Flying the MD530F and the Resurrection of MD Helicopters - AIN
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 20 ก.ย. 2024
- Read the full story about MD Helicopter's resurrection here: www.ainonline....
AIN editor-in-chief Matt Thurber visited MD Helicopters in Mesa, Arizona to fly the company’s most powerful helicopter, the MD530F. New management has been working to bring the manufacturer back to its potential after a series of decisions by previous owners Patriarch Partners, and Lynn Tilton led to a crippling bankruptcy. The previous owners have since relinquished all shares, and bond insurer MBIA now owns the majority of the company.
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Thanks for rescuing the MD-500 series. The Ferrari of helicopters. Great bird.
That sign in the background with the production manager is brilliant - “Quality is NOT expensive, it is PRICELESS” …..
Boeing could learn a thing or two from that quote.
Can't wait for Ol'cleeter' to get his MD500 (Consuelo) to be Air worthy again... Hell yeah brother....
That is a truly epic story. I don't care for keeping the foreign flag on it, but bottom line is he brought the machine home and it's getting a new life it had NO chance of ever seeing before. I was in tears watching the first video. He brought the damn thing home. Man. Deep respect.
Magnum P.I would be proud of these efforts! Wonderful management! Wish them success.
The MD 500 is an iconic helicopter, thanks for rescuing that bird. looking forward to see more series coming out , Great bird.
Absolutely love MD. I flew in a 500 when I was 11 years old and have been hooked on flying ever since.
You were in Mesa, not Phoenix! We are very proud of Falcon Field and home of MD Helicopters!
City of Mesa is as corrupt as it gets. There's nothing to be proud of here. Corrupt cops and corrupt city government. Even the Fire Department is filled with corruption. You're probably one of them.
Local PD just acquired two new 530Fs and they love them. Replaced a couple older D models. I don't think they even looked at competitors. They wanted new MD and got them. Great choice. Love the 600N also operating in my area. Outstanding machines. Far too rare.
I "worked" with the 500 (OH-6A) in Vietnam & saw just what it could do. I recovered a few that were shot down & crew were able to safely land & escape, even in triple canopy jungle. My favorite helicopter for crash worthiness & maneuverability. While I loved flying the Cobra, it wasn't nearly as forgiving in emergency autorotations. Very glad to see MD coming back!
The roll cage design was ingenious. Legend has it that US Army big wigs witnessed one roll up in a ball during a demo, in which the pilot walked away unscathed? Hughes got the contract the very next day.
@@crazyralph6386 Correct--the crash structure of the 500 was the best ever. It saved more than a few Cav troopers. Low mass rotor systems are more difficult to do an easy autorotation as they usually have higher sink rates or angles (so, the flare & leveling timing is more critical) but, if it's a 500--better chance of walking away from the wreckage. (unlike a sudden stop in a Cobra where the high mass rotor system could cause the transmission to fail & the rotor go through the front cockpit at shoulder height. Not good.)
@@dennislyons3095 first thing I noticed with the 500 series was that noticeable sink rate and aggressive use of the cyclic and collective to level off, when doing full autos, especially when you’ve flown Bell’s all your life? Little thing drops like a rock and you’ve got be on your A game, or you’re definitely going to damage the skid gear(or worse?), whereas I’ve done touchdowns in 205’s, where everything appears in slow motion, with even enough inertia leftover at the bottom to actual increase the aircraft’s height above ground 15-20ft solely with the collective….power/off!!! Two completely different machines in emergency training and overall flying characteristics. Like going from Barry Manilow to Metallica 😂
Thank you for saving this company and this beautiful aircraft awesome management will have great employees!
Visiting MD Helicopters is on the top of my bucket list. Long live MD!
Just amazing to see this company coming back!
I am happy that Boeing did not get hold of them and kill the brand .
Brand killer I have ear thrown machine making sound of Boeing.
All the brands that I have watched till now seems like quite in dead. Congratulations and celebrating 30 years of work included you.
Lynn Tilton almost did that.
Looks like the right leadership and all the right people now, poised to be a great company once again. Awesome video.
Great news, great interview, great flight. Thanks for making my day!
It is such a beautiful bird.
I have been in love with it since I first saw it.
