That sounded good to Linda Greenwalt Foster, who had just dropped out of college and was looking for an adventure. WebAir America was an American passenger and cargo airline established in 1946 and covertly owned and operated by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) from 1950 to 1976. We were there to take care of our passengers, Foster said, and have the best time we could. As it turned out, they excelled at both. Great article .. enjoyed it more than my flight to Vietnam,but, what a wonderful sight when I walked out to the plane to return home. In January 1946, the airline moved to Mines Field (later to become Los Angeles International Airport). Travel the world, the ad said. That flight SUCKED., but at least I got out of that chit hole. 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. The flight went missing while en route to Vietnam. WebFlying Tiger: With Ron Ng, Lee Pace, Jamie B. That was not us, recalled Andee Reingold Wright, a San Francisco native who was 21 when she started with Flying Tigers in 1967. The airliners were not just used to bring the soldiers home, but to fly them into the war zone as well. By the mid-1980s, Flying Tigers operated scheduled cargo service to six continents and served 58 countries. Flying Tiger Line was ramping up operations in Vietnam, too, and its believed maintenance standards dropped as a result of increased demand. Airline Founded. Remember the pungent fish smell and heat as we deplaned. In the Vietnam airlift, Flying Tigers provided strategic flights from the US to numerous military bases throughout the Pacific and Southeast Asia geographic region. As I was sitting down one of my friends who considered himself a ladies man, smarted off to me Oh, you struck out too, didnt you? I told him that I had not asked for her address that she gave it to me. (1945 - 1947). I also n=mourned those I had lost there who could not return alive but were shipped home to grief stricken families. Stay informed: Sign up for our daily and weekly aviation news digests. Great Read, I was a 26 year old man when I went to that war, I remember not sleeping on the flying tiger flight back home, and the stewardess, sat and talked to me as everyone else was sleeping, I thought the stewardess was a nice person that was concerned about my not sleeping and ask why. Flying Tiger history began during World War II when the original aircrafts were small fighter planes. Great article; Thanks. Many of these people became valuable members of the Flying Tigers family. (1968-1989), B-747-100 Flying Tigers was the first airline to operate Boeing 747 passenger aircraft converted into efficient air freighters. She had many stories. When we got ready to land at Bien Hoa airbase the pilot said there would be a slight delay because they were shelling the airfield. 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. They operated a recording company subsidiary, Happy Tiger Records, from 1969 to 1971. WebHis 93 U.S. military passengers, three South Vietnamese soldiers and the 11 civilian crew members aboard Flying Tiger Line Flight 739 disappeared on their way from Guam to the Philippines. This exhibition, based on extensive interviews with the key participants of the airlift operations, provides insight into their experiences serving aboard the Freedom Birds. Free shipping for many products! I recall the flight I took into Vietnam and even more than the flight I took home. I often wondered what happened to them and now your story has given closure. The C-47 could fly 7,500 pounds of cargo over a range of 600 miles at 150 miles per hour. Established at the end of the Second World War, Flying Tiger Line made history as the first US-based scheduled cargo-carrying airline. The decent angle brought the entire plane to silence while they considered the reason for that radical decent. Flying Tigers continued to fly military troops and cargo into Vietnam during the war years. On September 9, 1958, a Flying Tiger Line. Crossing the international date line was my experience in time travel. Thank you Flight Attendants! Flying Tiger Line flight 739 was a multi-leg charter service that originated at Travis Air Force Base in the US state of California. Canadair CL-44 We were goin up and up , the war down below, falling away now far behind us. The Swingtails were so nicknamed because their tails literally swung away from the aircraft for loading. As one observer put it, "Nobody brings in mail like those Tiger birds". I was on those flights, twice over and back although on other carriers. And after the fall of Saigon in 1975, when the war ended, they remained connected. 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. one of conscious unease. Tigers suddenly needed bodies to work those long overseas flights, and when it put out calls for flight attendants, adventurous women answered. I was a nurse in Namso I can appreciate their service. 