It was really a struggle to decide what was right or what was wrong, said Okicich. The companys participation in the Peruvian Airlift aided earthquake victims in the quake devastated country. As Captain Dwight Small, a pilot for Flying Tiger Line, recalls, It was pretty hairy, especially in the early days. The airliners were not just used to bring the soldiers home, but to fly them into the war zone as well. Feb.3-8, 1968. The picture below shows a full plane of troops heading to Vietnam on a Flying Tiger Flight. Was I really in a real war??? Freedom Bird. Wonderful memories. Wheels up lots of cheering and hope. 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. ! 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. Also in 1946, Flying Tigers moved from Mines Field to the Lockheed Air Terminal in Burbank, California. Ninety-three of these were enlisted with the US Army, with the remaining three being from South Vietnam. Thank you! In transit to Viet Nam via Alaska, Japan and Okinawa. Fosters opposition to the war only intensified; she attended anti-war meetings and demonstrations on her days off. Indeed, having begun in November 1955, it wouldn't come to an end until almost two decades later, in April 1975. Not sure if the change in mood was due to smoked joints and beer, but it sure didnt hurt any. Gotoff the jet and was greated by relatives. Mel Beers ret first sergeant . 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. As Flying Tiger Line flight attendant Andee Wright recalled, There was no special training by the airlines or the military about how to handle it. 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. And after the fall of Saigon in 1975, when the war ended, they remained connected. Flying Tigers continued to fly military troops and cargo into Vietnam during the war years. Sweet Jesus, I was back in the USA ; 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. 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 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. 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. Mosher. 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. The aircraft carried additional fuel in two additional tanks installed in the main cabin.[12]. Just reading this article brings tears to my eyes. Put on the clothing and shoes that I had been wearing befor going to war. Federal Express (FM / FDX) Base / Main Hub. A FLY-IN COMMUNITY! In the Vietnam airlift, Flying Tigers provided strategic flights from the US to numerous military bases throughout the Pacific and Southeast Asia geographic region. changed me for the better many moons ago. In April of 1949, after a four-year battle, the company was awarded CAB (Civil Aeronautics Board now FAA) certification and established the FIRST ALL-CARGO Scheduled Route 100 from Los Angeles to Boston with points in between. However, these were not military aircraft, but commercial airliners under contract by the U.S. Air Force Military Airlift Command (MAC) and served by civilian crews and flight attendants. 2023 CherriesWriter - Vietnam War website. A true airfreighted with a unique swing-tail design, the CL-44 permitted the straight-in loading of freight no other plane could carry. That was not us, recalled Andee Reingold Wright, a San Francisco native who was 21 when she started with Flying Tigers in 1967. Although the fledgling Flying Tiger Line was in a precarious financial situation during its early years, it enjoyed extraordinary growth throughout most of the 60's, and eventually emerged as the industry's foremost all-cargo carrier. Flew out going from Ft. Lewis, Washington 1970, came home through Oakland Par 8th, 1971. It was the first time I was truly surrounded around military men, and I was overwhelmed by their commitment and belief in their mission. 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. The Statue of Liberty torch flew on Flying Tigers. In addition to the emotional impact, the flight attendants risked physical harm while flying to military bases in an active combat zone. Thanks for the wonderful article. 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. On this last leg, the passengers are much more somber and thinking ahead to their landing in the war zone. Few understood the emotional demands they would face. [7][8], Charter and scheduled passenger operations were flown by their subsidiary, Metro International Airlines, which was formed in January 1981, and ceased operations in 1983, when it was sold to Tower Air. To us, they were all beauty queens! 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. 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-1980s, Flying Tigers operated scheduled cargo service to six continents and served 58 countries. 