HELIFEST & VERTICAL CHALLENGE

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2011 HELIFEST

We all had a great time at HELIFEST 2011 with perfect weather!

A SPECIAL THANKS to Hiller Museum's Willie Turner and John Wilke for their great assistance in providing us the Hall of Fame theater for our "WHIRLYBIRDS'' and B47ha presentation!

It was GREAT to See 5 beautifully-restored Bell 47 Helicopters from some our members. There were 2 - BELL 47G2's, A BELL 47 SUPER G, A BELL 47 G2A1, AND A BELL 47J2A. It was great to speak with members Bill Cox, Bob Suess and wife Kathy, Al Sze, Doug Kerr, and Carol Simpson. Other's included Mark, the pilot of a G2, and David Hixon. David flew his pristine J2A all the way from Palm Springs CA to San Carlos, just outside of San Francisco.

I particularly enjoyed speaking with Mark K. and ROGER!

GREAT TIME! with GREAT B47 people!

Hope to see you next year.

Danny Rodriguez

Vice President and Co-Star of The New Whirlybirds

BREAKING NEWS!

PRESIDENT RHODES HAS JUST CONCLUDED TALKS WITH THE HILLER AVIATION MUSEUM AND IS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE:

JUNE 18, 2011 AT SAN CARLOS, CALIFORNIA'S SUPER ROTORCRAFT VENUE "VERTICAL CHALLENGE" - THE WHIRLYBIRDS HAVE BEEN INVITED TO APPEAR IN THE MAIN THEATRE AND ALSO ON THE FLIGHT LINE WITH ASSOCIATED MEMBER'S BELL 47s.

"WE HAVE RECEIVED NUMEROUS CALLS ASKING THE ASSOCIATION TO PRESENT A WEST COAST ACTIVITY. HAVING WORKED IN THE PAST WITH THE HILLER MUSEUM UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF V.P. WILLIE TURNER - I CAN STATE THAT VERTICAL CHALLENGE IS - TOP NOTCH HELICOPTER ENTERTAINMENT! DANNY AND I ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO OUR MEMBERS FLYING THEIR PRISTINE 47s IN. I AM ALSO PLEASED TO REPORT - THE HILLER MUSEUM IS ADDING A DONATED BELL 47 TO THEIR COLLECTION. YES! A BELL 47D." RHODES WILL PROVIDE MORE UPDATES AS THEY BECOME AVAILABLE.

2003

SPECIAL THANKS TO CAROL VOSS AND DOUG KERR FOR BRINGING IN THEIR SUPER COAST GUARD AUX. BELL 47 G2 AND TO NEW MEMBER BOB SUESS FOR APPEARING WITH HIS IMMACULATE BELL 47 G MODEL. PRESIDENT RHODES AND WEST COAST DIRECTOR RODRIGUEZ MANNED THE BOOTH AND TRAVELED BY CAR FROM LOS ANGELES TO SAN FRANCISCO TO MAKE THE EVENT POSSIBLE. ALONG THE WAY JOEY AND DANNY HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT SOIL SERV'S AG OPERATION.

THE NEW WHIRLYBIRDS ATTRACTED THE LARGEST AUDIENCE OF ALL THE VERTICAL CHALLENGE THEATRE PRESENTATIONS AND WERE EXTREMELY WELL RECEIVED AS THEY HELPED WITH THE B47HA BOOTH AND ANSWERING BELL 47 RELATED QUESTION. THE NIGHT BEFORE THEY ATTENDED VERTICAL CHALLENGE THEY ENTERTAINED 20 UCLA HOSPITAL CHILDREN AND PARENTS.

BEHIND THE SCENES HARD AT WORK COORDINATING AND DONATING PRESIDENT RHODES' TRAVEL EVERY STEP OF THE WAY WERE AMERICAN AIRLINES AND B47HA GOLD MEMBERS BRIAN LAMBERT AND DON FARRELL. THEIR LARGE DONATION EARNED THEN GOLD MEMBER STATUS AND WAS VERY MUCH A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO RELIEVING THE FINANCIAL STRESS AND DECISION TO ATTEND AND BE A PART OF VERTICAL CHALLENGE. RHODES STATED, "I WAS AMAZED AT THEIR AMERICAN AIRLINES KINDNESS AND CONCERN FOR WANTING B47HA TO BE THERE. THEY NOT ONLY HAD ME IN FIRST CLASS, BUT WERE ABLE TO ROUTE ME BACK HOME EARLY. BRIAN AND DON SHOULD SERVE OUR ASSOCIATION AS ROLE MODELS FOR THE COLLECTIVE SPIRIT OF UNIFYING TO MAKE THINGS HAPPEN.

SPECIAL THANKS TO TERRY MILLER OF ENTERPRISE LEASING AND ANTONIO AT THE INNS AT SAN CARLOS FOR THE SUPER SERVICES.

SPECIAL APPRECIATION GO OUT TO ALL THE B47HA MEMBERS THAT ATTENDED THE EVENT AND ESPECIALLY APPRECIATED WAS THE MORAL SUPPORT OF KEITH AND HIS LOVELY WIFE KAREN BENEDICK B47HA CORPORATE MEMBERS WHO TRAVELS FROM THE L.A. AREA TO ATTEND AND HELP IN THE TEAR DOWN.

FOR MORE PICS YOU CAN VISIT WWW.NEWWHIRLYBIRDS.COM

THERE YOU WILL FIND PICS OF THEIR HOSPITAL VISIT TO UCLA AND THE VERTICAL CHALLENGE SHOW PRESENTATION THAT WAS SOLD OUT.

RETURN TO:  Bell 47 Helicopter Association