, which flew about 2,900 combat hours over Vietnam from 1965-70.
The Army retired the chopper in 1994. It had been in storage since then.
"It's in pretty good shape," Meder said. "We can probably have this one flying in about six months if we get donations."
Still, about $200,000 and hundreds of volunteer hours will be needed to get the helicopter airborne and restored to its Vietnam-era colors and specifications.
"We're hoping to get some pretty big sponsors," she said.
The ultimate goal is to have the chopper prepared for a cross-country trip to the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial for Memorial Day in 2008, a journey dubbed the "Flight to the Wall."
The Vietnam years
It's been about 35 years since Van Ferry last set foot in a Huey.
Ferry, of Wildomar, logged about 700 combat hours flying Hueys in Vietnam from 1969-70.
"I crashed three times and was shot down twice," he said.
Now retired ---- he worked for Ralphs grocery stores as a driver for more than 30 years ---- Ferry is one of the volunteers helping to restore the recently arrived chopper.
Originally dubbed "HU-1" ---- meaning "helicopter-utility" ---- the nickname "Huey" was applied in the early 1960s to the aircraft and stuck.
The first Hueys to operate in Vietnam were medevac helicopters that arrived in April 1962 before the United States was officially involved in the conflict, according to the National Air and Space Museum. Those Hueys supported the South Vietnamese Army, but were flown by American crews.
Later that year, the first armed Hueys, equipped with 2.75-inch rockets and .30-caliber machine guns, began flying over Vietnam. Their main role was escorting Army and Marine transport helicopters.
As the war expanded and America's involvement escalated, more Hueys were needed. By the end of 1964, more than 300 Hueys were in use, and by 1970, that number had grown to more than 2,600.
Several models of the helicopter were used during the war, each built for a specific purpose. The Huey B models, equipped with rockets and machine guns, often escorted the Huey D models. The D models were used primarily to transport troops to and from the battle and also to retrieve the wounded and dead. They were called "slicks" because they were not cluttered with weapons or ammunition.
"(The Huey) was basically a pickup truck," Ferry said. "Each could carry between 10 and 12 troops."
However, when leaving the battle front with the wounded, all bets were off as to how many men the chopper would carry.
"We did whatever we had to do (to get the wounded aboard)," he said. "We didn't leave anyone behind."
That often meant tossing other equipment and weapons from the chopper to lighten the load, he said.
Much in demand
The Wings and Rotors Air Museum was founded in 2000 in Whittier, and in 2002, moved to March Air Reserve Base in Moreno Valley.
After several years there, the museum moved to French Valley Airport, where it fills two hangars ---- one at each end of the airport ---- at least temporarily. The aircraft are available for public viewing by appointment only.
"Our goal is to build a bigger hangar and have permanent public access to the aircraft," Meder said. "We love to have people come out and see them."
The museum has several other military aircraft that have been restored, including another helicopter and a Cessna that both saw duty in Vietnam.
The restored Huey that the museum staff now flies is much in demand at air shows, parades and memorial services around Southern California.
"We did four events on Veterans Day, including the Murrieta parade," Meder said. "All we really ask for is gas money."
More than 5,500 Hueys were built before production ended in 1982, and they were used by every branch of the military. Several hundred are still in use by the armed forces and others are in civilian use, flying for fire departments, law enforcement agencies and mountain rescue units.
However, not many have been restored to their Vietnam-era colors and specifications. At most air shows, almost all the aircraft on display are from World War II, Meder said.
"Everywhere we go, a Vietnam vet will come up to us and start talking," she said. "For some, it's the first time they've talked about Vietnam since they came home."
The sight of the helicopter has been known to bring some veterans to tears.
"A lot of them tell us stories about being rescued by a Huey," Meder said. "Seeing the helicopter really means a lot to them."
More information on the Wings and Rotors Air Museum is available at its Web site, www.wingsandrotors.org, or by calling (951) 662-5653.
Contact staff writer John Hunneman at (951) 676-4315, Ext. 2603, or hunneman@californian.com. Comment at www.californian.com.
Ellie
By: JOHN HUNNEMAN - Staff Writer
FRENCH VALLEY ---- For most in the crowd at Murrieta's Veterans Day parade in November, the flyover by the Vietnam-era Bell UH-1B "Huey" helicopter at the end of the event brought about a swell of patriotic pride.
For a few, however, the telltale "whoosh" of the chopper's rotors took them back to a time when climbing aboard a Huey meant they were headed either to or from danger ---- or, if wounded, that help was on the way.