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. Others supported the war, sympathizing with the soldiers and resenting those who scorned their service. WebFind many great new & used options and get the best deals for FLYING TIGERS Douglas DC-8 -Aviation Postcard Airlines-WGA-927 at the best online prices at eBay! From 1979 to 1980 the Flying Tiger Line passed Pan Am to become the world's number one air cargo carrier. Tiger's Ad Hoc Charter livestock flights provided airlift for exotic animals. Chambers, Andy Gatenby. On October 1, 1980 Flying Tigers merged with Seaboard World linking the United States with Europe and the Middle East. From Tokyo we flew to Anchorage where we were grounded another 18 to 20 hours due to a snow storm and for some reason, Anchorage did not have deicing capability. I went back and was thumbing through all of the books there trying to find something that would keep me preoccupied from thinking about Viet Nam. Also those that returned with ptsd, most of us. I went to Nam aboard a ship which very nicely cut 21 days off my tour. (LogOut/ Country. Expansion Really hurt thinking about that after I was out in the field for a couple of weeks on c-rations. Somewhere I know that she wonders if I ever made it back to the States and why I never called. WebFlying Tiger: With Ron Ng, Lee Pace, Jamie B. The new Flying Tiger airline had its own military role; carrying cargo and troops back and forth to the war in Vietnam. After airline deregulation, stiff competition buffeted profits and, with some unsuccessful diversification attempts by parent Tiger International, the airline began sustaining losses in 1981. Specifically equipped with weather monitoring equipment and scientific instrumentation, one 707 (Aircraft N322FT), gained fame as the "Pole Cat." Trying to get your brain from calming down from a surreal experience in RVN and then refocusing your mind on being back home was a strange experience! On this last leg, the passengers are much more somber and thinking ahead to their landing in the war zone. The soldiers onboard were flying there not to fight, but to help train South Vietnamese forces. For military personnel, it was a deeply emotional journey in both directions. And yes, we had a flight load of pucker factor and apprehension. The former stewardesses of Tiger Airlines still reminisce about their experiences with those brave soldiers, coming and going to Vietnam a long time ago. I remember one of the attendants wishing my a HAPPY BIRTHDAY. Next stop was Yokota Japan. Meanwhile, the flight attendants were becoming like a family. During the Korean War, 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. WebHis 93 U.S. military passengers, three South Vietnamese soldiers and the 11 civilian crew members aboard Flying Tiger Line Flight 739 disappeared on their way from Guam to the Philippines. In March 1962, one such personnel-carrying flight went missing en route to Vietnam. She learned then that the Flying Tiger Line, also known as Flying Tigers, specialized in troop transports. I have always appreciated the kindness that was shown by the stewardesses on our trip home, if only the rest could have been as kind! WebFlying Tiger Line adopted the Canadair CL-44 swing-tail aircraft in 1961, becoming one of the first carriers in the world to offer aerial pallet shipping service. The C-46s flew the domestic operation while the C-54s remained in overseas charter service. Flying Tiger aircraft were getting old and worn, but their flight attendants were still top notch. 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 Out of rocket range. 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. The aircraft was operating a MATS charter flight from Gander to Frankfurt. Very interesting. [2], The airline was named after the Flying Tigers fighter unit of World War II, officially the 1st American Volunteer Group. Travel the world, the ad said. Ninety-three of these were enlisted with the US Army, with the remaining three being from South Vietnam. We relied on each other and the soldiers to manage.. thank you. In 1948, the Anything, Anytime, Anywhere slogan was introduced and the airline carried football teams, Bob Hopes record albums, tourists, students, and even Roy Rogers horse, Trigger. Was I really in a real war??? A FLY-IN COMMUNITY! My In 1963, Air Cargo Operations moved back to the Los Angeles International Airport. I went and returned on a Flying Tiger plane and remember very well the sensitive and kind treatment from the stewardesses both directions. Flying Tiger Line flight 739 was a multi-leg charter service that originated at Travis Air Force Base in the US state of California. During the last minutes of each flight, the women remember, the cabin would become eerily quiet. Thank you ladies, Im one of those boys. 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. So they tried to keep it light. My birthday is January 1st. But the flight attendants realized that many were understandably scared. It brought back a lot of memories. Shamu the whale took a first ride on Flying Tigers. Photo: The aircraft departed from Andersen AFB in Guam before disappearing over the Western Pacific Ocean. Yes, it was a memorable 4 day flight. From the beginning, Prescott had a vision for the company: "We're unique, so let's not imitate. Dont remember who flew me over my second trip in Dec. 71. In April of 75, with the collapse of the South Vietnamese government, Flying Tigers evacuated its own personnel and other refugees from Saigon. between heaven and hell. Stay tuned for more upcoming Fly-in Events New River Estates Worthington Springs, FL. A true airfreighted with a unique swing-tail design, the CL-44 permitted the straight-in loading of freight no other plane could carry. Not sure if the change in mood was due to smoked joints and beer, but it sure didnt hurt any. In 1962, the Vietnam War was far from over. It was important to stay upbeat, to act like every one of the men was coming home. These ladies were great listeners and very supportive. The Stewardess came back after about 10-15 minutes and asked me Do you mind if I ask you a personal question? I told her No, not really.. But some homeward-bound passengers were belligerent, unpredictable. A group of ex-AVG and CNAC pilots, some still flying in China, took advantage of this opportunity, and on June 25, 1945 started an airfreight company that in less than two years would formally adopt the name the Flying Tiger Line. Nonetheless, it reached Guam as planned on March 15th. 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