Classic Cobra: Garlick Helicoptors of Hamilton rolls out historic helicopter

An audience
of state and
county
officials,
along with
local aviation
enthusiasts,
held onto their
hats Tuesday
at Garlick
Helicopters http://garlickhelicopters.com/
near
Hamilton.

By JAMIE
OGDEN Ravalli Republic Staff
Reporter

The crowd
was
assembled
for the roll-out
ceremony of
the only flying
AH-1 Cobra
Gunship left,
an aircraft
restored by
Garlick
Helicopters
for the Army
Aviation
Heritage
Foundation.

The historic helicopter was built in 1967 to go to Vietnam, according
to Project Manager John Angelo. Shot down within six months, the
aircraft was rebuilt and sent back into action. It was shot down
again, rebuilt again, and sent back to war again – three times, all
told.

The helicopter then languished in a scrap pile, Angelo said, until it
was sold in tiny pieces to Ron Garlick. Once restored to operational
use, Angelo said the helicopter was used for fire fighting and other
projects – until Mike Brady of the Army Aviation Heritage Foundation
called.

Brady asked Garlick to restore the AH-1 Cobra to its historic
condition, and after three months of steady work the results were on
display Tuesday.

The only flying G-model left in the world, Angelo said the helicopter
"flies like a dream."

"I flew a bunch of them in the army and I didn’t know it was suppose
to handle like that," he said. "It’s like driving a ’61 Fairlane then
getting in a new Mustang GT."

Flown originally for the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division, the
restored gunship bears the insignia of the division in yellow, against
an army green background. Painted near the cockpit, also in yellow,
are the names of the aircraft’s first pilots, Lt. White and Crew Chief
Liubakka.

Addressing the crowd Tuesday, Brady said the two men have been
located and notified of the helicopter’s restoration. Brady, who
bought the helicopter, will donate the machine to the Army Aviation
Heritage Foundation, a non-profit veterans’ organization that travels
the country’s air shows providing education and fostering patriotism
through living history demonstrations, he said.

Based in Atlanta, Ga., Brady said the organization uses the exact
aircraft that participated in making history to share history with
audiences throughout the nation.

"Out of thousands that were produced that saw combat, this is the
last one," he said of the restored AH-1 Cobra.

Standing just off the helipad as the helicopter’s turbine engine
began to roar and wind up for a demonstration flight, Ravalli County
Airport Manager Red Caldwell said, "I never thought I’d see one of
these fly again."

Caldwell served with the 101st Airborne Division during 1968 and
1969, the same years the very aircraft on display was employed with
the division during its first tour in Vietnam. Caldwell, himself,
completed three tours there.

Meantime, another local Vietnam veteran, Allen Bjergo, recounted
grisly details of his troop’s battles with the Viet Cong and the
number of times they were rescued by a similar helicopter
appearing through the trees to fetch the men.

Before climbing in the cockpit to give the demonstration flight, Ron
Garlick said the day marked a "prestigious moment" for him. Garlick
has been working with the Ravalli County Economic Development
Authority and others to secure funding for an anticipated expansion
that would allow facility to restore many more helicopters to working
condition.

Together with Huey Certs, LLC, the Hamilton helicopter facility is
less than one year away from achieving standard certification from
the Federal Aviation Administration for the restoration of the
military’s UH-1H helicopters.

Touted as a way to gain full utilization of the taxpayer dollars that
purchased the helicopters, an expansion at Huey Certs and Garlick
is anticipated to more than double employment at the facility south
of Hamilton, currently at around 25.

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