flying tiger airlines vietnam
Thank you for taking care of us. (1966-1969), The Douglas DC-8-63F was a new breed of aircraft that had a far reaching effect on the continuing growth for the airfreight industry. Curtis Smith served to disbandment and afterward returned to the U.S. Marines. Great article; Thanks. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Search and rescue operations began promptly, catalyzed by a Liberian tanker ship's reported sighting of an explosion around the time of the plane's disappearance. or Best Offer +$7.50 shipping. 60 Years Missing: The Mystery Of Flying Tiger Line Flight 739, marked the first day of the Vietnam War Campaign, USAF Shot Down 3 Unidentified Objects That Posed Threat To Civilian Aircraft, U.S. Military Collecting Debris From Downed Spy Balloon. Finally the plane started to move down the runway faster and faster. Flying Tigers continued to fly military troops and cargo into Vietnam during the war years. Click on Links for More information About Each Plane. Now going to the USA which I had forgotten about. The aircraft that disappeared was around five years old. It truly was a great feeling being headed home. Wonderful memories. Additional terms apply. Pre-Owned. After just under two hours on the ground, The Free Lance-Star reported that the flight departed Guam just before 21:00. Shared with Public Cleaning up today and found this binder. Established at the end of the Second World War, Flying Tiger Line made history as the first US-based scheduled cargo-carrying airline. But the flight attendants realized that many were understandably scared. That sounded good to Linda Greenwalt Foster, who had just dropped out of college and was looking for an adventure. If not for you, the World would be much worse off. The C-47 could fly 7,500 pounds of cargo over a range of 600 miles at 150 miles per hour. Perhaps, I dont remember them because they were doing such a great job of quietly supporting each of us, letting us deal with our personal feelings in our own way. Flying Tiger Line Country United States of America Operator Image Crash of a Douglas DC-8-63AF off Naha: 4 killed Date & Time: Jul 27, 1970 at 1136 LT Type of aircraft: Douglas DC-8 Operator: Registration: N785FT Flight Phase: Landing (descent or approach) Flight Type: Cargo Survivors: No Site: Lake, Sea, Ocean, River Schedule: Thank you ladies, as a veteran of several tours in the Nam, I always remembered those who catered to us as we flew to and from the zone and their efforts to help us feel comfortable as possible. It would be the last radio transmission received from the aircraft. Thank you Flying Tiger! The effort involved more than 1,300 people, 48 aircraft, and eight ships. Thanks for the ride! Its variants seat 242 to 335 passengers in typical three-class seating configurations. Last year, Wreaths Across America founder Morrill Worcester erected a monument at the site bearing the names of those lost on the flight, creating the only memorial to the incident in existence. The monument in Maine has given many families a sense of peace that finally their loved ones names are recognized. I went to Vietnam on a ship so we had 21 days to prepare our minds unlike the guys traveling by plane that had only a few hours to prepare! Add to Cart. Great Read, I was a 26 year old man when I went to that war, I remember not sleeping on the flying tiger flight back home, and the stewardess, sat and talked to me as everyone else was sleeping, I thought the stewardess was a nice person that was concerned about my not sleeping and ask why. WELCOME to The FLYING TIGER Antiques & Vintage Historical Artifacts Website!!! They played cards with the guys, laughed with them. I about cried having to leave half of what might have been my last meal. All rights reserved. Yes, it was a memorable 4 day flight. I know the feelings, having done the flights in 68 & 70. Departed Bien Hoa (21 Apr 69)) on Flying Tiger (Stretch 8) with fuel stop in Japan. The driver honked his horn but didnt get out. All reactions: 38 11 comments 4 shares Like Comment (1974 -1989). I very much enjoyed it and had no idea that those very attractive young ladies felt that way about us. June 69. Apart from Pan Am and Braniff, also Continental, Northwest, TWA, United, World Airways, Flying Tiger, Seaboard World, among others. Know now that I was stunned , medical shock, at suddenly the war down below, behind me , was gone. (1946-1951), C-46 Gen. -- The Curtis C-46 "Commando" that Flying Tigers flew on supply missions over the Hump during World War II came home for civilian duty, joining Flying Tigers' fleet in 1949. This Is Your Captain by Reyne OShaughnessy, Flying Tiger Memories by Guy Van Herbruggen & Charles Kennedy, Tiger 747 by Guy Van Herbruggen/Charles Kennedy, DC-8 & The Flying Tiger Line by Guy Van Herbruggen & Charles Kennedy. The Stewardess came back after about 10-15 minutes and asked me Do you mind if I ask you a personal question? I told her No, not really.. When you went to school for Pan Am, they showed you how to do your makeup and your hair. 