Fun fact about Apocalypse Now (1979): the Hueys you see in the film are all Philippine Air Force UH-1s. Because the Philippine government at the time was engaged against two separate insurgencies (against the NPA and the MNLF), the Hueys would often be called back to the front during the filming period, the PAF livery hastily repainted on the helicopters before sent into combat. Which explains the inconsistent number of helicopters you see in formation in each shot of the "Ride of the Valkyries" sequence.
(iirc most of the military hardware in the film were assets of the Armed Forces of the Philippines)
We still use some of those Hueys both in combat of the 205th Tactical Helicopter Wing and for training purposes of those of the Scout Rangers.
Because of that, they’d also come back with bullet holes that the camera crew hoped no one would see. Spoiler alert: some did notice.
Reputedly some of the same helicopters were hired out to Luigi Cozzi, the Italian filmmaker who made 'The Last Hunter', the first Italian Vietnam War movie and the only one not based on Rambo. He's also supposed to have recycled some of Coppola's filming locations.
@@Graham-ce2yk A lot of these Vietnam War movies, both Hollywood & the Italian B-Movie productions, were filmed in the Philippines, using assets & vehicles from their armed forces, back in the 70´s and 80´s.
In 1967 I knew I was about to get drafted so decided to enlist. Sitting in recruiting office there was a picture of a Huey on the wall and I asked if I could work on them. Little did I know that life expectancy was 60 days as flight crew. 8 years in Army aviation. Retired in 91 but that was the best year of my career. The flight crews were a tight knit unit of special people and our love and respect for those beautiful birds and the men we flew with stays with us forever. We can hear one flying today and the sound is the best music in the world.
Glad you made it through safe. Thanks for taking the time to share your experience 🙏
When I went in, I knew I wanted to work on Huey's. I lived in Kirby TX. not far off from Ft. Sam Houston TX and I would see them flying all the time. When I first got to be a UH-1D/H crew chief. I was totally happy. I spent ten years flying and loved it.😎 I still have Huey a cargo door roller bearing on my key ring.
Except for Carter gutting the military in 76-80, it was good
"Welcome to the new Cavalry. We will ride into battle and this will be our horse. You don't have to catch it, don't have to feed it. But I assure that neither the new technology, nor your status as officers, will keep you above the danger."
Its such an iconic helicopter that its basically the normal movie helicopter.Because many studios don't have a lot of money they just use the huey as a cheap extra you could say
A lot of movies also overdub the normal noise that the helicopter being used with that of a Huey. This is regardless of what kind of helicopter and how many blades on its rotor too. The distinct noise that the Huey makes is because of its 2 bladed design. 4 bladed Hueys don't make the same sound.
A lot of Stunt Pilots are War vets so using a Huey is the best choice if you want to capture crazy Chopper stunts or Flying camera shots.
In Australia, we had the little Huey UH-1B and the big Huey UH-1H which could carry more passengers. I did helicopter insertion training on the 1H, rappelling into deep jungle. Much fun. We had to make our personal body harnesses out of twine which meant the jump was always exciting.
Best chopper ever designed in the military history hands down. A true Icon indeed.
I grew up during the Vietnam war. The Huey is the 'sound' of the war.
Miss Saigon in London had a full size one on stage in the 1994 production
I wouldn’t be surprised if this thing stayed in service for longer than 100 years
For the Australian movie Danger Close, one of the Huey's used for interior and close up shots was the actual A2-1022 that participated in the actual Battle of Long Tan that the movie was based on. It was lent out to the movie as a prop by the Caloundra RSL (Returned Services League).
That family guy clip is amazing, very useful for history
We in Germany gave it the Nickname "Der Teppichklopfer" ( the Carpetbeater ) and i think its very accurate given its destictive sound
I’m a student pilot, and one of my flight instructors saw action as a UH-1 gunship pilot in the Vietnam War.
At the first real job I ever had my supervisor was a Vietnam veteran and former "Huey" pilot. He didn't talk much about the war but he did say he was captured and lost a couple fingers when his chopper crashed from enemy fire. He was a very kind man and didn't really like to talk about his service in detail. The job was grounds keeping and he could fix just about anything he needed to be fixed.
A great film that had the Huey was, The Killing Fields, made in 1984, though not predominant, it was an exceptional, and tragic feature.
