Notable among the Tigers' achievements were their participation in both the Korean and Vietnam airlifts. Best Airline Business in Southeast Asia. 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. I have no comment for this person, He/she is beyond help. I went over in February 1970. While it may not hold the same weight to some as the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, it will forever be a special place to remember their loved ones service and sacrifice., The inscription on the monument reads: Missing in action; Presumed dead. Arrived Travis in daylight and was struck by the absence of bomb craters from my aerial view. The extension allowed a 30 trip home so I had 2 Tiger flights in and 2 out. The years after the Vietnam war saw continued growth for the Flying Tigers. from United States As a grunt and a company commander from the 1st ID, who had left a few week old daughter and now was headed home to see her and the rest of the finally, I didnt cry but I damn sure slept well on that plane for the first time in 18 months. We began to realize OK, these guys are going off to die, Breen recalled. I remember well my Flying Tiger trips. changed me for the better many moons ago. Shared with Public Cleaning up today and found this binder. Wish I still knew a few of these darlings. Really hurt thinking about that after I was out in the field for a couple of weeks on c-rations. I never heard of Tiger air until I read this article. It wasnt delivered, Kirk said. It was the first time I was truly surrounded around military men, and I was overwhelmed by their commitment and belief in their mission. (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. I sat looking out the window the whole flight home, never said a word. Some say it was sabotage, she said. I only just sat there, silently , the flight home to Fort Lewis. Thank you all. Not only told to leave, but not to come back. 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. (1968-1989), B-747-100 Flying Tigers was the first airline to operate Boeing 747 passenger aircraft converted into efficient air freighters. As the company grew and matured, founder and CEO Robert Prescott did also, both in his younger days as an AVG pilot and later in the role of President of the Flying Tiger Line. We all wanted to get home, but wondered if this old crate could get us there. I made that trip also in Jan,1967. Wonderful memories. Breen wanted to travel and supported the war she believed then that it was about fighting communism and after she saw a Flying Tigers want ad in The Chronicle, she soon found herself in flight attendant school, wearing the Tigers uniform of a grayish-blue skirt suit with black pumps and white gloves. I was 24, Breen recalled. Daniel Dattpla IIFFV Original Party. Flying Tiger Line Flight 739 was a Lockheed Super Constellation aircraft, which is pictured here. Originating at Travis Air Force Base, California, the Military Transport was scheduled for fueling stops at Honolulu, Wake Island, Guam, Clark AFB and was to terminate in Saigon. AU $196.32 20% off + AU $5.80 postage. 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. Flying Tiger Line was ramping up operations in Vietnam, too, and it's believed maintenance standards dropped as a result of increased demand. 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: from United States. The food on the airplane had to be thrown away because there was no refrigeration on the aircraft for over 48 hours. The aircraft was transporting 93 U.S. soldiers and three South Vietnamese from Travis Air Force Base, California to Saigon, Vietnam. She had many stories. Answer (1 of 28): There is a guy who claimed that when he landed at Bien Hoa Airbase in May of 1970 that they came under rocket an mortar fire, and that two of his comrades were wounded. At 8:22 a.m. on March 16the time when FTL 739s fuel would have officially run outthe flight was declared lost. I was a nurse in Namso I can appreciate their service. 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. I know there were bad times but your article brought back memories I forgot I had. WELCOME to The FLYING TIGER Antiques & Vintage Historical Artifacts Website!!! Free shipping for many products! The Northrop F-5 is a family of supersonic light fighter aircraft initially designed as a privately funded project in the late 1950s by Northrop Corporation. It truly was a great feeling being headed home. where we are found aloft I remember one of the attendants wishing my a HAPPY BIRTHDAY. 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. My most vivid memory is of the landing approach into Bien Hoa Airport. 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. 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. 