Maria Flies a Huey Helicopter
COME FLY WITH ME and Stan as I take a Huey helicopter for a spin around Malaga, WA.
The backstory
I was doing some late season cherry drying and listening in on the frequency used by the few other pilots left on contract. Two of them were flying Hueys and we'd chatter back and forth a bit. At one point, I told them I'd bring pizza to their base, which I flew over occasionally: a pair of ponds on Stemilt Hill. Sure enough, right on schedule, I turned up with the pizza. That's when I met the two pilots: Stan and Pete. Stan offered to let me try flying the Huey he had on contract, which belongs to his son's company. I'm not a complete idiot -- I said sure! This is the video I shot during that flight. It covers seatbelts on to seatbelts off, including engine startup and shutdown.
The video has a problem: the front facing camera, which was connected to the intercom system, was not configured properly so none of the intercom audio was recorded. This isn't a big deal at the beginning, when the helicopter was quiet, but when the engine cranked up, it became impossible to hear us talk. I filled in the gaps when editing by explaining various things that were going on. The behind-the-scenes footage I recorded while setting up and turning on the cameras tells you how important it was for me to get it right and I still managed to screw up.
And yes, the pedals were not adjusted properly for me. And yes, I know we should have fixed that but once the engine was running, I did not want to cause any delays. And yes, I was doing the flying until I returned full control to Stan. And yes, Stan did not release the controls but I did not feel him on them at all. He was protecting the helicopter and its occupants. He had never flown with me and I had never flown a Huey. Why would he let go?
The helicopter is a B model Huey. Lots of folks think it's a C model, but checking its N-number with the FAA clearly identifies it as a B model. Stan alludes to this at the end of the video. This particular helicopter was built in 1962 and saw action in Vietnam and Nicaragua. It has patched bullet holes in the back floor. It is now used for agricultural and lift jobs.
Stan is a part-time pilot who works when needed and travels the rest of the year. He's a really nice guy who addressed me as "ma'am" more times than I could count. (He is not a "rich guy" with a toy.)
Later that day, I helped him get the helicopter on a trailer by repositioning the trailer with my truck, which happens to have the needed gooseneck hitch. I think I still owe him for the ride.
About the dog
Penny the Tiny Dog flew quite regularly with me for 7+ years. (She was killed by a pit bull in January 2020.) She was too small for me to get ear protection for her but I regularly tested her hearing and can assure you that it was way better than mine. The only reason she came up front in this video was because she was startled by the sound of this particular helicopter. She was not a "loose object" and she would not have gotten under the pedals. Once I put her in back, she stayed there. Please don't lecture me about her.
About the Video
- The video was recorded with a pair of GoPro Hero 7 Black cameras (amzn.to/2Zh7nWr). I had just received one of them via UPS 30 minutes before the flight and was using it with a new NFlightCam cable (amzn.to/31Vn1Zu), which is why I screwed up the audio. I should have left the cameras settings to defaults. Lesson learned.
- The video was edited on a Macintosh using Screenflow software. Learn more about it here: www.telestream.net/screenflow...
- The intro music is by Bob Levitus, famed "Dr. Mac." You can find him here: www.boblevitus.com/
About me
I have been flying for more than 20 years. My nearly 4,000 hours of flight time is in Robinson R44, Robinson R22, and Bell 206L (Long Ranger) helicopters. This was my first time flying a Huey.
- I have been blogging since 2003 at An Eclectic Mind: www.aneclecticmind.com/ or www.marialanger.com/
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Please read the description before sharing comments here. While I'm thrilled that so many folks who saw action in Vietnam or appreciate iconic aircraft like this are commenting here, I really don't need to see comments bashing my seat position, Stan's hold on the controls, or my dog. All of these things are addressed in the description. Thanks!
Thanks what a great helicopter bell huey ! I love sound noise of this famous copter that been used during Vietnam war during the 60’s...What a lucky girl ! My first flight on helicopter was with a old bell 47 !!!!
Felt like I was back in Nam. Lol actually I was not alive during that time. Incredible video.
@@pimuce😄👍Mine too!
@@imachavel it not only takes you into the freedom of flying, but also realization & respect for the era..makes us think into others experiences more than we had, reminds us.. even more than before, our grattitude increases..
the audio issue turned into a great engine noise flight for us , and the subtitles were fine in informing of what was going on. Thanks Maria
They are loud , I have several jumps out of 412 version
*STAN: Maria, why are you teaching a bunch of teenagers exactly how to joyride a Huey?* *MARIA: Yeah... maybe we'll tell them the audio got botched.*
One like this picked up my blown up body from Bu Dop A-341 at 11AM and off to the 93 evacuation hospital. If you hear one, you will never forget the sound. If you fly in one you will never forget it. Huey pilots are the real hero’s of Vietnam, especially on December 3, 1967.
