Foreign SR-71 crews

[air pig]

Originally Posted by gums

Salute!

Thanks, Pig. will check those links.

Too bad about the football match, but sierra happens. Too much finesse by the Brits versus power down and keep ball in the box.

Gums sends..

As an English man I never did like international football, at least my domestic teams players will come home uninjured.

[golder]

The RAAF exchange flew the F-15 in the Iraq war

[chopper2004]

Originally Posted by gums

Salute!

We had a RAF exchange pilot with us in the 354th TFW at The Beach, but when USAF deployed us to Thailand for the first end of the war effort in 1972, we had to leave him behind and he flew with the training unit until we returned 6 monthes later. Strangely, our USN exchange pilot also had to remain behind despite the common enemy and such. We understood that this was not the Queen's war for the RAF fellow, so no problem.
One of my F-102 instructors was an RAF pilot, but our training unit was not "combat coded" like the 356th Squadron at The Beach in 1972.

I often wonder if all NATO air forces would have thrown the restrictions out the window during the Cold War if the balloon went up, and I suspect they would have.

RAF pilots flying operational missions was a big surprise when I first read books about the Black Lady. I think Dreanland Resort has excellent links to many U.S. black programs, so take a look.

Gums sends...

Hi Gums,

This is an interesting thread on here

Did any RAF or RN aircrew on exchange with USAF, USN fly over Vietnam?

cheers

[chopper2004]

Originally Posted by BEagle

For many years the USAF exchange officers on 101 Sqn had been able to avoid being detached to MPA on the grounds that the US embassy had said that political implications had ruled it out and that an embargo was in place.

Just like the old Mini which they'd passed on every time a new pilot was posted to 101 before it finally passed away, so was the 'US embassy' rumour. Until one day when one of them asked the embassy for a letter on the topic - only to be told that there was no such embargo! From then on they could indeed spend time on 1312.

If ever there was a question to which you didn't want an answer............!

Was it the same for RW exchange aircrew (USAF, US Army) over here and they could get deployed to Aldegrove

cheers

[ICM]

Originally Posted by chopper2004

Hi Gums,

This is an interesting thread on here

Did any RAF or RN aircrew on exchange with USAF, USN fly over Vietnam?

cheers

Chopper2004: Many thanks for finding that old thread. I was pretty sure I'd already explained here how the situation changed regarding flights in/out of Vietnam during my time with the C-141 at Travis AFB and, sure enough, it was in there at post #22. So no need to go through it all again now.

[gums]

Salute!

nugget90's and ICM's posts and links are great.

None of we Yanks have a problem with the whole affair being beyond the Queen's interest, and several of us know RAF and RN folks that participated, but not in official Royal capacities. BFD!!

OTOH, the RoK and Thai and RAAF were openly involved in daily combat ops. In fact I saw my first Canberra down in IV Corps one day while holding. It was not a USAF 8th or 13th bird, it was a no sierra Aussie bomber! And then there were Caribou guys near my base of operations. Finally, a few FAC outfits attached to U.S. Army folks in III Corps come to mind. So musta been the SEATO committments, like NATO.

Gums sends...

[Lima Juliet]

Some of the RAF F117 Pilots are named here: F-117 pilots - Bandit Numbers

There were at least 2 Jag mates and a Harrier mate after these. Names on the internet here: RAF F-117 pilots

[megan]

Oz aviation in Vietnam

Army 161 Recce Flight based at Nui Dat
RAAF crews attached to US units flying US OV-1, OV-2, OV-10 as FAC, F-4
RAAF Hueys and Caribou based at Vung Tau, Canberra based at Phan Rang
RAN crews flying Hueys integrated with a US Army unit, based variously at Vung Tau, Blackhorse, Bearcat, Dong Tam

gums, I was in IV Corp, only saw the Canberras once, bombing a tree line from 1,500 or 2,000 with outstanding accuracy whilst we dropped troops, memorable because is was the first day I was shot at, shot up, which resulted in us going down. Bullet in the engine oil cooler while dropping the troops off, took off with pressure at zero, after a minute or so wingman said you've got 30' of flame out the tail pipe, simultaneously the chip came on so prompt landing, ride home in a Chinook with the bird slung underneath.

[gums]

Salute!

The base I thot that the Canberra squad used was Soc Trang, but no doubt they were at Phan Rang, and the U.S. Red Birds and Yellow Birds flew outta there when I had first tour in 67-68. Apparently they also flew outta DaNang as Elaine Shepard talks about in her book "Doom Pussy", see:

Amazon

Amazon

I saw all three units, but only the USAF ones over the Trail when I was up there a few months in early 1968.

I think the RAAF FAc's I worked with were the Sidewinders.....

Gums recalls...

[megan]

The Oz Canberra squadron service here gums, nothing based at Soc Trang during my time 70 - 71, perhaps a FAC maybe.

https://www.raafaact.org.au/topics/vietnam.html

[BBadanov]

Originally Posted by gums

Salute!
I think the RAAF FAc's I worked with were the Sidewinders.....
Gums recalls...

Correct, there were 4-6 fighter pilots as 'A' FACs in-country at any one time, so they were spread around. I know of "Sidewinders" in III Corps, plus "Jades" supporting Australian Army at Vung Tau (III Corps), "Helix" north in I Corps, and south in the delta at Binh Thuy were "Tamale" (IV Corps).

[Buster Hyman]

Originally Posted by megan

Only in his dreams, the only people to fly in the aircraft were crew or VIP US citizens.

...and James May.

[ea200]

Originally Posted by Buster Hyman

...and James May.

As far as I remember James May flew in a U2 not the SR71. U2 flights by civilians are not that rare.

[Davef68]

RAF pilots on exchange have flown combat in joint or supportive ops (There was an RAF officer awarded both UK and US DFCs whilst flying F-16s in the first Gulf War

You Tube

)

The RAF U2 overflight pilots were attached to the CIA rather than the USAF. The UK kept an attachment to the CIA but the invite to fly Oxcart never came

[Buster Hyman]

Originally Posted by ea200

As far as I remember James May flew in a U2 not the SR71. U2 flights by civilians are not that rare.

You are correct. My bad.

[SASless]

gums, I was in IV Corp, only saw the Canberras once, bombing a tree line from 1,500 or 2,000 with outstanding accuracy whilst we dropped troops, memorable because is was the first day I was shot at, shot up, which resulted in us going down. Bullet in the engine oil cooler while dropping the troops off, took off with pressure at zero, after a minute or so wingman said you've got 30' of flame out the tail pipe, simultaneously the chip came on so prompt landing, ride home in a Chinook with the bird slung underneath.

Proves some folks would do anything to get to ride in a Chinook!​​​​​​​

[megan]

Lest there be any doubt as to who got a SR-71 ride here is the list of all who rode the A-12, YF-12 and SR-71

[tartare]

Congresswoman Beverly Byron - first ever woman to fly in the SR-71.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beverly_Byron
V. interesting - a lot of VIP rides there.
Necessary to keep a favourable view of a very expensive program I suppose.

[hoodie]

Originally Posted by tartare

Congresswoman Beverly Byron - first ever woman to fly in the SR-71.

There was at least one female SR-71 crew member (rather than pax): the highly impressive Marta Bohn-Meyer of NASA, who later died tragically practicing for the US Aerobatic Nationals when her canopy failed in flight.

[MrBernoulli]

Originally Posted by Union Jack

We should ever underestimate the "Powers" of the Advanced Search....

Jack

You have lost me there, Jack, sorry. Could you please expand on what you were getting at? Thanks.