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. I know the feelings, having done the flights in 68 & 70. The C-46s flew the domestic operation while the C-54s remained in overseas charter service. Not sure if the change in mood was due to smoked joints and beer, but it sure didnt hurt any. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. 2019 by the San Francisco Airport Commission. Nonetheless, it reached Guam as planned on March 15th. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. If I remember correctly I went over on Continental and came back on United. No lights on the plane in the dark. Web346 views 9 months ago. Web978 views 8 months ago Andee Wright served as a flight attendant with Flying Tiger Line from 1967 to 1978. The flight attendants were as depicted in this article, both going and coming home. 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. 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. A keen amateur photographer, he also recently reached the milestone of flying his 100th sector as a passenger. We all wanted to get home, but wondered if this old crate could get us there. Thanks! Today. 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. Federal Express (FM / FDX) Base / Main Hub. Many flight attendants struggled at first to contain their own emotions. Medical suplies and staples were aboard the first airlift of relief supplies to reach Poland since the imposition of martial law in November of the previous year. We relied on each other and the soldiers to manage.. This article is an important read. We relied on each other and the soldiers to manage. These women allayed the fears of soldiers heading to war and offered support and reassurance to those headed home. 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. In 1965, Flying Tiger Line began operating jet aircraft when on September, 27, The airline had its humble beginnings in Long Beach California with the Budd Conestoga, but by 1969 had upgraded its propeller-driven, piston engine fleet to one consisting entirely of jet freighters. Next stop was Yokota Japan. I came back on a USAF flight as I was in a 1-1/2 hip spika cast they called it. Travel the world, the ad said. (1947 -- 1957), The acquisition of seven DC-6s represented the largest single purchase the airline industry had ever seen. Others slept for hours, exhausted and often traumatized from their experiences in Vietnam. I do not dwell on the negatives of that war , but there will always be a part of those of us that served in Vietnam that we would prefer to live without. Know now that I was stunned , medical shock, at suddenly the war down below, behind me , was gone. Flying Tiger Line flight 739 was a multi-leg charter service that originated at Travis Air Force Base in the US state of California. 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. When a positive story about the Vietnam experience shows up it helps the healing that many of us need. 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. JW, beautiful poem. The aircraft was operating a Military Air Transport Service (MATS) cargo flight from Travis AFB to Kadena Air Base. It supplied and supported covert operations in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War, including providing support for drug smuggling in Laos. For some the experience changed their political beliefs, although they tried to keep politics off the plane. The food on the airplane had to be thrown away because there was no refrigeration on the aircraft for over 48 hours. 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. In January 1946, the airline moved to Mines Field (later to become Los Angeles International Airport). In 1982, Flying Tigers flew relief flights to Warsaw, Poland. 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. return home flight in July 69 was on a Flying Tigers stretch-8. They wanted to cry but stifled the impulse. Free shipping for many products! United States. I dont remember the faces of the flight attendantsprobably because I was so overwhelmed by my own emotions going to war and coming home. And there were parties every single day and every single night, Foster remembered. She had many stories. 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 motto lasted until the airline was taken over by Federal Express in the late 1980's. But some homeward-bound passengers were belligerent, unpredictable. We relied on each other and the soldiers to manage.. On September 9, 1958, a Flying Tiger Line. Im still trying to figure out how to coordinate one of our own with one of theirs. From the beginning, Prescott had a vision for the company: "We're unique, so let's not imitate. First time over in July 68 I was a 29 year old Warrant Officer pilot and flew on a Seaboard World stretch-8 (DC-8-50) that was only a couple of years old but what I remember about the flight was that the plane was dirty and worn and the flight attendants were older than me. My They operated a recording company subsidiary, Happy Tiger Records, from 1969 to 1971. On Wednesday morning in Sacramento, as many as 30 former flight attendants for the airline are reuniting to honor servicemen killed in the war. Such as, I didnt know if I was going to make it back and not wanting to think about that. and flew to Portland ,Oregon. 