Expansion WebFlying Tiger: With Ron Ng, Lee Pace, Jamie B. Not only told to leave, but not to come back. Photo: The aircraft departed from Andersen AFB in Guam before disappearing over the Western Pacific Ocean. But soon after they started working troop transports to Southeast Asia, the women realized that the job required a whole different set of skills. When a positive story about the Vietnam experience shows up it helps the healing that many of us need. I didnt use Flying Tigers going to and from my two tours in Vietnam, but I DID fly with them in 1963 going home from a two-year stint in Korea. Email:jason.fagone@sfchronicle.comTwitter:@jfagone, Link to the actual article: https://bit.ly/2PbitdY. On March 15, 1962, Flying Tiger Line Flight 7816/14, an L-1049H Super Constellation (N6911C), crashed on approach to Adak Island Naval Air Station, Alaska due to pilot error, killing one of eight on board. We relied on each other and the soldiers to manage. These women allayed the fears of soldiers heading to war and offered support and reassurance to those headed home. I also n=mourned those I had lost there who could not return alive but were shipped home to grief stricken families. United States. Flying Tigers continued to fly military troops and cargo into Vietnam during the war years. The airline had its humble beginnings in Long Beach California with the Budd Conestoga, but by 1969 had upgraded its propeller-driven, piston engine fleet to one consisting entirely of jet freighters. In the Vietnam airlift, Flying Tigers provided strategic flights from the US to numerous military bases throughout the Pacific and Southeast Asia geographic region. As in Korea, these flights carried both cargo as well as military personnel and their dependents. Flying Tiger Line, also known as Flying Tigers, was the first scheduled cargo airline in the United States and a major military charter operator during the Cold War era for both cargo and personnel (the latter with leased aircraft). I went and returned on a Flying Tiger plane and remember very well the sensitive and kind treatment from the stewardesses both directions. I do not dwell on the negatives of that war , but there will always be a part of those of us that served in Vietnam that we would prefer to live without. Tigers suddenly needed bodies to work those long overseas flights, and when it put out calls for flight attendants, adventurous women answered. In addition to the emotional impact, the flight attendants risked physical harm while flying to military bases in an active combat zone. [3][4] The pilots and two ground crew provided half of the initial investment, with the balance coming from California oil tycoon Samuel B. 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. Thank you Flight Attendants! Sometimes, when the wheels pulled up on takeoff, the whole plane would burst out in yells and clapping. Travel the world, the ad said. The first full shipment consisted of grapes flown from Bakersfield, California to Atlanta, Georgia. 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. I remember the flight over and appreciate this article about those that made the trip over to Vietnam enjoyable despite apprehension and anxiety most of us 19 year olds carried with us. Web978 views 8 months ago Andee Wright served as a flight attendant with Flying Tiger Line from 1967 to 1978. Specifically equipped with weather monitoring equipment and scientific instrumentation, one 707 (Aircraft N322FT), gained fame as the "Pole Cat." document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Eleven members of the AVE joined Prescott and formed the National Skyways Freight Corp. The years after the Vietnam war saw continued growth for the Flying Tigers. 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). /stilI could not talk or say a word, still stunned that in one day went from war to out of Army and nowback in the house at home. I often wondered what happened to them and now your story has given closure. Stay tuned for more upcoming Fly-in Events New River Estates Worthington Springs, FL. (LogOut/ Early in 1961, the first of the Canadair CL-44 all-cargo aircraft joined the flying Tiger Fleet. With the DC-8, Flying Tigers was able to inaugurate daily international schedules on routes linking the major markets of the U.S. and Asia. With the Boeing 707s supplemented by Canadair CL-44s, Flying Tigers supplied U.S. military forces and became the largest carrier of cargo in the Pacific. That flight SUCKED., but at least I got out of that chit hole. With four Rolls Royce engines that developed 5,700 horsepower, it cruised at 375 miles per hour, carrying up to 60,000 pounds of cargo over a range of 3,000 miles. I have grieved for them ever since. (1974 -1989). Its ultimate destination was the Vietnamese city of Saigon, to which it was transporting 96 soldiers. Welcome Home with many thank you for all your support of the Vietnam veterans!! In transit to Viet Nam via Alaska, Japan and Okinawa. this a definitive journey While there I recall them telling us that there are enemy at the end of the runway and when we take off we are pulling up as fast as we can to keep from being hit. Ninety-three of these were enlisted with the US Army, with the remaining three being from South Vietnam. Not one of us said a word. We relied on each other and the soldiers to manage.. 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. A fine bunch of people. The Swingtails were so nicknamed because their tails literally swung away from the aircraft for loading. The flight went missing while en route to Vietnam. 