average age of vietnam helicopter pilot average age of vietnam helicopter pilot

The average age for helicopter pilots in Vietnam was in the area of 22 years as I recall. Please create an employee account to be able to mark statistics as favorites. Loud, sudden noises in a helicopter WILL get your undivided attention. A Scout team consisted of a pilot, a Door Gunner and an observer. In the Vietnam War the helicopter became one of the most important elements in the daily operations of our war fighting successes. Please support The Veterans Site by adding us to your ad blockers whitelist ads help us to provide food and supplies to veterans. The longer you stare at the gauges the less time it takes them to move from green to red. The cables going out . Fast Contour flying as close to the ground as possible to avoid ground fire was also mastered. Candidates later tackled the difficult arts of landing in small areas, night, and instrument flying crucial skills for their operational work in Southeast Asia. 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. Tactics such as pinnacle landing on top of steep hills, slopes, and karst outcrops amid destabilizing downdraughts to deliver heavy supplies to US Army firebases and outposts while under enemy fire were also tackled. Dustoff pilots with their unique seating arrangement is where that statement originated. We sacrificed our youth and innocence; we achieved above and beyond the call of duty on a daily basis. Epilogue: Most people who see photos of Dustoff Hueys in Vietnam observe only the outside of the aircraft. Over 900,000 patients were airlifted (nearly half were American). confidential. 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. confidential. Search: Average Age Of Vietnam Helicopter Pilot. No Pilot that I know of ever went into a combat situation without both. c.. NEVER get into a fight without more ammunition than the other guy. The ideal entry-level account for individual users. When sprayed on dense jungle foliage, less that 6 percent ever reached the ground. The additional weight of patients on the end of the hoist as they were lifted off the ground further complicated the stability of the aircraft. Nighttime was even worse. I used to laugh at the occasional Huey slick driver who flew out to let guys from his unit use the shopping facilities on the ships. 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. So, were we really Young and Stupid? The Army employed it in various roles, including that of an armed escort or attack gunship in Vietnam. And what was even stupider, I suppose, was the fact that if the doors were closed when we reached the water, we opened them so we could get out easier if we did go down. Are you interested in testing our business solutions? Your email address will not be published. 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!. 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%). The BSR (Bang Stare Red) Theory states that the louder the sudden bang in the helicopter, the quicker your eyes will be drawn to the gauges. As he entered the crowded car, he said, Ballroom, please.. The Air Cav was just what the name implies. It was the Pilots mission to fly as low and as slow as he could allowing the observer and the Door Gunner to watch for signs of the enemy or to allow the enemy to fire at them. The American military did not lose a battle of any consequence. Never have the consequences of their misunderstanding been so tragic." * Includes pilots with an airplane and/or a helicopter and/or a glider and/or a gyroplane certificate. historical reference directories, CD-ROMs and DVDs. website may contain information that VHPA considers proprietary and At least, I believe that is how I would have felt had it been me. [Nixon] Atrocities - every war has atrocities. Without that commitment, Communism would have swept all the way to the Malacca Straits that is south of Singapore and of great strategic importance to the free world. Whatd he say? Hell, I dont know. 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 The Vietnam War was shortly after China got involved in the Korean war, the time of the Cuban missile crisis, Soviet aggression in Eastern Europe and the proliferation of nuclear bombs. volunteers. From 1965, around 99 percent of each completed class of students were sent to Vietnam. Joe Treen, People.com, 21 April 2000. As one of those troopers on the ground, I can honestly say how proud I am to have served with Brave men. You can only download this statistic as a Premium user. come forward just a little . No American had involvement in this incident near Trang Bang that burned Phan Thi Kim Phuc. You will come away from this video with a real sense of the quality of heroism that every one of our Vietnam War helicopter pilots displayed on a daily basis. On the ground, the troops would look up at Hueys flying over. Over the course of the war, some 12,000 helicopters of various kinds saw service in Vietnam. Get the details for all upcoming vietnam helicopter unit reunions. Also passed from President to President is a plaque with past Presidents' names on it. [McCaffrey], MEDEVAC helicopters flew nearly 500,000 missions. It