Whirlybirds

Whirlybirds
Format	Adventure
Created by	• Art Napoleon  • Jo Napoleon
Starring	• Nancy Hale  • Craig Hill  • Sandra Spence  • Kenneth Tobey
Country of origin	United States
No. of seasons	3
No. of episodes	111
Production
Executive producer(s)	• Mort Briskin  • N. Gayle Gitterman
Running time	30 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel	Syndicated, for CBS by Desilu Studios
Original run	February 4, 1957 – January 18, 1960

Whirlybirds (sometimes called The Whirlybirds or Copter Patrol in syndication) is an American drama television series.

Its 111 episodes — broadcast from February 4, 1957, through January 18, 1960 — were produced by Desilu Studios .

In the United Kingdom, it was shown by the BBC in the late 1950s and early 1960s and repeated in the 1970s and late 1980s. In Italy, RAI dubbed many episodes in the early 1960s with the title Avventure in elicottero.

Plot synposis

The show was about Chuck Martin and Pete (P.T.) Moore (Kenneth Tobey and Craig Hill), owners of a fictitious helicopter chartering company, Whirlybird Service, in the American West, who sold their services to various clients out of the also fictional Longwood Field.

The Whirlybirds TV show was produced by Desilu Studios, which also produced the popular and iconic sitcom I Love Lucy. One particular episode of that show, number 140, became pivotal to the Bell 47's public image as the definitive light helicopter of the 1950s. In 140, which was entitled "Bon Voyage" and first aired on CBS January 16, 1956, Lucy misses the sailing of her transAtlantic oceanliner and commandeers a friendly Bell 47G to fly her out to the ship. Down she goes on the hoist, in a studio sequence carefully staged using a 47G cabin mockup. Desilu Studios, intrigued by the Bell 47 and its manufacturer, began discussions with Bell Aircraft about how the entertainment potential of the Bell 47 might be further developed for a television audience. The result of this collaboration became The Whirlybirds.

Actors Kenneth Tobey and Craig Hill did not fly the helicopters on the show. That job was done by expert copter pilots Ed Fuderich, Bob Gilbreath and Harry Hauss of National Helicopter, Inc.

After production of Whirlybirds ended, CBS returned 39 out of the 111 episodes to syndication and retitled the series, Copter Patrol.

Production

The first four episodes were titled The Whirlybirds and the rest simply Whirlybirds. Many episodes were directed by Harve Foster and Robert Altman. The creators were Art Napoleon and Jo Napoleon.

Filming

The series was filmed on location in California. The production first used the Santa Susanna Airport in Simi Valley. The airport, which is no longer in existence, was in close proximity to the Iverson Ranch, a dude ranch used to film westerns. Later episodes were filmed at the San Fernando Airport, which is also now closed.

Much of the open landscape seen around both airports in the series has been developed since the 1960s.

Guest stars

(partial list)

• Walter Coy as Dr. Morgan in "Fear" (1958)
• Francis De Sales as John Osborn in the 1957 episode "Lynch Mob"
• Dean Fredericks as Chalky in the 1957 episode, "Lady Luck"
• Ron Hagerthy as Steve in the 1959 episode, "His Brother's Keeper"
• Tyler McVey as Everts in the 1957 episode "Fire Flight"
• Joyce Meadows as Mrs. Hobbs in the 1957 episode "The Ashley Case"
• John M. Pickard as Nick Faro in the episode "Hostage"
• Gary Vinson made his screen debut in the 1957 episode "Story of Sister Brigit". He played a youth in an orphanage having problems adapting to foster parents.

Helicopters used

The two helicopter types used were Bell models, a 47G and a 47J Ranger; the tail numbers were N975B and N2838B (and N1538B as back-up), respectively. In reality, many helicopters played the role of N975B. Other Bell 47Gs owned by National Helicopter Service, Inc. were used in the filming with "N975B" decals covering their actual registrations.

Whirlybirds was excellent free advertising for Bell, as each episode showed the remarkable capabilities of this new type of aircraft. Seeing the potential for daring rescues where conventional aircraft could not go and the myriad of other unique uses for helicopters helped sales for Bell and for National Helicopter.

Whirlybirds, apparently, went out of production when Textron purchased the Bell Aerospace part of the Bell Aircraft in 1960. Bell Aerospace was composed of three divisions of Bell Aircraft, including its helicopter division, which had become its only aircraft-producing division. Bell Aircraft lives on today as Bell Helicopter.

Background facts

• - In the opening credits, the picture is reversed. Observe the registration numbers on the cabin.
• - The Whirlybirds answering service phone number is AT1-6999
• - The Whirlybirds radio frequency was 1077, call sign of Seven Five Bravo.
• - There were three secretaries in the series, Janet Culver (Sandra Spence), Helen Carter (Nancy Hale) and Jean (Bunny Cooper)
• - Both Chuck Martin and P.T. Moore served in the Korean War, although not in the same unit.
• - Chuck Martin was a POW for eight months, and while he was missing in action his fiancée got married.

DVD

Some copies of the series are sold on the internet, but no officially authorized DVD sets are available. The U.S. National Archives possesses a complete set of original 16 mm prints.

References

• The New Whirlybirds & Tribute Details of program.
• McNeil, Alex (1984). Total Television — A Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1984 to the Present. p. 712. Penguin Books (New York City). ISBN 0 14 00 7377 9.

