Evergreen Air Park, Marana

Arizona Guide

CAF Arizona Wing Museum, Mesa

Silver Bell Army Heliport
Arizona Aviation Museum Guide

Western Army National Guard Aviation Training Site (WAATS)
Silver Bell Army Heliport
Pinal Air Park
Marana, Arizona

Recently AFIA (A Friend In Arizona) visited the Western Army National Guard Aviation Training Site. WAATS is located in the heart of Arizona's Sonoran desert, at the Silver Bell Army Heliport, on the north-west side of the Pinal Air Park, Marana, Arizona. The heliport is about 30 miles Northwest of historic Tucson and about 86 miles South of Arizona's capital city Phoenix. Co-located at the heliport is the 1^st/285^th Apache Helicopter Attack Battalion, a unit of the Arizona Army National Guard. The pre-mobilization mission of the Western Army National Guard Aviation Training Site is to conduct National Guard Bureau directed aviation training for the Attack and Aero-Scout mission as approved and directed by the US Army Training & Doctrine Command. The post mobilization mission is to augment the TRADOC as an activity under the command and control of US Army Aviation Center. While at WAATS, AFIA took a the following series of walk-around photos of the two helicopters on display in a memorial park setting. WAATS is not open to the general public.

Dedication to Dennis Paul Jans, Chief Warrant Officer II (photos by AFIA)

Bell AH-1G-BF “Cobra” (67-15471, c/n 20135), Silver Bell Army Heliport, WAATS, Marana, Arizona (photos by AFIA)

Bell AH-1G-BF “Cobra” (66-15255, c/n 20011), Silver Bell Army Heliport, WAATS, Marana, Arizona (photos by AFIA)

A very special thanks to AFIA (A Friend in Arizona) for providing us with photos of the aircraft at this location.

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