40 Year Reunion of the Helicopter Unit

[Bird]

The Dallas Police Department got their first helicopter (Bell 47) in 1969. I spent a couple of nights in it over Dallas that summer as a sergeant in the burglary and theft section. By 1973, when I, as a lieutenant, became Commander of the Helicopter Section, we had 6 Bell 47s and a 1951 DeHavilland Beaver. So today Margaret and I spent nearly all day (5 hours) at The Frontiers of Flight Museum in Dallas for a 40th Reunion of the Helicopter Unit, past and present. We had about 155 people there for a morning visit, an enchilada lunch, and an interesting program. The first picture is of a Bell 47; not one of the choppers we actually used, but the same model we had. Of course, we left the doors off ours in the Summer. The second picture is the actual 2006 Bell 407 currently in use. The department also has two Bell 206s plus an OH-58 (military version). The third picture is of a retired departmental pilot on the left who was the principle organizer of the reunion, two current pilots, and the guy sitting in the back seat is Frank Dyson, who was the Chief of Police in 1969, became Chief of Police in Austin in 1974, and is now 82 years old.

 

[jinman]

Bird, I'll bet the pilots and crew are a darn-sight more comfortable in their helicopters today than you were in that Bell 47. I know you must have enjoyed your reunion. Thanks for the photos.

Back in the early 60s when I was in Junior High School, they had a Bell Helicopter similar to the 47 that was at the County Fair in Denton. That was the first airplane of any type that I ever flew in. I think a 10 minute ride in those days was all of $5. You probably couldn't sit in one for that price today. Kathy and I paid $150 for a few minutes in a helo over Niagara Falls and I thought that was a pretty good bargain at today's prices.

 

[Bird]

I think a 10 minute ride in those days was all of $5.

Odd coincidence, Jim. One of the guys today mentioned saving up $5 for a helicopter ride when he was a kid. The first Dallas Police helicopter was a leased 47 and they hired one civilian pilot. A short time later they hired 2 more civilian pilots, then they bought a couple of Hughes 300 choppers, but that didn't last long before they sold those and bought more 47s. And they found we already had some officers who flew choppers in Vietnam. Eventually, 2 of the civilian pilots went elsewhere and the last one was killed in a crash when he flew into a new city radio antenna tower, killing himself and the lieutenant who was out there in 1984.

Jim, being a Texan, you probably remember Fort Wolters out around Mineral Wells. When I was in the Helicopter Section, I had a sergeant and a patrolman who had been helicopter instructors at Fort Wolters. The sergeant later became a lieutenant, then resigned to move to Utah. He moved back to Texas and died of cancer last year; same age as me. The one who was a patrolman resigned to return to the National Guard full time and he was at the reunion today.

I've been playing with PIXresizer again, so I'll try a couple of smaller pictures of a couple of fat old people.

 

[LBrown59]

Bird, I'll bet the pilots and crew are a darn-sight more comfortable in their helicopters today than you were in that Bell 47. I know you must have enjoyed your reunion. Thanks for the photos.

Back in the early 60s when I was in Junior High School, they had a Bell Helicopter similar to the 47 that was at the County Fair in Denton. That was the first airplane of any type that I ever flew in. I think a 10 minute ride in those days was all of $5. You probably couldn't sit in one for that price today. Kathy and I paid $150 for a few minutes in a helo over Niagara Falls and I thought that was a pretty good bargain at today's prices.

I was out of HS by then.

 

[Bird]

LB, I still remember my first airplane ride, too. I graduated from high school in 1958, I had a 2 year old Mercury convertible at the time, and I took a friend who had graduated the year before and another friend a couple of years younger and the three of us drove out west to see Carlsbad Caverns, then went on to El Paso, where the younger friend had an aunt and uncle. As we approached the outskirts of El Paso, there was an airport and a billboard advertising airplane rides, so we stopped, and the three of us went for a 20 minute ride around over El Paso and the Rio Grand in a Cessna 172. I don't remember for sure, but I think it cost us in the vicinity of $5 each, at least.

 

[Egon]

That sure looks a lot like the first helicopter I had a ride in back in 63. It took us up a mountain on a survey job. Weight was a big issue and we had to really pick and choose on what we took with us.

 

[Bird]

Yep, Egon, weight was pretty critical, especially in hot, dry air as in Texas. At one time, in 1970-71 I guess, the Police Department bought a couple of Hughes 300s. I was never in one of those, but I understand weight was even more critical. Those little choppers didn't have a lot of lift.

 

[MarkV]

Looks like you had fun Bird. You and the Mrs. are looking pretty good there.

MarkV

 

[irvingj]

I took a ride in an OH-58 back in 75, from Camp Roberts, CA to Fort Ord.... pilot let me take the stick for most of the way up to Fort Ord-- man, those Jetrangers are sensitive! I still rmember him telling me, "Don't move the stick to turn, just THINK turn!" (That worked very well!)

He flew on the trip back, via Carmel Valley, then over the hump to the seacoast, down Rte 1, cut in over Hearst Castle (wish I had had my camera!) and back to Camp Roberts. Really cool flying along Rte 1 over the ocean, looking in the passenger side windows of cars, level with the occupants!

It was 125 on the ground when we got back that afternoon-- the 58 just dropped the last 6 feet and bounced on the skids-- but we made it down; the tower had given us the option of trying to land or going back up to Fort Ord. Ballsy pilot, a Vietnam chopper driver. Unforgettable experience.

I can appreciate the low density-altitude you speak of, Bird!

Only experience I ever had with a 47 was giving one a jump-start that had been outside overnight in VT when the temp suddenly dropped to -10 or so. Took quite a while to get it going, as I recall!

 

[LBrown59]

LB,
1*I graduated from high school in 1958.
2*I had a 2 year old Mercury convertible at the time, and I took a friend who had graduated the year before and another friend a couple of years younger and the three of us drove out west to see Carlsbad Caverns, then
3*went on to El Paso, where the younger friend had an aunt and uncle.

1*I graduated from high school in 1959.
Looking forward to my 50 Th. class reunion comming up in September.
I bought my first car a 1950 Chevy in 1958.
I was 17 at the time.
2*In 1962 I had a 1960 Chevy convertible.
A friend of mine a restored 56 Mercury when we were in the Oh National Guard back in the late 1960s.
3*I spent Jan - April 1964 at fort bliss in El Paso training for the Ohio Nat Guard.