Flying 'The Ferrari of Helicopters' at the MD Helicopters Facility

[@Leo-fk9ch]

I spent the last half of a 35 year career in the Army flying UH60s, AH64Ds and the AH6, the latter with the 160th Night Stalkers. Never flew the civilian version since my retirement but it’s still on my bucket list. Of all my flying experience, the AH6 remains my favorite. Labeling it the Ferrari of the helicopters is accurate. Fast, nimble and a low profile. Zipping along flying nap of the earth was exhilarating, to say the least. Fond memories.

[@michelebarile6218]

Lucky man! 😊

[@stachowi]

i wish you had a youtube channel

[@astircalix4126]

Argentine Air Force Pilot here. Super nice vídeo guys ! I have flown the Hughes 369 HM and Hughes 500 C and D. Love the handling of these birds. Thanks for Sharing this video.

[@i.r.wayright1457]

I maintained these in Vietnam. What memorable rides I had in them from time to time. I have photos of crashed ones. Most occupants survived due to the design of the bulkhead just behind the front seats.

[@gilesburrett3844]

You give flight to those who see and believe you both look like season veterans of flight and your smiles are genuine joy 😊 thank you 😊

[@SoloPilot6]

I've always loved the 500 (though I'm a dinosaur, we called it the Hughes 500).

[@charlesv3962]

I always loved the MD500 ever since I worked at a local airport as a teenager and never been in one before or flown in a helicopter but they just looked so amazing to fly.

[@KarmaFlight]

I think you did a great job! I used to fly 58's out of Papago Army Airfield right down the road from there. The MD 500 has eluded me and would be a bucket list experience.

[@mickmcloughlin1646]

The police department I worked for went from Bell G 47s to MD 500 Ds. Talk about a transition. I loved flying in both, but getting into the MDs was amazing. One of the guys I used to fly with is a test pilot there at the factory in Arizona. Oh how i I miss this.

[@barrythomas379]

I live in Mesa and have seen the building but never the inside, very cool!

[@TucsonDude]

I used to work in engineering for the Boeing Apache's just down the street. Pretty neat place to tour.

[@ClearedAsFiled]

Magnum PI......awesome ship

[@rangefreewords]

Wow, that view from the GoPro behind you in the MD500 captured it all! What an experience!

[@pekka75]

I took my CPL-H on a 369/500C (1968 mod) in 2005, it absolutely is a Ferrari in the air! Fantastic helicopter ❤

[@chief8388]

The most beautiful, sporty and purpose built heli there is. I love it!

[@storytimedavidcollins2897]

I used to tell people that I would never work more than 20 minutes away from work, that I would never live in the high desert of Southern California and that I would never ride a Kawasaki. So I got a job 60 minutes away, moved to the high desert and Kawasaki gave me a brand new KX250 if I raced it in at least three sanctioned races, so of course I raced it. Now I have to start saving or texting that I’m never going to win the Lottery for the big money to be able to fly a fleet of the best helicopters 🚁 ever made MD 530 F’s to fly and start my own KZbin channel so that I can do more stuff that I say that I’m never going to do.

[@eglide73]

You SURVIVED five hours in a Robinson!! NEVER get in one again!

[@josebey7808]

Super MD 500 . WHAT A BEAUTIFUL BIRD . ❤

[@travispower2683]

I hope they make it. I grew up flying at FFZ and watched hundreds of them get tested. Parts availability has been the biggest complaint of several LEO operators I have spoken with over the years. They are amazing aircraft.

[@RCCopterLove]

It was so nice to see the joy of the pilot Murray flying this "Ferrari of helicopters" after such a long break!! Great how fast he built up confidence and feel for this machine! It's my favorite helicopter for sure together with the BO 105! I am flying only RC helis but I am absolutely crazy for helicopters in general.

[@flywithaopa]

Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for watching!

[@mattstiles-ok8yz]

The king of corporate helicopter(s) is without question is the sikorsky S-76. 🇺🇲👍

[@westerlywinds5684]

I would give the honour to the Augusta A109 in VIP livery.

[@edwinthomas618]

Great video. I dont have $2.8 million so I settled for a RC helicopter Vario Md500 and A 520N...both less than 5K. 😂. No comparison but somehow my dream came true.

[@karlr6810]

Awesome machine - a pilot's helicopter! Got some time in the original D model - just a lot of fun to fly!

[@crazyralph6386]

The slimline I-panel is a game changer. Always thought the E and F’s were way too bulky, especially after flying D models for years. That’s extra visibility makes a huge difference.

