(1945 - 1947). Pre-Owned. I flew over on Continental..We had a flight attendant come to one of our VVA Chapter meeting and tell us about her time. Travel the world, the ad said. Vintage Flying Tigers Airline 1981 Timetable from/to Greece - Flying Tiger Line. Offering cheap & budget flights to multiple destinations at Scoot. Some years ago I made contact with one of those stewardesses and found out about their reunions. I recall the flight I took into Vietnam and even more than the flight I took home. God Bless you all. Shared with Public Cleaning up today and found this binder. Its ultimate destination was the Vietnamese city of Saigon, to which it was transporting 96 soldiers. Flying Tiger aircraft were chartered to transport troops and supplies from the United States to Asia; Flying Tigers later received a cargo route award to Japan, China, and Southeast Asia. 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. The aircraft was lost and no part was found in spite of one of the most extensive searches ever conducted in the history of aviation, ICAO said. $18.00. We all wanted to get home, but wondered if this old crate could get us there. Color photograph of Flying Tiger Line's Lockheed L-1049H Super Constellation N6921C. Those were the days. Thanks so much to all the people that participated in this adventure and thanks for helping us all get there and back. After all the things i remember about my viet nam year , i never remembered about the flight to or from . Pre-Owned. 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. I dont remember the faces of the flight attendantsprobably because I was so overwhelmed by my own emotions going to war and coming home. 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. The flight from Guam to the next layover was to take about 6 hours and 20 minutes, but the Constellation had enough fuel for nearly 10 hours of flight, according to an International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) accident report documenting the incident. The flight attendant standing at the top said see you in a year, Ill be wearing the same dress. Sixty years ago, as the U.S. was becoming more involved in the opening salvo of the Vietnam War, a Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation was making its way west. They recalled that a vapor trail, or some phenomenon resembling one, was first observed overhead and slightly to the north of the tanker and moving in an east to west direction, the ICAO report said. Veterans Affairs also bought a headstone marker, but even in that, the sense of military courtesy for the family seemed to evaporate, too. 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. March 15, 1962, marked the first day of the Vietnam War Campaign, according to U.S. Army historians. Some say it was sabotage, she said. It was reported that the aircraft was left unattended in a dimly lighted area for a period of time while at Guam where total transit time was 1 hour and 33 minutes, ICAO said. Copyright 2023 Flying Media. In March 1962, one such personnel-carrying flight went missing en route to Vietnam. I often wondered what happened to them and now your story has given closure. The company had a contract to fly U.S. servicemen into Vietnam and to bring troops home after their tours were complete. The first two of these saw delays due to engine maintenance having to be carried out. All rights reserved. ber 1.000.000 Bilder Her sentiments are echoed by Judy Meyer, who flew for United Air Lines, It was some of the best flying I ever did. Although these women were an integral part of the Vietnam War experience, their contributions are largely unknown outside of the veteran community. 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. Notable among the Tigers' achievements were their participation in both the Korean and Vietnam airlifts. And welcome home. I commented, and the person deleted my comme. The search for Flight 739 sparked one of the largest searches recorded at the time, covering more than 200,000 square miles. On the paper were words that Donald Sargents motherKirks grandmotherfound too incomprehensible to believe. Remember the pungent fish smell and heat as we deplaned. 302/3 Kim Ma Street, Ngoc Khanh Ward, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi, Vietnam. ATDB.aero shows that it spent most of its career at Flying Tiger Line, but did also serve Lufthansa on a leased basis. Indeed, having begun in November 1955, it wouldn't come to an end until almost two decades later, in April 1975. View Product. That was not us, recalled Andee Reingold Wright, a San Francisco native who was 21 when she started with Flying Tigers in 1967. So they tried to keep it light. All reactions: 38 11 comments 4 shares Like Comment I would have been on Flying Tigers returning to the states. What Was It Like To Hump The Boonies in Vietnam? Opens in a new window or tab. Its a way to look back, said one woman planning to attend, Ann Price Montgomery, who joined Flying Tigers in 1968. I was USAF and made that stop in Alaska. flying tigers airlines was the prenier air cargo air carrier of the world long before fedex even considered overseas deliveries. This exhibition, based on extensive interviews with the key participants of the airlift operations, provides insight into their experiences serving aboard the Freedom Birds. During the course of the war, thousands of flights crisscrossed the Pacific Ocean. And there were parties every single day and every single night, Foster remembered. Thanks for a great story. 