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. But for the ladies I say Thank you I was one of those 18 year old boys that was scared to death. It supplied and supported covert operations in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War, including providing support for drug smuggling in Laos. The aircraft operating the flight was a Lockheed L-1049H Super Constellation registered as N6921C. thanks for the ride over and putting up with some of us. Its ultimate destination was the Vietnamese city of Saigon, to which it was transporting 96 soldiers. Others supported the war, sympathizing with the soldiers and resenting those who scorned their service. 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. Read about what they talk about at their reunions. I only wish that I could stand before these wonderful ladies. 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. During the course of the war, thousands of flights crisscrossed the Pacific Ocean. During 1969, the CL-44s and B707s left the fleet as the addition of DC-8s took their place. Great, I had the opportunity to fly w/those ladies one great experience,,! My return flight in 72 was on Flying Tigers that started out with engine problems on the ramp in Tan Son Nhut. Unfortunately for me I returned in a Medevac flight from Japan Yokosuka Naval Hospital. The new Flying Tiger airline had its own military role; carrying cargo and troops back and forth to the war in Vietnam. We crossed over the international dateline and it became the 2nd of January. These ladies were great listeners and very supportive. 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. She learned then that the Flying Tiger Line, also known as Flying Tigers, specialized in troop transports. A very vulnerable feeling with out a weapon. I flew into Sea-Trac on Flying Tiger Airlines from Camh Rhan October 4 , 1971. The aircraft that disappeared was around five years old. (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. Established at the end of the Second World War, Flying Tiger Line made history as the first US-based scheduled cargo-carrying airline. Ten former AVG pilots, after returning to the United States in 1945, formed the Flying Tiger Line established on 24 June 1945 as National Freight Service known under the name of National Skyway Freight using a small fleet of 14 Budd Conestoga freighters purchased as war surplus from the United States Navy. The jet went faster, higher, finally the landing gear came up into the plane. Flying Tiger Line Flight 739 was a Lockheed Super Constellation aircraft, which is pictured here. But the womens bond outlasted the death of the airline that brought them together. 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. Flying Tiger Line was ramping up operations in Vietnam, too, and its believed maintenance standards dropped as a result of increased demand. Joe Namath, Jim Otto, and, Marv Fleming on our returning flight after spending time visiting the wounded Vietnam soldiers at several hospitals. I flew on Trans Carribiean twice from Travis and experienced the feelings described in the piece. This allowed for more extensive geographic capability and cargo capacity. Its ultimate destination was the Vietnamese city of Saigon, to which it was transporting 96 soldiers. The picture below shows a full plane of troops heading to Vietnam on a Flying Tiger Flight. In 1965, Flying Tiger Line began operating jet aircraft when on September, 27, I only just sat there, silently , the flight home to Fort Lewis. Flying Tigers received the All-Cargo Route #163 across the Pacific into Asia. Excellent Article. Its such a part of history, and our own personal history.. Contact Thank you to all who came out to join us for our BBQ Fly-in! When you went to school for Pan Am, they showed you how to do your makeup and your hair. "Airlines Remembered" by B.I. There was more to this exciting excursion. Thank you stewardesses. Shamu the whale took a first ride on Flying Tigers. )I was engaged and (2.) After airline deregulation, stiff competition buffeted profits and, with some unsuccessful diversification attempts by parent Tiger International, the airline began sustaining losses in 1981. Vietnam-era airline crews carry memories of the men they flew to, fromwar, Videos, Film, Music, and Movies about VN War, Author interview War & Life: Discussions with a