Let's say that you are a pilot during the Vietnam War. ...

[TheMightyFavog]

Poll question: Let's say that you are a pilot during the Vietnam War. ...

What sort of plane would you not want to fly?

[trof]

1. F-4/C

Always wanted to fly the Phantom.

[TheMightyFavog]

3. The question was what plane would you not want to be stuck in..

End of Line.

[DemoTex]

20. Cranked wing, neg-di on the tail-feathers

Smoking "4". Damn they were easy to shoot down. At least that is my observation from the DF/Radio-rescue end of that war. In 1971 there were too many young F-4 drivers looking for DFCs in the A Shau and over the trail in Laos. Most got their DFCs. Many got shot down. Sandy and I (Crazy Cat 911) helped.

[TheMightyFavog]

2. FAC work, for sure.....

Let's see, fly around in a fragile little slow moving Cessna at point blank range of AAA and small arms fire to mark targets for fighters or artillery. Those FACs must have had a death wish or were batshit crazy...


Then again, I'd never want to set foot in any F-105. They didn't call those things "thuds" for nothing.

[ewagner]

4. Tough Choices

but I chose Huey Driver because of the low and slow flight profile and knowing that they were extremely vulnerable to small arms fire.

The A-1E "Spad, as I understand it was one of the toughest planes out there. It could absorb a lot of fire.

Wild Weasel pilots were some of the bravest of the whole conflict.

Other F0105 drivers suffered major casualties because of the nature of their missions and it also took real guts to strap on on also.

I admire all those who flew in Viet Nam....even my beloved BUFF drivers.

[TheMightyFavog]

6. Agreed

Wild Weasel pilots were some of the bravest of the whole conflict.

No shit. Get captured, meet Mr. KGB agent. I read somewhere that the back seaters would wear pilot wings just so they would not get the KGB treatment if captured.

[TheMightyFavog]

10. Yeah, but....

Didn't Skyraider pilots suffer the worst losses of the entire war?

[ewagner]

11. According to a documentary

on Discovery Wings Channel I thought the pre-Wild Weasel F-105 pilots suffered the worst casualties....said that up through 66-67 F-105s flew 85% of all bombing missions.

[jpgray]

5. I'd fly a grounded, desk-shaped plane kept in an office-looking hangar

Any cargo plane would be my choice, if the above is not available. Any way I could avoid direct killing would be preferable.

edit: Just add a 'not' here and there in my above statement, seeing that I missed the one in the poll. :silly:

[ewagner]

9. That's what I "flew"

I flew a desk and I've regretted it for over 30 years. I signed on for flight duty but washed out because of eyesight. Since my mechanical abilities were lacking I ended up behind a desk.

Why? Did I want to kill people?

No. But if you've ver been in the military and found friends and comrades putting their respective asses on the line every day you feel so much guilt it becomes overwhelming. I think anybody who has been in the military can understand. That's why I understand when guys who have been wounded in Iraq want to get back so badly....not because they like to kill but because they don't want to see their friends out on the firing line while they're safe and secure in the states.

My attitude hasn't changed since the Viet Nam days: Hate the War! Love the Soldiers!

[libhill]

13. that would be right up my ally -

can`t beat a desk job. But I was never over burdened with motivation.

[Anarcho-Socialist]

7. F-4 Phantom for me n/t

[GOPisEvil]

8. For contrarian's sake...the F-8

[CrownPrinceBandar]

12. Huey, for sure...

can you say "sitting duck."

[baldguy]

14. I'd fly anything.

Just don't give me Duhbya as a wingman.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

15. A4D skyraider.... hover up high all day, dive down and blast shit

out of everything moving, and be able to land just about anywhere.

[Rebellious Republican]

16. FACs for sure were the worst........

http://airwarvietnam.com/facs.htm

Forward Air Controllers, or FACs, in the Southeast Asia conflict were rated pilots whose job it was to coordinate air-ground operations. FACs could be ground-based with the troops they were supporting or airborne above the battlefield. The key to success for this air-ground team was and remains today a close relationship between the FAC and the supported unit. For this reason, FACs usually were assigned to support specific units and live with them. This arrangement has been used in every U.S. military operation since World War II when airpower has supported ground forces.
http://www.cc.gatech.edu/fac/Thomas.Pilsch/AirOps/facs.html


The pilots in the Other Theater were military men, but flew into battle in civilian clothes - denim cutoffs, T-shirts, cowboy hats, and dark glasses, so people said. They fought with obsolete propeller aircraft, the discarded junk of an earlier era, and suffered the highest casualty rate of the Indochinese War - as high as 50 percent, so the story went. Every man had a price put on his head by the enemy and was protected by his own personal bodyguard. Each pilot was obliged to carry a small pill of lethal shellfish toxin, especially created by the CIA, which he had sworn to take if he ever fell into the hands of the enemy. Their job was to fly as the winged artillery of some fearsome warlord, who led an army of stoneage mercenaries in the pay of the CIA, and they operated out of a secret city hidden in the mountains of a jungle kingdom on the Red Chinese border.
http://www.combatsimulations.com/raven.htm


Nakhon Phanom During The Secret War 1962-1975

Squadron VO-67 U.S.N.

