First Flight:
The Bell 206 from which the TH-57 was derived made its maiden flight in 1961.
Bellweather:
Manufacturer of the famous H-13, which with its fishbowl cockpit canopy and distinctive sound that inspired the universal name “chopper” for helicopters, Bell Helicopter Company was a leader in early development of rotary-wing aircraft. In 1960 company engineers began development of the Model 206 in response to a U.S. Army request for proposals for a light observation helicopter. Though unsuccessful in securing a contract, the company was able to shift the focus of the new design to commercial use, and the Model 260 became one of the most successful civilian helicopters ever produced.
Helicopter War:
By the late 1960s, rotary-wing training at NAAS Ellyson Field intensified to meet the increasing demand for helicopter pilots during the Vietnam War. Relying on training versions of fleet helicopters, some of them aging designs like the TH-13L Sioux and UH-34 Seahorse, the Navy turned to the Model 206 as a replacement, initially procuring 40 TH-57As in 1968 with advanced versions following later.
Sea Ranger Legacy:
The Sea Ranger served in the training role for nearly six decades, nearly 34,000 Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard helicopter pilots collectively logging 3.3 million flight hours in TH-57s earning their Wings of Gold in the skies over the skies of Northwest Florida. The longest serving variant was the TH-57C, which was equipped for use as an instrument trainer.
Lucky 106:
The introduction of the TH-73A Thrasher, which with its glass cockpit and advanced avionics better mirrors fleet helicopters, spelled the retirement of the venerable TH-57C. On September 19, 2025, Bureau Number 162668, made the Naval Air Training Command’s final flight of the Sea Ranger, launching from NAS Whiting Field and landing at NAS Pensacola’s Forrest Sherman Field for formal transfer to the museum. At the controls of “Lucky 106” were CDR James Gelsinon, the commanding officer of Helicopter Training Squadron (HT) 28, and CAPT Kenneth Kerr, Commander, Training Air Wing 5.
