Enjoyed this immensely! When I was a teenager I got to get a close-up look at a UH-1H that practically landed in my back yard! Three of them came over and I happened to be outside. First two sounded normal but the third didn't. High pitched nasty sound from the engine (found out later it had a compressor stall). So they start circling overhead. Ran inside and grabbed Pops camera and got back outside to see the damaged one come down FAST into the recently graded area that is now the industrial park right behind my house! Ran down there as the guys were getting out grabbing their backs (must have landed hard). Started taking pics and they asked me: "Where did YOU come from?". I said : "Right over there. Heard you coming over and knew something was wrong." Quizzical looks. Army Rangers from the training area in North Georgia. So rather than flatbed it out they decided to use the opportunity for a training exercise. They flew a fresh engine in in another Huey and swapped it on the spot! Took lotsa pics and basically stayed out of their way until they flew it out! Got some great shots of their test hops in the evening with the rotor tips lit up. Sent them copies of the pics and a while later I got a package in the mail. Certificate for "Assistance in the recovery of a downed aircraft"! Also got recruiting stuff for a long time after that... I never wanted to join the Military. Pop was 28th Infantry WWII. Landed on Omaha Beach a while after D-Day (his troopship was delayed or he would have been in the thick of it). Got through the Battle of the Bulge as one of 60 from his Division that survived! Then got a little too far into Germany on patrol and was captured. Marched 15 days to a POW camp where he spent 97 days before being liberated. He passed in August of 2015, one week after his 93rd Birthday...
Thank you for your service sir. My dad , who we buried last week was in Ton shan nut in 67. Agent orange finally got its vet. Dad was 91 so he had a good life till the last few years. He's still my hero, as are the rest of you guys. Stay safe, stay well. 😪
Thanks for your service Gary!!! I was a grunt with the 196th Light Infantry/Americal Division up north in 68/69 and you Huey guys saved our butts MANY MANY times, we all loved the Huey Guys. You came thru every time we needed your help!! Got to fly into a couple of HOT LZ's with you guys. Scary as hell but your guys got us in safely and out too!! God Bless You and Thanks Again!!
Absolutely wonderful Gary. My dad flew UH-1 Med Evac in Viet Nam, 67-68, out of Pleiku. I thank you for your service and being able to tell your story. My dad, unfortunately, never shared his experiences with me or anyone. It was far too painful for him to do so. He continued in Army Aviation post deployment at Fort Rucker Alabama until he retired. He helped to found the Army Aviation safety school there. I think they called it USABAR at the time. He retired to So Cal and took up teaching at USC. Great pilot and a great man. He died way to young from alcoholism. Matt Insley Son of LTC. William N. Insley - US Army
Have been using ancestry recently so popped in your Father's details and this popped up from the 1940 census and thought you might be interested: www.ancestry.com/1940-census/usa/Michigan/William-N-Insky_2sqywf
Cindy Klenk I’m a Brit and your reminiscing of your big bro humbled me, remember what Heraclitus said “out of every 100 men,ten shouldn’t even be there,eighty are just targets,9 are the real fighters,and we are lucky to have them,for they make the battle. Ah,but the one,one is a warrior,for he will bring the others back”. That was your big bro Cindy,the humble warrior! Blessed love lady!
Matt, thank you for sharing. I don’t know how any human being can be in combat and not be forever changed by the experience! My thoughts this moment are with your father and you. Stay strong!
It helps to be 10 and admire him for knowing so much about the "Huey" and working in Vietnam, I love war and the aircrafts and helicopters used in them and what special features they have. So to me this is the best video I could ask for.
I was on CA, coming into a rice paddy, when at about 20ft in the air the ship suddenly turned 90 degrees to left. After a near recovery and some fantastic flying, the pilot controlled it into a "gentle" roll over onto the roof. No one hurt. They assumed it was a wire set up in a loop and we hooked only one skid which turned us. I really had my doubts about that. So it's really striking to see wire cutters on this ship. Makes me wonder. And I just want to add, you slick pilots saved more lives in more ways than you can even imagine. All my thanks.
I was an air traffic tower and radar controller for the 160th Aviation Group attached to the 101st Airborne in 68/69.... some of the things that was done was considered impossible and most all done by kids who were 19 to 21 years old. One emergency extraction mission to the Laotian border the mission was of such distance we did not have maps setup for the range.....had to lay the map on the floor of the radar van then take the center fold out of a Playboy to get the heading for the CH47 crew, used stop watches to keep track of the CH47 as they descended below the tops of the mountains where we lost radar contact and were able to put the aircraft down on a six digit grid target on top of hill surrounded by the NVA. This was before night-vision googles so I knew the command of the 2/138th Field Artillery to arrange flares to be shot so the pilots could see the mountains. Aircraft was run to max range, ran out of fuel as it was setting down at home...everyone was OK including the long range patrol they extracted Also was the tower controller on the final assault on what became known as Hamburger Hill, had the UH1s in flights of ten as that is how many we could refuel at one time Now, looking back to 52 years ago I often wonder if I was really there. I see the 19 to 21 year olds of today that mostly can not be trusted with a walking a dog then think of the kids in Vietnam commanding multi-million dollar aircraft as if it was their car
Respect! I can't imagine how badly it would go today if there was a Vietnam type situation and the youth were conscripted to fight in a war. These kids get PTSD when someone says something they don't agree with.
You also killed about two million people, all in vain. I'd spare the teens of today that fate, because it doesn't seem to have made you any good anyhow.
Guess my employer shouldn't trust my 22 year old ass with expensive servers and multi-million dollar customers at our data center because you said I can't be trusted.
Hi from a Brit Infantry veteran and thank you for this video. I was very lucky to visit the USA during my service and I got to fly in Huey's whilst based at Fort Lewis. That was a real privilege and a memory to cherish. We were told that the Huey's we flew in saw service in Vietnam which made our flights even more special. I am pleased I managed to take some photos whilst onboard to record the event. Hearing the story of how this pilot assisted those guys on the ground, risking everything, was emotional. I can only imagine how much they appreciated the help. That was courageous and kind. Looking back I have the same thought as this gentleman - the risks you take when you are 19 or in your twenties seem crazy with hindsight. Only the lucky ones find this out later in life. Thank you again.
OMG … you are an absolute hero mate !!!! You & your generation of young Iroquois Pilots did such an amazing job in Vietnam. I truly tip my hat to you & those other brave pilots with absolute admiration. I too flew those Huey’s. From about 1984 - 1988. Your walk around reminded me of so many otherwise forgotten memories. I proudly served side by side with you Yanks in the Sinai (Egypt) Peace Keeping Force (MFO) between Israel and Egypt in 1985. I was an Air Mobile Commander & Check Captain in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) while flying the Huey. Being a small but very modern Air Force, we Aussie Pilots were blessed with the ability to transfer from fixed to rotary wing flying. During Pilot Course, I flew the old Winjeel (450 HP rotary piston engine) aircraft. Then while in the second phase of Pilot Training, the Italian Macchi Jet Trainer. I was then posted to fly the C130A, & then the C130H Hercules transport aircraft. As an Officer first & a Pilot second, I was then posted to a desk job for 847 days !!! After which I elected to experience something completely different in Aviation ….. Choppers !!! Since those days, while in QANTAS, I flew the Jumbo, the B767 & the Airbus A330. Of all of those experiences, the beautiful Huey will ALWAYS be my favorite Aircraft. So versatile, but if you ever turned your back, she would bight you in the a*s. Thank you so much for your wonderful walk around . How I would enjoy a few nights reliving Huey memories over a few beers with a marvelous Veteran like you. God bless you & all those brave Men & Women who serve our countries. Rest assured …… we Aussie’s will ALWAYS be ready to stand side by side with you, our Yank Brothers in Arms. God bless & all the very best Brother. Cheers from Sydney Australia.
