The greatest feat of flying in the history of military aviation

[Biggus]

Let's leave the World War 2 thread running for just that time period, but feel free to populate this one with whatever you feel may qualify!

[SASless]

A Special Forces Camp named Kham Duc was over run by NVA forces and resulted in the evacuation of the Camp by Air Force, Army, and Marine Aviation units.

My Chinook Unit was involved (prior to my arrival in country) and later I spent many enjoyable days Scuba Diving with the last man out of the Camp....one of the Air Force Combat Controllers that were recovered by the last aircraft to land and make it out of the camp. The C-123 Pilot received the Medal of Honor for that bit of flying.

During the fighting a Huey was shot down and left idling, rotors turning, and the crew rescued by another helicopter. Later, a Chinook pilot....himself having been shot down...seeing the idling Huey....used the Huey to fly himself and his Chinook crew out of the place.

It was a disastrous day for the US Military.....and as usual in those kinds of events....some very ordinary Men did some very extraordinary flying.

Battle of Kham Duc - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Kham_Duc)


Rescue at Kham Duc (http://www.airforce-magazine.com/MagazineArchive/Pages/2005/October%202005/1005khamduc.aspx)


Learn and talk about Battle of Kham Duc, 1968 in Vietnam, Battles and operations of the Vietnam War, Battles involving Vietnam, Battles involving the United States (http://www.digplanet.com/wiki/Battle_of_Kham_Duc)

[barnstormer1968]

I am about to check out SASless's links, but feel this thread has a silly title.
There are so many couragagous or outstanding feats of military flying that perhaps just listing examples will do.

There are things like the buccaneer with a salted up canopy that attempted to land on a carrier, only to hit the superstructure and carry on to land (still blind) on a land based site. There are numerous special forces flights or recce flights (especially during the early Cold War)' etc etc

[SASless]

There are thousands of such incidents that need telling about.....and photos shown if possible. From salted up canopies to bombers shot to pieces that made it back....to covert flights over the Soviet Union.

We ought to dig them out and re-tell them.

[barnstormer1968]

I agree.

Extreme situations (and war has more than its fair share) can bring out amazing or outstanding qualities in the human race.

I am largely unaware of a lot of U.S. acts, and have mostly studied British history, but defy any serving or former serving person not to be captivated by some stories from the U.S.
The story of Roy P Benavidez is one such story of going above and beyond what is expected!

[SASless]

Two B-17's collided....and landed together.

Amazing reading when you take time to think about what really went on....and the sure knowledge the one Ball Turret Gunner had no chance to survive and knew it for quite some time.

Two B-17s Collide And Stick Together in Flight (http://www.stelzriede.com/ms/html/mshwma30.htm)

[gravity victim]

Churchill credited an army glider pilot, Sgt Wallwork, with the War's greatest feat of military flying for, I think, his precision job at Pegasus Bridge.

[WASALOADIE]

The Dambusters Raid

[DaveW]

Churchill credited an army glider pilot, Sgt Wallwork, with the War's greatest feat of military flying for, I think, his precision job at Pegasus Bridge.

Coincidentally, Staff Sgt Wallwork (http://www.theprovince.com/news/Decorated+glider+pilot+dies+hospital+White+Rock/7868801/story.html) passed away last Thursday in British Columbia, at the fine age of 93.

http://www.theprovince.com/news/7527758.bin

http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~njmckay/Brgngld.jpg

[Lima Juliet]

Oh come on, there can be only one, ever...

The Sea Harrier and the Bearded Bull$h!tter on Op CORPORATE. Everything else is just not worthy! :}

Sarchasm off...

[MightyGem]

Come along Dave W and gravity victim. Pay attention:
http://www.pprune.org/military-aircrew/506238-greatest-feat-flying-second-world-war.html
:ugh:

[DaveW]

Well, one's a subset of t'other; and at least Staff Sgt Wallwork's passing was noted even if your forehead did take a pounding.

Sorry about that.

[Milo Minderbinder]

I'm in no position to judge, but I've always been impressed by some of the stories of the WWII long range recce missions. Once met a Kiwi girl whose father (Kym Dixon from memory) had flown a couple of missions from Russia to Scotland in a Spitfire, looking for the Tirpitz in Norway. If I remember correctly he got a DFC for it. Struck me as a mission which almost offered no hope of survival - a single engined limited range aircraft in arctic conditions...

