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Little Rock historian, volunteers restore H-21 helicopter

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Stephanie Serrano
  • 19th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, Ark. --  Approximately 20 volunteers from the 314th Airlift Wing are bringing a little piece of history back to Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas, by restoring a Piasecki H-21 Workhorse helicopter, which will be placed in the base's Heritage Park.

Mark Wilderman, 314th Airlift Wing historian, came up with the idea of restoring the helicopter when he discovered that the 314th flew them in the late 1950s. Wilderman saw the opportunity when he found that Kirtland AFB in New Mexico was planning to get rid of the H-21 they had on display.

After a year and a half of coordination and planning, the H-21 arrived at Little Rock Air Force Base on April 5, 2016. Within a week, volunteers had assembled, ready to begin restoring the historic helicopter.

"It's a little known, but significant piece of our history," said U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Matthew Tabor, 314th Airlift Wing quality assurance chief inspector. "Everyone sees the 314th and automatically thinks C-130s; but we've been in the troop-carrying business for a long time, and this is a big piece of that."

Once restoration is complete, the helicopter will be placed in Heritage Park between the C-130 static display and the communication squadron building. The estimated completion date for the project is June, and a dedication ceremony is scheduled to follow.

"It's a cool experience to take a little-known piece of our history and restore it to its glory, to be put on display for everyone," Tabor said.