The radioman on the ship would tell them Cleared for a port quarter approach. The silence on the radio was the proverbial pregnant pause, and I could imagine the conversation inside the Huey cockpit. Over the course of the war, some 12,000 helicopters of various kinds saw service in Vietnam. dont care. On one particularly difficult night MedEvac in the mountains, all our windows fogged up as we dropped from 7,000 feet through a hole in the clouds to pick up a Soldier with a head wound. A paid subscription is required for full access. The average infantryman in Vietnam saw about 240 days of combat in one year thanks to the mobility of the helicopter. I think that some of us changed for the better, but some of us did not. The Scout Pilot. It is a fact that helicopter tail rotors are instinctively drawn toward trees, stumps, rocks, etc. The platform is the top of the elevator shaft for the building and was not "No event in American history is more misunderstood than the Vietnam War. It was an average age for most of the other Army helicopter pilots I flew with in the 237th Medical Detachment in northern I Corps near the DMZ. I have to take one thing back. It was a "civilian" (Air America) Huey not Army or Marines. Don S. the last (in-country) Masher33, 1971, It is not easy to read this stuff. You were way more mature for your age than 99% of the young men today. Those brief and simple heartfelt words meant more to me that night than anything else ever said to me during my entire tour. Drinking and how not to get caught. The most incredible, dangerous, high pucker factor, exhilarating thing a man can do with a helicopter is to pull an insecure hoist mission, day or night. American involvement in February 1973. of 21 year old Scotch purchased in 1971 by Brian Novak one of the original trina daughter instagram 97887 65581; music city drum corps staff saiservicecentre2020@gmail.com address changes for the directory and use the comments form to I told my roommate, This is it. Thank you for your service. About 12,000 U.S. military helicopters spent 7.5 million hours above Vietnam, flying 2 million missions. Are you interested in testing our business solutions? In September of 68 1LT Bruce Huffman had his crew disembark fron his ship and had it loaded with ammo, C-rations and batteries for the radio. Flight training was preceded by grueling infantry instruction at Fort Dix, New Jersey, and Fort Polk, Louisiana, where recruits, predominantly volunteers, learned through Basic Combat Training that they were primarily soldiers, with a secondary role as helicopter crew members. Myth: The war was fought largely by the poor and uneducated. I suppose we would have survived; we had water wings! webmaster@vhpa.org Another Huey pilot explained, We were expected to perform simulated missions like we were in Vietnam. A constant line of chatter was transmitted from the medic and the Crew Chief to the pilots, who were both on the flight controls in case either was violently incapable of continuing to fly the aircraft. designed as a helipad. Instead of landing and changing seats he tried to do it in mid air. Myth: Air America, the airline operated by the CIA in Southeast Asia, and its pilots were involved in drug trafficking. . Servicemen who went to Vietnam from well-to-do areas had a slightly elevated risk of dying because they were more likely to be pilots or infantry officers. American-owned airlines never knowingly transported opium in or out of Laos, nor did their American pilots ever profit from its transport. Dario Leone is an aviation, defense and military writer. By the end of the war half of them had been lost. May 18, 2021. The early (65-68) Weapons Team was made up of two pilots, crew chief and a door gunner. [1996 Information Please Almanac], There were almost twice as many casualties in Southeast Asia (primarily Cambodia) the first two years after the fall of Saigon in 1975 then there were during the ten years the U.S. was involved in Vietnam. [VHPA Databases] Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association Databases. Five minutes or more seemed like hours while we sat in the air over the ground troops, taxing every bit of professionalism we hadand the reader better believe we had the utmost professionalism. come right . . Damn Navy talk! The hospital ship would then radio to the helicopter again, Just come in from the left and land to the back of the boat. It always got an immediate Roger!. Crew Members Association http://vhcma.org/. tail number N4 7004, were Bob Caron who lives in Florida and Jack We fought to an agreed stalemate. When we, as students, first began training in Hueys at Ft. Rucker, Alabama, our Instructor Pilots (IPs) were required to fill out a Department of the Army (DA) form if our testicles were too big to fit comfortably in the standard front seat of a Huey. Myth: The American military was running for their lives during the fall of Saigon in April 1975. The Army employed it in various roles, including that of an armed escort or attack gunship in Vietnam. The second pilot you will meet is retired CWO2 Allan Potter. The pilots who were flying this helicopter, Age 60 to 64 --------$350.00 If everything is as clear as a bell, and everything is going exactly as planned, youre about to be surprised. Uh, thats a can opener for those of you who arent military. Would love to chat with Bruce Huffman. The Scout Team would search for the enemy and then have the Weapons Team come