GERMAN HUEY TO FLY AGAIN
A former Heeresflieger (German Army) Bell (Dornier) UH-1D Iroquois (72+94) is due to be restored back to the flying condition. Huey 72+94 performed the Search and Rescue role with Transport Helicopter Regiment 30 (Transporthubschrauberregiment 30) at Niederstetten and was retired from active service in May 2020 being replaced by the new Airbus H145M.
The helicopter has already been transported by road to Maastricht Aachen Airport in the Netherlands where it arrived on the 13th of January 2022. There, at the facilities of Aircraft Solutions, the iconic Huey (72+94) will be restored back to the flying condition. Once the restoration is completed it is believed that the aircraft will receive a Belgian civil registration number and will be based at a private heliport in Kasterlee.
Photos: Elisabeth Klimesch
The Bell UH-1 Iroquois (nicknamed "Huey") is a utility military helicopter powered by a single turboshaft engine, with two-bladed main and tail rotors. The first member of the prolific Huey family, it was developed by Bell Helicopter to meet a 1952 US Army requirement for a medical evacuation and utility helicopter, and first flew in 1956. The UH-1 was the first turbine-powered helicopter produced for the United States military, and more than 16,000 have been built since 1960.
72+94 was one of the 371 UH-1Ds (D was for Deutschland) that were built for Bell under licence by Dornier in the 1969/1970 period. Out of the 371 Hueys built 340 were destined for the German Air Force and Army. Besides being used by the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) and the German Army (Heeresflieger) the Hueys were also used by the German Border Police (Bundesgrenzschutz) and Ministry of Internal Affairs (Bundesministerium des Innern) units.
