| Aircraft | |
|---|---|
| Registration / Serial: | 5L14981 |
| Other Marks: | FDD |
| Aircraft Original Type: | Cessna O-1 Bird Dog |
| Aircraft Generic Type: | Cessna O-1 Bird Dog (305/321/L-19/OE) |
| Aircraft Version: | Cessna O-1A Bird Dog |
| C/n (msn): | 21881 |
| Operator Titles: | South Vietnam - Air Force |
| Location | |
|---|---|
| City / Airport: | Pensacola - NAS / Forrest Sherman FieldMap |
| Region / Country: | Florida, United States |
| Airport Codes: | ICAO: KNPA IATA: NPA Local: NPA Other: - |
| Collection: | National Museum of Naval Aviation |
| Photo Date: | 13 December 2024 |
| Photo by: | Richard Vandervord |
| Photo ID: | 768268 |
| Photo Comment |
|---|
|
Painted in the SVNAF colours it wore in the mid-1970s, this Bird Dog was taken on strength as an O-1A by the US Army as 51-4981 in 1951. In 1966 Cessna converted it to O-1G at Wichita and it was deployed to Vietnam. On 29 April 1975 a SVNAF major crammed his wife and five children aboard to escape advancing North Vietnamese forces. Flying out to sea in the hope of finding a rescue ship, he ran low on fuel but spotted USS Midway, its deck full with helicopters. He dropped a pleading note written on a chart and a number of Hueys and Chinooks were pushed over the side so he could land! This photo is copyright © Richard Vandervord, and may not be used or published in any way without permission. It was added on 14 January 2025, and has since been viewed 62 times. |