in and destroy the enemy. Generally, someone is badly wounded in jungle or mountainous (or both) terrain where a helicopter cannot land on the ground or even close to it. Sometimes, being good and lucky still is not enough. With a hot mike, everything that was said, every noise, every round fired, every grunt and groan was amplified and transmitted into everyones headset without touching any buttons. [McCaffrey] It was a well known (and very true) fact that during an emergency exit from an aircraft, if you dont have it strapped to your body, you wont take it with you. Although many of them had experience of fixed wing aircraft, very different challenges lay ahead when it came to learning the sophisticated, coordinated control techniques required for rotary wing flying. Obviously, I was wrong, but I did not know it then. Myth: The United States lost the war in Vietnam. The U.S. Embassy and its helipad were much larger. I logged 205 hours in Flight Training. Running is better than crawling. Life member rates based on age are as follows (also We thank God for these pilots and crews who fearlessly went into our hell on our behalf day in and day out, during the Vietnam War. . Register in seconds and access exclusive features. I think I can make it back! was his last message as the aircraft caught fire, rolled inverted and crashed in flames, killing all on board. Since I first heard the phrase that is the title of this article, it struck me that those words were exactly what we did as kids flying helicopters in Vietnam. Normally, one has to push a button to talk over the intercom in a military aircraft, but on a hoist mission, we turned it to hot mikes, because we all needed our hands for other things. reunion. He he he he . Get full access to all features within our Business Solutions. I then realized that ole PP back there was just sitting in the hell hole taking it all in, not doing a thing! To retrieve the data click on 2020 Active Civil Airmen Statistics. Add to that, it is also the most unforgiving mission flown in a helicopter. Please create an employee account to be able to mark statistics as favorites. average age of vietnam helicopter pilot. "Pogo" Hunter who died in 1995. The Wall), Center for Electronic Records, National Archives, Washington, DC, [All That We Can Be] All That We Can Be by Charles C. Moskos and John Sibley Butler, [Westmoreland] Speech by General William C. Westmoreland before the Third Annual Reunion of the Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association (VHPA) at the Washington, DC Hilton Hotel on July 5th, 1986 (reproduced in a Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association Historical Reference Directory Volume 2A). directory for dues current members. Over the ten years of the war, Operation Ranch Hand sprayed about eleven million gallons of Agent Orange on the South Vietnamese landscape. Myth: The fighting in Vietnam was not as intense as in World War II. Never have the consequences of their misunderstanding been so tragic." Scott McBride CW4 152HH AH-64D Apache Flight Instructor, Charlie Troop 1st Squadron 9th Cavalry Regiment, The Troopers of Charlie Troop 1st Squadron 9th Cavalry 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile). The last American troops departed in their entirety 29 March 1973. confidential. Most of the Commissioned Officers were older. There is only one rule in war: When you win, you get to make up the In the Vietnam War the helicopter became one of the most important elements in the daily operations of our war fighting successes. As they entered a one year combat tour, many pilots heard the ominous rumor that the average life expectancy of a US Army Aviator helicopter pilot in combat was only 19 minutes. Learn more about how Statista can support your business. [VHPA 1993], The helicopter provided unprecedented mobility. Three of the five newest democracies are former Soviet republics: Belarus (where elections were first held in November 1995), Armenia (July 1995) and Kyrgyzstan (February 1995). member. come forward just a little . The most common ethnicity of helicopter pilots is White (82.0%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (6.8%), Unknown (5.5%) and Asian (2.7%). . ", Federal Aviation Administration, Average age of active pilots in the United States from 2002 to 2020, by category* Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/919100/aviation-industry-average-age-of-active-pilots-in-the-united-states-by-category/ (last visited March 04, 2023), Average age of active pilots in the United States from 2002 to 2020, by category* [Graph], Federal Aviation Administration, May 18, 2021. 4.7 average based on 3 product ratings. Loud, sudden noises in a helicopter WILL get your undivided attention. 2/3 of the men who served in Vietnam were volunteers. By the end of the war half of them had been lost. He is the Founder and Editor of The Aviation Geek Club one of the worlds most read military aviation blogs. In 2009, the US Congress changed the mandatory age of retirement of airline pilots from 60 to 65 in a bid to solve the pilot shortage problem. . Updated: 7 February 2018 Another tradition started in 1988 is a "Cobra" That knocked the rotor blades off and the TH-55 went in., Successful candidates then progressed to the Contact Phase at Knox Army Heliport, Fort Rucker, for specific training on the UH-1B, C, and D, followed by the Tactics Phase at nearby Lowe Army Helioport, which prepared them for realistic combat conditions. Back home in the real world, my buddies were at the drive-in, drinking beer and looking for a carload of girls to flirt with, just as I had been doing a year or two before. Required fields are marked *. Scared that maybe, just maybe, youll fail your mission where someone else just like you would have succeeded. A few were even awarded. 