7 Aug 1989. But the flight attendants realized that many were understandably scared. Flying Tigers continued to fly military troops and cargo into Vietnam during the war years. (it was the only one on the tarmac) Leaving Bien Hoa at 9:00 P.M on June 25th 1969 and arriving in Oakland CA on June 25th at 9:30 P.M. Free shipping for many products! Change). Large crew bases were situated at Los Angeles, New York City and Lockbourne, Ohio (Rickenbacker International Airport). On September 23, 1962, Flying Tiger Line Flight 923, an L-1049H Super Constellation (N6923C), ditched in the North Atlantic after three engines failed, killing 28 of 76 on board. Travel the world, the ad said. 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. 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. In accordance with the government directives and in the interest in protecting the health of our visitors, the Aviation Museum & Library is currently closed. I dont remember the faces of the flight attendantsprobably because I was so overwhelmed by my own emotions going to war and coming home. Not Flying Tigers but nevertheless an unforgettable flight. God Bless you all. While in Alaska stopping and refueling I was only 1/2 way through a mountain of pancakes, sausage and eggs smothered with Maple syrup when they announce for all out bound corpsmen to report immediately for departure. Leslie Pfeifer served aboard Flying Tiger Line from 1967 to 1970, making 75 return flights to South Vietnam. When I went over in 66, it was courtesy of the USAF on a C-141no flight attendants there, just jump seats and the infantry TOE and basic load down the center of the aircraft. And many didnt know what to think, caught between respect for the military and horror over the fates of the boys on their flights. I for one of many of us flew Tiger Airlines going and coming. We of course did not get his and flew on to Bangkok where we transferred to a military aircraft and flew down to U-T a B-52 base. According to the Aviation Safety Network, it first flew in 1957, and had amassed a total of 17,224 hours. It was important to stay upbeat, to act like every one of the men was coming home. The airlines first B-727s were placed in service in early 1984. Enjoyed the article, although my trip to Nam was aboard a C130 with alternating engines working. WebThe Flying Tigers Boeing 707 POLECAT established speed and distance records on its pole-to-pole flight around the world. When I went back in 1970 out of McCord it was on World Airlines. [2], The airline was named after the Flying Tigers fighter unit of World War II, officially the 1st American Volunteer Group. Hard to not have an emotional moment while reading. I went to Nam not on a Flying Tiger plane, and made it back home in one piece with no PTSD, only a parasite from the veggies. The picture below shows a full plane of troops heading to Vietnam on a Flying Tiger Flight. between heaven and hell. Piloted by the novice American Volunteer Group, who were from all branches of the military and civilians, these men provided military support to the Republic of China in their defense against the Japanese invasion between 1941-1942. 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. Outstanding article! 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. At 11:15PM June 29, 1968 I left Bien Hoa airport on a Trans International DC-10. The decent angle brought the entire plane to silence while they considered the reason for that radical decent. December 31st, 1968 at the age of 20 we flew from Travis AFB to Anchorage Alaska. (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. 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. In April of 1949, after a four-year battle, the company was awarded CAB (Civil Aeronautics Board now FAA) certification and established the FIRST ALL-CARGO Scheduled Route 100 from Los Angeles to Boston with points in between. After all the things i remember about my viet nam year , i never remembered about the flight to or from . I have no comment for this person, He/she is beyond help. Web346 views 9 months ago. What were the life expectancies of soldiers during the Vietnam War? 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. The company was started by Robert William Prescott. 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. In the Vietnam airlift, Flying Tigers provided strategic flights from the US to numerous military bases throughout the Pacific and Southeast Asia geographic region. I too was older at 25 and remember them well. On September 9, 1958, a Flying Tiger Line. As in Korea, these flights carried both cargo as well as military personnel and their dependents. The flight attendants learned not to wake them, knowing the men might leap up with a start, imagining they were still back in the war. We crossed over the international dateline and it became the 2nd of January. During a ceremony at the California Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the women, many now in their 70s, will also mark the disappearance of Flying Tigers Flight 739, which vanished over the Pacific in 1962 along with 107 passengers and crew, including four flight attendants. These flights were also a powerful and moving experience for a generation of young women who served aboard these aircraft as flight attendants. Nobody wanted to take anybody over there who wasnt coming back.. Daniel Dattpla IIFFV Original Party. However, Kadena was not able to resupply the galley but the crew got a lot of junk food to hold us over till we got to Tokyo where we were off-loaded again and the plane was serviced. In the Vietnam airlift, Flying Tigers provided strategic flights from the US to numerous military bases throughout the Pacific and Southeast Asia geographic region. The motto in the beginning was "Anything, Anytime, Anywhere". 