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Last updated on 4/7/24
Site established on 3/22/01
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Flight School
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"This is the Solo flight slip from Ft. Wolters. To tell the truth I don't know how I ended up with this form, we turned them in to get credit for the flight period. I do remember the IP he was one of my first and one of my favorite." Image courtesy of Tommy"Cav Belt" Butz |
Front of card  Back of card
TH-55A Cockpit Card 1969 at Ft. Wolters - "I was in Flight Class 69-49 A2 and graduated 70-03" - Felix Bates |
TH-55A Pre Flight Guide Click here to see pages 1 & 2 Click here to see page 3 Click here to see page 4 Image courtesy of Felix Bates 240th AHC BearCat 4/70- 11/71 |
Image courtesy of Mike O'Neil |
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Image courtesy of Felix Bates |
Image courtesy of Felix Bates |
Image courtesy of Felix Bates |
Image courtesy of Steve Shepard |
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Image courtesy of Joe Frey - 7th Airlift Platoon |
Image courtesy of Adrian Brooks |
Image courtesy of Liz Wallace |
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Collar device for" Warrant Officer Canidate" also worn on call caps while in flight training. |
This is the cigarette lighter from Ft Rucker given to me as an Instructor Pilot and Flight Commander in Sept 67 Image courtesy of Frank Zipperer |
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This is the certificate given by Southern Airways when we finished the Wolter's phase of training Image courtesy of Frank Zipperer |
This is the official Army certificate given at Ft Wolters after completing phase 1. Image courtesy of Frank Zipperer |
This is the diploma given at Ft Rucker after successfully completing Rotary Wing flight school. Image courtesy of Frank Zipperer |
Rotary Wing instruction training certificate presented to Major Claude "Chuck" Berry at Fort Wolters in April of 1968 Image courtesy of C.A. Berry |
This was issued to us at Ft Wolters during our instrument training. Class 67-11 Image courtesy of Lowell L. Eneix |
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Army Aviation Command & Staff officer course document presented to Major Claude "Chuck" Berry at Fort Rucker in March of 1965 Image courtesy of C.A. Berry |
HoverBug Association 'membership' certificate given to then Captain Claude "Chuck" Berry at Fort Wolters in March of 1960. The certificate bestows the title of 'Rotor Head 1st Class' and recognizes his Solo flight in a type H-23D 'Mixmaster' Image courtesy of C.A. Berry |
Diploma of graduation awarded to then Captain Claude "Chuck" Berry by the Contract flight school of Southern Airways for successful completion of the officer Rotary Wing Instruction Course at Camp Wolters in May of 1960 Image courtesy of C.A. Berry |
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That's me standing in front of what used to be the 1st WOC. Yes, I was a red hat! Only spent one month in the pre flight barracks that no longer exist, when I went to flight school pre flight was conducted in a separate area in old WWII two story wooden barracks. After pre flight each went "up" to the hill to one of the WOC companies for the four months of flight training we received at Wolters. Originally the flight companies were 1st, 2d 3d and 4th WOC Companies and the preflight company was 5th WOC. At the time I went to flight school 5th WOC had moved up to the hill and had been joined by 6th, 7th, and 8th WOC and 9th and 10th WOC were the preflight companies in the old barracks. By the time I returned from Viet Nam, 9th and 10th had also moved up to the hill and preflight was no longer conducted in a separate unit, the entire five month cycle was conducted in the same unit and the old pre flight area was being used as a holding area for candidates waiting to start training. The fence with concertina is there now because the hill area is now a prison pre-release site for the State of Texas Image courtesy of Keith Alleger, 117th AHC |
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While on vacation I stopped by what used to be the Holiday Inn. I discovered the old rotor blades were still implanted. Circa 1997 Image courtesy of Keith Alleger, 117th AHC |
I stopped at Fort Wolters on my way back from a family vacation near San Antonio in 1997. I took this picture of the olf WOC Preflight area. The Brick column you see is all that's left of the barracks I spent some of the most miserable months of my life in Image courtesy of Keith Alleger, 117th AHC |
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WOC Alleger standing beside the OH-13G That I Soloed in. Fall 1967. Image courtesy of Keith Alleger, 117th AHC |
This is a photo of me at Phu Hiep near the end of my tour, probably in early December of 1967. Was I EVER that young? Scary! After my first tour I instructed in Primary II at Fort Wolters, Texas. Most of my flight students were older than me. Image courtesy of Tillman Jeffrey, 335th AHC "The Cowboys |
OH-23D's on the ramp at Wolters Army Heliport in 1966. I learned to fly in the "Raven" and later I taught Primary II at Fort Wolters in them. A tough, but demanding aircraft, which made it the perfect trainer. Image courtesy of Tillman Jeffrey, 335th AHC "The Cowboys |
The U.S. Army Primary Helicopter School patch that I wore between Vietnam tours in 1968/69. Instructing in OH-23's and TH-55's wasn't as dangerous as combat, but it sure had its moments of pure terror, like night full-touchdown autorotations and "simulated" forced landings. Image courtesy of Tillman Jeffrey, 335th AHC "The Cowboys |
Fort Wolters main heliport traffic pattern card from 1966. It looks scarier than it really was. Image courtesy of Tillman Jeffrey, 335th AHC "The Cowboys |
U.S. Army Primary Helicopter Center (Fort Wolters) Image courtesy of Tillman Jeffrey, 335th AHC "The Cowboys |
