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News
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06-22-2002
An Historic
Aviation-Rotorcraft event took place at the Hiller Aviation Museum,
Vertical Challenge in San Carlos, California on June 22, 2002 at
2:42PM, Joe Pike lifted the completely restored, only flying HUP-1
to a hover. Classic Rotors (The Rare & Vintage Rotorcraft
Museum) then thundered straight up in the only flying H-21B. Next a
Navy CH-46 Sea Night from NAS North Island San Diego climbed into
the sky, followed by the assent of a massive Army CH-47 Chinook from
the Stockton California Air National Guard. These giants, suspended
in the air, capped off a year long effort to complete a first time
hover and flight of four generations of Tandem Rotor Helicopters. (Piasecki,
Vertol, Boeing Vertol & Boeing Helicopters - 1940s-Present) This
historic event, was a special "Tribute to Frank N. Piasecki",
the father of the Tandem Rotor Helicopter. The Milestone event was
honored to have Piasecki's Chief Test Pilot, S.A. "Tommy"
Atkins, as a representative of The Piasecki Aircraft Corporation.
Mr. Scott Highton, a
photographer for The Smithsonian captured the
event on film for Air & Space. Classic Rotors would like to give
special thanks to the Hiller Aviation Museum, the flight crews,
their maintenance personnel, and all the volunteers who made this
Historic Flight possible. It should also be noted that the 2002
Hiller Vertical Challenge had the largest attendance of any
rotorcraft airshow according to HAI. |
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