Take care, and all the best.
I'm currently applying to work for a company that guts and rebuilds old Huey's and other Bell 212 type Helicopters with new avionics and engines. Did a bit of a micro-internship with them back when I was in school, and if I learned one thing during my brief time there, it is that Bell 212/412/Huey air frames are durable enough, that people will be using, upgrading, and rebuilding them until the sun swallows the earth.
I'm living about 15 km from the biggest civilian Huey operator in Europe, and during an apprenticeship I had an old Rescue helicopter from the German "Bundesgrenzschutz", that was sold to them in 2008, and was for years in South Africa, and as it was back it had only minor structural repairs (sheet metal repairs at the forward bulkhead of the engine bay)! It also got a BLR fast fin during this 5000hr inspection! Great machines and I'm pleased with the sound every time, and it's a rare sight to hear them in Germany ! Glad these machines exist
I watched five of them take off one day at the air field. It was thrilling indeed. Got home mentioned it to my husband who flu them in country. He just looked unmoved and said, "imagine hundreds of them all taking off at once, that was impressive".
The Huey was the war horse of the Vietnam war and was even flown at the end of the war by the nva same as the f5e tiger
Work as a mechanic for both twin huey and griffon when i was in cdn airforce. both great helicopters.
Thanks for the video!
Thanks man. Always love getting feedback from people with your experience.
I spent a year in Vietnam '69-70 working (mechanic) on our 12 UH-1D/H's. I flew a lot of testflights out of maintenance. Just me and the pilot. I never doubted the Huey I was in during the flights. Rugged is a good word for them. I still love the sound...the sound I'll never forget. Great aircraft!
In fact, the experience of riding this helicopter in the military is like riding a flying tractor, and the ride is not very comfortable. The helicopter is so loud that I can't hear the conversation. But it has good mobility. It's a practical, cool helicopter that I want to ride again
Like my old flight school instructor used to say when switching from a UH-1 to Hughes 500- “like going from a casual Garth Brooks listener to a diehard Metallica fan”. 😂
My uncle would tell me and my family about how common it was for their helicopters to come back with bullet holes still in them from from automatic rifles and lmgs
We had 4 Hueys and 2 Black Hawks in my MASH unit in Desert Storm. The Hueys were far more reliable in that environment.
At least the Marines still understand how reliable the Huey still is
@@LanaaAmor Blackhawks are a heavier, more complex helicopter with two engines.
Also, the huey is analog while the blackhawk is digital. It took a long time to develop digital electronics that were comparably reliable in high heat. Also the blackhawk had 4 blades instead of 2. More parts to fail. These days many Huey's have four blades as well.
(Helicopter blades change their angle of attack, they're not simply attached in a fixed position on the rotor.)
@@macmcleod1188 they why did the switch completely? Also Blackhawks are stronger
@@LanaaAmor I can only assume with time and experience the blackhawk became more reliable and more capable.
As an avid collector of militaria and a movie nut, once again I have to say that you've done another incredible job. I have a collection of plastic model helos (would have more, except that the rotors take up so much display space!). With a few Hueys.
But, while not a film Huey, rather a film helo, Bridges at To ko Ri, has an exciting action with a Sikorsky HO3S-1 trying to extract William Holden from a crash site.
Bridges at Toki Ri is an excellent movie particularly for any aircraft fan. I'll probably work it into more videos in the future. Thanks for the feedback by the way means a lot 🙏
In Vietnam even after the war, the Huey still serve though out the Third Indochina war, it has been praised by the VPAF as the most reliable helicopter ever made
I remember i can hear the sound of the huey roar as it fly above me back in 2005 man those propeller are loud
I served in the 70's as a UH-1 Crewchief on the UH-1B & UH-1M models. To this day I've never met a veteran of that era that doesn't hear the Huey's big blades beating the air into submission long before they come into view... Great aircraft!!!
Also a good supporting role this chopper had in "Missing in Action 2" (1985) the beginning and "The Iron triangle" (1989) with Beau Bridges and French rock star Johnny Halliday.
trains were popular in movies too. Some war films had operatonal trains that were used in the filming
I took a few rides in hueys with sky soldiers display team in 2003. Also have a huey cyclic grip as my shifter on trans am .