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! These women allayed the fears of soldiers heading to war and offered support and reassurance to those headed home. The jet went faster, higher, finally the landing gear came up into the plane. Wheels up lots of cheering and hope. In August 87, the newly re-engined DC8-73DF freighter came online with the Tiger fleet of B-747s and B-727s. Also in 1946, Flying Tigers moved from Mines Field to the Lockheed Air Terminal in Burbank, California. (1957 - 1967), Flying Tigers acquired the first turbine-powered air-freighter placed in service when it purchased a $55-million fleet of Canadair CL-44s in 1961. The C-46s flew the domestic operation while the C-54s remained in overseas charter service. We turned off our running lights to avoid ground fire.. It was the first time I was truly surrounded around military men, and I was overwhelmed by their commitment and belief in their mission. 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. We were there to take care of our passengers, Foster said, and have the best time we could. As it turned out, they excelled at both. Thanks to all of you that attempted to make our journies more comfortable. meets a very pale blue, This exhibition is currently available online only. It was an effort conceived and accomplished by Flying Tigers employees throughout the companys world-wide system. We began to realize OK, these guys are going off to die, Breen recalled. In 1963, Air Cargo Operations moved back to the Los Angeles International Airport. A FLY-IN COMMUNITY! Contact Thank you to all who came out to join us for our BBQ Fly-in! Great article and I do so remember that flight and not having even an idea what was waiting for 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. We all wanted to get home, but wondered if this old crate could get us there. In 1962, the Vietnam War was far from over. To kill time many of us went to the Officers Club, with the flight attendants in tow, and proceeded to party. The next stop was Saigon where we left off troops. Thank you so much angels. To say thank you which could never cover the range of emotions The first of the "stretched" airfreights, it carried a payload of 110,000 pounds at 550 miles per hour over a 3,000 mile range. She then asked me Why of all the Corpsmen/servicemen on this plane was I the only one that didnt ask for her address and telephone number? I told her that (1. 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. It was never seen or heard from again, despite an extensive search operation. Trying to get your brain from calming down from a surreal experience in RVN and then refocusing your mind on being back home was a strange experience! In December 1946, Flying Tigers received its first Transpacific Military Contract, flying C-54s to Tokyo and Hawaii. Dont remember who flew me over my second trip in Dec. 71. In 1969, during the Vietnam War, a 21-year-old Seattle woman saw a job ad for a California cargo airline called the Flying Tiger Line that had a large presence in San Francisco. I salute you all ladies!! After 1970, scheduled commercial service, much of which consisted of Asian imports, rapidly overtook military related contracts as the company's primary source of income. 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. McCord was doing maintenance on the runway. Tigers flew 176 missions to Phnom Penh providing 17 million pounds of rice to the besieged city. 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. This article is an important read. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. 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.. My birthday is January 1st. After an almost three hour delay, the airplane is back in the air and en-route to our final destination Vietnam. Very good article. Addendum: While in transit on the plane, I had an unusual experience that Id like to share with everyone who reads this. Afraid that at any moment a rocket or mortor could could take the jet down. However, despite an eight-day search covering hundreds of thousands of square miles of the Pacific Ocean, no trace of the aircraft or its 107 occupants could ever be found. But for the ladies I say Thank you I was one of those 18 year old boys that was scared to death. On March 6, 1967, Flying Tigers first DC8-63F aircraft arrived. Its ultimate destination was the Vietnamese city of Saigon, to which it was transporting 96 soldiers. Shamu the whale took a first ride on Flying Tigers. I flew out of Travis and came home the same way 3 times during 68-70. Interesting. I spent one year there and flew 15 missions in Vietnam, 8 north and 7 south. Arrived Travis in daylight and was struck by the absence of bomb craters from my aerial view. The merger gave the combined airlines scheduled, all-cargo services world-wide. The airline was bought by Federal Express in 1988. I was on those flights, twice over and back although on other carriers. I was one of those Men that you brought back to the World. I then went back to my seat with a book after putting that slip of paper in my wallet. If I remember correctly I went over on Continental and came back on United. But the womens bond outlasted the death of the airline that brought them together. Wish I still knew a few of these darlings. Great article with great info, I remember in 1968 when I went. Like waking up from a bad dream and realizing yes, that was bad but I am home!!. This was a great story. I stopped a stewardess to inquire if they had any other reading material on board. WebFlying Tiger Airport: Home Real Estate About Things to do FAQ's FAA Info. I was old as dirt to them.. Thanks for a great story. The Boeing 707 remained in the fleet only few years, and later sold, upon arrival of the higher-payload Douglas DC-8, the largest civilian airliner until the Boeing 747 entered service. Thanks so much to all the people that participated in this adventure and thanks for helping us all get there and back. . Travel the world, the ad said. WebFlying Tiger: With Ron Ng, Lee Pace, Jamie B. Operated primarily on transpacific military contract routes, the planes carried 73,000 pounds of freight at 550 miles per hour over a 3,000 range. Men that you brought back to the Officers Club, with the three. 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