66 founding members. Donations can be made here https://www.vhpa.org/donate.htm, The VHPA has a membership of over 16,600 (8,700 dues current) helicopter pilots from around the world out of the I cannot talk about how tough flight school was, nor can I state what the washout rate was because I did not go myself. Those Hueys were their horses and they rode into battle en masse, to deliver their troops and evacuate the wounded. Event date is used instead of declared dead date for some of those who were listed as missing in action). Knowing that my depth perception left little margin for error on the night approaches (especially), I had to totally concentrate on what I was doing and not relax for a second until we were down on that rockin and rollin ship. z.. Pucker Factor is the formal name of the equation that states the more hairy the situation is, the more of the seat cushion will be sucked up your ass. I enlisted in the (WOFT) Warrant Officer Flight Training. [Nixon], The Vietnam War has been the subject of thousands of newspaper and magazine articles, hundreds of books, and scores of movies and television documentaries. I knew that if Don got in trouble on the approach, I could not be of much help because of the gunshot wound in my left arm, but we were Young and Stupid and we made it. Maturity, self-confident, bravery, willing to take chances, courageous, and yes fun-loving are the attributes that make a great pilot. i.. Chicken Plates are not something you order in a restaurant. Any combination of these can be deadly. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/919100/aviation-industry-average-age-of-active-pilots-in-the-united-states-by-category/, Average age of active pilots in the United States from 2002 to 2020, by category*, Available to download in PNG, PDF, XLS format, Number of pilots active in the airline industry 2019-2029, Share of female pilots by major airline 2021, Global opinion on how long the aviation industry will take to recover 2021, U.S. student certificated pilots - number 1990-2020, Number of pilot licenses in China 2018-2020, by type, Employment by registered airlines in the United Kingdom (UK) 2015-2020, by position, Employment profile of pilots worldwide 2020-2021, Job seeking status of pilots worldwide 2020, U.S. active certificated pilots - average age 1993-2020, U.S. aviation industry - average age of active pilots by category 2002-2020, Methods used to increase the potential supply of female pilots 2020, Global civil aviation training market size 2017-2021, Dependence of pilots on flight deck automation worldwide 2019, Downward pressure of automation on the role of pilots worldwide 2019, Methods used to reduce flight operations costs 2020, Pilots' plans to change jobs globally 2021, Difficulty to ensure stable supply of qualified pilots over the next decade 2020, Air traffic - passenger volume forecast by region 2037, Forecast of new pilots in the global aviation industry by region 2021-2040, Demand for new pilots in the commercial aviation industry by region 2021-2040, Projected pilot shortage globally by region 2029, U.S. aviation industry - number of active pilot certificates by age and category 2020, U.S. aviation - industry number of active pilot certificates by age 2020, United Airlines - pilot expenditure 2012-2021, JetBlue Airways - pilot expenditure 2012-2021, Delta Air Lines - pilot expenditure 2012-2021, Number of pilots active in the airline industry: by region 2017, American Airlines - pilot expenditure 2012-2021, Pilot deficit in U.S. commercial aviation 2016-2026, Southwest Airlines - pilot expenditure 2012-2021, Airline pilots worldwide - average age 2016, Number of pilots in the airline industry: per aircraft type 2016, Number of drone pilot licenses in China 2014-2019, Number of new pilots in Finland 2017, by type, Number of helicopter pilot licenses in China 2014-2019, Global share of pilots whose mental health was affected by the pandemic 2020, National and international commercial air traffic in Morocco 2016-2019, Number of bird strikes caused by military aviation Australia 2006-2015, Find your information in our database containing over 20,000 reports. The ideal entry-level account for individual users. Business Solutions including all features. The Vietnam War was the turning point for Communism. I did well enough to make the school, along with about 25 of my classmates. to incorporate the statistic into your presentation at any time. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. For the latter, a specially equipped H-13 had optional blanked out external vision. . One point I want to make is the the Crew Chiefs and Door Gunners were the and are still the best as well. I had no idea of the satisfaction, pride, sense of accomplishment, and even elation that I would feel in the next six months. Topics cover the entire spectrum from Vietnam to . Directly accessible data for 170 industries from 50 countries and over 1 million facts: Get quick analyses with our professional research service. Thank you for your Service and Insight! q.. Having all your body parts intact and functioning at the end of the day beats the alternative. on 29 April 1975 from UPI's offices on the top floor of the Saigon Hotel which Read more about the planned U.S. Air Force helicopter Vietnam War history sections. years. [People], The evacuees were Vietnamese not American military. Later, the crew became a two-man pilot team. Many men volunteered for the draft so even some of the draftees were actually x.. Medals are OK, but having your body and all your friends in one piece at the end of the day is better. This form number DA- 4733-DSC (Dustoff-Sized Cajones), was used to determine which pilots would obtain MedEvac training at Ft. Sam Houston, Texas, upon completion of training at Mother Rucker. [McCaffrey], MEDEVAC helicopters flew nearly 500,000 missions. [CACF]. Age 75 to 79 --------$100.00 No matter what the make up of the team was they flew in helicopters that were made with the intention of dispensing a superior amount of fire power on the enemy. It is dedicated to the fulfillment of [2]:3, The helicopters transported over 1,000 Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) paratroopers for an assault on a suspected Viet Cong (VC) stronghold 10 miles (16km) west of Saigon. Section 501(c)(19) of the Internal Revenue Service. They also acted as the means of supply of ammunitions, equipment and food. Average age of 58,148 killed in Vietnam was 23.11 years. It is unfortunate that many helicopters never had the opportunity to fulfill their one true mission in life, simply because someone forgot this fact. The movie and a book the movie was based on contend that the CIA condoned a drug trade conducted by a Laotian client; both agree that Air America provided the essential transportation for the trade; and both view the pilots with sympathetic understanding. Statista. As one of those troopers on the ground, I can honestly say how proud I am to have served with Brave men. We lost a lot of Pilots but we also lost a lot of Crew Chiefs and Door Gunners. It happened many times, and their names are on The Wall in Washington, D.C. One particular mission I recall was a day hoist. When you crash, well try to recover your bodies. Currently, you are using a shared account. In all, a very scary time for our country. Copyright 1995 - 2018 Gary B. Roush, 242 ASHC Muleskinners, May 1968 - May Click here to view the US Army educational video, "A Day in the Life of a Helicopter Pilot," circa 1967. A little more than 12 days later, Operation Chopper commenced. As I look back on my own experiences, two things stand out in my mind that I consider young and stupid.. Myth: Kim Phuc, the little nine year old Vietnamese girl running naked from the napalm strike near Trang Bang on 8 June 1972, was burned by Americans bombing Trang Bang. The claimed flying aces of the Vietnam War, pilots who shot down five or more enemy aircraft, include 19 North Vietnamese pilots (six MiG-17 and 13 MiG-21 pilots), [1] : 228 and five Americans. Use Ask Statista Research Service. It does not have to be war related. We HAD no survival radios in those aircraft. [McCaffrey]. Soviet Union. After training, they entered transport or gunship platoons referred to simply as slicks or guns. Most would complete at least two combat tours. Myth: Most Vietnam veterans were drafted. . u.. Everybodys a hero on the ground in the club after the fourth drink. [McCaffrey], Vietnam veterans have a lower unemployment rate than our non-vet age group. We honor the memory of all those who lost their lives in that service. Further proof of these facts can be found at a recent Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association (VHPA) reunion. Nighttime was even worse. There walks a dead man. Is this the Steve DaCosta who was friend of my brother W.O. Laura Ungaro, I enjoyed reading this very much, many good memories were recalled. Have you ever heard the expression, He was flying the aircraft balls out? That was us. . Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Caicos Islands, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vatican . That sinister-sounding term was coined after the war) Orange was sprayed at three gallons per acre that was the equivalent of .009 of an ounce per square foot. This famous picture is the property of UPI Corbus-Bettman Photo Agency. Five Thousand pilots and crews lost their lives and 3,258 Hueys alone were lost during the war. Keeping with the VHPAs tradition that the History Sections theme becomes the theme for that years Membership Directory, the 2023 Membership Directory (D2023) will be a history of U.S. Air Force helicopters in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War (1961 thru 1975).Read more about the planned U.S. Air Force helicopter Vietnam War history sections. Mayday, Mayday, Mayday, Dustoff 7-1-1, were going down over the sea. ad.. We still got there in a hurry, but once there, we hovered over the trees like a target at the County Fair 25-cent target-shooting booth. I just tapped him gently on the shoulder and whispered, Hey, Buddy, Im as far back in the elevator as I can get now. I knew what he was really saying. By 1967, 600 pilots were being graduated per month. Vietnam Veterans are less likely to be in prison - only 1/2 of one percent of Vietnam Veterans have been jailed for crimes. If everyone does not come home, none of the rest of us can ever fully come home either. In June of 1967, Marine officers destined to become fixed-wing pilots began