Vietnam War

The story behind the Wolf Pack F-16 sporting a special tail flash honoring Robin Olds’ F-4C Phantom II

The story behind the Wolf Pack F-16 sporting a special tail flash honoring Robin Olds’ F-4C Phantom II

In 2021 F-16C 89-2060 was given a special paint scheme honoring the legendary triple ace Robin Olds who led the… Read More

2 days ago

Vietnam War AH-1 pilot who lifted four US Army soldiers clinging to the Cobra’s skids and rocket pods out of harm’s way received the Medal of Honor

On Sep. 5, 2023, President Biden awarded the Medal of Honor to former US Army Capt. Larry L. Taylor for… Read More

2 weeks ago

US Navy selects Commercial Dismantlement plan to dismantle and dispose USS Enterprise (CVN-65), the world’s first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier

The US Navy has opted for “Alternative 3,” which involves dismantling and disposing of USS Enterprise (CVN-65) using commercial industry… Read More

2 weeks ago

The crews never saw the ship once! USS Midway Sailor recalls when during a typhoon 35 planes (a mix of F-4s, A-6s and A-7s) successfully landed at night on the carrier.

Each plane repeated this deadly drama. A few missed the wire and had to go around for a second attempt.… Read More

3 weeks ago

The A-7 missions during the Korean Tree Incident, the trimming of a tree in the DMZ that separated North and South Korea that nearly started a nuclear war

The catalyst for this event was a seemingly innocuous plan to trim a tree that was blocking the view of… Read More

1 month ago

Two Blackbird Mach 3 Spy Planes were Hit by North Vietnamese Air Defenses: one A-12 was hit with shrapnel, another Oxcart was damaged by SAM debris

How close did a Blackbird Mach 3 spy plane ever come to being shot down? The iconic SR-71 Blackbird spy… Read More

1 month ago

The day a USAF KC-135 Stratotanker saved six US Navy jets over the Gulf of Tonkin

With only 300 pounds remaining one of the F-8s hooked up with the second KA-3 even as it was taking… Read More

2 months ago

A US Navy F-4 scored the first Official US Aerial Victory of the Vietnam War against a Chinese MiG-17. But it remained unconfirmed for many years. Here’s why.

Years after, in piecing together the events of the air battle, the destruction of the Chinese MiG-17 was given to… Read More

2 months ago

The forgotten, incredible story of the only time the two-seat TA-4F Skyhawk went to combat from a carrier flightdeck

The Navy had developed a hand-held laser, which allowed the aircraft crew to pinpoint the target themselves, but the single-seater… Read More

2 months ago

Vietnam War AH-1 pilot who lifted four US Army soldiers clinging to the Cobra’s skids and rocket pods out of harm’s way to receive the Medal of Honor

On Jul. 8, 2023 former Vietnam War veteran Larry Taylor received a call from US President Joe Biden. Biden informed… Read More

2 months ago

F-105 pilot explains how the SAC bomber philosophy imposed to Thud crews contributed to the F-105’s high loss rate over Vietnam

'At Takhli we liked the pop-up tactic as we felt we got better target coverage with less exposure and fewer… Read More

2 months ago

The story of the Bronco pilot that died after ditching his OV-10 to save his observer who couldn’t eject because his parachute was shredded by the explosion of a North Vietnamese SA-7

Captain Bennett elected to ditch in the Gulf of Tonkin, although he knew that his cockpit area would very likely… Read More

3 months ago

The story of the SR-71 Double-Engine Flameout over North Vietnam that led to the Blackbird’s nickname the “Lead Sled”

The SR-71 was nicknamed the “Lead Sled” by a few people after Jerry O’Malley (pilot) and Ed Payne (RSO) dropped… Read More

3 months ago

USAF Phantom II pilot tells the story of when he belly landed his stricken F-4D without his backseater

‘In retrospect, my ordering WSO to eject was a mistake which I have always regretted. I felt at the time… Read More

3 months ago

Video shows last flying C-123 Provider almost crashing while landing in heavy Crosswinds at Geneseo Airshow

Filmed on Jun. 3, 2023 the video in this post features the last flying C-123 Provider (Serial #54-664, named “Thunderpig”)… Read More

3 months ago

North Vietnamese MiG-21 pilot recalls when his two wingmen were shot down by USAF F-4Cs acting as RF-4Cs in a new tactic devised by Robin Olds four days after Operation Bolo

Col. Robin Olds briefed F-4Cs of the 555th TFS/8th TFW to fly in tight formation along a flightpath regularly used… Read More

3 months ago

The story of the two HH-3E Jolly Green Giant helicopters that made the first non-stop helicopter flight across the Atlantic Ocean from New York to the 27th Paris Air Show.

The first air-refuelable helicopter to be produced, the HH-3E Jolly Green Giant's retractable fuel probe and external fuel tanks gave… Read More

3 months ago
Show more Posts