By the mid-1980s, Flying Tigers operated scheduled cargo service to six continents and served 58 countries. 25 Jun 1945. Many of the women continued to fly, either with Tigers or other airlines; more than a few married Tigers pilots and started families. However, despite an eight-day search covering hundreds of thousands of square miles of the Pacific Ocean, no trace of the aircraft or its 107 occupants could ever be found. for the first time, when I read this article, I remembered the cheer that went up spontaneously when we pulled up to about 10,000 feet and realized we were safety out of rocket/mortar danger and headed for home. Unfortunately for me I returned in a Medevac flight from Japan Yokosuka Naval Hospital. The return to the States from RVN was like being in a decompression chamber. I would have been on Flying Tigers returning to the states. Web978 views 8 months ago Andee Wright served as a flight attendant with Flying Tiger Line from 1967 to 1978. The decent angle brought the entire plane to silence while they considered the reason for that radical decent. I remember one of the attendants wishing my a HAPPY BIRTHDAY. (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. 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. On December 16, 1988, Federal Express announced their cash tender offer for the purchase of Flying Tigers. 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. Also in 1946, Flying Tigers moved from Mines Field to the Lockheed Air Terminal in Burbank, California. In addition to the emotional impact, the flight attendants risked physical harm while flying to military bases in an active combat zone. To kill time many of us went to the Officers Club, with the flight attendants in tow, and proceeded to party. Some years ago I made contact with one of those stewardesses and found out about their reunions. In 1962, the Vietnam War was far from over. (It didnt work out. Coming home was great while everyone mentions the cheering on wheels up on departure no one mentions the deafening silence as the aircraft started down the runway on departure until wheels up where we are found aloft At 11:15PM June 29, 1968 I left Bien Hoa airport on a Trans International DC-10. We relied on each other and the soldiers to manage.. It brought back a lot of memories. The Flying Tigers Boeing 707 POLECAT established speed and distance records on its pole-to-pole flight around the world. 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. The flight attendant standing at the top said see you in a year, Ill be wearing the same dress. Finally the plane started to move down the runway faster and faster. En route to Saigon, the flight was set to make several refueling stops. Aircraft loaders had earlier refused to work at the extreme 30 feet (9m) height necessary for loading freight on the upper deck, so the "supernumerary area" or "hump" was configured with 19 first class seats instead which were used to transport livestock handlers, charter agents and mechanics as well as dead-heading pilots and flight attendants. Country. I recall the flight I took into Vietnam and even more than the flight I took home. return home flight in July 69 was on a Flying Tigers stretch-8. He wouldnt believe me until I showed him the slip of paper. Flying around the world over the North and South Poles, the Pole Cat set eight speed and distance records. 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. After I got wounded and my things taken from me in triage, I never saw that slip of paper again. Joe Namath, Jim Otto, and, Marv Fleming on our returning flight after spending time visiting the wounded Vietnam soldiers at several hospitals. I came back on a USAF flight as I was in a 1-1/2 hip spika cast they called it. Thanks for the wonderful article. 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. 1969 A major milestone year. Established at the end of the Second World War, Flying Tiger Line made history as the first US-based scheduled cargo-carrying airline. 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. Search and rescue operations began promptly, catalyzed by a Liberian tanker ship's reported sighting of an explosion around the time of the plane's disappearance. Their service to our military was so much more than just being a flight attendant on their way over or coming home. The motto in the beginning was "Anything, Anytime, Anywhere". Large crew bases were situated at Los Angeles, New York City and Lockbourne, Ohio (Rickenbacker International Airport). Did it really happen to me ?????!!! I very much enjoyed it and had no idea that those very attractive young ladies felt that way about us. Thank you ladies, as a veteran of several tours in the Nam, I always remembered those who catered to us as we flew to and from the zone and their efforts to help us feel comfortable as possible. 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. They wanted to cry but stifled the impulse. THe girls (attendants) were great cant saw much for the people of California . Great article, spot on! 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. Flying the Freedom Birds: Airlines and the Vietnam War. For military personnel, it was a deeply emotional journey in both directions. each of us inside were scared because for the first time non of us were wearing helmets, flack jackets, no weapons or ammo. On June 12, 1970, the Peter Prescott Hospital for children in Taiwan was dedicated in honor of the founders son, who had been killed in an aircraft accident in Palm Springs. 7 Aug 1989. I was trying to keep from thinking about that. This presumed death toll made it the worst accident involving the Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation. The aircraft was operating a MATS charter flight from Gander to Frankfurt. 