What was the average age of a helicopter pilot in Vietnam?
What was the average age of a helicopter pilot in Vietnam?
Most were 19 or 20 years old, with a few experienced “old men” per platoon in their late twenties.
What rank were helicopter pilots in Vietnam?
Due to the demand for helicopter pilots in Vietnam, the number of warrant officer pilots grew from about 2,960 in 1966 to more than 12,000 by 1970. In 1973, a reduction in force began and chief warrant officer helicopter pilots were offered promotion to the rank of first lieutenant to retain combat veterans.
How many helicopter crew members died in Vietnam?
The Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association (VHPA) estimates that over 100,000 helicopter pilots and crew members served during the Vietnam War. Over 4,800 helicopter pilots and crew members were killed in action, and more than 300 are buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
How many UH-1 Hueys were in Vietnam?
Many Vietnam Veterans describe the UH-1 “Huey” helicopter as the “sound of our war”. Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association records show that 7,013 Hueys survived in the Vietnam War, totaling 7,531,955 flight hours.
What was the Huey helicopter used for in Vietnam?
The single-engine helicopter was a workhouse, widely used for medical evacuation missions (medevac) and moving troops quickly from one landing zone to another. Huey 823 accumulated over 1,300 combat hours in Vietnam and has the bullet hole patches to prove it.
What are some of the best military stories about Vietnam?
Aliens in Vietnam Smiling Tiger 183 Shot Down A “Deans” Slick Pilot’s Story by Colonel David A. Measels , U.S. Army (Retired), 120th Aviation Company, August 1966 – February 1968 The Ashau Mission by Norm Urban, Captain, USMC ret
Why did they make the Huey gunship?
The need for an armed Huey was presented — and so the gunship was born. The Huey Gunship was a new concept with a potential that hadn’t been tapped into with the helicopters of World War II and the Korean War. They were heavily armed helicopters equipped with weapons to defend the Utility and Dust-Off Hueys.
