QANTAS and the Vietnam War

[PLovett]

Currently reading Paul Ham's book, "Vietnam: The Australian War". Very good by the way.

He describes that the advance party of the 5th Batallion RAR, who were to establish the Australian Task Force base at Nui Dat, were transported by a chartered QANTAS 707. He describes that the crew had to manoeuvre to avoid Viet Cong anti-aircraft guns near Tan Son Nhut airport.

Are there any, presumably ex-QANTAS crew by now, still out there willing to reminise about those flights? I would be interested to read of the operational problems associated with these flights, if any.:ok:

[Jabawocky]

My aircraft partner has told me stories of exactly that, special procedures for avoiding bullets and bombs:uhoh:.

Also tells me that the stock of beer for return flights was .... greatly appreciated and consumed rapidly.

He also hated delivery flights, knowing some would not return.

J

[Brian Abraham]

We were most disappointed with the service on the run home (well, not really). Took a very, very long ground run to get airborne at Tan Son Nhut, knowing the airport rather intimately we had some concern we were not going to make it (much curling of toes and gripping of arm rests, did we survive a year to end in a pyre off the end of 25?). On getting some air under us we were advised we would be stopping in Darwin on the way. What happened to the Sydney direct? A little over the allowed baggage it turned out (all those stereos etc) so couldn't get the fuel for Sydney on. The landing in Darwin was a short field demonstation and most impressive (to we pilots at least, don't know about the boys in khaki), a quick slop of fuel and off again. When arriving at Tan Son Nhut the descent and approach was just your bog standard airline. Going into Da Nang coming back from R & R was a different story. Pan Am DC-8, over the top of the field at FL200, lay it on the side and bomb out of the sky, taking about 5 seconds in all to runway turn off, or so it seemed. The Captain on the trip up out of Sydney was reputed to be the youngest in the airline to get a command on the 707, about 26YO I seem to recall.

[Chimbu chuckles]

My dad (long retired QF) did those runs on the 707 in and out of Saigon, at least, not sure about Danang.

I used to frequent Saigon, Danang and Hanoi years ago in the Falcon...went to Qui Nohn (sp?) and Na Trang once too...my favorite game at Saigon was chasing the 'follow me' car up the parallel taxiway after rolling through on 25R because the airfield was in such a poor state of repair full length was the only option.

Spool up a bit and he accelerates too, then a bit more, etc...got poor Ho up to 50 odd kts more than once before selecting idle buckets and watching him shoot out in front before a glance in his rear view mirrors caused rapid braking.:E

Evocative places with all the hardened shelters lining the taxiways...sometimes housing Migs still...often with the remnants of an AA gun rusting atop...and the abandoned US aircraft.

Used to get a funny feeling on arrival for 25R or departed off 07L when you spotted the functional SAM site on the airfield just inside the boundary fence:ooh:

Watching Mig 21s doing circuits at Noi Bai (Hanoi) was fun too.

[PLovett]

Brian, the method of arrival at Da Nang suggests the aircraft must have been configured as though for an emergency descent, gear, flaps and boards out. :eek:Is that how you remember it?:)

Chuckles, you are a bad, bad man. It's a wonder that the "follow me" car didn't fall apart being forced to go that fast.:}:ok:

[Brian Abraham]

suggests the aircraft must have been configured as though for an emergency descent, gear, flaps and boards out
Seem to remember not, nigh on 40 tears ago so memory does dim. DC-8 did have the facility to use reverse thrust in flight and may have been used. Do recall an approach from altitude into Houston using reverse to get down between thuderheads, most impressive.

[PLovett]

Brian, the mind boggles!:eek: My only flight in a DC8 was from Denver to Chicago and that was far less exciting, thankfully.:ok:

[Bevan666]

My wife was working in Iraq before the UN was bombed, in 2003. On one trip into Baghdad the airliner they are in are doing the big spiral down from FL200 overhead the airport...

The conversation with the woman in the seat next to her went like this

woman: whee, this is fun. :)

My wife: do you know why they do this?

woman: no...

my wife: it is to avoid the surface to air missiles

woman: what!! :uhoh:

Much gripping of hand rests ensured.

[Stationair8]

A number of well written articles in American Flying in the early 1990's written by Len Morgan a Branniff B707 skipper on the troop charters out of USA, during the Vietnam war era.

To get the fuel and payload to the max, they wouldn't depart until after midnight and then the aircraft was tugged on the runway and than pushed back until the main gear was up against the runway lights. He also gave good description of the arrival and departure out of the airbase in Vietnam. He also made a sad comment in relation to carrying them over alive on the top deck and bringing them home in cargo hold.

[Fris B. Fairing]

Some information on the Skippy Squadron
VH-JET#1 & Her Sisters - Skippy Squadron (http://www.adastron.com/707/qantas/skippy-sqn.htm)

Regards

[Critical Reynolds No]

Is there anyway to find out who crewed these flights? My late father conveyed a story to me, many many moons ago about these flights. It would be nice to know which ones he was on (if any).

[PLovett]

Thank you for the link Fris. I shall spend some time perusing that one and perhaps contacting them.

I would like to know if they used any special procedures for the arrival and departures in Vietnam. I realise that this was probably long before SOPs but given that it looks like only limited crews flew the flights it would be interesting to know if they developed any.

[qfcabin]

Critical reynolds...names of QF ppl who operated in and out of Vietnam are on the public record
Nominal Roll of Vietnam Veterans (http://www.vietnamroll.gov.au/civilians.aspx#Qantas)