More detail on this person: Mike was with the
61st AHC from 1968-1969. He will be surly missed
by his family and all of us. The following was
sent to me by Mike Baker of the Morning Call
newspaper. This information was last updated 05/18/2016
Please send additions or corrections to: HQ@vhpa.org VHPA Headquarters
Return to the Helicopter Pilot DAT name list
Return to VHPA web site
Date posted on this site:
03/10/2024
Copyright © 1998 - 2024 Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association
Michael Steven Waggener Plantz, 53, of
Frenchtown, N.J., formerly of Allentown, died
Monday, Oct. 15, in Frenchtown. A 1972 graduate
of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona
Beach, Fla., he was an aviation safety and air
carrier inspector for the Federal Aviation
Administration. Previously, he was director of
operations for Keystone Helicopters in
Pennsylvania and British Petroleum in Indonesia.
He also worked for Bell Helicopters in Iran and
Houston Helicopters. He was an airline transport
pilot with five helicopter and five jet aircraft
ratings and accumulated more than 12,000 hours of
flight time.
Born in Pittsburg, Kan., he was a son of Helen
(Reeder) Plantz of Overland Park, Kan., and the
late Paul Plantz. He was a Protestant.
He was an Army veteran of the Vietnam War,
serving with the 61st Assault Helicopter Company
and receiving an Air Medal with three Oak Leaf
Clusters, a Bronze Star and three Silver Stars. He
was a member of Sigma Chi fraternity, the
American Pilots Association and the Vietnam
Helicopter Pilots Association.
Survivors: Mother; daughter, Kristen Plantz-Gaumer
of Allentown; sister, Mary S. Grasso of Gig
Harbor, Wash.; a grandchild; nephews.
Services: 7 p.m. Friday, Trexler Funeral Home,
1625 Highland, St., Allentown. Call 6:30-7 p.m.
Friday.
Contributions: Vietnam Helicopter Pilots
Association, c/o the funeral home.
From: Jim Beach, Starblazer 24, 1970-71
Michael Steven Waggener Plantz, 53, of
Frenchtown, N.J., formerly of Allentown, died
Monday, Oct. 15, in Frenchtown. A 1972 graduate
of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona
Beach, Fla., he was an aviation safety and air
carrier inspector for the Federal Aviation
Administration. Previously, he was director of
operations for Keystone Helicopters in
Pennsylvania and British Petroleum in Indonesia.
He also worked for Bell Helicopters in Iran and
Houston Helicopters. He was an airline transport
pilot with five helicopter and five jet aircraft
ratings and accumulated more than 12,000 hours of
flight time. Born in Pittsburg, Kan., he was a
son of Helen (Reeder) Plantz of Overland Park,
Kan., and the late Paul Plantz. He was a
Protestant. He was an Army veteran of the
Vietnam War, serving with the 61st Assault
Helicopter Company and receiving an Air Medal with
three Oak Leaf Clusters, a Bronze Star and three
Silver Stars. He was a member of Sigma Chi
fraternity, the American Pilots Association and
the Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association.
Survivors: Mother; daughter, Kristen Plantz-Gaumer
of Allentown; sister, Mary S. Grasso of Gig
Harbor, Wash.; a grandchild; nephews. Services: 7
p.m. Friday, Trexler Funeral Home, 1625 Highland
St., Allentown. Call 6:30-7 p.m. Friday.
Contributions: Vietnam Helicopter Pilots
Association, c/o the funeral home.
From: Fetsko, Nadine