On Saturday the 13th of April, 2024, I visited
the Legacy Chapter of the Army Aviation Heritage Foundation and Museum in
Hampton, Ga near Atlanta. I’d been planning this visit for a while, and it
greatly exceeded my expectations. I’ve never met a group of more genuine
people. Everyone I met there was welcoming, gracious, experienced, and
knowledgeable. Barbara Barker took me by the arm, signed me in, and kept a
watchful eye over me to ensure I had a great experience.
I flew in an AH-1 Cobra attack helicopter
piloted by LtCol
(Ret) Peyton DeHart, USMC. We performed maneuvers over a wooded area and
lake. One maneuver was a gun run on a bridge at the lake – observe the target
with a flyby, sharp pull up, hard bank over, drop down into the run, and pew
pew. Incredible pilot who didn't pull any punches as he climbed, dove, and
banked throughout the flight, narrating the whole time. Exhilarating and
breathtaking!
I did two lifts in a UH-1 Iroquois “Huey”
piloted by Former
CPT, Ed Clark, US Army and LTC (Ret) Jim Uttley, US Army. A stoic machine with
an iconic sound. Nothing like sitting on the outside seat with an open door
when the pilot banks hard to your side :)
The gentleman directly behind me was sitting in the left side door
gunner’s seat where he sat in Vietnam. Amazingly, the Atlanta Chapter has one
of the Hueys that was in his unit. He told me he received more recognition and
appreciation there in one day than he’d received in the last fifty years.
After the flights, we enjoyed a pizza buffet
lunch (actually some of the best pizza I’ve had) where we socialized with the
foundation members. After lunch, LTC (Ret) Fred Edwards, US Army and I took the
pilot’s seats in one of the Hueys, where he patiently walked me through the
preflight checklist and all the controls explaining how to accomplish various
maneuvers. For a fleeting moment, I felt like I could pull up on the collective
and lift off. An unforgettable experience!
If you haven’t flown with AAHF, do it now! I
can still hear the sound of the Huey’s rotor in my head. Since flying with
them, I’ve had three distinct emotions:
joy for having had the experience, regret for not having done it sooner,
and anticipation for when I can do it again.
Cobras and Hueys have been in service since
the 1960s and have long been succeeded by Apaches and Blackhawks, respectively.
Even though they are immaculately maintained, these old birds may not be around
forever. Plan your visit now. Experience history. Why wouldn’t you? I promise
you won't regret it.
