C-130 takeoff Danang Vietnam

C-130 takeoff from Danang 1972. Dozens of arched revetments can be seen lining the far side of the runway. The revetments provided some measure of protection for aircraft including possible rocket attacks where chain reaction explosions had potential to do extensive damage.

C-130 turboprop maintenance

Ground crew doing maintenance on one of C-130’s four turboprop engines … basically jet engine driven propellers. The prop assemblies are very complex with variable pitch blades. These jet engines always run at a constant RPM (around %100 in cockpit gauge). Throttle increase at constant RPM would produce greater torque which was transferred to the prop where the blades would move in synch to take bigger bite of air allowing acceleration and/or climb. Nha Trang, Vietnam 1972.

Phu Cat C-130 loading

C-130 baking in midday sun at Phu Cat Airbase 1971 located along the South China Sea in Central Vietnam. Coastal hills and blossoming thunderstorms in the background. You can see a crewmember seated on the ground in the shade of the wing … while parked on the ramp the inside of the aircraft was like an oven with temps well over 100 degrees. Same heat was true during taxi and takeoff as the air conditioning was ineffective until after liftoff when engines really got going to provide the AC energy. To the rear of the plane a tractor fork lift is moving a large pallet of cargo into position for loading.

105 Howitzers at Nha Trang

Ten 105 howitzers lining the ramp at what I think is Nha Trang Airbase in Vietnam 1972. Barrels and breaches of guns sealed to keep out contaminates. Photo taken from runway side of ramp looking Southwest toward coastal hills. Nha Trang is on the South Chine Sea of South Central Vietnam with beautiful beaches … I believe it is a highly commercialized resort today.

C-119 Flying Boxcar

Open back end of camouflaged C-119 “Flying Boxcar” cargo plane with familiar dual tail and squared fuselage … most likely at Tan Son Nhut in Saigon 1971. There also were two variations of AC-119’s developed as gunships that were heavily armed (and feared) … they used the call signs Shadow and Stinger. Ever present afternoon clouds are building as precursors to frequent thunderstorms over Vietnam. There also appears to be partial view of a Vietnamese twin engine C-123 on right side of photo behind the standing man

C-130 cargo offload

Loadmasters and crew supervising fork lift unloading of cargo pallet from rear of C-130. You can see rollers on floor of cargo area on which the pallets could be easily moved and locked in place. Occasionally when landing at “hot” airfields the rear cargo doors would be opened and pallets unlocked … the aircraft would then accelerate while taxiing allowing the pallets to slide out back of plane onto the taxiway. This could be down very quickly allowing for a moving, engines-running offload followed by immediate takeoff … depriving nearby enemy of an easy target on the ground. Vietnam 1972.

Search and rescue from NKP

Icons for Jolly Green Giant and Pedro search and rescue helicopter squadrons located at Nakhon Phanom (NKP) airbase in far Northeast Thailand known for "the secret war" air operations. NKP was on the Mekong River next to Laos and only about 80 miles from North Vietnam ... about 250 from Hanoi. Because of this proximity the helicopters were on alert and could be quickly scrambled to rescue downed airmen and others in immediate need in unfriendly territory.

Operation Homecoming

Special mobile communications equipment flown into Danang in '73. This was in support of "Operation Homecoming" where Air Force C-141's flew to Hanoi to bring home our freed POWs after the "so called" end of US involvement in the war.