flying tiger airlines vietnam

The aircraft carried additional fuel in two additional tanks installed in the main cabin.[12]. The decent angle brought the entire plane to silence while they considered the reason for that radical decent. WebAs Flying Tiger Line flight attendant Andee Wright recalled, There was no special training by the airlines or the military about how to handle it. Thank you Jason for a story well told. Also in 1946, Flying Tigers moved from Mines Field to the Lockheed Air Terminal in Burbank, California. Flying Tigers received the All-Cargo Route #163 across the Pacific into Asia. The flight attendant standing at the top said see you in a year, Ill be wearing the same dress. Federal Express (FM / FDX) Base / Main Hub. And many didnt know what to think, caught between respect for the military and horror over the fates of the boys on their flights. Ceased operations. In accordance with the government directives and in the interest in protecting the health of our visitors, the Aviation Museum & Library is currently closed. The picture below shows a full plane of troops heading to Vietnam on a Flying Tiger Flight. Capable of lifting 7,000 pounds over a version of the famed DC-3. At the time of its sale to FedEx, Flying Tigers were operating the following aircraft: More details of the following can be found at the ASN Aviation Safety Database[13]. Tigers suddenly needed bodies to work those long overseas flights, and when it put out calls for flight attendants, adventurous women answered. Flying Tiger Line flight 739 was a multi-leg charter service that originated at Travis Air Force Base in the US state of California. Great article; Thanks. For military personnel, it was a deeply emotional journey in both directions. Others slept for hours, exhausted and often traumatized from their experiences in Vietnam. WebFlying Tiger Line adopted the Canadair CL-44 swing-tail aircraft in 1961, becoming one of the first carriers in the world to offer aerial pallet shipping service. On March 6, 1967, Flying Tigers first DC8-63F aircraft arrived. On December 15, 1965, Flying Tiger Line Flight 914, an L-1049H Super Constellation (N6914C), struck California Peak after the pilot became disorientated in IFR conditions, killing the three crew. The aircraft was operating a Military Air Transport Service (MATS) cargo flight from Travis AFB to Kadena Air Base. Web978 views 8 months ago Andee Wright served as a flight attendant with Flying Tiger Line from 1967 to 1978. where we are found aloft When I went back in 1970 out of McCord it was on World Airlines. Gotoff the jet and was greated by relatives. Great article and I do so remember that flight and not having even an idea what was waiting for me .. In the years during and after World War II, military veterans were given special preference to purchase or lease government surplus aircraft. Canadair CL-44 We relied on each other and the soldiers to manage.. I recall the flight I took into Vietnam and even more than the flight I took home. One day in Vietnam, waiting on the tarmac before a homeward-bound flight, she saw men loading body bags into the belly of the plane. The merger gave the combined airlines scheduled, all-cargo services world-wide. Marine leaving from Da Nang Jan 31, 1971 to Okinawa Japan, 3 days later back to the World by way of Alaska to Nortin AFB. thanks for the ride over and putting up with some of us. After a dangerous heist of a mysterious device from the FBI, the HKPD assigns Ko Ka Chun, to save Hong Kong from the imminent threat from the Black Snake Gang. To kill time many of us went to the Officers Club, with the flight attendants in tow, and proceeded to party. But nothing could have prepared her for what it was like to be a flight attendant at Flying Tigers during the golden era of aviation a job so fabulous and exciting on the one hand and emotionally brutal on the other that it transformed the lives of hundreds of young women like her who were hired during the war, forcing them to confront the realities of Vietnam in ways they never expected, and bonding them to each other for decades to come. Various conspiracy theories regarding sabotage have arisen, but the flight's exact fate will likely remain unknown. This article is an important read. These women allayed the fears of soldiers heading to war and offered support and reassurance to those headed home. In August 87, the newly re-engined DC8-73DF freighter came online with the Tiger fleet of B-747s and B-727s. [5] For the next four years, Flying Tiger Line carried air freight on contract throughout the U.S. and, as the airline expanded, carrying supplies to U.S. troops under Gen. Douglas MacArthur during the occupation of Japan.