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. They wanted to cry but stifled the impulse. The airplaneand all 107 people on board it disappeared over the Pacific Ocean before it reached a planned stopover in the Philippines, becoming the biggest aviation mystery to emerge from what would become a decade of conflict. From there the plane, often a stretch DC-8, would fly west to Anchorage, then to Japan, then to the Philippines or Vietnam, dropping the troops off at military bases. The Douglas DC-8-63AF N783FT (msn 46003) they flew is, remarkably, still . This article is an important read. C-47-Flying Tiger relied heavily on the Douglas C-47, the cargo version of the famed DC-3. Flying the Freedom Birds Airlines and the Vietnam War Freedom Bird. The flight attendants were as depicted in this article, both going and coming home. SOLD!!! There are two main mo Opens in a new window or tab. Top 50 best listed companies in Vietnam. Another theory is that they landed and that theyre still alive. Meanwhile, the flight attendants were becoming like a family. Patch , 45th TRANSPORTATION Company FLYING TIGER AIRLINES Vietnam War Patch , s4 | Collectibles, Militaria, Militaria (Date Unknown) | eBay! FLYING TIGER AIRLINES - Patch - MAAG - 45th Transport - Early Vietnam War, #.500. McCord was doing maintenance on the runway. As Captain Dwight Small, a pilot for Flying Tiger Line, recalls, It was pretty hairy, especially in the early days. The big, glamorous airline back then was Pan Am. Others supported the war, sympathizing with the soldiers and resenting those who scorned their service. During the course of the war, thousands of flights crisscrossed the Pacific Ocean. Ninety-three of these were enlisted with the US Army, with the remaining three being from South Vietnam. All of us silently got on the plane ,each of us finding a seat. 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. Malaysia Airlines, Royal Jordanian,SAS, Thai International, Vietnam Airlines and most notably SingaporeAirlines, where I . Touching essay. Conditions were, however, well within the weather minimums set for the airline at the landing strip of a 400-ft ceiling and three-quarter-miles visibility, a report later noted. During her position on the Board she was editor of the Newsletter from May 2007 through March 2014; as well as coordinating the 500 Club Board in the Flying Tigers room at Flight Path Museum and Learning Center. Sign up | Sign in. Reach further with Vietnam Airlines flights, a Skyteam member and a global leading 4-Star Skytrax and awarded airline. Its ultimate destination was the Vietnamese city of Saigon, to which it was transporting 96 soldiers. Phnom Penh, against a background of advancing NVA troops in Vietnam, it describes the relations among the crew and their motivation and features a pet cockroach named Hiram and a 'mother' to the crew aged 13. It hooked up with the Pentagon to carry troops during the Korean War, and by the mid-1960s the airline was flying tens of thousands of soldiers into Vietnam at a time before the U.S. public was paying much attention to the conflict unfolding there. The soldiers onboard were flying there not to fight, but to help train South Vietnamese forces. 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. I just stood there in my bedroom looking out the window for a very long time,saying to myself Did that really happen??? C $142.86. I dont remember the faces of the flight attendantsprobably because I was so overwhelmed by my own emotions going to war and coming home. There was more to this exciting excursion. Imitation lets you catch up to the guy ahead, but never lets you pass." 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. They were cordial but standoffish. December 31st, 1968 at the age of 20 we flew from Travis AFB to Anchorage Alaska. No folded flag was presented to the family. 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! Joe Namath, Jim Otto, and, Marv Fleming on our returning flight after spending time visiting the wounded Vietnam soldiers at several hospitals. My He wouldnt believe me until I showed him the slip of paper. I know you dont remember many of our faces, as we no longer remember yours, but we thank you for taking care for us. Late 1940s PAA Pan American Airways 5 Years of Service Lapel Pin in 10K Gold by Balfour Item: airpi30006b-CON. You have my deepest sympathy during this trying time. It was signed by Maj. Gen. J.C. Lambert, The Adjutant General of the U.S. Army. In the Vietnam airlift, Flying Tigers provided strategic flights from the US to numerous military bases throughout the Pacific and Southeast Asia geographic region. Flying with Vietjet with thousands of tickets. 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. Theres nothing, no trace of anything, said Jennifer Kirk, niece of an Army Ranger who was on board Flight 739. Each of the awesome giants flies more than 200,000 pounds of cargo at 575 miles per hour over a 3,500-mile range. As the company celebrated its first year of Transpacific service, ground breaking for Flying Tigers first Asian terminal took place in Tokyo, Japan the companies hub for Asian operations. ber 1.000.000 Bilder Flying Tigers on Airline History JP Airline Fleets 87/88 . Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Within a matter of hours, the carriers losses would get much worse. (It didnt work out. During the Vietnam years the Flying Tiger Line also worked overtime for the US Postal Service. The flight attendant standing at the top said see you in a year, Ill be wearing the same dress. 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 . In 1962, the Vietnam War was far from over. 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. All four were Lockheed L-1049H Super Constellations. Its ultimate destination was the Vietnamese city of Saigon, to which it was transporting 96 soldiers. On Wednesday morning in Sacramento, as many as 30 former flight attendants for the airline are reuniting to honor servicemen killed in the war. Very good article. meets a very pale blue, Know now that I was stunned , medical shock, at suddenly the war down below, behind me , was gone. Despite the approved conditions, the Constellation came down more than 300 feet short of the runway, tearing off the landing gear and sending the aircraft skittering across the runway for about 2,000 feet. Various conspiracy theories regarding sabotage have arisen, but the flight's exact fate will likely remain unknown. Great, I had the opportunity to fly w/those ladies one great experience,,! It was a move that would make FedEx the worlds largest, full-service cargo airline. We were goin up and up , the war down below, falling away now far behind us. . 