AIRFRAME
NEW LIFE FOR AN
R. Fred Polak | Editor
Located in Washington state’s capital city of Olympia is a small helicopter maintenance organization that has
carved a niche by bringing old Bell Helicopter airframes back to life for their next chapter in the book of aviation. Everyone in the business of fl ying and working on helicopters is aware of the most iconic and famous helicopter, the Bell Huey (offi cially known as the UH-1 Iroquois), which was built in the 1960s and early 1970s for U.S. Army use in the Vietnam War. Northwest Helicopters LLC brings this war veteran back to life as it continues to breathe a new future for commercial and military customers around the world. I recently had the opportunity to interview Brian Reynolds, owner and CEO of Northwest Helicopters. Helicopter Maintenance – Hello, Brian. What made
you decide to locate in Olympia? Reynolds – We chose to locate in Olympia as it’s a great location. We are close to both air and sea ports, and this area is strong on aviation maintenance and manufacturing. Helicopter Maintenance – How long have you been
in business? Reynolds – We have been in business since the late 1970s. I came on board in 1984 and worked for the company as a pilot. In 1985, I had the opportunity to purchase the company — and I did.
Helicopter Maintenance – How many employees do you have?
Reynolds – We currently have 49 employees. We also use contract employees as needed. This allows us to spool up fast if the need arises.
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HelicopterMaintenanceMagazine.com February | March 2014
Helicopter Maintenance – We know that your spe- cialty is working on Bell UH-1 Hueys. What do you do to them?
Reynolds – We specialize in the entire refurbishment of the aircraft. We take old, tired, retired former military helicopters and completely strip them down and give them a new lease on life — everything from sheet metal to wiring, to avionics, gearboxes and engines. Helicopter Maintenance – Who are the current users of the UH-1H? Reynolds – That is a long list. There are still about 1,000 or so in use worldwide. There is just no replacement that can still do the job with the cabin size, power, reliability and the cost of the helicopter. In the U.S., you see many of them used as fi re fi ghting machines. They are still a front-line helicopter in many South American countries. We also have a few collec-
OLD WARRIOR
Photos Courtesy of XXXXXXXXXXXXX
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