Pilots View - Page 2

Stealhead · 12-13-13, 11:52 PM

Too bad they did not have such cameras 40 years ago I'd love to see some landing footage from Air America operation in Laos.I have read and spoken to guys that flew for AA.Lets just say they had to land some of the most difficult approaches in aviation.

One guy told me this one particular filed in the mountains the angle of it you could only make one approach and you hand to land if you had any load it was not possible to pull back up.the extra challenge was that sometimes water buffalo would wander in and if you on approach you just had to hope that he moved or you just hit him.A couple of PC-6 and U-10D got destroyed by errant water buffalo.He said what they tried to do was make several fly pasts over any field or strip to check for livestock and also to observe if in fact the friendly Lao where still in control of the strip.They you could tell was AA meant you could land no AA meant that the Patet Lao or NVA has taken the strip and wanted you to land so they could capture you.And Air America never transported drugs that is a lie.

By the way Evergreen International Airways took over the job in 1976 I just found this out doing some research that explains why I saw so many Evergreens on the flight line in the USAF man those guys where always very impatient.Lynden is another there was always at least one of their L-100-30s around they where much cooler guys but Herc crews are always cool.Evergreen sometimes the pilots would flip you the bird so I returned with a double worse some times they'd kick the throttles up on the 747s when they turned out of the spot which forces you to lay on the ground or get blown over so with them I always walked on the opposite side from their turn.I always made sure to take my time with them.

Anyway I bet the typical "easy" Air America landing looked like this only with a bit more greenery and without the modern aids.

fireftr18 · 12-14-13, 10:58 AM

The coolest part was the mountains sticking up over the cloud cover.

12-13-13, 11:52 PM	#16
Stealhead Navy Seal Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Kentucky Posts: 5,421 Downloads: 85 Uploads: 0	Too bad they did not have such cameras 40 years ago I'd love to see some landing footage from Air America operation in Laos.I have read and spoken to guys that flew for AA.Lets just say they had to land some of the most difficult approaches in aviation. One guy told me this one particular filed in the mountains the angle of it you could only make one approach and you hand to land if you had any load it was not possible to pull back up.the extra challenge was that sometimes water buffalo would wander in and if you on approach you just had to hope that he moved or you just hit him.A couple of PC-6 and U-10D got destroyed by errant water buffalo.He said what they tried to do was make several fly pasts over any field or strip to check for livestock and also to observe if in fact the friendly Lao where still in control of the strip.They you could tell was AA meant you could land no AA meant that the Patet Lao or NVA has taken the strip and wanted you to land so they could capture you.And Air America never transported drugs that is a lie. By the way Evergreen International Airways took over the job in 1976 I just found this out doing some research that explains why I saw so many Evergreens on the flight line in the USAF man those guys where always very impatient.Lynden is another there was always at least one of their L-100-30s around they where much cooler guys but Herc crews are always cool.Evergreen sometimes the pilots would flip you the bird so I returned with a double worse some times they'd kick the throttles up on the 747s when they turned out of the spot which forces you to lay on the ground or get blown over so with them I always walked on the opposite side from their turn.I always made sure to take my time with them. Anyway I bet the typical "easy" Air America landing looked like this only with a bit more greenery and without the modern aids. Last edited by Stealhead; 12-14-13 at 12:16 AM.

12-14-13, 10:58 AM	#17
fireftr18 Ocean Warrior Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Kentucky Posts: 2,528 Downloads: 77 Uploads: 0	The coolest part was the mountains sticking up over the cloud cover. __________________ Of all the forms of Martial Arts, Karaoke causes the most pain!