[@jackiegriffith9929]

I flew in the ah6 while in the police department I did some interesting fly time with one pilot who flew them in Vietnam and boy could he make it move and vibrate with some very tight turns I learned alot from him as my dad was in Vietnam with the USCG. I went through 3 different makes of helicopters .good times I miss.

[@bernardanderson3758]

This is one fantastic Helio I want to fly

[@anthonyf.9170]

I’m partial to Sikorsky, however, this is a nice little aircraft. I like the 5 blade main rotor, seems like it would make a helicopter smoother.

[@crazyralph6386]

If it’s tracked properly, they’re very smooth. When not, your cyclic arm goes numb after the first 10 minutes of flight.

[@darioinfini]

It was interesting to see your shadow wiggling as you set her down. I've only flown a Robinson once and it was exhilarating. Can't imagine what this must feel like. What a gorgeous machine. I'm about $2.8 million short on picking one up though.

[@timothypkelton4106]

Love the OH-6 style birds.. I learn to fly in these type birds back in the 90's!!!!!

[@Zeaiclies]

If i got one, I think I would want it in NOTAR.

[@Nimitz0609]

MD - 500/530 is tiny but fully performance😊😊😊

[@ryanstewart1521]

I love the part where he’s says oh there’s that left rudder, such a touchy little bird.

[@tylerbuckley4661]

Love the 500 series helicopters beautiful to look at and fun to ride in

[@Blinkman24]

I learned sheetmetal working there after the army as a crewcheif

[@gulfair-cavalry-tango1011]

It's gorgeous! I wish I had $3,000,000 and a big fuel and maintenance budget!

[@stefanosemisa9288]

Dreams machine. My favorite !

[@dynamicexcavating6611]

The first thing im buying if a hit the lotto is a 530f and a deposit on training to get cert’ed in the ship.

[@crazyralph6386]

Make sure to get a Fargo or Robertson auxiliary tank, cause she’s a thirsty girl!

[@htcarieh]

Beautiful aircfaft

[@Brad2117]

Badass chopper. Fun being in the backseat knowing the MGB is on your shoulder

[@topofthegreen]

It's good they are still in production, it's done of the greatest helicopters ever!

[@jackiegriffith9929]

Made a mistake it was the md500e we had 2 oh6 from the army sitting in the hanger but we're not put into sevice.

[@Jimsranch]

Why did I see two of these flying in formation ("") in Wichita about 10 days ago??

[@Saltlick11]

Iconic bird, beautiful.

[@gregwindell7702]

BE strong enough to be honest and kind

[@banzaiib]

easily the coolest helicopter ever.

[@kasunldon7607]

My dream helicopter, I can't wait to buy one of these in the next 10 years

[@douglasang3527]

Base Price at USD2.8 Million is overpriced ! 😅 Anyway , this is a good Helicopter 👍

[@DavidDavid-jb1cy]

He did say Ferrari ha

[@user-of8re8ql8n]

This is one fantastic Helio I want to fly. Great video, cool helicopter!.

[@ARGAR_GAMES]

A bit weird that the factory owners haven't given their staff uniforms.

[@curtott3396]

Great video, cool helicopter!

[@Noone-rt6pw]

I wanted to pursue choppers. I know it'd been fun. I operated a trimmer in a saw mill. That's watching 5 video monitors, chains to the right, an unscramble to the right, chains in front of me, lug chains to the left fed by chains in front, right hand operating a switch to break boards from riding atop each other, left hand operating a switch feeding boards 60 boards a minute, right foot operating supply chain on unscrambler, left foot operating a device to lift board if there were two within lugs. Flying a helicopter would have been a breeze and fun. Then I already flew a Toyota pickup truck. Then I'd got paid for it.

[@sachmo0196]

I simply want one! I also want a new P-51. If it was up to most peep's in Mil aviation w/certain knowledge...we would have thousands made for cheap/cheap (2-4 MIL) PER COPY!. Guerilla squadrons. High-tech, low cost...We would F up everything!

[@kristensorensen2219]

#15👍👏👏🎉Watching this makes me sorry I never flew any rotary wing; especially turbine. ERAU 80 CFIA&I ret.

[@tylerbuckley4661]

Do they still build the apache helicooter there i have not been there since 1994 i have taken tour of md in 1988 with my metals class in highschool so it has been a while since i have been to falcon field

[@chippyjohn1]

I noticed the 520N is no longer on their website.

[@skyboys9814]

Nice ride. A helicopter i always dream of as a kid.