This is an incredible watch! Truly one of the best first person accounts of the Huey that i've ever seen, and I hope everyone can appreciate the storytelling and mastery of machine that is detailed throughout this video. Thanks for doing it, it is awesome.
The war story at the end... my hair stood up. Pilots... fixed wing, rotary... Pilots are a different breed. Dad was an air force, airline and private pilot. I shot an approach with him on a 40ft wide runway, in a twin Piper Seneca II, in the Ozark mountains, no tower, runway lights were remotely keyed off his handheld radio... at night. I remember vividly... we went around three times, trying to key the runway lights on. When we finally did, he said to me... "I'll fly, you watch for deer... and wires." I swallowed my tongue. Dad didn't miss a beat. I miss my Dad. I miss him a lot.
My dad was a sgt in usaf and a jet engine mechanic stationed in Da Nang. He loved the people and lived with Vietnamese colonel and family. He stayed as long as they would let him and was a great father to my brother and I. Alcoholism was his burden until the good lord freed him. Tremendous respect to Dad and Gary, thank you for your service, past and present. God bless!
When I entered the Air Force we trained at Fort Rucker with the Army. First we trained in the TH-55, Hughes 300, then we moved into the Huey. What a difference, hydraulics made flying this helicopter so smooth, there is nothing like the sound of those rotor blades, you would wake up and go to sleep hearing that wonderful sound.
What most of you don’t know is Gary is one of the best helicopter and airplane pilots to ever to fly. I had the privilege to fly for Gary many years. What he won’t tell you is, if there’s gonna be a fight, you need to hope he is in your side. If not, you’re gonna have a very bad day. Lastly, I am honored to know Gary and his family as family. Outstanding jog Gary!
served as a grunt in Vietnam 66-67, we were mainly at the DMZ, I was with L Co 3dBn, 4thMar...we owe our pilots for saving our ass on more than one occasion.....We mainly landed with the Ch-46s........Our really enjoyed this video, it took my back to the war.....Bless you
Here after picking this beauty up on DCS. Always loved helicopters, but now I’m really getting into them. The more I learn the more I love them. This is an amazing video. Thank you so much for this. You can tell this man is a seasoned instructor: captivating with brevity and clarity. You can’t help but to pay attention.
Great video Gary and in particular your story of providing ground support for those two units and your return flight to base. My hat is off to all the pilots who flew in Vietnam. I flew over a hundred missions on a Huey as a courier for our intelligence units in the field, mostly at fire bases. I was an advisor (MACV) in Northern I Corp operating out of Hue. About a quarter of my missions were flown on Vietnamese piloted Hueys. I was never quite as comfortable with those pilots as our own guys. Most of our flights were pretty normal/non-exciting, but we did have quite a few harrowing adventures coming into fire bases in inclement weather. I was always amazed at those pilots dropping down out of the fog on top of a fire base which set on a mountain top. As Gary said, it was good to be 20 years old and unattached. Thanks Gary and all the Huey crews. You were an amazing bunch of soldiers.
My dad was a dust off pilot who did 2 tours with the 101 screaming eagles out of camp Evans. Shot down several times yet kept going back up. Yeah, he survived the war. But I have always been fascinated with the UH1. Seen many of them flying, actually got to sit in the pilots seat of one during start up at camp Lewis in WA. I appreciate you're video of the intricacies of the UH1 and even your war time story. You're video gets a thumbs up from me and thank you for your service.
I really don’t have the right words to say to you Sir! I can just thank you for your service to your country, thank you for helping your fellow soldiers! You are a true hero! Thanks for doing this video!
Thank you for your service sir! Great listening to your story and wishing I could hear from my brother. He passed away in a car crash back in 1990. He was a crew chief in the first air cavalry, Co. C 227th AHB.
I was a Crewchief in Iraq. They still had the Kevlar seats up till then... Only for the pilot's of coarse. The gunner was just screwed. I turned in the last Huey on Ft. Campbell in 91' before going to Sinai where they were still using them. In 93 they were operating Huey's in the Medavac with 4th ID until 95' while in Somalia. Pretty sure they Mothballed them after that. A good Buddy of mine flew until 98 in Germany. The Huey went for a long, long time, the Army just couldn't replace it as a utility bird. The Blackhawk is an expensive beast, but better under fire. Your walk-through brought back memories, I could almost smell the grease from the Sta-Bar (what he called a scissor assembly -brain fart). The short shaft was Vietnam Era, it had grease packs. The flex shaft on that bird had no grease. Not sure why I felt the need to say that but it points out the generational differences with that bird. It flew through Vietnam, Iraq, Somalia, Hondo, many conflicts and generations of aviators and crew chiefs. A long brotherhood.
Something I note is he leaves out part of our normal start up procedure. The main rotor blade is tied down because a passing ship or a wind will bounce the blades and can easily damage the rotor head or cause an incident when the blades of a passing ship would strike the bouncing blades on the parked ship. The blades would be untied when you were ready to start up the ship. The crew chief and door gunner would check out the ship and wait for the pilots to do the same. At the point that we were ready to crank up the crew chief would left the hook off of the hole in the end of the blade to free it up and then stow the hook which has a long red line on it. When the pilots were ready to start the ship they would call out "Clear" and the crew chief and door gunner would again do a quick check to make sure there was nothing in the way and repeat "Clear and untied sir" At that point the pilot would say "Coming Hot" and then would then start up the ship. Once the crew chief and door gunner saw no leaks they would climb into their locations. By the way when I was a door gunner up North my crew chief said "You are on the left side" which is contrary to what most people did but hey it's his ship not mine". So once the ship was up to operating RPM and everything was good to go then the pilot would say "Clear" and the door gunner and crew chief would respond with "Clear Left , Clear right" Some crews also included "Clear Above". We would then go flying in the beautiful skies of Vietnam.
@@damkayaker It's the crew chief's ship so it was his preference as to which side he was on. His choices could be as simple as a lefty or a righty or as complicated as his vision preferences.
Fantastic listening to these men reminiscing about when they were young and pulling off heroic achievements. As an Englishman I have nothing but the utmost respect for these people.
Absolutely incredible testimony to the Men and Machines thrown into harms way. My uncle was shot down in 3 different Hueys in that jungle doing the same job as this man. Thank you for this and outstanding video!
I worked on UH-1E Hueys in the Marine Corps. The "E" models were equipped with rotor brakes. This was the first Army Huey I ever saw that had one. Great video - would love to see a part 2.
@@ralphfay4423 Hi Ralph, Did you know Doug Ferguson? He was a crew chief that I'm pretty sure was in 367. I was in avionics, VMO-6 in 1965, VMO-2 in 1965-66, VMO-1 in 1966-67. Hope you're doing well!
This was a cool video, thank you for your service. My grandpa came from South Korea in his 20s to go to college at Vanderbilt, Tennessee. During the Vietnam War, he served in the Air Force as an air traffic controller. He would also teach the American soldiers self defense with taekwondo because he was a Black Belt instructor. He died after a long battle of cancer some 7-8 years ago. I miss him. He always wanted to play golf with me.
Good job Gary. Brings back a lot of memories being an 18 year old Marine Grunt in the mountainous jungle of I Corps DMZ. An inbound Huey coming in to you on a mountain top meant we were getting rations, mail from home, ammunition or all three. Something Gary didn’t mention was the Huey’s inserting or extracting us were called “slicks”. The med-evac Huey’s were called “Dustoff”. Glad you made it home, Gary.
I did my flight training in Florida and the instructor did say the same thing word by word...left clear, right clear, check fuel,gages and lift off. Amazing that over 50 years the way they teach did not change at all. Great to hear the story!