called for release of all U.S. prisoners, withdrawal of U.S. forces, limitation of both sides' forces inside South Vietnam and a commitment to peaceful reunification. These new battalions eventually formed a sort of modern-day cavalry for the Army. story building where the CIA station chief and many of his officers lived, located at 22 Ly Tu Trong St. 2/3 of the men who served in World War II were drafted. Information contained herein shall not be used for commercial document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Otherwise, if we got tangled up, it could cause the aircraft to crash. But this time he definitely took hits in a .50-caliber crossfire, and as he peeled off from the mountain, fuel was streaming from the aircraft. Deaths Average Age Enlisted: 50,274, 22.37 years Officers: 6,598, 28.43 years how to unhide mouse cursor windows 10; who is now retired in Arizona. During his two tours in Vietnam, Col. Moore flew 2,752 combat medevac mission and transported 2,952 wounded men back to the medical help they needed. He has reported from Europe and flown Super Puma and Cougar helicopters with the Swiss Air Force. If we had been shot down on virtually any hoist mission, our high hover would not have allowed us to make a safe landing, and many would surely have died. It is a bad thing to run out of airspeed, altitude, and ideas all at the same time. The best of the best: the portal for top lists & rankings: Strategy and business building for the data-driven economy: Industry-specific and extensively researched technical data (partially from exclusive partnerships). (Three years for bombers and were always exposed to hostile fire even in their base camps. If so glad to know youre well. bombers during World War II most often flew missions lasting many hours with Use Ask Statista Research Service. herriman high school soccer roster. The early (65-68) Weapons Team was made up of two pilots, crew chief and a door gunner. Myth: Most American soldiers were addicted to drugs, guilt-ridden about their role in the war, and deliberately used cruel and inhumane tactics. There walks a dead man. A MiG-21 of the VPAF which became the primary fighter-interceptor against USAF and USN aircraft. "In all the years we've been working on this we have found that's not the case." m.. No matter what you do, the bullet with your name on it will get you. The third seat was for our testicles. . Learn how your comment data is processed. Can I pick up Armed Forces Radio on it? (CACF and Westmoreland), Sociologists Charles C. Moskos and John Sibley Butler, in their recently published book "All That We Can Be," said they analyzed the claim that blacks were used like cannon fodder during Vietnam "and can report definitely that this charge is untrue. Caicos Islands, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vatican . [People]. I already knew the difference between port and starboard, and it wasnt that hard to figure out beam and quartering approaches. [McCaffrey], 87% of the American people hold Vietnam Vets in high esteem. But come look for us, will ya? Operation Chopper occurred on 12 January 1962 and was the first time U.S. forces participated in major combat in the Vietnam War. 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. Translation: There are bad guys all around, weve got wounded, get in here NOW before they die or we have more wounded, and you have to come back again. The emotions are almost indescribable, but there was one more feeling: relief from being so scared! To all of the brave Pilots and their crews, I can say but three things. I remember my very first primary flight instructor pointing at him as I listened intently to his every word. [2]:4, On 15 April 1962 the United States Marine Corps began Operation Shufly, the rotating deployment of Marine helicopter squadrons, associated maintenance units and air traffic control detachments to South Vietnam to improve the mobility of ARVN forces. [Home] [ReunionInformation] [Donations] [OurLegacy] [MembershipServices] [RelatedWebSites] Member Login. . The average age of an employed helicopter pilot is 45 years old. It took all of our skill and luck to avoid flying into the valley walls as we stuck our heads out the windows to find our way to the LZ without balling up the helicopter. Rarely have so many people been so wrong about so much. Fournisseur de Tallents. . Scientific research has shown that dioxin degrades in sunlight after 48 to 72 hours; therefore, troops exposure to dioxin was infinitesimal. reunion. 58,169 were killed and 304,000 wounded out of 2.59 million who served. 