The other airlines that that had the contracts to take service men to that war zone in South East Asia was Seaboard World Air lines it was rumored to be own by lady bird Johnson as she was on the Board of directors of Braniff International air ways and that they and Tiger Airlines got those troop movement contracts back in the day; The old boy network was in bed with the men sitting in the white house: Flying Tiger 707 (March 68) from Travis to Anchorage (refuel), on to Okinawa (refuel), and finally to Bien Hoa. Federal Express (FM / FDX) Base / Main Hub. 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]. It flew at 200 miles per hour, carried 13,000 pounds of cargo and had a range of 900 miles. On March 6, 1967, Flying Tigers first DC8-63F aircraft arrived. The C-47 could fly 7,500 pounds of cargo over a range of 600 miles at 150 miles per hour. [9][10][2] The scheduled Boeing 747 passenger service route was New York City JFK Airport - Brussels - Tel Aviv operated several days a week.[11]. where we are found aloft God bless you all! I was old as dirt to them.. 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. On December 16, 1988, Federal Express announced their cash tender offer for the purchase of Flying Tigers. 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! I flew out of Travis and came home the same way 3 times during 68-70. From the beginning, Prescott had a vision for the company: "We're unique, so let's not imitate. The Boeing 707 remained in the fleet only few years, and later sold, upon arrival of the higher-payload Douglas DC-8, the largest civilian airliner until the Boeing 747 entered service. In 1962, the Vietnam War was far from over. According to the Aviation Safety Network, it first flew in 1957, and had amassed a total of 17,224 hours. We were eventually invited to leave the club and told to not come back Welcome Home from the USAF in Kadena. I know you dont remember many of our faces, as we no longer remember yours, but we thank you for taking care for us. So they tried to keep it light. During the last minutes of each flight, the women remember, the cabin would become eerily quiet. With this plane's nose-loading capabilities, Flying Tigers accommodated even more challenging air freight combinations in size, shape and quantity. Thank you Flight Attendants! Gotoff the jet and was greated by relatives. Thanks to all of you that attempted to make our journies more comfortable. On this last leg, the passengers are much more somber and thinking ahead to their landing in the war zone. Not sure if the change in mood was due to smoked joints and beer, but it sure didnt hurt any. And this aricle brought back many memories, both sad & scared, and delighted and full of joy! (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. While in Alaska stopping and refueling I was only 1/2 way through a mountain of pancakes, sausage and eggs smothered with Maple syrup when they announce for all out bound corpsmen to report immediately for departure. It brought back a lot of memories. Feb.3-8, 1968. Web978 views 8 months ago Andee Wright served as a flight attendant with Flying Tiger Line from 1967 to 1978. 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. Travel the world, the ad said. Chambers, Andy Gatenby. Travel the world, the ad said. Freedom Bird. The first of the "stretched" airfreights, it carried a payload of 110,000 pounds at 550 miles per hour over a 3,000 mile range. Flew over on Military Transport (think it was a 141) The flight was a complete 3 stooges movie MATS had trouble w/plane. I never heard of Tiger air until I read this article. 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. Nonetheless, it reached Guam as planned on March 15th. Also those that returned with ptsd, most of us. In the years during and after World War II, military veterans were given special preference to purchase or lease government surplus aircraft. The company said it needed flight attendants. Stay informed: Sign up for our daily and weekly aviation news digests. I think it is great! And many didnt know what to think, caught between respect for the military and horror over the fates of the boys on their flights. Ardith, I know we GIs werent always gentlemen, but thank you so very much for all that you and your sister attendants did for us on our flights too and from that hell hole of a war in SAE. 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. I recall the flight I took into Vietnam and even more than the flight I took home. Ceased operations. 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. 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. I remember well my Flying Tiger trips. Interesting. Flying Tigers continued to fly military troops and cargo into Vietnam during the war years. 365 days later. She very quickly wrote down something and gave it to me. The women working the cabin on those flights were still known as stewardesses, not flight attendants, and they walked like fashion models down the aisles. 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. Such as, I didnt know if I was going to make it back and not wanting to think about that. [1] It was headquartered on the grounds of Los Angeles International Airport in Westchester, Los Angeles, California. 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. When I went back in 1970 out of McCord it was on World Airlines. On March 6, 1967, Flying Tigers first DC8-63F aircraft arrived. Out of rocket range. Was I really in a real war??? Then all the guys just could not be held down by the stewerdesses and they did not even try to quiet the guys. As in Korea, these flights carried both cargo as well as military personnel and their dependents. The former stewardesses of Tiger Airlines still reminisce about their experiences with those brave soldiers, coming and going to Vietnam a long time ago. 