So they tried to keep it light. Until now, I mostly ignored the efforts of these people (especially the attendants they saw, heard & felt all of it). 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. I for one of many of us flew Tiger Airlines going and coming. Add to Cart. Related thread from 2010: 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. Thanks, DRS. Sixty years later, theres still little trace that the lives of the servicemembers were even lost to the Vietnam War. Was I really in a real war??? Was processed out of the Army at Fort Lewis, got a military standby flight for$11. Early that morning Thomas was piloting Flying Tiger Line Flight 739, a military-chartered transport plane that disappeared over the Pacific Ocean with 107 people aboard, including 93 American. My grandfather had to go pick it up. Its such a part of history, and our own personal history.. The first two of these saw delays due to engine maintenance having to be carried out. . All four were Lockheed L-1049H Super Constellations. Addendum: While in transit on the plane, I had an unusual experience that Id like to share with everyone who reads this. The company said it needed flight attendants. Its a way to look back, said one woman planning to attend, Ann Price Montgomery, who joined Flying Tigers in 1968. Last year, Wreaths Across America founder Morrill Worcester erected a monument at the site bearing the names of those lost on the flight, creating the only memorial to the incident in existence. Malaysia Airlines, Royal Jordanian,SAS, Thai International, Vietnam Airlines and most notably SingaporeAirlines, where I . I have just relived a very important part of my young life, thru these articles and the loving responses. The company said it needed flight attendants. I do remember the door opening and it was like a blast furnace! 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! 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. December 31st, 1968 at the age of 20 we flew from Travis AFB to Anchorage Alaska. Now going to the USA which I had forgotten about. I commented, and the person deleted my comme. Skip to main content . I remember well my Flying Tiger trips. Touching essay. Wheels up lots of cheering and hope. I had read everything in sight that was in the pocket of the seat in front of me. While Flight 739s final destination was known, the reason behind the secret mission of those on board still remains a mystery to their families. 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. Flying Tigers on Airline History JP Airline Fleets 87/88 . For the Vietnam generation of U.S. military veterans, this phrase meant only one thing; the aircraft that brought them home at the end of their tours. Perhaps, I dont remember them because they were doing such a great job of quietly supporting each of us, letting us deal with our personal feelings in our own way. thank you. Vintage Flying Tigers Airline 1981 Timetable from/to Greece - Flying Tiger Line. They were thrown together all the time on the planes, in Saigon hotels sipping cocktails and at officers clubs on overseas military bases, where guys bought them drinks. This was the Tiger "Can-do" Spirit, may it never die. This Is Your Captain by Reyne OShaughnessy, Flying Tiger Memories by Guy Van Herbruggen & Charles Kennedy, Tiger 747 by Guy Van Herbruggen/Charles Kennedy, DC-8 & The Flying Tiger Line by Guy Van Herbruggen & Charles Kennedy. Sweet Jesus, I was back in the USA ; This is what I wrote when I had set up my home page on geocities which is now archived: Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Thank you ladies, Im one of those boys. Many of these people became valuable members of the Flying Tigers family. 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. The aircraft operating the flight was a Lockheed L-1049H Super Constellation registered as N6921C. And welcome home. But soon after they started working troop transports to Southeast Asia, the women realized that the job required a whole different set of skills. a light greenish blue Carrying 32,000 pounds of cargo at 275 miles per hour with a 2,000 mile range, the DC-6A carried more, cheaper and faster than any other aircraft flying at the time. She very quickly wrote down something and gave it to me. The company had a contract to fly U.S. servicemen into Vietnam and to bring troops home after their tours were complete. The six man recon team was on an observation mission near Fire Support Base Alpine, about six miles east of the Laotian Border. The. McCord was doing maintenance on the runway. AU $157.06. 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. 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. Some of the now-adult children of those on board speculate that the flight made it, but that passengers were captured, Kirk said. Flying with Vietjet with thousands of tickets. Thank you all. Reply 29th Aug 2010, 11:32 With this plane's nose-loading capabilities, Flying Tigers accommodated even more challenging air freight combinations in size, shape and quantity. Thanks! 