When I reached the airport at Kuwait City the 4th Marines were cleaning out the last few Iraqi troops that missed the bug out order. I stayed in Kuwait for over 2 months after the war flying a lot of VIP's around the oil well fires and burned up Iraqi equipment. I saw the Bell 214 and there was also a HIND at the Kuwait Airport. Yes they had pretty well had taken or trashed just about everything, but never did anything to the millions of gallons of jet fuel in the underground tanks at the airport.

Under the Kuwait Airport there were miles on service tunnels, large enough to drive a truck through. The Iraqi Army used them as air raid shelters. About a month after the war our 1st Sgt captured 2 Iraqi soldiers who had been hiding out in the tunnels. After that we posted guards, put up wire, and ordered everyone to stay out of the tunnels.

Bell 214ST

Just some info on the Bell 214ST. There was one that was packed up and ready for transport at Al Jubail when HML-767 finally left Saudi Arabia in May of 91. It had Iraqi markings and the only thing it was missing was the two 7 day clocks. We were told it was going back to 3rd MAW Headquartes as a war prize.

More on the 214ST: Two years ago Bell Helicopter had sent a notice to all of the 214ST operators that Bell was no longer going to support the 214ST. At the time there were only 39 left flying in the world and they decided not to support it. Petroleum Helicopters in the Gulf of Mexico had parked their last one and that left Air Logistics with 4 operating in the Gulf with one in storage and parts for two more. Air Logistics parked their last one in late 2008. So as of now the 214ST is no longer flying in the Gulf of Mexico or the North Sea. It was a great aircraft, looked like a Huey on steroids.

Bell 214ST

I'm not up on my Huey models, but there was a large Huey at the Flying Leatherneck museum in San Diego with Iraqi markings on it.

http://www.flyingleathernecks.org/index.html

They might possibly be able to provide some info.

We had a Bell 212 as our corporate helicopter when I worked for RCA, then went ti Sikorsky S-76's.

Ron Lewis, the origianl requestor, is a volunteer at the Flying Leatherneck Museum. I beleive he was trying to get info on the Iraqi 214ST that is at the museum.

IGOR

Re: Which unit captured Bell 214ST at Kuwait City

More on this Bell 214ST Gulf War prize. I was a 1st ANGLICO liaison to the Kuwaiti Air Group operating out of Saudi during the Gulf War. Having seen this ship the day after the Marines secured Kuwait IAP, I mentioned this to Saad, my interpreter pilot, suggesting it was perhaps more appropriate that Kuwait make it their trophy rather than let the Marines take it...for it was on their airfield..and as I was a 7563 thought I might wrangle some stick time out of it. Saad told me then that it was an "Iranian" aircraft that had been stuck in a non-airworthy condition at the airport when Iraq invaded and like at least one Kuwait AF Gazelle I saw caught in the same state, had been painted in an Iraqi scheme.

This thread only recently caught my attention because my wife told me of a large helo she saw on a flatbed on I81 near Roanoke that was desert tan and had Iraqi flag and Arabic writing on it. I showed her a picture of it and she's pretty certain it was the same aircraft.

Now, I hope our new Iraqi friends aren't trying to reacquire a "trophy" for themselves, as I understand there is a move to have returned all their former air force planes and equipment.

Re: Which unit captured Bell 214ST at Kuwait City

Had to be done early on, as I did a tour there in '03 for the start of "Bush's War" and was in a situation where knowledge of such an a/c would be known.
The pool @ Club @ air field was already cleaned and filled, all bodies brought down from the rafters of the main hangar...the 214 coulda been a hangar queen...no capture required...my neighbor (brain fart) was a mech for the KAF fighter training sqdn...his wife (they were both Brits)was a horse trainer f/one of the upper class guys. Another neighbor (a Brit as well) was a personal hair person F/the upper class ppl AND the Barbara Bush when she was there...

-------- Forwarded message ----------
From: INTELTEK

Does anybody know which unit officially captured the Bell 214ST at Kuwait City? Was this the only one or were there more helos there? Finally, does anybody have any idea why she was caught on the ground? I noted what looked like a possible fuel spill aft of the main cabin, so I wonder if she was dibbled.

