Cold War Era

Paracel Islands: When China defeated South Vietnam

Paracel Islands had been claimed by South Vietnam and China since the departure of the French from their Indochina colony in 1955. The Paracel Islands are surrounded by productive fishing grounds and by potential oil and gas reserves. In 1932, French Indochina annexed the islands and set up a weather station on Pattle Island; maintenance …

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SR-71 RSO recalls when his Blackbird Photographed all of the SA-2 SAM Sites in North Korea in One Mission before doing an Emergency Landing in South Korea – The Aviation Geek Club

‘I believe that North Korea had about thirty SA-2 sites scattered all around the country,’ Richard “Butch” Sheffield SR-71 Blackbird RSO. CLICK HERE to see The Aviation Geek Club contributor Linda Sheffield’s T-shirt designs! Linda has a personal relationship with the SR-71 because her father Butch Sheffield flew the Blackbird from test flight in 1965 until 1973. …

SR-71 RSO recalls when his Blackbird Photographed all of the SA-2 SAM Sites in North Korea in One Mission before doing an Emergency Landing in South Korea – The Aviation Geek Club Read More »

US Navy F-8 Pilot Says the French Aéronavale Retired the Legendary Crusader in Proper Style – The Aviation Geek Club

‘The French also flew the F-8 Crusader, but they do things differently and in the case of retiring the legendary fighter, I think they did it better than the US Navy,’ Larry Durbin, former US Navy F-8 Crusader pilot. The Vought F-8 Crusader was known as a “fighter pilot’s fighter.” It was challenging to fly, …

US Navy F-8 Pilot Says the French Aéronavale Retired the Legendary Crusader in Proper Style – The Aviation Geek Club Read More »

“Lone Wolf,” the F-117 that dropped the first bomb in Desert Storm, to arrive at Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum ahead of multi-year restoration – The Aviation Geek Club

The tail number of this F-117 is 85-0816, and it has the unique nickname the “Lone Wolf.” The Lone Wolf was credited as dropping the first bomb in Desert Storm. On Nov. 11, 2023 the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum in McMinnville, Oregon, welcomes the highly-anticipated arrival of the Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk, the famed stealth …

“Lone Wolf,” the F-117 that dropped the first bomb in Desert Storm, to arrive at Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum ahead of multi-year restoration – The Aviation Geek Club Read More »

The story of Anatoliy Kvochur, the MiG-29 Pilot who Ejected Two Seconds Before the Crash of his Fulcrum. He survived although he ejected outside the seat’s envelope. – The Aviation Geek Club

Anatoliy Kvochur had been extremely lucky, as he had ejected outside the seat’s envelope, not to mention the proximity of the fireball and the falling seat. Yet the incident spoke a lot for the design of the Zvezda K-36DM ejection seat. The MiG-29 was designed in response to a new generation of American fighters, which …

The story of Anatoliy Kvochur, the MiG-29 Pilot who Ejected Two Seconds Before the Crash of his Fulcrum. He survived although he ejected outside the seat’s envelope. – The Aviation Geek Club Read More »

The story of when US Navy F-14s and Italian F-104s Clashed Over Egyptian Boeing 737 Carrying Achille Lauro Cruise Ship Hijackers – The Aviation Geek Club

When the Boeing 737-F-104 formation approached Rome, it suddenly sighted shadows of two F-14 Tomcat fighters approaching through the darkness from the rear… Advertise On Oct. 1, 1985 Israeli Air Force (IAF) F-15 fighter-bombers destroyed the PLO HQ in Tunisia during Operation Wooden Leg. While the PLO restrained from exacting revenge, one of its offshoots …

The story of when US Navy F-14s and Italian F-104s Clashed Over Egyptian Boeing 737 Carrying Achille Lauro Cruise Ship Hijackers – The Aviation Geek Club Read More »

Israeli Air Force F-4 Navigator recalls when he and his pilot attacked an Egyptian warship with an AIM-7 Sparrow air-to-air missile during the Yom Kippur War – The Aviation Geek Club

“The missile hit the water some ten to fifteen miles from the ship; maybe we scared a shark, but the ship panicked, or maybe not, and turned away, so we felt like heroes and started to pursue the ship, strafing it from long range,” Israeli Air Force F-4 Kurnass navigator Micha Oren. Despite the ability …

Israeli Air Force F-4 Navigator recalls when he and his pilot attacked an Egyptian warship with an AIM-7 Sparrow air-to-air missile during the Yom Kippur War – The Aviation Geek Club Read More »

‘When the Valkyrie flies at Mach 3 it loses pieces that are bigger than the Blackbird, but the XB-70 flies less Mach 3 time than the YF-12.’ The Mach 3 rivalry between the YF-12 and XB-70. – The Aviation Geek Club

Blackbird Vs Valkyrie: YF-12 test pilots often flew at Mach 3 more often than the XB-70 would do in a lifetime. CLICK HERE to see The Aviation Geek Club contributor Linda Sheffield’s T-shirt designs! Linda has a personal relationship with the SR-71 because her father Butch Sheffield flew the Blackbird from test flight in 1965 until 1973. …

‘When the Valkyrie flies at Mach 3 it loses pieces that are bigger than the Blackbird, but the XB-70 flies less Mach 3 time than the YF-12.’ The Mach 3 rivalry between the YF-12 and XB-70. – The Aviation Geek Club Read More »

The Story of the KC-135 Stratotanker pilot that went into a 20-degree dive to refuel a flamed out F-105 Thunderchief – The Aviation Geek Club

The Thud was gliding earthward, its pilot preparing to eject, when the diving KC-135 Stratotanker passed in front to a refueling position. The Boeing Company’s model 367-80 was the basic design for the commercial 707 passenger plane as well as the KC-135A Stratotanker. In 1954, the Air Force purchased the first 29 of its future …

The Story of the KC-135 Stratotanker pilot that went into a 20-degree dive to refuel a flamed out F-105 Thunderchief – The Aviation Geek Club Read More »

SR-71 RSO explains why the Last Blackbird to Crash was Buried at Sea – The Aviation Geek Club

‘Burial at sea seemed the best remaining option, but we needed Navy assistance,’ former SR-71 Blackbird RSO Colonel (Ret) Don Emmons. The SR-71, unofficially known as the “Blackbird,” is a long-range, advanced, strategic reconnaissance aircraft developed from the Lockheed A-12 and YF-12A aircraft. The first flight of an SR-71 took place on Dec. 22, 1964, …

SR-71 RSO explains why the Last Blackbird to Crash was Buried at Sea – The Aviation Geek Club Read More »

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