Utah builder HeavyDSparks finally gets his massive CH-46 helicopter up in the air after intense restoration work
Published on Oct 28, 2026 at 1:01 PM (UTC-4)
by Ben Thompson
Last updated on Oct 28, 2026 at 1:01 PM (UTC-4)
Edited by
Mason Jones
YouTuber HeavyDSparks finally got his CH-46 helicopter up into the air after two years of waiting.
This process wasn’t easy by any stretch, as it involved buying the helicopter from a museum, acquiring a ferry permit and filling out FAA paperwork.
And that’s even before considering flying it out from Nevada to Utah.
But now it was finally done and ready for takeoff.
HeavyDSparks has quite the reputation for big projects
If you know anything about David Sparks, better known online as HeavyDSparks on YouTube, then you’ll know that he goes big with his work.
Whether that’s installing a diesel engine into a monster truck or transforming an old SUV into a homemade helicopter, he’s always going above and beyond.
But even by that high bar, this project may be his most ambitious yet.
This CH-46 helicopter comeback is two years in the making
HeavyDSparks spent just over two years working on this CH-46 helicopter.
The process involved buying from a museum, maintenance and inspections, a ferry permit and FAA paperwork, then flying it from Reno, Nevada to Bountiful, Utah.
Before his purchase, this helicopter had sat stationary for 10 years.
He spoke highly of the ‘CH-46 community’.
“The best group of people I have ever met in my life. It’s a bunch of Marines because the 46 was basically only a Marine bird,” he said.
“They’re not just like, ‘Oh, it’s just a YouTuber buying a CH-46’. They’re like, ‘Hey, that’s somebody who is preserving and bringing back to life something that’s very near and dear to that community’.”
A majority of the two-year period had been caught up in admin work.
The maintenance took relatively little time in the grand scheme of things.
A crew had booked out two weeks to work on it, and declared it ready after two days.
But now that all the paperwork had been sorted, it was time for it to be flown from Nevada to Utah.
It was finally time for this CH-46 to take flight
On the flight morning, one of the fuel controllers was found to be dripping fuel.
Fixing an O-ring and reinstalling it seemed to do the trick, even though it ate up several hours.
Another problem that arose when the helicopter was lifted into a hover.
While engine one hovered at 97 percent NG (Gas Generator Speed), engine two hit 104 percent, meaning it could be at risk of exploding.
This type of adjustment was complicated on a CH-46, meaning they had to park it for the day.
“Safety first, and obviously the last thing we want to do is push this thing, you know, blow up the engine for no reason,” HeavyDSparks said.
However, he finally got the flight experience he’d been two years for, and it was worth the wait.
“You think it’s, oh, just a helicopter, and you’re right. But when you learn how to fly a helicopter and you learn how to really get to know an aircraft, you learn what little feelings and movements, what they feel like, what they mean, what it’s going to do,” he said.
“Everything in that was totally different. It literally felt like flying a school bus.”
His plan going forward was to use the CH-46 on search and rescue missions out in the desert.
Considering it can lift 10,000Ib on the cargo hook, it could prove mighty handy in those operations.
Ben joined Supercar Blondie in February 2025 after being published by international organizations including LADbible, The Sun, the New York Post, and the Daily Mail. He covers supercars, rare and collectible vehicles, aviation, luxury assets, and the fascinating people behind them. His reporting has explored everything from seven-figure supercars and historic Ferrari collections to unusual aircraft adventures and extraordinary automotive discoveries from around the world. Ben has also gained first-hand insight into vehicle craftsmanship and customization, including visiting specialist workshops to see bespoke vehicles up close.
