The ‘Whirlybird’ features Mentone-made stretchers.

Text and Photos
By Madison Hart
InkFreeNews

MENTONE — Take a helicopter ride at Rotors Over Mentone.

The Lawrence D. Bell Aircraft Museum is hosting the annual Rotors Over Mentone event from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14, at the museum, located at 210 S. Oak St., Mentone. Six people can ride in the helicopter at once, with professionals sitting between them for safety.

The cost of a helicopter ride is $60 cash/$65 card. Children under two years old ride free. There are no pre-buy ticket sales, so it will be first-come, first-served.

At 11 a.m., Brad Stockwell of Arizona, who flew Bell UH-1 helicopters in Vietnam, will be the guest speaker.

Food, beverages, and Igloo ice cream will be available.

The aircraft museum is a free attraction that celebrates Mentone-born-and-raised Lawrence Bell, who invented the ‘Huey’ helicopter. The museum features helicopters that visitors are allowed to climb inside, as well as artifacts from Bell and the Vietnam War.

Museum visitors are welcome to climb inside the helicopters.

Museum representative Alice Keirn was proud to share the Bell 47 ‘Whirlybird’ helicopter features a new set of stretchers. Frank’s Manufacturing in Mentone manufactured stretchers used on Bell 47 helicopters in the Korean War. When Frank’s Manufacturing closed, stretchers were donated to the museum.

Connected to the Bell Aircraft Museum is the Mentone Historical Museum, which tells the story of Mentone’s rise as the ‘Egg Basket of the Midwest’ and displays artifacts from Mentone pharmacies, high school athletics, antique kitchens and early portraits of settlers. The museum recently acquired a Girl Scout uniform from the 1930s belonging to Iola Tucker Goshert. Goshert also has a band uniform in the museum from 1942 along with her daughter, Faith Goshert’s, band uniform from 1972.

The Lawrence D. Bell Aircraft Museum and Mentone Historical Museum are open 1-5 p.m. on Sundays from June to September, or contact (574) 328-2034 to schedule a tour.

Participating in museum-hosted events such as Rotors Over Mentone help these museums stay free and open to the public, keeping Mentone history alive.