Army Retires UH-1 Huey

[mechanic]

Sad day in the helicopter world.

 

Military.com

[DS_HMMR]

Sad day in the helicopter world.

 

Military.com

 

Dont worry too much. The Marines will probably keep using them effectively for another 10-20 years

[gary-mike]

Sad deal, I love the huey.

 

They can park a few in my yard...Wouldn't want them to run out of space at the bone yard.

[NorCalHeliKid]

Dont worry too much. The Marines will probably keep using them effectively for another 10-20 years

The Air Force bought the last 27 here at Rucker, this was years ago, they have overhauled them and use them as trainers. There are still Army Huey's in operation other places, there is no official retirement of the Huey but they stopped using them basically back when the Blackhawk came out. Ft. Irwin still operates a handful as OpFor in training..., there are a handful used overseas. Flat Iron Medevac has two sitting out there too. I dont think that the Huey will ever actually go away...they still havent figured out a way to completely replace it.

Edited February 3, 2011 by NorCalHeliKid

[mechanic]

there is no official retirement of the Huey

 

Well if you read the Military.com article there was an OFFICIAL retirement ceremony at the training school on 01/26/11. SO, I would think that would be Ft Rucker.

 

The seven Hueys in the training center fleet will be turned over to the Air Force to serve as training aircraft.At least two will remain in service at Fort Rucker, Ala., the epicenter of the Army's aviation program, an Army spokeswoman said.

 

Ya the USAF did that with the F-5, they kept the trainers (T-38) to train up the new pilots in training and NASA uses them also. But mainstream active duty, they were retired. Ft Rucker trains personnel from other country's so I am sure they would need to have the Huey online for those country's we train. I know the USAF uses the Huey on a limited basis, though I can't recall ever seeing a Huey with USAF on it during my active time.

[rjl2001]

The only USAF UH-1's I've seen, other than training, are at Eglin AFB. I believe they are part of the test wing out there, I would guess they use them for utility or transport purposes associated with range activities.

 

I actually thought the Army retired the Huey a while ago, maybe that was just active duty or something. I remember a couple came into the airport I was working at summer '09, they were a medevac crew from a base somewhere in southeast like MS or LA, doing the medevac for Ranger school. They had told me their unit was the only one still using Huey for medevac. Then a few months later some Lakota's came in that I think were theirs.

 

While we're on the subject, I know I saw a Navy Huey a couple years ago as well. It did not have a SAR/Rescue paint job, but just a shiny OD green paint job. My thinking at the time was maybe they were out of Panama City or Pensacola, not sure though. But at least the USMC and the Super Hueys will be around for a long time to come.

[Wally]

The "Huey" was, and is in some applications, a great bird. The Ford Model T was revolutionary, too. The state of the art has advanced in both realms, I really don't want either.

[mechanic]

The "Huey" was, and is in some applications, a great bird. The Ford Model T was revolutionary, too. The state of the art has advanced in both realms, I really don't want either.

 

Man that is pretty unfair to compare a Huey to a Ford Model T!!! A Huey is by no means the first helicopter ever, unlike the model T was to the auto industry. The model T was not as reliable as a Huey either. I have riden in a restored Model T, in the back rumble seat and I have to agree I don't want one of those either. But given the choice of owning a heli, a huey is pretty high up the "Like" to own list.