Army Fleet Support, LLC, United States Air Force Project, at Cairns Army Airfield, provides around the clock maintenance support for the 23rd Flying Training Squadron of the 58th Special Operations Wing (SOW) from Kirtland AFB, NM. The 23rd FTS took procession of 40 UH-1H Bell Helicopters in May of 2004 and assumed complete responsibility for the Rotor Wing portion of their aviators following orientation and training in fixed wing aircraft. In June of 2008 the USAF initiated a transition from the UH-1H helicopter to a modernized version of the Bell Aero’s Huey II helicopter. The support provided by Army Fleet Support is conducted by three different shifts of aviation maintenance technicians seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day and consists of maintenance support for various launches throughout the day and night, scheduled and unscheduled maintenance.
The Bell UH-1H was one of several
military versions based on the Bell Model prototype for the Model 205 which
first flew in August of 1961 and the United States Air Force selected the UH-1H in
November 1970 to serve as its new local base rescue helicopter. The UH-1H
was originally powered by a 1400 s.h.p. Lycoming T53-L-13
engine, capable of carrying two pilots and 11 passengers and dubbed the "Iroquois."