The 1980s were a golden age for television action heroes and their ridiculously cool rides. Michael Knight had a talking Pontiac Trans Am. The A-Team had its customized van. But Stringfellow Hawke? He had a supersonic helicopter armed to the teeth, capable of outrunning fighter jets and turning virtually any type of enemy aircraft into scrap metal. Throw in a secret hideaway inside a mountain and one of television's catchiest theme songs, and Airwolf was practically irresistible to anyone who grew up watching '80s television.
Premiering on CBS in 1984, Airwolf starred Jan-Michael Vincent as Hawke, a brooding Vietnam veteran and test pilot who takes possession of a top-secret military helicopter. Alongside his friend and mentor Dominic Santini (Ernest Borgnine), Hawke flies dangerous missions for a shadowy intelligence organization while they search for his brother, who disappeared during the Vietnam War. It was part Cold War espionage thriller, part high-tech fantasy, and an awful lot of things exploding in the sky.
Now streaming for free on The Roku Channel (aff), Airwolf is a reminder of just how much fun '80s action television could be. Unlike Magnum, P.I. or The A-Team, however, its biggest star wasn't one of the actors. It was the helicopter, and nearly four decades after the series ended, it's still one of television's most memorable machines.
The 1980s were obsessed with cool vehicles
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