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Posted On: 10/25/2019 4:53:18 PM
Post# of 2062
"Spads With A Load" My friend and fellow MXSG shareholder, Marty, got an email recently from a retired pilot directing him to a video tribute to the Douglas A-1 Skyraider - a tough and capable propeller driven attack plane used in Korea and Vietnam. The A-1 was commonly known as The Spad - the name was a tribute back to the WW I French biplane successfully flown by the Allies.
When Marty viewed the video he saw it was created by Gary Bain - another Mexus investor and Maine F-4 Phantom II pilot. Take a look at Gary's video as posted on YouTube and many Vietnam era websites:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmPefi4HZGQ
I emailed Gary about the coincidence of Marty getting word of the video from outside out of our Mexus connections. He liked that.
Gary's account of his short notice creation of the video is a good story in itself. He's on here and I'll let him jump in and tell it first-hand if he will. The "Spads With A Load" song had been famous in Spad circles for 50+ years - it'll get a new airing here on the Hangout.
Well done Gary and you'll introduce a new audience to one very capable plane that saved many lives by providing close air support on SAR or Search and Rescue missions. It could carry a variety of munitions and had a long loiter time while on station.
In case you have not read the story of Gary's shoot down and recovery here's that link which is also a tribute to Lt. William Ryan - Gary's backseater. Lt Ryan was killed in the shoot down in the Steel Tiger operating area of southern Laos in May 1969. The A-1s were part of the recovery effort so Gary has an affinity for the aircraft and the crews that flew them.
http://www.takhli.org/GB/GaryBain.htm
I just watched the vid of the Gary's rescue again - a great story even on about the fourth viewing.
rjw/mkc
When Marty viewed the video he saw it was created by Gary Bain - another Mexus investor and Maine F-4 Phantom II pilot. Take a look at Gary's video as posted on YouTube and many Vietnam era websites:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmPefi4HZGQ
I emailed Gary about the coincidence of Marty getting word of the video from outside out of our Mexus connections. He liked that.
Gary's account of his short notice creation of the video is a good story in itself. He's on here and I'll let him jump in and tell it first-hand if he will. The "Spads With A Load" song had been famous in Spad circles for 50+ years - it'll get a new airing here on the Hangout.
Well done Gary and you'll introduce a new audience to one very capable plane that saved many lives by providing close air support on SAR or Search and Rescue missions. It could carry a variety of munitions and had a long loiter time while on station.
In case you have not read the story of Gary's shoot down and recovery here's that link which is also a tribute to Lt. William Ryan - Gary's backseater. Lt Ryan was killed in the shoot down in the Steel Tiger operating area of southern Laos in May 1969. The A-1s were part of the recovery effort so Gary has an affinity for the aircraft and the crews that flew them.
http://www.takhli.org/GB/GaryBain.htm
I just watched the vid of the Gary's rescue again - a great story even on about the fourth viewing.
rjw/mkc
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