Hello Gary, Fantastic, a true understanding of what it means to be in a Huey . In 1964/5 I was a flying crew chief on a UH1B 421st Med Evac 3rd platoon in Graf Germany, and was very lucky not to be rotated to Vietnam. But I sure can relate to you and your crews bravery. We all thank you and your crew for your service.
Something amazing just happened when I was a young boy we use to go to the Kentucky State Fair in Louisville it was in the 60s there would always be helicopters and tanks my favorite things and the men there would let you sit in the copters I absolutely loved this and while watching this video I suddenly got the smell of the helicopter it stuck in my brain all this time thanks for showing this.
Superb info on this subject, as a 55 year old from the UK....this war is very rarely mentioned. I always had a liking to the Huey gun ships..... brilliant story to listen to. Really enjoyed it . Thank you
Awesome video! I could listen to him all day. My dad was a UH-1 crew chief in Vietnam, 2 tours. Sadly he passed away recently so I can no longer hear his stories. Thanks for posting.
Always had a soft spot for the Huey from being a kid , remember reading the book chicken hawk and marvelling at the men who were prepared to take a flying green house in to a hot landing zone to get men out or wounded out or bring in ammunition ect just surrounded by aluminium and plexiglass neither of which are renound for their ability to stop bullets , being a Brit I didn’t think I’d ever see one but going down the motorway the preserved one from Blackpool passed over head with a civilian camera helicopter chasing its tail , a truly marvellous sight , god bless you and your fellow crewmen because a lot of men survived Vietnam because you were there when they needed you and I will have a minutes silence for the crews who didn’t come home , thank you for taking the time to show us round this beautiful machine.
Wow, did you strike gold with Gary Gingrich as your walkaround guide!!! There are some people who have the knowledge with absolutely NO need to impress, that's what I see in Gary. The bird is beautiful if only she could talk too, the stories we'd hear. I loved the candor of age-related changes we all experience. Thank you, sir for your service, the story, and some dream seeding for my slumber tonight.
What a wonderful presentation of an iconic vehicle - I was oblivious to Vietnam being at boarding school in England 68 -73 . I have 3 displays to commemorate the War - First is a 1/6 Platoon figures 2nd are 5 Gun Trucks 1/16 scale (Red Baron - Eve of Destruction - Mud Blood and Beer - To Charlie with love & Brutus all r/c) and now doing a crashed 1/6 upside down Huey with John Connor firing a M60 into a T600 terminator - Salvation movie - your indepth tour of the Huey is really helpful to get the details right for the scene - thankyou so much - Rob Sky
This guy is great. I have all respect for him and thank him. I worked as a civilian for the Army for 30 years and knew many Huey pilots from the Vietnam era. Many of them worked for me and some of their stories really impressed me as did Gary's. I had a guy that worked with me that lost 3 cobras (AH-1's) the first 2 weeks that he was in 'nam. These guys used to fly me a lot of places in the performance of my duties and I had all the respect in the world for them. I've seen this Huey pre-flight done so many times that there's no way to count them. I considered myself very lucky in my job. I was an Architect for the military and the director of construction for a district. One of my inspectors was also an OH-6 pilot. He got me certified as a flight observer which allowed me to fly front seat. He used to fly me to many construction inspections and as a result, I probably have about 300 hrs of stick time in an OH-6. I also have some stick time in an AH-1, but that's another story. I have to say that I treasure my time with Vietnam era helicopter pilots. Their stories are truly amazing if you can get them to talk about their experiences which I might say is no small task.
I was a crew chief on Huey's 75 - 85. .At 1:25 those are not for vertical antennas. IR sensors went there. Talking about the amount of fuel it holds, I once put 205 gallons in my bird. Anyone want to do the math on how long we had left to fly on 4 gallons. Skid shoes. I must have changed them 3 times in one week. Seems like it was always my bird they would use for check rides. The scissors are just above the swash plate 10:30. 10:50 that's the mixing levers. 12:25 that's a drive link he he has a hold of. The scissors are the 2 horizontal arms that the drive link is attached to. The swash plate is the round part the drive link is attached to. We didn't have rotor brakes. I guess that's what that grey handle on ceiling is.
I wondered what that gray handle was looked like a hand pump. Never had one in any Huey I crewed. your right about the skid shoe's . one week end My bird was picked to do all the check rides for all the office pilots that havent flown in 90 days . I did about a hundred auto-rotations to the ground. changed the skids shoes twice. also did a hard landing insp. we hit so hard one time I thought for sure the skids were bent. But they checked out oK.
I think they used those lil bumps on the nose for APR-39 radar warning sensors also. H model Huey held 209 Gal when open port fueled and a little more when closed circuit fueled. I crewed from 92-2004. I miss it more than anything.
So cool to see actual Vietnam Huey Pilot still flying them today in time they will be too old to fly and like our WW2 veterans who are mostly gone I remember in the 1980's at a small airshow in Southern California Marine Corps Air station Tustin. A P-51 Mustang fly over in the pattern and landed I remember hearing the big Packard-Merlin back fire a few times as pulled it back to idle on his roll-out down the runway. He taxied in a zig zag over to a parking spot shut down after awhile I made my way over to talk to him about his airplane. I found out he was a WW2 pilot in 1944 this was his P-51 he had for over 10 years since the early 70s he was retired airline pilot.
Thanks For Your Service Sir!!! You Are The Kind Of Pilots That Saved My And My A Team More Than Once . God Bless You !!! SFC. D.L. Ryan 7TH SF.GRP. Airborne Ret.
@@ErikJohnston The DCS Huey Sim had the Armor protection on the seat. I am learning rotary now. His thoughts on risk and that the crew voted show the gift of those warfighters to our country.
I was an Aerial Combat Documentary Photographer in the USAF 1965/68. Best job in the US Military ! Before going off to the Vietnam War in Aug. 1967, I was stationed at Vandenberg AFB Ca. and I flew on a lot of these older model Hueys taking Missile Launch Facilities Construction progress photos all across the base... Plus the Huey pilots would usually take a 2 hour flight up and down the coast of Calif so the Photographer with the door open could get some Great Pics of the young ladies Sunbathing on all of the Secluded Beaches ! Like I said.... Best job in the US Military !
*After watching the video and listening to your stories in the Bietnan and reading many of the comments about you, I have only one option left to give you my congratulations. Angel from Spain.*
Thank you for your Service, it's men like you that made this Country what it is today... Aw hell ya, the Huey you could hear it coming from a mile away that whop,whop,whop was like music for an injured soldier , downed pilot or a pinned down troupe taking fire. Best Heli ever produced.
You could upload another 8 hours of this gentleman and id stay here to listen to every second he has to say! Might be the very best video ive ever come across on UA-cam, and i have used YT since 2013 and watched well over 20thousand videos.
Had the pleasure of working with Grinch during his post military career, a non nonsense guy with loads of experience. Nice video, only correction I could make is the bumps on the nose are for IR sensors, we placed them on Hueys in the 70s when I was in the Cav at Ft Bragg. All the guys I flew with were Vietnam vets, great education.
Wow, Best thing I’ve seen on UA-cam in a long time. Could listen to Gary all day. Thank You for your service. Can’t imagine what it must have been like.
Fantastic walkaround and amazing story at the end Mr. Gingrich. Thanks so much for sharing. Dad flew Phantoms out of Da Nang in '68 and Ubon '72. I grew up hearing those stories, so it's great to hear from the Air Cav side of things. Be well Sir.
If anyone is unfamiliar with the rotor brake it is the gray handle and cylinder seen at 13:58. The brake itself is mounted on the transmission and is similar to an automobile brake rotor.