Episodes list with original air dates

Whirlybirds - The first season

• 1. Big U (2/4/1957)
• 2. Rampage (2/18/1957)
• 3. Boy On The Roof (2/11/1957)
• 4. Fire Flight (2/25/1957)
• 5. Hot Wire (3/18/1957)
• 6. Mountain Flight (3/25/1957)
• 7. Ghost Town Flight (3/11/1957)
• 8. Hostage (3/4/1957)
• 9. Diamond Smugglers (4/1/1957)
• 10. Lynch Mob (4/8/1957)
• 11. Sky Net (4/15/1957)
• 12. Prison Break (4/22/1957)
• 13. Top Of The Mountain (4/29/1957)
• 14. Operation Blue Hen (5/6/1957)
• 15. The Human Bomb (5/13/1957)
• 16. Missing Witness (5/20/1957)
• 17. The Egg Code (5/27/1957)
• 18. Superstition Mountain (6/3/1957)
• 19. Homicide Haven (6/10/1957)
• 20. Riptide (6/17/1957)
• 21. The Black Pearl (6/24/1957)
• 22. Illegal Entry (7/1/1957)
• 23. Lady Luck (7/8/1957)
• 24. Hide And Seek (7/15/1957)
• 25. Hobson's Choice (7/23/1957)
• 26. Crisis (7/29/1957)
• 27. Journey To The Past (8/5/1957)
• 28. Aerial Circus (8/12/1957)
• 29. Cycle Of Terror (8/19/1957)
• 30. Fury Canyon (10/7/1957)
• 31. The Rustlers (10/14/1957)
• 32. I'll Get Even (10/21/1957)
• 33. Incident In Del Rio (10/28/1957)
• 34. Sky Hook (11/5/1957)
• 35. The Secret Cove (11/11/1957)
• 36. Take A Little, Leave A Little (2/10/1958)
• 37. Airborne Gold (1/13/1958)
• 38. Iron Mountain (1/20/1958)
• 39. Panic At Green Ridge (1/27/1958)

Whirlybirds - The second season

• 40. Seven Were Trapped (2/3/1958)
• 41. The Ashley Case (2/10/1958)
• 42. Hit And Run (2/17/1958)
• 43. The Runaway (2/24/1958)
• 44. The Brothers (3/3/1958)
• 45. Search for an Unknown Man (3/10/1958)
• 46. The Killer (3/17/1958)
• 47. The Unwanted (3/24/1958)
• 48. Mister Q (3/31/1958)
• 49. Seven Orchids (4/7/1958)
• 50. Father and Son (4/14/1958)
• 51. Time Out Of Mind (4/21/1958)
• 52. Buy Me A Miracle (4/28/1958)
• 53. Infra-Red (5/5/1958)
• 54. An Apple For The Teacher (5/12/1958)
• 55. Blind Date (5/19/1958)
• 56. Blind Victory (5/26/1958)
• 57. Copters and Robbers (6/2/1958)
• 58. If I Were King (6/9/1958)
• 59. Dog Gone (6/16/1958)
• 60. Fear (6/23/1958)
• 61. Time To Kill (6/30/1958)
• 62. Two Came Back (7/7/1958)
• 63. Summit Meeting (7/14/1958)
• 64. Robert Dixon, M.D. (10/20/1958)
• 65. Uncle Pete (10/27/1958)
• 66. Hide Out (11/3/1958)
• 67. Baby Face (11/10/1958)
• 68. Glamor (11/17/1958)
• 69. Address Unknown (11/24/1958)
• 70. The Story of Sister Bridget (12/1/1958)
• 71. Midnight Show (12/8/1958)
• 72. 27 Pieces of Gold (12/15/1958)
• 73. Dead On Arrival (12/22/1958)
• 74. An Act Of Fate (12/29/1958)
• 75. Always A Gentleman (1/5/1959)
• 76. Road Block (1/12/1959)
• 77. C.O.D. (1/19/1959)
• 78. Rest In Peace (1/26/1959)

Whirlybirds - The third season

• 79. A Matter Of Trust (4/6/1959)
• 80. Guilty Of Old Age (4/13/1959)
• 81. Christmas in June (4/20/1959)
• 82. Til Death Do Us Part (4/27/1959)
• 83. Time Limit (5/4/1959)
• 84. Experiment X-74 (5/11/1959)
• 85. His Brother's Keeper (5/18/1959)
• 86. Obsession (5/25/1959)
• 87. The Challenge (6/1/1959)
• 88. The Big Lie (6/8/1959)
• 89. Without a Net (6/15/1959)
• 90. The Fugitive (6/22/1959)
• 91. The Perfect Crime (6/29/1959)
• 92. The Unknown Soldier (7/6/1959)
• 93. Two of a Kind (7/13/1959)
• 94. In Ways Mysterious (7/20/1959)
• 95. The Deadly Game (7/27/1959)
• 96. Bankrupt Alibi (8/3/1959)
• 97. The Black Maria (8/10/1959)
• 98. This Sitting Duck (8/17/1959)
• 99. Wanted - Alive (8/24/1959)
• 100. The Deacon (8/31/1959)
• 101. Rita Ames Is Missing (9/7/1959)
• 102. The Story of Mary Scott (9/14/1959)
• 103. Pink Is For Death (9/21/1959)
• 104. Star Witness (9/28/1959)
• 105. Mr. Jinx (10/5/1959)
• 106. File 777 (10/12/1959)
• 107. Hot Cargo (10/19/1959)
• 108. Shoot Out (10/26/1959)
• 109. Man, You Kill Me (11/2/1959)
• 110. Dead Wrong (11/9/1959)
• 111. Four Little Indians (1/18/1960)

External links

• Whirlybirds at the Internet Movie Database
• New Whirlybirds website
• Series background website
• Whirlybirds at TV.com
• Episodes
• Plot summaries