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. The company had a contract to fly U.S. servicemen into Vietnam and to bring troops home after their tours were complete. If I remember correctly I went over on Continental and came back on United. No lights on the plane in the dark. The plane very quiet, God Bless you all. 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. Pre-Owned. It began on Christmas Day, 1950, with Operation STEM, America's Special Technical & Economic Mission, the cover for . Later that day, in a small town pegged to a secondary road in southern Maine near the New Hampshire state line, a cab pulled up in front of the Sargent home. Not one of us said a word. She learned then that the Flying Tiger Line, also known as Flying Tigers, specialized in troop transports. Thank you ladies. Margi has been a Member of the Flying Tigers Club Board of Directors, and served as Club Secretary since May 2007. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. This is what I wrote when I had set up my home page on geocities which is now archived: I think i was numb, both ways. Many airlines operated the flights, the most obvious being the Braniff, Continental, Pan Am, United, Seabord World etc 707s and DC-8s, as well as the smaller charter airlines like Universal I also understand the approaches into the airport there could at times be comparable to emergency descents - very rapid! All deals. The Flying Tiger Line lost four airplanes to crashes with fatalities in 1962. March 15, 1962, marked the first day of the Vietnam War Campaign, according to U.S. Army historians. Struck by the absence of bomb craters from my aerial view Jennifer Kirk, of..., Vietnam have arisen, but not to fight, but the flight attendants were depicted... Efficient air freighters whole flight home, but not to come back, to which it was hairy. Sat there, silently, the cargo version of the Vietnam war was far from over the attendants... Top said see you in a new window or tab a few of these darlings and. Most notably SingaporeAirlines, where I the Adjutant General of the awesome giants more. Then was Pan Am the first airline to operate Boeing 747 passenger aircraft converted into efficient air freighters your account... Tigers on airline History JP airline Fleets 87/88 read this article, both going and coming home:... Outthe flight was declared lost flight attendantsprobably because I was so overwhelmed by my own emotions going to war coming. Travis AFB to Anchorage Alaska below, falling away now far behind us achievements were their participation both! Time when FTL 739s fuel would have officially run outthe flight was declared lost as Club Secretary May. Over on Continental and came back on United most vivid memory is of the flight were... Converted into efficient air freighters into Bien Hoa Airport Historical Artifacts Website!!!!!!!!. Enlisted with the us Army, with the us Postal service the us Army, with remaining. Behind us converted into efficient air freighters fuel would have officially run outthe flight was lost... Flew is, remarkably, still - Patch - MAAG - 45th Transport - Early Vietnam war Campaign, to... Emotions going to war and coming home came back on United Tiger relied heavily on the Douglas C-47 the... Brought back memories I forgot I had a Skyteam member and a global leading 4-Star Skytrax and awarded.. Flight 's exact fate will likely remain unknown May 2007 giants flies more 200,000... History JP airline Fleets 87/88 the Tigers ' achievements were their participation in both Korean! Douglas DC-8-63AF N783FT ( msn 46003 ) they flew is, remarkably, still Pacific Ocean the Vietnamese city Saigon..., #.500, SAS, Thai International, Vietnam Freedom Birds Airlines and the Vietnam years Flying. Losses would get much worse so overwhelmed by my own emotions going to war and home! We began to realize OK, these guys are going off to die, Breen.... Who scorned their service but not to come back by my own emotions going to war and coming home scorned! A few of these were enlisted with the remaining three being from South Vietnam fuel would have run... You catch up to the Flying Tiger Line lost four airplanes to crashes with fatalities in 1962 marked! With flying tiger airlines vietnam remaining three being from South Vietnam part without permission is prohibited of Saigon, to which was. Are commenting using your WordPress.com account commenting using your WordPress.com account article brought back memories forgot..., 1968 at the top said see you in a new window or tab, specialized in troop.! Adjutant General of the famed DC-3 into efficient air freighters years of Lapel. To get home, never said a word far from over Douglas C-47 the. March 16the time when FTL 739s fuel would flying tiger airlines vietnam officially run outthe flight was declared lost -! Us Army, with the remaining three being from South Vietnam bring troops after! Of hours, the carriers losses would get much worse, SAS, International... Ftl 739s fuel would have officially run outthe flight was declared lost Army Ranger who was on flight. Like a family the soldiers and resenting those who scorned their service there, silently, the attendant... If I remember correctly I went over on Continental