Thanks for that bit of information I was wondering what that grey handle was thought I missed him say that. But I guess he can't go through everything so thank you for that
Thank you sir! One of my best memoriesbis being a 14 year old boy in 1981 fresh recruit in JROTC had just received od fatigues and suddenly 5 h1s landed on the ball field ready to load us up for our first ride. Would love to set down with you and reminisce.
Welcome home. Thank you for your service Great video. Alway been fascinated by hueys. I grew up Hearing many stories from my uncle hoping around nam in one. 1st infantry division 67-68. And then furthering learning about them reading the book chicken hawk
APR 39 was mounted on the left and right nose and also located un the tail skid cover. The floor in the cabin was made of honeycomb/aluminum. The intermediate gearbox is at 42 degrees. Low rotor audio when in the off position will automatically reset when in normal operating range. Crewed Huey's 9 years and flew them for 11. Nice looking helicopter.
Wow. 50 years since I stepped foot in one of these. All the times I rode I’d never seen what the top of the Huey looked like. I can still tell when a Huey is coming, nothing else sounds like it. It feels like another lifetime ago
My father did 3 tours in Nam and he used to talk about these birds all the time !!! How the sound of them coming in low and VERY FAST and the distant thumping growing louder as 15-20 of these birds come roaring in one at a time barely hitting the ground picking him and his guys up in a hot LZ. While the gunships were lighting up the surrounding area like the Fourth of July . He always said he was scared until he heard the distant pounding of the Huey’s coming for them and when the arrived it was like gods angels arrived but when he was in that chopper he felt a little more safe. As for me well pops always said he wished I could get that experience in a Huey and know that feeling he tried to explain to me. Well I enlisted in the military and about a year later I was in the Middle East in desert storm. Well wouldn’t you know it the UH1 was there still fighting and flying stronger then before. I remember my second patrol we loaded up and off we went but I noticed a 3rd officer in the cabin with us. I plugged in my headset to the ceiling and listened in. The left seat was a LT Col. and the right seat and guy in back with us were new officers fresh out of helo school !! He was dipping their di
My uncles memorial was last week, he passed from multiple myeloma, likely caused by agent orange. When asked what he did when in Vietnam, he would answer that he was a death sergeant. We all found out after his death that he was a door Gunner, likely in a huey just like this one. If a Vietnam veteran happens to read this. Welcome home.
Excellent reference learning vid on the Bell Huey UH1 Vietnam War workhorse. There's no wonder narrator Gary Gingrich only few around 1,000 hours of combat flying...because I believe as he was so good he would make an excellent instructor and hence probably why he flew 4,000 hours of instructing...you can tell Gingrich knows his oats as he narrates during the excellent vid. He is intelligent. Mostly everything Gingrich focuses on is primarily related to one thing and one thing only; SAFETY. Man if I was part of the crew flying with Gingrich during the Vietnam War would I feel secure. Because Gingrich knows what he is doing - in precision too. Therefore going into combat with him at the controls, you'd feel totally secure that you were in good hands. And in that I bet his UH1 would have fought very well...the crew would end up being feared by the enemy. And in war that is precisely what the game is all about. That would mean that each time you flew a mission with Gringrich you would know the odds/chances of you succeeding in the mission would be fairly high...you would therefore feel CONFIDENT. And confidence in war is also a great thing. The whole crew under Gingrich's control would know the chances of returning to the air base where they originated from would not only be above average, they would be HIGH...That would make Gingrich's UH1 a highly skilled fighting unit. Watch out VC. At 21: 27 Gingrich begins his story of real combat in Vietnam. Even listening to him you know he is intelligent. He would have been a lethal weapon as a pilot of his Huey UH1 back then. There's only one outcome for the enemy in such conflict...so rather than stay and engage in combat with Gingrich if an enemy wanted to survive, the best course of action would have been to ? RUN TO THE TUNNEL and HIDE pronto.
Thanks for sharing Gary I am sure you have many more creative adventures about Vietnam, I know I had my share, from a Huey CC out of camp Holloway 71-72, be well buddy............
This is an awesome helicopter I had the opportunity to fly in one of those with El Salvador air force in 2010, unbelievable still in service, great video.
Thanks for sharing your experiences of this wonderful aircraft, and of your experiences in Vietnam!. I’ve always thought of the Huey as the best helicopter ever built, and your video walk round gave me a great deal of interesting detail on it. It’s just such an iconic aircraft!. I just love to hear from the guys who actually flew it!.
Fantastic explanation and walk around of this magnificent aircraft. It all makes sense now as I have read a number of books by Viet Nam vet pilots. About 10 years ago a restored UH-1 visited a show ground near where I live in the UK. At the end of the day it took off and flew right over my house. That whup-whup sound of the rotors is unmistakeable. Thanks for this video.
As a D. A. Veteran 9th. Inf. Div. and the 3rd. Inf. Div. I slow hand salute this hero. this hero brough tears to my eyes when he said when he was 20 I could get here a lot faster, me to I was very fast at 20 but I'm getting closed to 70 that is like slowing a wind of 70 miles per hour to 20 mph I hope I'm not getting anybody confused, to my hero thank you for your service and the time that you took to explain your job and duty when you were in Viet Nam thank you again God Bless America and may God bless all my brothers and sisters in arms.
Enjoyed this immensely! When I was a teenager I got to get a close-up look at a UH-1H that practically landed in my back yard! Three of them came over and I happened to be outside. First two sounded normal but the third didn't. High pitched nasty sound from the engine (found out later it had a compressor stall). So they start circling overhead. Ran inside and grabbed Pops camera and got back outside to see the damaged one come down FAST into the recently graded area that is now the industrial park right behind my house! Ran down there as the guys were getting out grabbing their backs (must have landed hard). Started taking pics and they asked me: "Where did YOU come from?". I said : "Right over there. Heard you coming over and knew something was wrong." Quizzical looks. Army Rangers from the training area in North Georgia. So rather than flatbed it out they decided to use the opportunity for a training exercise. They flew a fresh engine in in another Huey and swapped it on the spot! Took lotsa pics and basically stayed out of their way until they flew it out! Got some great shots of their test hops in the evening with the rotor tips lit up. Sent them copies of the pics and a while later I got a package in the mail. Certificate for "Assistance in the recovery of a downed aircraft"! Also got recruiting stuff for a long time after that... I never wanted to join the Military. Pop was 28th Infantry WWII. Landed on Omaha Beach a while after D-Day (his troopship was delayed or he would have been in the thick of it). Got through the Battle of the Bulge as one of 60 from his Division that survived! Then got a little too far into Germany on patrol and was captured. Marched 15 days to a POW camp where he spent 97 days before being liberated. He passed in August of 2015, one week after his 93rd Birthday...
What a great story love your dad, thanks man
Thanks for sharing that awesome story. Much respect to your Pops, too.
Fantastic story , thank you for sharing!
Respect! !
@@jamiestewart48 Thanks!
Thank you for your service sir. My dad , who we buried last week was in Ton shan nut in 67. Agent orange finally got its vet. Dad was 91 so he had a good life till the last few years. He's still my hero, as are the rest of you guys.
Stay safe, stay well. 😪
The Commies used Agent orange on Americans? How many American women and children got to enjoy Vietnamese Naplam?
Thanks for your service Gary!!! I was a grunt with the 196th Light Infantry/Americal Division up north in 68/69 and you Huey guys saved our butts MANY MANY times, we all loved the Huey Guys. You came thru every time we needed your help!! Got to fly into a couple of HOT LZ's with you guys. Scary as hell but your guys got us in safely and out too!! God Bless You and Thanks Again!!
Absolutely wonderful Gary. My dad flew UH-1 Med Evac in Viet Nam, 67-68, out of Pleiku. I thank you for your service and being able to tell your story. My dad, unfortunately, never shared his experiences with me or anyone. It was far too painful for him to do so. He continued in Army Aviation post deployment at Fort Rucker Alabama until he retired. He helped to found the Army Aviation safety school there. I think they called it USABAR at the time. He retired to So Cal and took up teaching at USC. Great pilot and a great man. He died way to young from alcoholism.
