Twirly(war)birds at Olympia

[Curtis Block]

I took these shots in a day at the Olympia airport. This would possibly represent 1/3 to 1/2 of the warbird helicopter, population that call Oly home. As Brad might say. "You can't swing a dead cat around here without hitting one of these things."



Olympic Flight Museum, TAH-1P, SN 77-22741.






Department of Natural Resources, UH-1H.






Department of Natural Resources, AH-1F.
















Future Department of Natural Resources, Fire Cobras, H models, and parts ships.

Last edited by Curtis Block on Thu Oct 11, 2007 12:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[tom d. friedman]

i've never seen a civilianized cobra!!

[Rob Mears]

Here's praying that those Cobras will be viable candidates for civilian ownership at some point in the future!

[Curtis Block]

Notice the difference in the bubble windows on the two Fire Cobras. These permit the pilot to lean way over the side and look straight down.



I posted this one last month and saw no real need at the time to post it again.

[mustangpilot]

The only way those DNR AH-1's will ever get in civilian ownership is by act of congress. It will not happen. They are in the same DOD group as an F-18 for example.

[Scott Rose]

anybody have a list of those Cobras in storage?

[Warbird Kid]

Interesting though, then why are there already a few I've seen on the airshow circuit? Is there something I missed?

[MX304]

The only way those DNR AH-1's will ever get in civilian ownership is by act of congress. It will not happen. They are in the same DOD group as an F-18 for example.

There is at least one flying in civilian hands right now. It has been at the CAF airsho, and I think it may be based in Midland somewhere.

[maxum96]

I believe that there are 2 Cobras in civilian hands. There was a big uproar a few years ago by some politicians over the fact there were 2 civilian owned flying Cobras. This was pre 9/11.

[jeffreyhale]

I work helicopters for a living and most of the ones at Oly belong to the Owner of Northwest Helicopters, currently or previously. He has one that hs rents as a movie prop, most reasonally in an all black "Police" paint job for that wierd cop movie, "Miami 911"? It's a 3 20mm barrel, no under the nose FLIR/TOW site. I have a picture somewhere. He sold the ones that got the civilized treatment to them and his people still get in on the maintanance. He mostly does Hueys now and has 25 stripped airframes outside his shop awaiting work. He also has quite the museum collection, mixed with whats in storage at the company site. I know of one flyable HH-43B and one wrecked spare, 1 h-19A in very poor shape, several Hillers, OH-6's etc. The disturbing thing is the R-4360 sitting in the rain on it's tail, the Rolls-Royce Griffon covered in dust in storage, and the V-1710 that got installed in a drag racing tractor!

[Jack Cook]

You're referring to Brian aka mustangpilot of the Olympic Flight Museum who previously posted in this thread. The Allison powered tug aka 'The Animal' was part of the purchase which inclused the Hunter, N3N, C-123, Lightning ect. Brian's
FG-1D should be the finest flying when John Lane finishes it. When Brian flew his Cobra into Arlington a couple years ago he really stole the show!!!
Brian defently a chopper guy, but then again that's his business! He first photo on this thread is of Brian's flying Cobra

[Brad]

I work helicopters for a living and most of the ones at Oly belong to the Owner of Northwest Helicopters, currently or previously. He has one that hs rents as a movie prop, most reasonally in an all black "Police" paint job for that wierd cop movie, "Miami 911"? It's a 3 20mm barrel, no under the nose FLIR/TOW site. I have a picture somewhere. He sold the ones that got the civilized treatment to them and his people still get in on the maintanance. He mostly does Hueys now and has 25 stripped airframes outside his shop awaiting work. He also has quite the museum collection, mixed with whats in storage at the company site. I know of one flyable HH-43B and one wrecked spare, 1 h-19A in very poor shape, several Hillers, OH-6's etc. The disturbing thing is the R-4360 sitting in the rain on it's tail, the Rolls-Royce Griffon covered in dust in storage, and the V-1710 that got installed in a drag racing tractor!

The guy you're talking about is "Mustangpilot", he posted a few spaces above you. The R-4360 sitting outside is trashed and was before he obtained it. I'm sure it could be picked up pretty cheaply! If you're interested, there is a 0 time -4360 in storage and it can probably be purchased along with the Griffon. It's covered in dust because when I unloaded it from the truck several years ago there was no cover for it. Also, the Allison was installed on the tractor before we got it as well! We've almost killed several people with it over the years.

Here are some before and after pictures of the Cobra in Reno 911.




And the tractor



And the -4360 and Griffon

[MX304]

Is that Griffon set up for contra props, or a single prop?

[mustangdriver]

Reno 911 was a classic

[Warbird Kid]

Ten bucks says thats the same Cobra used in the beginning of one of the Austin Powers movie. You know the one. The one with Tom Cruise in it!