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. 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. In April of 75, with the collapse of the South Vietnamese government, Flying Tigers evacuated its own personnel and other refugees from Saigon. I too was older at 25 and remember them well. August 7, 1989 was the official merger date of Flying Tiger and Federal Express. Federal Express (FM / FDX) Base / Main Hub. The new Flying Tiger airline had its own military role; carrying cargo and troops back and forth to the war in Vietnam. That flight SUCKED., but at least I got out of that chit hole. (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. The jet went faster, higher, finally the landing gear came up into the plane. a light greenish blue Flying Tiger Line, also known as Flying Tigers, was the first scheduled cargo airline in the United States and a major military charter operator during the Cold War era for both cargo and personnel (the latter with leased aircraft). The airliners were not just used to bring the soldiers home, but to fly them into the war zone as well. Flying around the world over the North and South Poles, the Pole Cat set eight speed and distance records. 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. That same year, ground-breaking ceremonies took place for the companys World Headquarters at Los Angeles International Airport. As in Korea, these flights carried both cargo as well as military personnel and their dependents. (1947 -- 1957), The acquisition of seven DC-6s represented the largest single purchase the airline industry had ever seen. In January 1946, the airline moved to Mines Field (later to become Los Angeles International Airport). Also in 1946, Flying Tigers moved from Mines Field to the Lockheed Air Terminal in Burbank, California. They operated a recording company subsidiary, Happy Tiger Records, from 1969 to 1971. I was lucky enough to have regular contact with the flight crews as they came and went in and out of Tan San Nhut AB . 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. 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. I flew on Trans Carribiean twice from Travis and experienced the feelings described in the piece. Flying Tiger Line was ramping up operations in Vietnam, too, and its believed maintenance standards dropped as a result of increased demand. Email:jason.fagone@sfchronicle.comTwitter:@jfagone, Link to the actual article: https://bit.ly/2PbitdY. 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. thank you. My return flight in 72 was on Flying Tigers that started out with engine problems on the ramp in Tan Son Nhut. In March 1962, one such personnel-carrying flight went missing en route to Vietnam. As the company celebrated its first year of Transpacific service, ground breaking for Flying Tigers first Asian terminal took place in Tokyo, Japan the companies hub for Asian operations. He wouldnt believe me until I showed him the slip of paper. The Statue of Liberty torch flew on Flying Tigers. In the Vietnam airlift, Flying Tigers provided strategic flights from the US to numerous military bases throughout the Pacific and Southeast Asia geographic region. En route to Saigon, the flight was set to make several refueling stops. They were long, boisterous flights full of bravado and joking the men going off to war were trying to psych themselves up. Thanks so much to all the people that participated in this adventure and thanks for helping us all get there and back. Photo: The aircraft departed from Andersen AFB in Guam before disappearing over the Western Pacific Ocean. It was the first time I was truly surrounded around military men, and I was overwhelmed by their commitment and belief in their mission. I have just relived a very important part of my young life, thru these articles and the loving responses. The Stewardess came back after about 10-15 minutes and asked me Do you mind if I ask you a personal question? I told her No, not really.. The airline industry is always full of new developments! Flying Tigers continued to fly military troops and cargo into Vietnam during the war years. Approximately 998 pilots worked for the airline based throughout the US. Was processed out of the Army at Fort Lewis, got a military standby flight for$11. During 1969, the CL-44s and B707s left the fleet as the addition of DC-8s took their place. I went to Nam not on a Flying Tiger plane, and made it back home in one piece with no PTSD, only a parasite from the veggies. My birthday is January 1st. During the Vietnam years the Flying Tiger Line also worked overtime for the US Postal Service. On September 3, 1983, Flying Tigers inaugurated scheduled B-747 service to Australia. In the Vietnam airlift, Flying Tigers provided strategic flights from the US to numerous military bases throughout the Pacific and Southeast Asia geographic region. Thanks, DRS. Its ultimate destination was the Vietnamese city of Saigon, to which it was transporting 96 soldiers. That motto lasted until the airline was taken over by Federal Express in the late 1980's. I remember the flight over and appreciate this article about those that made the trip over to Vietnam enjoyable despite apprehension and anxiety most of us 19 year olds carried with us. 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! On August 7, 1989, Federal Express merged Flying Tigers into its operations. But the flight attendants realized that many were understandably scared. 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. My most vivid memory is of the landing approach into Bien Hoa Airport. We relied on each other and the soldiers to manage.. The flight went missing while en route to Vietnam. What aviation news will you check out next? 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