The Huey Memorial helicopter, on display at the Ocean City Municipal Airport, suffered some damage during Hurricane Sandy.PHOTO COURTESY OCAA(Nov. 9, 2012) Hurricane Sandy, with her 60-knot winds, delivered quite a blow to the Huey Memorial helicopter, on display at the Ocean City Municipal Airport off Route 611 in West Ocean City. She popped the retaining cables off the rotors, and moved the collective control, causing one rotor (far rotor) to alter its angle.
“It couldn’t have happened at a worse time,” said Tom Oneto, president of the Ocean City Aviation Association. “The reattaching of the cables is not a difficult job, but requires using equipment that can raise a worker 18-20 feet to reattach them to the rotors. The collective can be repaired with in-house talent, some sheet metal and a little welding.
“More and more people are enjoying the memorial,” he said, “and we want to restore it to its original condition as soon as possible.”
OCAA has been able to meet its obligations for the restoration of the Huey, but the unexpected has happened, and the Association is turning to the public for some help. Donations may be sent to OCAA Memorial Fund, P. O. Box 4355, Ocean City, Md. 21843-4355.