Matt Insley
Son of LTC. William N. Insley - US Army
Have been using ancestry recently so popped in your Father's details and this popped up from the 1940 census and thought you might be interested: www.ancestry.com/1940-census/usa/Michigan/William-N-Insky_2sqywf
Cindy Klenk I’m a Brit and your reminiscing of your big bro humbled me, remember what Heraclitus said “out of every 100 men,ten shouldn’t even be there,eighty are just targets,9 are the real fighters,and we are lucky to have them,for they make the battle. Ah,but the one,one is a warrior,for he will bring the others back”. That was your big bro Cindy,the humble warrior! Blessed love lady!
Cindy Klenk I’m glad you shared that with me as it was a beautiful story.
@Cindy Klenk you are very knowledgeable of the air craft.
Matt, thank you for sharing. I don’t know how any human being can be in combat and not be forever changed by the experience! My thoughts this moment are with your father and you. Stay strong!
It helps to be 20, absolute truth. Great Video 🍻
Yeah - I know the feeling !
@20 I was jumping outa those...what was I thinking..I wasn't😂
It helps to be 10 and admire him for knowing so much about the "Huey" and working in Vietnam, I love war and the aircrafts and helicopters used in them and what special features they have. So to me this is the best video I could ask for.
No wife & kids back home, ready and willing to "hang it out".
0p
Thank you for the tour Gary and for the story. Best tour I've seen of the start up process.
I am Vietnamese growing up in the Viet Nam war. Huey was an iconic aircraft. Thank you for your service and the
walk around tour .
Retired Army Aviator and UH-1 pilot from long ago. This video brought back a lot of great memories of an epic airframe. Well done video!
I was on CA, coming into a rice paddy, when at about 20ft in the air the ship suddenly turned 90 degrees to left. After a near recovery and some fantastic flying, the pilot controlled it into a "gentle" roll over onto the roof. No one hurt. They assumed it was a wire set up in a loop and we hooked only one skid which turned us. I really had my doubts about that. So it's really striking to see wire cutters on this ship. Makes me wonder.
And I just want to add, you slick pilots saved more lives in more ways than you can even imagine. All my thanks.
I was an air traffic tower and radar controller for the 160th Aviation Group attached to the 101st Airborne in 68/69.... some of the things that was done was considered impossible and most all done by kids who were 19 to 21 years old. One emergency extraction mission to the Laotian border the mission was of such distance we did not have maps setup for the range.....had to lay the map on the floor of the radar van then take the center fold out of a Playboy to get the heading for the CH47 crew, used stop watches to keep track of the CH47 as they descended below the tops of the mountains where we lost radar contact and were able to put the aircraft down on a six digit grid target on top of hill surrounded by the NVA. This was before night-vision googles so I knew the command of the 2/138th Field Artillery to arrange flares to be shot so the pilots could see the mountains. Aircraft was run to max range, ran out of fuel as it was setting down at home...everyone was OK including the long range patrol they extracted
Also was the tower controller on the final assault on what became known as Hamburger Hill, had the UH1s in flights of ten as that is how many we could refuel at one time
Now, looking back to 52 years ago I often wonder if I was really there. I see the 19 to 21 year olds of today that mostly can not be trusted with a walking a dog then think of the kids in Vietnam commanding multi-million dollar aircraft as if it was their car
I agree so much with your 19- 21 yo comments. We, as kids, were so much more responsible then.
Really ashame theres no men any more. Bunch of little boys. Can’t even be a leader to their family, well said sir!
Respect! I can't imagine how badly it would go today if there was a Vietnam type situation and the youth were conscripted to fight in a war. These kids get PTSD when someone says something they don't agree with.
You also killed about two million people, all in vain. I'd spare the teens of today that fate, because it doesn't seem to have made you any good anyhow.
Guess my employer shouldn't trust my 22 year old ass with expensive servers and multi-million dollar customers at our data center because you said I can't be trusted.
Hi from a Brit Infantry veteran and thank you for this video.
I was very lucky to visit the USA during my service and I got to fly in Huey's whilst based at Fort Lewis. That was a real privilege and a memory to cherish. We were told that the Huey's we flew in saw service in Vietnam which made our flights even more special. I am pleased I managed to take some photos whilst onboard to record the event.
Hearing the story of how this pilot assisted those guys on the ground, risking everything, was emotional. I can only imagine how much they appreciated the help. That was courageous and kind.
Looking back I have the same thought as this gentleman - the risks you take when you are 19 or in your twenties seem crazy with hindsight. Only the lucky ones find this out later in life.
Thank you again.
OMG … you are an absolute hero mate !!!!
You & your generation of young Iroquois Pilots did such an amazing job in Vietnam.
I truly tip my hat to you & those other brave pilots with absolute admiration.
I too flew those Huey’s.
From about 1984 - 1988.
Your walk around reminded me of so many otherwise forgotten memories.
I proudly served side by side with you Yanks in the Sinai (Egypt) Peace Keeping Force (MFO) between Israel and Egypt in 1985.
I was an Air Mobile Commander & Check Captain in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) while flying the Huey.
Being a small but very modern Air Force, we Aussie Pilots were blessed with the ability to transfer from fixed to rotary wing flying.
During Pilot Course, I flew the old Winjeel (450 HP rotary piston engine) aircraft.
Then while in the second phase of Pilot Training, the Italian Macchi Jet Trainer.
I was then posted to fly the C130A, & then the C130H Hercules transport aircraft.
As an Officer first & a Pilot second, I was then posted to a desk job for 847 days !!!
After which I elected to experience something completely different in Aviation ….. Choppers !!!
Since those days, while in QANTAS, I flew the Jumbo, the B767 & the Airbus A330.
Of all of those experiences, the beautiful Huey will ALWAYS be my favorite Aircraft.
So versatile, but if you ever turned your back, she would bight you in the a*s.
Thank you so much for your wonderful walk around .
How I would enjoy a few nights reliving Huey memories over a few beers with a marvelous Veteran like you.
God bless you & all those brave Men & Women who serve our countries.
Rest assured …… we Aussie’s will ALWAYS be ready to stand side by side with you, our Yank Brothers in Arms.
God bless & all the very best Brother.
Cheers from Sydney Australia.
This is an incredible watch! Truly one of the best first person accounts of the Huey that i've ever seen, and I hope everyone can appreciate the storytelling and mastery of machine that is detailed throughout this video. Thanks for doing it, it is awesome.
The war story at the end... my hair stood up.
Pilots... fixed wing, rotary... Pilots are a different breed.
Dad was an air force, airline and private pilot. I shot an approach with him on a 40ft wide runway, in a twin Piper Seneca II, in the Ozark mountains, no tower, runway lights were remotely keyed off his handheld radio... at night. I remember vividly... we went around three times, trying to key the runway lights on. When we finally did, he said to me... "I'll fly, you watch for deer... and wires." I swallowed my tongue. Dad didn't miss a beat.
I miss my Dad. I miss him a lot.
My dad was a sgt in usaf and a jet engine mechanic stationed in Da Nang. He loved the people and lived with Vietnamese colonel and family. He stayed as long as they would let him and was a great father to my brother and I. Alcoholism was his burden until the good lord freed him. Tremendous respect to Dad and Gary, thank you for your service, past and present. God bless!
When I entered the Air Force we trained at Fort Rucker with the Army. First we trained in the TH-55, Hughes 300, then we moved into the Huey. What a difference, hydraulics made flying this helicopter so smooth, there is nothing like the sound of those rotor blades, you would wake up and go to sleep hearing that wonderful sound.
