Atwater museum gets first Army helicopter

An Army helicopter known for heavy lifting made its final flight Thursday before landing at its new home at the former Castle Air Force Base.

The Boeing CH-47D Chinook Helicopter flew in on its dual propellers from Fresno’s Army National Guard base, according to Doug Jones, the chief warrant officer 4 who piloted its final flight.

“It’s a little surreal to be flying it the last time,” the 51-year-old said.

The Castle Air Museum’s new helicopter was built in 1968 and has been used regularly since then, getting upgrades as needed, Jones said. It also saw time in the skies over Iraq and Afghanistan.

Jones said the huge helicopter’s looks are deceiving. “It may look like a big flying motor home ... they just fly great,” he said.

The helicopter is nearly 100 feet long from the tips of the front propeller to the back propeller.

The 50,000-pound aircraft has room for about 33 soldiers to sit, Jones said, and was used to carry vehicles of all types. Or, as he put it, “Anything you can stuff in it.”

Case in point, the crew loaded a 5,000-pound minivan into the helicopter so they could drive back to Fresno.

Most recently, the Chinook was used to train mechanics at the National Guard Base. The Army is transitioning to a newer model, so the helicopter would have been sold to a foreign military or demolished if not given to the museum, Jones said.

A small crowd of people gathered at the landing zone near the museum to watch the helicopter circle twice, once at about 180 mph, before landing. In the crowd was Chuck Walker, 95, of Turlock.

The retired Air Force lieutenant, who said he flew a Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighter plane in the European theater of World War II, said he’s always been impressed by helicopters.

“Back when I was flying, they didn’t have helicopters; hadn’t thought of them yet,” he said with a smile. “It was just a joy (to watch the landing).”

The helicopter is the first Army aviation equipment to join the Castle Air Museum, according to CEO Joe Pruzzo. The museum now has aircraft from all branches of the military.

“We’re overjoyed to have it,” he said. “It’s a big step for the museum.”

Pruzzo said some work has to be done on the aircraft before it can be displayed, but staff hopes to have it ready by Cockpit Day on May 29.

The museum, 5050 Santa Fe Drive, is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It’s closed on New Year’s Day, Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

For more, call 209-723-2178 or go to www.castleairmuseum.org.

This story was originally published April 7, 2016 at 6:25 PM with the headline "Atwater museum gets first Army helicopter."