Finally found what I've wanted since 'Nam

[Grunt67]

I flew ( not pilot ), in Huey helicopters often during combat missions in 'Nam, back in the day. Always wanted to learn to fly when I got back to the world, but that didn't work out. Would love to have one, so out of curiosity, I looked online & found one.

Located in Maui, Hi. Ready to fly, only $525,000. Obviously, a few bucks past my meek budget. Did make my mouth water tho.

Checked back again later.......SOLD already. Oh, well.

I love those old birds, save our bacon several times. Medivac brought me out after I was wounded.

Maybe in another lifetime, LOL

 

[Wingshooter]

I’ve never flown a helicopter, but I do love the hueys. Very cool!

[Grunt67]

I still take a ride at Pigeon Forge when I can.

The Chinooks were awesome too. Rode them several times.

[Grunt67]

I think even if it wasn't fly worthy, it'd make a great front yard ornament,  LOL

[deerslayer]

15 hours ago, Grunt67 said:

I still take a ride at Pigeon Forge when I can.

The Chinooks were awesome too. Rode them several times.

How much are those rides and how far/long do they go? 

[Grayfox54]

As a young troop in 2nd Armored at Ft. Hood in 1972-74, we shared the post with the 1st Air Cavalry.  Helicopters constantly in the air. When we'd go play in the field, they'd come visiting just to harass us. Especially at night when we were trying to get some sleep. At tree top level with those big searchlights.   But they were just doing their thing like we were doing ours. 

We learned how to deal with them. Take a spent blank cartridge case and shove it into the flash hider of your rifle. Use a live blank to launch it. Bounce a few of those off the main rotor and the pilots would  find somebody else to go annoy. 

I once saw the entire 1st Cav in the air and passing over at one time. Helicopters in all shapes and sizes, the sky was full of 'em!  Must of taken a full half hour or more for all of them to pass over us.    Made a lasting impression on this young soldier. 

[Grunt67]

4 minutes ago, deerslayer said:

How much are those rides and how far/long do they go? 

Last time I did this, $25 per person, min.2 passengers, for about 15 mins around Pigeon Forge area. Longer is available, dont recall the figures on that. Pretty much what you want.

[gregintenn]

Hell, I’ll go with you to get it.

Nevermind…I see it sold.

[Grunt67]

13 minutes ago, Grayfox54 said:

As a young troop in 2nd Armored at Ft. Hood in 1972-74, we shared the post with the 1st Air Cavalry.  Helicopters constantly in the air. When we'd go play in the field, they'd come visiting just to harass us. Especially at night when we were trying to get some sleep. At tree top level with those big searchlights.   But they were just doing their thing like we were doing ours. 

We learned how to deal with them. Take a spent blank cartridge case and shove it into the flash hider of your rifle. Use a live blank to launch it. Bounce a few of those off the main rotor and the pilots would  find somebody else to go annoy. 

I once saw the entire 1st Cav in the air and passing over at one time. Helicopters in all shapes and sizes, the sky was full of 'em!  Must of taken a full half hour or more for all of them to pass over us.    Made a lasting impression on this young soldier. 

Impressive sight, to say the least.

If it'll make you feel better, one nite we were guarding the Battalion base. I was on top of a bunker nursing a bad tooth. This tank pulled up on line, started firing harassment Into the jungle. Every time he would fire, it jarred the heck out of the bunker, started a toothache. Ended up having the tooth pulled that nite in a tent. I didn't get any sleep either,  LOL

This was in 1967.  Ahhhhhh, the good old days.

 

Edited October 5, 2021 by Grunt67

[papa61]

16 minutes ago, Grayfox54 said:

As a young troop in 2nd Armored at Ft. Hood in 1972-74, we shared the post with the 1st Air Cavalry.  Helicopters constantly in the air. When we'd go play in the field, they'd come visiting just to harass us. Especially at night when we were trying to get some sleep. At tree top level with those big searchlights.   But they were just doing their thing like we were doing ours. 

We learned how to deal with them. Take a spent blank cartridge case and shove it into the flash hider of your rifle. Use a live blank to launch it. Bounce a few of those off the main rotor and the pilots would  find somebody else to go annoy. 

I once saw the entire 1st Cav in the air and passing over at one time. Helicopters in all shapes and sizes, the sky was full of 'em!  Must of taken a full half hour or more for all of them to pass over us.    Made a lasting impression on this young soldier. 

Ah the memories! When I was stationed on Hood with 1st Cav I rented a second floor apartment that was in the flight path of choppers ferrying in and out from a foreign places. couldn't keep ANYTHING on a wall or shelf LOL.

When the Apache came out I had one scare the crap out of ne as I drove the edge of a tree line. He came in at treetop level from my right oblique and I never heard him coming. Love the Hueys, once you hear one you know it forever.

[Grunt67]

10 minutes ago, papa61 said:

Ah the memories! When I was stationed on Hood with 1st Cav I rented a second floor apartment that was in the flight path of choppers ferrying in and out from a foreign places. couldn't keep ANYTHING on a wall or shelf LOL.

When the Apache came out I had one scare the crap out of ne as I drove the edge of a tree line. He came in at treetop level from my right oblique and I never heard him coming. Love the Hueys, once you hear one you know it forever.

You got that right, never forget that sound.

My house is in the flight path for Lifeflight, and Blackhawks,  Chinooks. Vibrates the house. Neatest thing I've seen was last year, there were 2 Chinooks and a fueling aircraft, refueling in flight. Thing they were training,  because they would circle & do it again. Took some video, still have it somewhere. Never seen that in person before. Quite a sight.

