Fort Rucker has always been the home of rotary aviation in the USA, you simply will not find a larger collection of helicopters anywhere else.
For many years, Fort Rucker has been one of the last places to actually see a large number of flying US Army UH-1H Hueys, where they served as flight instruction airframes.
Since the seventies, the US Air Force has outsourced the basic training of helicopter pilots to the US Army at Fort Rucker.
However, when the US Army decided to retire all Hueys at Fort Rucker and replace them with "off-the-shelf" TH-67 Jet Rangers, the US Air Force re-established their own helicopter school at Fort Rucker.
Having received 40 retired UH-1Hs free of charge from the Army, the USAF contracted Bell Helicopter to upgrade half the fleet to TH-1H Huey II standard.
The TH-1H is a completely rebuild helicopter, where the main cabin and fuselage is the only section from the UH-1H that will remain.
Everything else, including the Bell 212 nose and tail boom assembly, T53-L-703 engine and gearbox, digital avionics and instrumentation are factory new parts.
The TH-1H Huey II is practically a brand new helicopter, more modern and far more powerful than the UH-1H it originates from.
The Huey II can carry a greater payload than the original UH-1H while flying higher and faster at the same time. Unlike the UH-1H, the Huey II is perfectly suited for "high and hot" operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.
(The Huey II is operated by the Iraqi Air Force and Huey II gunships are used by the US Department of State in Afghanistan.)
I have been very fortunate to be able to spend several days with the USAF 23rd Flying Training Squadron at Fort Rucker, which operates a mixture of UH-1H and TH-1H Hueys.
At the time of my visit,the 23rd FTS had 13 UH-1Hs and 19 TH-1Hs, with the number of 'classic' Hueys being gradually reduced as the best models are being converted to TH-1H Huey IIs at the Bell Helicopter plant in Ozark, AL. Once the 23rd FTS has 24 TH-1H Huey IIs, all remaining UH-1Hs will be retired from service.
On with the photos!
We joined Class 11-09 as they were preparing for their solo flights. As these were students, our options for aerial photography were rather limited.
Our photo ship was an IP-crewed UH-1H "chase bird", that follows the students and provide assistance when required.
Nevertheless, it was was still a huge thrill to join these training missions and see flight training happening in reality!
1. Briefing for another solo flight.
2. The students take off in their TH-1Hs, note the endless rows of US Army TH-67s in the background.
3. Our UH-1H chase bird catches up with the students, some 10 miles out of Fort Rucker.
4. Out of safety reasons, this is as close as we can get as the TH-1H is manned with an all-student crew.
5. We head to some of the many landing zones (called "RTs" for Remote Training areas). Here the IPs watch and judge the students from the UH-1H chase bird as they make solo and formation landings.
6. Another day, another mission. Our students are making their own way to the civilian airstrip at Florala to refuel and have lunch. This gives the IPs some low-level time in the UH-1H - I was not complaining!
7. We join our students for lunch and I can take some photos of them leaving the airstrip. Florala is a great place for photography!
8. Our new photoship also joins us at Florala for some excellent hot dogs!
9. It gets busy now with 6 USAF TH-1Hs, a UH-1H and lots of US Army movements as well.
10. The heavy traffic at the airstrip also educates the students in flying in and out of busy places like Nellis, Kirtland or Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan.
11. I swap photo ships, so I can shoot this extremely unique UH-1H - finally, after spending all that time flying in it!
12. The paint scheme is based on that of the T-38C and the proposal was to paint all UH-1H and TH-1Hs like this. It was not well received and 72-21549 remains a one-of-a-kind Huey.
13. It is referred to as "Tony the Tiger" (from the breakfast cereal) or "Shamu" by the IPs that fly it.
14. Being one of the original, 40 year old UH-1Hs, "Tony the Tiger" nearly didn't get airborne that morning with a fuel pressure issue. Luckily it was quickly resolved by the awesome maintenance crew!
15. It is time for "Tony the Tiger" to catch up with the students, while our TH-1H goes "RT hopping".
16. Even as a mere passenger, I could feel that the Huey II was smoother, faster and more agile than old "Tony". The new cockpit helps students to prepare for next-generation, digital aircraft like the CV-22.