What most of you don’t know is Gary is one of the best helicopter and airplane pilots to ever to fly. I had the privilege to fly for Gary many years. What he won’t tell you is, if there’s gonna be a fight, you need to hope he is in your side. If not, you’re gonna have a very bad day.
Lastly, I am honored to know Gary and his family as family.
Outstanding jog Gary!
What an amazing video! I hope Gary sees these comments and knows just how much we appreciate him sharing his experience and reminiscences!
served as a grunt in Vietnam 66-67, we were mainly at the DMZ, I was with L Co 3dBn, 4thMar...we owe our pilots for saving our ass on more than one occasion.....We mainly landed with the Ch-46s........Our really enjoyed this video, it took my back to the war.....Bless you
Here after picking this beauty up on DCS. Always loved helicopters, but now I’m really getting into them. The more I learn the more I love them. This is an amazing video. Thank you so much for this. You can tell this man is a seasoned instructor: captivating with brevity and clarity. You can’t help but to pay attention.
Great video Gary and in particular your story of providing ground support for those two units and your return flight to base. My hat is off to all the pilots who flew in Vietnam. I flew over a hundred missions on a Huey as a courier for our intelligence units in the field, mostly at fire bases. I was an advisor (MACV) in Northern I Corp operating out of Hue. About a quarter of my missions were flown on Vietnamese piloted Hueys. I was never quite as comfortable with those pilots as our own guys. Most of our flights were pretty normal/non-exciting, but we did have quite a few harrowing adventures coming into fire bases in inclement weather. I was always amazed at those pilots dropping down out of the fog on top of a fire base which set on a mountain top. As Gary said, it was good to be 20 years old and unattached. Thanks Gary and all the Huey crews. You were an amazing bunch of soldiers.
My dad was a dust off pilot who did 2 tours with the 101 screaming eagles out of camp Evans. Shot down several times yet kept going back up. Yeah, he survived the war. But I have always been fascinated with the UH1. Seen many of them flying, actually got to sit in the pilots seat of one during start up at camp Lewis in WA. I appreciate you're video of the intricacies of the UH1 and even your war time story. You're video gets a thumbs up from me and thank you for your service.
Awesome stuff!!! The last 5 minutes with the story that’s so cool! Thanks for your service
I really don’t have the right words to say to you Sir! I can just thank you for your service to your country, thank you for helping your fellow soldiers! You are a true hero! Thanks for doing this video!
Thank you for your service sir! Great listening to your story and wishing I could hear from my brother. He passed away in a car crash back in 1990. He was a crew chief in the first air cavalry, Co. C 227th AHB.
I was a Crewchief in Iraq. They still had the Kevlar seats up till then... Only for the pilot's of coarse. The gunner was just screwed. I turned in the last Huey on Ft. Campbell in 91' before going to Sinai where they were still using them. In 93 they were operating Huey's in the Medavac with 4th ID until 95' while in Somalia. Pretty sure they Mothballed them after that. A good Buddy of mine flew until 98 in Germany. The Huey went for a long, long time, the Army just couldn't replace it as a utility bird. The Blackhawk is an expensive beast, but better under fire.
Your walk-through brought back memories, I could almost smell the grease from the Sta-Bar (what he called a scissor assembly -brain fart). The short shaft was Vietnam Era, it had grease packs. The flex shaft on that bird had no grease. Not sure why I felt the need to say that but it points out the generational differences with that bird. It flew through Vietnam, Iraq, Somalia, Hondo, many conflicts and generations of aviators and crew chiefs. A long brotherhood.
Something I note is he leaves out part of our normal start up procedure. The main rotor blade is tied down because a passing ship or a wind will bounce the blades and can easily damage the rotor head or cause an incident when the blades of a passing ship would strike the bouncing blades on the parked ship. The blades would be untied when you were ready to start up the ship. The crew chief and door gunner would check out the ship and wait for the pilots to do the same. At the point that we were ready to crank up the crew chief would left the hook off of the hole in the end of the blade to free it up and then stow the hook which has a long red line on it. When the pilots were ready to start the ship they would call out "Clear" and the crew chief and door gunner would again do a quick check to make sure there was nothing in the way and repeat "Clear and untied sir" At that point the pilot would say "Coming Hot" and then would then start up the ship. Once the crew chief and door gunner saw no leaks they would climb into their locations. By the way when I was a door gunner up North my crew chief said "You are on the left side" which is contrary to what most people did but hey it's his ship not mine". So once the ship was up to operating RPM and everything was good to go then the pilot would say "Clear" and the door gunner and crew chief would respond with "Clear Left , Clear right" Some crews also included "Clear Above". We would then go flying in the beautiful skies of Vietnam.
@@damkayaker It's the crew chief's ship so it was his preference as to which side he was on. His choices could be as simple as a lefty or a righty or as complicated as his vision preferences.
The single best video I've seen on the Huey and it's operation. Thank you so much to both of you.
Our pleasure!
Fantastic listening to these men reminiscing about when they were young and pulling off heroic achievements. As an Englishman I have nothing but the utmost respect for these people.
Thank you very much for your service in Vietnam.
Absolutely incredible testimony to the Men and Machines thrown into harms way. My uncle was shot down in 3 different Hueys in that jungle doing the same job as this man. Thank you for this and outstanding video!
Shot down 3 times, now THATS bad luck
Ya another big salute to you sir for your bravery. I was there 1965 1966 Helicopter fixed wing repairman ! Quin yon !!
I worked on UH-1E Hueys in the Marine Corps. The "E" models were equipped with rotor brakes. This was the first Army Huey I ever saw that had one. Great video - would love to see a part 2.
Rick , with VMO-3 --HML367 67 68
@@ralphfay4423 Hi Ralph, Did you know Doug Ferguson? He was a crew chief that I'm pretty sure was in 367. I was in avionics, VMO-6 in 1965, VMO-2 in 1965-66, VMO-1 in 1966-67. Hope you're doing well!
@@ralphfay4423 Another two names for you, Rod Brittan and Harry Lynch. I just looked them up in the Popasmaoke website, both 367.
Thanks Rick, I'll. Check it out
This was a cool video, thank you for your service. My grandpa came from South Korea in his 20s to go to college at Vanderbilt, Tennessee. During the Vietnam War, he served in the Air Force as an air traffic controller. He would also teach the American soldiers self defense with taekwondo because he was a Black Belt instructor. He died after a long battle of cancer some 7-8 years ago. I miss him. He always wanted to play golf with me.
Gary, thanks for the tour and especially that story at the end. I'm a 1st Cav Vietnam veteran (not a flyer) and I was cheering for you all the way.
I think this is just about the coolest thing I've seen in forever. It's always been a dream of mine to fly one of these legends. Massive respect.
Good job Gary. Brings back a lot of memories being an 18 year old Marine Grunt in the mountainous jungle of I Corps DMZ. An inbound Huey coming in to you on a mountain top meant we were getting rations, mail from home, ammunition or all three. Something Gary didn’t mention was the Huey’s inserting or extracting us were called “slicks”. The med-evac Huey’s were called “Dustoff”. Glad you made it home, Gary.
This was fantastic, can't go wrong with a great Huey video. What a badass story at the end! 👊
...sittin in a Huey, telling Huey stories!
I did my flight training in Florida and the instructor did say the same thing word by word...left clear, right clear, check fuel,gages and lift off. Amazing that over 50 years the way they teach did not change at all. Great to hear the story!
Outstanding....thank you for your service Gary Gingrich.....have hi regards for all u Vietnam guys....
Hello Gary, Fantastic, a true understanding of what it means to be in a Huey . In 1964/5 I was a flying crew chief on a UH1B 421st Med Evac 3rd platoon in Graf Germany, and was very lucky not to be rotated to Vietnam. But I sure can relate to you and your crews bravery. We all thank you and your crew for your service.
