With only six thousand employees around the world, the Flying Tiger Line carried cargo and people to all corners of the planet. Flying Tigers continued to fly military troops and cargo into Vietnam during the war years. 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. From 1945 to 1989 Flying Tigers management, mechanics, office staff, flight attendants, pilots and crew members worked together to build an airline that became a legend. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Thats incomprehensible. Flying Tiger Line flight 739 was a multi-leg charter service that originated at Travis Air Force Base in the US state of California. Vintage Flying Tigers Airline 1981 Timetable from/to Greece - Flying Tiger Line. Outstanding article! 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. That year, Flying Tiger Line lost four aircraft in incidents, the bulk of which while operating charters for the U.S. military. I salute you all ladies!! (1947 -- 1957), The acquisition of seven DC-6s represented the largest single purchase the airline industry had ever seen. 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 then went back to my seat with a book after putting that slip of paper in my wallet. 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. Gotoff the jet and was greated by relatives. What Was It Like To Hump The Boonies in Vietnam? They cant be forgotten.. 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. With the Boeing 707s supplemented by Canadair CL-44s, Flying Tigers supplied U.S. military forces and became the largest carrier of cargo in the Pacific. This exhibition, based on extensive interviews with the key participants of the airlift operations, provides insight into their experiences serving aboard the Freedom Birds. The. I for one of many of us flew Tiger Airlines going and coming. In 1969, during the Vietnam War, a 21-year-old Seattle woman saw a job ad for a California cargo airline called the Flying Tiger Line that had a large presence in San Francisco. US Army CNN The families of soldiers lost while taking part in a secret US mission during. 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. My An aspect of nowhere, or Best Offer. 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. 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. Established at the end of the Second World War, Flying Tiger Line made history as the first US-based scheduled cargo-carrying airline. 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. Flying Tiger Line Flight 739 was a Lockheed Super Constellation aircraft, which is pictured here. Why Were Vietnam War Vets Treated Poorly When TheyReturned? During the "American war," he worked for a CIA contractor, flying unarmed bush planes in Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. I know you dont remember many of our faces, as we no longer remember yours, but we thank you for taking care for us. Also those that returned with ptsd, most of us. During the last minutes of each flight, the women remember, the cabin would become eerily quiet. I about cried having to leave half of what might have been my last meal. I was trying to keep from thinking about that. https://open.spotify.com/show/5Th7BCpIKDE1hVTqNL3u0Q. Sellers with highest buyer ratings; 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. Flying Tiger was my airline of choice. Their service to our military was so much more than just being a flight attendant on their way over or coming home. The aircraft was lost and no part was found in spite of one of the most extensive searches ever conducted in the history of aviation, ICAO said. It brought back a lot of memories. It was really a struggle to decide what was right or what was wrong, said Okicich. It was reported that the aircraft was left unattended in a dimly lighted area for a period of time while at Guam where total transit time was 1 hour and 33 minutes, ICAO said. Was processed out of the Army at Fort Lewis, got a military standby flight for$11. (1945 - 1947). The pilot is believed to have misjudged distance and altitude while making the final approach, a report would later conclude. When a positive story about the Vietnam experience shows up it helps the healing that many of us need. According to the Aviation Safety Network, it first flew in 1957, and had amassed a total of 17,224 hours. Its ultimate destination was the Vietnamese city of Saigon, to which it was transporting 96 soldiers. 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 from Clark AFB to Guam refueling then on to Travis AFB and Home. 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. No one was home, but a neighbor walked up to the car. Top Rated Seller Top Rated Seller. Ardith (Vignati) Willner I flew on Trans Carribiean twice from Travis and experienced the feelings described in the piece. CAT was an airline formed in China after World War II by Gen. Claire Chennault, leader of the Flying Tigers and Whiting Willauer of CDS. That was not us, recalled Andee Reingold Wright, a San Francisco native who was 21 when she started with Flying Tigers in 1967. It would be the last radio transmission received from the aircraft. In one of its more dramatic moves, Tigers evacuated a number of Vietnamese "political refugees" and Vietnamese company employees and their families aboard departing aircraft during the "final hours" of US troop withdrawal, and impending Communist takeover in South Vietnam in 1975. 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. Great article, spot on! While there I recall them telling us that there are enemy at the end of the runway and when we take off we are pulling up as fast as we can to keep from being hit. 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. They were long, boisterous flights full of bravado and joking the men going off to war were trying to psych themselves up. I know the feelings, having done the flights in 68 & 70. What was the worst work detail you pulled in Vietnam? I went and returned on a Flying Tiger plane and remember very well the sensitive and kind treatment from the stewardesses both directions. Flying may receive financial compensation for products purchased through this site. I remember well my Flying Tiger trips. Pre-Owned. Capable of lifting 7,000 pounds over a version of the famed DC-3. The flight went missing while en route to Vietnam. As Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Flying Tiger Line the world's largest all-cargo airline, I had the direct responsibility for our operations in South Vietnam. Shared with Public Cleaning up today and found this binder. