VH60-A Blackhawk (VIP)

Entering active service in 1979, the UH-60 became the premier transport helicopter of the US Army after Sikorsky Aircraft beat Boeing in the Army's Utility Tactical Transport competition. Developed in the late 1960s as a four-bladed twin-engine replacement for the combat-proven UH-1 Iroquois, it was first deployed in Operation Urgent Fury on Grenada, where Blackhawks of Task Force 160, the 18th Aviation Company, and the 1st of the 82nd Combat Aviation Battalion ferried troops and supplies during the two-month invasion. The Blackhawk has served in every major U.S.-involved conflict from Panama to OIF/OEF, and with continuing upgrades it was slated to remain the Army's utility helicopter into the 2020s. The VH-60 VIP variant tail number 80-23460 began as a standard UH-60A and arrived at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, in November 1981. During its first 12 years it served in various units of the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, including a deployment with the 4th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment in support of Operations Desert Shield and Storm in 1990. After returning from combat and spending a few more years at Fort Campbell, it was selected for modification at the Bluegrass Army Depot in Kentucky, where over two years it was converted into the VIP aircraft. For the next 19 years it flew dignitaries, heads of state, and other important personnel around Washington D.C. with the 12th Aviation Battalion. Its last flight was from Fort Belvoir to Fort Eustis on 12 March 2015, ending a 30-year tour of duty with more than 5,000 flight hours.

Newport News, Virginia · United States