Man who flew 3,000 miles to Alaska for ultra-rare abandoned helicopter shares what's going to happen to it once it's fully restored

A man who flew 3,000 miles to Alaska to rescue an ultra-rare abandoned helicopter has revealed what he plans to do with it once the mammoth restoration project is finally complete.

YouTuber and aircraft mechanic Matt Lombard has spent months bringing the historic helicopter back to life after tracking it down in Alaska and transporting it across the US.

But despite completing most of the restoration work, one critical missing component is still preventing the helicopter from returning to the skies.

Now, Lombard has opened up about the project’s future, the emotional reason he refuses to give up on it, and what will happen when the aircraft is finally airworthy again.

The ultra-rare abandoned helicopter still needs one vital part

Aviation YouTuber Matt Lombard told Supercar Blondie that his beloved helicopter, which he traveled all the way to Alaska for, is essentially finished apart from one major issue.

“So it’s essentially sitting in my hangar ready to fly other than this one major mast issue,” he explained.

The mast is a critical component in the rotor system, but finding one has proved almost impossible.

“I’ve literally tracked down every single possibility,” Lombard said.

The challenge is made even harder because there are currently no flying examples of the helicopter left anywhere in the world.

“There is not one of these helicopters flying in the world,” he revealed.

Despite the setbacks, Lombard says he remains determined to finish the project, which he remained tight-lipped about the full cost of the project so far.

Supercar Blondie’s Daisy Edwards guessed the cost as more than $15,000, which Lombard confirmed was close to the initial price, but it skyrocketed after accounting for hundreds of hours of labor.

What’s going to happen when the project is finally completed?

Unlike many restoration projects, Lombard has no plans to sell this aircraft.

“I don’t think I’ll ever let it go,” he said.

Part of the reason is the aircraft’s emotional history; the helicopter previously belonged to the father of the woman who sold it to him, and Lombard hopes to reunite her with it once it is flying again.

“The owner is going to come once the aircraft is done,” he said.

“I want this thing to fly so then she can fly down from Alaska, come here to St Louis and we can go flying in it.”

Lombard also revealed that his father has played a major role in the restoration, turning it into a family project.

“He has put so much sweat and hard work into this helicopter that it very much is as much his as it was mine,” Lombard said.

And while this helicopter is staying with him, Lombard has already lined up his next challenge: restoring a former German military helicopter that he plans to convert for civilian use.

But, if anyone happens to know where an abandoned FH-1100 helicopter mast might be hiding, he would very much like to hear from you.