Huey UH1H Walkaround Gary Gingrich

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Gary Gingrich gives us a walkaround tour of the Mid America Flight Museum's UH-1H Huey. Gary flew around 1,000 hours in combat in the Huey during the Vietnam War.

[@terryhollingsworth1097]

Thank you for your service sir. My dad , who we buried last week was in Ton shan nut in 67. Agent orange finally got its vet. Dad was 91 so he had a good life till the last few years. He's still my hero, as are the rest of you guys. Stay safe, stay well. 😪

[@AlbertHess-xy7ky]

The Commies used Agent orange on Americans? How many American women and children got to enjoy Vietnamese Naplam?

[@PhilG999]

Enjoyed this immensely! When I was a teenager I got to get a close-up look at a UH-1H that practically landed in my back yard! Three of them came over and I happened to be outside. First two sounded normal but the third didn't. High pitched nasty sound from the engine (found out later it had a compressor stall). So they start circling overhead. Ran inside and grabbed Pops camera and got back outside to see the damaged one come down FAST into the recently graded area that is now the industrial park right behind my house! Ran down there as the guys were getting out grabbing their backs (must have landed hard). Started taking pics and they asked me: "Where did YOU come from?". I said : "Right over there. Heard you coming over and knew something was wrong." Quizzical looks. Army Rangers from the training area in North Georgia. So rather than flatbed it out they decided to use the opportunity for a training exercise. They flew a fresh engine in in another Huey and swapped it on the spot! Took lotsa pics and basically stayed out of their way until they flew it out! Got some great shots of their test hops in the evening with the rotor tips lit up. Sent them copies of the pics and a while later I got a package in the mail. Certificate for "Assistance in the recovery of a downed aircraft"! Also got recruiting stuff for a long time after that... I never wanted to join the Military. Pop was 28th Infantry WWII. Landed on Omaha Beach a while after D-Day (his troopship was delayed or he would have been in the thick of it). Got through the Battle of the Bulge as one of 60 from his Division that survived! Then got a little too far into Germany on patrol and was captured. Marched 15 days to a POW camp where he spent 97 days before being liberated. He passed in August of 2015, one week after his 93rd Birthday...

[@davehowe7332]

What a great story love your dad, thanks man

[@jamiestewart48]

Thanks for sharing that awesome story. Much respect to your Pops, too.

[@millercork]

Fantastic story , thank you for sharing!

[@kikupub71]

Respect! !

[@PhilG999]

@@jamiestewart48 Thanks!

[@frodrickfronkensteen9241]

The war story at the end... my hair stood up. Pilots... fixed wing, rotary... Pilots are a different breed. Dad was an air force, airline and private pilot. I shot an approach with him on a 40ft wide runway, in a twin Piper Seneca II, in the Ozark mountains, no tower, runway lights were remotely keyed off his handheld radio... at night. I remember vividly... we went around three times, trying to key the runway lights on. When we finally did, he said to me... "I'll fly, you watch for deer... and wires." I swallowed my tongue. Dad didn't miss a beat. I miss my Dad. I miss him a lot.

[@adamhenry5791]

It helps to be 20, absolute truth. Great Video 🍻

[@Medionxtr]

Yeah - I know the feeling !

[@StarrTile]

@20 I was jumping outa those...what was I thinking..I wasn't😂

[@johnf.kennedy7771]

It helps to be 10 and admire him for knowing so much about the "Huey" and working in Vietnam, I love war and the aircrafts and helicopters used in them and what special features they have. So to me this is the best video I could ask for.

[@onemoremisfit]

No wife & kids back home, ready and willing to "hang it out".

[@rogerpring3623]

0p

[@cecillanter3207]

I was an air traffic tower and radar controller for the 160th Aviation Group attached to the 101st Airborne in 68/69.... some of the things that was done was considered impossible and most all done by kids who were 19 to 21 years old. One emergency extraction mission to the Laotian border the mission was of such distance we did not have maps setup for the range.....had to lay the map on the floor of the radar van then take the center fold out of a Playboy to get the heading for the CH47 crew, used stop watches to keep track of the CH47 as they descended below the tops of the mountains where we lost radar contact and were able to put the aircraft down on a six digit grid target on top of hill surrounded by the NVA. This was before night-vision googles so I knew the command of the 2/138th Field Artillery to arrange flares to be shot so the pilots could see the mountains. Aircraft was run to max range, ran out of fuel as it was setting down at home...everyone was OK including the long range patrol they extracted Also was the tower controller on the final assault on what became known as Hamburger Hill, had the UH1s in flights of ten as that is how many we could refuel at one time Now, looking back to 52 years ago I often wonder if I was really there. I see the 19 to 21 year olds of today that mostly can not be trusted with a walking a dog then think of the kids in Vietnam commanding multi-million dollar aircraft as if it was their car

[@Hambone571]

I agree so much with your 19- 21 yo comments. We, as kids, were so much more responsible then.

