SAVING OUR FLYING HERITAGE (SOFH) THROUGH A FLYING MUSEUM

Transcription

1 VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2 SAVING OUR FLYING HERITAGE (SOFH) INSIDE THIS ISSUE: THE RESTORATION OF UH-1C CONTINUES T HE PRESIDENT S C HAPTER UPDATE. M ONTHLY MEET- INGS I NDUSTRY PART- NERS M ILITARY HISTORY BOOKSHELF SOFH MISSION S TATEMENT A BOUT THIS PUB- LICATION SUMMER It s 8:00 a.m. at the Madison County Airport. Instead of the sound of birds chirping and the steady drone of private aircraft breaking the still morning air, the silence is decimated by the sound of grinders, air compressors, and an occasional swear word. This is the collaboration of two groups, SAVING OUR FLYING HERITAGE (SOFH) and the Northern Alabama Chapter of the Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association (NAVHPA) working to restore UH-1C, tail number has a mostly unknown history. It was found by the Huntsville Veterans Museum in derelict condition on an Army gunnery range. A check of what records exist indicate 623 operated as a gunship in Vietnam from 1968 until Records also show in 1969 the aircraft sustained repairable combat damage. The Veterans Museum was unable to restore the aircraft on their own. Both the SOFH and the NAVHPA were up to the challenge. Additionally, the SOFH and NAVHPA have industry help, in the form of Yulista and SESI. Since the Spring Newsletter, the restoration has continued to be a flurry of activity, with structural repairs, cleaning, and painting. The tailboom of the aircraft was removed due to airframe damage that occurred while the aircraft was being used by the Army. Marshall Eubanks with Michael Hodges and John McDaniel built two sets of outstanding stands to hold our two tailbooms (we also have a replacement). The replacement tailboom was moved into the Yulisa hangar, next to the fuselage. The main fuselage has been pressure washed and is as clean as it has been in the past twenty years, as evidenced by the dirt, old paint, nests, etc, coming out of every open orifice. Les Haas and Sam Maki changed out the accumulator, repaired the pitot tube, managed to remove a broken copilot's cyclic, and a few other odds and ends that in the Yulista Hanger. needed to be done. On the following weekends, clean-up continued, with all cowlings pressure washed and cleaned with scuff pads. Small items were taken down to the Yulista facility and Dennis Boyer has spent a lot of time with the bead blast cabinet getting rust removed. Both main rotor blades have also been cleaned and prepared for minor repair and priming. Bernie Parr, Les Haas and Don Bates managed to get one of Continued Page 3

2 SAVING OUR FLYING HERITAGE (SOFH) Page 2 THE PRESIDENT S CORNER MORE CHALLENGES (I CHALLENGES) Over the past three years we have all come together to create a new kind of museum. We wanted to have flying aircraft that would remind us and all who saw them of our flying heritage. (This was cleverly included in our name). The problem has always been finding, acquiring and maintaining relatively old, wellused, flying machines. I have recently been working to complete and file paperwork where our organization would qualify to receive aviation gear from the US government. All such donations are routed through the US Army Tank and Automotive Command (TACOM) in Warren MI. Denny Boyer and several others worked hard on the first draft. The problem seemed to be that there is a requirement that museums must be open to the public for at least 1000 hours per year. So, I spoke to Randy Withrow at the Veteran s Museum about partnering with them so we could count their hours against the requirement. That was reasonable with him. But then came the issue he recommended that I call TACOM to verify that it was possible to be allocated flyable aircraft or aircraft that could be made flyable. I did so. The point of contact (Ms. Audrey) was unequivocal. No. We could never get a flyable aircraft or parts for one. Class H (permanently unserviceable) was the only stuff we could have. I was bummed! So, I explored some options. We can: 1) Continue with the TA- COM paperwork and partner with the Veterans Museum. 2) File similar paperwork with the state of Alabama, who are reputedly easier to deal with (I have a phone number to start with). 3) Dispatch spies to find out about a private law that would put us on par with the AAHF 4) Correspond with other organizations that have or are refurbishing former US Army aircraft to find out how they did it There may be other options, but I recommend we look to the final three to give us the greatest chance to meet SOFH s mission. Let s be about it. Ralph Weber President Tim Powell working on the instrument panel. A rare sight Bernie Parr sitting down. Meetings are held the first Thursday of the month, with orders for food placed at approximately 6:30 p.m.