"not just for investors, but for customers"
Investors must become secondary. Without customers a company is nothing.
Great video of one of the best Ressurection stories! I am so happy that MD and their great helicopters are having a brighter future now thanks the new management with true love and dedication for helicopters! The MD 500 series was always one of my favorite helicopters and it's so good to know that they will be build in the future! Matt was doing so great in the MD530F!!!
So glad to hear that they are going to save this company and these fine helicopters!😊
Truly wish you all the best in your success... Thank you, Edd... So nice to have also Brad Pedersen on board with his enthusiasm for such a great product... And you're getting to fly with that great instructor Snider taking good care of you...
This company and bird is absolutely iconic and I'm so thankful that it was saved!
I truly love this helicopter and the line in general... They are hot rods of the sky! Got an invite to shoot some aerial video segs for a news channel way before "drones"... The pilot knew I was well on my way to my rotary cert and invited me up front and gave me a good 15 minutes of stick time... The responsiveness of this helo is amazing! Thanks for the video and keep the MD alive! Great news that there is modernization across the line..
Thank you loved the video hope everything works great for MD helicopters
I rode EMS in a 500 E way back and actually got 30 hours of stick time thanks to a very generous Chief pilot who thought I had the chops. Never could afford the turbine hours for flight school but will always remember what a nimble, responsive airframe that 500 was.
Wow. I really hope to see them succeed and become masters in the industry again. PS, Cleetus would make a great ambassador for you guys. He’s got lots of people watching these helicopters as of late.
My favourite aircraft to work on. licensed on all their aircraft. 902 was years ahead of its time. Best HEMS aircraft ever.
Best wishes and keep going !!!!!
Very very cool! I love MDs!, great instruction as well.
probably one of the coolest things ever designed.
I worked there shortly before the bankruptcy when Lynn owned MD. It was a horrible place. I am immensely happy that it is now owned and ran by leadership who are truly invested in aviation and their product.
Glad to see this company is still spitting them out.
I'm excited that Garrett Mitchell AKA Cleetus McFarland has an 80's MD500e brought in from Venezuela he's restoring. Exciting!
Great video and good luck to that team.
So the former execs were so focused on trying to get military funding/contracts they stopped caring about anything else? Even after the Army retired the Bell OH-58 Kiowa? Talk about ego. Imagine trying to call a sales rep talking about giving them millions of dollars for a helicopter and they don't even return your call. Wow. Clearly focusing on military sales whether international or American was not the best idea.
Probably still anticipating military orders since they canceled FARA, those were supposed to replace at least the AH and maybe the MH in the 160th ,depending on which was chosen .
I was there as a line mech and yep total mismanagement into the ground. The story was told very nicely but the point was made.
Fantastic helicopters. Thank you for helping them continue the legend.
That was an AWSOME video.. thank you for sharing
Thanks for watching!
All my best for your success!
My favorite bird next to the Viper thank you for saving it
Great Great interview!!!!!!!!!
I have the pleasure of watching these birds fly all day long here in Mesa. Never gets old, never will.
Great to see the 500 still being produced. Loved flying its predecessor the OH-6A in Vietnam. The sports car of Vietnam era helicopters.
Love the Huey but the 500 series...so much damn fun. Great bird.
Hell Yeah Brother!
Wonderful Video! Great Job AIN! Very pleased to see MD climbing out and getting strong!!
Thanks for watching, and we're glad you enjoyed the video!
Great news. Great video.
It's good to see MD Helicopters turning things around. I've loved those helicopters since I was a little kid.
Love MD helicopters, hope to own one someday
nice to see a good story.
Man , if I could afford it….that would be my first choice hands down. It has proven itself. I hope you all can make it happen guys.
It’s an easy ship to fly once you trim it out proper.
Thanks for the video!
God Bless America!
I worked there decades ago. The MD530F is a great aircraft. The management suck!
Were you there when they were all taken turns on Tilton? 😂
very nice new guys, one of the best Helicopters about
I've loved these birds ever since seeing my first 500C in brown, orange, and yellow (the one on Magnum PI). Have even had a chance to fly in one, and to pilot its little brother, a 300. Glad they are doing some good for this great airframe.