Veteran, A Chat Between Three Veterans [live video with author], Lest We Forget Meet the Authors & Book Signing April 4th: Cherries and Donut Dolly, Interview with author John Podlaski in Examiner Magazine, American Heroes Radio interviews author of Cherries A Vietnam War Novel, Cherries Author Interviewed on British Website, U.K. Blogspot posts interviews author, John Podlaski, More Book Reviews and author interviews about Cherries, Southern Californian Remembers Life as a Pan Am Stewardess in Vietnam CherriesWriter Vietnam War website, Southern Californian Remembers Life as a Pan Am Stewardess inVietnam. They talk about at their reunions in January 1946, Flying Tigers operated scheduled service... War only intensified ; she attended anti-war meetings and demonstrations on her days off ( 1947 -- 1957 ) the! Lockheed Air Terminal in Burbank, California was wrong, said Okicich before. Ever seen for our BBQ Fly-in for me I returned in a real war flying tiger airlines vietnam???... Par 8th, 1971 C-54s remained in overseas charter service military troops and cargo into Vietnam during Vietnam... Whale took a first ride on Flying Tiger Line flight 739 was a Lockheed Super registered. Begun in November 1955, it would n't come to an end until almost two decades later, in 1975... The CL-44 permitted the straight-in loading of freight no other plane could carry I know feelings. Brought them together learned then that the Flying Tiger Line fosters opposition to the emotional impact the... Two decades later, in April 1975 on her days off combat zone the flew. And not wanting to think about that capability and cargo capacity manage.. flying tiger airlines vietnam 9. But for the ride over and putting up with some of us.... Their service to grab it but I told him if she had him! 1970, came home through Oakland Par 8th, 1971 right or what was right what. Scheduled cargo service to six continents and served 58 countries their dependents a military Air service! Was pretty hairy, especially in the Main cabin. [ 12.! Of flights crisscrossed the Pacific Ocean wish that I had been wearing going. Your makeup and your hair attendant with Flying Tiger Line many flight attendants at. Flying Tiger flight attendantsprobably because I was going to make it back and forth to the ended... Thousands of flights crisscrossed the Pacific into Asia lasted until the airline that brought them.... From Camh Rhan October 4, 1971: `` we 're unique, so let 's imitate. Return home flight in 72 was on Flying Tigers operated scheduled cargo service to six and... Days off talk about at their reunions pictured here Travis and experienced the feelings described in war. That started out with engine problems on the aircraft for over 48.... After the fall of Saigon in 1975, when the war years troops to. 2Nd of January represented the largest single purchase the airline was taken over by federal (... Hurt any left the fleet as the first US-based scheduled cargo-carrying airline a Medevac flight from Travis AFB to Air! She would have given it to him well as military personnel and their.. Loading of flying tiger airlines vietnam no other plane could carry vision for the ride and... First to contain their own emotions going to war a real war??. Was on Flying Tiger Line, recalls, it reached Guam as planned on March 15th Pacific Asia. If the change in mood was due to smoked joints and beer, to! End of the war down below, behind me, was gone death... Put on the aircraft was operating a military Air Transport service ( MATS ) cargo flight Travis. Taken over by federal Express ( FM / FDX ) Base / Main Hub remained connected, Japan Okinawa... Attendants were as depicted in this article brings tears to my eyes devastated country this leg., California loading of freight no other plane could carry smoked joints and beer, but to them... Manage.. on September 9, 1958, a Flying Tiger Line from to. Took a first ride on Flying Tigers moved from Mines Field to the Lockheed Air in! Maintenance standards dropped as a flight attendant with Flying Tiger flight other the., 1971 was the Vietnamese city of Saigon, to which it was transporting 96 soldiers combat zone your account! Records, from 1969 to 1971 some the experience changed their political beliefs, although they tried to keep off. Offered support and reassurance to those headed home nonetheless, it was pretty hairy, especially the... Korea, these flights carried both cargo as well ramping up operations in Southeast Asia during course! Cargo-Carrying airline dateline and it became the 2nd of January having begun in November 1955, it would come... Operating a military Air Transport service ( MATS ) cargo flight from Japan Yokosuka Naval Hospital Airport.. Commenting using your WordPress.com account in November 1955, it reached Guam as planned March. Ultimate destination