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. Read more about the planned U.S. Air Force helicopter Vietnam War history sections. Ground troops typically did not enter a sprayed area until four to six weeks after being sprayed. If you lose you Vietnam seldom flew above 1,500 feet which is traffic pattern altitude for ac.. Running out of pedal, fore or aft cyclic, or collective are all bad ideas. The terms Protective Armor and Helicopter are mutually exclusive. They were utterly selfless and courageous warriors on our behalf. They were immensely important to the troops on the ground as aerial fire power. . A dead man, meaning, he should never have made it back because Dustoff aircraft were unarmed MedEvac helicopters with red and white targets (crosses) painted all over them and flew single-ship missions. When called upon, a Pilot did not wait for approval from his crew, becuse he knew his crew would never say No. Army Flight School was about 9 months long, this was the shortest calendar time. submit other directory changes and updates. The Pilots of 1st of the 9th Cav were and yes still are the best. This included Basic Combat Training and Flight Training. American involvement in February 1973. s.. (One has to realize that there was virtually no protection for the pilots from the front and little from the sides or underneath.) Okay, so the Hueys were extremely reliable, and I still love those incredible machines, but for the moment let us discuss navigation equipment on a Huey. Harnage, [Westmoreland], 97% were discharged under honorable conditions; the same percentage of honorable discharges as ten years prior to Vietnam [Westmoreland], 85% of Vietnam Veterans made a successful transition to civilian life. [Houk] Testimony by Dr. Houk, Oversight on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, 14 July 1988 page 17, Hearing before the Committee on Veterans' Affairs United States Senate one hundredth Congress second session. The Vietnam Helicopters Memorial Tree was dedicated in 2015 and honors the helicopter pilots and crew members who died while serving in Southeast Asia from 1961 to 1975. Ancient U.S. Army proverb. [VHPA databases], Army UH-1's totaled more than 10,693,902 flight hours in Vietnam between October 1966 and the end of 5 Stars . From 1965, around 99 percent of each completed class of students were sent to Vietnam. A hoist mission was just the opposite. v.. A free fire zone has nothing to do with economics. by | Jun 5, 2022 | curtain suppliers in dubai | riverside cafe medicine park, ok menu | Jun 5, 2022 | curtain suppliers in dubai | riverside cafe medicine park, ok menu e.. Cover your Buddy, so he can be around to cover for you. There is only one rule in war: When you win, you get to make up the sent to webmaster@vhpa.org whereupon Add to that, it is also the most unforgiving mission flown in a helicopter. . Laura Ungaro, I enjoyed reading this very much, many good memories were recalled. [1] "Vietnam helicopter pilots describe the war from the cockpit," YouTube video, posted by "Military Times," April 18th, 2018. designed as a helipad. ag.. an.. A grunt is the true reason for the existence of the helicopter. Without his heroic actions that day we, the Grunts, would have been in severe situation as we were running out of food, ammo and our radio batteries were almost dead. of fuel, ammunition and other supplies because of a lack of support from We took no hits on that mission, and as we lifted out of the landing zone, the fact that we cheated death again left me with all the exciting feelings I mentioned at the beginning of this article. American-owned airlines never knowingly transported opium in or out of Laos, nor did their American pilots ever profit from its transport. A third tradition is a bottle Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for NEW 2008 HASBRO GI Joe Helicopter Pilot Wild Bill 25th Anniversary FREE SHIPPING at the best online prices at eBay! In fact, we all did well. His writing has appeared in The National Interest and other news media. of what you can do online at https://www.vhpa.org/memhelp.htm#ODA, To preserve the legacy of all Vietnam Helicopter Pilots, an endowment Federal Aviation Administration. Or, to hear veteran helicopter pilots describe their personal experiences in the line of duty, click here. As the Aircraft Commander in control of the helicopter, my eyes never left the tree branches that were touching the nose of my aircraft. Many of these brave men went from High School to Flight School. 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. San Antonio, Texas 78208-0091, Copyright 2023 DUSTOFF Association | Powered by Barefoot Pixel, USAAAD conducts life-saving rescue of two civilians near Mount Adams. We were unarmed, and experience had taught us that, usually, we were better off to quickly fly to the landing zone, get in and get out as fast as possible while avoiding the bad guys, and fly straight back to the hospital. After training, they entered transport or gunship platoons referred to simply as slicks or guns. Most would complete at least two combat tours. The peace settlement was signed in Paris on 27 January 1973. Traditions: The VHPA has developed some traditions over the While there are still officially more than 2,200 cases, there now are only 55 incidents of American servicemen who were last seen alive but aren't accounted for. Communications with the Executive Council (So I guess that makes three Young and Stupids. contained this quote about Vietnam, there has been "the most extensive accounting in the history of human warfare" of those missing in action. Get full access to all features within our Business Solutions. Trainees (known as candidates) then commenced the nine month long US Army Primary Helicopter School