I used to to work for an outfit that replaced all of the calibration labs for the Kuwait Air Force and had a chance to talk to a couple of Kuwait Air Force officers who said that the Iraqis took everything that wasn't nailed down--and then came back to take the nails. Stripped their labs clean and moved it all back to Iraq. Kind of strange, then, that they would leave an expensive asset like a helicopter behind, unless they had no option, perhaps.

Best regards,

Ron Lewis
inteltek@pacbell.net

Re: Bell 214ST

I did a flight interview (re 1991 or so) w/a medevac outfit in Barrow AK...me thinks it was a 214 or was it a 412? Any ways, a nice bird, but thanks to the graces of the Lord, did not get the job...and went back to MI and an SK-76...

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: INTELTEK

Does anybody know which unit officially captured the Bell 214ST at Kuwait City? Was this the only one or were there more helos there? Finally, does anybody have any idea why she was caught on the ground? I noted what looked like a possible fuel spill aft of the main cabin, so I wonder if she was dibbled.

I used to to work for an outfit that replaced all of the calibration labs for the Kuwait Air Force and had a chance to talk to a couple of Kuwait Air Force officers who said that the Iraqis took everything that wasn't nailed down--and then came back to take the nails. Stripped their labs clean and moved it all back to Iraq. Kind of strange, then, that they would leave an expensive asset like a helicopter behind, unless they had no option, perhaps.

Best regards,

Ron Lewis
inteltek@pacbell.net

Garfield411;24625 wrote: Just some info on the Bell 214ST. There was one that was packed up and ready for transport at Al Jubail when HML-767 finally left Saudi Arabia in May of 91. It had Iraqi markings and the only thing it was missing was the two 7 day clocks. We were told it was going back to 3rd MAW Headquartes as a war prize.

More on the 214ST: Two years ago Bell Helicopter had sent a notice to all of the 214ST operators that Bell was no longer going to support the 214ST. At the time there were only 39 left flying in the world and they decided not to support it. Petroleum Helicopters in the Gulf of Mexico had parked their last one and that left Air Logistics with 4 operating in the Gulf with one in storage and parts for two more. Air Logistics parked their last one in late 2008. So as of now the 214ST is no longer flying in the Gulf of Mexico or the North Sea. It was a great aircraft, looked like a Huey on steroids.

Re: Which unit captured Bell 214ST at Kuwait City

I worked the 212 and S76A-C too Tom.

Re: Which unit captured Bell 214ST at Kuwait City

Pretty sure it was 1st Tanks with Task Force Papa Bear that "captured" KIA (and therefore the helos on it). I flew in there (the next day if I recall correctly) to stand alert in a division of AH-1Ws from HMLA-367. The Iraqi 214 was there out in the open and there was a Kuwaiti Gazelle (with Iraqi markings on it) in a hangar. I didn't see any other Iraqi aircraft.

When we arrived there was at least a section of AH-1J model Cobras from HMLA-775. The J pilots were trying to start the 214 and wanted to fly it back to Al Jubayl as a war trophy. They borrowed the batteries out of our AH-1W (which were compatible with the 214 - the AH-1Js batteries were not). They started it and pulled it up into a hover (I’ve got a picture somewhere). It appeared flyable.

At the same time, someone asked us if anyone in our division could fly a Gazelle (with the same intent of flying it back as a war trophy). My pilot had a fam flight in the Kuwaiti Gazelles so we went over to the hangar and pre-flighted the Gazelle. We were just getting ready to push it out of the hangar with the intent of hovering it when the Colonel who seemed to be heading up the “war trophy” effort (MAW or MAG staff if I recall correctly) came back and told us the Kuwaitis verified it was one of their Gazelles that the Iraqis captured.

The war quickly wound down as we stood alert and at the end of the day we were going to escort the 214 (with the reserves flying it) back into Saudi Arabia but the decision was made to truck it back instead.

Re: Which unit captured Bell 214ST at Kuwait City

Hay the frog birds turn the wrong way, guess you have to fly them left handed! I actually worked on a Gazelle, all you have to do is push the start button, it's computer controlled on start.

Re: Which unit captured Bell 214ST at Kuwait City

Here are pictures I took at Kuwait Airport during Desert Storm. An Iraq Hind and Hip. The guy in front of the Hind is my son who was also a pilot in my unit. We were both at Kuwait airport on the final day of Desert Storm. As I said in early post I saw the Bell 214 at the airport, but I didn't get a picture of it.