Yep much more nice than in black before but an other teacher here ...
J-20 5th Gen Fighter Thread V
- Thread starter Deino
- Start date
- Status
He worked out of the US Embassy in Saigon during the fall of 67, and was there when the US Embassy was over-run during TET in 68. We spent 2 weeks at Hurlburt AFB in Florida as he transitioned into the MC-130E, Combat Talon I, which he is flying in this picture.
He had an office in the Embassy from which he directed airlift for MACVSOG, you can see that they are "on the deck" and much of the COIN work was conducted at very low altitudes, in fact the MC-130E had terrain following radar, as well as the Fulton Recovery System, which my Dad helped to test in country.
After Vietnam, my Dad was assigned to be the Air Attache to the Ambassador of Chile, and though he considered it an honor, ultimately returned to Sewart AFB, Tn, and continued giving basic and transition training in the C-130E as the C-130 School-house moved to Little Rock AFB, Ar.
The Combat Talon I was the first actual Black Bird use in Combat, and had over 400 lbs of dark, rubberized Stealth Coating. The SR-71 was also Low Observable, both Lockheed products, Lockheed still leads the way in L/O technology!.
You can see the "OLD MAN" is not happy, and believe me, I have been on the receiving end of that "LOOK"! one of the very few combat photos I had of my Dad, what they were doing was very much "top secret"!
broadsword
Brigadier
Holy...! I had the impression that the handsome man was an actor from a movie all the while. Brat, I still don't believe you look as good as him. He looked like Stephen Boyd.
Equation
Lieutenant General
thanks t2, he would be flattered, but embarrassed, he was just like he looks in this picture,,,,a real hero, I never caught him in a lie, or even a slight embellishment. He was polite, a quiet "ladies man", and you're right, I had trouble getting a date?? but I'm married to a very beautiful woman, I have 7 beautiful daughters and two rotten boys.
thanks Bub, it means a lot!
Brat's avator pic makes me thought it was Mel Gibson from Air America movie?
Good call Equation, he did look almost exactly like Mel Gibson, and this picture was taken just as MACVSOG was taking over the many different missions of Air America, in fact my Dad checked out in the Fairchild C-123 just like you saw in Air America, but then MACV realized that bird wouldn't cut it, so they took the C-130s and converted them to the "HEAVY CHAIN" mission, the aircraft where also referred to as "RIVET YARD".
My Dad never told me these details, one of my hospice patient's (I was the Chaplain) daughter's was in the nursing home as her Mom was dying, and asked me about my DAD? I told her he was a pilot in the Air Force, and she asked me an unbelievable question?? "What did he fly" and I said C-130s, and she said "I design Radars for C-130's" and I said "NO you don't" and she said "YES, I DO!", I asked her why would you design a radar for a 50 year old airplane, and she said, "its a terrain following radar for the Combat Talon II! I then said "my Dad flew a 130 in Viet-nam with terrain following radar, and she stated "that was the Combat Talon I!
look it up on Wiki, it is very interesting, and filled in a big gap in my Dad's Viet-nam experience for me?? but he was just larger than life, never bragged, or boasted, I just wish he had told me more?? he took that top-secret clearance to his grave!
I did go to the base for a few sessions and saw lots of actual footage of 130 landing on dirt strips in support of those missions, just incredible.
So I do have an interest in Asia, and have always had Asian friends, our, maid Yashiko, was just a gorgeous woman, and loved me and my brother, I loved her too, wish I could give her a big hug and a kiss right now!
okay, back to the J-20, I am so happy to see these beautiful birds numbered, it is nice to be able to look at he internet and log-books and know the history of individual tail numbers on military aircraft, on the F-4 Facebook page there are just pages and pages of these beautiful old airplanes and their tail-numbers bring back so many memories and great stories.
Deino, I hope you can help us keep them straight, and I really do hope at some point in time, Chengdu will invite you over for a factory tour, and non-classified details, its such a lovely airplane, and I would love to hear you tell its story!
Brat you have given me a lump down my throat reading about your dad and how you idolise him. A littile discipline never hurt anyone look at how you turn out, a fine country gentlemsn
Thank you Keinchin, and my Dad loved people, he was a Deacon in our church, helped lots of people, defended his Pastor, took care of the old ladies and children, but as important to me, were those he served with and there clearly obvious love and respect for him as a man. Your right about the discipline, I did get a couple of "spankings" for egregious breach's, but most of the time it was just that "look" and knowing I had let him down.
So the SDF is personal for me, I can't talk to my neighbor over the back-yard fence for these kinds of conversations?? So I get my "fix" here on SDF, guys do keep praying for Master Jeff, he's going through a battle for his life, I haven't seen him on for a few days??
That's why I love this beautiful airplane, its an opportunity for me to learn and discuss and aircraft from the beginning, and it has been a joy and a thrill. Ultimately it brings pride and self confidence to those who are designing and building it, and ultimately I hope that brings us closer together!
Nothing more that I would love than to visit Chengdu with Bro Deino and carry his bags on that factory tour!
I think I read somewhere that the F-22 already has some kind of active capability with its AN/APG-77 to "zap" incoming missiles and blind or outright fry their sensors/electronics. As the world's militaries shift en masse from GaS to GaN MMICs I could see this becoming a widespread capability if it isn't already.
- Status