Lady bird bell helicopter1/3/2024 ![]() Historians say LBJ got a lot more from helicopters than campaign appeal. Years later, as President, Johnson routinely traveled by helicopter, especially to and from his ranch in Texas. Everyone wanted in on the action, including political leaders in communities across Texas, who begged to have the “Johnson City Windmill” visit their town. It took only one week for LBJ to pull within 10 points of his rival. ![]() Then he’d give his speech while his audience watched the helicopter. LBJ'S CAMPAIGN HELICOPTER - THE JOHNSON'S BELL HELICOPTER STOCK MADE THEM A FORTUNE DURING THE VIETNAM WAR I just hope and pray he’ll be able to make it.” He’d say, “My good pilot Joe tells me it’ll be too dangerous if I take off with him because we wouldn’t have enough power to clear those 30,000-volt high-tension wires over there. To keep them around long enough to hear his political message, he supposedly used another gimmick. Lyndon Johnson knew people were there to see the new flying machine, not him. Time magazine called his plan the “first new gimmick to hit Texas politicking since the hillbilly band and the free barbecue.”Ĭars with bullhorns on the roof blared their way through each town shortly before Johnson landed, encouraging a crowd to gather. He reportedly flew and gave speeches six days a week, visiting anywhere from 13 to 30 communities. The Johnson Senatorial campaign set off in a Bell 47. WALNUT CIGAR BOX PRESENTED TO JOHNSON ON A TRIP TO THE PHILIPPINES - PART OF THE RALEIGH DeGEER AMYX COLLECTION Most Americans had never seen one, though they may have seen pictures of helicopters in action on newsreels. They were far more dangerous than today’s models, and rarely used to transport civilian passengers. In the late 1940s, helicopters were still a new addition to the world of aircraft. He needed something to grab attention, if he was going to win the primary, and this was it. Second, arriving in a helicopter would add unparalleled panache to his campaign. First, it could take him anywhere, including tiny burgs without an airstrip. They considered using an airplane, but Johnson thought a helicopter would offer two advantages. SEE MORE OFFICIAL WHITE HOUSE CHINA HERE. INTRICATE SERVICE PLATE FROM THE LBJ OFFICIAL WHITE HOUSE CHINA COLLECTION FEATURES A MAGNIFICENT WILDFLOWER THEME - MANUFACTURED BY CASTLETON WITH DESIGN INPUT FROM TIFFANY AND COMPANY OF NEW YORK- PART OF THE RALEIGH DeGEER AMYX COLLECTION. How, they strategized, could the relatively unknown Johnson get his face and message in front of voters throughout the enormous state? Most people lived in small, rural communities well apart from one another. Johnson’s top confidant at the time was John Connally, who was then an attorney. However, he made this decision just seven weeks before the primary election. LBJ, then a Congressman from Texas, decided to run for the Senate instead. Perhaps that love of rotor-craft came from the fact that helicopters played a pivotal role in Johnson’s political career. Lyndon Baines Johnson was reportedly so fond of helicopters he used a helicopter seat as his desk chair in the Oval Office while president.
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