A-1E Skyraider
102998 USAF – U.S. Air
Force A-1E Skyraider on a mission over South Vietnam. November 1966. U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTO
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Thanks for the great pics, especially of those big, beautiful
A-1's.
My biggest disappointment in the AF was never getting to fly the A-1. They
were decommissioned and turned over to the VNAF while I was still at the
Academy, and I was so heart-broken, I volunteered for helicopter training
instead of "real" flight school. (At least I could still fly
my silk scarf out the cockpit window.) Since the mission of the Air
Force Academy at that time was to grow fighter pilots, I was duly
"counseled" by my AOC who said, "You'll never make General
flying helicopters".
He was correct in my case, but at last year's Jolly Green reunion, I ran into
Rich Comer, who had graduated two years after me, and showed up in the 40th in
1975. Rich had also volunteered for helo school and got the same
counseling session. At the time of the reunion, he was Vice Commander of AF
Special Operations Command, and had been nominated for his second star. Hang
around long enough and things change, even in the AF.
-- In the early 70's, the AF was rapidly running out of helo
pilots in SEA. Most had already, or were about to serve their second
tours. Up to that time, all AF pilots went to 13-months of
"real" flight school, then helo pilots would get helo training at
Stead AFB, TX -- a long pipeline. Meanwhile, the Army was cranking out
helo pilots in nine months. So the AF contracted with the Army to train
helo pilots for the AF. These pilots would be restricted to flying
helicopters only, and would be trained as "real" pilots by the Air
Force at some later time convenient to the AF. The AF Academy leadership
was shocked, however, when so many graduates volunteered for helicopter
training instead of fixed-wing training -- over 50 volunteered from the Class
of 1971.
Bob Blough
HH-53 Pilot, 40 ARRS, NKP Thailand 74-75, Korat Thailand 75
Life Member Mayaguez Memorial VFW Post 11575,
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Charter Member Jolly Green Association
Life Member Air Commando Association
Proud Member, Thailand/Laos/Cambodia (TLC) Brotherhood
Proud Member, Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association