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. WebFlying Tiger: With Ron Ng, Lee Pace, Jamie B. I was USAF and made that stop in Alaska. )I was engaged and (2.) High over the Pacific, On 15 November 1965, a modified Flying Tigers Boeing 707-349C made the first ever aerial circumnavigation of the Earth via the poles, in 62 hours 27 minutes. After an almost three hour delay, the airplane is back in the air and en-route to our final destination Vietnam. (1947 -- 1957), The acquisition of seven DC-6s represented the largest single purchase the airline industry had ever seen. I flew out of Travis Air Force Base and was on my way to Thailand. Hard to not have an emotional moment while reading. Excellent Article. A keen amateur photographer, he also recently reached the milestone of flying his 100th sector as a passenger. In the Vietnam airlift, Flying Tigers provided strategic flights from the US to numerous military bases throughout the Pacific and Southeast Asia geographic region. 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. 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. My most vivid memory is of the landing approach into Bien Hoa Airport. 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! Chambers, Andy Gatenby. 1969 A major milestone year. A mysterious gang, The Black Snake Gang, is rising throughout the world. Nonetheless, it reached Guam as planned on March 15th. Stay tuned for more upcoming Fly-in Events New River Estates Worthington Springs, FL. 7 Aug 1989. 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. Crossing the international date line was my experience in time travel. On July 31, 1982, Flying Tigers began regularly scheduled jetfreighter service between the United States and Sao Paulo, Brazil, to become the only all-cargo carrier connecting South America with a service network that stretched thought out Asia, Europe and North America. Freedom Bird. Flying Tigers received the All-Cargo Route #163 across the Pacific into Asia. and flew to Portland ,Oregon. Hengi, Midland Publishing, List of defunct airlines of the United States. 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. Thank you and God Bless you all!!!! 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. Now going to the USA which I had forgotten about. [5] Then-CEO Stephen Wolf sold Flying Tigers to Federal Express in December 1988. Web978 views 8 months ago Andee Wright served as a flight attendant with Flying Tiger Line from 1967 to 1978. Wonderful article and I went to Vietnam on Flying Tiger Airlines in 1966. Because they were young and energetic, they could work a 5-hour flight from Japan to Vietnam, spend an hour on the ground, turn around and fly 5 hours back to Japan, then take a quick shower and then go out dancing at a go-go club. Federal Express (FM / FDX) Base / Main Hub. I was old as dirt to them.. It was an effort conceived and accomplished by Flying Tigers employees throughout the companys world-wide system. Its ultimate destination was the Vietnamese city of Saigon, to which it was transporting 96 soldiers. 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. A fine bunch of people. I think i was numb, both ways. United States. 2023 CherriesWriter - Vietnam War website. "Trucking Anywhere By Air", November 1945, "Interview with Ray Ruff & Donnie Brooks", http://www.timetableimages.com/ttimages/ft3.htm, http://www.departedflights.com/BRU83intro.html, "How Pan Am Flight 50 flew from pole to pole", https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/AAR7210.pdf, Flying Tiger Line accidents and incidents, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Flying_Tiger_Line&oldid=1146348566, All articles with bare URLs for citations, Articles with bare URLs for citations from March 2022, Articles with PDF format bare URLs for citations, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, On January 7, 1953, Flying Tiger Line Flight 841, a. In January 1946, the airline moved to Mines Field (later to become Los Angeles International Airport). 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." Contact Thank you to all who came out to join us for our BBQ Fly-in! Flying Tiger Line flight 739 was a multi-leg charter service that originated at Travis Air Force Base in the US state of California. We were goin up and up , the war down below, falling away now far behind us. Despite her personal beliefs, Foster reasoned that nobody needed better care than men heading to a war or coming back from one, and she decided to sign on. On March 6, 1967, Flying Tigers first DC8-63F aircraft arrived. WebThe Flying Tigers Boeing 707 POLECAT established speed and distance records on its pole-to-pole flight around the world. The airline was bought by Federal Express in 1988. I for one of many of us flew Tiger Airlines going and coming. In the 1980's, the B747-200F series was introduced to the fleet. We of course did not get his and flew on to Bangkok where we transferred to a military aircraft and flew down to U-T a B-52 base. What aviation news will you check out next? The Statue of Liberty torch flew on Flying Tigers. (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. Airline Founded. Landed in Saigon. 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. 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). Despite the intensity of the operations, many flight attendants found the military contract flights rewarding and continued to serve on them for years. 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. 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 was a nurse in Namso I can appreciate their service. Great article with great info, I remember in 1968 when I went. 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. It also operated military contract services, most notably DC-8 routes between Travis Air Force Base, California and Japan in the 1970s, followed by weekly 747 passenger service between Clark Air Base, Philippines, and St. Louis, Missouri via Japan, Alaska, and Los Angeles during the 1980s. I too was older at 25 and remember them well. Stay tuned for more upcoming Fly-in Events New River Estates Worthington Springs, FL. Somewhere I know that she wonders if I ever made it back to the States and why I never called. (LogOut/ Many flight attendants struggled at first to contain their own emotions. 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. 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. 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