The card is the one I got when my IP decided that I knew how to hover Image courtesy of Tillman Jeffrey, 335th AHC "The Cowboys |
Me with my "WOC Rock" in our luxurious digs at Fort Wolters. That first solo flight was a real milestone-you got tossed into a pond full of really nasty water, you got to wear your ball cap with the bill to the front, and you got your "WOC Rock." You were on your way to getting your wings....When I went through Wolters, each flight school class was assigned a class color: My class at Wolters was 66-17 and our color was yellow. We wore a yellow disc behind the "WOC" brass on our overseas ("cunt") caps and wore yellow baseball caps with our flight suits. Note: you had to wear your yellow baseball cap backward until you soloed. Once you soloed you also wore "solo wings" on the yellow baseball cap. Of course, our "WOC rocks" were also painted yellow! White discs with rank insignia were worn on the OD baseball caps of the instructor pilots. I still have my solo wings and white "IP" disc and I'll scan them for you. When I got back from "Nam" I bought a brand-new 1968 Pontiac GTO in yellow! It's still my favorite color. Image courtesy of Tillman Jeffrey, 335th AHC "The Cowboys" |
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I flew with C229 & D229th, 1st Cav in 67 and with 116th AHC and the 52nd Avn Bn in 70. My call signs were Smiling Tiger 56, Beekeeper 56 and Dragon 56 respectively. I have attached photos of part of my flight class (66-11WF & 12AB - second platoon) Image courtesy of Glenn Salger |
Heading for the pool - A solo party for Flight Class 69-49 A2 at the pool "Holiday Inn" Mineral Wells, Texas in July 1969. Image courtesy of Felix Bates |
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Doss contractor instructor's wing |
The Army has used Civilian Contractors to conduct PRIMARY flight training for Army Pilots since the 1950's. Periodically these contracts are put up for bid, and based on low bid, different companies have won the right to conduct the training. Over the years several companies have been the winners. A few are Southern Airways, DOSS and DWS. Image courtesy of John W. Cook, USAF ret. |
Image courtesy of John W. Cook, USAF ret. |
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Image courtesy of John W. Cook, USAF ret. |
Image courtesy of John W. Cook, USAF ret. |
Image courtesy of Forrest L. Webb |
Wing patch award issued for completion of the first Solo flight . These were worn on the class "color" ball cap by successful canidates |
Flight School jacket patch worn by Instructors Image courtesy of C.W. Blount |
2 examples of the Senior grade, contract flight instructor wing badges Image courtesy of William Brooks |
Primary tab designed to be worn by students above the standard winged torch flight school shoulder patch Image courtesy of Larry Brown |
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WARRANT OFFICER CANDIDATE PATCH: This patch was worn on the pocket of all WOCs attending flight school at Ft Rucker AL in the late 1950s-early 1960s. WOCs had no rank on their uniforms so this patch was a good ID, all over post. It kept the candidates on their toes also as everyone could recognize them. Image courtesy of Bill C. Walton |
Here is a photo of my flight class at the Stage Field back in 1969. Image courtesy of Felix Bates |
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Hiller OH-23 Trainer. Image courtesy of Larry Vieley, Undertaker 23 |
INSTRUMENT CARD - The actual size of the card is WXH is 3 1/2 inches by 2 1/16 inches. This is what they presented to us after completing the instrument phase at Hunter AAF. It was handed to us with the words, you can go fly if you see blue thru the hole in the corner. Image courtesy of Mike Lach |
Graduation Excercises program booklet for class 68-523 & 524 - Hunter Army Airfield. Image courtesy of Al Demailo |
Spartan school of Aeronautics Maintenance Staff I.D. Badge. Image courtesy of A. Sneed |
Flight school "Brown Hat" worn by Mike O'Neil in class 69-36 Image courtesy of Mike O'Neil |
Flatiron was the Crash Rescue operation at Ft. Rucker when I was there in 1970. The program used UH-1D/H Hueys usually painted white and equipped with a water tank and boom sprayer for hovering over a crash fire. An onboard medic could treat victims. Other flight training posts, such as Ft. Wolters and Ft. Eustis may have had them also. I wish I knew the origin of the name, which I believe was their call sign also. Image courtesy of Wayne Mutza |
1966 US Army Recruiting Flyer "Warrant Officer flight Training in Today's Action Army." 2 page flyer on the need for Helicopter pilots. Image courtesy of Robert Shine via Eric Bray 162nd AHC |
Image courtesy of Paul Hart |
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A FLATIRON UH - 1 at Ft. Rucker, summer, 1970. I think this was Armed Forces Day, as the post was open and there were several aircraft on static display on a huge open field. Image courtesy of Dave Ayers |
Harold David LeGrand sitting in/out of a Huey probably taken somewhere in Vietnam. Note the 2nd Squadron "Eagles" pocket patch. Image courtesy of Harold John LeGrand II on behalf of his father |
70-49 flight class "Blue Hats" at Ft Wolters, TX Image courtesy of Harold John LeGrand II on behalf of his father |
"Overseas cap" worn by Contract Civilian Flight instrcutors. Image courtesy of George Reese |
Civilian contract Flight Instructor's visor cap. Image courtesy of George Reese |
Steve Shepard's flight school cap Image courtesy of Steve Shepard |
I got my Warrant and Wings. Image courtesy of Pete Rzeminski, CW2 (8/68 - 12/69) HHC (Avn Det), 1st Brigade, 101st Abn Div. |
Army Aviation School Plaque from the very early days at Fort Rucker. Image courtesy of Charles W. Blount |
Decal from Ft. Wolters. From August to December 1966 Image courtesy of Jay Riseden, WORWAC 67-5 |
Matches from Ft. Wolters. From August to December 1966 Image courtesy of Jay Riseden, WORWAC 67-5 |
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