average age of vietnam helicopter pilot

Oh, were we Young and Stupid on hoist missions, too; the second Y & S thing we did! 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 . 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. Vietnamese where among those taken that day to Tan Son Nhut airport, General Fast Contour flying as close to the ground as possible to avoid ground fire was also mastered. If you lose you solicitation purposes, or any correspondence related thereto. The VHPA has a membership of over 16,600 (8,700 dues current) helicopter pilots from around the world out of the approximately 40,000 who served as helicopter pilots in the Vietnam War. Always smiling and never hurt anyone, I would guess. Life member rates based on age are as follows (also Obviously, I was wrong, but I did not know it then. 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." (Although 58,169 names are in the Nov. 93 database, only 58,148 have both event date and birth date. In fact, not at all, since we usually flew with the doors open, even at night. I found a can of olive drab (OD) spray paint and . You were a good friend and much appreciated by my parents. survival radio, whats that? If you ask people who live in these countries that won the war in Vietnam, they have a different opinion from the American news media. About 12,000 U.S. military helicopters spent 7.5 million hours above Vietnam, flying 2 million missions. Scared that maybe, just maybe, youll fail your mission where someone else just like you would have succeeded. They also acted as medical evacuation helicopter pilots when needed. My father mentioned a pilot and I was curious if this was one of the same. These men never refused to fly into harms way. 79% had a high school education or better. "No event in American history is more misunderstood than the Vietnam War. 86% of the men who died in Vietnam were Caucasians, 12.5% were black, 1.2% were other races. Nighttime was even worse. Provide food and supplies to veterans at The Veterans Site for free! While in themselves those landings were not stupid, the way we got there was! average age of vietnam helicopter pilot. Myth: The domino theory was proved false. 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. Whatd he say? Hell, I dont know. Register in seconds and access exclusive features. Mine were draped over the back of my seat, along with my M-16 rifle. 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. members without the express consent of the member. They could often see what we could not and helped keep the enemy off of us and to even the odds for us, so to speak. historical reference directories, CD-ROMs and DVDs. You only have access to basic statistics. We all volunteered to do something that only a year or two before we could not have even dreamed that we would be doingsomething that only a very few could ever experience; something for which only a very few could even qualify. [VHPA databases], Army UH-1's totaled more than 10,693,902 flight hours in Vietnam between October 1966 and the end of In retrospect, I think that is what happened to one of the pilots in our unit a few months after I left. . Always make sure someone has a P-38. Magazines are included with VHPA membership and are available to non-members with a The Scout Pilot. l.. It is This famous picture is the property of UPI Corbus-Bettman Photo Agency. 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. 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. The Vietnam Operation Chopper occurred on 12 January 1962 and was the first time U.S. forces participated in major combat in the Vietnam War. Phil Marshall, DMZ Dustoff 711, 237th Medical Detachment (Helicopter Ambulance) Camp Evans and Quang Tri, Vietnam 1969. Army Flight School was about 9 months long, this was the shortest calendar time. one of 42 pictures of this helicopter that UPI photographer, Hubert Van Es took Myth: Most Vietnam veterans were drafted. Many of these brave men went from High School to Flight School. Is this the Steve DaCosta who was friend of my brother W.O. As an example, heavy [1996 Information Please Almanac], POW-MIA Issue (unaccounted-for versus missing in action), Politics & People, On Vietnam, Clinton Should Follow a Hero's Advice, [1996 Information Please Almanac] 1995 Information Please Almanac Atlas & Yearbook 49th edition, Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston & New York 1996, pages 117, 161 and 292. Yes, most definitely young, but stupid? 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. the following purposes: To enhance and accredit the cohesiveness, esprit de corps, and traditions of valor of e.. Cover your Buddy, so he can be around to cover for you. Get full access to all features within our Business Solutions. 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. Put some fire in that bunker! I yelled to Private Whats-His-Name. The planes doing the bombing near the village were VNAF (Vietnam Air Force) and were being flown by Vietnamese pilots in support of South Vietnamese troops on the ground. Mailing Address: The tactical situation is such that the ground troops cannot get the dead or wounded to a secure open area for evacuation. n.. Learn more about how Statista can support your business. website may contain information that VHPA considers proprietary and Parameters for authorizing operating a US Navy submarine reactor plant above practicable design limits is Read More, Additionally, 1.3 million of those five million flight hours were accomplished during combat. average age of vietnam helicopter pilot. [VHPA 1993], The helicopter provided unprecedented mobility. 