reporting to Air Force bases for flight training. War is brutal and not fair. U.S. active certificated pilots - number 1990-2020, Worldwide aircraft fleet age by region 2020-2030, Air traffic - passenger growth rates forecast 2019-2040. .j.. Always make sure someone has a P-38. Vietnam Veterans were the best educated forces our nation had ever sent into combat. Access to this and all other statistics on 80,000 topics from, Show sources information In other words, it took a man with a huge pair of Brass Balls but with the ability to know when to use them but with the brains to know when to hold them. Only a few privileged people, other than the crew members themselves, know an obscure fact that there were actually three seats in the cockpit of a Dustoff helicopter, rather than two seats, as mounted in all other Hueys. [2]:3, This operation heralded a new era of air mobility for the U.S. Army, which had been slowly growing as a concept since the Army formed twelve helicopter battalions in 1952 as a result of the Korean War. With the front of my Huey still kissing the tree leaves and my crew keeping me posted as to what was going on, I took a quick, curious look out my left window to see where the friendly fire was impacting. "Average Age of Active Pilots in The United States from 2002 to 2020, by Category*. Myth: The domino theory was proved false. [People]. Recent reports in the news media that an American commander ordered the air strike that burned Kim Phuc are incorrect. I can throw a rock in there, its so close! was the rest of my thought. . Magazines are included with VHPA membership and are available to non-members with a . Correspondence relating to commercial purposes or solicitations shall only be [Houk]. I would never dispute that, but I would argue that putting a helicopter on the tiny pad of the hospital ship is like landing on a corner of that postage stamp. bombers during World War II most often flew missions lasting many hours with If I had gone down over water, I would not have grabbed the wings either, because not only had I never tried to inflate them, I had never even tried to put them on. . More Scout Teams were lost because of this than any other helicopter team. [VHPA databases], Army AH-1G's totaled more than 1,166,344 flight hours in Vietnam. Age 59 and below --$450.00. . The average infantryman in the South Pacific during World War II saw about 40 days of combat in four years. n.. survival radio, whats that? . Operation Chopper occurred on 12 January 1962 and was the first time U.S. forces participated in major combat in the Vietnam War. average age of vietnam helicopter pilot The average infantryman in Vietnam saw about 240 days of combat in one year thanks to the mobility of the helicopter Warrant Officer Shelly Berryman flew Huey helicopters in Vietnam War But it also exposed American servicemen and women to a chemical that now has them dying on average 13 years earlier than their counterparts who did not serve in . The Pilots of Charlie Troop 1st Squadron 9th Cavalry Regiment 1st Cavalry Division (AM) were the best Pilots of the Vietnam War and today they are the best men America has to offer. Without the helicopter it would have taken three times as many troops to secure the 800 mile border with Cambodia and Laos (the politicians thought the Geneva Conventions of 1954 and the Geneva Accords or 1962 would secure the border) [Westmoreland], Approximately 12,000 helicopters saw action in Vietnam (all services). Many times these brave men had to deliver or retrieve the troopers into or out of areas where enemy fire was heavy. Later, the crew became a two-man pilot team. There is a reason why these medevac pilots were called our angels in the sky. We who fought the enemy face to face on the ground, whether infantry or recon, knew that if we were wounded, these guys would do anything necessary, face any danger the enemy could present, to get us out of hell and back to the care we needed. As mentioned earlier, there was little protection from weapon fire for the pilots, and with body parts exposed on a third seat, we were especially vulnerable. There were many of the Warrant Officers that were in their 18,19, and 20s. In addition to an annual reunion held around July 4th, members keep in touch informally You need at least a Starter Account to use this feature. Chart. (the herbicide was called "orange" in Vietnam, not Agent Orange. VHPA Aviator magazine We grabbed some unsuspecting Schmuck and told him to get his weapon and some ammo and run with us to the aircraft. $99) To contact the magazine editor aviator@vhpa.org. Also, it has been incorrectly reported that two of Kim Phuc's brothers were killed in this incident. In retrospect, I think that is what happened to one of the pilots in our unit a few months after I left. All of these, however, are better than extraction by Medavac, even if it is technically, a form of flying. Ancient U.S. Army proverb. That was us giving you covering fire! he replied. aj.. History of the founding of the VHPA written by There is no such thing as a fair fight-only ones where you win or lose. theyre on the penetrator . How could we lose a war we had already stopped fighting? While in themselves those landings were not stupid, the way we got there was! average age of vietnam helicopter pilot. Event date is used instead of declared dead date for some of those who were listed as missing in action) [CACF] The VC were surprised and soundly defeated.