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. Looking back, I owe them my deep thanks for doing their job so splendidly despite the emotional roller-coaster they must have been on. During the last minutes of each flight, the women remember, the cabin would become eerily quiet. The Flying Tiger Line founder, Robert (Bob) W. Prescott and other young pilots joined General Claire Chennault and the famed Flying Tigers in China during WWII. Flying around the world over the North and South Poles, the Pole Cat set eight speed and distance records. The new Flying Tiger airline had its own military role; carrying cargo and troops back and forth to the war in Vietnam. In 1974, the airline took delivery of its first Boeing 747. I had read everything in sight that was in the pocket of the seat in front of me. The training had little to do with hospitality, focusing instead on emergency procedures, like how to ditch a plane after a crash or what to do if the plane drew gunfire. This was a great story. The C-46s flew the domestic operation while the C-54s remained in overseas charter service. The extension allowed a 30 trip home so I had 2 Tiger flights in and 2 out. My return flight was one of those that cheered as we lifted off. In transit to Viet Nam via Alaska, Japan and Okinawa. Crossing the international date line was my experience in time travel. The picture below shows a full plane of troops heading to Vietnam on a Flying Tiger Flight. Dont remember who flew me over my second trip in Dec. 71. Great, I had the opportunity to fly w/those ladies one great experience,,! And many didnt know what to think, caught between respect for the military and horror over the fates of the boys on their flights. As Captain Dwight Small, a pilot for Flying Tiger Line, recalls, It was pretty hairy, especially in the early days. I salute you all ladies!! Chambers, Andy Gatenby. On March 6, 1967, Flying Tigers first DC8-63F aircraft arrived. We were eventually invited to leave the club and told to not come back Welcome Home from the USAF in Kadena. We relied on each other and the soldiers to manage.. The flight attendants, although very young themselves, couldnt believe how young the troops were just 17 and 18 in some cases. WebThe Flying Tiger Line Incorporated. The return to the States from RVN was like being in a decompression chamber. The Flying Tiger Line then put in orders for brand new Boeing 747-200F freighters designated the Boeing 747-249F, which at the time were among the heaviest commercial airplanes flying, weighing in at 823,000 pounds (373,000kg). When I went over in 66, it was courtesy of the USAF on a C-141no flight attendants there, just jump seats and the infantry TOE and basic load down the center of the aircraft. In 1963, Air Cargo Operations moved back to the Los Angeles International Airport. The airline industry is always full of new developments! Many of the women continued to fly, either with Tigers or other airlines; more than a few married Tigers pilots and started 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. I dont remember the faces of the flight attendantsprobably because I was so overwhelmed by my own emotions going to war and coming home. 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. It broke my heart the way they were treated a few years later, especially knowing I had been in attendance on their flight into a war zone, and wondered how they had faired in the return to the USA. June 69. In 1984 the DC-8-63s were phased out as a result of Federal noise regulations that went into effect that year. Email:jason.fagone@sfchronicle.comTwitter:@jfagone, Link to the actual article: https://bit.ly/2PbitdY. 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. As in Korea, these flights carried both cargo as well as military personnel and their dependents. 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. She learned then that the Flying Tiger Line, also known as Flying Tigers, specialized in troop transports. On this last leg, the passengers are much more somber and thinking ahead to their landing in the war zone. During 1949, the C-47s were replaced with the C-46s, which had a higher payload and longer range. WebThe Flying Tiger Line Incorporated. Many of these people became valuable members of the Flying Tigers family. Approximately 998 pilots worked for the airline based throughout the US. 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. After a dangerous heist of a mysterious device from the FBI, the HKPD assigns Ko Ka Chun, to save Hong Kong from the imminent threat from the Black Snake Gang. The first Douglas DC-8-63F registered as N779FT was delivered to the airline on June 26, 1968 and the other eighteen followed until 1972.[6]. I was a Flying Tiger Flight Attendant for 5 years, and those many experiences flying into Tan Son Nhut. 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. The aircraft was operating a MATS charter flight from Gander to Frankfurt. Ninety-three of these were enlisted with the US Army, with the remaining three being from South Vietnam. Many flight attendants struggled at first to contain their own emotions. In April of 75, with the collapse of the South Vietnamese government, Flying Tigers evacuated its own personnel and other refugees from Saigon. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. We all knew that some going would not make it back alive. They played cards with the guys, laughed with them. 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! They coped, as always, by leaning on each other. 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. Until now, I mostly ignored the efforts of these people (especially the attendants they saw, heard & felt all of it). 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! It was obvious the airplane had been used a lot, but it was clean and the attendants were friendly and upbeat. United States. 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. (1949 - 1961), C-54 Gen. -- The C-54, first of the four--engine air freighters, was used by Flying Tigers in the largest, longest airlift ever flown by a private contractor -- supplying the American Occupation Forces in Japan. Thats funny. All of us silently got on the plane ,each of us finding a seat. The next stop was Saigon where we left off troops. A great story, even made me cry, vaguely remembering the trips each way, to and from Vietnam. By this time the airline's personnel had gained such expertise in shipping challenging pieces of freight that the attitude in the industry was, "if Tigers can't move it, nobody can." After just under two hours on the ground, The Free Lance-Star reported that the flight departed Guam just before 21:00. But some homeward-bound passengers were belligerent, unpredictable. I was trying to keep from thinking about that. Flying Tiger Line Flight 739 was a Lockheed Super Constellation aircraft, which is pictured here. A mysterious gang, The Black Snake Gang, is rising throughout the world. And he said, Well, can you put all that aside when youre on the airplane and taking care of these boys? Foster recalled. 