O1 retrieval in Vietnam

[david layne]

One last picture from the boneyard. This helicopter rotor blade has recieved a direct hit when sitting on the ground. The aircraft would not have survived damage like that if it had been in flight.

[Invader26]

Thanks for posting.

My Bird Dog 0-11976 was rebuilt at one stage using a "donor" centre fuselage according to records....

The Australian Army Bird Dog "Bunny One" held in their museum was a wreck and made from a collage of parts and flown in theatre and brought home.

[gary1954]

[quote="david layne"]I thought I had included a couple of pictures of our Chinook but apparently not so will fix that now.

This is our Chinook. As can be seen from the images on the side she has carried out many extractions.



According to Joe Baughers website
65-7985 CH-47A was transferred to the VNAF in August 1972 and captured by North Vietnam at the end of the war.

[Ken]

Over the years I've collected as many USAF Skyraider photos as I can find, my apologies for not being able to credit the original source.

I'm fairly certain this is a Pleiku based 6th SOS SPAD.



Maybe I missed it - what's the significance of the digits under the O-1's horizontal tail?

[Dave Downs]

I really like pictures of working warbirds - all greasy, oil leaks, sitting in the mud, taxiing through puddles. It shows them doing what they were meant to do.

On the Skyraider under the Skycrane - it looks complete and ready to go; I wonder why the 'air taxi'?

Ditto on the numbers under the O-1's tail; for ID by ground FAC's?

[david layne]

A couple more shots of the Bird-dog, the first as we are rigging it and the second in flight. As he has torn one leg of his landing gear off and the prop does not appear to be bent I am assuming he had an engine out, he also appears to have clipped a wing on landing.

[Ken]

On the Skyraider under the Skycrane - it looks complete and ready to go; I wonder why the 'air taxi'?

During the war, there were any number of emergency landing strips available in case of emergency. The size, quality, and relative safety of each varied periodically I'm sure. A good friend tells a story of an A-1E he was sent to FCF (functional check flight). Another pilot had set down at a site and maintenance was dispatched. They worked on the bird, pronounced it ready, and asked for an FCF pilot. He said it started & ran-up fine, so he departed ... and when he did, the engine started to sound horrible and lose power ... it was all he could do to nurse it around to return for landing. I asked what became of the airplane .. he said he was told that they dug a pit and pushed it in. I believe this was in late 65/early 66. As far as the Skycrane goes, I suspect that it was found to be more effective than the bulldozer! Anybody wanna go on a metal detector trip?

[Django]

Look at that scoreboard!

What was the significance of "Pipesmoke" on the Chinook and the Huey?

Fascinating photos!

[david layne]

Look at that scoreboard!

What was the significance of "Pipesmoke" on the Chinook and the Huey?

Fascinating photos!

Pipesmoke was our call sign. Taken from the aviation companys first commander who was a pipe smoker.

[david layne]

Here is another Pipesmoke Chinook, photographed by David Parsley.

[mustangdriver]

This is a great thread. David did you see the PM? I knew the CH-47 was tough, but had no idea it could lift another Ch-47

[david layne]

This is a great thread. David did you see the PM? I knew the CH-47 was tough, but had no idea it could lift another Ch-47

General Trần Thiện Khiêm was Prime Minister when I was in Vietnam and I did not see him!

[mustangdriver]

Hey David I meant your private message I sent you. Take a look at your inbox.

[david layne]

Hey David I meant your private message I sent you. Take a look at your inbox.

I know, I was having you on! Am thinking about it.

[mustangdriver]

HAHA! You got me. This is a great thread. I think I have some video of you guys in action that my friend took while in country. He flew Hueys in the 1st Air Cav. 229th. Smiling Tigers.