A very interesting idea of the next video would be the Super Puma. Back in the 80s it was a favorite stand in for the Mi-24 Hind.
Huey? My god that man was an institution! I loved watching his cooking adventures!
This the first time I’ve only seen 1 first and multiple seconds
There is a saying that when the last Blackhawk is retired the crew will ride back in a Huey
3:35 if there's anyone who does not know that game, it is Battlefield 4, not GTA V.
I wouldn't want you to look up GTA V and be disspointed
Lil slip up on my part. I've been out of the gaming world too long. I do apologize 🙏
I did read that the average days in combat for the soldiers during Viet Nam was something like 315 days. Compare this with the average of those fighting in the Pacific in WW2 which was about 40 days. This should not be taken as a bad reflection on the troops fighting in the Pacific, we all know what that was like. But it does reflect the difference the helicopter made to the troops in Viet Nam.
A 9 minute video about the UH-1 and not a single mention of its iconic sound? (No, i'm neither speaking of Fortunate son, nor Wagners ride of the valkyries) I think most who have had real life contact with them wil forever remember the sound. You can hear them comming from afar, way before you see them, but judging direction and distance goes wrong if you go by the noise.
The sound of the 2 blade rotors is so distinct that you know it's one of those if you hear it.
@@einundsiebenziger5488 thanks for pointing it out, not my native language so i missed that one.
Btw.: it's usually Einundsiebziger ;-)
Ah, Johnny, once again brilliant my man! History lesson and movie lesson rolled in to one...love it 👍
Was curious if you'd heard of an obscure little Aussie film about Vietnam called 'The Odd Angry Shot'? Was shot, I think, mid to late 70's, so not long after our own withdrawal from the conflict.
Low budget, a bit rough around the edges but apparently a fairly accurate depiction for the Aussie soldier on 'Nam. Be interested to hear your thoughts on it bud.
And, again, thanks for another fantastic post my friend 😁😁
Hey thanks Tim! You've given me a new movie to look up. I love Aussie cinema so I'll have to check it out. I like getting perspectives from around the world.
@@JohnnyJohnsonEsq be prepared though mate, I did say it's a bit rough and ready 😊
Another one you may or may not have heard of is 'Danger Close', about the battle of Long Tan. Basically a couple hundred Aussies routed a few thousand NVA (not 100 percent sure of the numbers). They avoided our sector for ages afterwards due to our ferocious resistance.
Having said that, I don't think anyone could plausibly doubt the extraordinary fighting skills and prowess of the Vietnamese fighters...
Once again Johnny, your getting better and better at this...lovin' it my friend 👍👍😊
@@timmccunn2754 Big fan of danger close :) Kokoda is a favorite too! I have a WW1 Aussie movie list on my channel too. Lots of good ones.
@@JohnnyJohnsonEsq thanks mate, kind of you to say bro.
I tell ya though, would love to see a good movie about the Canadians involvement at Passchendaele WW1...pretty darn phenomenal I must say, shocking conditions, extraordinary fortitude by all involved...
Another little Aussie film you may not of heard of is 'Breaker Morant'. True story set during the Boer War involving an infamous court trial of some Australian soldiers...well worth a look.
Anyways, have great Chrissy mate, always a pleasure 🙏😊
You forgot 2 movies who has hueys. Battle: Los Angeles and Kong Skull Island
Thank for making about the huey,i was waiting for it.
I was just thinking, wonder how many movies the Huey has been in....
Not pictured: the sound of a Huey being used for every helicopter in every movie.
Excellent video as always greetings from Colombia
Up until recently the Huey was the main stay of the Philippine Air Force seeing one fly by used to be a common site would like to had the oppurtunity to seeing one close up before they soon will be replace by the newer Black Hawk or modernized Huey the Bell 412EPI
Ah, the good ol’ Huey, accompanied with Fortunate Son. One of if not my favourite military helicopter, and it’s always cool seeing them deploy troops in films. I also very much appreciate its medevac service
I flew these for 12 of 22 years in the Army. They were like controlling a strong, old Chevy. And amazingly reliable. It’ll take serious hits and keep going. It was a mistake when the Army stopped using it.
Huey crew chief 79 to 84. The only aircraft more legendary than the Huey is the DC-3.