17. Close up of the TH-1H instrument panel. This is a very basic layout for training purposes, but Bell can equip combat or SAR Huey IIs with FLIR monitors, GPS screens, RWR displays or whatever is requested by the customer.
18. The old and the new at the Cairns AAF ramp. Except for "Tony", all the original UH-1H Hueys retain their US Army paint schemes although USAF markings have been added.
19. Whereas the 23rd FTS operates from flight line, the Army TH-67s are all parked on pads between the main ramp and the runways at Cairns AAF.
20. After my lift with the UH-72 "Flat Iron" medevac bird, I could shoot their final 3 Hueys literally days before their retirement from service. (See below)
That concluded my awesome time with the 23rd FTS. Although there was not a lot of time to spend shooting at Cairns, I made several trips to the Florala airstrip with the 23rd and here are some of the other images I shot there.
Please note that Florala is accessible. There is no gate or fence. But please do not just wander onto the airstrip - you may literally end up in a rotor or propeller. Go see the guys in the Ops office and, if you ask kindly, they will usually allow you shoot.
At all times, stay on the grass as all the concrete taxiways and pads are always in use. USAF, US Army and US Navy Helicopters and aircraft are coming and going all the time.
21. Unfortunately, I did not see any Chinooks, Apaches or OH-58D Kiowa, which are regulars at Florala but this OH-58C made up for that!
22. US Navy TH-57s and T-34Cs are a common sight there as well although the T-34C is becoming rapidly extinct now.
23. One of many Whiting Field TH-57s that visited for a 'splash and dash' or some tasty hot dogs!
24. And literally countless Black Hawks, both the older models and the new UH-60Ms.
25. Another UH-60 settling on one of the many pads at Florala.
26. One of several new UH-60Ms.
27. My taxi back to Cairns AAF. During one of the missions, we had given our photo bird to the students after their TH-1H had engine problems. Flat Iron was so kind to give us a ride back to Cairns.
28. At sunset, the absolute highlight of my time at Florara made an unexpected visit. A UH-1H and UH-1N of the 6th SOS drop in for some chow and fuel - both Hueys were armed with live rounds.
29. The sight, sound and smell of these SpecOps Hueys was just unbelievable!
30. Unfortunately, the C-145A has replaced all the beautiful and downright exotic aircraft and helicopters at the 6th SOS, including both Huey models.
My Huey orientated trip did not finish here though. Thanks to the 23rd FTS and 58th SOW, I was allowed to visit the Bell Helicopter plant in Ozark to see the Huey II conversion work myself.
Thanks to the USAF, I was allowed to get a photo permit. I was told that photography is rarely allowed, not even by Bell employees. (All these images had to be checked by Bell HQ before I could publish them.)
Unfortunately, the planned photo flight with two of Bell's Huey II demonstrators could not go ahead as the FAA had not handed both aircraft their certificates at the time of my visit.
31. This ex-US Army UH-1H is in the first phase: strip down and inspection (PSA). Every panel in the remaining front fuselage section is checked for damage and fatigue. Some of the converted Hueys still carried patched up battle damage from Vietnam! All those damaged panels and struts are completely replaced in the second phase.
32. After the PSA phase, the structural modification phase begins. All faulty or expired panels are replaced and the airframe is strengthened to accommodate the more powerful engine and Bell 212 tail boom assembly.
33. When the front fuselage has been prepared, the actual Huey II kit is be fitted to this future USAF TH-1H Huey II.
34. This Bell Huey II technology demonstrator is former UH-1H 64-13686 which served with 1-212th AVN at Fort Rucker.
35. Although the TH-1H features the Bell 212 nose, the Huey II can also be fitted with the original Huey nose. This Huey (76-22653, N970SA) is former Venezuelan Army UH-1H EV-7706.
I hope you enjoyed this longer than expected post - it was an amazing project and many thanks to all the wonderful people at the 23rd FTS, 58th SOW, Bell Helicopter and the Florala airstrip.
