Huey reaches 20,000 flight hours

FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE — A 36th Rescue Squadron UH-1N “Huey” achieved 20,000 flight hours Jan. 13.

According to the aircraft manufacturer, this is the highest number of flight hours for Huey used in the Department of Defense.

UH-1N “Huey” No. 6648 arrived at Fairchild in March of 1971, completing all its operational hours assigned to the 36th RQS supporting search and rescue missions, and survival school training.

“This milestone represents the highest flight time for UH-1N model and truly highlights the significance of the 36th RQS mission at Fairchild,” 36th RQS pilot Capt. Brian Doyle said. “Reaching 20,000 hours not only shows how durable the Huey is, but it also shows how exceptional our maintenance technicians are at keeping it running.”

The 36th RQS completed 759 flights in 2022, with its fleet of UH-1Ns averaging 18,000 hours total flight time. This makes Huey 6648’s 20,000 hours 2,000 hours higher than the next closest UH-1N in the 36th RQS fleet.

“The Huey is a versatile and reliable aircraft that gives us the ability to reach confined areas to complete the mission,” flight engineer Tech. Sgt. Andres Ponce said. “There’s not one mission set that the Huey does, it can do anything from search and rescue, medical evacuation, to transportation, which is one of the greatest things about this aircraft.”

The 36th RQS also has the most diverse mission set of any singular UH-1N unit in the Air Force supporting the 336th Training Group’s Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape training, medical evacuation, cargo sling, water survival training and pararescue drop.

“The prowess of the U.S. Air Force is not derived from a collection of military equipment but is defined by the Airmen who are trained to operate it,” Cmdr. Lt. Col. Jennifer Golembiewski said. “Since its creation in 1959, we have continued to stay on the cutting edge of weaponry and the Airmen entrusted with it have always found creative ways to take them to the absolute limit.

“Among all the platforms used in the last eight decades, the UH-1N Huey stands out as a testament to the innovation of the force.”