Relative Scale, an immersive and interactive media studio creating digital experiences that connect people with stories, places, and ideas, has worked with the Tennessee Wings of Liberty Museum to design and develop a collection of media experiences that honours the soldiers connected to Fort Campbell.
The museum features unique artefacts, historic aircraft, personal stories, and immersive exhibits that trace the history of vertical envelopment from World War II through modern-day operations.
The Tennessee Wings of Liberty Museum honours the soldiers connected to Fort Campbell, a major US Army post. Image courtesy of Relative Scale
Central to the experience is an authentic MH-47 Chinook helicopter, call sign Army 783, which hosts an immersive flight adventure inspired by a real special operations mission.
Aboard Army 783
The Tennessee Wings of Liberty Museum honours the enduring legacy of the 101st Airborne Division, 5th Special Forces Group (the Green Berets), 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (the Night Stalkers), and others with links to Fort Campbell, a major US Army post.
The immersive experience, On the Wings of Freedom: Delivering America’s Response, tells the story of the helicopter Army 783, which these brave soldiers used for more than four decades.
With service totalling over 11,000 flight hours, the helicopter supported conflicts such as Vietnam, Operation Desert Storm, Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and the Global War on Terrorism.
In 2011, Army 783 also took part in the raid to capture al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.
Image courtesy of Relative Scale
The eight-minute Army 783 experience takes visitors from Bagram Airfield through the Hindu Kush mountain range, where they face dangerous weather and enemy fire. After landing, they disembark with a team of Green Berets.
Before the mission, an active-duty Night Stalker and an active-duty Green Beret conduct a pre-flight briefing on the tarmac at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan. This introduces the aircraft, crew, and historical context and prepares visitors before they take their seats.
Once inside, the helicopter transforms with synchronised visual content on the cockpit windshield, the port-side cabin windows, and a curved projection wall outside the rear of the aircraft.
Numerous speakers and ButtKicker LFEs inside the cabin deliver a surround-sound mix that includes narrative co-written and voiced by active-duty Night Stalkers, as well as MH-47 Chinook sound effects, including gunfire recorded on location at Fort Campbell.
Layers of lighting effects inside and outside the helicopter further enhance the narrative and the immersion, with authentic seats and props that combine with visuals, audio and scent to transport visitors to another time and place.
"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: their coordination, teamwork, focus, and commitment," says a spokesperson from Relative Scale.
"It takes guests to a place where they otherwise would likely never go and leaves them with an impression they will always remember."
Personal perspectives
The Chinook is accompanied by scenic tableaus that host a series of films that explore the US military's missions and impact over the decades. Starting with World War II, the film series continues through the Korean War, the Pentomic Era, the Vietnam War and its aftermath, the Gulf War, the Global War on Terror, and the Afghanistan War.
A series of films use archive media to tell stories of conflict from the perspectives of those who experienced itImage courtesy of Relative Scale
Drawing on an extensive media archive, these films capture the human experience behind each conflict, bringing history to life through the voices and viewpoints of those who experienced it.
Other interactive experiences explore the specialised roles within the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment and the 5th Special Forces Group. These displays showcase the diverse Military Occupational Specialties (MOS) that enable these units to function and offer insight into how each role contributes to mission success.
Visitors can also learn about the six aircraft operated by the Night Stalkers, see a digital model of each airframe, learn about its specific mission role, technical capabilities, and what makes it distinctly suited to the requirements of special operations aviation.
The Tennessee Wings of Liberty Museum opened to visitors on 15 May 2026 and has received an overwhelmingly positive response from visitors, staff, service members, and project partners.
Visitation has since surpassed expectations, with over 12,000 people visiting the museum in its first month.