[@summerpetchel9150]

Really ashame theres no men any more. Bunch of little boys. Can’t even be a leader to their family, well said sir!

[@md8590]

Respect! I can't imagine how badly it would go today if there was a Vietnam type situation and the youth were conscripted to fight in a war. These kids get PTSD when someone says something they don't agree with.

[@ingvarhallstrom2306]

You also killed about two million people, all in vain. I'd spare the teens of today that fate, because it doesn't seem to have made you any good anyhow.

[@MrMarci878]

Guess my employer shouldn't trust my 22 year old ass with expensive servers and multi-million dollar customers at our data center because you said I can't be trusted.

[@jamesmolley8636]

When I entered the Air Force we trained at Fort Rucker with the Army. First we trained in the TH-55, Hughes 300, then we moved into the Huey. What a difference, hydraulics made flying this helicopter so smooth, there is nothing like the sound of those rotor blades, you would wake up and go to sleep hearing that wonderful sound.

[@mattinsley1721]

Absolutely wonderful Gary. My dad flew UH-1 Med Evac in Viet Nam, 67-68, out of Pleiku. I thank you for your service and being able to tell your story. My dad, unfortunately, never shared his experiences with me or anyone. It was far too painful for him to do so. He continued in Army Aviation post deployment at Fort Rucker Alabama until he retired. He helped to found the Army Aviation safety school there. I think they called it USABAR at the time. He retired to So Cal and took up teaching at USC. Great pilot and a great man. He died way to young from alcoholism. Matt Insley Son of LTC. William N. Insley - US Army

[@jamiestewart48]

Have been using ancestry recently so popped in your Father's details and this popped up from the 1940 census and thought you might be interested: www.ancestry.com/1940-census/usa/Michigan/William-N-Insky_2sqywf

[@Terracecasualx5]

Cindy Klenk I’m a Brit and your reminiscing of your big bro humbled me, remember what Heraclitus said “out of every 100 men,ten shouldn’t even be there,eighty are just targets,9 are the real fighters,and we are lucky to have them,for they make the battle. Ah,but the one,one is a warrior,for he will bring the others back”. That was your big bro Cindy,the humble warrior! Blessed love lady!

[@Terracecasualx5]

Cindy Klenk I’m glad you shared that with me as it was a beautiful story.

[@CarlJohnson-ry3gc]

@Cindy Klenk you are very knowledgeable of the air craft.

[@josephperkins4163]

Matt, thank you for sharing. I don’t know how any human being can be in combat and not be forever changed by the experience! My thoughts this moment are with your father and you. Stay strong!

[@CamdalftheGreat]

My uncles memorial was last week, he passed from multiple myeloma, likely caused by agent orange. When asked what he did when in Vietnam, he would answer that he was a death sergeant. We all found out after his death that he was a door Gunner, likely in a huey just like this one. If a Vietnam veteran happens to read this. Welcome home.

[@pretzelogic2689]

I was on CA, coming into a rice paddy, when at about 20ft in the air the ship suddenly turned 90 degrees to left. After a near recovery and some fantastic flying, the pilot controlled it into a "gentle" roll over onto the roof. No one hurt. They assumed it was a wire set up in a loop and we hooked only one skid which turned us. I really had my doubts about that. So it's really striking to see wire cutters on this ship. Makes me wonder. And I just want to add, you slick pilots saved more lives in more ways than you can even imagine. All my thanks.

[@petehenry7878]

I was a crew chief on Huey's 75 - 85. .At 1:25 those are not for vertical antennas. IR sensors went there. Talking about the amount of fuel it holds, I once put 205 gallons in my bird. Anyone want to do the math on how long we had left to fly on 4 gallons. Skid shoes. I must have changed them 3 times in one week. Seems like it was always my bird they would use for check rides. The scissors are just above the swash plate 10:30. 10:50 that's the mixing levers. 12:25 that's a drive link he he has a hold of. The scissors are the 2 horizontal arms that the drive link is attached to. The swash plate is the round part the drive link is attached to. We didn't have rotor brakes. I guess that's what that grey handle on ceiling is.