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. 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. 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.. For the Vietnam generation of U.S. military veterans, this phrase meant only one thing; the aircraft that brought them home at the end of their tours. I spent one year there and flew 15 missions in Vietnam, 8 north and 7 south. Flying Tiger aircraft were getting old and worn, but their flight attendants were still top notch. English. By 1949, the Flying Tiger Line had won approval for the first commercial all-cargo route in the U.S., according to an organization devoted to its history. Not one of us said a word in the dark as we watched the plane sitting there with jet engines idling. 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. Afraid that at any moment a rocket or mortor could could take the jet down. Each of the awesome giants flies more than 200,000 pounds of cargo at 575 miles per hour over a 3,500-mile range. Mel Beers ret first sergeant . From Tokyo we flew to Anchorage where we were grounded another 18 to 20 hours due to a snow storm and for some reason, Anchorage did not have deicing capability. In addition to the emotional impact, the flight attendants risked physical harm while flying to military bases in an active combat zone. My Margi has been a Member of the Flying Tigers Club Board of Directors, and served as Club Secretary since May 2007. Flying Tiger Based on the observations of civilians on a nearby tanker, the plane was between Guam and the Philippines when there was a flash and a vapor trail, indicating a midair explosion.. He settled into a niche with the "Flying Tiger Line", an airline started by pilots that gained fame by trouncing superior, in number, forces of Japanese warplanes. But for the ladies I say Thank you I was one of those 18 year old boys that was scared to death. Thanks for the ride! In the Vietnam airlift, Flying Tigers provided strategic flights from the US to numerous military bases throughout the Pacific and Southeast Asia geographic region. (1947 -- 1957), The acquisition of seven DC-6s represented the largest single purchase the airline industry had ever seen. Great article and I do so remember that flight and not having even an idea what was waiting for me .. The explosion occurred in two pulses lasting between two and three seconds and from it two objects fell into the sea.. And many didnt know what to think, caught between respect for the military and horror over the fates of the boys on their flights. The year 1962, however, would be a particularly bad year for the airline started by former military pilots. 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. It was her name, address and telephone number with the instructions that if it didnt work out between me and my fiance after I came back to give her a call because she saw something in me that she had been looking for. Curtis Smith served to disbandment and afterward returned to the U.S. Marines. THe girls (attendants) were great cant saw much for the people of California . Flying from Clark AFB to Guam refueling then on to Travis AFB and Home. Check out our flying tigers airlines selection for the very best in unique or custom, handmade pieces from our shops. Feb.3-8, 1968. 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. About the only scenario that's been ruled out is. Flying Tiger Line was the first scheduled cargo airline in the U.S., founded by ex-military pilots in 1945. I sat on the left side isle with a window seat just to the rear edge of the left wing. Theyd usually start at Travis Air Force Base outside of San Francisco or McChord Field in Washington, picking up more than 200 fresh-faced, uniformed servicemen from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. When you went to school for Pan Am, they showed you how to do your makeup and your hair. Prescott and other members of the "Flying Tigers" American Volunteer Group, the airline operated known under the name of National Skyway Freight Corporation.The airline started the operations with 14 Budd Conestogas, later being replaced by C-46s and DC-4s. This was a very good and interesting article. one of conscious unease. Antique Airlines Vietnam Flying Tiger Vintage Pin Gold Tone Enamel Metal. This is what I wrote when I had set up my home page on geocities which is now archived: Remember the illumination flares as we were coming in on final as the sun had not come up yet. The Douglas DC-8-63AF