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. Thanks for a great story. Ninety-three of these were enlisted with the US Army, with the remaining three being from South Vietnam. A FLY-IN COMMUNITY! It surpassed Pan American World Airways in 1980 as the world's largest air cargo carrier after acquiring its rival cargo airline Seaboard World Airlines on 1 October 1980. Flying Tigers received the All-Cargo Route #163 across the Pacific into Asia. On March 18, 1956, a Flying Tiger Line Curtiss C-46 (N9995F), crashed at Pelly Bay, Canada after the left wing struck terrain while on a VFR approach, both pilots and the passenger survived, but the aircraft was written off. Not sure if the change in mood was due to smoked joints and beer, but it sure didnt hurt any. Click on Links for More information About Each Plane. I sat looking out the window the whole flight home, never said a word. 25 Jun 1945. These aircraft had the powerful "Q" (Pratt & Whitney JT9D-7Q) engines and heavy landing gear and could simultaneously carry both 250,000 pounds (110,000kg) of fuel and 250,000 pounds (110,000kg) of cargo loaded through both the nose door and the side door at the same time. 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. 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. (1946-1951), C-46 Gen. -- The Curtis C-46 "Commando" that Flying Tigers flew on supply missions over the Hump during World War II came home for civilian duty, joining Flying Tigers' fleet in 1949. 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. On this last leg, the passengers are much more somber and thinking ahead to their landing in the war zone. My return flight in 72 was on Flying Tigers that started out with engine problems on the ramp in Tan Son Nhut. Indeed, having begun in November 1955, it wouldn't come to an end until almost two decades later, in April 1975. 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. Capable of lifting 7,000 pounds over a version of the famed DC-3. The airline also played a major role in the construction of the Distant Early Warning Line, flying equipment to remote outposts in northern Canada and Alaska. Thank you ladies. Flying Tiger Line was ramping up operations in Vietnam, too, and its believed maintenance standards dropped as a result of increased demand. Flying Tiger Line was ramping up operations in Vietnam, too, and its believed maintenance standards dropped as a result of increased demand. Country. According to the Aviation Safety Network, it first flew in 1957, and had amassed a total of 17,224 hours. Ardith (Vignati) Willner 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. Based in Norwich, UK. Sources: ATDB.aero, Aviation Safety Network, The Free Lance-Star. That flight SUCKED., but at least I got out of that chit hole. (1953-1958), Constellation Gen. -- The Lockheed Super H Constellation, airlifting 43,000 pounds of freight at 300 miles per hour over a 2,500-miles range, helped Flying Tigers revolutionize the marketing map of the United States with the first nonstop, transcontinental airfreight schedules. The Flying Tigers Boeing 707 POLECAT established speed and distance records on its pole-to-pole flight around the world. Federal Express (FM / FDX) Base / Main Hub. At the time of its sale to FedEx, Flying Tigers were operating the following aircraft: More details of the following can be found at the ASN Aviation Safety Database[13]. Read about what they talk about at their reunions. Great article and I do so remember that flight and not having even an idea what was waiting for me .. My birthday is January 1st. 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. January 29, 1985, was the first of two lifelift flights for Ethiopian Relief that brought food and medical supplies to the starving inhabitants of that country. 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. Contact Thank you to all who came out to join us for our BBQ Fly-in! A keen amateur photographer, he also recently reached the milestone of flying his 100th sector as a passenger. Departed Bien Hoa (21 Apr 69)) on Flying Tiger (Stretch 8) with fuel stop in Japan. This was the Tiger "Can-do" Spirit, may it never die. They operated a recording company subsidiary, Happy Tiger Records, from 1969 to 1971. Flying Tiger Line flight 739 was a multi-leg charter service that originated at Travis Air Force Base in the US state of California. [5] For the next four years, Flying Tiger Line carried air freight on contract throughout the U.S. and, as the airline expanded, carrying supplies to U.S. troops under Gen. Douglas MacArthur during the occupation of Japan.[5]. I sat on the left side isle with a window seat just to the rear edge of the left wing. It truly was a great feeling being headed home. The aircraft was operating a Military Air Transport Service (MATS) cargo flight from Travis AFB to Kadena Air Base. WebAs 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 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. 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. No lights on the plane in the dark. 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. Their service to our military was so much more than just being a flight attendant on their way over or coming home. A little over an hour later, it was expected to reach the coordinates of 140N 1350E. These ladies were great listeners and very supportive. We relied on each other and the soldiers to manage.. WebFlying Tiger: With Ron Ng, Lee Pace, Jamie B. This allowed for more extensive geographic capability and cargo capacity. (it was the only one on the tarmac) Leaving Bien Hoa at 9:00 P.M on June 25th 1969 and arriving in Oakland CA on June 25th at 9:30 P.M. As one observer put it, "Nobody brings in mail like those Tiger birds". WebFlying Tiger: With Ron Ng, Lee Pace, Jamie B. Breen went from being gung ho about the war to suspecting the government was lying and thinking the war was a mistake. The company said it needed flight attendants. In January 1946, the airline moved to Mines Field (later to become Los Angeles International Airport). 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. Remember the illumination flares as we were coming in on final as the sun had not come up yet. We relied on each other and the soldiers to manage.. 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