[@tonyb8066]

If you are going to read from a script, read the script outloud several times befor you do the actual take. It will sound more natural that way.

[@javisponsor2537]

This helicopter was the ancient and legendary Hughes 500?

[@markusanderson1517]

Nice ship!!

[@javisponsor2537]

What a nice helicopter

[@PilotGigi]

My favorite helicopter

[@rmshivo]

wondering how "trim" (5:15) works in a helo

[@POOK-E]

Who makes that Green aviation shirt Dennis is wearing? Anyone know???

[@sjk9429]

What’s Price of brand new Md530F?

[@berylrosenberg704]

What caused such a successful helicopter company to need to declare Chapter 11 bankruptcy? Did they lose a major contract? It's really a shame.

[@rioaxjenjsndbejs3613]

Smaller Aircraft companies tend to become bankrupt somewhere in their history seems to be a part of the aircraft manufacturing business.

[@tylerbuckley4661]

Robinson helicopters being more cheaper to build and purchase at the time as with rototway exec helicopters too being cheap to build and maintain and easier to fly is just a few reasons that MD has to file chapter 11 just like Hughes helicopters was sold to MD back in the late eighties

[@hijoputa5504]

Democrats pushing Covid caused the Company to go belly up , Thank God they came back 🙏

[@TransferAir]

@@tylerbuckley4661 Robinson 🟰 Easier to fly🤔⁉️ I don’t think so. Just for example: A 5-Bladed Rotorhead definitely gives more stability, that’s for sure! & the R-22 & R-44 have sadly a huge worldwide crash rate. I’m not a 🚁-specialist but I think that all the MD 500 series & also the NOTAR-technique - Chopper’s are simply to expensive but not without a reason. They have very high quality standards. With kindest regards, MD-🚁's 🟰 🔝👍🏼‼️. / ✌🏼

[@ihtishamulhaq951]

Too much of quality 🌻

[@ArizonaCowboys]

I prefer the description of this Helicopter as " Killer Egg "

[@ClippedAccounts]

The Chief Pilot looks a bit like Gene Hackman.. LOL

[@luisfernandes4145]

$2,8M!!! Is that mosquito made of gold? 😅

[@baomao7243]

The body is, in fact, gold but not many realize that the fuel is inkjet ink. Suddenly the price seems more reasonable…

[@r.k.williams2887]

That was a great video! I have a question regarding PIC seating, When you look at old Bell Helicopter videos from 50’s the PIC sat in the left seat, just as in fixed wing. Why does PIC sit in the right seat on persent aircraft ? No one has been able to answer that for me.

[@r.k.williams2887]

Woops I had that backwards< old videos = left seat, present right seat seat , present

[@TheKevinhaeb]

Much easier to operate everything on the panel with your left(collective) hand while sitting in the right seat. Also sometimes weight and balance will dictate a solo only seat to offset the primary fuel tank.

[@SoloPilot6]

@@TheKevinhaeb And this is why the helo pattern is often right traffic, rather than left (most common for fixed wing).

[@sanfranciscobay]

I've heard it was to protect your inboard collective hand from gun fire.

[@nocalsteve]

Most helicopters are right-seat PIC because your left hand is more available to do other tasks in the cockpit. The civilian Hughes 269/369 helicopters, the 300s and 500s, were primarily left-seat PIC helicopters so that two passengers could be carried on a bench seat next to the pilot. When these helicopters have controls installed for the right-seat, the ability to carry the middle passenger is lost. New MD500E and MD530F helicopters can be ordered from the factory as either a LH-PIC or RH-PIC helicopter, but the RH-PIC helicopters are necessarily 4-seat helicopters instead of the standard 5-seaters. The military MH-6 and AH-6 helicopters are RH-PIC.

[@chippyjohn1]

3 seats in front and two in back?

[@deborahberner5569]

That alerted me as well.

[@komangeni1343]

I am from Bali...l like Heli MD 500..

[@TheRotorhound]

Need to win powerball and/or mega millions.

[@mymizie]

Good luck

[@johnfitzpatrick2469]

The price tag? 2.8 enchiladas🌶️

[@renatosureal]

80s MAGNUM PI TV SHOW's ... helicopter ?!

[@TucsonDude]

I get that same view...from my $1000 DJI Mavic quadcopter and $500 V/R goggles.

[@a-fl-man640]

will never fly one in RL but i'm rich enough to buy the MSFS add on one for 40$

[@702Wolfi]

Amazing Helicopter. But I ordered a Bell 505 for half the price.

