Episode
SITREP Ep. 161: Vietnam Huey Pilot Rick Talks Hot LZs and War Stories
- Podcast
- Badlands Media
- Published
- Jul 10, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 5568
- Processing state
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Summary
Grab your coffee (or bourbon pecan, your call), because CannCon and Alpha Warrior trade the news desk for the hangar this week. They sit down with Vietnam War veteran and Huey pilot Warrant Officer Rick McAninch, who flew assault helicopter missions with the 334th and trained alongside the 317th Air Cav. Rick walks through what it actually took to fly troops into hot LZs with no night vision, why tail rotor failure is not the day ruiner you would expect, and a few stories that prove gear regulations were a lot looser back then. Expect a tiger encounter, a near miss with mortar fire, and enough helicopter trivia to make you rethink every war movie you have watched. It is equal parts history lesson and buddy comedy, told with the kind of respect only guys who have been there can offer.