A helicopter nearly fifty years old landed which played its part in the Vietnam war touched down in Manchester last week.
The restored Huey 509 touched down at City Airport in Barton,celebrating the arrival of the musical Miss Saigon at the Palace Theatre which opened on Friday.
Owed and restored by Lancashire based Phil Connelly, it is the only working model in the UK.
The chopper was used to transport troops and equipment during the Vietnam War, as well as support and attack missions, first arriving in Vietnam in 1963 and was the most common utility helicopter used in the conflict between 1965-1973. It could carry up to ten troops and comes equipped with three stretchers that can be fitted onto its sides.
In Vietnam, it doubled-up as a battlefield taxi and a medi -vac vehicle.
Star of the show actress Soohah Kim was there, although did not arrive in the helicopter, whose journey from Preston was described as rather hairy by the team piloting due to the strong cross winds