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. Or, to hear veteran helicopter pilots describe their personal experiences in the line of duty, click here. (EC), [Home] [ReunionInformation] [Donations] [OurLegacy] [MembershipServices] [RelatedWebSites], This Please call HQ on 800-505-VHPA (8472) to sign up to be a life All rights reserved. ah.. Nobody cares what you did yesterday or what you are going to do tomorrow. Were about five miles out. Five miles out from where? The VC knew the points in an assault where the helicopter was most vulnerable, so thorough prepping by gunships and strike aircraft was essential. 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. I enlisted in the (WOFT) Warrant Officer Flight Training. 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. All of these, however, are better than extraction by Medavac, even if it is technically, a form of flying. We are now Older and Wiser, and for that I am very thankful. I have posted your reply to Steve on here so he will be able to read it. Please do not hesitate to contact me. How could we lose a war we had already stopped fighting? Running is better than crawling. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. submit other directory changes and updates. It required every skill we had. 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. 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. 5 Stars . aa..Thus the term SHIT! can also be used to denote a situation where high Pucker Factor is being encountered. b.. Both immigrated If the rear echelon troops are really happy, the front line troops probably do not have what they need. Required fields are marked *. hostile fire exposure versus battle area exposure. Background [ edit ] On 11 December 1961, the USS Core (T-AKV-41) docked in Saigon with 32 U.S. Army Piasecki H-21 helicopters and 400 crewmen of the 8th Transportation Company (Light Helicopter) and the 57th . 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%). They were Kim's cousins not her brothers. In addition to an annual reunion held around July 4th, members keep in touch informally In action, gunships sometimes left their lights on for night missions, for according to another Huey pilot, We had a doctrine that wed rather have the enemy shoot at the gunship than at the lesser armed slicks.. I have got to pass this on to an Aussie friend of mine, Ian. . The Vietnam Helicopter Flight Crew Network (VHFCN) is a non profit veterans organization dedicated to the fulfillment of the following purposes: To provide a forum for recreational communications amongst a fraternity of aircrew members who served in Vietnam during the period 1961-75 At the conclusive battle of the war (the Fall of Saigon), the . There are over 4,945 helicopter pilots currently employed in the United States. Thanks for posting the memories. k.. 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. Read the latest issue of the Friends of the Vietnam Center Newsletter and subscribe to recieve future newsletters. Helicopter Pilots Association (VHPA) is a non-profit war veterans organization filed under v.. A free fire zone has nothing to do with economics. It would instantly cut the cable should any part of the lift apparatus get snagged in the trees or in any other emergency situation. They also acted as the means of supply of ammunitions, equipment and food. on 29 April 1975 from UPI's offices on the top floor of the Saigon Hotel which . Larry Clark and Mike Law in 1990. The DA-4733-DSC should not be confused with the much more common DA-4734-GSTT (Gunship Sized Tiny Testicles), where other pilots made up for their lack of size with big guns and big wrist watches. I would NOT fly unarmed helicopters! 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 media have reported that suicides among Vietnam veterans range from 50,000 to 100,000 - 6 to 11 times the non-Vietnam veteran population. 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 Others flew fixed wing and some were already in the Army but applied for and were chosen to attend flight school. Also "Estimating the Number of Suicides Among Vietnam Veterans" (Am J Psychiatry 147, 6 June 1990 pages 772-776). God bless you all! As an elevator at the reunion hotel was transporting me and other attendees to the Saturday night banquet, another Dustoff pilot stepped on from his floor. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy. statistic alerts) please log in with your personal account. There is only one rule in war: When you win, you get to make up the It is dedicated to the fulfillment of 66 founding members. Laura Ungaro, I enjoyed reading this very much, many good memories were recalled. The crewmen I flew with on hoist missions (like me, in their teens and early 20s) were absolutely the best, and I wish I could shake every one of their hands and hug them today. 4.7 average based on 3 product ratings. through mini-reunions (local get togethers) throughout the year and through the Internet From 1965, around 99 percent of each completed class of students were sent to Vietnam. Annual car sales worldwide 2010-2022, with a forecast for 2023, Number of cars sold in the U.S. 1951-2021, Battery electric vehicles in use worldwide 2016-2021, Annual gas prices in the United States 1990-2021, Automotive industry worldwide - statistics & facts, Motorcycle industry in the United States - statistics & facts, Profit from additional features with an Employee Account. (May 18, 2021). Publi le 12 juin 2022 par . to Europe and both have since died. 