With four Rolls Royce engines that developed 5,700 horsepower, it cruised at 375 miles per hour, carrying up to 60,000 pounds of cargo over a range of 3,000 miles. A fine bunch of people. No Longer Available! Opens in a new window or tab. All reactions: 38 11 comments 4 shares Like Comment Never again! 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. America's stake in the Vietnam War didn't begin as late as history books specify. On October 11, 1983, Flying Tiger Line Flight 9014, a Boeing 747 (N806FT), ran off the runway at Frankfurt International Airport after a cargo pallet broke loose; the three crew and three passengers survived; the aircraft was substantially damaged, but was repaired and returned to service. or Best Offer. 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. Jason Fagone is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. I flew on Trans Carribiean twice from Travis and experienced the feelings described in the piece. The part Ill always remember is the wonderful round eyes that tolerated us nervous troops as we headed for the unknown going both over to Vietnam and returning to the US. "We packed our bags we never knew when we were coming home," Wright. It was a time when the U.S. was quietly increasing its presence in Vietnam, sending advisers and equipment, such as those on Flight 739, to bolster the government of the Republic of Vietnam against the VietCong insurgency. or Best Offer +$7.50 shipping. About the only scenario that's been ruled out is. (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. This was a very good and interesting article. I have grieved for them ever since. ! this a definitive journey All rights reserved. If I remember correctly I went over on Continental and came back on United. Flying may receive financial compensation for products purchased through this site. So they tried to keep it light. While Flight 739s final destination was known, the reason behind the secret mission of those on board still remains a mystery to their families. Carrying 50% more cargo than the DC-4 and carrying it 70 miles per hour faster, the company's gross revenues quickly reached the $25-million mark in 1953. Her byline has appeared in numerous online and print publications including Al Jazeera America, USA Today, ForeignPolicy.com and US News & World Report. Somewhere I know that she wonders if I ever made it back to the States and why I never called. 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. Its ultimate destination was the Vietnamese city of Saigon, to which it was transporting 96 soldiers. What were the life expectancies of soldiers during the Vietnam War? Crossing the international date line was my experience in time travel. The flight attendant standing at the top said see you in a year, Ill be wearing the same dress. A Lockheed Constellation L-1049, similar to the aircraft that disappeared. 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. Until now, I mostly ignored the efforts of these people (especially the attendants they saw, heard & felt all of it). I was a Flying Tiger Flight Attendant for 5 years, and those many experiences flying into Tan Son Nhut. Not certain but I believe Delta may have been one exception. Flying the Freedom Birds Airlines and the Vietnam War Freedom Bird. Circa 1968-1972 Vietnam War CASI Continental Air Services Inc Shirt Type 1st Officer Wing RARE Item: aircw60001sw. 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.. Sellers with highest buyer ratings; Ninety-three of these were enlisted with the US Army, with the remaining three being from South Vietnam. . Skip to main content . It was a move that would make FedEx the worlds largest, full-service cargo airline. Unfortunately for me I returned in a Medevac flight from Japan Yokosuka Naval Hospital. The year 1962, however, would be a particularly bad year for the airline started by former military pilots. My Check out our flying tigers airlines selection for the very best in unique or custom, handmade pieces from our shops. After the aircraft failed to arrive at Clark Air Base in the Philippines, the flight was declared as having gone missing on the morning of March 16th, 1962. With this plane's nose-loading capabilities, Flying Tigers accommodated even more challenging air freight combinations in size, shape and quantity. 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 was 24, Breen recalled. Based in Norwich, UK. Flying Tiger Line flight 739 was a multi-leg charter service that originated at Travis Air Force Base in the US state of California. Copyright 2023 Flying Media. 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. I went over in February 1970. They saw so much in those soldiers eyes and dealt with some truly emotional issues. Flying Tiger Lines Airline Related Artifacts & Collectibles Miscellaneous Airlines: America (US) Artifacts & Collectibles . 60 Years Missing: The Mystery Of Flying Tiger Line Flight 739 In the opening days of the Vietnam War, an aircraft carrying 107 people went missing as it was en route to Saigon on a secret. Dont remember who flew me over my second trip in Dec. 71. Flying Tiger Flight 739 had arrived at Guam at 11:14 GMT from Wake Island. Great, I had the opportunity to fly w/those ladies one great experience,,! She has more than 20 years reporting experience, much of it covering aviation and defense issues. US Army CNN The families of soldiers lost while taking part in a secret US mission during. At 11:15PM June 29, 1968 I left Bien Hoa airport on a Trans International DC-10. Thank you for writing this story, it was way overdue. Flying Tiger Line was the first scheduled cargo airline in the U.S., founded by ex-military pilots in 1945. You have my deepest sympathy during this trying time. It was signed by Maj. Gen. J.C. Lambert, The Adjutant General of the U.S. Army. A little over an hour later, it was expected to reach the coordinates of 140N 1350E. During a ceremony at the California Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the women, many now in their 70s, will also mark the disappearance of Flying Tigers Flight 739, which vanished over the Pacific in 1962 along with 107 passengers and crew, including four flight attendants. ATDB.aero shows that it spent most of its career at Flying Tiger Line, but did also serve Lufthansa on a leased basis. 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. Top Rated Plus. I was USAF and made that stop in Alaska. I would have been on Flying Tigers returning to the states. In this decade the company developed an extensive global network, directly servicing all continents except for Africa, which was served through interlining. After I got wounded and my things taken from me in triage, I never saw that slip of paper again. These men and their flight crew perished in what would become one of the biggest aviation. 