Stolen Cessna that Landed on an Aircraft Carrier - O-1 Bird Dog - Vietnam War Legend

In the late 1940s, the US Army requested a lightweight monoplane that could fly at low altitudes for short-field operations. But during the Korean and Vietnam wars, the Cessna O-1 Bird Dog would take a more significant role in signaling rockets and relaying combat information to strike aircraft.

The tiny but resourceful Bird Dog would eventually be manufactured in several countries and flown all over the world on its way to a lengthy career. Still, a particular occurrence at the tail end of the Vietnam War would become its trademark deed.

During the massive humanitarian operation that evacuated the remaining Americans and thousands of South Vietnamese civilians on April 29, 1975, Major Buang-Ly stole a Bird Dog to flee from Con Son Island and take his family to safety.

With no working localization instruments and the aircraft’s fuel running out, the South Vietnamese pilot eventually followed a helicopter squadron and spotted a US aircraft carrier in the open sea.

The USS Midway was already rescuing hundreds of evacuees when a note fell from the skies: [QUOTE] “Please rescue me. Major Buang wife and 5 child.”

Unprepared to land a restless aircraft amidst the frenzied chaos, Captain Lawrence Chambers risked his own career to help a fleeing family in distress...