Something amazing just happened when I was a young boy we use to go to the Kentucky State Fair in Louisville it was in the 60s there would always be helicopters and tanks my favorite things and the men there would let you sit in the copters I absolutely loved this and while watching this video I suddenly got the smell of the helicopter it stuck in my brain all this time thanks for showing this.
I know exactly what you mean. These old warbirds have a smell all their own. I love it
Superb info on this subject, as a 55 year old from the UK....this war is very rarely mentioned. I always had a liking to the Huey gun ships..... brilliant story to listen to. Really enjoyed it . Thank you
Awesome video! I could listen to him all day. My dad was a UH-1 crew chief in Vietnam, 2 tours. Sadly he passed away recently so I can no longer hear his stories. Thanks for posting.
Always had a soft spot for the Huey from being a kid , remember reading the book chicken hawk and marvelling at the men who were prepared to take a flying green house in to a hot landing zone to get men out or wounded out or bring in ammunition ect just surrounded by aluminium and plexiglass neither of which are renound for their ability to stop bullets , being a Brit I didn’t think I’d ever see one but going down the motorway the preserved one from Blackpool passed over head with a civilian camera helicopter chasing its tail , a truly marvellous sight , god bless you and your fellow crewmen because a lot of men survived Vietnam because you were there when they needed you and I will have a minutes silence for the crews who didn’t come home , thank you for taking the time to show us round this beautiful machine.
Wow, did you strike gold with Gary Gingrich as your walkaround guide!!! There are some people who have the knowledge with absolutely NO need to impress, that's what I see in Gary.
The bird is beautiful if only she could talk too, the stories we'd hear. I loved the candor of age-related changes we all experience. Thank you, sir for your service, the story, and some dream seeding for my slumber tonight.
As a ex Huey Crew chief great information Gary and thank you for your service in Vietnam
What a wonderful presentation of an iconic vehicle - I was oblivious to Vietnam being at boarding school in England 68 -73 . I have 3 displays to commemorate the War - First is a 1/6 Platoon figures 2nd are 5 Gun Trucks 1/16 scale (Red Baron - Eve of Destruction - Mud Blood and Beer - To Charlie with love & Brutus all r/c) and now doing a crashed 1/6 upside down Huey with John Connor firing a M60 into a T600 terminator - Salvation movie - your indepth tour of the Huey is really helpful to get the details right for the scene - thankyou so much - Rob Sky
This guy is great. I have all respect for him and thank him. I worked as a civilian for the Army for 30 years and knew many Huey pilots from the Vietnam era. Many of them worked for me and some of their stories really impressed me as did Gary's. I had a guy that worked with me that lost 3 cobras (AH-1's) the first 2 weeks that he was in 'nam. These guys used to fly me a lot of places in the performance of my duties and I had all the respect in the world for them. I've seen this Huey pre-flight done so many times that there's no way to count them. I considered myself very lucky in my job. I was an Architect for the military and the director of construction for a district. One of my inspectors was also an OH-6 pilot. He got me certified as a flight observer which allowed me to fly front seat. He used to fly me to many construction inspections and as a result, I probably have about 300 hrs of stick time in an OH-6. I also have some stick time in an AH-1, but that's another story. I have to say that I treasure my time with Vietnam era helicopter pilots. Their stories are truly amazing if you can get them to talk about their experiences which I might say is no small task.
I was a crew chief on Huey's 75 - 85. .At 1:25 those are not for vertical antennas. IR sensors went there. Talking about the amount of fuel it holds, I once put 205 gallons in my bird. Anyone want to do the math on how long we had left to fly on 4 gallons. Skid shoes. I must have changed them 3 times in one week. Seems like it was always my bird they would use for check rides. The scissors are just above the swash plate 10:30. 10:50 that's the mixing levers. 12:25 that's a drive link he he has a hold of. The scissors are the 2 horizontal arms that the drive link is attached to. The swash plate is the round part the drive link is attached to. We didn't have rotor brakes. I guess that's what that grey handle on ceiling is.
this comment deserves a like. thank you for this explanation.
I wondered what that gray handle was looked like a hand pump. Never had one in any Huey I crewed. your right about the skid shoe's . one week end My bird was picked to do all the check rides for all the office pilots that havent flown in 90 days . I did about a hundred auto-rotations to the ground. changed the skids shoes twice. also did a hard landing insp. we hit so hard one time I thought for sure the skids were bent. But they checked out oK.
The Handle is for a rotor brake this Helicopers probably used by a police department they always Add all kinds of aftermarket accessories
Did I miss the “Jesus Nut” inspection??
I think they used those lil bumps on the nose for APR-39 radar warning sensors also. H model Huey held 209 Gal when open port fueled and a little more when closed circuit fueled. I crewed from 92-2004. I miss it more than anything.
Fantastic walk around! Love hearing about the history as well. Thank you for your service! 🇺🇲👍
So cool to see actual Vietnam Huey Pilot still flying them today in time they will be too old to fly and like our WW2 veterans who are mostly gone I remember in the 1980's at a small airshow in Southern California Marine Corps Air station Tustin. A P-51 Mustang fly over in the pattern and landed I remember hearing the big Packard-Merlin back fire a few times as pulled it back to idle on his roll-out down the runway. He taxied in a zig zag over to a parking spot shut down after awhile I made my way over to talk to him about his airplane. I found out he was a WW2 pilot in 1944 this was his P-51 he had for over 10 years since the early 70s he was retired airline pilot.
He's like the coolest grampa you never got to meet and shares his history about the aircraft. Love this video
You can tell this gentleman was a really good instructor.
Thanks For Your Service Sir!!! You Are The Kind Of Pilots That Saved My And My A Team More Than Once . God Bless You !!! SFC. D.L. Ryan 7TH SF.GRP. Airborne Ret.
thank you for your service. Learning to fly Huey in Sim. This was a nice treat to have you share your knowledge.
Glad you enjoyed it!
@@ErikJohnston The DCS Huey Sim had the Armor protection on the seat. I am learning rotary now. His thoughts on risk and that the crew voted show the gift of those warfighters to our country.
Enjoyed the tour and explanation. Thank you for your service Gary.
I was an Aerial Combat Documentary Photographer in the USAF 1965/68.
Best job in the US Military !
Before going off to the Vietnam War in Aug. 1967, I was stationed at Vandenberg AFB Ca. and I flew on a lot of these older model Hueys taking Missile Launch Facilities Construction progress photos all across the base... Plus the Huey pilots would usually take a 2 hour flight up and down the coast of Calif so the Photographer with the door open could get some Great Pics of the young ladies Sunbathing on all of the Secluded Beaches !
Like I said.... Best job in the US Military !
*After watching the video and listening to your stories in the Bietnan and reading many of the comments about you, I have only one option left to give you my congratulations. Angel from Spain.*
Thank you for your Service, it's men like you that made this Country what it is today... Aw hell ya, the Huey you could hear it coming from a mile away that whop,whop,whop was like music for an injured soldier , downed pilot or a pinned down troupe taking fire. Best Heli ever produced.
Fascinating walk-around and the story at the end was icing ! Real heroes don’t brag, they just tell it like it was ...
You could upload another 8 hours of this gentleman and id stay here to listen to every second he has to say! Might be the very best video ive ever come across on UA-cam, and i have used YT since 2013 and watched well over 20thousand videos.
A big salute to this guy. We need more like him. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Jeremy in Alabama.
Had the pleasure of working with Grinch during his post military career, a non nonsense guy with loads of experience. Nice video, only correction I could make is the bumps on the nose are for IR sensors, we placed them on Hueys in the 70s when I was in the Cav at Ft Bragg. All the guys I flew with were Vietnam vets, great education.