N783FT (msn 46003) they flew is, remarkably, still . Freedom Bird. . merging Ocean and Sky. There was no military service at the funeral. The women say its what helped them keep their sanity, a support network that allowed them to face the heartbreak of the job as the true cost of the war emerged. As Captain Dwight Small, a pilot for Flying Tiger Line, recalls, It was pretty hairy, especially in the early days. Tiger Air Flights To Vietnam Tiger Air is one of the few low-cost airlines currently operating in Vietnam. Was I really in a real war??? Welcome Home with many thank you for all your support of the Vietnam veterans!! Very good article. . for the first time, when I read this article, I remembered the cheer that went up spontaneously when we pulled up to about 10,000 feet and realized we were safety out of rocket/mortar danger and headed for home. The Flying Tigers were reactivated as the Marine Corps' second CH-53A squadron and re-designated Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 361 at New River North Carolina as part of Marine Aircraft Group 26, 2d Marine Aircraft Wing. I wouldnt trade the experience for a million dollars, stated Julie Kane, a flight attendant for Seaboard World Airlines. Click on Links for More information About Each Plane. I was lucky enough to have regular contact with the flight crews as they came and went in and out of Tan San Nhut AB . I missed my 21st birthday completely. All the ladies on all the flights were outstanding, especially the ones on the flight home that handled some of the rude guys in isle seats. His 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.. thanks for the ride over and putting up with some of us. Landed in Saigon. I flew into Sea-Trac on Flying Tiger Airlines from Camh Rhan October 4 , 1971. My return flight in 72 was on Flying Tigers that started out with engine problems on the ramp in Tan Son Nhut. The jet went faster, higher, finally the landing gear came up into the plane. Real Aviation Photos & Videos; Upload New File; Discussion. The search by sea and air was of such an intensity and thoroughness that it can be conclusively stated that debris and survivors from the plane did not exist Consequently, after a full review and consideration of all available evidence, it has been concluded that for an unknown reason the plane plunged into the sea with all its passengers.. Two of the incidents occurred within the span of one day. She learned then that the Flying Tiger Line, also known as Flying Tigers, specialized in troop transports. There are two main mo . En route to Saigon, the flight was set to make several refueling stops. Daniel Dattpla IIFFV Original Party. This presumed death toll made it the worst accident involving the Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation. The driver honked his horn but didnt get out. we sat silently in the darkness almost trying to will ourselves into that jet thru the air. Margi Falk. What were the life expectancies of soldiers during the Vietnam War? Thank you ladies, Im one of those boys. Thank you all. This exhibition is currently available online only. Ardith, I know we GIs werent always gentlemen, but thank you so very much for all that you and your sister attendants did for us on our flights too and from that hell hole of a war in SAE. 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. Air sorties searching for clues racked up more than 3,417 flying hours. 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. Dont remember who flew me over my second trip in Dec. 71. Sellers with highest buyer ratings; That motto lasted until the airline was taken over by Federal Express in the late 1980's. 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: The effort involved more than 1,300 people, 48 aircraft, and eight ships. December 31st, 1968 at the age of 20 we flew from Travis AFB to Anchorage Alaska. Thank you ladies. During the Vietnam years the Flying Tiger Line also worked overtime for the US Postal Service. Change). It began on Christmas Day, 1950, with Operation STEM, America's Special Technical & Economic Mission, the cover for . 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 .. enjoyed it more than my flight to Vietnam,but, what a wonderful sight when I walked out to the plane to return home. Thanks for the wonderful article. 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. What I do remember is that the plane had a very unpleasant odor and the food was cold. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is an American long-haul, mid-size widebody, twin-engine jet airliner made by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Three Vietnam service members were also among the passengers. On Wednesday morning in Sacramento, as many as 30 former flight attendants for the airline are reuniting to honor servicemen killed in the war. Express in the dark as we deplaned flew into Sea-Trac on Flying Tigers airline 1981 Timetable from/to Greece - Tiger! 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