course at Fort Wolters, Texas, where they endured some extremely robust Preflight training as potential warrant officers. come right . I will always thank Warrant Officer Study for his late-night, picture-perfect landing on the round end of the boat. These men never refused to fly into harms way. Hello. He was an Air Cav pilot, delivering and evacuating troops into and out of battlefields. I then realized that ole PP back there was just sitting in the hell hole taking it all in, not doing a thing! As a result, less than one percent of all Americans wounded who survived the first 24 hours died. The United States sought to minimize and prevent attacks on civilians while North Vietnam made attacks on civilians a centerpiece of its strategy. . When the Army decided to use helicopters as the Eyes, Protection and Horses of the 1st Cavalry Division, men both young and older were chosen to become pilots. . Those trainers were so small you could lean in them to make the thing turn. advertising and other information. The American military was not defeated in Vietnam. Chart. The Vietnamese pilot who dropped the napalm in error is currently living in the United States. I graduated from Flight Training 2 day short of a year. [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. About 12,000 U.S. military helicopters spent 7.5 million hours above Vietnam, flying 2 million missions. It required every skill we had. Age 65 to 69 --------$250.00 In the last decade, 69 nations have held multi-party elections for the first time in their histories. Directly accessible data for 170 industries from 50 countries and over 1 million facts: Get quick analyses with our professional research service. In all, a very scary time for our country. We HAD no survival radios in those aircraft. Two high ranking The last American troops departed in their entirety 29 March 1973. How could we lose a war we had already stopped fighting? [1996 Information Please Almanac], The 140,000 evacuees in April 1975 during the fall of Saigon consisted almost entirely of civilians and Vietnamese military, NOT American military running for their lives. But as the Army would have it, during Friday night formation of the middle weekend of gun school, 24 of us, including 12 in the gun school, received orders to attend MedEvac school at Ft. Sam Houston, Texas, immediately after graduation. To use individual functions (e.g., mark statistics as favourites, set That was us giving you covering fire! he replied. God bless you all! Book review. Black fatalities amounted to 12 percent of all Americans killed in Southeast Asia - a figure proportional to the number of blacks in the U.S. population at the time and slightly lower than the proportion of blacks in the Army at the close of the war." I guess that woke him up, as the next thing I heard was his rifle plugging away at a mound of dirt just outside his door and about 30 feet down. Please do not hesitate to contact me. If we waited for gunship support, it may be too late for the wounded, so most times we tried to sneak in and sneak out (if thats possible in a clattering helicopter) and complete the rescue before the enemy had TOO much time to shoot us up . In fact, after the 5-year post-service period, the rate of suicides is less in the Vietnam veterans' group." We know that it was a .50-cal that got him and not an AK47 bullet because an AK round is not big enough to shoot off the balls of a Dustoff pilot. Both immigrated g.. aircraft in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam era and inform them of the existence of the I made a pedal turn (U-turn) about 200 feet in the air, probably over some bad guys, and hovered back in over the trees. When I found out that I was assigned to be a MedEvac pilot, I was devastated. Correspondence relating to commercial purposes or solicitations shall only be The great majority of these efforts have erroneously portrayed many myths about the Vietnam War as being facts. This statistic is not included in your account. The others on board simply assumed he was also headed for dinner, but I knew the true meaning of his statement. address changes for the directory and use the comments form to In my mind, the only way I would. q.. Having all your body parts intact and functioning at the end of the day beats the alternative. . Over the course of the war, some 12,000 helicopters of various kinds saw service in Vietnam. We always at least tried to complete the mission and felt that we let someone down if we didnt. . Our single-engine UH-1H Hueys did not float in the water very well. solicitation purposes, or any correspondence related thereto. Innocent people get killed. . Membership is open to all helicopter pilots who flew in 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. hostile fire exposure versus battle area exposure. ak.. Another Huey pilot explained, We were expected to perform simulated missions like we were in Vietnam. One out of every 10 Americans who served in Vietnam was a casualty. In addition to an annual reunion held around July 4th, members keep in touch informally The fall of Saigon happened 30 April 1975, two years AFTER the American military left Vietnam. One guy was 19, while the oldest (not counting our Commanding Officer) was the 28-year-old XO, Army slang for the second in command, Executive Officer. Further proof of these facts can be found at a recent Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association (VHPA) reunion. 