Glad you made it back. Something you Vietnam vets may not have heard, or never heard often enough: WELCOME HOME!!
🙂👍
I know! Strange, not sure I should have watched it.
Paul Posey, welcome home, brother. I'm a 10 years US Army Special Forces veteran, E7 MOS 18d. I did two tours in Vietnam doing medevac duty. Twice combat decorated. Most people don't know that medevac helicopter don't have self-defense equipment nor do they know why. I'm glad that you came home and I hope that you are doing well.
@@LMayB1213 Modern times we hear it but back then, it rarely ever happened. Many of us were called "baby killers" and sometimes worse than that. We were advised to not even wear a uniform for the trip back home.
my life saver and life changer, combat tour in NAM, 1969-1970, Semper Fi, my brothers and sisters. ❤️👍
Thank you for your service. It was a tough place to be.
🙂👍
What I'd give to fly one of those again. 49 years ago Vietnam crew chief. Love the blade whop whop.
George Gagnon My father was one as well in Vietnam war thank you for all that you did
Thank you for your service.
@@shawnrichardson3983 I did two tours in Vietnam doing medevac duty. '65-'66 and again in '69. 10 years US Army Special Forces veteran, E7, MOS 18d.
I'm right there with you. Retired from the USMC as a UH-1N Crew Chief (MOS 6174) in 2004 after 20 years of service. I miss flying.
Huey blade slap is such a unique and instantly recognisable sound.
That sound defined a generation.
As far as i know , UH helicopters has the slowest rotor speed of all helicopters.
@@brahmdempers1005 Mi-26 does. Bigger the rotor, lower the RPM.
The Bell Cobra and Bell 222 (Air Wolf helicopter) are twin blades and they also sound similar to the Huey slaps.
@@brahmdempers1005 I believe that the rotor rpms at full throttle, is about: 315 & 325.
I survived a crash in a Huey when in the military. I live with the after effects to this day. I loved the bird! Loved hearing the sound again. THANKS...
Thanks for your service. Hope you’re okay.
what happened...? Huey is the most iconic helicopter ever made and always will be...!! Love the UH-1 Huey !!
What an awesome iconic bird. Nothing like standing (stooped over) in the cargo area with no Doors. Weaving, banking & flying loose formation evasively through mountains over jungle canopy in Central & South America. Fingers laced through the perforated holes in the airframe overhead. Avoiding Small arms and RPG fire coming up out of the trees . Tracer rounds streaking through the night sky as our door gunners M60s returned fire & we headed home at flank speed. Hot spent brass casings flying everywhere in the bird out the door some in the catch bag others hitting the floor rolling around. The distance roar of a wingmans minigun as he climbed circled and dived then rejoined us. Suppressing the threat momentarily. What an adrenaline rush. I had many years of PTSD every time I heard a big blade chopper whomping overhead. But I wouldn't trade that or the sensation of sitting on the floor with my feet hanging out the door as we slipped over the edge of the precipice at the end of the runway at Soyopango watching the ground instantly Fall away thousands of feet beneath us not strapped in, no parachute no sweat. You can't build a roller coaster like that. 😁👍
My grandpa was a marine officer and flew the Huey
When I too was in Vietnam, the Huey would vibrate a lot. And it is much heavier than yours. Great flight. Thanks for bringing us along. Have a grand day.
Yeah, this one is really stripped down to the bare necessities. I think it's because they also do lift work with it.
Love the Huey. It'll ALWAYS be my fave whirlybird. The very first aircraft I flew in was a Huey at age 7. Fell in love with flying that day back in 1976.
Is it just me or at 2:57 when the huey engine starts up getting louder and louder, does anyone else get goosebumps? I love that noise
Flying in history
Thank you all who served in Vietnam. WELCOME HOME. We appreciate you. Thanks for the amazing video.
Good job...I love the sound of the blades, In Vietnam when you heard that sound you knew everything was going to be ok.
I spent many hours riding in Hueys in Vietnam. This video brought back lots of memories. Some good, some not so much. Thanks.
Love cockpit POV. Especially looking over the pilot's shoulder so I can see instrument panel, pilots inputs and out the windows. Maria does an excellent job at this.
