The Artist's first day in country. This is the Caribou ramp at Cam Ranh, with aircraft of the 457th and 458th Squadrons being readied for the day's flying.
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Prints available through the C-7A Caribou Association: http://www.c-7acaribou.com
This picture is based on an incident that took place during the siege of Duc Lap, a Special Forces camp in the central highlands of Vietnam, near the Cambodian border. While the camp was under attack, we were tasked with the evacuation of GIs and ARVN forces. Heavily overloaded, we staggered into the air and were barely able to keep above the trees. As we rounded a hill, we were faced with a CH-54 Skycrane carrying a truck on a sling. We were both slow and had no ability to maneuver, but with takeoff flaps selected, I managed to get the Caribou into a left turn, passing in front of the helicopter and missing by about 100 yards. Sighs of relief all around.
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Prints available through the C-7A Caribou Association: http://www.c-7acaribou.com
Not "Instrument Flight Rules", but "I Follow Roads". Most of our destinations were not equipped with landing aids for bad weather so we often had to stay under the clouds to find the field. During the monsoon season this could result in some pretty low flying.
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Prints available through the C-7A Caribou Association: http://www.c-7acaribou.com
A Caribou lands at the Special Forces camp of Dak Pek in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. Our mission here was resupply of the Montagnard and American forces who manned this mountain outpost. A difficult approach and landing amid the hills required a special qualification on the part of the pilots.
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Prints available through the C-7A Caribou Association: http://www.c-7acaribou.com