Here's a short article about Little Birds and their use by Blackwater.


http://tinyurl.com/83afam8


Just thought some folks might be interested in the use of these small-but-impressive helicopters.

Neat article. Thanks for sharing it. As a kid I grew up watching Magnum PI and have since then lusted after the MD-500D. It, to me, is one of those iconic aircraft like the Cub, V-tailed Bo, and DC-3. (yeah I know the little bird in the article is the more modern 530F) BTW ever wonder why the Allison 250 isn't the engine of choice for jet-prop conversions instead of the PT-6?

Thanks Tom - Enjoyed the article. Sounds/looks like a pretty effective and potent little bird!

A former partner of mine flew the Vietnam version of the Little Bird, called the Loach. Fast and manueverable, sometimes they would use it to draw fire for the Huey gunships that were lurking nearby. He went down in it a few times. Got out ok all but once because the tail boom would break off and the round shape of the body would dissipate energy. The one time he lost his gunner in a shoot down crash into the Mekong River. He would celebrate that guy's birthday every year. Actually he would go out and get pretty drunk by himself.

The book "Low Level Hell" is a fascinating read by a Vietnam Loach pilot. I highly recommend it.

http://www.amazon.com/Low-Level-Hell-Hu ... ag=btalk-20

Thanks for sharing Tom. They are great helos, my choice if I had enough money to maintain a helo. Flew 500, C, D, and E's for 9 years. They are the Corvettes of the helos and MUCH safer than the Bells in a crash.

I agree the D model is the one to have unless you have the money to step up to the F model.
Almost like going to the S35 model. Beech Content.....

Steve

The book "Low Level Hell" is a fascinating read by a Vietnam Loach pilot. I highly recommend it.

http://www.amazon.com/Low-Level-Hell-Hu ... ag=btalk-20

Andy,

Mike was a hell of a guy, he did all you said and more! He also flew combat missions in "Nam" with his son, Was the first pilot for the Golden Knights. He was also the only member of his flight school class left on active flight status when he retired after like 40 years of uniformed service. A true American Hero!!! Jay

Indeed. I think he even pulled his son out after he got shot down.

The book "Low Level Hell" is a fascinating read by a Vietnam Loach pilot. I highly recommend it.

http://www.amazon.com/Low-Level-Hell-Hu ... ag=btalk-20

Charlie:
Just finished the book you recommended "Low Level Hell". Wow. It is stunning what those Loach pilots did. The courage required was unbelievable. They had a mission that was a low tech street fight with very close range firefights. They flew low and slow scouting for the enemy, using eyes only, with the Cobra gunship that accompanied them up at altitude, ready to roll in if needed. When a Loach got into it, its M-60 and mini-gun were tremendously lethal; you have to read the book to appreciate how much so. The author, Hugh Mills, was one heroic and smart hombre. Bear Bryant used to say he wanted players who would rather fight than eat. I know those kind of guys well (was probably one of them), and Mills in Vietnam was definitely that kind of scrapper.
The book was an extra good read for me because of my former partner, who I mentioned was a Loach pilot. I had no idea the bravery required and the intensity of the fight he must have experienced. We were partners when I was taking flying lessons, and talked about flying some, but all I ever knew was he volunteered for Vietnam, flew a Loach, it had a gun he could control, he was shot down 5 times, and he lost his rear seat gunner after being shot down in the Mekong River. Allthough he was a good bit older than me, he was pretty much a stud. A brilliant guy, he graduated at the top of his class from the best schools in the country, was first or second team all state in high school in football, basketball and baseball in Maine, both his sons were scholarship tight ends at Div. I schools, and in the only sport I ever played with him, he was a low handicap golfer with great touch and great hands. When I saw in this book the unbelievable physical and mental demands placed on Loach pilots, it all made sense how he and that mission found each other. Those guys were some of America's best. I also highly recommend the book.

Charlie:
Just finished the book you recommended "Low Level Hell". Wow. It is stunning what those Loach pilots did. The courage required was unbelievable. They had a mission that was a low tech street fight with very close range firefights. They flew low and slow scouting for the enemy, using eyes only, with the Cobra gunship that accompanied them up at altitude, ready to roll in if needed. When a Loach got into it, its M-60 and mini-gun were tremendously lethal; you have to read the book to appreciate how much so. The author, Hugh Mills, was one heroic and smart hombre. Bear Bryant used to say he wanted players who would rather fight than eat. I know those kind of guys well (was probably one of them), and Mills in Vietnam was definitely that kind of scrapper.
The book was an extra good read for me because of my former partner, who I mentioned was a Loach pilot. I had no idea the bravery required and the intensity of the fight he must have experienced. We were partners when I was taking flying lessons, and talked about flying some, but all I ever knew was he volunteered for Vietnam, flew a Loach, it had a gun he could control, he was shot down 5 times, and he lost his rear seat gunner after being shot down in the Mekong River. Allthough he was a good bit older than me, he was pretty much a stud. A brilliant guy, he graduated at the top of his class from the best schools in the country, was first or second team all state in high school in football, basketball and baseball in Maine, both his sons were scholarship tight ends at Div. I schools, and in the only sport I ever played with him, he was a low handicap golfer with great touch and great hands. When I saw in this book the unbelievable physical and mental demands placed on Loach pilots, it all made sense how he and that mission found each other. Those guys were some of America's best. I also highly recommend the book.

I'm reading "Dustoff" now. Like it.