[@yamahonkawazuki]

this comment deserves a like. thank you for this explanation.

[@markthompson4885]

I wondered what that gray handle was looked like a hand pump. Never had one in any Huey I crewed. your right about the skid shoe's . one week end My bird was picked to do all the check rides for all the office pilots that havent flown in 90 days . I did about a hundred auto-rotations to the ground. changed the skids shoes twice. also did a hard landing insp. we hit so hard one time I thought for sure the skids were bent. But they checked out oK.

[@loupcityairservice9740]

The Handle is for a rotor brake this Helicopers probably used by a police department they always Add all kinds of aftermarket accessories

[@CZPO7DUTY]

Did I miss the “Jesus Nut” inspection??

[@dave-yj9mc]

I think they used those lil bumps on the nose for APR-39 radar warning sensors also. H model Huey held 209 Gal when open port fueled and a little more when closed circuit fueled. I crewed from 92-2004. I miss it more than anything.

[@ChuckMehle]

Retired Army Aviator and UH-1 pilot from long ago. This video brought back a lot of great memories of an epic airframe. Well done video!

[@donarmstrong5872]

Something I note is he leaves out part of our normal start up procedure. The main rotor blade is tied down because a passing ship or a wind will bounce the blades and can easily damage the rotor head or cause an incident when the blades of a passing ship would strike the bouncing blades on the parked ship. The blades would be untied when you were ready to start up the ship. The crew chief and door gunner would check out the ship and wait for the pilots to do the same. At the point that we were ready to crank up the crew chief would left the hook off of the hole in the end of the blade to free it up and then stow the hook which has a long red line on it. When the pilots were ready to start the ship they would call out "Clear" and the crew chief and door gunner would again do a quick check to make sure there was nothing in the way and repeat "Clear and untied sir" At that point the pilot would say "Coming Hot" and then would then start up the ship. Once the crew chief and door gunner saw no leaks they would climb into their locations. By the way when I was a door gunner up North my crew chief said "You are on the left side" which is contrary to what most people did but hey it's his ship not mine". So once the ship was up to operating RPM and everything was good to go then the pilot would say "Clear" and the door gunner and crew chief would respond with "Clear Left , Clear right" Some crews also included "Clear Above". We would then go flying in the beautiful skies of Vietnam.

[@donarmstrong5872]

@@damkayaker It's the crew chief's ship so it was his preference as to which side he was on. His choices could be as simple as a lefty or a righty or as complicated as his vision preferences.

[@LtRiot]

Absolutely incredible testimony to the Men and Machines thrown into harms way. My uncle was shot down in 3 different Hueys in that jungle doing the same job as this man. Thank you for this and outstanding video!

[@BellUH-1Huey]

Shot down 3 times, now THATS bad luck

[@marinegrunt6633]

served as a grunt in Vietnam 66-67, we were mainly at the DMZ, I was with L Co 3dBn, 4thMar...we owe our pilots for saving our ass on more than one occasion.....We mainly landed with the Ch-46s........Our really enjoyed this video, it took my back to the war.....Bless you

[@giangky4463]

I am Vietnamese growing up in the Viet Nam war. Huey was an iconic aircraft. Thank you for your service and the walk around tour .

[@michaelclarke8066]

This is an incredible watch! Truly one of the best first person accounts of the Huey that i've ever seen, and I hope everyone can appreciate the storytelling and mastery of machine that is detailed throughout this video. Thanks for doing it, it is awesome.

[@georgechalifour88]

Ya another big salute to you sir for your bravery. I was there 1965 1966 Helicopter fixed wing repairman ! Quin yon !!

[@noproblemeow5623]

Thank you for the tour Gary and for the story. Best tour I've seen of the start up process.

[@Tom-zd2vo]

What most of you don’t know is Gary is one of the best helicopter and airplane pilots to ever to fly. I had the privilege to fly for Gary many years. What he won’t tell you is, if there’s gonna be a fight, you need to hope he is in your side. If not, you’re gonna have a very bad day. Lastly, I am honored to know Gary and his family as family. Outstanding jog Gary!

[@richardbailey64]

Fantastic listening to these men reminiscing about when they were young and pulling off heroic achievements. As an Englishman I have nothing but the utmost respect for these people.