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. WELCOME to The FLYING TIGER Antiques & Vintage Historical Artifacts Website!!! Thanks, DRS. Next stop was Yokota Japan. Another theory is that they landed and that theyre still alive. Skip to main content . It would be the first of a list of expected things that wouldnt materialize for the family, according to Kirk. Really hurt thinking about that after I was out in the field for a couple of weeks on c-rations. I was a different person. Wonderful article and I went to Vietnam on Flying Tiger Airlines in 1966. 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. Knowing the outcome of the war - and how the US Congress of that era abandoned the people of Cambodia and South Vietnam - helps take the sting away, if only a little. Eventually, in 1988, FedEx bought the airlines parent company, absorbing its routes and bringing the rough-and-tumble era of cargo aviation to a close. Flying Tiger history began during World War II when the original aircrafts were small fighter planes. The C-47 could fly 7,500 pounds of cargo over a range of 600 miles at 150 miles per hour. I went over in February 1970. This article is an important read. thanks for the ride over and putting up with some of us. I stopped a stewardess to inquire if they had any other reading material on board. Flying Tiger Line Flight 739 went missing on March 16, 1962, with 93 U.S. Army soldiers on board. from United States The airline initially launched with 14 Navy surplus Budd RB Conestoga cargo aircraft. Flying Tigers Airlines 24k Cocktail Glass Vtg 1980s VHTF NOS Norma Jean Wright . Color photograph of Flying Tiger Line's Lockheed L-1049H Super Constellation N6921C. Curtis Smith served to disbandment and afterward returned to the U.S. Marines. For the government not to recognize them is heartbreaking, she said. Remember the illumination flares as we were coming in on final as the sun had not come up yet. Quickview. Great, I had the opportunity to fly w/those ladies one great experience,,! Flugzeugfotos und Luftfahrtfotos - Fotos ansehen, suchen oder hochladen! After just under two hours on the ground, The Free Lance-Star reported that the flight departed Guam just before 21:00. Onboard were 107 people, all of whom remain missing as the aircraft was never found after its disappearance. Some of the now-adult children of those on board speculate that the flight made it, but that passengers were captured, Kirk said. Asia Pacific Low Cost Airline of the Year 2019. The decent angle brought the entire plane to silence while they considered the reason for that radical decent. Imitation lets you catch up to the guy ahead, but never lets you pass." Copyright 2023 Flying Media. Additional terms apply. Change). Now going to the USA which I had forgotten about. A very vulnerable feeling with out a weapon. On the paper were words that Donald Sargents motherKirks grandmotherfound too incomprehensible to believe. Her sentiments are echoed by Judy Meyer, who flew for United Air Lines, It was some of the best flying I ever did. Although these women were an integral part of the Vietnam War experience, their contributions are largely unknown outside of the veteran community. (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. Late 1940s PAA Pan American Airways 5 Years of Service Lapel Pin in 10K Gold by Balfour Item: airpi30006b-CON. I remember the silence upon arrival and cheering when wheels went up leaving. Thank you Flying Tiger! I think it is great! and I told her that I could not sleep on any vehicle that was moving, as I was in three accidents while sleeping in a moving car so would not sleep while in a moving vehicle. Like you were going to hang around. $27.95. Email:jason.fagone@sfchronicle.comTwitter:@jfagone, Link to the actual article: https://bit.ly/2PbitdY. Flying Tiger aircraft were getting old and worn, but their flight attendants were still top notch. Many products featured on this site were editorially chosen. In transit to Viet Nam via Alaska, Japan and Okinawa. These men and their flight crew perished in what would become one of the biggest aviation. The flight attendants, although very young themselves, couldnt believe how young the troops were just 17 and 18 in some cases. During the Vietnam years the Flying Tiger Line also worked overtime for the US Postal Service. FLYING TIGER AIRLINES - Patch - MAAG - 45th Transport - Early Vietnam War, #.500. It wasnt my style to go asking every woman that I met to get her address and telephone number, besides I had more important things on my mind. The C-47 could fly 7,500 pounds of cargo over a range of 600 miles at 150 miles per hour. Such as, I didnt know if I was going to make it back and not wanting to think about that. War touches more people than the veterans who fought in it. They saw so much in those soldiers eyes and dealt with some truly emotional issues. I extended in Vietnam so that I could get out early. The aircraft that disappeared was around five years old. Thank you ladies, Im one of those boys. I have no comment for this person, He/she is beyond help. Joe Namath, Jim Otto, and, Marv Fleming on our returning flight after spending time visiting the wounded Vietnam soldiers at several hospitals. 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! God Bless you all. Tiger Air Flights To Vietnam Tiger Air is one of the few low-cost airlines currently operating in Vietnam. 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. I flew over on Continental..We had a flight attendant come to one of our VVA Chapter meeting and tell us about her time. Specifically equipped with weather monitoring equipment and scientific instrumentation, one 707 (Aircraft N322FT), gained fame as the "Pole Cat." Travel the world, the ad said. All four were Lockheed L-1049H Super Constellations. June 69. or Best Offer +$7.50 shipping. 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. Read about what they talk about at their reunions. This was a very good and interesting article. I was so wrapped up in my own personal trauma that I thought they were being so nice because they were paid to, not because they wanted to. Flying Tiger Line was the first scheduled cargo airline in the U.S., founded by ex-military pilots in 1945. 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. How much is the cheapest flight to Vietnam? 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. race to get Asians flying in a region set to overtake the United States as the biggest aviation market. Great article and I do so remember that flight and not having even an idea what was waiting for me .. 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