A tribute to all who served in the Scouts – submitted by Bill McCalister
Low Level Hell:The Hughes 500 story
This is the story of a remarkable helicopter simply known as the 500.
It is also the story of the courageous Scout pilots and crew who flew the OH6A or Loach in Vietnam, the predecessor of todays 500. These brave men wrote the first chapters in the 500 story. Archival footage from Vietnam as well as interviews with Scout pilots document the incredible achievements of this amazing helicopter in what can only be described as low level hell.
Courtesy of Roger Young
Air America’s Black Helicopter
“…In the last dark nights of the Vietnam War, however, a secret government organization did use a helicopter for a single, sneaky mission. But it was no ordinary aircraft. The helicopter, a limited-edition model from the Aircraft Division of Hughes Tool Company, was modified to be stealthy. It was called the Quiet One—also known as the Hughes 500P, the ‘P’ standing for Penetrator…”
