By Debi Lander
mail@floridanewsline.com

While in Hampton, Georgia, just outside Atlanta, I had the opportunity to ride in a UH-1 “Huey” helicopter. The Huey was the chopper frequently used to bring and evacuate soldiers from hot spots in Vietnam. 

Bruce Meyer, who served in the Army’s Delta Company, 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry, said, “I’ve had the opportunity to fly in a number of helicopters in the fifty-plus years since I served in Vietnam — all good flights, but nothing like the experience of riding in a Huey with the doors off.”

The Huey, along with an AH-1 Cobra, OH-6 Cayuse, OH-58 Kiowa, and the O-1/L-19 Cessna (Bird Dog), belong to the Georgia chapter of the Army Aviation Heritage Foundation and Flying Museum (AAHF). The purpose of the 25-year-old nonprofit organization is to “obtain, restore and maintain in flyable condition, examples of historic aircraft representing Army Aviation from Vietnam to present.” You’ll find other local chapters in Mesa, Arizona, and St. Louis, Missouri. 

Local volunteers at each chapter, many of whom served in the Korean and Vietnam wars, are involved in the program. Some work on maintenance and others fly the aircraft. The appropriately military-dressed team offers educational programs, flyovers, and demonstrations, as well as free hangar tours.

My Flight in a Huey Helicopter

I met Fred Edwards and Ed Clark in the hangar at the Atlanta Speedway Airport. (The Speedway is another great attraction in Henry County.) Edwards is a retired Army lieutenant colonel, and Clark, who served 10 years in the Army after graduating from West Point, earned the rank of captain. They would pilot my ride in the open-door Huey helicopter. 

Their pre-flight briefing was so passionate and convincing that I wasn’t hesitant to ride. I jumped onto the gunner’s bench for the best view (ahead and straight down) during the flight. 

As the grass began to sway during lift-off, I tried to imagine flying over rice paddies in ‘Nam. While I sat securely belted in, many vets would climb in and out of the Huey without doing so.

Meyer said, “Riding in the Hueys was both thrilling and scary; with no doors, you were sitting on the floorboard with your legs dangling out of the chopper. You prayed that you didn’t slide out when the pilot took a steep curve.”

Knowing I was securely seat-belted in place, I found the ride exceptionally thrilling, hair whipping around my face, noise pounding in my ears, and adrenaline pumping through my veins. Clark banked us to the right and left and took some sudden dips — eliciting a few screams from the riders. Those dips let me see the ground directly below. Even though my seat shook from the reverberation of the rotors, I enjoyed an actual bird’s eye view of the surroundings. We were safely returned to the landing strip a bit too soon for my liking. 

Huey rides, accommodating six to seven guests, last about 10 minutes and cost $100 pre-paid or $110 onsite. Prices may vary at airshows. If you’d like an up-close view of a military helicopter and other aircraft housed at AAHF, visit their website for further information: armyav.org. 

Visit www.bylandersea.com to read more of local travel writer Debi Lander’s stories and travel tips.

Photo courtesy Debi Lander
Atlanta Speedway from the helicopter.

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