WIX Archives
Vietnamese Skyraiders
Posted by bdk on Fri Oct 25, 2002 06:15:50 PM
In reply top Re: Dien Bien Phu.... posted by JimH on Fri Oct 25, 2002 04:23:12 PM
I think the Tallichet Skyraiders were from Laos? Those Skyraiders are long gone from Long beach airport (maybe 15-20 years?).
A friend of mine tried to buy some of those Skyraiders in Vietnam. He had been traveling there extensively, but finally gave up because he was not confident that he could actually get them on the ship. Vietnam seemed to be a nation of middlemen with each step of the way waiting for their palms to be greased, each claiming authority, yet there always seemed to be one higher layer requiring approval. He was afraid that he would grease all those palms, pay for the aircraft, and then at the last minute have some bureaucrat decide that the aircraft couldn't leave. Once palms are greased and the aircraft paid for, if the aircraft get stopped on the dock you would never get ANY of your money back. He felt it was way too risky. He was offering (if the deal worked out) a Skyraider at $40k with an overhauled engine at the time (around 1994).
: You are right Rob, that was in Air Classics, or Warbirds I
: nternational. The photos were quite remarkable, especially
: the Spads...time capsules! It also mentioned something o
: f a warehouse of O-1 Birdogs, and T-37 parts not too far f
: rom the base. Dave Tallichet recovered some Skyraider airf
: rames but I am not sure they were from Vietnam. When I saw
: the AH-1 at Chino in 94 she still had her wartime paint a
: nd was sitting in the back corner of the MARC hangar. One
: of the guys there said there were some in Long Beach as we
: ll.
:
: Jim