Whirlybirds

Of course, my high score may be distorted through the lens of childhood nostalgia since I haven't seen this series since I used to watch it after school back in the 60's, but it seems like it could have been at least part of the inspiration for "Emergency!" which ran in the 1970's. Of course, Emergency! was a TV series about two paramedics, friends as well as colleagues, that respond to all sorts of emergencies back when the paramedic program was in its infancy. Whirlybirds was about two helicopter pilots, friends as well as colleagues, who respond to all kinds of emergencies when the helicopter was first being used for difficult rescues and the tracking and pursuit of criminals.

If this ever came out on DVD I'd buy the entire series in a moment. From what I remember it was not repetitive at all with all kinds of people in distress in all types of situations being rescued by these guys. Plus they were very effective at chasing the bad guys with their "birds' eye view". Highly recommended and fondly remembered.

N975B and N238B. Mere meaningless numbers to most people, but forever burned in to my brain as the "N" FAA registration numbers painted on the sides of the two helicopters that starred in the Whirleybirds TV series of the late 50's. The Bell 47G with the bubble canopy and the Bell Ranger with the front-sitting pilot and three pax behind him became the quintissential vertical flying machines of the day. This show is such a classic black and white icon of its time, it's hard to understand why he haven't seen it since. Where are Sky King, Sea Hunt and My Favorite Martian (where Mrs. Brown baked brownies)? Yet we have been inundated with re-runs of I Love Lucy, The Honeymooners and the Dick Van Dyke Show. I grew up with Whirleybirds, salivated over every episode while eating mac-n-cheese and orange pop, and wanted to cry when it was over. I took one helicopter flying lesson and then learned how expensive these machines are to operate. If somebody would bring back a high-quality DVD series of this show, here is my credit card number...

A great show that was syndicated. Two guys run a Helicopter company (and of course have a good looking secretary) and help out the police, firefighters, Army etc, whenever they can. Which of course was every episode. They were either tracking escaped criminals or rescuing some bonehead who had gotten themselves stranded out in the middle of nowhere. Each episode managed to let the viewer know that the Helicopter was really the shows star. When this show was being run every helicopter pilot around must have thought "How come I never have any adventures like those Whirlybird guys" Blue Thunder and Airwolf came years later and featured helos but never seemed to match the magic of this late 50's gem.

I watched every episode every Friday night when it aired back in the mid 50's and loved every episode. I wonder why this series has never been released on video. I for one would buy every episode, that is how much I loved the 'Whirlybirds'. I've been hoping they would show them on Nick at Night. No such luck though. There has never been a TV series as great as the 'Whirlybirds'.

Okay, it wasn't the exact same 'chopper' that appeared in M*A*S*H but that's what started me watching the latter classic. Good theme which I would like to hear again, almost as good as 'Cannonball'. Two likeable actors but I can't really remember much else. Ah, those were the days; take me back to 1959. TV evenings in Sydney would bring you some classic Westerns plus 'Whirlybirds' and of course 'Sea Hunt'.