I crewed Cobra and Huey helicopters in the army as a young man in the 70's. I loved flying in the Huey - what a rush! Thanks for sharing!
I did the same in the 80s at ft ord Cali. The Blackhawks were starting to come as I was getting out.
I am not a pilot. But I will never forget that Huey sound from the inside or out. Always thought it was pretty cool. Those things were always a welcome sight and sound to us grunts.
10 years US Army Special Forces veteran here, E7 MOS 18d. I did two tours in Vietnam doing medevac duty. Most people don't know that medevac helicopters don't have self-defense equipment nor do they know why.
Best looking helicopters ever
Brilliant!! The audio is perfect!! I played this loud through my home theatre and was fighting back tears for some time after the solid whump on lightup. Absolutely beautiful! What an intimidating machine, that transistion even scared me! You won't forget this in a while, and neither will I. Thank you!
How long has been for you Steve. Great comment here. I understood watching again after reading this.
I could listen to this thing fly all day. Turbine and blade slap. So satisfying.
What a beast to fly, and to do so having to perch on your seat was incredible. Well done Maria, and the sound of just the engine for me was even better...it was like being there.
One of my favorites ! Wish the audio would have come through, but thats a little thing. Thanks to Stan for making this possible and you for sharing !
Great vid, I flew UH-1H’s in the US Army, 1st Cav, of all the aircraft I have flown in my career the old Huey is my favorite!
are you flying in Simulation Games today or could you imagine doing this? If so, welcome to DCS...Flying the Huey there in VR is like sitting in the real thing :)
I was a 67N Crew Chief in the Missouri, Army National Guard from 1999 to 2000 (before transferring to Active Duty Air Force) and I still remember the tail number 826 of my bird. I will never forget my time with the Huey UH1, something I will probably never forget. Flying this bird is so different from flying anything else.
Reminds me of my Vietnam days in one of those skimming across the jungle.....
It reminds me too of the El Salvadoran war when the Hueys would come to save us when we were pinned under mortar fire, they would swoop in and straf the enemy with .50 cal gunfire and rockets. I was a soldier in the salvadoran army and this flying machine was our mother who always came to our rescue. If I remember correctly the sunroof windows were green-colored?
Where in Vietnam were you stationed?. I was 70 71. Phouc vinh 1/9th
Do any other Vietnam vets think maybe it would be a good time to track the blades? I've been on smoother flights in those.
@@i.r.wayright1457 200+ medevac missions, in Vietnam, I don't recall any that were smooth.
Wow!! Loved it!! Really bumpy! No ads! Thank you!
Thank you, Maria, for being humble and not pretending you know everything. I ALWAYS enjoy your videos and really appreciate your simple, honest, down-to-earth, easy-to-listen-to commentaries. You are the best. Blessings ! ! ! (from AUSTRALIA)
Thanks very much! I hate know-it-alls -- especially when they don't know it all! -- and don't want to be one. I try to keep it real. Thanks for taking the time to watch!
Great video Maria. You are not a coward! You are a very smart pilot who knows her limitations! "There are old pilots and bold pilots...but not both" . I look forward to all of your videos because you are always learning just like I enjoy doing. I have flown a few helicopters before but not ready yet to get my license. Keep it up! Such a nice distraction to watch your videos from the day to day news etc. Thank you.
First helicopter I ever rode in was a Huey. Long time ago... Many since but that first ride is the one that sticks out. Thanks for sharing.
WOW, great content Maria! At 3:03 I got excited when that turbine started whining!
Is this a cherry drier?
I love that sound. It was the best part of flying at the Grand Canyon - spinning up that turbine in the morning.
Maria, you ROCK!!. Tell Stan he's the MAN!!
My biggest dream machine for sure! A legend ! Iconic models 204 and 205… as always nice video, does not matter so much the lack of talking… Her engine and main rotor flapping are one of the most sweet and beautiful sounds ever heard by a human being… thanks a lot for the ride! And keep making great content on KZhead ! Thanks a lot a again.
I can only imagine the stress of slamming one of these down in a rice paddy, VC 30 cal fire from all sides.. A few seconds wait, as our guys clamor on board seeming like an eternity.. I knew a guy that flew these in Nam.. and later lost his life helicopter logging. Another was a 50 cal door gunner.. Remember our VietNam vets.
I remember. Respect
Maria, that was great watching you! Thank you for sharing!
That was quite a flight! Thanks so much for sharing.