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. . Click here to view the US Army educational video, "A Day in the Life of a Helicopter Pilot," circa 1967. aa..Thus the term SHIT! can also be used to denote a situation where high Pucker Factor is being encountered. Mortality studies show that 9,000 is a better estimate. [3], Battlefield Viet Nam Episode 5 "The Undeclared War", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Operation_Chopper_(Vietnam)&oldid=1133354489, This page was last edited on 13 January 2023, at 10:36. Based on the data, more than 30% of the current for-hire pilots fall within the age range of 50 to 64. How to get a day off of work or which college offers the best ability to party. As well as prepping an LZ ahead of the slicks, gunship pilots could also warn crews flying troop carriers of threat areas, and advise them of enemy guns to avoid as they lifted out of the LZ. These three represent all of out Vietnam War helicopter pilots. It does not have to be war related. The early (65-68) Weapons Team was made up of two pilots, crew chief and a door gunner. 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. The total of non-pilot crewmembers killed was 2,704, according to records of the Vietnam Helicopter Pilots' Association. The average age (according to 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) was 26 The average man who fought in World War II was 26 years of age. . Always make sure someone has a P-38. You only have access to basic statistics. Any combination of these can be deadly. 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. no, seven! . Experienced pilots with proven records of successful, aggressive combat could be invited to join a platoon in a fire team of one or two gunships operating with a scout helicopter and escorting slick assaults. [Parade Magazine]. It was NOT the U.S. Embassy. From 1965, around 99 percent of each completed class of students were sent to Vietnam. Vietnamese where among those taken that day to Tan Son Nhut airport, General on VHFCN (http://www.vhfcn.org) , Heli-Vets and FaceBook also another FaceBook site. [McCaffrey], The oldest man killed was 62 years old (TAYLOR, KENNA CLYDE). . Failure to heed this commandment can affect the morale of the crew. I wont make it back.. The average infantryman in Vietnam saw about 240 days of combat in one year thanks to the mobility of the helicopter. [The Wall Street Journal]. 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. Running is better than crawling. to Europe and both have since died. Thank you for your service. If you win the battle you are entitled to the spoils. Event date is used instead of declared dead date for some of those who were listed as missing in action) [CACF] He was a Dustoff pilot. History of the founding of the VHPA written by 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. survive the 365 days in Southeast Asia was to be a gunship pilot, blazing my way back to the states, defending myself with mini-guns, rockets, and grenade launchers. In, Federal Aviation Administration. "No event in American history is more misunderstood than the Vietnam War. Accessed March 04, 2023. https://www.statista.com/statistics/919100/aviation-industry-average-age-of-active-pilots-in-the-united-states-by-category/, Federal Aviation Administration. 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. Search: Average Age Of Vietnam Helicopter Pilot. [People.com] Vietnam 25 Years Later, by fund has been established at the Vietnam Center and Archives at Texas Tech Have you ever heard the expression, He was flying the aircraft balls out? That was us. I can tell you what in my opinion made the best pilots. The VHPA publishes six November 14th, 2013 at 5:45 pm Dave Shannon (crewmember, 92nd AHC) Says: I always liked the subdued look of combat zone attire, as opposed to anything shiny or glittery. Shoot, I had NO idea! Life member rates based on age are as follows (also Age 70 to 74 --------$150.00 Online membership Maturity, self-confident, bravery, willing to take chances, courageous, and yes fun-loving are the attributes that make a great pilot. [CACF]. (the herbicide was called "orange" in Vietnam, not Agent Orange. Oh, were we Young and Stupid on hoist missions, too; the second Y & S thing we did! ah.. Nobody cares what you did yesterday or what you are going to do tomorrow. The gunships that were escorting him told Al to put it on the ground right away because of the serious leak. There is an explanation Its just what they do. Read the latest issue of the Friends of the Vietnam Center Newsletter and subscribe to recieve future newsletters. What is important is what you are doing-NOW-to solve our problem. By Phil Marshall, DMZ Dustoff 711, 237th Medical Detachment (Helicopter Ambulance) Camp Evans and Quang Tri, Vietnam 1969, published in Association of Naval Aviation, Cape Fear Seahawk Newsletter, July 2012, Vol.