[@tacoenvy]

This was fantastic, can't go wrong with a great Huey video. What a badass story at the end! 👊

[@craigmoran893]

...sittin in a Huey, telling Huey stories!

[@tracevandyne9860]

My dad was a sgt in usaf and a jet engine mechanic stationed in Da Nang. He loved the people and lived with Vietnamese colonel and family. He stayed as long as they would let him and was a great father to my brother and I. Alcoholism was his burden until the good lord freed him. Tremendous respect to Dad and Gary, thank you for your service, past and present. God bless!

[@mickd6942]

Always had a soft spot for the Huey from being a kid , remember reading the book chicken hawk and marvelling at the men who were prepared to take a flying green house in to a hot landing zone to get men out or wounded out or bring in ammunition ect just surrounded by aluminium and plexiglass neither of which are renound for their ability to stop bullets , being a Brit I didn’t think I’d ever see one but going down the motorway the preserved one from Blackpool passed over head with a civilian camera helicopter chasing its tail , a truly marvellous sight , god bless you and your fellow crewmen because a lot of men survived Vietnam because you were there when they needed you and I will have a minutes silence for the crews who didn’t come home , thank you for taking the time to show us round this beautiful machine.

[@Mike-01234]

So cool to see actual Vietnam Huey Pilot still flying them today in time they will be too old to fly and like our WW2 veterans who are mostly gone I remember in the 1980's at a small airshow in Southern California Marine Corps Air station Tustin. A P-51 Mustang fly over in the pattern and landed I remember hearing the big Packard-Merlin back fire a few times as pulled it back to idle on his roll-out down the runway. He taxied in a zig zag over to a parking spot shut down after awhile I made my way over to talk to him about his airplane. I found out he was a WW2 pilot in 1944 this was his P-51 he had for over 10 years since the early 70s he was retired airline pilot.

[@Love4raine]

My father did 3 tours in Nam and he used to talk about these birds all the time !!! How the sound of them coming in low and VERY FAST and the distant thumping growing louder as 15-20 of these birds come roaring in one at a time barely hitting the ground picking him and his guys up in a hot LZ. While the gunships were lighting up the surrounding area like the Fourth of July . He always said he was scared until he heard the distant pounding of the Huey’s coming for them and when the arrived it was like gods angels arrived but when he was in that chopper he felt a little more safe. As for me well pops always said he wished I could get that experience in a Huey and know that feeling he tried to explain to me. Well I enlisted in the military and about a year later I was in the Middle East in desert storm. Well wouldn’t you know it the UH1 was there still fighting and flying stronger then before. I remember my second patrol we loaded up and off we went but I noticed a 3rd officer in the cabin with us. I plugged in my headset to the ceiling and listened in. The left seat was a LT Col. and the right seat and guy in back with us were new officers fresh out of helo school !! He was dipping their di

[@jameswalley134]

OMG … you are an absolute hero mate !!!! You & your generation of young Iroquois Pilots did such an amazing job in Vietnam. I truly tip my hat to you & those other brave pilots with absolute admiration. I too flew those Huey’s. From about 1984 - 1988. Your walk around reminded me of so many otherwise forgotten memories. I proudly served side by side with you Yanks in the Sinai (Egypt) Peace Keeping Force (MFO) between Israel and Egypt in 1985. I was an Air Mobile Commander & Check Captain in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) while flying the Huey. Being a small but very modern Air Force, we Aussie Pilots were blessed with the ability to transfer from fixed to rotary wing flying. During Pilot Course, I flew the old Winjeel (450 HP rotary piston engine) aircraft. Then while in the second phase of Pilot Training, the Italian Macchi Jet Trainer. I was then posted to fly the C130A, & then the C130H Hercules transport aircraft. As an Officer first & a Pilot second, I was then posted to a desk job for 847 days !!! After which I elected to experience something completely different in Aviation ….. Choppers !!! Since those days, while in QANTAS, I flew the Jumbo, the B767 & the Airbus A330. Of all of those experiences, the beautiful Huey will ALWAYS be my favorite Aircraft. So versatile, but if you ever turned your back, she would bight you in the a*s. Thank you so much for your wonderful walk around . How I would enjoy a few nights reliving Huey memories over a few beers with a marvelous Veteran like you. God bless you & all those brave Men & Women who serve our countries. Rest assured …… we Aussie’s will ALWAYS be ready to stand side by side with you, our Yank Brothers in Arms. God bless & all the very best Brother. Cheers from Sydney Australia.

