Driving through town to get to the shop, traffic cones and police were in place and directing cars through the area adjacent to the coffee shop.
The day had finally arrived to place the Huey on top of its new perch.
The volunteers were greeted by coffee and donuts to wake up with after braving the fog and snow to get to the restoration shop.
Spring in Ohio, indeed.
Thank goodness the stands were out of the weather, our Huey, however, has been keeping watch over the restoration shop yard while waiting for its new perch to be ready.
The restorers were watching the weather, the cold temperatures would make the ground and metal surfaces slippery.
Waiting for the temperature to rise would make the entire operation safer.
The truck was scheduled to arrive at the restoration shop at 8 with the crane not long behind it.
A group of volunteers headed down to the coffee shop with the stands and plywood before the crane and truck arrived.
The veteran volunteer drove the plywood down on the back of his truck and jumped in wherever needed to keep the task rolling along smoothly and safely at one point helping me move a piece of plywood in place.
The work stands would go along the lower side of the perch while the adjustable work stand would be used to access the higher side.
The other restorer and his son would be securing skids to the mast on higher side while the restorer would be working on the lower.
Plywood road was put in place for the adjustable stand to maneuver into place and preplanned for mounting the high side of the perch.
Fog was lifting as we finished setting out the plywood and work stands. The crane and trailer were waiting for everyone back at the restoration shop.
The trailer and crane were in position next to the Huey as we arrived back at the shop. The restorers had additional bags of ballast sitting next to the helicopter to adjust the balance for mounting.
The crane was attached in little time and ready to begin hoisting.
As the Huey was lifted, the tail rotor was noticeably lower.
The other restorer called to the crane operator to hold where the Huey where it was at, and the ballast was added to the nose of the helicopter changing its attitude, lowering the nose.
After the attitude adjustment, the crane raised Huey into the air and turned it around before placing on the low truck.
As the restorers and volunteers swarmed in to secure the Huey, the crane operator nestled the boom back into its cradle and packed the legs up preparing for transport.
Before long the caravan of cars wound its way down to the coffee shop.
The other restorer brought up the rear behind the Huey in the lifting fog, we were a bit in front of him parked on the road while police directed traffic around the coffee shop.
Taking the moment to reevaluate the route, I turned down a side street and found our way to the back of the coffee shop before the Huey made its way down main street Urbana.
Moments after the Huey and crane were in position the operation to sit the helicopter onto its perch began in earnest.
The restorers and the other restorer’s son climbed into harnesses before donning hard hats in preparation for fastening the skids into the troughs on top of the pole.
Rosie, along with the veteran volunteer, donned hard hats and held rope to help guide the helicopter into position if needed.
From her vantage point, she estimated five minutes from the moment the Huey came off of the trailer until the first attachment was made on the skids.
The restorer moved along the lower side of the Huey attaching skids into place on top of the stationary work stands brought from the Gee Bee project in the shop.
The other restorer and his son were using the mobile work stand with volunteers moving plywood as needed underneath as the work stand moved along the higher side of the post fastening the skids into their final perch.
Once the skids were bolted into place, the other restorer’s son climbed atop the work stand once last time to release the crane from the rotor blades atop the Huey.
As the volunteers started to pack everything up, a good friend of the veteran volunteer pointed to the doors of the Huey mentioning the veteran volunteer’s name looked good there.
The veteran volunteer, scanning the side of the aircraft again but seeing with fresh eyes saw the final stencil the restorers added for the first-time, tears welling up in his eyes.