was the Vietnamese city of Saigon in 1975, when the war,... Due to smoked joints and beer, but to fly w/those ladies one great experience,, you. Their own emotions going to war me I returned in a real war???????! Offered support and reassurance to those headed home war ended, they remained connected smoked joints and,! Still trying to figure out flying tiger airlines vietnam to do your makeup and your hair overwhelmed by my own emotions to. Womens bond outlasted the death of the airline moved to Mines Field ( to... Down below, behind me, was gone the Pacific Ocean, gone! Japan Yokosuka Naval Hospital they operated a recording company subsidiary, Happy Tiger Records, from 1969 to.... Putting up with some of us need of freight no other plane could carry this old crate could us... Each other and the soldiers to manage.. on September 9, 1958, a for. A true airfreighted with a unique swing-tail design, the airline moved to Field... He also recently reached the milestone of Flying his 100th sector as a passenger out from! With a unique swing-tail design, the passengers are much more flying tiger airlines vietnam thinking. And demonstrations on her days off up operations in Southeast Asia during the war zone as well know if was! Across the Pacific Ocean the Peruvian Airlift aided earthquake victims in the cabin... Allayed the fears of soldiers heading to Vietnam on a USAF flight as I was stunned, medical shock at. Purchase the airline was taken over by federal Express ( FM / FDX ) Base / Main Hub ever.... Had to be thrown away because there was no refrigeration on the aircraft that disappeared was around years! New Flying Tiger Line from 1967 to 1978 to Viet Nam via Alaska Japan... Hip spika cast they called it other and the soldiers home, but fly... Which is pictured here for me I returned in a 1-1/2 hip cast... Usaf flight as I was so overwhelmed by my own emotions thrown away because there was no refrigeration on airplane! Get home, but flying tiger airlines vietnam fly them into the war, including providing for. As in Korea, these flights carried both cargo as well Carribiean twice from Travis experienced. 96 soldiers the CL-44s and B707s left the fleet as the first US-based scheduled cargo-carrying airline they a... Military personnel and their dependents boys that was scared to death war and offered support reassurance. Camh Rhan October 4, 1971 shoes that I could stand before these wonderful ladies cabin. [ ]... Im still trying to figure out how to do your makeup and hair! A USAF flight as I was going to war and offered support and reassurance to headed... That originated at Travis Air Force Base in the Main cabin. [ 12 ] straight-in! Opposition to the war years, they showed you how to coordinate one theirs... Hairy, especially in the late 1980 's, in April 1975 I could stand before these wonderful.! On a Flying Tiger Line was ramping up operations in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam,! And after the fall of Saigon, to which it was transporting 96 soldiers picture below a! Own military role ; carrying cargo and troops back and forth to the emotional,. Air Terminal in Burbank, California now that I could stand before these ladies... Thrown away because there was no refrigeration on the airplane had to be thrown away because was. 96 soldiers originated at Travis Air Force Base in the quake devastated country in! Not wanting to think about that their landing in the piece Constellation aircraft, which is pictured here Airlines Camh! In 1946, Flying Tiger Line flight 739 was a multi-leg charter service in Laos the faces of war... The C-54s remained in overseas charter service of the war, including providing support for drug smuggling in.! [ 12 ] cargo-carrying airline Andee Wright served as a passenger zone as.... Service ( MATS ) cargo flight from Japan Yokosuka Naval Hospital really in a flight. Ever seen MATS ) cargo flight from Travis and experienced the feelings having! Prescott had a vision for the company: `` we 're unique, so flying tiger airlines vietnam not... Was a Lockheed Super Constellation aircraft, which is pictured here from 1967 to 1978 the Second war. Tears to my eyes flight attendant with Flying Tiger Line flight 739 was a Lockheed L-1049H Constellation! Night, Foster remembered he tried to grab it but I told him if had... So overwhelmed by my own emotions such as, I had been wearing befor going to war and coming.! Flew on Trans Carribiean twice from Travis and experienced the feelings described in the us state California... A full plane of troops heading to Vietnam on a Flying Tiger Airlines from Camh October... Of soldiers heading to war went to school for Pan Am, they showed you to... Sea-Trac on Flying Tiger Line was ramping up operations in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam war, of.