[@daveryan4353]

Thanks For Your Service Sir!!! You Are The Kind Of Pilots That Saved My And My A Team More Than Once . God Bless You !!! SFC. D.L. Ryan 7TH SF.GRP. Airborne Ret.

[@badgertheskinnycow]

Hi from a Brit Infantry veteran and thank you for this video. I was very lucky to visit the USA during my service and I got to fly in Huey's whilst based at Fort Lewis. That was a real privilege and a memory to cherish. We were told that the Huey's we flew in saw service in Vietnam which made our flights even more special. I am pleased I managed to take some photos whilst onboard to record the event. Hearing the story of how this pilot assisted those guys on the ground, risking everything, was emotional. I can only imagine how much they appreciated the help. That was courageous and kind. Looking back I have the same thought as this gentleman - the risks you take when you are 19 or in your twenties seem crazy with hindsight. Only the lucky ones find this out later in life. Thank you again.

[@josephperkins4163]

I really don’t have the right words to say to you Sir! I can just thank you for your service to your country, thank you for helping your fellow soldiers! You are a true hero! Thanks for doing this video!

[@jackcapella2707]

I was a Crewchief in Iraq. They still had the Kevlar seats up till then... Only for the pilot's of coarse. The gunner was just screwed. I turned in the last Huey on Ft. Campbell in 91' before going to Sinai where they were still using them. In 93 they were operating Huey's in the Medavac with 4th ID until 95' while in Somalia. Pretty sure they Mothballed them after that. A good Buddy of mine flew until 98 in Germany. The Huey went for a long, long time, the Army just couldn't replace it as a utility bird. The Blackhawk is an expensive beast, but better under fire. Your walk-through brought back memories, I could almost smell the grease from the Sta-Bar (what he called a scissor assembly -brain fart). The short shaft was Vietnam Era, it had grease packs. The flex shaft on that bird had no grease. Not sure why I felt the need to say that but it points out the generational differences with that bird. It flew through Vietnam, Iraq, Somalia, Hondo, many conflicts and generations of aviators and crew chiefs. A long brotherhood.

[@jeremywilson4326]

A big salute to this guy. We need more like him. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Jeremy in Alabama.

[@alancordwell9759]

What an amazing video! I hope Gary sees these comments and knows just how much we appreciate him sharing his experience and reminiscences!

[@jamesalbright4666]

Great aircraft. I crewed them for 20 years 681st medivac National Guard Shelbyville, Indiana.

[@yamamushi]

This is the coolest thing I’ve ever watched. It’s my dream to be able to just see one of these let alone ride in one.

[@rdaugherty52]

Something amazing just happened when I was a young boy we use to go to the Kentucky State Fair in Louisville it was in the 60s there would always be helicopters and tanks my favorite things and the men there would let you sit in the copters I absolutely loved this and while watching this video I suddenly got the smell of the helicopter it stuck in my brain all this time thanks for showing this.

[@ErikJohnston]

I know exactly what you mean. These old warbirds have a smell all their own. I love it

[@bobbertee5945]

Outstanding....thank you for your service Gary Gingrich.....have hi regards for all u Vietnam guys....

[@JamesNewsomeCaiLeighAnna]

Great video Gary and in particular your story of providing ground support for those two units and your return flight to base. My hat is off to all the pilots who flew in Vietnam. I flew over a hundred missions on a Huey as a courier for our intelligence units in the field, mostly at fire bases. I was an advisor (MACV) in Northern I Corp operating out of Hue. About a quarter of my missions were flown on Vietnamese piloted Hueys. I was never quite as comfortable with those pilots as our own guys. Most of our flights were pretty normal/non-exciting, but we did have quite a few harrowing adventures coming into fire bases in inclement weather. I was always amazed at those pilots dropping down out of the fog on top of a fire base which set on a mountain top. As Gary said, it was good to be 20 years old and unattached. Thanks Gary and all the Huey crews. You were an amazing bunch of soldiers.

[@juice2090]

Here after picking this beauty up on DCS. Always loved helicopters, but now I’m really getting into them. The more I learn the more I love them. This is an amazing video. Thank you so much for this. You can tell this man is a seasoned instructor: captivating with brevity and clarity. You can’t help but to pay attention.