You missed one of my favorite films - Clear and Present Danger 😜
Good video, one of my favorite helicopters and like the B-52 its been upgraded and adapted so much since its introduction and still in use today.
Haha I love that film too. Surprised I forgot about it but so many to go through for the Huey.
@@JohnnyJohnsonEsq oh if you included every film we’d be here all night lmao
“Two million dollars”
@@jamesturner9651 My pilot and I would like to take it for a test flight, how much for a deposit?
8:30 In fact, that is Pittman Apartments building at 22 Gia Long Street. This building was a residence for U.S. diplomatic personnel. Embasy was several blocks away.
Love your videos and I also enjoy how you incorporate comedy into them
Thanks so much! I try to lighten the mood a bit if not for own frame of mind reviewing all these war movies.
We always have the ability to have a laugh and press on....Ryan's daughter, the scene where the squaddies were marching and whistling after their commanding officer had blown himself up
Missing from that collection is a sequence involving a US Navy painted Huey that was shot for the Royal Oaks Productions film 'Steel Sharks' in 1996 and got reused in a lot of subsequent films by that production house up until the early 2000s.
I believe that in Brian de Palma's "Casualties of War" (1989) there is a scene of a medical "Huey" helicopter turning into a fan scene with Michael J.Fox. Great find of course.
if the Huey had a soundtrack it would be fortunate son.
In the mid 70s I flew UH-1Hs in the Army (post Vietnam). From the late 70's until 2003 I flew civilian versions for Air Logistics; supporting the oil industry in the Gulf of Mexico. I flew Bell 205A-1 (Amphibious), 212 (Twin Prats), 412 (twin Prats 4 blades) and 214ST (GEs and a rotor system you felt smashing the air before you heard it coming/18 passenger.) All of them were variants of the Huey. We flew them for tens of thousands of hours, day, night, IFR and VFR and even in hurricanes..
All of the civilian pilots with the exception of myself and maybe half a dozen others flew them in that "war." A large percentage of the A&Ps and other techs were veterans of it also.
Those pilots, Crew Chiefs/Mechanics/Techs were their own "Band of Brothers" of that era.
There's a great memoir from a guy who flew these in Vietnam. It's called 'Chickenhawk' - written by Robert Mason.
Really awesome seeing fly above my house sometimes often pairs of 2 or a of 3 with a AH-1 SeaCobra.
our army (Georgian) still flies some UH-1H's from Nam
was fun!
You call, we haul! Those words and the chopper crew who lived by them are why this flying tank is the icon it is. God bless medivac! Hooah!
Rode in the Huey many time while at Ft Benning in the 80s. Best way to get the field and back. Best seat was the hell hole, cool wind on a hot day.
Despite being a beloved helicopter and an icon of the Vietnam War, my grandfather who flew on them being carried as infantry, hated it ever since surviving a crash in one. It's the reason he hates flying
Just to be clear that isn't combat footage of a Griffen in Afghanistan that's a clip from the war flick Hyena Road which was really good.
Love them choppers...
🤩😎
“Big Duke 6 to Eagle Thrust. Put on psy-war-op. Make it loud. This is a Romeo Foxtrot. Shall we dance?”
One of my fav choppers
3:35 That GTA 5 looks awfully like Battlefield 4 Siege of Shanghai, hmm
Dont you remember Franklin was enlisted and thats where he got that ol' ye-ye ass haircut?
Most iconic helicopter for me
Rode these in the '90s.
my grandfather flew this buety during veitnam he recently died but i remeber many of the storys he told me like the one of how he earned his purple heart. he was flying over the jungle when some lucky veitcong nailed his bird with a rocket propeled gernade and he was shoot down where with a broken arm he pulled his crew out of the burning wrekage
Johnny Johnson I loved the video you frogot two times a huey was seen in the anime gate and henry stickmin series
@3:57, "Bat 21" was a 1988 release movie(saw in a theatre when I infiltrate as an Earthling human spy 33 years ago.Haven't you seen the sci fi movie,"They Live"?).
The *Army Surplus Helicopter* - from an army surplus store in/near the town of Boring in Oregon, which had/has the shell of one…
If you ever ride in one you will forever recognize the sound they make.
