The A/C 670 or "Viking Surprise" Huey left the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Angel Fire, NM, in October 2016 to get a facelift. MTM Crane Services, of Taos, lifted the aircraft off the display stand onto a Transportation Department trailer for transport to Roswell, NM, home to several aviationrelated companies. New Mexico State Police pitched in to provide an escort as the huge transport vehicle made its way to Roswell. There, AerSale volunteers worked on the interior and airframe, replacing windows, fixing corroded areas and restoring lights. Then, Dean Baldwin Painting volunteers gave the big aircraft a new coat of paint. They didn't use new paint, but instead used paint from Bell Huey old stock from 1965! And because it has the "built in" shine, it will be just that shiny for years to come. In May 2017, volunteers once again loaded the Huey to be trucked back to Angel Fire, escorted by the Patriot Guard, and put her back on display where she belongs, at our beloved Memorial. We are thankful to the many organizations and people who gave time, energy, money, machinery, materials, and love to restore her. Special recognition is given to Foundation Board members Bob Wooley, Dick Dickerson, Chuck Howe, and Jack Swickard who were instrumental in coordinating all the volunteers and in quality control related to refurbishing/repainting. This video documents the 20162017 restoration process and was produced by Sarah and Scott Kanafani of Luminance Pictures.

The A/C 670 or "Viking Surprise" Huey was donated to the Memorial in 1999 by the New Mexico National Guard. This Huey was built in 1964 and saw service with the Army’s 121st Assault Helicopter Company Soc Trang Tigers and Viking Gunship Platoon and later the 118th AHC Bandit and Thunderbird Platoon in Vietnam. Later, this Huey was used by the New Mexico National Guard for general support, including search and rescue and for combat training, before being donated to the Memorial. Foundation Board members Jack Swickard and Dick Dickerson have actually flown A/C 670 on missions in Vietnam and across the skies of New Mexico.

More information on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Angel Fire, NM
Website https://www.vietnamveteransmemorial.org
and
Facebook   / angelfirememorial