It's the end of an era. The US Border Patrol/CBP Air and Marine have formally retired the last pure Bell UH-1H Huey medium lift helicopter. The last conventional H-model Huey, N7247J, was a 1969 model and last served at the Alpine/Marfa, Texas, air unit. 47J, along with all the other H-model Hueys in the BP inventory were all Vietnam veterans, some with multiple combat tours. 47J is now at the El Paso Air Branch and, along with other H-model Hueys located to there, are up for government auction by GSA.
This leaves the only Hueys remaining in CBP inventory to be a few Huey II (Super Hueys), which are modified H-models (single engine) retrofitted with a Bell AH-1F Cobra engine, Cobra wide-chord main and tail rotor blades, and other modifications. These serve in the D.C./Manassas, Va area. As well as a small fleet of ex-USMC zero-timed UH-1N model Twin Hueys with twin engines, which entered service 1 year ago and serve throughout Texas.
Apart from the few Huey IIs, this brings to an end the era of Vietnam War vintage, and combat time, aircraft operated by the US Border Patrol and CBP Air and Marine. The last large fleet of Vietnam aircraft in the fleet were the Hughes OH-6A helos, retired in 2011 after 32 years of service with the agency, and with El Paso, TX again being the last location to fly them. All of them were surplused to state agencies.
(picture credit, Z Adams)
This leaves the only Hueys remaining in CBP inventory to be a few Huey II (Super Hueys), which are modified H-models (single engine) retrofitted with a Bell AH-1F Cobra engine, Cobra wide-chord main and tail rotor blades, and other modifications. These serve in the D.C./Manassas, Va area. As well as a small fleet of ex-USMC zero-timed UH-1N model Twin Hueys with twin engines, which entered service 1 year ago and serve throughout Texas.
Apart from the few Huey IIs, this brings to an end the era of Vietnam War vintage, and combat time, aircraft operated by the US Border Patrol and CBP Air and Marine. The last large fleet of Vietnam aircraft in the fleet were the Hughes OH-6A helos, retired in 2011 after 32 years of service with the agency, and with El Paso, TX again being the last location to fly them. All of them were surplused to state agencies.
(picture credit, Z Adams)