Air America

[Phil Space]

Just been browsing the excellent Air America site at http://www.air-america.org/site_map.shtml
It seems most of the Cessna U17's were operated in Laos by the Ravens. However I recently saw one, tail number 1448, sitting in a small museum in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Did Air America use the U17 in South Vietnam?
http://www.acig.org/artman/uploads/usaf_o-2c_0-72976.jpg
http://www.acig.org/artman/uploads/rlaf_t-28_and_o-1_and_c-123_in_1969.jpg

[con-pilot]

Try this site that SASless provided.

http://www.utdallas.edu/library/coll...er/index3.html

[Brian Abraham]

Didn't pay much attention to the aircrafts markings when recently in Saigon but the only "users" I saw when "in country" were US Military and VNAF. Not a definative answer since AA were known to "aquire" aircraft belonging to others, apply a paint job, fly the mission, repaint and return to the rightful owner.

[SASless]

The Department of Defense would "bail" aircraft and crews to Air America for some projects with both becoming "civilian" while in use....and then later return to the military.

The nickname for the process the people went through in the "transfer" to such duties was known as "Sheep Dipping" .

[Moose47]

Just curious as to why you are posting pix of the Cessna 0-1 Birdog. The U-17A was a Cessna C-185 Skywagon adapted for military use.

Cheers...Chris

[SASless]

The Air America veterans maintain a web site at the following location.....it includes a lot of historical information and photographs.

http://www.air-america.org/


The Raven's Association web site is located here...

http://www.ravens.org/history/history.htm


Raven Fred Platt who suffered a broken neck in a Bird Dog crash is the Commander of China Post 1, Generals Ward and Chennault Chapter (Operating in Exile) Shanghai, China, American Legion

The China Post 1 web site is... www.chinapost1.org

[PaperTiger]

Air America did not use the U-17 themselves, but did do maintenance on the Ravens' fleet.

The serial 1448 would seem to refer to 70-1448 which was one of a batch supplied under MAP to "various nations" (http://home.att.net/~jbaugher/1970.html), although some sources suggest that particular example went to the Turkish Army. The photos on airliners.net also cast some doubt about the accuracy of the serial.

Needs someone to check the data plate. Probably not a good idea :ooh: .