[@rickcentore2801]

I worked on UH-1E Hueys in the Marine Corps. The "E" models were equipped with rotor brakes. This was the first Army Huey I ever saw that had one. Great video - would love to see a part 2.

[@ralphfay4423]

Rick , with VMO-3 --HML367 67 68

[@rickcentore2801]

@@ralphfay4423 Hi Ralph, Did you know Doug Ferguson? He was a crew chief that I'm pretty sure was in 367. I was in avionics, VMO-6 in 1965, VMO-2 in 1965-66, VMO-1 in 1966-67. Hope you're doing well!

[@rickcentore2801]

@@ralphfay4423 Another two names for you, Rod Brittan and Harry Lynch. I just looked them up in the Popasmaoke website, both 367.

[@ralphfay4423]

Thanks Rick, I'll. Check it out

[@tommyr7105]

I think this is just about the coolest thing I've seen in forever. It's always been a dream of mine to fly one of these legends. Massive respect.

[@rickcentore2801]

If anyone is unfamiliar with the rotor brake it is the gray handle and cylinder seen at 13:58. The brake itself is mounted on the transmission and is similar to an automobile brake rotor.

[@danielbear3802]

Thanks for that bit of information I was wondering what that grey handle was thought I missed him say that. But I guess he can't go through everything so thank you for that

[@Billvagsayer]

Thank you for your service sir! Great listening to your story and wishing I could hear from my brother. He passed away in a car crash back in 1990. He was a crew chief in the first air cavalry, Co. C 227th AHB.

[@indiapapa8066]

I did my flight training in Florida and the instructor did say the same thing word by word...left clear, right clear, check fuel,gages and lift off. Amazing that over 50 years the way they teach did not change at all. Great to hear the story!

[@marcbennet3932]

As you were talking It was like a movie in my head. That was fantastic. Thank you for your service and thank for sharing.

[@markthibault8579]

Very cool and love the story at the end. Reminds me to re-read Chickenhawk too.

[@lindafoxwood78]

Wonderful review of the Huey! Thank you for your service.

[@siholley]

This was so interesting, I absolutely loved the coverage of the heli and could listen to him tell about his experiences all day. Awesome vid, thank you

[@bobchatigny38]

Good job Gary. Brings back a lot of memories being an 18 year old Marine Grunt in the mountainous jungle of I Corps DMZ. An inbound Huey coming in to you on a mountain top meant we were getting rations, mail from home, ammunition or all three. Something Gary didn’t mention was the Huey’s inserting or extracting us were called “slicks”. The med-evac Huey’s were called “Dustoff”. Glad you made it home, Gary.

[@shamusa943]

Enjoyed the tour and explanation. Thank you for your service Gary.

[@samuelwinn7327]

Loved the story at the end .. Thank you for your service .

[@country3608]

Thank you for your service and Video 🇺🇸⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🇺🇸👍 So interesting! I love Heuy H-1’s I love the thump the single long blade made when it was out aways coming your way!!!!

[@seventhsealhere]

Fantastic walk around! Love hearing about the history as well. Thank you for your service! 🇺🇲👍

[@worldcrime]

Thanks Gary for sharing your knowledge and experience.

[@adamadams6740]

Awesome stuff!!! The last 5 minutes with the story that’s so cool! Thanks for your service

[@kevinvt4174]

Thank you for your Service, it's men like you that made this Country what it is today... Aw hell ya, the Huey you could hear it coming from a mile away that whop,whop,whop was like music for an injured soldier , downed pilot or a pinned down troupe taking fire. Best Heli ever produced.

[@jonrenaux5131]

Great video! Really interesting! Thank you for your service Gary! We could sure use more guys like you around today!

[@Helibeaver]

What a great interview. He is such a badass. Love to hear those stories.

[@brrrinalaska6411]

My dad was a dust off pilot who did 2 tours with the 101 screaming eagles out of camp Evans. Shot down several times yet kept going back up. Yeah, he survived the war. But I have always been fascinated with the UH1. Seen many of them flying, actually got to sit in the pilots seat of one during start up at camp Lewis in WA. I appreciate you're video of the intricacies of the UH1 and even your war time story. You're video gets a thumbs up from me and thank you for your service.