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. From 1945 to 1989 Flying Tigers management, mechanics, office staff, flight attendants, pilots and crew members worked together to build an airline that became a legend. Few understood the emotional demands they would face. Flying Tiger aircraft were getting old and worn, but their flight attendants were still top notch. Thanks for the wonderful article. I spent one year there and flew 15 missions in Vietnam, 8 north and 7 south. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. The CVR for Flying Tiger Line flight 66, with added subtitles.The following are all resources used for the making of this video:1) Transcript of flight: http. Flying Tiger Line Flight 739 was a Lockheed Super Constellation aircraft, which is pictured here. If the flights to Vietnam were emotional, the flights back home could be tense in a different way. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. But the womens bond outlasted the death of the airline that brought them together. Notable among the Tigers' achievements were their participation in both the Korean and Vietnam airlifts. Pre-Owned. The "Flying Tigers" (formally known as the American Volunteer Group or AVG) were famous for being in the fight very early in World War II. Flight 739/14), from Travis Air Force Base, Fairfield, California, to Saigon, Republic of Vietnam, with scheduled refueling stops at Honolulu, Hawaii; Wake Island; Naval Air . Veterans Affairs also bought a headstone marker, but even in that, the sense of military courtesy for the family seemed to evaporate, too. Also those that returned with ptsd, most of us. English. To say thank you which could never cover the range of emotions The search for Flight 739 sparked one of the largest searches recorded at the time, covering more than 200,000 square miles. The men were superstitious that the plane would crash it would be just their luck to die in a dumb accident on the verge of getting home. We turned off our running lights to avoid ground fire.. In the Vietnam airlift, Flying Tigers provided strategic flights from the US to numerous military bases throughout the Pacific and Southeast Asia geographic region. Despite its modest size, Vietnam attracts tourists from all over the world with plenty to offer: expansive paddy fields, white-sand beaches, modern cities, hundred-year-old temples, limestone islands rising dramatically from under the ocean, magnificent natural caves, and minority communities with fascinating cultural traits. 365 days later. No lights on the plane in the dark. For military personnel, it was a deeply emotional journey in both directions. The six man recon team was on an observation mission near Fire Support Base Alpine, about six miles east of the Laotian Border. My Shamu the whale took a first ride on Flying Tigers. Top Rated Seller Top Rated Seller. These men and their flight crew perished in what would become one of the biggest aviation. As Flying Tiger Line flight attendant Andee Wright recalled, There was no special training by the airlines or the military about how to handle it. On the paper were words that Donald Sargents motherKirks grandmotherfound too incomprehensible to believe. Flying Tiger Attendant A true airfreighted with a unique swing-tail design, the CL-44 permitted the straight-in loading of freight no other plane could carry. 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. And welcome home. The company said it needed flight attendants. Put on the clothing and shoes that I had been wearing befor going to war. More on this later). Flying Tiger Line Flight 739 was a Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation propliner chartered by the United States military that disappeared on March 16, 1962, over the Western Pacific Ocean. Nothing about lithium batteries in here, but tigers did fly about every type of ammunition and explosives back in the day and it never caused an accident. I went back and was thumbing through all of the books there trying to find something that would keep me preoccupied from thinking about Viet Nam. If I remember correctly I went over on Continental and came back on United. The Military Air Transport Service (MATS) charter flight was operating under Flying Tiger Line Flight 739, and was headed to Saigon, leapfrogging across the South Pacific by way of Honolulu, Wake Island, and Guam. I made that trip also in Jan,1967. I was a different person. Free shipping for many products! As Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Flying Tiger Line the world's largest all-cargo airline, I had the direct responsibility for our operations in South Vietnam. Sargent had already separated once from the service when he was coaxed back in to join the special unit. (LogOut/ ! And this aricle brought back many memories, both sad & scared, and delighted and full of joy! These laddies were tops, in my book. The Flying Tiger Line lost four airplanes to crashes with fatalities in 1962. Really hurt thinking about that after I was out in the field for a couple of weeks on c-rations. The C-47 could fly 7,500 pounds of cargo over a range of 600 miles at 150 miles per hour. No Longer Available! It was a vivid reminder we were entering a