They used these as rescuehelicopter until recently. While the newer ones can be mistaken for other aircraft, the "Teppichklopfer" was always distinct. Its the sound of rescue
The Hueys in MArine Corps service are no longer used in the troop carrying role, or at least not very much. Theyh're primarily used for the command control mission with the troop carrying mission having been taken over by the CH-46, and now the Osprey, for the medium lift role and the CH-53 in the heavy lift role.
God i love this chopper
Chickenhawk by Robert Manson is a book about his Huey Pilot experience which I really enjoyed.
04:02 bravo 👏🏻👏🏻
Read Chickenhawk by Robert Mason. Sums Vietnam and the Huey up perfectly, it’s an amazing read.
Cool
Seeing Sulu fly the Huey in Star Trek: The Voyage Home was interesting. More American Graffiti was pretty good as well.
Danger Close: the battle of long tan has a great Huey scene!
Another great offering from Canada, s finest..have a merry Christmas and a happy new year...maybe war film punch ups next...Devil's Brigade where the Americans and Canadians bonded over a few drinks as you do....reminds me of the time my son broke up a punch up in a pub between a Liverpool and an Evertonian by saying look lads ..it could be worse..I,m a Tranmere Rovers fan...they immediately stopped and were very solicitous in their commiserations....cheers / slainte...E
@@JohnnyJohnsonEsq the beer goggles can do funny things ,poor old Sean Bean keeps marrying Barmaids....can I even say that anymore...oh well ..back to the old vino at Chez Clabby...
My uncle flew medivac in a Huey during Vietnam.
Crazy thing is that he was part of the Irish diaspora and I grew up in the UK.
One of my grandpas most treasured momemtos were the aviators his son have him when he traveled to the US to see him get married, by all accounts he retired a high rank (after a Pentagon job) and ended up in some plantation in Georgia (from his wife's family)
Blows my mind.
Very cool video! Do you consider making a similar video about the soviet Mi-24 "Hind" helicopter? Here the "movie history" might be even more exciting with all the mockups Hollywood used...
On Novermber 27, 2007, my wife suffered a ruptured aneurysm in her brain. The resuce squad called for a med-flight. "The local hospital can't handle this." I never served in any branch of the service, but I recoginized that beautiful WOP, WOP, WOP of an inbound Huey. The chopper landed across a local driveway, the flight medics bailed out checked her over, started all their equipment, loaded her onto the chopper, and told me..."No room for you...we'll see you at INOVA." I had no idea where that was even. Still, as that WOP, WOP, WOP faded into the distance, I knew if there was any chance, they'd get her there. They did. I got a friend to drive me up...The helicopter was still on the pad. She survived and to this day complains that "I got a helicopter ride and don't remember it." God bless that flight crew, and the Huey Helicopter.
Could you do the PTRD-41, i dont know if you could becous not many movies feature the ptrd, but i think the ptrd is quite an interesting subject, especially with its post war history.
The picture you show at the end is NOT from the US Embassy building but another building in Saigon where people were air lifted from. Thank you.
Fun fact full metal jacket is the vietnam war movie that not feature this iconic huey helicopter.
I'm sorry but that "Huey's and their crews" / Huey Lewis and the News cutaway to American Psycho made me laugh out loud lol.
Also Note this fact that Indian Parachute Regiment used American tactics in the 1971 Bangladesh liberation war and Indo Pak war in the Meghna Heli drop using Mi 4 helicopters.
Where they would find themselves fighting against American supplied equipment with the Pakistanis
The fortunate son is strong with this one
Hey Johnny, check Brian de Palma's "Casualties of War" for some good Huey shots. Great video again, thanks!
Is this helicopter the equivalent to the model ford T? To me it seem like both of these aircraft and vehicles were a game changer when it came to mechanical travel.
I can only say..... a Huey ....best thing ever!!!
Wish you showed the clip of the huey with thr side m60 gunner gunning down one of Pablo escobars henchmen
2
During my time in the military I jumped out of four different aircraft. The C-130, C-160, CH-53 and the UH-1D. The Huey was by far the most fun!
Very cool!
Cool! Thanks for your service!
@frank tower where’d you serve?
@@JohnnyJohnsonEsq can you please do dp 27 in the movies and m3 grease gun
@@tomjenkins0573 German Army, 4. Company, FschJgBtl 262. 1992 - 1997