[5]. These women allayed the fears of soldiers heading to war and offered support and reassurance to those headed home. Addendum: While in transit on the plane, I had an unusual experience that Id like to share with everyone who reads this. In 1965, the company received two Boeing 707-320C freighters and became part of the jet age. This was a great story. Thanks to all of you that attempted to make our journies more comfortable. I flew on Trans Carribiean twice from Travis and experienced the feelings described in the piece. return home flight in July 69 was on a Flying Tigers stretch-8. Its ultimate destination was the Vietnamese city of Saigon, to which it was transporting 96 soldiers. It was an effort conceived and accomplished by Flying Tigers employees throughout the companys world-wide system. Like you were going to hang around. After a dangerous heist of a mysterious device from the FBI, the HKPD assigns Ko Ka Chun, to save Hong Kong from the imminent threat from the Black Snake Gang. We crossed over the international dateline and it became the 2nd of January. Early in 1961, the first of the Canadair CL-44 all-cargo aircraft joined the flying Tiger Fleet. The picture below shows a full plane of troops heading to Vietnam on a Flying Tiger Flight. I came back on a USAF flight as I was in a 1-1/2 hip spika cast they called it. Thank you so much angels. Flying the Freedom Birds: Airlines and the Vietnam War. The CL-44s moved Tigers into leadership as the worlds largest freight and contract airline. In one of its more dramatic moves, Tigers evacuated a number of Vietnamese "political refugees" and Vietnamese company employees and their families aboard departing aircraft during the "final hours" of US troop withdrawal, and impending Communist takeover in South Vietnam in 1975. This Marine Was The American Sniper Of The Vietnam War, https://open.spotify.com/show/5Th7BCpIKDE1hVTqNL3u0Q. With this plane's nose-loading capabilities, Flying Tigers accommodated even more challenging air freight combinations in size, shape and quantity. During the Korean War, Tigers planes provided air transport services for personnel and cargo from the west coast of the US to various military bases throughout the Pacific area. A group of ex-AVG and CNAC pilots, some still flying in China, took advantage of this opportunity, and on June 25, 1945 started an airfreight company that in less than two years would formally adopt the name the Flying Tiger Line. Great article, spot on! I for one of many of us flew Tiger Airlines going and coming. In March 1962, one such personnel-carrying flight went missing en route to Vietnam. WebAir America was an American passenger and cargo airline established in 1946 and covertly owned and operated by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) from 1950 to 1976. We all wanted to get home, but wondered if this old crate could get us there. 2019 by the San Francisco Airport Commission. On December 14, 1962, Flying Tiger Line Flight 183, an L-1049H Super Constellation (N6913C), crashed on approach to Lockheed Air Terminal in. Its ultimate destination was the Vietnamese city of Saigon, to which it was transporting 96 soldiers. I missed my 21st birthday completely. A mysterious gang, The Black Snake Gang, is rising throughout the world. She very quickly wrote down something and gave it to me. The women working the cabin on those flights were still known as stewardesses, not flight attendants, and they walked like fashion models down the aisles. Large crew bases were situated at Los Angeles, New York City and Lockbourne, Ohio (Rickenbacker International Airport). This historic symbol was moved from Ellis Island in New York Harbor to Los Angeles for the Annual Rose Parade in Pasadena on January 1, 1985. Landed in Saigon. As the war worsened, and the airline continued hauling scared young men into Vietnam and bringing broken men out, the Flying Tigers crews found themselves wrestling with anger, confusion and sadness. It wasnt my style to go asking every woman that I met to get her address and telephone number, besides I had more important things on my mind. The Flying Tiger Line founder, Robert (Bob) W. Prescott and other young pilots joined General Claire Chennault and the famed Flying Tigers in China during WWII. Travel the world, the ad said. I also n=mourned those I had lost there who could not return alive but were shipped home to grief stricken families. Not a good way to start the year! It brought back a lot of memories. It was a vivid reminder we were entering a war zone. Chambers, Andy Gatenby. I only wish that I could stand before these wonderful ladies. [1] It was headquartered on the grounds of Los Angeles International Airport in Westchester, Los Angeles, California. Despite the intensity of the operations, many flight attendants found the military contract flights rewarding and continued to serve on them for years. The Los Angeles headquarters operation included its own engine shop and jet maintenance business. The aircraft that disappeared was around five years old. It was really a struggle to decide what was right or what was wrong, said Okicich. WebHis 93 U.S. military passengers, three South Vietnamese soldiers and the 11 civilian crew members aboard Flying Tiger Line Flight 739 disappeared on their way from Guam to the Philippines. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. The airliners were not just used to bring the soldiers home, but to fly them into the war zone as well. And after the fall of Saigon in 1975, when the war ended, they remained connected. Great article .. enjoyed it more than my flight to Vietnam,but, what a wonderful sight when I walked out to the plane to return home. Many flight attendants struggled at first to contain their own emotions. In the Vietnam airlift, Flying Tigers provided strategic flights from the US to numerous military bases throughout the Pacific and Southeast Asia geographic region. Remember the pungent fish smell and heat as we deplaned. Until now, I mostly ignored the efforts of these people (especially the attendants they saw, heard & felt all of it). Flying Tigers also made livestock carriers for airplanes, some comparable in external size and shape to the standard AMJ container used in the FedEx flight operations. WebFind many great new & used options and get the best deals for FLYING TIGERS Douglas DC-8 -Aviation Postcard Airlines-WGA-927 at the best online prices at eBay! Wheels up lots of cheering and hope. Photo: The aircraft departed from Andersen AFB in Guam before disappearing over the Western Pacific Ocean. 25 Jun 1945. On March 6, 1967, Flying Tigers first DC8-63F aircraft arrived. What aviation news will you check out next? They were cordial but standoffish. On this last leg, the passengers are much more somber and thinking ahead to their landing in the war zone. When we got ready to land at Bien Hoa airbase the pilot said there would be a slight delay because they were shelling the airfield. Web978 views 8 months ago Andee Wright served as a flight attendant with Flying Tiger Line from 1967 to 1978. We finally got off the ground several hours later but out over the Pacific, the aircraft had mechanical problems again that diverted us to Kadena AFB in Okinawa where we were on the ground for over 48 hours waiting for parts and repair crew to be flown in from mainland Japan. In 1964, the company graduated its first class of flight attendants. Two examples were thoroughbred racehorses and show animals from Stansted, England to the Melbourne Cup, as well as breeding stock cattle (milk supply) to nations such as Japan and Thailand. On this last leg, the passengers are much more somber and thinking ahead to their landing in the war zone. These flights were also a powerful and moving experience for a generation of young women who served aboard these aircraft as flight attendants. thank you. JW, beautiful poem. As a result of certification, new stations were opened in Oakland, Denver, Milwaukee, Toledo, Akron-Canton, Buffalo, Rochester, Philadelphia, Hartford, Providence, and Boston. To say thank you which could never cover the range of emotions Flying Tiger was my airline of choice. Journalist - A graduate in German, Jake has a passion for aviation history, and enjoys sampling new carriers and aircraft even if doing so demands an unorthodox itinerary. McCord was doing maintenance on the runway. I remember the Tiger flights and their wonderful crews. and I told her that I could not sleep on any vehicle that was moving, as I was in three accidents while sleeping in a moving car so would not sleep while in a moving vehicle. Shortly afterward, the company began chartering passenger aircraft for group travel as well; its Lockheed Super Constellation, Douglas DC-4 and DC-6 fleet comprised the largest trans-Atlantic charter operation through the 1950s. Eleven members of the AVE joined Prescott and formed the National Skyways Freight Corp. Not one of us said a word in the dark as we watched the plane sitting there with jet engines idling. After I got wounded and my things taken from me in triage, I never saw that slip of paper again. WebThe Flying Tiger Line Incorporated. [9][10][2] The scheduled Boeing 747 passenger service route was New York City JFK Airport - Brussels - Tel Aviv operated several days a week.[11]. The part Ill always remember is the wonderful round eyes that tolerated us nervous troops as we headed for the unknown going both over to Vietnam and returning to the US. merging Ocean and Sky. The company had a contract to fly U.S. servicemen into Vietnam and to bring troops home after their tours were complete. Flying Tiger Line was ramping up operations in Vietnam, too, and its believed maintenance standards dropped as a result of increased demand. And there were parties every single day and every single night, Foster remembered. The Flying Tiger Line then put in orders for brand new Boeing 747-200F freighters designated the Boeing 747-249F, which at the time were among the heaviest commercial airplanes flying, weighing in at 823,000 pounds (373,000kg). As in Korea, these flights carried both cargo as well as military personnel and their dependents. (1953-1958), Constellation Gen. -- The Lockheed Super H Constellation, airlifting 43,000 pounds of freight at 300 miles per hour over a 2,500-miles range, helped Flying Tigers revolutionize the marketing map of the United States with the first nonstop, transcontinental airfreight schedules. Covert flights for the military were not uncommon throughout the airline's history, given its roots in Civil Air Transport (CAT), as with its sister airline Air America, originally owned by General Claire Lee Chennault, commander of the Flying Tigers fighter squadron in Southeast Asia. With some of us we all wanted to get home, but wondered if this old crate could us... Early in 1961, the first of the famed DC-3 in tow, and believed... First DC8-63F aircraft arrived the fall of Saigon, to which it was a deeply emotional journey in directions! This Marine was the Vietnamese city of Saigon, to which it was 96... Pacific Ocean everyone who reads this DC8-73DF freighter came online with the fleet. 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