2011 Airshows
Tyndall AFB, FL    NAS Fort Worth JRB, TX     Indianapolis Regional, IN    Terre Haute, IN Open House   Monticello, IN Open House   Reading, PA WWII Weekend    Cincinnati, OH B-29 Appearance    Hamilton, ONT    Kokomo, IN    Indianapolis Metropolitan, IN     Polk City, FL    Willow Run, MI    Indianapolis Regional, IN    Indianapolis Executive, IN    Grissom Aeroplex Huey Homecoming, IN    Selfridge ANGB, MI    Mattoon, IL     Marion, IN    Waukegan, IL    Janesville, WI    NAS Oceana, VA    Watervliet, MI

American Huey 369 Reunion 2011 Reunion Photo Review
Warbirds at Grissom Aeroplex, Peru, IN - August 13-14, 2011 (Photos taken Saturday, August 13)
An Indiana Warbird Event  

There are many different sounds associated with warbirds.  Whether it is the sound of a T-6 propeller going supersonic or the snarl of the Rolls-Royce Merlin in a P-51 Mustang, each warbird has its own distinctive audio signature.  Over the past several years, there has been a new warbird sound that has been heard more often around Indiana and adjoining states.  The Lycoming T-53 13B sounds really good as it spools up and then that sound gets overcome by the distinctive rotor slap of a Bell Huey helicopter.  A vintage and Vietnam combat veteran Huey has just started up for another day's operations.  American Huey 359 is the new kid on the block and it is bringing the sounds of the UH-1 to many veterans and patriotic events in the Midwest.

Each year in August American Huey 369 holds its annual reunion that includes the giving of awards that recognizes all the hard work done by the volunteers over the past year.  Below is just one of the dozens of awards that were given out.  Then there is the flying of members for their allocated one membership flight per year.  This year it took both Hueys 1 & 3/4 hours to get all the flights in.  As both Hueys were on 15 minute cycles this was around 14 total trips.  Then when that was complete there was the Vietnam Re-enactment.  Photos from each aspect are captured below.

Dan Montgomery, owner of Montgomery Aviation speaks after receiving an award for donating the use of this hangar to American Huey 369 to operate out of and locate a tempory museum while building funds are obtained for a state of the art Museum dedicated to all  models of the Bell UH-1 that will be built across the street.  Dan has given the award John Walker, in the flight suit, who is President and co-founder of Huey 369.  Behind Dan Montgomery is Alan Walker, John's brother and the other co-founder.

Another Huey on display along with an engine and other Huey parts as part of the temporary museum.

UH-1 369 and OH-6A 67-16026.

Peter Bales of Janesville, WI is the owner of the Loach.  Here is the display board in front of the OH-6 showing his photo from when he flew similar aircraft in Vietnam.

Crew members get Warrior 803 ready to fly.

First Flight of the day for Huey 369.

Kae York, one of the two official photographers for Huey 369, gets a shot as the Huey departs.

Warrior 803 lifts off on its first mission.

Warrior 803 inbound.

No, I didn't get the whole Huey in the photo, but when one is sitting on the ground falling backwards trying to get the shot, this is the result.

On the down wind for the landing.

Kae York has been at every event I have been to that has a UH-1 from American Huey 369.  Here she takes a photo of the smiling passengers after their membership flight.  Each trip was about 10 minutes long with resulting in about four trips per hour for each helicopter.  If you like the sounds of the Huey, American Huey 369 is the group for you.

Another photo of Peter Bale's OH-6A.

One happy and excited passenger.

Things are getting crowded on the ramp.

Everyone is taking photos!!  Greg Morehead, editor of Warbird Digest, in the foreground shoots Huey 369 while his wife Donna covers her head from the rotor wash as the gentleman in the blue shirt inside photographs us.

The Vietnam Re-enactment

The Re-enactment started around 6:30 PM.  By this time the weather was changing and the sun was behind storm clouds that were coming in.  While there were still some puffy white clouds in the background the light down low to ended up giving me a lot of dark silhouette helicopter photos.  The photo above has been lighted up so one can see the aircraft and crew in the air.  This has a tendency to wash out the colors and turn the sky white.  Rather than wash out the rest of the helicopter images by lightening them up, I have left them as shot.  What you see is was I took.

The Loach starts its patrol.

Huey 369 takes off.

Warrior 803 takes off.

This is looking north as all three get set up.  The skies are starting to turn ugly.

Peter Bales in the Loach showed us the maneuverability of the aircraft with an excellent low level display.  Note the the gunner with his foot hanging out.

The Bad Guys.

The Loach makes contact with The Bad Guys. 

The Loach escorts Warrior 803 into the LZ.

The Troopers exit the Huey.

A Dust-off is needed.

One is looking south towards Indianapolis at the buildup of a storm system that two hours later would kill seven persons when the winds from this storm blew down the stage at the State Fairgrounds.

Huey 369 lands to take on the wounded.

Warrior 803 comes in for the final landing after a full afternoon of flying.

Tyndall AFB, FL    NAS Fort Worth JRB, TX     Indianapolis Regional, IN    Terre Haute, IN Open House   Monticello, IN Open House   Reading, PA WWII Weekend    Cincinnati, OH B-29 Appearance    Hamilton, ONT    Kokomo, IN    Indianapolis Metropolitan, IN     Polk City, FL    Willow Run, MI    Indianapolis Regional, IN    Indianapolis Executive, IN    Grissom Aeroplex Huey Homecoming, IN    Selfridge ANGB, MI    Mattoon, IL     Marion, IN    Waukegan, IL    Janesville, WI    NAS Oceana, VA    Watervliet, MI