[@georgehasler142]

As a ex Huey Crew chief great information Gary and thank you for your service in Vietnam

[@donarmstrong5872]

I'm a member of D troop 3/5 Cav and was with them from the end June 68 to the end of May 69. I was transferred from another unit operating out of Camp Holloway on Pleiku. When I was with D troop we were based out of Bear Cat " Camp Martin Cox" and then we moved to Dong Tam in the Mekong Delta on the My Tho river. We were called "The Bastard Cav" which is what it says on the ship. Now in the walk around he points out the wire cutters and then says we did not need them in Nam. On 08/15.68 ship UH-1D 66-00779 crashed after doing a wire strike on a run from Bear Cat to Bien Hoa. We lost 4 fine troops that day. The unit lost a total of 54 fine troops.

[@kevinperrier7274]

I was with E-Recon 2/7 Cav in 70-71. We had a Bell Ranger hit a powerline on Dec 30 1970 as they were heading back to refuel. They were to fly cover for us as we floated in rubber rafts on the Dong Nai river. All aboard died in the crash.

[@garyluck8502]

Thanks for your service!

[@DanBlake3rd]

Fantastic walkaround and amazing story at the end Mr. Gingrich. Thanks so much for sharing. Dad flew Phantoms out of Da Nang in '68 and Ubon '72. I grew up hearing those stories, so it's great to hear from the Air Cav side of things. Be well Sir.

[@markthompson4885]

I am sorry it's a 42 degree Gearbox, I was UH-!H crewchief for over 10 years in the 70's and 80's. thank you for your story and your service.

[@redrover9988]

I caught that mistake also. Worked on them while on Camp Eagle, Hue/Phu Bai, in mid 1968. H & C Models. We got some Cobras in late 68.

[@W1RMD]

I can feel your emotion when you tell the story. Thank you for your service!

[@kevinm3751]

I liked the stories more than the walk around. Thank you for your service! Semper-Fi!

[@fugoogle8907]

Great video, thank you for sharing your experiences!

[@maxwiles825]

Has anyone ever heard about a Huey colliding with a mine sweeper? In 1970 or 1971 I was stationed on a Mine Sweeper in the Gulf of Token, we were trying to medical evacuation of an old fisherman. When the chopper came low to the deck, we. Collided, with the chopper losing a rotor blade it immediately limped back to its base somewhere on shore. We later learned they made it with no injuries. When the collision happened I was holding onto its starboard skid of the Huey , which scared me greatly. Something I will always remember.🇺🇸⚓️

[@bradylinehan9104]

Absolutely amazing story! Thank you for your service 🇺🇸

[@1999zrx1100]

Wow, Best thing I’ve seen on KZbin in a long time. Could listen to Gary all day. Thank You for your service. Can’t imagine what it must have been like.

[@johnlaycock583]

Hey Erik, Thanks for all of the wonderful flying that you did. I was with the 25thID at CuChi and had my share of riding in Hueys and just was always glad when you guys showed up at some LZ and brought us out! Good to see you here!

[@angargoy7181]

*After watching the video and listening to your stories in the Bietnan and reading many of the comments about you, I have only one option left to give you my congratulations. Angel from Spain.*

[@beautramp3447]

Gary, thanks for the tour and especially that story at the end. I'm a 1st Cav Vietnam veteran (not a flyer) and I was cheering for you all the way.

[@hockeyguy9974]

Beautiful video. What a clean machine. Bless this guy.

[@DM-fs9zg]

Really enjoyed it, I was infantry throughout the 80's and did spend some time with huey, always knew when she was coming. Might I also say God bless you and all that you guys did for us and this country, ya'll made a significant difference to a lot of boots on the ground, thanks so much for your service to this country.

[@HAUSS81]

This was excellent. Thank you Gary Gingrich.

[@eknuds]

Best preflight I've seen of a Huey yet. Great story at the end too!

[@Britspence381]

Thanks, fascinating to get the walk-around and the great story at the end! I didn't serve in the military but was fortunate enough to work in the business world with pilots who had. Always enjoyed talking to them about their wartime experiences.

[@mikewysko2268]

Enjoyed the walk around and flying story. Thanks guys.☺

[@paulborys8147]

Nice job on this video. Brought back a lot of memories. 1971..D Troop 1/10 CAV..Shamrock 68..there I was

[@Aerosnapper]

Fascinating walk-around and the story at the end was icing ! Real heroes don’t brag, they just tell it like it was ...

[@grange247]

Superb info on this subject, as a 55 year old from the UK....this war is very rarely mentioned. I always had a liking to the Huey gun ships..... brilliant story to listen to. Really enjoyed it . Thank you

[@woodsbikes6130]

That was a great story. A huge thank you to all the veterans who served then and now. And thank you to the host for such a great video.