This page is dedicated to the only U.S. Navy Observation Squadron whose secret mission was to "hunt" over the "sea" of jungle amist the jagged karsts of Laos during the Vietnam War. Their bravery, self sacrifice and devotion to duty in the highest tradition of the United States Navy resulted in saving the lives of countless others. They shall be remembered. They are Brothers Forever!
http://aircommandoman.tripod.com/NakhonPhanomRTAFB/id16.html

[DemoTex]

17. As a veteran of 250+ missions over Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia ..

I have stories about every aircraft in your poll. I think I heard every aircraft you mentioned give out a "Mayday," during my long day and night missions on the Ho Chi Mihn Trail in Laos and Cambodia.

I saved a few of those guys too, with my DF capability. In fact, I often worked with "Sandy," the A-1's you cite, on shoot-downs on the trail west of Khe Sahn. Those rescues were always co-ordinated by "King," "Hillsbourough," and "Moonbeam" on guard. If you were there, in the steel tiger area at night, you know who I am referring to.

[Red State Rebel]

18. Relative by marriage flew over 100 missions in Viet Nam

I'm not sure what carrier he flew from, but he was Captain of the Midway for a couple of years.

He has a great slide show put together from his experiencs and his family room is called the Ready Room - set up with all kinds of memorabilia from the planes he flew.

[DemoTex]

19. I was not carrier based ...

I was US Army, flying US Navy aircraft. I was based at NAF-Cam Rahn (Naval Air Facility). I flew long-range missions deep into Laos and the "north." I have great low-level pictures of Dien Bien Phu, if you have a clue as to what that means.

[Red State Rebel]

24. Not real familiar with all of it...

I just remember his pictures of bda's, etc. I can't imagine what it took for you guys to go up there day after day/night after night.

He said his scariest time was tail hooking onto the carrier with an unexploded shell in his plane. He had been hit but it didn't go off and they were afraid when he landed it would. He must have been lucky!

Thank you for your service to the country. However controversial the war was or is, you are very much appreciated.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

25. VO-67 is a very interesting story, for those who did not know

about them.

And, yeah, I think I said A4D above, but I meant Sandy, A1D.... or did the Navy call the AF A1 and A4?

I can't remember anymore.

I know the AF got them from the Navy, because the "modern" AF did not have prop planes.

[Rebellious Republican]

26. Hey DemoTex, I see you were Turnin and Burnin in the P2V....

We had Jay Beasley's P2V parked at the Front Gate at NAS Brunswick. He was notorious in the P3 community for his incredible flying skills. He had done a single engine landing in a P3 to prove that it could be done in an emergency. I hear he also pulled G's quite regularly while putting new models thru their paces. Most people only know about people like Chuck Yeager. Jay was our Chuck, a living legend.
On another note I also flew mission's overland in Beirut and other places of interest!!! The P3 Orion a multi tasked aircraft, its more than a subhunter/killer. An awesome platform, that has been serving since 1962.

[Rebellious Republican]

27. Oh yes, I forgot to add, Welcome home! N/T

[MaineDem]

30. The P2V is still "gate guard" at Brunswick

Mr MaineDem says he thinks it's a 5...maybe a 6 but not likely. He was Air Crew back in the 60s.

The Orion in your pic looks like it's from VP-8, the Fighting Tigers out of Brunswick.

[Rebellious Republican]

31. Yes, you are correct, I was stationed there 81thru 88, it is a ....

wonderful state. Just to darn cold,they used to say that there are only two things to do in the winter in Maine, thats to hunt and make love. And sometimes the snow gets to deep to hunt!!!! :evilgrin: I used to date a girl whose close cousin was none other than Tim Samples, Ayuh!
:toast:

[UTUSN]

21. What's with All the Emphasis on Flying?????

There are worlds elsewhere.

[Rebellious Republican]

29. Yes there are, but not on this thread about flying. We could do a

thread on CB's if you like? I was also assigned to NMCB 14 out of Jacksonville, Fl. I was also with FMF in Beirut on the ground. I got around. But thats another sea story for another thread. I am assuming that the UT in UTUSN stands for Utilitiesman.
:toast:

[Mr. McD]

22. Huey of course

I was a Crew chief on a Huey in Viet Nam.

[-..__...]

23. B-52

Slow and lubersome...

The enemy will prioritize your aircraft as a target.

Missions could easily involve being way too far into enemy territory.

I'd want something that's fast, accomplishes the mission, then get the fuck outta there.

[Bertha Venation]

28. the little plane that Danny Glover flew in "Bat 21"

I want to learn to fly little planes.