As a former US Army service member. I flew in Huey's from 1985 through 1990. For me the sound of the Huey's will never get old. Your video is perfect. No unnecessary chatter. Just two professional pilots prepping and flying a legendary helicopter. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks, but I think we could have gotten more of that info if the darn intercom feed worked. Another time. I'm hoping to have other opportunities to take us all flying on other aircraft.
Thank you for you're service. Iam a Vet as well
Maria, thanks so much; what a treat! beauty!
Fascinating video, with a real live flying piece of history, thanks for posting.
The sound was amazing. Thank you for sharing this!
There is nothing like the sound of a Huey.
That was a fun ride-along! What a thrill it must have been to fly that thing! You did very well!!
Wow that was absolutely incredible Maria! I totally enjoyed the video! And I love being able to hear the chopper blades in the Wind. Your captions were more than enough! I think this was the best video you've had ever! And you did a fantastic job of flying it. What a wonderful experience that must have been. A little nerve-wracking perhaps but wonderful experience. I remember hearing hueys come over my house when I was a kid. Sometimes they would pass over two and three at a time. It's a sound that I would never forget!
I wasn't born until '71, but these birds feel like home to me. I could listen to this video all day!!
The sound of that Helicopter, the two blades' chopping is recognizable from far away. While waiting on the helideck to fly out, we could tell before we could see that it was a Huey, and not an Aerospaciale "Dauphin" coming to pick us up.... lol! the sound signature of the Huey is inimitable...
Nice flight. Gotta love that thump thump of the blades. It’s a very distinctive sound.
Only the most iconic helicopter of all time. Awesome video thanks Maria.👍
Wow what an experience Maria ! to fly a Huey is something very special,typically military belt and braces helicopter,loved the engine noises and rotor rumble all part of the characteristics of this workhorse,well done you.
Lovely, that's a beautiful machine...thanks for the ride.
I flue in one during the Vietnam war and this is what i remember how they sound and how they felt and they had a smell I will never forget !!
Too cool! Nothing like a huey to get the adrenaline flowing.
Great video. Many hours working on Hueys from Army days. Workhouse for the military.
Loved this video, the noise and the vibration was great.
Nothing like the sound a turbine spooling up!
And that's what a REAL helicopter engine should sound like IMHO!
Awesome yeah?
Sex.
Wow wow wow, loved every second of this, I’ve flown 206’s, 47’s, 500’s, R44 and many more but still dream of flying a Huey. Fantastic video thanks ♥️
Thanks for the flight Maria.
I just love the iconic whup-whup-whup sound. Once I hear it I think of the Huey and the Vietnam War. It's so distinctive.
Loved this! The UH-1 is what got me interested as a very young child. Back when the National Guard could take civilians riding. And love the t-shirt... Firefighter here in TX.
Another beautiful flight vlog. Keep them coming. Thank you. That bird is my age...
The brave young men that took us in country were hell be gone for guts and a big thanks to them God bless ....’65 ....’66
Looked like a lot of fun. Thanks for sharing.
that was so cool... thank you for sharing this flight with all of us.
Thank you. I love the sound.
I was very happy to hear the engine sound over voice, excellent video!
Good Call, and Great Video! Thank you ever so much for providing that entire video segment of just pure Huey. :)
This is the video of the Huey that I've been looking for, Maria! Thank you!
Vietnam UH-1 D/H Crew Chief/Maint A Co 227th AHB 1st Cav May '67 - Aug '68. Love the sound of that Huey!
Brings back memories, flying in the “mixer “ was always fun and this flight was classic flap, flap, flap; thanks!
I have always heard that Hueys are squirrely for as big as they are. Maria you are my hero!
Great video and I loved every minute of it. Thanks for sharing...
Been over 50 years but I still remember all the sound. 1st Cav C company 68-69
I loved the sound, I've never been inside of a helicopter so this helped to imagine how it is. Thanx!
Really enjoyed the video! Wow, never realized how much vibration there is in a Huey! It HAS to be like day-and-night going back to your R44, huh? And kudos to Stan...he seems a very patient and understanding guy.
I was a Crew Chief and Maintenance Mechanine In Vietnam in 69/70 on Huey's. When on test flights I always rode left seat and had many a chance to fly the A/C and one thing that surprised me the first few times I alike others grabbed that Cyclic like I was flying a jet fighter on a gun run. One of Pilots for maintenance one time changed that by showing me and explaining that he had instructure who told to handle the Cyclic and do inputs as if I had a cigarette but in my fingers and using it to move the cyclic. After several tries it turned out I became more relaxed and had less tension and enjoyed flight a great deal more.
