Vietnam War

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

5 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

5 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

5 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

5 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

5 months ago

The Night of the Intruder: the story of the A-6 crew that evaded multiple SAMs and destroyed a heavily defended Rail Ferry near Downtown Hanoi

The mission was publicized for years after as the textbook example of how to use a single A-6 Intruder in… Read More

6 months ago

SR-71 pilot Brian Shul, famous for his ground speed check story, passed away while giving a speech about the Blackbird

SR-71 Blackbird pilot Brian Shul suddenly died in the night of May 20, 2023 in Reno, Nevada, at age 75,… Read More

6 months ago

The Fearsome Crusader scored its last MiG Kill against a North Vietnamese MiG-17 pilot that chose to eject when he found his opponent was an F-8 instead of an F-4

Lt Jerry Tucker kill was disallowed on the grounds that it had been achieved without the use of any weapons,… Read More

7 months ago

During a dogfight over Vietnam an F-8 pilot fired an AIM-9 to a MiG-17 but instead the Sidewinder tracked a Crusader. The missile ended up destroying another AIM-9.

The story of a confused dogfight during the Vietnam War. After having shot down a North Vietnamese MiG-17 on May… Read More

7 months ago

Former US Navy F-8 Pilot explains why a carrier landing in the legendary Crusader was a real challenge

“Because of approach speed and scan, you had to work your ass off. But I liked the F-8 because it… Read More

8 months ago

The tragic crash of C-5A Galaxy Number 68-0218 during Operation Babylift

Tragically, the most widely publicized C-5 flight occurred on Apr. 4, 1975, when C-5A Galaxy 68-0218 (S/N 0021) crashed during… Read More

8 months ago

Hanoi Taxi: the story of the C-141 StarLifter that became the first Aircraft to Return Vietnam Prisoners of War to the US

Although C-141 StarLifter aircraft had flown many military and humanitarian missions, none was more significant than the mission flown by… Read More

8 months ago

The Story of how the Skyraider became known as “Sandy” and the A-1’s first CSAR Missions

At first, this kind of mission was performed by US Navy A-1s, but by mid August 1965 the 1st ACS… Read More

10 months ago

That time an Air America UH-1D Huey shot down a North Vietnamese An-2 Colt Biplane

This engagement marked the first CIA air-to-air victory and the only kill achieved by a helicopter against a biplane. The… Read More

11 months ago