Absolutely amazing story! Thank you for your service 🇺🇸
Very cool and love the story at the end. Reminds me to re-read Chickenhawk too.
Great aircraft. I crewed them for 20 years 681st medivac National Guard Shelbyville, Indiana.
Wow, Best thing I’ve seen on UA-cam in a long time. Could listen to Gary all day.
Thank You for your service. Can’t imagine what it must have been like.
Fantastic walkaround and amazing story at the end Mr. Gingrich. Thanks so much for sharing. Dad flew Phantoms out of Da Nang in '68 and Ubon '72. I grew up hearing those stories, so it's great to hear from the Air Cav side of things. Be well Sir.
If anyone is unfamiliar with the rotor brake it is the gray handle and cylinder seen at 13:58. The brake itself is mounted on the transmission and is similar to an automobile brake rotor.
Thanks for that bit of information I was wondering what that grey handle was thought I missed him say that. But I guess he can't go through everything so thank you for that
Thank you sir! One of my best memoriesbis being a 14 year old boy in 1981 fresh recruit in JROTC had just received od fatigues and suddenly 5 h1s landed on the ball field ready to load us up for our first ride. Would love to set down with you and reminisce.
Welcome home. Thank you for your service
Great video. Alway been fascinated by hueys. I grew up Hearing many stories from my uncle hoping around nam in one. 1st infantry division 67-68. And then furthering learning about them reading the book chicken hawk
Nice job on this video. Brought back a lot of memories. 1971..D Troop 1/10 CAV..Shamrock 68..there I was
This is the coolest thing I’ve ever watched. It’s my dream to be able to just see one of these let alone ride in one.
That was a great story. A huge thank you to all the veterans who served then and now. And thank you to the host for such a great video.
Great story at the end!! Thank you for your Service!! Left skid low….
APR 39 was mounted on the left and right nose and also located un the tail skid cover. The floor in the cabin was made of honeycomb/aluminum. The intermediate gearbox is at 42 degrees. Low rotor audio when in the off position will automatically reset when in normal operating range. Crewed Huey's 9 years and flew them for 11. Nice looking helicopter.
Wow. 50 years since I stepped foot in one of these. All the times I rode I’d never seen what the top of the Huey looked like. I can still tell when a Huey is coming, nothing else sounds like it. It feels like another lifetime ago
My father did 3 tours in Nam and he used to talk about these birds all the time !!! How the sound of them coming in low and VERY FAST and the distant thumping growing louder as 15-20 of these birds come roaring in one at a time barely hitting the ground picking him and his guys up in a hot LZ. While the gunships were lighting up the surrounding area like the Fourth of July . He always said he was scared until he heard the distant pounding of the Huey’s coming for them and when the arrived it was like gods angels arrived but when he was in that chopper he felt a little more safe.
As for me well pops always said he wished I could get that experience in a Huey and know that feeling he tried to explain to me. Well I enlisted in the military and about a year later I was in the Middle East in desert storm. Well wouldn’t you know it the UH1 was there still fighting and flying stronger then before. I remember my second patrol we loaded up and off we went but I noticed a 3rd officer in the cabin with us. I plugged in my headset to the ceiling and listened in. The left seat was a LT Col. and the right seat and guy in back with us were new officers fresh out of helo school !! He was dipping their di
I can feel your emotion when you tell the story. Thank you for your service!
My uncles memorial was last week, he passed from multiple myeloma, likely caused by agent orange.
When asked what he did when in Vietnam, he would answer that he was a death sergeant.
We all found out after his death that he was a door Gunner, likely in a huey just like this one.
If a Vietnam veteran happens to read this. Welcome home.
Excellent reference learning vid on the Bell Huey UH1 Vietnam War workhorse. There's no wonder narrator Gary Gingrich only few around 1,000 hours of combat flying...because I believe as he was so good he would make an excellent instructor and hence probably why he flew 4,000 hours of instructing...you can tell Gingrich knows his oats as he narrates during the excellent vid. He is intelligent. Mostly everything Gingrich focuses on is primarily related to one thing and one thing only; SAFETY. Man if I was part of the crew flying with Gingrich during the Vietnam War would I feel secure. Because Gingrich knows what he is doing - in precision too. Therefore going into combat with him at the controls, you'd feel totally secure that you were in good hands. And in that I bet his UH1 would have fought very well...the crew would end up being feared by the enemy. And in war that is precisely what the game is all about. That would mean that each time you flew a mission with Gringrich you would know the odds/chances of you succeeding in the mission would be fairly high...you would therefore feel CONFIDENT. And confidence in war is also a great thing. The whole crew under Gingrich's control would know the chances of returning to the air base where they originated from would not only be above average, they would be HIGH...That would make Gingrich's UH1 a highly skilled fighting unit. Watch out VC. At 21: 27 Gingrich begins his story of real combat in Vietnam. Even listening to him you know he is intelligent. He would have been a lethal weapon as a pilot of his Huey UH1 back then. There's only one outcome for the enemy in such conflict...so rather than stay and engage in combat with Gingrich if an enemy wanted to survive, the best course of action would have been to ? RUN TO THE TUNNEL and HIDE pronto.
Loved the story at the end .. Thank you for your service .
Wonderful review of the Huey! Thank you for your service.
Thanks for sharing Gary I am sure you have many more creative adventures about Vietnam, I know I had my share, from a Huey CC out of camp Holloway 71-72, be well buddy............
Class Act..Talented Pilot and Soldier! Thanks for your service and sharing the video!
Nice vid man , I was a eng mechanic in the Army 70's and 80's. Replaced many eng's in my day. Good times and memories. Thanks
This is an awesome helicopter I had the opportunity to fly in one of those with El Salvador air force in 2010, unbelievable still in service, great video.
Thanks for sharing your experiences of this wonderful aircraft, and of your experiences in Vietnam!.
I’ve always thought of the Huey as the best helicopter ever built, and your video walk round gave me a great deal of interesting detail on it.
It’s just such an iconic aircraft!.
I just love to hear from the guys who actually flew it!.
So cool, could listen to the guy for hours.
I am sorry it's a 42 degree Gearbox, I was UH-!H crewchief for over 10 years in the 70's and 80's. thank you for your story and your service.
I caught that mistake also. Worked on them while on Camp Eagle, Hue/Phu Bai, in mid 1968. H & C Models. We got some Cobras in late 68.
This is awesome. I grew up near West Point and we had another Army camp nearby so my childhood always seemed to have a Huey overhead
Fabulous insight and walk around by a real knowledgeable expert.... Incredible story.. Thanks for your service 🙏
Gary...Sir : I'm speechless. Thank you!!!
Thanks Gary for sharing your knowledge and experience.
What a great video! Nice to see the walkaround with an actual pilot from the war.
Fantastic explanation and walk around of this magnificent aircraft. It all makes sense now as I have read a number of books by Viet Nam vet pilots. About 10 years ago a restored UH-1 visited a show ground near where I live in the UK. At the end of the day it took off and flew right over my house. That whup-whup sound of the rotors is unmistakeable. Thanks for this video.
What a great interview. He is such a badass. Love to hear those stories.
As a D. A. Veteran 9th. Inf. Div. and the 3rd. Inf. Div. I slow hand salute this hero. this hero brough tears to my eyes when he said when he was 20 I could get here a lot faster, me to I was very fast at 20 but I'm getting closed to 70 that is like slowing a wind of 70 miles per hour to 20 mph I hope I'm not getting anybody confused, to my hero thank you for your service and the time that you took to explain your job and duty when you were in Viet Nam thank you again God Bless America and may God bless all my brothers and sisters in arms.
I just kept thinking what it would be like for you to go over the starting procedure knowing you won’t have to go to war this time. You’re a hero!