MENTONE – The Lawrence D. Bell Aircraft Museum will host its annual “Rotors Over Mentone” helicopter fly-in starting at 10 a.m. Sept. 6. The museum is at 210 S. Oak St., Mentone. The event will offer helicopter rides by American Huey 369 (with membership) and Goshen Helicopter Inc. Special guest and speaker for the event will be Joey Rhodes, or “Mr. Bell 47” as he is known to many in the helicopter industry. Rhodes is currently president, CEO and Hall of Fame member of the Bell 47 Helicopter Association (B47HA). In addition, he is a Southern Illinois high–time commercial airplane, helicopter pilot and an aviation broker. Audiences will be treated to two programs by Rhodes on Sept. 6. The first, titled “The Bell 47 Helicopter Legend,” will inform people how the Bell 47 was developed and how it came known as “The helicopter that saved so many lives” The second program, titled “Inside the Whirlybirds” television show and presented by Rhodes, who was also the co-star of the “New Whirlybirds,” will be a 30-minutes show highlighting the 1950 Desilu production TV Series “The Whirlybirds,” which helped popularize the Bell 47. There will be a blood mobile on site as well as a food stand and free parking as well as the museum will be open to view.
