Army retires the Huey Helicopter!!

YAKIMA, Wash. -- An icon of the Vietnam War, a faithful conveyer of American troops across the globe and savior to countless lost or injured civilians, the Huey helicopter's long Army service is ending.

For the medevac detachment at the Army's Yakima Training Center, that distinguished career concluded Wednesday.
More than 50 years after the first models lifted off, the Army is retiring the few single-bladed UH-1 variants still sitting on the flightline.

Wednesday's retirement ceremony at the training center was a bittersweet moment for the pilots, crewmen and passengers who came to know the Huey as a reliable machine for both combat missions and stateside duties, most notably civilian search and rescue.

Chief Warrant Officer Joseph Long, part of the Training Center's Air Ambulance Detachment, is probably one of the last Vietnam-era Huey pilots serving today. He was recalled to active duty in 2002 because the Army didn't have enough Huey-trained pilots.

Long had the honor of piloting the last formal Huey mission at the training center as part of the flyaway retirement ceremony on the parade ground. Sitting on his left was retired Lt. Col. Bruce Crandall, who received the Medal of Honor for flying 70 wounded troops out of Vietnam's Ia Drang Valley in 1965.

Long said newer helicopters have been threatening to push the Huey out of service for 30 years.
"It just never happened," Long said. "It was always pulling a mission."

The Huey is considered the most widely known modern helicopter, thanks to numerous Hollywood depictions and the characteristic "whoop-whoop-whoop" sound made by the spinning main rotor.

The Marines will still be flying the Cobra attack variant for a while, won't they? Sad to see the Iroquois (official name of the helicopter given to it by the army) retired, but it served this nation and the soldiers as a trustworthy steed over the many years it was in service. I will always remember the image of Hueys going over the edge of the carriers as we retired from Vietnam. It has always seemed to me to be a less than fitting end to a machine that protected and saved so many lives.

Yes PS. I believe the Marines will. This is just the Army retiring it.

Many reminescent/religious moments were spent in the Huey. It was a dreaded machine and the most wonderful sight in the world at times.

360 view from inside a Huey. Left side of dash looks a little burnt out.

http://worldvr.com/bell-uh-1h-helicopter-vr/

Cool Photo, thanks.

Back in the 70's the Army actually ran manuveurs(sp?) in South Park. It was cool to watch them flying by at treetop height with their legs hanging out of the Huey's. One confused Lt. landed at our neighbor's house with a map trying to find out where he was.

I can still tell the sound of a Huey versus other choppers.