Vietnam War

F-4 Phantom II pilot recalls an Exhilarating Mach 2 Test Flight

F-4 Phantom II pilot recalls an Exhilarating Mach 2 Test Flight

‘There it is! Mach 2.0, twice the speed of sound. I could go on, Mach 2.4 is probably within reach,’… Read More

6 months ago

How the Mohawk became MiG Killer: the story of the US Army OV-1 pilot that shot down North Vietnamese MiG-17

The OV-1 Mohawk achieved the only US Army air-to-air victory during the Vietnam War. In 1957, the US Army identified… Read More

6 months ago

Bat 21 Gene Hambleton tells the story of when his EB-66 was shot down and recalls his harrowing rescue

"They were within two minutes of picking me up and all at once the helicopter goes up in ball… Read More

6 months ago

The story of world’s only supersonic gun kill: the day USAF F-4E flying at Mach 1.2 gun killed a VPAF MiG-19

On Jun. 2, 1972 a remarkable duel between a MiG-19 and a 58th TFS F-4E flown by Maj Phil Handley… Read More

6 months ago

KC-135 navigator tells the story of when his Stratotanker towed badly damaged F-111 Fighter Bomber through the skies of North Vietnam back to Thailand

The KC-135 Stratotanker crew verified the location of the distressed F-111 Aardvark and headed north until the two aircraft were… Read More

6 months ago

The story of the US Navy A-1H Skyraider attack aircraft that dropped Toilet Bomb while on a mission over Mekong Delta during Vietnam War

Yes, this really happened. Once again history is stranger then fiction, and a lot funnier. The photos in this post… Read More

7 months ago

The story of when legendary ace Robin Olds put on Thunderbirds-style show with four F-101s to get off of the promotion list for brigadier general to become a combat wing commander in Vietnam

The F-101s put on a spectacular Thunderbirds-style show ending with the signature "bomb-burst" maneuver. The performance had the desired effect.… Read More

7 months ago

American Fighter Aces Association Changes Policy to Include Back Seaters in its “Ace” Category

The change was led by Randy “Duke” Cunningham, retired US Navy commander and former F-4 Phantom pilot, who along… Read More

7 months ago

The story of the RA-5C Vigilante reconnaissance/attack navigator who became the only American aviator to escape after being captured in North Vietnam

On Mar. 9, 1967, RVAH-13 RA-5C Vigilante reconnaissance/attack navigator (RAN) Lt(jg) Frank Prendergast embarked on USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63) became… Read More

7 months ago

Former F-14 Tomcat RIO sets the record straight on first confirmed MiG-killing F-4 Phantom II of the Vietnam War

Many sources in print and on the Internet erroneously report that Commander Lou Page (pilot) and Lieutenant JC Smith (RIO)… Read More

8 months ago

During the Vietnam War fully loaded USAF F-4 Phantom II went inverted on a tanker at night in a thunderstorm

The flight of three F-4 Phantom II fighter jets and the tanker continued banking around the storms while refueling when… Read More

8 months ago

The Story of the SR-71 Blackbird that crashed while attempting to land at Kadena AB during extreme crosswinds caused by an oncoming typhoon

‘Usually, the SR-71 Blackbird pilots weren’t chatty bunch, but I could hear the anxiety in the voice of this… Read More

8 months ago

Meet Chico the Gunfighter, the unique Gun-Podded, Stormy Fast FAC F-4E Phantom II of the Vietnam War

Things were getting pretty hot in northern South Vietnam during the spring 1972 North Vietnamese Army invasions across the DMZ.… Read More

9 months ago

The Story of the Effective A-7 Iron Hand Mission that protected the Alpha Strike Launched on May 10, 1972 over North Vietnam

Each A-7 pilot fired one preemptive Shrike, but someone in the group, who had probably forgotten the pre-briefed plan, called… Read More

10 months ago

SR-71 RSO tells the story of the KC-135Q Stratotanker that flew unprotected into Northern Laos to save his Blackbird after it had Double-Engine Flameout

‘We zipped through the target area with no problems and began the start descent checklist. As Jim pulled the throttle… Read More

10 months ago

US Naval Aviator tells the story of when an A-7 pilot took off (and landed safely) with its Corsair II wings folded

‘I did fly with Naval Aviator who had once taken off in the venerable A-7E with the wings folded.… Read More

10 months ago

The White House announces four new recipients of Medal of Honor. A Medevac crew chief is among them.

The White House has announced that President Biden will award the Medal of Honor to four U.S. Army Soldiers who… Read More

11 months ago