Flying Heritage Collection Adds a ‘Huey’

The Flying Heritage Collection's freshly-restored Bell UH-1B Iroquois has just gone on display at the museum. (photo via FHC)

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The Flying Heritage Collection's freshly-restored Bell UH-1B Iroquois has just gone on display at the museum. (photo via FHC)
The Flying Heritage Collection’s freshly-restored Bell UH-1B Iroquois has just gone on display at the museum. (photo via FHC)

The Flying Heritage Collection in Everett, Washington has added a freshly-restored, early-model UH-1B Iroquois to its stable of magnificently restored aircraft on display at the museum. The Iroquois made it to FHC just in time to be on view during their second annual SkyFair air/ground show on July 25th. While the helicopter is not airworthy, the restoration is to a very high standard, as we’ve come to expect from FHC. Aircraft Restoration Services in Murrieta, California (associated with the marvelous Wings & Rotors Museum) did the work over the course of six months or so, and painted the helo to represent one flown in Viet Nam by A Troop, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. FHC provided us with the following details outlining the helicopter’s history, and while it is not a combat veteran, you can be sure that many crews who flew and fought in Viet Nam learned their skills aboard this aircraft.

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Bell Helicopter Company UH-1B Iroquois “Huey”

Construction Number: 763

US Army Serial Number: 63-08541

FHC Huey completed on 24 January 1964 in Fort Worth.

It was accepted by the Corpus Christi Army Depot on 27 January 1964 and was en route to Europe by February 1964.

Assigned to D Troop was part of the 4th Armored Division in US Army Europe (USAREUR).

The FHC Huey accumulated some 832 hours with D Troop between spring 1964 and March 1966.

By April 1966, the FHC Huey was with the Seventh Army Aviation Training Center (ATC), which was just being relocated to Schleissheim Army Airfield outside Munich.

The FHC Huey was probably employed in training helicopter pilots during this period, and accumulated some 800 hours.

In early 1969, the FHC Huey was assigned to the 66th Aviation Company, part of the 18th Aviation Battalion, though it appears that this was an administrative move since no flight hours were recorded.

The Huey was shipped back to the Red River Army Depot in March 1969 and remained there for most of the rest of the year.

In December 1969, it was assigned to the 2nd Armored Division at Foot Hood where it accumulated 83 hours.

It next went to the 1st Armored Division, also at Fort Hood, in May 1970 and was assigned to the Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC). Here it accumulated 114 hours before this Division was sent to Europe in 1971.

While the 1st Armored headed overseas, the FHC Huey remained at Ft. Hood on assignment with the 1st Cavalry Division just returning from Vietnam.

The FHC Huey is listed as being in the HHC and in B Troop, 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry

The remaining time in the Army was spent with:
Supply Division at Ft. Hood from January to May 1972 (3 hours);
Frankford Arsenal in Philadelphia (likely a paperwork only move) from June to July 1972;
Red River Army Depot from August 1972 to February 1973; and
Army Aeronautical Depot Maintenance Center (ARADMAC) from March to July 1973 (5 hours).

The Ohio National Guard was the next stop for the FHC Huey, so it is likely that it received a thorough overhaul at ARADMAC. The Guard operated it from August 1973 to June 1976 and put on 294 hours.

The FHC Huey was next with the 1416th Transportation Company from November 1973 to November 1975. The FHC Huey accumulated 247 hours with this unit.

The final assignment for this helicopter with the Guard appears to have been an administrative one to the US Property and Fiscal Office (USPFO) from December 1975 to June 1976.

After service with the Guard, the FHC Huey was donated to the Aviation Maintenance Technology program at Columbus State Community College (CSCC), to 1990.

The Huey then passed to civilian owners.

The FHC purchased the Huey from Jet Aerospace Technologies in 2014.

1 Comment

  1. I am with the Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association and I am working with the Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space museum here in Denver, Colorado. The are now in the process of addition rotary wing aircraft to their museum and we have convinced them of the need to focus on Vietnam Helicopters namely the UH-1, OH-6 and the Cobra. My problem in helping them is advising them where to go to request donations of these helicopters to their non-profit museum. Can you provide me with any assistance.

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