'Whirlybirds' Star Craig Hill Dies at 88

The Hollywood Reporter ^ | April 21, 2014 | Mike Barnes

[EveningStar]

Wikipedia

IMDb

Whirlybirds Theme (with Credits)

Whirlybirds episode: Two of a Kind

[onedoug]

Bet his Spanish was good.

RIP Craig Hill, one of the heroes of my early life.

[prisoner6]

Wow! Watched it all the time. Had no idea he was still alive.

[Gay State Conservative]

I barely remember that show.IIRC my older brother used to watch it.

[W.Lee]

To this day, when I see a Blackhawk or a Huey overhead, I think: “There’s a Whirlybird.”

[G Larry]

And his partner, who was also “Festus” from Gunsmoke.

[Kartographer]

Whirlybirds Theme

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KgPC5RkYFo

[Portcall24]

Should have been drafted for WWII but I can’t find any mentioned of military service.

[Attention Surplus Disorder]

OMG, I remember that show....one of the very first I can recall. I barely had permission to open the shutters on the Stromberg-Carlson on my own.

I’ll have to watch an episode or two, thank you!

[onedoug]

You’re thinking of Dennis Weaver. Hill’s co-chopper pilot was Kenneth Tobey.

[Kartographer]

Ken Curtis play Festus

[zeestephen]

According to the article, Robert Altman (MASH - the movie) directed 19 episodes of Whirlybirds.

It was his first full time job in Hollywood.

I wonder if he had all his characters in Whirlybirds talking at the same time like he did in MASH and McCabe and Mrs. Miller?

Whirlybirds came on right before dinner at my house, so I remember my Mom cooking and our “TV room” full of neighborhood kids whenever I think about that show.

[RIghtwardHo]

Awwww. RIP

I had totally forgotten about that show. Used to LOVE it.

[CrazyIvan]

Loved the show. I must have drawn hundreds of helicopters in class when I should have been studying.

[fieldmarshaldj]

RIP.

[Menehune56]

I loved this show as a kid. Chuck and P.T. are both gone now, RIP.

[llevrok]

That show taught me that a collective had nothing to do with Communists or (later) hippies.

[TADSLOS]

That show taught me that a collective had nothing to do with Communists or (later) hippies.

It's the one collective that actually produces (lift) when applied.

[Resolute Conservative]

I found it cool (not real), as a kid, they could hover and drop a rope and climb down with no pilot.

[virgil283]

"who was also “Festus” from Gunsmoke"....

I was thinking the same thing but it was another show called 'Ripcord' --[Operating their skydiving service company "Ripcord", Jim Buckley and Ted McKeever are able to get to places that others can't and get there much faster. This leads them on many exciting ..]