Mr Lappos is being reticent for a gun driver. The “alpha” personality that allows one to go toe-to-toe with a 12.7 emplacement- especially at night- is usually much more forthcoming in explaining to anybody handy, all and sundry, the challenges, skill and courage required to do that job. (I do admire the intellectual discipline and detachment that it takes to do that, day after day.)
I flew the flare ship for a Snake company, and did other and various missions in the dark of South Viet Nam. I shot –one- approach to a secure LZ by flare, and I hated it. Flares obscure almost as much as they illuminate. Add the powerful physiological illusion that the source of all that light’s the sun (multiple flares seem to minimize this) and you’re set for spatial disorientation, big-time, not to mention losing your eye’s dark adaptation. I’ve experienced my most powerful and durable vertigo episodes flying across a flare to drop the next in the series. I think that the normally demanding and dangerous job the Guns did was much, much harder at night, and that's probably why nights accounted for almost all of our fatal accidents.
We tried the Starlight scope, but the guy on the ‘scope usually ended up violently ill in a few minutes. Gyro-stabilized binoculars did the same thing. The preferred SOP ended being NOE, down in the trees or paddies, with the guns following, ready to pounce. A “high speed” (for a Slick) NOE entrance to the area of interest suppressed the noise somewhat. The mode was a very low level transition from a nearby stage field, or go out high with a high rate and dark descent to NOE, and then power up the “bug-light” and look around. I never took serious fire on the illuminated side of the aircraft, so maybe that big ol’ Firefly light did dazzle the bad guys- I was told it would.
"Head Turner"- We Yanks aren't "Gun-ho". We appreciate skill, fine tools, and the benefits they bring when used wisely- as they were in 1776.
Last edited by Devil 49; 16th Sep 2006 at 13:16.
Reason: clarify