The Steel Guitar Forum

I wanted to get the word out. On Saturday, 17 July and Sunday 18 July 2009, the Army Aviation Heritage Foundation which is headquartered on Tara Field which is adjacent to the Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Ga. will be conducting rides in an authenic UH-1H (Huey) in Dayton, Ohio during the Dayton Air Show. Two of the Huey's being brought were in Vietnam. One was with the 101st Airborne Division, and the other was with the 229th Assault Helicopter Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division. Last Saturday (11 July) 290 people took a ride in a Huey during an airshow in Gainesville, Ga.

I would like to invite everyone to come fly with the veterans and aircraft that made history. Because of a family function I will not get to be in Dayton, but there is always next year.

The AAHF will be conducting Huey Rides at Tara Field on Saturday, 29 August and Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 3, 4 and 5 September.

Take care and I would like to ask everyone to say pray for all our men and women who are in the BIG SANDBOX.

I was in the 101st. I like riding in helicopters. Having said that I would not let my child ride in an Army helicopter no matter how lovingly restored and expertly piloted. I say this not to be a jerk, but just to encourage people to take the risk seriously, whatever their decision might be.

Carl, I thank you for your service and I respect your opinion, but I can say with 100 percent certainty that our Huey's are maintained better than some aircraft with a major airlines. The AAHF has an excellent safety record, since its inception in 1997 more than 300,000 people have been on a Huey Ride without incident. I personnally feel safer in a Huey than I do in a 757, because I early in my army career I was a crew chief on a Huey. I would encourage you to visit the website www.armyav.org. In addition to Huey rides, we have a Cobra Demo Team and a Sky Soldiers Demo Team.

Just sayin' .

I wanted to tell everyone that the Huey Rides at the Dayton Air Show went well this past weekend. Over the course of two days 1670 people went on a Huey Ride without incident. Tommorrow, 25 July we will have 9 aircraft (a birddog, a Mohawk, a LOH, 6 cobras and one Huey) flying around the Clayton County Airport. We will be practicing for a two shows that will be put on at Ft Campbell, Ky on the 15th of August. One show will be the Cobra Demo Team and the other is called Rescue at Dawn(we will reenact a Vietnam style airmobile/air cavalry operation to rescue a downed pilot. I get to have some fun tommorrow, instead of going as a crew chief on the insertion Huey, I will be the door gunner behind the pilot.

The Huey Rides are still set for 29 August and 3, 4, and 5 Sep at the Clayton County Airport.

I hope that everyone has a great weekend.

Regarding the Huey Helicopter rides set for Sat, 29 August at the Clayton County Airport in Hampton, Georgia, I just learned that a Cobra and LOH Demo will take place. The LOH and Cobra were both in Vietnam with the 2/17th Cav, 101st Abn Div (Airmobile).

Also, I wanted to tell everyone that my youngest son, Jesse, is at Advanced Individual Training at Ft Knox, Ky. He will be graduating on the 27th of August. His MOS will be 19D (Armored Cavalry Scout). I talked to him the other day, he was doing well having fun, but ready for AIT to be over. I finally got to meet him when he flew through Atlanta on his way from Alaska to Ft Knox on 3 July. I can tell you that I am a proud Army Dad and it is special to know that your youngest son is a 3d generation soldier in the US Army.