[pasir]

Of the many heroic deeds we can quote - This one I especially recall

April 1944 - Returning from a raid on Germany Flt/Sgt N Jackson was a crew member of a Lancaster attacked by a German night fighter that left the
bomber with an engine on fire. Flt/Sgt Jackson crawled onto the wing
of the Lanc flying at 200 mph with a fire exinguisher tucked into his flying
jacket to extinguish the fire - with only his parachute cords trailed out to comrades in the a/c offering any form of safety.

Sadly his gallant efforts were unable to save the a/c but he survived the war as a POW and later awarded the VC.

[SASless]

80 Brave Men....Mitchell B-25 Bombers....an Aircraft Carrier....and the first Allied Bombing of Japan.....amazing Men!


Doolittle Raider 80 Brave Men (http://www.doolittleraider.com/80_brave_men.htm)



B-29 Radioman: Henry "Red" Erwin Medal of Honor Recipient


Henry "Red" Erwin, Medal of Honor (http://www.homeofheroes.com/wings/erwin.html)

[Brian 48nav]

I have had the privilege of knowing slightly (through my wife's art and painting) Ron Homes, WW2 Lancaster pilot and aviation artist.
Google him and read 'A night to remember', his story of bringing back a damaged Lanc' in '44.
A quiet modest man who did not fly again after being demobbed.

In the little village in Somerset where I used to live, Pen Selwood, we had 3 famous WW2 flying heroes. All sadly deceased.
Gerry Fray flying unarmed PR Spifire took before and after pics' of the raid on the dams.
Mike Vlasto, pilot of a 31 Sqn Dakota,first to land in the Burma jungle to pick up wounded Chindits.
Dick Maydwell, Somerset LI army officer flew as a pilot with 53 Sqn early in the war, later lost a leg in a jeep in Italy but continued as a RAF pilot until well after the war.

You may have heard of another pilot who lived in the village for a couple of years mid-80s..... Sharkey Ward:( I'm pleased to say I did not know or meet him.

[ORAC]

Saburō Sakai (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saburo_Sakai)

.......Although in agony from his injuries (he had a serious head wound from a bullet that had passed through his skull and the right side of his brain, leaving the entire left side of his body paralyzed, and was left blind in one eye, Sakai managed to fly his damaged Zero in a four-hour, 47-minute flight over 560 nmi (1,040 km; 640 mi) back to his base on Rabaul, using familiar volcanic peaks as guides. When he attempted to land at the airfield he nearly crashed into a line of parked Zeros but, after circling four times, and with the fuel gauge reading empty, he put his Zero down on the runway on his second attempt.

After landing, he insisted on making his mission report to his superior officer before collapsing.

His squadron mate Hiroyoshi Nishizawa drove him, as quickly but as gently as possible, to the surgeon. Sakai was evacuated to Japan on 12 August, where he endured a long surgery without anesthesia. The surgery repaired some of the damage to his head, but was unable to restore full vision to his right eye. Nishizawa visited Sakai while he was recuperating in the Yokosuka hospital in Japan.

After his discharge from the hospital in January 1943, Sakai spent a year training new fighter pilots. With Japan clearly losing the air war, he prevailed upon his superiors to let him fly in combat again. In November 1943, Sakai was promoted to the rank of warrant officer. In April 1944, he was transferred to Yokosuka Air Wing, which was deployed to Iwo Jima.

On 24 June 1944, Sakai approached a formation of 15 U.S. Navy Grumman F6F Hellcat fighters which he mistakenly assumed were friendly Japanese aircraft. In a chase that has become legendary, Sakai demonstrated his skill and experience. Despite his loss of one eye and facing superior enemy aircraft, Sakai eluded attacks by the Hellcats for more than 20 minutes, returning to his airfield untouched..........

[NutLoose]

Pardo's Push was another superb bit of flying.

Pardo's Push: An Incredible Feat of Airmanship (http://www.historynet.com/pardos-push-an-incredible-feat-of-airmanship.htm)

[ionagh]

The Sea Vixen with the salted windscreen that the LSO on Eagle guided into a Bucc, a Sea Vixen, a forklift and another Bucc before leaving half the wing behind and successfully diverting to Valley.
E-J :D

[green granite]

For shear endurance, skill and logistical effort I vote for the Black Buck raids.

[Herod]

Not forgetting my first solo on the JP. ;)