Flying With Fred: Reflecting on the Travels of a Photo Pro, Part 5 - Apache and Blackhawk Helicopters at Farmington Regional Airport

By Fred Harl

"Have camera, will travel," is more than just a catchphrase. The Aero Experience team is always looking for interesting aviation events and aircraft to capture for our audience.  Some of the images are from spectacular airshows, but many are also from the daily happenings at the local airport that often produce pleasant surprises along the way. After looking into the archives of the last few years, some images came to mind that may not have been featured in previous posts. So they will be released here in the "Flying With Fred" series. Today's collection features U.S. Army Apache and Blackhawk  helicopters that visited Farmington, MO Regional Airport last spring.

DeSoto, MO VFW Post 1831 Displays Newly-Arrived Army Cobra Helicopter

By Leo Cachet

VFW Post 1831 in DeSoto, MO recently received U.S. Army AH-1G Cobra helicopter for display in honor of military veterans.  After a five-year process of requests and preparations, volunteers from the post placed the Cobra, still with its well-worn exterior, on its pad August 10. It is now wearing a new coat of olive primer, and soon the post will put on two coats of olive drab paint along with the crossed swords of the Air Calvary and shark's teeth on the nose. The Aero Experience spoke with Post Commander, Sam McElya, today during an initial photo shoot of the Cobra. McElya, a UH-1 "Huey" mechanic during the Vietnam War, was very pleased that the Cobra has finally arrived. He recalled times when he was riding in a "Huey" at 130 knots, and the Cobras would pass him at about 170 knots on their way to giving some cover fire to the grunts in battle on the ground.  

The Aero Experience will report again on the Cobra at VFW Post 1831 as it receives its new paint scheme and unit markings.  Here are some views of the Cobra as it stands today.