Ahhhh! The Arizona Country Side is soooo beautifulllll !!!... ❤
The MD series are the best my personal fav is the MD520N
Not sure if they’re even producing Notars still? Definitely not the 902 or 600N.
The biggest little helicopter I have always loved
I'd love to have one!
This was really interesting. Well done, guys! I can't wait for Cleetus McFaland to get his airworthiness.
I'll let my thumb nail tell you how much I love this helicopter.
Great helicopters. Spent many hours in one as a TFA when I was in LE on a dope task force. Good memories.
Always liked this copter……what a great company to work for and leadership by management
Brad Pederson doesn't sound like your typical "Mr. Corporate America", he appears to have the old school approach and that should work well for this company. I'm sure they'll do well.
MD desperately needs old school, after the Tilton disaster.
Coolest thing I’ve seen today. Wow.
Thanks for watching! We're glad you liked the video!
@@AINvideo Yes! I'm not a pilot, but I've loved aircraft since I was a little kid back in the 70's. I've been watching these particular helicopters for a long time. I've loved seeing their evolution and it's nice to know they're getting a fresh start. Best of luck to you all and Cheers!
Thanks for the video. What a beautiful chopper!
Love to come down and get into this
That gray with blue glass ❤
Great video and great instructor pilot.
The helicopters brand - compact, beautiful. Better than Airbus helicopters.
Very nice helicopters. Great report. I'd be interested to know if they were going to bring back the Notar models.
Best of luck in the future.
They’re not cheap, but you definitely get what you pay for, and that’s a really great helicopter.
Howard Hughes is proud
Man, I wanna work there!
Love to own one
The... 'we only care about big DOD/military contracts'... thing, is an epidemic in aerospace honestly... and has been for a long time. Not just finished aircraft... Virtually all materials, parts, and equipment.
Thankyou
Had my first Helicopter at the age of 12 .
A Huges 269 a short flight
Truely awaresome
The Little Bird lives !
Excellent 👍
God I love the 500's. Awesome machines👍🏼
Its the Hummingbird of helicopters "the little bird" ❤from India 🇮🇳.. we have SA315 Lama "Cheetah "
Would have been a real shame if we lost the 500. Sounds like MD is finally in good hands
In my opinion, keep the ship the same except manufacture it out of composites. Just look at Hill Helicopters. They WILL corner the market due to their approach. Every other company will be on the back foot trying to catch them ! Thanks for sharing from New Zealand.
Maybe wishful thinking. Hill has done a great job of making something out of nothing, and a quite nice something at that. It's still a 50-50 proposition to successful production. Perhaps about a year for working prototype and > 3 to cert.
13:18 That finished police version is beautiful.
[chuckle] Seems to be a feature of the US aviation industry. Love the aircraft ~ hate the company that built it. I'm thinking of the Beach Starship. The story is long and complicated and I'm not going to type it out here, but never has a product been so completely betrayed by the company that built it (or more accurately, by the company that bought out the company that originally built it) than the Beach Starship. It's a tale fit for a Shakespearian tragedy.
Good instructor pilot!
It pains me to have seen MDH go through several struggles over its existence. But now it seems like it is in good hands.
Excelência e tecnologia, parabéns!
so freaking cool
They are located in Mesa, AZ. East of Phoenix. At Falcon Field.
love to ceo for giving mds
Great!!
I have often wondered over the years what feasibility and performance would be potential if they made a twin rotor MD with the proven rotor heads. Imagine what the speed and maneuverability potential for things such as air ambulances might be without requiring much more area to land then a regular MD platform.
I really loved the MD ❤
You gauys and gals here are freakin awesome !!!
My Dream Chopper!
The perfect unit for chasing deer... seriously great fun... and yes, even for a bit of skiing later in the day...
Feel very sad for MD helicopters, Those who made the Iconic MH-6 helicopter-The Delta Force's little bird, Almost went to bankruptcy
The MH6 & AH6 (attack variant) are actually Boeing products, they've had the license to build their own military versions of the MD500 when they merged with McDonnell Douglas in the 90's.
I would love to own and fly the F model. Its not in the cards in this lifetime but one can dream. Id be happy with a demo flight. Sometime maybe. I do miss the desert there. Be safe.
Awesome content!
Sadly I'm missing this type in my logbook. It's not to late yet to fix that.