Posted on Jun 5, 2023
Last flying C-123 'Thunderpig' coming to EAA AirVenture
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One of the famous military transport planes of the Vietnam War.
I didn't know there was only one flying C-123 left. I always remember the scene from the Disney movie comedy Air America Pathet-Lao communist Laotian farmer fired at a C- 123 CIA cargo plane not thinking he hit it when he did.
Some of you here remember flying with me or on a similar flight to Provincial Reconstruction Team Farah flying in a very small twin engine cargo plane that sat Maybe 10 people and had a rear hatch for your cargo. The pilot was definitely over 60 years old. The short takeoff and Landing aircraft had an open cockpit (meaning no door dividing between passengers and the pilot) contractor probably from the Air America genre of possibly CIA or similar, contracted Airline carriers that ferried us all over the country.
I didn't know there was only one flying C-123 left. I always remember the scene from the Disney movie comedy Air America Pathet-Lao communist Laotian farmer fired at a C- 123 CIA cargo plane not thinking he hit it when he did.
Some of you here remember flying with me or on a similar flight to Provincial Reconstruction Team Farah flying in a very small twin engine cargo plane that sat Maybe 10 people and had a rear hatch for your cargo. The pilot was definitely over 60 years old. The short takeoff and Landing aircraft had an open cockpit (meaning no door dividing between passengers and the pilot) contractor probably from the Air America genre of possibly CIA or similar, contracted Airline carriers that ferried us all over the country.
Last flying C-123 'Thunderpig' coming to EAA AirVenture
Posted from globalair.com
Vietnam War
Military History
Aviation
Pilot
Posted >1 y ago
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Few some island hopping flights from/to Guam on these guys during Vietnam War. Noisy and shakey are my memories.
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I wish I knew the kind of plane I was flying in in afghanistan. It was a twin engine short takeoff and Landing plane. The engines were on the wing it had a back hatch where you could unload your duffle bags and maybe a thousand pounds of equipment. It was extremely noisy and probably unpressurized. The aircraft could land on a dirt Runway and there was no door dividing the cockpit from the passengers. I believe it only had two seats per row and five rows totals for a total of 10 people. I can't remember if it was a tail dragging plane or not.
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It might have been a sherpa aircraft because I think the sherpa has a back hatch.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Short_C-23_Sherpa#/media/File%3AA_C-23_Sherpa_from_the_California_Army_National_Guard's_Detachment_1%2C_Company_I%2C_185th_Theater_Aviation_Brigade%2C_flies_over_San_Diego.jpg
Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen LTC Trent Klug
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Short_C-23_Sherpa#/media/File%3AA_C-23_Sherpa_from_the_California_Army_National_Guard's_Detachment_1%2C_Company_I%2C_185th_Theater_Aviation_Brigade%2C_flies_over_San_Diego.jpg
Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen LTC Trent Klug
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Will the sewing kit for the crew chief still be viewable? The one one for in flight repairs?
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Every Farmer with a Rifle HD Air America (1990) the Vietnam Air War in Laos
Air America is a 1990 American action comedy film directed by Roger Spottiswoode and starring Mel Gibson and Robert Downey Jr. as Air America pilots flying m...
This scene in the movie may not be realistic but it was funny. I know it's not funny when people die on a crash landing but it still looks pretty funny that the farmers one shot hit the engine of the C-123.
https://youtu.be/lBhxj60Dt_s
Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen LTC Trent Klug
https://youtu.be/lBhxj60Dt_s
Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen LTC Trent Klug
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