3 VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2 Page 3 MONTHLY MEETINGS The SOFH has its monthly meetings at various restaurants throughout the cities of Huntsville and Madison. Meetings are held the first Thursday of the month, with orders for food placed at approximately 6:30 p.m. Meeting details are available on the website The restaurants are typically frequented for three months in a row, after which the SOFH give another Huntsville establishment a try. Spouses are encouraged to attend, as well as prospective members and Army Aviation enthusiasts. If you have suggestion on future restaurant visits, contact Scott Handlon at richard.s.handlon@ us.army.mil, who is the SOFH event coordinator with your suggestions. The group is always looking for great food in the Huntsville / Madison area. If the venue changes, an will be sent to the members to denote the change. Grinding, Grinding, and more Grinding THE RESTORATION (CONT) the two drag links removed from the Main Rotor head, with one refusing to budge. Don and Bernie also wire brushed the top side of the rotor head and Les went down to the Yulista hangar and bead blasted more parts. The crew of three also worked on removing the cargo doors. Tony Hill has come in to do a considerable amount of painting, both inside and out. Les Haas has also found important UH-1C parts, with the most recent addition being a complete (external, anyway) armament system. Replacement skids and shoes were also procured. The work continues on 623 every other weekend. This restoration continues to be a huge task for the organization and any help is greatly appreciated. A full armament system for the aircraft The work continues on 623 every other weekend. This restoration continues to be a huge task for the organization and any help is greatly appreciated

4 SAVING OUR FLYING HERITAGE (SOFH) Page 4 INDUSTRY PARTNERS It can be mutually beneficial for industry and a 501(c)3 organization to team together. For the non-profit, the organization may get access to skills and equipment which might otherwise be out of their reach due to financial limitations. Industry can benefit from this relationship by gaining a tax deduction for the time and equipment donated to the 501(c)3. For the UH-1C project, the SOFH teamed with Science & Engineering Services Inc (SESI) and Yulista Aviation Inc (YAI), both of Huntsville, AL. YAI was created in 2007 to provide all types of aviation maintenance and modification work and is certified as a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Certified Repair Station, meeting Combined Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 145 requirements for qualification of repair parts, authorized tools and equipment, calibration standards and procedures, training requirements, and FAA maintenance records. SESI was established in 1988 and has a fundamental strength in taking basic scientific concepts through engineering prototypes to full rate production. Their Manufacturing Operations is located in Huntsville, Alabama and offers state -of-the-art electrical/ mechanical manufacturing and platform integration facilities including local aircraft hanger operations. Thanks to Bernie Parr, the SOFH was able to forge a MILTARY HISTORY BOOKSHELF Most members of the military, both retired and active duty, are students of military history. Common to all military history buffs is the love of books related to their topic of interest, be it WWII, Vietnam, or more recent engagements. This segment will review aviation military history books that are readily available and worthy of the read. The first book to be examined is Into Laos, The Story of Dewey Canyon II / Lam Son 719 by Keith William Nolan. Operation Dewey Canyon II was the first all-south Vietnam- ese offensive into Laos in early 1971 and represented the last major operation the Americans fought in Vietnam. This book focuses on the soldiers as individuals and on the previously neglected aspects of the battles that were not reported by the press. From the point of view of thousands of Americans who fought there, the narrative gives feeling and perspective with great logistical insights and intense battle descriptions. This detail allows for a respectful look at this monumental operation, which was one of America's last relationship with both SESI and Yulista on the UH-1 project. Yulista had a requirement to train sheet metal technicians before they could be certified to work on flyable aircraft. What a better way to learn then to get hands on experience on an actual non-flyable aircraft, a.k.a In return, the SOFH gets free sheet metal work, which is greatly needed based on the damage the aircraft sustained prior to it beginning the restoration process. SESI offered to provide their paint booth and technicians necessary to give 623 a finish better than it would have received as it left the assembly line at the Bell plant in Both partners are instrumental to the success of this project. major combat operations of the war in southeast Asia. The author s account presents the operation in a positive light instead of the defeat the operation was originally reported as being at the time. Nolan's arguments that Dewey Canyon had positive effects are well presented and convincing. This book is available in hardback copy only at such websites as Amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com. Both new and used copies can be purchased, with costs ranging from $40 to over $200. Operation Dewey Canyon II was the first all-south Vietnamese offensive into Laos in early 1971 and represented the last major operation the Americans fought in Vietnam.

5 SAVING OUR FLYING HERITAGE 271 Bullit Circle Ardmore, AL Phone: Tony Hill painting the B540 head. Is that with or without the Stabilizer Bar? SAVING OUR FLYING HERITAGE is a 501(c)(3) non-profit association of veteran, governmental, business entities, and individual members, with the major emphasis of supporting Army Aviation thru presenting the Army aviation history to the American people through narrated, patriotic flying presentations and static displays of the actual aircraft and equipment used by the men and women who served in Army Aviation. This is accomplished through the acquisition, restoration, and maintenance of historic flyable army aviation aircraft representing Army Aviation. ABOUT THIS PUBLICATION ter will circulate the newsletter electronically and distribute to all members via . I will also be working with the chapter webmaster to get this added to the website. If you would like to receive a hard copy of the SOFH Newsletter, let me know The Saving Our Flying Heritage (SOFH) Through A Flying Museum newsletter is published quarterly, in line with the change of the season. If demand is such to warrant a monthly edition, I will gladly publish one. Like other successful publications around the world, the chapand I will bring copies to the monthly meetings. Also, if you have any good article ideas or would like to include your own articles, send them to my address and I will include them in subsequent editions ( richard.s. handlon@us.army.mil). I hope to see you next month and you can expect to see another edition of the SOFH Newsletter next quarter.