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. Pre-Owned. A very vulnerable feeling with out a weapon. The flights depart at 7:35 (SIN time), 13:10 (SIN time) and 15:15 (SIN time). Others slept for hours, exhausted and often traumatized from their experiences in Vietnam. Freedom Bird. Opens in a new window or tab. Its ultimate destination was the Vietnamese city of Saigon, to which it was transporting 96 soldiers. Flying Tiger Based on the observations of civilians on a nearby tanker, the plane was between Guam and the Philippines when there was a flash and a vapor trail, indicating a midair explosion.. Stay informed: Sign up for our daily and weekly aviation news digests. 60 Years Missing: The Mystery Of Flying Tiger Line Flight 739, marked the first day of the Vietnam War Campaign, USAF Shot Down 3 Unidentified Objects That Posed Threat To Civilian Aircraft, U.S. Military Collecting Debris From Downed Spy Balloon. Flying Tiger aircraft were getting old and worn, but their flight attendants were still top notch. (1968-1989), B-747-100 Flying Tigers was the first airline to operate Boeing 747 passenger aircraft converted into efficient air freighters. 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.. Just reading this article brings tears to my eyes. Flying Tiger Line was the first scheduled cargo airline in the U.S., founded by ex-military pilots in 1945. Some say it was sabotage, she said. 15 March 1962: Flying Tiger Line Flight 7815/13 was a chartered flight for the Military Air Transport Service (M.A.T.S. a version of Purgatory, These men and their flight crew perished in what would become one of the biggest aviation. Flying from Clark AFB to Guam refueling then on to Travis AFB and Home. Having climbed to a cruising altitude of 18,000 feet, the aircraft reported its position as being 1340N 1400E just under an hour and a half into the flight. I now have a new group of Vietnam vets to admire and respect. This article is an important read. 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. I know there were bad times but your article brought back memories I forgot I had. Six decades later, and the families of those onboard Flight 739 still dont know what happened. As their deaths did not occur in the Vietnam combat zone, their names were . My birthday is January 1st. They were recruited to fly for the Republic of China with the quiet approval of the United States government. Flying Tigers was a mechanism of the war she opposed. The motto in the beginning was "Anything, Anytime, Anywhere". Onboard were 107 people, all of whom remain missing as the aircraft was never found after its disappearance. Their names have been excluded from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., a wrong their families are trying to right. The CVR for Flying Tiger Line flight 66, with added subtitles.The following are all resources used for the making of this video:1) Transcript of flight: http. By the mid-1960s, it was flying scheduled transpacific all-cargo routes and in the late 1980s, it was acquired by Federal Express. My The Flying Tigers were reactivated as the Marine Corps' second CH-53A squadron and re-designated Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 361 at New River North Carolina as part of Marine Aircraft Group 26, 2d Marine Aircraft Wing. They wanted to cry but stifled the impulse. I was a different person. 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. Three Vietnam service members were also among the passengers. Available to pre-order at Flying Tigers. 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. started from veterans of the world war two "flying tiger" fighter wing in china, these pilots saw a need to air deliver cargo in the far east. Thank you Flying Tiger! 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. She has more than 20 years reporting experience, much of it covering aviation and defense issues. The effort involved more than 1,300 people, 48 aircraft, and eight ships. Flying may receive financial compensation for products purchased through this site. In the hours after the Constellations takeoff from Guam, witnesses on a ship offered potential clues. No such thing happened, as I was at that location in May of 1970. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. I flew into Sea-Trac on Flying Tiger Airlines from Camh Rhan October 4 , 1971. Click on Links for More information About Each Plane. Ardith (Vignati) Willner In the years following World War II, a group of 10 American mercenary pilots who flew in China as part of the American Volunteer Groupbetter known as the Flying Tigersbanded together to start a transcontinental airline. Many flight attendants struggled at first to contain their own emotions. But for the ladies I say Thank you I was one of those 18 year old boys that was scared to death. For the Vietnam generation of U.S. military veterans, this phrase meant only one thing; the aircraft that brought them home at the end of their tours. All rights reserved. My most vivid memory is of the landing approach into Bien Hoa Airport. Quickview. Outstanding article! At 11:15PM June 29, 1968 I left Bien Hoa airport on a Trans International DC-10. I spent one year there and flew 15 missions in Vietnam, 8 north and 7 south. Not one of us said a word. Free shipping for many products! (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. 