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. These three represent all of out Vietnam War helicopter pilots. University. confidential. We honor the memory of all those who lost their lives in that service. We were an easier target during the day, but unlike at night when we kept all the lights off, we could see what we were doing! EVERYTHING I NEEDED TO KNOW IN LIFE I LEARNED AS A HELICOPTER PILOT IN VIETNAM. Membership is open to all helicopter pilots who flew in applies to subscribers): Age 80 and above ---$75.00 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. [McCaffrey], Vietnam veterans have a lower unemployment rate than our non-vet age group. One of those is the missing man table at the banquet at each Myth: Agent Orange poisoned millions of Vietnam veterans. PO Box 8091 So, too, can the ones addressed To Whom It May Concern. t.. A little more than 12 days later, Operation Chopper commenced. American-owned airlines never knowingly transported opium in or out of Laos, nor did their American pilots ever profit from its transport. 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. U.S. active certificated pilots - number 1990-2020, Worldwide aircraft fleet age by region 2020-2030, Air traffic - passenger growth rates forecast 2019-2040. Company pick-up truck, I was told I didnt pass the depth perception portion of the eye test and would not be issued the license. They explained the trajectory of the weapons fired from an aircraft, especially when firing in a turn., Fort Rucker trained 120 aviators on its gunship aerial weapons course for the UH-1B in 1965. Americans who deliberately killed civilians received prison sentences while Communists who did so received commendations. 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. 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. Helicopters needed far more hands on piloting than fixed wing types. [Nixon] No More Vietnams by Richard Nixon. A third tradition is a bottle Thanks for the memories. There, the new guys learned how to apply their recently found skills to combat situations. Search: Average Age Of Vietnam Helicopter Pilot. . 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. Thank you for your service. An automobile accident or other traumatic event also can cause it. [Parade Magazine]. From 1965, around 99 percent of each completed class of students were sent to Vietnam. And two are in Africa: Tanzania (October 1995) and Guinea (June 1995). We especially were concerned about the troops we were there to support. You can only download this statistic as a Premium user. We will never forget you, or the sound of your rotor blades off in the distance, coming to our aid. I am so very proud to have served with them. 20002023 The Veterans Site and GreaterGood. . 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. It is far better that you fear the media, for they will steal your HONOR. I tried to use the opportunity to prove to myself that I could accomplish the goals I set for myself and do them well. 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. dont care. q.. Having all your body parts intact and functioning at the end of the day beats the alternative. This is a true testament for any theater! Failure to heed this commandment can affect the morale of the crew. 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. Prayer may not help . The picture of a Huey helicopter evacuating people from the top of what was billed as being the U.S. Embassy in Saigon during the last week of April 1975 during the fall of Saigon helped to establish this myth. aj.. Have you ever heard the expression, He was flying the aircraft balls out? That was us. Categories . 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. In closing, I would merely like to state that I am able to write this today in large part because of luck whole lot of GOOD luck and a little bit of good humor. [Online]. The building is the Pittman Apartments, a 10 [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. 75,000 Vietnam veterans are severely disabled. The third pilot is retired Col. David Rainey U.S. Army. Loud, sudden noises in a helicopter WILL get your undivided attention. In reference to Mr. Walker, would he also be the same pilot that was nick named, Baby Huey in Vietnam? 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. More Scout Teams were lost because of this than any other helicopter team. Not only were we not found to be lacking as youthful aviators, as a whole we far exceeded the expectations. When I read the quickly handwritten sheet for this particular mission, I knew before we left that it was going to be an insecure hoist. Age 65 to 69 --------$250.00 Harnage, 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). Another Huey pilot explained, We were expected to perform simulated missions like we were in Vietnam. Helicopters in 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. [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. He was an assault helicopter pilot, in other words a gunship pilot. 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 others on board simply assumed he was also headed for dinner, but I knew the true meaning of his statement. If you are allergic to lead, it is best to avoid a war zone. I dont think so. Add to that, it is also the most unforgiving mission flown in a helicopter. 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. The emotions are almost indescribable, but there was one more feeling: relief from being so scared! Online membership [CACF] (Combat Area Casualty File) November 1993. You need at least a Starter Account to use this feature. Sometimes, being good and lucky still is not enough. Flying is better than walking. https://www.vhpa.org. Deaths Average Age Enlisted: 50,274, 22.37 years Officers: 6,598, 28.43 years He has reported from Europe and flown Super Puma and Cougar helicopters with the Swiss Air Force. After that initial post-service period, Vietnam veterans were no more likely to die from suicide than non-Vietnam veterans. 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).

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