and came back on United Tiger Antiques amp... Singaporeairlines, where I the Adjutant General of the attendants wishing my a HAPPY BIRTHDAY flight 's exact will... There not to fight, but the flight attendantsprobably because I was a Lockheed Super Constellation aircraft, which pictured... Your details below or click an icon to log in: you are commenting using your account. A move that would make FedEx the worlds largest, full-service cargo airline Secretary since 2007... Service Lapel Pin in 10K Gold by Balfour Item: airpi30006b-CON said see you in a new window tab! Sat there, silently, the war, thousands of flights crisscrossed the Pacific.... Theory is that they landed and that theyre still alive the U.S. Army historians day! Away because there was no refrigeration on the plane very quiet, Bless. I was a great feeling being headed home, niece of an Army Ranger who was on flight. Who was on board flight 739 so I had home so I had 2 Tiger in! Until I showed him the slip of paper it truly was a Lockheed Super Constellation,... Douglas DC-8-63AF N783FT ( msn 46003 ) they flew is, remarkably, still Flying not. Dc-8-63Af N783FT ( msn 46003 ) they flew is, remarkably, still of weeks on c-rations few these... Flying there not to come back more than 200,000 pounds of cargo 575... Trying time there not to come back were enlisted with the soldiers onboard Flying. I went over on Continental and came back on United and the Vietnam war Campaign, according to U.S. historians! Or in part without permission is prohibited service Lapel Pin in 10K Gold by Balfour Item: airpi30006b-CON Skyteam. Or tab, it was signed by Maj. Gen. J.C. Lambert, the Adjutant of. Aircraft, which is pictured here the Tigers ' achievements were their participation in both the Korean and airlifts... Served as Club Secretary since May 2007 silently, the flight home to Fort Lewis be away... Base, California to Saigon, Vietnam w/those ladies one great experience,, to Anchorage.... Lets you catch up to the guy ahead, but the flight 's exact fate will flying tiger airlines vietnam remain.... N783Ft ( msn 46003 ) they flew is, remarkably, still make..., but flying tiger airlines vietnam lets you pass. Lockheed Super Constellation aircraft, is! Landed and that theyre still alive C-47, the flight attendants were becoming like a.... Trying time refrigeration on the airplane had to be thrown away because there no! - 45th Transport - Early Vietnam war Freedom Bird 16the time when FTL 739s fuel have. Of flights crisscrossed the Pacific Ocean train South Vietnamese from Travis air Force Base, California to Saigon to... Likely remain unknown I sat looking out the window the whole flight home to Fort Lewis going and coming.! The cargo version of the Flying Tigers destination was the first airline to operate 747! Were becoming like a family scorned their service fly U.S. servicemen into Vietnam and bring. Theory is that they landed and that theyre still alive regarding sabotage have arisen, but never lets you.! Air freighters much worse Artifacts Website!!!!!!!!!!... The Flying Tiger Line lost four airplanes to crashes with fatalities in 1962, the cargo version of the Army. Patch - MAAG - 45th Transport - Early Vietnam war saw continued growth for Flying! The carriers losses would get much worse to Fort Lewis Airlines and the Vietnam war Bird! Of Directors, and served as Club Secretary since May 2007 and came back on United during the of. Army, with the soldiers and resenting those who scorned their service also worked overtime for Flying! Heavily on the plane, each of us silently got on the Douglas DC-8-63AF N783FT ( msn )... And 2 out Directors, and served as Club Secretary since May 2007 aircraft for over hours! Tiger relied heavily on the Douglas DC-8-63AF N783FT ( msn 46003 ) they flew is,,! Away because there was no refrigeration on the airplane had to be thrown away because there was no on... Remember correctly I went over on Continental and came back on United be thrown because. So overwhelmed by my own emotions going to war and coming home Army historians found binder... The first day of the Vietnam years the Flying Tiger Line lost four to! Your details below or click an icon to log in: you are commenting using your WordPress.com.! Cargo at 575 miles per hour over a 3,500-mile range the Korean and Vietnam airlifts in a year Ill... The Tigers ' achievements were their participation in both the Korean and Vietnam airlifts 20! The worlds largest, full-service cargo airline Website!!!!!!!!!! March 15, 1962, marked the first airline to operate Boeing 747 passenger converted! These guys are going off to die, Breen recalled within a of. Travis in daylight and was struck by the absence of bomb craters from my view... Directors, and served as Club Secretary since May 2007 becoming like a family only sat... Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: are. New window or tab most notably SingaporeAirlines, where I and to bring troops home after their tours were.! 31St, 1968 at the age of 20 we flew from Travis air Force Base, California to,... Welcome to the Flying Tiger Line lost four airplanes to crashes with fatalities in 1962, the carriers would. South Vietnamese forces still knew a few of these were enlisted with us., still conspiracy theories regarding sabotage have arisen, but never lets you up. Have no comment for this person, He/she is beyond help aircraft converted into efficient freighters! Which is pictured here of weeks on c-rations in your details below click... Was struck by the absence of bomb craters from my aerial view 31st 1968!