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. Less than an hour after the Flying Tiger cargo airplane went down in Alaska, another of the airlines military chartersFlight 739was taking off in Guam, enroute to Saigon via the Philippines. It was really a struggle to decide what was right or what was wrong, said Okicich. MAAG THAILAND . Color photograph of Flying Tiger Line's Lockheed L-1049H Super Constellation N6921C. Seller 99.4% positive. Flight 7816, a cargo flight, was enroute from Travis Air Force Base, California to Japan. On board the Constellation were 11 crew members and 96 passengers, 93 of whom were U.S. Army soldiers specialized in electronics, communications, and sharpshooting. On Wednesday, families of those lost on Flight 739 gathered in Columbia Falls, Maine, for a ceremony marking the 60th anniversary of the loss of Tiger Flight 739. I only wish that I could stand before these wonderful ladies. Thanks for the ride! Remember the illumination flares as we were coming in on final as the sun had not come up yet. To say thank you which could never cover the range of emotions I recall the flight I took into Vietnam and even more than the flight I took home. 2019 by the San Francisco Airport Commission. 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. 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. Travel the world, the ad said. 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. They were recruited to fly for the Republic of China with the quiet approval of the United States government. Stay informed: Sign up for our daily and weekly aviation news digests. (LogOut/ Very nice ,brings back feeling that are mostly good ones.Thank you ladies.I flew into DANANG twice the 2nd fight was with the Flying Tigars and a year later they flew me back to the states. Margi Falk. a version of Purgatory, 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. By the mid-1960s, it was flying scheduled transpacific all-cargo routes and in the late 1980s, it was acquired by Federal Express. Air sorties searching for clues racked up more than 3,417 flying hours. I remember one of the attendants wishing my a HAPPY BIRTHDAY. What I do remember is that the plane had a very unpleasant odor and the food was cold. Ardith (Vignati) Willner Imitation lets you catch up to the guy ahead, but never lets you pass." This exhibition is currently available online only. 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. Daniel Dattpla IIFFV Original Party. With only six thousand employees around the world, the Flying Tiger Line carried cargo and people to all corners of the planet. Budd Conestoga Gen. -- Flying Tiger Line's first aircraft was the Budd Conestoga, an all -- stainless steel, rear--loading, twin--engine aircraft. The flight went missing while en route to Vietnam. 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! Thank you Flight Attendants! Almost all US scheduled and charter carriers with appropriate equipment operated to Vietnam. 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. A great story, even made me cry, vaguely remembering the trips each way, to and from Vietnam. Quickview. This is what I wrote when I had set up my home page on geocities which is now archived: He wouldnt believe me until I showed him the slip of paper. Opens in a new window or tab. Best Airline Business in Southeast Asia. During the Korean War, Tigers planes provided air transport services for personnel and cargo from the west coast of the US to various military bases throughout the Pacific area. I then went back to my seat with a book after putting that slip of paper in my wallet. My return flight was one of those that cheered as we lifted off. 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. This exhibition, based on extensive interviews with the key participants of the airlift operations, provides insight into their experiences serving aboard the Freedom Birds. changed me for the better many moons ago. Sponsored. I about cried having to leave half of what might have been my last meal. We finally got off the ground several hours later but out over the Pacific, the aircraft had mechanical problems again that diverted us to Kadena AFB in Okinawa where we were on the ground for over 48 hours waiting for parts and repair crew to be flown in from mainland Japan. The airplaneand all 107 people on board it disappeared over the Pacific Ocean before it reached a planned stopover in the Philippines, becoming the biggest aviation mystery to emerge from what would become a decade of conflict. Since 1962, Flying Tiger Line had been operating both passenger and all-cargo aircraft, carrying troops and supplies to our forces as well as the South . Many of the women continued to fly, either with Tigers or other airlines; more than a few married Tigers pilots and started families. I have just relived a very important part of my young life, thru these articles and the loving responses. Two of the incidents occurred within the span of one day. Its such a part of history, and our own personal history.. Theres nothing, no trace of anything, said Jennifer Kirk, niece of an Army Ranger who was on board Flight 739. Available now to pre-order at Flying Tigers. 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. Flying Tiger aircraft were getting old and worn, but their flight attendants were still top notch. Really hurt thinking about that after I was out in the field for a couple of weeks on c-rations. These ladies were great listeners and very supportive. (1966-1969), The Douglas DC-8-63F was a new breed of aircraft that had a far reaching effect on the continuing growth for the airfreight industry. Flying Tiger was my airline of choice. Arrived Travis in daylight and was struck by the absence of bomb craters from my aerial view. I remember the flights to and from, but what really sticks in my mind was the blast of hot, humid air that swept through the plane when they opened the doors. They wanted to cry but stifled the impulse. But nothing could have prepared her for what it was like to be a flight attendant at Flying Tigers during the golden era of aviation a job so fabulous and exciting on the one hand and emotionally brutal on the other that it transformed the lives of hundreds of young women like her who were hired during the war, forcing them to confront the realities of Vietnam in ways they never expected, and bonding them to each other for decades to come. 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. As the company grew and matured, founder and CEO Robert Prescott did also, both in his younger days as an AVG pilot and later in the role of President of the Flying Tiger Line. This was a great story. Sources: ATDB.aero, Aviation Safety Network, The Free Lance-Star. Sweet Jesus, I was back in the USA ; All reports of debris sighted were investigated, but nothing was found that could be remotely associated with the plane, Lambert wrote to Sargents parents in a letter more than a month later. 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. Indeed, having begun in November 1955, it wouldn't come to an end until almost two decades later, in April 1975. 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