Kirtland AFB 58th Special Operations Wing Flight Line Mechanics post for a group photo with the UH-1N helicopter that crossed the 20,000 flight hours milestone on March 22, 2024. The UH-1N Hueys were initially designed to be 4,000 hour aircrafts but continue to serve the air crew and the mission due to their robust design and adaptations. (Britianie Teston/U.S. Air Force)
(Tribune News Service) — Its arms aren’t tired. Kirtland Air Force Base is the home of a record-holding, long-flying aircraft.
The UH-1N Huey reached the impressive milestone on March 18 — 20,000 flight hours — becoming the third Huey to do so. That’s five times longer than the 4,000 flight hours it was designed to reach in the 1960s.
How it got to keep its wings for such a long haul is a testament to the commitment of its air crews over the years and the skill of the maintenance crews, Kirtland officials said.
“We have some of the finest mechanics from a wide variety of backgrounds. It’s a good diverse group that have worked on these aircraft,” said Bryon Lupton, flight line lead mechanic. “It’s a team effort with our uniformed crews and how well they also treat the aircraft.”
A legend
The Huey is a legendary beast of the air for the U.S. armed forces, notable for its robust design. It saw extensive action in the Vietnam War, where it earned widespread acclaim among pilots and ground forces alike.
Plenty of Huey stories have been told, complete with vivid descriptions of the noise, the dust, the rescues it carried out and the battles raging around it. Many veterans who served in Hueys have reacted sentimentally to the old war horse.
“The sound is something you will never forget,” said Vietnam veteran and Huey pilot Phil Marshall, who helps rehabilitate old Hueys. He was quoted in a 2022 Vietnam magazine story. Other veterans recalled the distinctive “whop, whop, whop” as it approached. Still others commented on its sturdy build and endurance.
“You could get it flying again with duct tape and bailer twine if you had to,” said Jim Watkins, a maintenance specialist, in the same report.
Beyond battle, the UH-1N also found application in civilian operations, law enforcement, firefighting and humanitarian missions.
A 58th Operations Group UH-1N takes flight on March 22, 2024, after achieving 20,000 flight hours on March 18. (Britianie Teston/U.S. Air Force)
Upgrades
This particular Huey has had several upgrades over the years to extend the lifecycle of the aircraft.
“For the age of the aircraft to actually be in the shape that we are able to maintain these in is pretty significant,” Lupton said, describing how the UH-1N’s were initially designed for 4,000 flight hours. “And here we are at 20,000 hours still flying it.”
The Air Force’s UH-1N fleet has had multiple upgrades over the past few years, according to Maj. Gordon Blair, commander of the Kirtland’s 58th Operations Group, Detachment 2. The upgrades increased the aircrafts’ all-weather capabilities, crash worthiness, digital traffic avoidance detection and precision GPS instrument approaches.
“These efforts include avionics, radios, safety equipment, navigation, equipment and maintenance and longevity-related improvements,” Blair said.
All three Huey’s holding the 20,000-hour record are currently at Kirtland with the 58th Special Operations Wing’s fleet.
The 58th OG, Det 2, currently house six UH-1N helicopters and graduates approximately 120 students annually.
Maj. Joshua Hartmann prepares to pilot Kirtland’s 55-year-old UH-1N Huey helicopter on March 22, 2024 after it logged 20,000 flight hours earlier in the week. (Britianie Teston/U.S. Air Force)
Last of its kind
The United States Air Force is the last service branch to operate Hueys. The Marine Corps retired the helicopter in 2014. Kirtland’s 20,000 champs have managed to bypass the usual pathway of retired Hueys. At the end of service they usually travel to an aircraft “boneyard,” where they can at least be used for parts.
With such a feast of spare parts, a good Huey can keep on working.
The Huey can carry 13 personnel with a typical crew of four, and it could be configured for multiple different missions, such as medical evacuation, search and rescue, remote operations, personnel transport, airborne security and military operations.
“The UH-1N is a tried-and-true workhorse for the Air Force,” Blair said. “Our air crew members love and trust the venerable Huey.”
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