As a Kiowa crewchief, I had much the same experience in my bird. Loved the stick time. My MTP clued me in the first time he put me on the controls. On the OH-58, you just think about what you want the bird to do, and the control inputs come naturally. Just enough to do the job. Maria's comment about passing through ETL hit home with me, as well. First time scared the bejesus out of me. Thought we were going to fall out of the sky.
Nice job. One of my all time favorite birds. 👊😎
I love that Huey blade slap. Great video. 👊
Wow.. Once the engine spins up and those blades start, you really get the feeling of immense power behind, above and all around you. Very cool perspective. #love the #Huey
Flew in these wildland firefighting and will never forget the sound nor the power. We could load it full of all our gear and personnel and go to a 8,000 ft elevation fire with no trouble. It saved our bacon many times when other, smaller machines couldn’t cut it.
i've always wanted to learn to fly one of these huey choppers! definitely a bucket list!
The natural sound is awesome.
This is so awesome. Forget about the cockpit audio, the captions explain everything.
Exactly.
Great flight, Maria. The camera (video) performed very well!
Great flight. And, thanks for the memories (Former UH-1H, “Dustoff”). To this day I get the chills when I hear the igniters, the whine of the Lycoming engines and the ignition of the burner cans on startup. Love that Huey.
larry mead Brought back memories for me of Exercise REFORGER in Germany in 1984. I was a medic in the RAF and was liaison with a US Dustoff crew flying into our hospital. I got a few trips in the Huey that remain a fantastic memory. The Huey was replaced by a Blackhawk toward the end of the exercise - it didn’t have the same character as the Huey.
Right on...
Not to me tonight that start up shake! Loved this bird, would love to have one!
A great video Maria and thanks for adding the text boxes. Best viewed with the volume LOUD!
Thank you very much to you both. I absolutely loved. I also have a weak spot for the Huey.
Excellent video. The camera angle was great as I could see both the flight controls and instruments. It reminded me of many flights I have taken just for fun. Once in the air, with the throttle/collective set, it seemed that the helicopter remained in mostly level flight, apart from climbing a little bit when speed decreased significantly and vice versa.
I don't know how or why, I acquired such an affinity for the Huey especially the sounds of both engine and _blade-slap_ yet; I sure do love it! Yes, it would have been technically appeasing to be able to hear the details of this conversation however; this is still a fantastic video - Thank you! (hope you had fun, too!) Cheers-
WHAT A TREAT!! Really, there are worse things to deal with than to have to listen to the sound of a Huey for twenty minutes. Lol and the doggy. Not now, honey!! It's not everyday Mama gets to fly a Huey!
Love the engine music, when she starts spooling up. As F1 team owner Ron Dennis said, one of the best things is to listen to a jet engine spooling up. Thank you for the audio! In my hometown the German 212´s from the German Army often had a heli pad during exercises in Denmark. Loved the pad pad pad pad..!!
Musta been a real thrill! Love me a Huey. Thanks for the ride, bummer about the comms but still a great vid 👍🏼 Seems like she nosed over and really took off there 🚁
Very cool. I have time in both the UH-1 Victor model as well as the N model(Twin engine). Fun to fly. Love the iconic sounds.
Sweet video love this Chopper....flew medivac as Corpsman and as Civilian always used sound of Huey to motivate me to get to evac point when on ground....thanks for sharing and safe flights.
Thanks for another great video!
Very nice. Thanks for the ride.
that"s the Best music i"ve heard all day..thanks for posting..
Excellent job! You make one hell of a helicopter pilot! I love the Huey!
Don’t be so hard on yourself for the audio problem. You will get the hang of it the more you record. I very much enjoy the helicopter videos you do and look forward to seeing the next one. Be safe and again, thank you.
I've always loved Hueys and during the landing when Stan took the controls I didn't draw breath once, it was that intense. I just watched in awe as he puddled the cyclic during the landing making minute control inputs intuitively to keep it where he wanted it, marvelous stuff.
Very cool. I never had a chance to be in a Huey. When I enlisted in the Army, Blackhawks were our main mode of transportation. Those are some awesome birds to be in if you get the chance.
That is an awesome flight!! Really enjoyed your video and must say I would fly any day with the both of you, Stan is a great teacher.
Thanks a ton!
I was a UH1-Y and AH1-W/Z mech in the military and this video brought back to many awesome memories.