Franken-Huey for Training Partners

Instructors with the 318th Training Squadron at the Inter-American Air Forces Academy at JBSA-Lackland, Tex., recently acquired a fully functional UH-1H Huey helicopter from the Army for use in training rotary-wing maintainers from Latin American partner militaries, announced school officials. Since more of these Latin American militaries are incorporating the more advanced Huey II, the academy is also working to acquire a UH-1N in the near future, according to an Oct. 14 Lackland release. Together with parts from the UH-1H, academy officials aim to use components from the UH-1N to create a Huey II maintenance trainer, states the release. “We try to modernize to keep up with 21st Century technologies, and the demand and requirements of our Latin American partners,” said Maj. Manuel Sotelo, 318th TRS maintenance officer. “With the proper equipment, training, and personnel, you can take parts from the H and N models to make a Huey II” for much less cost than acquiring a new Huey II, he added. (Lackland report by Mike Joseph)