[@isaiahsmith4925]

What an amazing piece of history, thank you for bringing us this wonderfully detailed inspection and explanation!!! One day soon, I will own a UH-1

[@dallas9397]

This was a cool video, thank you for your service. My grandpa came from South Korea in his 20s to go to college at Vanderbilt, Tennessee. During the Vietnam War, he served in the Air Force as an air traffic controller. He would also teach the American soldiers self defense with taekwondo because he was a Black Belt instructor. He died after a long battle of cancer some 7-8 years ago. I miss him. He always wanted to play golf with me.

[@billyfish8787]

Fantastic walk around, Thankyou very much

[@eddiesimms9301]

I got my first up close look at a UH-1 Huey Helicopter in the Summer of '71. I was living with my Grandmother in the Yesler Terrence Housing Projects, just a block away was the King County public hospital, now called Harborview medical center. It had a helicopter landing pad for medivac emergencies etc...You could hear 'em flying low, making their approach and it was very LOUD, sounding like thunder, thump thump thump...Us kids would run up to the hospital and watch 'em land and off load the patience into a waiting ambulance. The crew would shut down the engines and allow us to check out the aircraft and tell us about the helicopter and it's capabilities etc.... which I thought was kind of them to do. The crew was from an aviation unit stationed at FT Lewis Wa. I would later get several opportunities flying on the UH-1 taking part in field combat training exercises in 1978 while stationed at FT Lewis. I was assigned to HHC 2nd Bn 39th Infantry, 9th Infantry Division, my company cmnd was Cpt. Thomas King and the company 1st Sgt Timothy Hannah.... neither one of them took sheee-it from ANY enlisted soldier....oh HELL NO. My Brigade cmnder was yours truly, Col. Norman H Schwarzkopf... good man, WELL RESPECTED. The post cmnder at the time, Major Gen. Richard E Cavazos, he too was a good man. My Dad served at FT Lewis from about 1957 to '62, then home of the 4th Infantry Division. He too would also get his opportunity to fly aboard the Huey, only this was NO joy ride. He arrived in South Veitnam in March of '68 and was assigned to B co 3rd Bn 47th Infantry, 9th Infantry Division. The MRF, known as the Mobil Riverine Force which consisted of Army, Navy and Coast Guard, their assigned duties were to patrol the muddy waters and rice paddies of the Mekong Delta. Retired SFC Eddie Simms RIP.

[@ErikJohnston]

Thank you for your service Eddie!

[@andycraddock7677]

An amazing and extremely interesting video. The story at the end was equally amazing. I hope you received the DFC for that mission. Thank you for your service.

[@davidellis5312]

Fantastic explanation and walk around of this magnificent aircraft. It all makes sense now as I have read a number of books by Viet Nam vet pilots. About 10 years ago a restored UH-1 visited a show ground near where I live in the UK. At the end of the day it took off and flew right over my house. That whup-whup sound of the rotors is unmistakeable. Thanks for this video.

[@tulsatrash]

Thank you all very much for making and sharing this.

[@vincestaffo895]

Excellent Video. Thank You for Serving.

[@KPearce57]

Spent a lot of time sitting on the floor feet on the skids. Thanks for the memories .

[@randalllewis2434]

Great story at the end!! Thank you for your Service!! Left skid low….

[@KBBMX]

Fabulous insight and walk around by a real knowledgeable expert.... Incredible story.. Thanks for your service 🙏

[@Speedo2550]

This is awesome. I grew up near West Point and we had another Army camp nearby so my childhood always seemed to have a Huey overhead

[@conquerorhowie]

What legends are made of. Thank you for your service, sir.

[@chaoticus06]

Fantastic! Couldn't stop listening to this man!

[@tomdoyle3727]

Hello Gary, Fantastic, a true understanding of what it means to be in a Huey . In 1964/5 I was a flying crew chief on a UH1B 421st Med Evac 3rd platoon in Graf Germany, and was very lucky not to be rotated to Vietnam. But I sure can relate to you and your crews bravery. We all thank you and your crew for your service.

[@jasonbergsma581]

Thank you for your service

[@freeandeasy9795]

A little piece a captured history in this video. Thanks for sharing.

[@lukasfoster8505]

Love to meet this man! Can’t thank you enough! Very brave man.