The picture below shows a full plane of troops heading to Vietnam on a Flying Tiger Flight. (LogOut/ Then all the guys just could not be held down by the stewerdesses and they did not even try to quiet the guys. I also n=mourned those I had lost there who could not return alive but were shipped home to grief stricken families. The pilot is believed to have misjudged distance and altitude while making the final approach, a report would later conclude. Flying Tiger Attendant It was important to stay upbeat, to act like every one of the men was coming home. Flying around the world over the North and South Poles, the Pole Cat set eight speed and distance records. The food on the airplane had to be thrown away because there was no refrigeration on the aircraft for over 48 hours. Its ultimate destination was the Vietnamese city of Saigon, to which it was transporting 96 soldiers. History - Flying Tiger Line was founded on 24 June 1945 by R.W. The big, glamorous airline back then was Pan Am. Looking back, I owe them my deep thanks for doing their job so splendidly despite the emotional roller-coaster they must have been on. 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. The C-47 could fly 7,500 pounds of cargo over a range of 600 miles at 150 miles per hour. I now have a new group of Vietnam vets to admire and respect. Top Rated Seller. Two of the incidents occurred within the span of one day. Pre-Owned. 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. Daniel Dattpla IIFFV Original Party. These men and their flight crew perished in what would become one of the biggest aviation. I dont remember the faces of the flight attendantsprobably because I was so overwhelmed by my own emotions going to war and coming home. 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. 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. I remember we had trouble on departure from Travis and then landed at Hickham and had to spend the night awaiting a replacement aircraft. I only wish that I could stand before these wonderful ladies. What was the worst work detail you pulled in Vietnam? That sounded good to Linda Greenwalt Foster, who had just dropped out of college and was looking for an adventure. But the flight attendants realized that many were understandably scared. And he said, Well, can you put all that aside when youre on the airplane and taking care of these boys? Foster recalled. I came back on a USAF flight as I was in a 1-1/2 hip spika cast they called it. I think i was numb, both ways. Email:jason.fagone@sfchronicle.comTwitter:@jfagone, Link to the actual article: https://bit.ly/2PbitdY. Thanks for a great story. After just under two hours on the ground, The Free Lance-Star reported that the flight departed Guam just before 21:00. But some homeward-bound passengers were belligerent, unpredictable. Thanks for the ride! They cant be forgotten.. It began on Christmas Day, 1950, with Operation STEM, America's Special Technical & Economic Mission, the cover for . 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. I just stood there in my bedroom looking out the window for a very long time,saying to myself Did that really happen??? Nearly two hours into the flight, the pilot radioed Guam with the aircrafts position, notifying air traffic control that it was on track to land in the Philippines shortly after 3 a.m. Those were the days. Click on Links for More information About Each Plane. Sweet Jesus, I was back in the USA ; I was trying to keep from thinking about that. 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. AU $157.06. Not only told to leave, but not to come back. 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. 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. 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. War touches more people than the veterans who fought in it. 302/3 Kim Ma Street, Ngoc Khanh Ward, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi, Vietnam. 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. Add to Cart. I do remember the door opening and it was like a blast furnace! However, these were not military aircraft, but commercial airliners under contract by the U.S. Air Force Military Airlift Command (MAC) and served by civilian crews and flight attendants. Shared with Public Cleaning up today and found this binder. 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 Station Agana, Guam; and Clark Air Force Base, Luzon, . I remember how kind and understanding these ladies were to we soldiers going to a war zone. Marilyn Breen was 24 when a girlfriend called her from Japan, bragging that she had gotten a job with a different charter airline and was now sitting in Tokyo having her nails done for $1.50. 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. And this aricle brought back many memories, both sad & scared, and delighted and full of joy! The company had a contract to fly U.S. servicemen into Vietnam and to bring troops home after their tours were complete. Not Flying Tigers but nevertheless an unforgettable flight. Although the fledgling Flying Tiger Line was in a precarious financial situation during its early years, it enjoyed extraordinary growth throughout most of the 60's, and eventually emerged as the industry's foremost all-cargo carrier. Top Rated Seller Top Rated Seller. In one of the seats was Army Specialist Donald Sargent, who had joined the Army and became a Ranger as a way to escape a life of near certain poverty in his hometown of Cornish, Maine. Pre-Owned. I wouldnt trade the experience for a million dollars, stated Julie Kane, a flight attendant for Seaboard World Airlines. Flying Tiger Flight 739 had arrived at Guam at 11:14 GMT from Wake Island. Carrying 50% more cargo than the DC-4 and carrying it 70 miles per hour faster, the company's gross revenues quickly reached the $25-million mark in 1953. Notable among the Tigers' achievements were their participation in both the Korean and Vietnam airlifts. Almost all US scheduled and charter carriers with appropriate equipment operated to Vietnam. . Such as, I didnt know if I was going to make it back and not wanting to think about that. The names of those who gave their lives and who remain missing are inscribed here so that they will be said aloud and their memory will live on.. As the Constellation approached the runway at about 3 a.m., visibility was about 3 miles, the ceiling was at 1,000 feet and a light drizzle and fog hovered over the runway as the pilot attempted to make the approach. Forums Index - All forums; Portal page; MSFS 2020; FSX - FS2004 and Earlier (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. Great article; Thanks. Ardith (Vignati) Willner The aircraft operating the flight was a Lockheed L-1049H Super Constellation registered as N6921C. $35.00. June 69. Great, I had the opportunity to fly w/those ladies one great experience,,! This article is an important read. Best Airline Business in Southeast Asia. It was never seen or heard from again, despite an extensive search operation. The years after the Vietnam war saw continued growth for the Flying Tigers. Not one of us said a word. A total of 141 lives were lost on board the four aircraft and three lives were lost of people on the ground. The aircraft that disappeared was around five years old. Circa 1968-1972 Vietnam War CASI Continental Air Services Inc Shirt Type 1st Officer Wing RARE Item: aircw60001sw. I went over in February 1970. each of us inside were scared because for the first time non of us were wearing helmets, flack jackets, no weapons or ammo. Apart from Pan Am and Braniff, also Continental, Northwest, TWA, United, World Airways, Flying Tiger, Seaboard World, among others. I flew over on Continental..We had a flight attendant come to one of our VVA Chapter meeting and tell us about her time. Available now to pre-order at Flying Tigers. No folded flag was presented to the family. Hamburg, 27 February 2023 - EGYPTAIR took delivery of its first A321neo from Airbus' Delivery Centre in Hamburg, making the airline the first African operator of the aircraft.. EGYPTAIR has specified a high comfort, two-class configuration with 16 Business class seats and 166 Economy class seats, and will increase the airline's single aisle capacity to the Middle East, Africa and Europe. 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. Related thread from 2010: In the Vietnam airlift, Flying Tigers provided strategic flights from the US to numerous military bases throughout the Pacific and Southeast Asia geographic region. 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