On the Wings of Freedom: Delivering America’s Response

On the Wings of Freedom: Delivering America’s Response” takes Army 783, a retired MH-47E Chinook helicopter, and transforms it into something much more than a preserved aircraft. Visitors step inside the helicopter and are surrounded by the sights, sounds, movement, lighting, scent, cockpit dialogue, and environmental effects of a Special Operations mission.

What makes this experience especially innovative is the story of turning a decommissioned aircraft into a literal vehicle for immersion.

Army 783 served for over 40 years. It logged over 11,000 flight hours and participated in numerous harrowing missions. Following its retirement, it sat on an airfield in Delaware and was being scrapped for parts before project stakeholders learned about the aircraft and its history. Thanks to the generosity of one donor in particular, Army 783 would be called on to serve again.

The goal was not to restore it into a spotless museum object, but to bring it back to a state that felt believable — as if it had just landed from a mission.

That required a huge amount of detailed restoration work. Original and period-appropriate components were sourced from the U.S. Army and Boeing wherever possible. When parts could not be found, exhibit fabricator 1220 Exhibits recreated them through 3D printing and custom fabrication, often producing many individual pieces to complete the aircraft.

The restoration also focused on the details that make something feel real. The windows are scuffed. The exterior carries dirt and wear. Equipment, finishes, and components were placed and treated to feel used rather than newly installed. Cockpit instruments and gauges were recreated. Lighting panels were re-wired to function in sync with the media program.

The result is an aircraft that does not look “restored” in the traditional sense. It looks operational.That authenticity became the foundation for the entire immersive experience.

Rather than building a separate simulator around the story, the real aircraft became the storytelling environment. Guests begin with a pre-flight briefing before boarding Army 783. Once seated inside, synchronized projection, spatial audio, lighting, scent, and physical sensations unfold around them.

The experience follows the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, the Night Stalkers, as they transport members of the 5th Special Forces Group, the Green Berets, on a mission in Afghanistan.

To make the story feel grounded and credible, the project was developed in close collaboration with service members from both units. They helped shape the narrative, appeared in the pre-flight briefing, and contributed voiceover for the in-flight sequence.

That collaboration was critical. The goal was never to create a thrill ride or fictionalize the experience. It was to help visitors better understand the urgency, teamwork, precision, and responsibility involved in Special Operations aviation.

The creative challenge was knowing when to use technology — and when to get out of its way.

Army 783 already carries decades of real history. The media and effects were designed to support that history, not compete with it. Every layer of the experience was intended to make the aircraft feel more present, more understandable, and more emotionally immediate.

That is what makes the project stand out in the Immersive Experiences category. It combines artifact restoration, scenic detailing, spatial storytelling, audiovisual media, sensory effects, and firsthand collaboration into one cohesive experience.

It really offers a different way to think about immersive design. Innovation does not always mean adding more technology or creating something entirely fictional. Sometimes it means starting with something real, restoring it with extraordinary care, and using technology just enough to help visitors experience it in a completely new way.

Army 783 looks real because it is real. The innovation is in making it feel alive again.

Partners

Relative Scale; Tennessee Wings of Liberty Museum and Fort Campbell Historical Foundation; 1220 Exhibits; HealyKohler Design; Available Light; Eos Lightmedia; Trailblazer Studios; Pixeldust Studios; Summit Aviation; 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR), the Night Stalkers; 5th Special Forces Group, the Green Berets.

The Chinook Onboard Immersive Experience was made possible through a highly collaborative team of museum, design, media, fabrication, aviation, lighting, and military partners.

Relative Scale led the immersive media and interactive experience scope, helping shape the guest journey, story flow, media approach, technical integration, and final onboard experience. The team worked to ensure that the technology supported the artifact and strengthened the emotional and educational impact of the mission sequence.

Tennessee Wings of Liberty Museum and Fort Campbell Historical Foundation served as the owner and steward of the project, guiding the historical mission, interpretive goals, artifact presentation, and overall visitor experience within the museum.

1220 Exhibits contributed to the exhibit delivery, fabrication, and physical realization of the museum environment, helping bring the larger interpretive setting and guest-facing exhibit experience to life.

HealyKohler Design supported the interpretive and exhibit design vision, helping shape how the aircraft, mission story, and surrounding museum environment would be presented to visitors.

Available Light contributed lighting design expertise, helping create the atmosphere, focus, and emotional tone needed to support the aircraft and mission experience without overpowering the historic artifact.

Eos Lightmedia supported show systems and technical integration, helping coordinate the technical layers that allow media, lighting, sound, and environmental effects to work together as a cohesive guest experience.

Trailblazer Studios supported media production, including filmed content and production elements used to bring the pre-flight briefing and mission narrative to life.

Pixeldust Studios contributed visual media and digital content support, helping create the visual storytelling elements that surround guests during the onboard experience.

Summit Aviation supported the aircraft restoration and aviation-related work, helping prepare Army 783 for public display while preserving the integrity and presence of the historic MH-47E Chinook.

The experience was also developed in close collaboration with active-duty service members from the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR), the Night Stalkers, and the 5th Special Forces Group, the Green Berets. These collaborators helped shape the mission story, reviewed narrative details, appeared in the pre-flight briefing, and contributed voiceover for the in-flight sequence. Their involvement was essential to ensuring the experience felt authentic, credible, and respectful.