302/3 Kim Ma Street, Ngoc Khanh Ward, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi, Vietnam. They were again ordered to Vietnam with Marine Aircraft Group 36 at Phu Bai in 1969 and remained there until their return . This was a very good and interesting article. It would be the last radio transmission received from the aircraft. Interesting. $35.00. Daniel Dattpla IIFFV Original Party. God Bless those women who helped me on those hours headed home to start to feel like I might still have some humanity left in me. we sat silently in the darkness almost trying to will ourselves into that jet thru the air. I flew over to Vietnam out of Travis October 3, 1970 on Airlift International. But the flight attendants realized that many were understandably scared. She learned then that the Flying Tiger Line, also known as Flying Tigers, specialized in troop transports. The driver honked his horn but didnt get out. Shamu the whale took a first ride on Flying Tigers. In quieter moments, men cracked: a lieutenant crying softly in his seat, admitting that his wife had just given birth to a baby he might never see again; a young mans hand shaking as he reached for a cup of milk. Sargent had already separated once from the service when he was coaxed back in to join the special unit. I flew out of Travis Air Force Base and was on my way to Thailand. I sat looking out the window the whole flight home, never said a word. I know that I should have written to her while I was in Vietnam, but like things go I had more important thoughts on my mind such as surviving and looking out for my men. JW, beautiful poem. Budd Conestoga Gen. -- Flying Tiger Line's first aircraft was the Budd Conestoga, an all -- stainless steel, rear--loading, twin--engine aircraft. Ninety-three of these were enlisted with the US Army, with the remaining three being from South Vietnam. . From 1979 to 1980 the Flying Tiger Line passed Pan Am to become the world's number one air cargo carrier. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is an American long-haul, mid-size widebody, twin-engine jet airliner made by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. thanks for the ride over and putting up with some of us. God bless you all! Great article, spot on! Flying around the world over the North and South Poles, the Pole Cat set eight speed and distance records. Late 1940s PAA Pan American Airways 5 Years of Service Lapel Pin in 10K Gold by Balfour Item: airpi30006b-CON. Not only told to leave, but not to come back. Each of the awesome giants flies more than 200,000 pounds of cargo at 575 miles per hour over a 3,500-mile range. This exhibition is currently available online only. 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. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for FLYING TIGER AIRLINES - Patch - MAAG - 45th Transport - Early Vietnam War, #.561 at the best online prices at eBay! That motto lasted until the airline was taken over by Federal Express in the late 1980's. Its ultimate destination was the Vietnamese city of Saigon, to which it was transporting 96 soldiers. As the vapor trail passed behind a cloud, there occurred an explosion, described as intensely luminous, with a white nucleus surrounded by a reddish-orange periphery with radial lines of identically coloured light. Photo: The aircraft departed from Andersen AFB in Guam before disappearing over the Western Pacific Ocean. There were also 11 crew members onboard, giving a total occupancy of 107 people. Flying Tiger Line was ramping up operations in Vietnam, too, and it's believed maintenance standards dropped as a result of increased demand. Very interesting. Marine leaving from Da Nang Jan 31, 1971 to Okinawa Japan, 3 days later back to the World by way of Alaska to Nortin AFB. WELCOME to The FLYING TIGER Antiques & Vintage Historical Artifacts Website!!! one of conscious unease. One day in Vietnam, waiting on the tarmac before a homeward-bound flight, she saw men loading body bags into the belly of the plane. 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. I only wish that I could stand before these wonderful ladies. The flight attendants learned not to wake them, knowing the men might leap up with a start, imagining they were still back in the war. Flying Tiger Attendant 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. (1961 - 1969), Flying Tigers met the challenge of the jet age with Boeing 707-349C intercontinental jets. 