[@westerlywinds5684]

Why are they so expensive. They’ve been mass produced for 60+ years.

[@nocalsteve]

I would call the MD 500/530 more of a Porsche 911, more of a pilot's sports car. I think I'd call the Bell 407 the Ferrari, better performance and higher tech.

[@MaxSupercars]

For 3 mil USD you got already Écureuil... 🙂

[@robertbandusky9565]

The “C” was much better than the E? Non T tail models flew much better👨🏻‍✈️

[@Brother-Louis]

You can't insult the MD by referencing it to Ferrari, a company that has so little trust in their overpriced products, that they need to enforce regulations with regards to what colour they alow... and that after sale. At least MD has enough trust that they don't mind what colour you choose. I spent many hours in both the D and E models of the SA Police Airwing in it's better managed days. Awesome trustworthy machines.

[@sgabriel]

Ed O'Neill and Gary Farmer...

[@bellboy4074]

The 500 is a Ferrari right up until you fly a 407. Then the 500 is like an old muscle car: powerful but not all that much fun to drive.

[@RaacingAce]

I can understand why a Ferrari is twice expensive than Corvette, but I can't understand why an MD500 is twice expensive than Bell 505.

[@templeton3504]

Was weird hearing you say sheet metal is an art, as aircraft structural maintenance in the Air Force for 2 decades that's not something any of us "sheet metal" guys would hear. Unfortunately it's an extremely under paid career.... I'd love to pound rivets again but it just won't ever pay the bills.

[@Vico649]

If you remember the yellow one flown by TC in Magnum PI please like my comment.

[@DavidDavid-jb1cy]

literally everyone who is over 35 and likes helicopters enough to watch this video is well aware, sir

[@andresyanez61]

2million , expensive for his size, only the army use it, full of ammunition 4 soldier and pushing the trigger😅versatility and maneuverable

[@pkelly3463]

Give me a 500C with the high skid package anytime

[@ursschweitzer-wr2dw]

the sound bothers extremly, could not enjoy the flying

[@danielfofortmonville2336]

It’s too expensive I rather get a hills helicopter for

[@DSAK55]

More like the Miata

[@JohnnyGification]

So as in Ferrari, this helicopter breaks down a lot. That's a shame. Such a beautiful helicopter.

[@WhyitJellyDonut]

Helicopters dont break down that would be called a crash.

[@crazyralph6386]

Nope, they don’t “break down” like a Ferrari however, they are maintenance intensive(as they should be). Not sure who makes them nowadays, but 20 years ago, certain part numbered M/R blades gave us huge headaches due to rigid inspections, recording of torque events from the A/D’s issued due to fatigue cracking and subsequent failure? Everything is now composite, so I’m sure there’s been huge advancements in their construction and durability, but back then you NEVER flew anywhere without a ladder, flashlight and magnifying lens!!!

[@colt10mmsecurity68]

Great helicopter, but I wouldn’t call it a “Ferrari.”

[@77Avadon77]

at 2 million dollars I could just think of a lot better things to do with that money

[@DavidDavid-jb1cy]

if you are buying this helicopter you already have those things

[@77Avadon77]

@@DavidDavid-jb1cy Strippers and cocaine? lol you can never have enough.

[@Foxtrot1967]

Comparing this to a Ferrari is a joke. Ferrari's top speed are +190 MPH. Hell, crappy Honda Civic's go faster than that helicopter (>120 MPH).

[@joaquinfabrega]

There are better, more confortable and forgiving helicopters.

[@pohead123]

Such as?

[@joaquinfabrega]

@@pohead123 the Jet Ranger is more confortable and the autoritation is better; the SA 330 is not fast but is confortable, great visibility and I did rolling auto rotations with the nose 30 degress to either side without problems. In each model I flew more than 1000 hours, no problems taking off with max gross in hot days and tight spots. The Augusta 109 is another category therefore I would not compared it with the Hughes. Regarding the Hughes I did not like the autoritations and back paxs were not confortable. That was my experience, but I am willing to hear other people experience with the Hughes.

[@puretrouble1603]

These things SUCK!!!!! All you do is land every 5 minutes to fuel up!!!!!

[@FLY2KO]

Next to the Robinson 444 this is a hard chopper to skydive from as a cameraman.

[@martinleicht5911]

I'll take 2 !! ✌😎🔥🔥🔥

[@sjk9429]

Put parachutes 🪂 on this helo,alpha Romeo delta coming hot