Did I mention I love that stuff, LOL

[Chucktshoes]

I got to take a ride in a Huey when I was in high school as part of jROTC. That was an experience. 
 

Buddy of mine works for the contractor that provides all the Hueys still in use by DoS. It’s my favorite whirlybird. 

[Grunt67]

59 minutes ago, gregintenn said:

Hell, I’ll go with you to get it.

Nevermind…I see it sold.

Dang, and we could have used your boat to get it back from  Maui, LOL

[Grayfox54]

When at Hood I was in an Air Defense Unit. Chaparral missiles.  On FTXs it was quite normal for various aircraft to pretend to attack us while we pretended to shoot them down. Of course, I was just a mechanic, so I had no real part in the fun and games. While the missile crews were busy, the rest of us just had to deal with the noise. 

What was interesting was when the Air Force came to play. Fighter jets on strafing runs scare the chit outta ya! 

 

[Chucktshoes]

6 minutes ago, Grayfox54 said:

When at Hood I was in an Air Defense Unit. Chaparral missiles.  On FTXs it was quite normal for various aircraft to pretend to attack us while we pretended to shoot them down. Of course, I was just a mechanic, so I had no real part in the fun and games. While the missile crews were busy, the rest of us just had to deal with the noise. 

What was interesting was when the Air Force came to play. Fighter jets on strafing runs scare the chit outta ya! 

 

I grew up on AF bases. Dad was Stationed at Ellsworth AFB for 8 years. It’s a B1-B base. I learned to sleep through MITs (Minimal Interval Takeoffs) at 0500 during exercises. Imagine the sound of two 4 engine supersonic bomber jets taking off in full afterburner every 30 seconds around a mile away. It would shake our house. 
 

I sleep like the dead now.

[Grunt67]

4 minutes ago, Grayfox54 said:

When at Hood I was in an Air Defense Unit. Chaparral missiles.  On FTXs it was quite normal for various aircraft to pretend to attack us while we pretended to shoot them down. Of course, I was just a mechanic, so I had no real part in the fun and games. While the missile crews were busy, the rest of us just had to deal with the noise. 

What was interesting was when the Air Force came to play. Fighter jets on strafing runs scare the chit outta ya! 

 

Thst it will. We were on a mountaintop one day, and a bombing run was going on. A bird dog plane would fly over the valley where enemy supposed were, drop smoke to Mark the target,  then the jets would come thru & drop their bombs.  1st one came right over our head, strafing with wing guns. That sound, sounded like the plane was coming apart. They would drop down in the valley, drop the bombs & be gone before the bomb hit ground, just be a speck in the sky, circle & do it again, over & over.

Got to witness many things like that,  you never see again in a lifetime.

[Grunt67]

2 minutes ago, Chucktshoes said:

I grew up on AF bases. Dad was Stationed at Ellsworth AFB for 8 years. It’s a B1-B base. I learned to sleep through MITs (Minimal Interval Takeoffs) at 0500 during exercises. Imagine the sound of two 4 engine supersonic bomber jets taking off in full afterburner every 30 seconds around a mile away. It would shake our house. 
 

I sleep like the dead now.

I never saw one take off, but heard the bombing. Rolling thunder indeed. Saw the craters left afterward. Looked like a farm pond hole.

[FUJIMO]

17 minutes ago, Chucktshoes said:

I grew up on AF bases. Dad was Stationed at Ellsworth AFB for 8 years. It’s a B1-B base. I learned to sleep through MITs (Minimal Interval Takeoffs) at 0500 during exercises. Imagine the sound of two 4 engine supersonic bomber jets taking off in full afterburner every 30 seconds around a mile away. It would shake our house. 
 

I sleep like the dead now.

I just returned from Box Elder . Love the area

[Johnny Rotten]

47 minutes ago, Chucktshoes said:

I grew up on AF bases. Dad was Stationed at Ellsworth AFB for 8 years. It’s a B1-B base. I learned to sleep through MITs (Minimal Interval Takeoffs) at 0500 during exercises. Imagine the sound of two 4 engine supersonic bomber jets taking off in full afterburner every 30 seconds around a mile away. It would shake our house. 
 

I sleep like the dead now.

look familiar 

 

 

[Chucktshoes]

When I lived there that particular location out front was occupied by the B2 mock-up that was used in that car commercial. 

[ReeferMac]

Heck if it isn't ironic I stumble across this corner of the interwebs tonight..

 

http://www.youmeandtheafter.com/2021/10/vietnam-1967-1969-life-and-times-1-4.html?m=1

[papa61]

22 hours ago, Grayfox54 said:

When at Hood I was in an Air Defense Unit. Chaparral missiles.  On FTXs it was quite normal for various aircraft to pretend to attack us while we pretended to shoot them down. Of course, I was just a mechanic, so I had no real part in the fun and games. While the missile crews were busy, the rest of us just had to deal with the noise. 

What was interesting was when the Air Force came to play. Fighter jets on strafing runs scare the chit outta ya! 

 

nothing I have ever seen is as awesome as the A10 on an attack run! BRRRP! and GON on a wingtip 180 turn

[Johnny Rotten]

Fellow H1'er caught this driving down the highway...

 

 

[Trekbike]

Never seen an RV puling a Huey as a  Toad.    

[FUJIMO]

1 hour ago, Johnny Rotten said:

Fellow H1'er caught this driving down the highway...

 

 

Wasn't headed toward knob creek was he ?