Northwest Helicopters--Where Hueys get reborn

[Fouga23]

.... or there could be the Huey version of the Mustang Gathering where 75+ restored ones all show up in the same place... Imagine that noise....

I'd stay home if it were Mustangs. I'd pay good money if it were Hueys!

[whistlingdeath77]

I hope they can all be saved in some way. The Huey is such an important part of aviation history. Every Musuem should aquire one

[ZRX61]

I'd be more surprised if every museum didn't already have one, some have way more than one. I called one museum looking for a particular Huey & was the conversation went:

"We'll have to check, we have about 15 of them"
FIFTEEN??
"Well I know it's more than 10"

[whistlingdeath77]

There's still plenty of museums who are trying to start up and getting a Huey is a great start. I'd love to have one for the front yard

[JohnB]

There are plenty in aviation trade schools as well. I've seen two personally...Abilene, Texas and Moses Lake, Wa.

[earnie]

There are plenty in aviation trade schools as well. I've seen two personally...Abilene, Texas and Moses Lake, Wa.

Portland community college in Oregon has one in their a+p program

[whistlingdeath77]

I wonder who said the same thing at one time," ah, we got plenty of b-17s,24s, f4us, etc.

[JohnB]

I wonder who said the same thing at one time," ah, we got plenty of b-17s,24s, f4us, etc.

I hope you don't think I feel that way. I said there are plenty now....I make no long-term predictions.
As I said in my earlier post, not that long ago there were plenty of once common but now-rare warbirds working for a living. Because there were so many, few worried/cared about them. Pity.

I'd guess the Huey will go the same way...in 40 years parts (especially the time limited parts common to rotorcraft) will be scarce and then they'll be extinct from the skies.
One thing that may keep them around...there is a good chance that Blackhawks...even with "cheap" surplus parts available, will be too expensive for most civil uses like logging and external lift.

[ZRX61]

There are plenty in aviation trade schools as well. I've seen two personally...Abilene, Texas and Moses Lake, Wa.

Portland community college in Oregon has one in their a+p program

So does the school at Helena Airport in Mt.. & they are looking to trade it for *something smaller*. I think Brian at NWH is on the case.

[ZRX61]

The boss at NWH said on Friday that he is pulling a former 129th AHC bird out of his stash for restoration to original. Brad seemed very happy at the news

[The Inspector]

There are plenty in aviation trade schools as well. I've seen two personally...Abilene, Texas and Moses Lake, Wa.

Portland community college in Oregon has one in their a+p program

When there was a serious drop off in A&P students a few years ago, several Community Colleges dropped their Part 147 courses and went after more keyboard flogger classes. Now there's a growing demand for trained aircraft mechanics, but unfortunately getting a Part 147 up and running, or restarted is tougher than pumping out the BISMARK with a foot pump. In the state of Washington we have Seattle Community College, Big Bend (Moses Hole) Bates in Tacoma, and Everett Community College (I'm not sure if Spokane C.C. still has a program or not) all offering full on part 147 training as well as remote instruction facilites from Embry-Riddle offered to Military and Boeing employees.
Question being, if you can get the same exact instruction (federally mandated) for $2000.00 and about 18 months why would you voluntarily spend $35K and spend over two years on the same exact course materials just to get a fancier birdcage liner? I think that about 5 times in 45 years I've been asked by someone in a position of power in an organization 'wheredja gitcher schooling?' Once you've got it, no one cares-Showing the hard card usuallly handles all questions.

[JohnB]

Spokane still has a course. Last time I asked, it costs $7000 for two years.
I was told they going to move it from Felts Field to Spokane International (to be further away from students and they'll have to spend a million or two on a new building...glad to see out tax dollars at work).

The Spokane school has a T-39 and a couple of O-2s and some civil stuff. No sign of the T-33, H-23 and F-86H parts they had back in the 70s.
The good news is they buy "at risk" planes, fix them up and sell them.

A missionary aviation school here does the same stuff...and had a bunch of neat GA training aircraft...plus a surplus U-21 in Army colors (gloss OD & white and painted windows to make it look like a king Air...an Army mod?).

[RickH]

Collings Foundation, leading the pack !

[JohnB]

I do love the short fuselage Hueys.

If I were rich, it would be fun to have one as a mountain plaything.

[Rajay]

Will people look back on this one day and yearn for these airframes like some look back now on Cavalier or On Mark?

Maybe people will be looking back & wondering why the heck more weren't saved, the way people look back at fields full of WWII *junk*.

.... or there could be the Huey version of the Mustang Gathering where 75+ restored ones all show up in the same place... Imagine that noise....

I imagine the soundtrack would include Wagner's Flight of the Valkyries - Gee, I can't imagine why!

(Here's a hint: I love the smell of Jet Fuel in the morning! )

And another timely update to this thread, the latest edition of AOPA Pilot magazine (March 2014) includes a cover story on a restored Huey. Very cool!