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IrelandHeavyDSparks' Phrog is home, but the restoration isn't finished
The CH-46's Utah arrival leads to a practical list of repairs and a plan to put the retired helicopter back to work.
HeavyDSparks
Story of Why this story? 1,397,903 views so far, and here is what is inside it.
I Finally Flew My CH-46 Phrog Home to Utah
Video summary
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- 8:25HeavyDSparks recounts the purchase, inspections and flight permits needed to move the museum's CH-46.
- 10:40A leaking fuel control unit requires repair before the helicopter can depart.
- 14:48An engine-speed spike interrupts the takeoff attempt, and the crew postpones the trip until the following day.
- 20:00The crew refuels and prepares another departure, with the Black Hawk accompanying the Phrog.
- 27:31HeavyDSparks outlines plans for rescue, recovery and disaster-relief work using the helicopter's cargo hook.
- 29:22A crew member lists remaining work, including avionics updates, leak repairs and FAA-required equipment.
Getting the Phrog to Utah was not the same as getting it ready for everyday missions. Near the end of HeavyDSparks' homecoming video, a crew member explains that avionics updates, leak repairs and FAA-required equipment still stand between the retired military helicopter and full-time flying.
That distinction gives the journey more substance than a triumphant landing. HeavyDSparks recounts two years of buying, inspecting and arranging permits for the aircraft from Rick's museum near Carson City. A leaking fuel control unit needs attention before flight. Then an engine-speed spike cuts a takeoff attempt short, leaving the crew unable to resolve the problem before sunset.
"Safety first, and obviously the last thing we want to do is push this thing and blow up the engine for no reason," HeavyDSparks says.
The crew returns the next morning with a Black Hawk escort. The eventual trip crosses mountains and desert toward Utah, followed by a nighttime arrival at the hangar. His description of the experience is less fighter-pilot fantasy than oversized machinery enthusiast: "Literally felt like flying a school bus." The video also includes a sponsored men's-health segment.
As we reported here, the Phrog has made it home. What comes next is the more revealing part: HeavyDSparks wants it working alongside the Black Hawk on search and rescue, recoveries and disaster relief. He says its cargo hook can carry 10,000 pounds.
He also wants veterans back aboard for missions. In the comments, former CH-46 crew members and passengers recount time spent inside these aircraft, while others ask him to preserve the military paint scheme. For this restoration, keeping the helicopter recognizable matters to people who remember it from the inside.
Published on Trari
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What viewers say
Keep the military paint job. Your Blackhawk is cool with the solid black but that CH-46 paint looks awesome.
@President-Barack-ObamaSee it on YouTubeI've got over 800 hours on 46's from back in the 90's and can fully understand the support that former Phrog guys would give, it's like going home.
@dphitchSee it on YouTubeAs a USMC veteran, I would like to thank you for the willingness and the drive to get the beloved 46 back in the air. I have many fond memories of my time riding in them. Please keep up the good work. Also, please keep the current paint job alive and well.
@danielcline1848See it on YouTube
3 more comments
I have to say you did the CH-46 justice and this is one of the best flashback documentary of the flight. I was a Hydraulics tech for HMM-163 (77-81) and seeing you guys pumping that handle up to 3000 PSI to fire the APU and kick off finally. I did that Hundreds of times hitting that handle - ha. Congratulations on on the restoration and putting that bird back in the air where it belongs.
@GlenEaton-g9bSee it on YouTubeI was stationed on an ammo ship, the USS Mount Baker, in 1973-74. We carried two CH-46 helicopters for transfering ammo and other things, and one of my collaterol duties was working in Pri Fly, the control tower. Got to take lots of rides in the copters. Great flying machine, but INCREDIBLY loud inside. Great to see this video.
@Marv4yerSee it on YouTubeMy dad was a master mechanic for these in the Marine Corps from 1988 to 2010 he loved this aircraft and has some awesome stories about them
@stevenschultz603See it on YouTube
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- Channel
- HeavyDSparks
- Subscribers
- 4,670,000
- Channel views, last 7 days
- 1,965,394
- Channel views, pace per day
- 498,026 (on a normal day: 232,331)
- Video published
- October 23, 2026
- Video views so far
- 1,397,903 (3 days online)
- Video views, pace per day
- 319,414 (on a normal day: 492,315)
The numbers
The homecoming video has reached about 1.4 million views in three days. Its viewing pace is not unusually high for HeavyDSparks; the restoration and its unfinished work are the story.
💡 Test your knowledge
Which helicopter accompanies the Phrog on its journey home?
The crew returns in the Black Hawk, which then accompanies the CH-46 on its flight toward Utah.