On the Wings of Freedom: Delivering America's Response

At the Tennessee Wings of Liberty Museum, guests do more than stand beside a restored helicopter and read about its history. They step inside it, take a seat, and participate in a multi-sensory mission with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment and 5th Special Forces Group.
On the Wings of Freedom: Delivering America’s Response is the story of a living artifact, imbued with new life and renewed purpose: to honor the bravery and sacrifice of America’s servicemen and women. This is the story of Army 783, the call sign of an MH-47 Chinook helicopter that served in the U.S. Army for over 40 years and flew over 11,000 hours.
Its service to the public continues.
Once they approach Army 783, guests are immersed in a story that is authentic and credible. It begins with a pre-flight briefing, conducted by an active-duty Night Stalker and an active-duty Green Beret on the tarmac of Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan. Guests are then prompted to board the helicopter.
Inside the helicopter, guests are presented with synchronized visual content in the cockpit, main cabin, and on a curved projection wall outside the rear of the aircraft. Speakers and ButtKicker LFEs are discreetly placed inside the cabin to deliver a surround mix that includes narrative co-written and voiced by active-duty Night Stalkers, and MH-47 Chinook sound effects that were recorded on location at Fort Campbell. Layers of lighting effects inside and outside the helicopter enhance the story and the immersion. Through sight, sound, and scent, guests are transported to another time and place.
The eight-minute experience takes guests on a journey from Bagram Airfield, through the Hindu Kush mountain range, where they encounter dangerous weather conditions and take on enemy fire, before finally arriving at their landing spot where they deplane along with a team of Green Berets.
While Army 783 is impressive on its own, it ultimately serves as a vehicle for elevating the stories of the Night Stalkers and Green Berets. It takes guests to a place where they otherwise would likely never go and leaves them with an impression they will always remember.