HANGAR TALK
MD Helicopters Proudly Participates in Son Tay Raid 50th Anniversary Celebration
MD Helicopters Inc. (MDHI) recently participated in a special Son Tay Raid reenactment on the 50th anniversary of the fateful raid to free POWs in Vietnam that would inspire countless future successful operations. In partnership with the Silent Warrior Foundation, MDHI provided two MD 500 helicopters to transport surviving raiders and POWs from Scottsdale, Arizona, to the Dillon Aero range in Maricopa County, where partial reproduction structures of the Son Tay prison camp had been built for the occasion.
On Nov. 21, 1970, a special operations group of nearly 60 soldiers raided the Son Tay prison compound in North Vietnam just outside Hanoi in an attempt to rescue some 61 prisoners of war. Known as Operation Kingpin, the raid included a low and slow-flying C-130 airplane followed by six rescue helicopters, all radio silent with no lights. The coordinated attack aimed to take out the guard tower and communications while simultaneously freeing the POWs. Concurrently, the U.S. sent three Navy carriers as a distraction and to help suppress potential enemy air support. Unfortunately, the prisoners had been moved, leaving no one to rescue, but the mission otherwise went so well it became a basis for future raids and rescue missions. The reenactment was filmed for the documentary Kingpin: 27 Minutes at Son Tay.
“The support MD Helicopters gave to our event commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Son Tay Raid was just incredible,” says David Hall, president of the Silent Warrior Foundation. “The three-ship formation of two MD 500s led by a Vietnam era UH-1 and loaded with Son Tay Raiders and former POWs was an amazing sight to behold when they arrived at the Dillon Aero Range. Seeing former POW Doug Burns flying an MD 500 was heartwarming.” To learn more about the Silent Warrior Foundation, visit its website at
silentwarriorfoundation.com.
True Blue Power Simplifies Charging/Discharging of Lithium-ion Aircraft Batteries, Releases Two Intelligent Battery Chargers
True Blue Power recently introduced two aircraft battery chargers to the company’s line of advanced power products. The True Blue Charger PRO and True Blue Charger Mx are engineered to provide simple, safe, and automatic charging for lithium-ion aircraft batteries.
“Our lithium-ion batteries contribute to a significant reduction in carbon emissions and enable lightweight, more electric aircraft to achieve success,” said Erik Ritzman, vice president of True Blue Power. “As industry experts, we’ve leveraged years of maintenance and lithium-ion battery experience to bring two easy-to-use chargers to market. The True Blue Charger PRO and Mx take the guess work out of charging, discharging, and maintaining lithium-ion batteries.”
True Blue Charger PRO
The TT28-12 True Blue Charger PRO is specifically designed to charge, discharge, and test True Blue Power lithium-ion aircraft batteries. Pre-loaded with all necessary parameters, it allows maintenance personnel to safely and efficiently top- charge batteries and perform scheduled capacity checks. The True Blue Charger PRO is the first and only battery charger to automatically discharge lithium-ion aircraft batteries to 30% state-of-charge (SOC), as required for air shipment.
True Blue Charger Mx
The TT28-2 True Blue Charger Mx maintains lithium-ion and sealed lead-acid aircraft batteries of any capacity, while continuously displaying battery voltage. The direct-connect, 2.5-amp charger extends battery life and can be used for standby maintenance without trickle charging.
rotorcraftpro.com 29
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82