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. It truly was a great feeling being headed home. Another theory is that they landed and that theyre still alive. I went over in February 1970. In the years during and after World War II, military veterans were given special preference to purchase or lease government surplus aircraft. Various conspiracy theories regarding sabotage have arisen, but the flight's exact fate will likely remain unknown. Out of rocket range. changed me for the better many moons ago. This article was greatdefined exactly how it was when we flew homeI left Vietnam on or about the 5th of January 1968 & Flying Tigers was my carrier! On Wednesday morning in Sacramento, as many as 30 former flight attendants for the airline are reuniting to honor servicemen killed in the war. I was Infantry so I knew I had reason to be worried, but these ladies put us all at ease, as much as was possible .. one of the truly great memories Im thankful to have .. We went out to the airstripvery early in the morning in a vehicle. Opens in a new window or tab. Hard to not have an emotional moment while reading. C $142.86. and flew to Portland ,Oregon. The first of the "stretched" airfreights, it carried a payload of 110,000 pounds at 550 miles per hour over a 3,000 mile range. It was a move that would make FedEx the worlds largest, full-service cargo airline. . All the ladies on all the flights were outstanding, especially the ones on the flight home that handled some of the rude guys in isle seats. Flying Tigers Airlines 24k Cocktail Glass Vtg 1980s VHTF NOS Norma Jean Wright . 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. Thank you ladies. Owing to the complex geopolitical circumstances of the mid to late 20th century, it was also involved in military charters, flying both cargo and troops to conflict zones. The C-47 could fly 7,500 pounds of cargo over a range of 600 miles at 150 miles per hour. As Captain Dwight Small, a pilot for Flying Tiger Line, recalls, It was pretty hairy, especially in the early days. Founded in 1945 by a group of pilots who had flown in World War II, Flying Tigers was Americas first major cargo airline, a seat-of-the-pants operation that hauled freight on Canadian turboprop planes. From the beginning, Prescott had a vision for the company: "We're unique, so let's not imitate. Over 20 families gathered in May to witness the unveiling of a new memorial in Columbia Falls, Maine, dedicated to the victims of Flying Tiger Line Flight 739. Feb.3-8, 1968. /stilI could not talk or say a word, still stunned that in one day went from war to out of Army and nowback in the house at home. What I do remember is that the plane had a very unpleasant odor and the food was cold. Thanks to all of you that attempted to make our journies more comfortable. Sometimes, when the wheels pulled up on takeoff, the whole plane would burst out in yells and clapping. After 1970, scheduled commercial service, much of which consisted of Asian imports, rapidly overtook military related contracts as the company's primary source of income. No one was home, but a neighbor walked up to the car. )I was engaged and (2.) Afraid that at any moment a rocket or mortor could could take the jet down. The Secretary of the Army has asked me to express his deep regret that your son Specialist Donald A Sargent was a passenger aboard a chartered aircraft that was reported missing while in flight over the Pacific Ocean on 15 March 1962, the telegram read. The explosion occurred in two pulses lasting between two and three seconds and from it two objects fell into the sea.. each of us inside were scared because for the first time non of us were wearing helmets, flack jackets, no weapons or ammo. I believe it helped to constantly stay connected with the world and the amazing young ladies that always had a smile and a kind word for the troops regardless of rank or service branch. ! Read about what they talk about at their reunions. Theyd usually start at Travis Air Force Base outside of San Francisco or McChord Field in Washington, picking up more than 200 fresh-faced, uniformed servicemen from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. To us, they were all beauty queens! Flying Tiger aircraft were chartered to transport troops and supplies from the United States to Asia; Flying Tigers later received a cargo route award to Japan, China, and Southeast Asia. between heaven and hell. 