The helicopter gunship that flew over the parade was restored and is owned by the Wings and Rotors Air Museum located at French Valley Airport.
On Dec. 26, another Huey arrived for restoration at one of two hangars the museum occupies at the airport.
"It was sort of a Christmas present," said Shayne Meder, a retired Air Force master sergeant and the museum's marketing director.
The helicopter was acquired from an Arizona company that specializes in military aircraft. In exchange for restoring another Huey to be displayed at a different museum, Wings and Motors received the Bell Helicopter UH-1H 64-13619, which flew about 2,900 combat hours over Vietnam from 1965-70.
The Army retired the chopper in 1994. It had been in storage since then.
"It's in pretty good shape," Meder said. "We can probably have this one flying in about six months if we get donations."
Still, about $200,000 and hundreds of volunteer hours will be needed to get the helicopter airborne and restored to its Vietnam-era colors and specifications.
"We're hoping to get some pretty big sponsors," she said.
The ultimate goal is to have the chopper prepared for a cross-country trip to the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial for Memorial Day in 2008, a journey dubbed the "Flight to the Wall."
The Vietnam years
It's been about 35 years since Van Ferry last set foot in a Huey.
Ferry, of Wildomar, logged about 700 combat hours flying Hueys in Vietnam from 1969-70.
"I crashed three times and was shot down twice," he said.
Now retired ---- he worked for Ralphs grocery stores as a driver for more than 30 years ---- Ferry is one of the volunteers helping to restore the recently arrived chopper.
Originally dubbed "HU-1" ---- meaning "helicopter-utility" ---- the nickname "Huey" was applied in the early 1960s to the aircraft and stuck.
The first Hueys to operate in Vietnam were medevac helicopters that arrived in April 1962 before the United States was officially involved in the conflict, according to the National Air and Space Museum. Those Hueys supported the South Vietnamese Army, but were flown by American crews.
Later that year, the first armed Hueys, equipped with 2.75-inch rockets and .30-caliber machine guns, began flying over Vietnam. Their main role was escorting Army and Marine transport helicopters.
As the war expanded and America's involvement escalated, more Hueys were needed. By the end of 1964, more than 300 Hueys were in use, and by 1970, that number had grown to more than 2,600.
Several models of the helicopter were used during the war, each built for a specific purpose. The Huey B models, equipped with rockets and machine guns, often escorted the Huey D models. The D models were used primarily to transport troops to and from the battle and also to retrieve the wounded and dead. They were called "slicks" because they were not cluttered with weapons or ammunition.
"(The Huey) was basically a pickup truck," Ferry said. "Each could carry between 10 and 12 troops."
However, when leaving the battle front with the wounded, all bets were off as to how many men the chopper would carry.
"We did whatever we had to do (to get the wounded aboard)," he said. "We didn't leave anyone behind."
That often meant tossing other equipment and weapons from the chopper to lighten the load, he said.
Much in demand
The Wings and Rotors Air Museum was founded in 2000 in Whittier, and in 2002, moved to March Air Reserve Base in Moreno Valley.
After several years there, the museum moved to French Valley Airport, where it fills two hangars ---- one at each end of the airport ---- at least temporarily. The aircraft are available for public viewing by appointment only.
"Our goal is to build a bigger hangar and have permanent public access to the aircraft," Meder said. "We love to have people come out and see them."
The museum has several other military aircraft that have been restored, including another helicopter and a Cessna that both saw duty in Vietnam.
The restored Huey that the museum staff now flies is much in demand at air shows, parades and memorial services around Southern California.
"We did four events on Veterans Day, including the Murrieta parade," Meder said. "All we really ask for is gas money."
More than 5,500 Hueys were built before production ended in 1982, and they were used by every branch of the military. Several hundred are still in use by the armed forces and others are in civilian use, flying for fire departments, law enforcement agencies and mountain rescue units.
However, not many have been restored to their Vietnam-era colors and specifications. At most air shows, almost all the aircraft on display are from World War II, Meder said.
"Everywhere we go, a Vietnam vet will come up to us and start talking," she said. "For some, it's the first time they've talked about Vietnam since they came home."
The sight of the helicopter has been known to bring some veterans to tears.
"A lot of them tell us stories about being rescued by a Huey," Meder said. "Seeing the helicopter really means a lot to them."
More information on the Wings and Rotors Air Museum is available at its Web site, www.wingsandrotors.org, or by calling (951) 662-5653.
Contact staff writer John Hunneman at (951) 676-4315, Ext. 2603, or hunneman@californian.com. Comment at www.californian.com.
Ellie