 Lockheed and the Army held a 13 @-@ minute demonstration " first flight " for the public at the Van Nuys Airport on 12 December 1967 . During the flight , the Cheyenne demonstrated some of the new capabilities brought about by the thrusting propeller ; the helicopter could slow down or accelerate without pitching the nose up or down , as well as being able to pitch the nose down or up at a hover , without causing the aircraft to accelerate forwards or backwards . The Cheyenne demonstrated a stationary hover in a 30 @-@ knot ( 35 mph , 56 km / h ) crosswind , and at the end of the flight landed on its two forward landing gear , " bowed " to the audience and then gently set the tail landing gear down as it taxied to parking . By March 1968 , the AH @-@ 56 had established a flight envelope of 170 knots ( 196 mph , 315 km / h ) in forward flight , 25 knots ( 29 mph , 46 km / h ) sidewards , and 20 knots ( 23 mph , 37 km / h ) rearwards . 