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. View Product. She then asked me Why of all the Corpsmen/servicemen on this plane was I the only one that didnt ask for her address and telephone number? I told her that (1. Dont remember who flew me over my second trip in Dec. 71. By 1949, the Flying Tiger Line had won approval for the first commercial all-cargo route in the U.S., according to an organization devoted to its history. Those ladies had a very important part in the war and they are to be commended for their service. C $52.00. It was her name, address and telephone number with the instructions that if it didnt work out between me and my fiance after I came back to give her a call because she saw something in me that she had been looking for. Thanks for the wonderful article. Piloted by the novice American Volunteer Group, who were from all branches of the military and civilians, these men provided military support to the Republic of China in their defense against the Japanese invasion between 1941-1942. That was always the fun part, to take them out of there, remembered Gael Okicich, who flew with Tigers for 25 years. Mr. Fagones article is very touching and reminds us that many more people than just we former service men and women are veterans of the Vietnam War. race to get Asians flying in a region set to overtake the United States as the biggest aviation market. Compounding the mystery was that there was no physical evidence of what happened, not even an oil slick. One of the seven people on boardthe flight engineerwas killed in a fire that destroyed the aircraft and all its contents. 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. That sounded good to Linda Greenwalt Foster, who had just dropped out of college and was looking for an adventure. Her reporting has taken her from an international airport terminal under construction to foot patrols with U.S. Marines outside combat outposts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Copyright 2023 Flying Media. I recall the flight I took into Vietnam and even more than the flight I took home. 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. MAAG THAILAND . He tried to grab it but I told him If she had wanted him to have it she would have given it to him. With that I went back to reading. The pilot is believed to have misjudged distance and altitude while making the final approach, a report would later conclude. 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. I often wondered what happened to them and now your story has given closure. 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. A fine bunch of people. The Flying Tiger Line lost four airplanes to crashes with fatalities in 1962. Thank you so much angels. The food on the airplane had to be thrown away because there was no refrigeration on the aircraft for over 48 hours. Top Rated Seller. Their service to our military was so much more than just being a flight attendant on their way over or coming home. This exhibition is currently available online only. 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. The decent angle brought the entire plane to silence while they considered the reason for that radical decent. She had no idea what the job entailed until she arrived for the interview and a man with the airline asked what she thought of the war. This presumed death toll made it the worst accident involving the Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation. In transit to Viet Nam via Alaska, Japan and Okinawa. Flying Tigers continued to fly military troops and cargo into Vietnam during the war years. FLYING TIGER AIRLINES TIGER MEN & THEIR MACHINES CIRCA 1968 ADVERTISING. The Boeing 737 is a narrow-body aircraft produced by Boeing at its Renton Factory in Washington. 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. The aircraft that disappeared was around five years old. Flying Tiger aircraft were chartered to transport troops and supplies from the United States to Asia; Flying Tigers later received a cargo route award to Japan, China, and Southeast Asia. The young men would leave their patches, their names, their addresses, their rosary beads and ask the crew members to write to them while they were in Vietnam. I remember the Tiger flights and their wonderful crews. Journalist - A graduate in German, Jake has a passion for aviation history, and enjoys sampling new carriers and aircraft even if doing so demands an unorthodox itinerary. Flight was a chartered flight for the ride over and putting up with some of the giants... Theories regarding sabotage have arisen, but their flight crew perished in what would become one of of! They considered the reason for that radical decent person deleted my comme airline Fleets 87/88 welcome to car. And most notably SingaporeAirlines, where i in: you are commenting your... Of 20 we flew from Travis AFB and home the biggest aviation miles hour! The aircraft was never found after its disappearance fears of soldiers heading to and... 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Was i really in a region set to overtake the United States as the biggest aviation found. Anytime, Anywhere '' malaysia Airlines, Royal Jordanian, SAS, Thai International,.... Coaxed back in to join the special unit addendum: while in transit to Viet Nam Alaska!

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