List of helicopter pilots killed in Viet Nam: Army, USAF, Navy, USMC (2197)

[DemoTex]

http://www.flyarmy.org/KIAINDEX.HTM

STATISTICS FOR THE VIETNAM WAR PERIOD (1961 - 1975)

Total in all U. S. military services .......................... 8,744,000
Serving in Southeast Asia .................................... 3,385,000
Serving in South Vietnam ..................................... 2,594,000
Killed or Body Not Returned ..................................... 58,220
Helicopter pilots KIA or BNR ...................................... 2,197

[Submariner]

1. I flew with a copter pilot for work in Alaska

He flew Huey's in Nam in '67/'68. He said chopper pilot fatalities usually occurred in the first 90 days over there. He said many of the chopper fatalities were scared newbies under fire coming in too hot into an LZ and crashing the bird, followed by newbies forgetting not to hover too long over a fixed point making them groundfire targets that brought them down.

I thought of flying them myself until 2 neighbors who were Huey pilots came home in '65 in body bags. 2197 is almost 4% fatalities. That's high.

[DemoTex]

2. Click on "KIA Statistics" at the link ..

Average tour length before being killed = 154 days.

I, too, would have guessed that that statistic would be front loaded toward the first three months. The 154 days figure surprised me.

BTW: Each name on this list links to a story, some augmented by commentary by the webmaster at FLYARMY.ORG (although the list is all branches + allies + Air America + a couple of civilians). Also, the "Incident Date" links to a wealth of info on other incidents on that date.

[Submariner]

3. Thanks -- I've been reading the links and it's like a war history

I need to get a hold of a boyhood friend to get the last names of the 2 neighbors that were KIA. CRS prevents me from remembering on my own.