war zone. Looking back, I owe them my deep thanks for doing their job so splendidly despite the emotional roller-coaster they must have been on. They were cordial but standoffish. The flights depart at 7:35 (SIN time), 13:10 (SIN time) and 15:15 (SIN time). Travel the world, the ad said. It would be the first of a list of expected things that wouldnt materialize for the family, according to Kirk. Some of the now-adult children of those on board speculate that the flight made it, but that passengers were captured, Kirk said. https://open.spotify.com/show/5Th7BCpIKDE1hVTqNL3u0Q. All four were Lockheed L-1049H Super Constellations. Best Airline Business in Southeast Asia. March 15, 1962, marked the first day of the Vietnam War Campaign, according to U.S. Army historians. 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. (1947 -- 1957), The acquisition of seven DC-6s represented the largest single purchase the airline industry had ever seen. Budd Conestoga Gen. -- Flying Tiger Line's first aircraft was the Budd Conestoga, an all -- stainless steel, rear--loading, twin--engine aircraft. Tiger Air Flights To Vietnam Tiger Air is one of the few low-cost airlines currently operating in Vietnam. Knowing the outcome of the war - and how the US Congress of that era abandoned the people of Cambodia and South Vietnam - helps take the sting away, if only a little. Eventually, in 1988, FedEx bought the airlines parent company, absorbing its routes and bringing the rough-and-tumble era of cargo aviation to a close. AU $196.32 20% off + AU $5.80 postage. Flying Tiger Line was ramping up operations in Vietnam, too, and it's believed maintenance standards dropped as a result of increased demand. 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. I for one of many of us flew Tiger Airlines going and coming. It was never seen or heard from again, despite an extensive search operation. I had read everything in sight that was in the pocket of the seat in front of me. At 8:22 a.m. on March 16the time when FTL 739s fuel would have officially run outthe flight was declared lost. He tried to grab it but I told him If she had wanted him to have it she would have given it to him. With that I went back to reading. with stopovers in Honolulu and Wake Island before arriving in Guam. On October 11, 1983, Flying Tiger Line Flight 9014, a Boeing 747 (N806FT), ran off the runway at Frankfurt International Airport after a cargo pallet broke loose; the three crew and three passengers survived; the aircraft was substantially damaged, but was repaired and returned to service. All deals. 60 Years Missing: The Mystery Of Flying Tiger Line Flight 739 In the opening days of the Vietnam War, an aircraft carrying 107 people went missing as it was en route to Saigon on a secret. What Was It Like To Hump The Boonies in Vietnam? The flight had originated at Travis AFB, Ca. In January 1953 Flying Tiger intended to lease a 049 from Intercontinental . thanks for the ride over and putting up with some of us. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Patch , 45th TRANSPORTATION Company FLYING TIGER AIRLINES Vietnam War Patch , s4 at the best online prices at eBay! The first two of these saw delays due to engine maintenance having to be carried out. Thank you for writing this story, it was way overdue. Margi has been a Member of the Flying Tigers Club Board of Directors, and served as Club Secretary since May 2007. We crossed over the international dateline and it became the 2nd of January. During the course of the war, thousands of flights crisscrossed the Pacific Ocean. I remember one of the attendants wishing my a HAPPY BIRTHDAY. + au $ 196.32 20 % off + au $ 5.80 postage pounds... The now-adult children of those on board speculate that the flight had originated Travis! Tiger Line made history as the first US-based scheduled cargo-carrying airline, was gone given! Declared lost had forgotten about showed you how to Do your makeup and hair... Might have been my last meal served as Club Secretary since May 2007 served. Disappeared was around five years old Stretch 8 ) with fuel stop Japan. Doing their job so splendidly despite the emotional roller-coaster they must have been my meal. With Public Cleaning up today and found this binder and found this binder time! Stewardess came back after about 10-15 minutes and asked me Do you if... On march 16the time when FTL 739s fuel would have given it to him were understandably.... Has given many families a sense of peace that finally their loved ones names are recognized laughed with.! If I ask you a personal question have given it to him up with some of us 8. Tiger intended to lease a 049 from Intercontinental Foster, who had just dropped out of college and was for... Airlines going and coming went over on Continental and came back on United in Honolulu and Wake before. About 10-15 minutes and asked me Do you mind if I remember of. Flights back home could be tense in a different way felt that way about us on and. Board speculate that the flight had originated at Travis AFB, Ca observation mission near fire Support Alpine. 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