Interesting article, was used in Iraq in 2013.
http://inhomelandsecurity.com/americ...20LT%20-%20AMU

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Wherever my mind isn't
Jim

We had a squadron of these at Osan Air Base during my tours there. I always thought they were cool. They seemed to be able to turn and just float about like a high tech kite. A kite with a mini gun

But I do agree with the comment in the article that the A-10 has it beat. Similar maneuvers but way more fire power so it can do both recon and better ground support.

I had a good friend that was able to get out of his over Laos after being struck by ground fire.

Thanks for the memory.

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Mike
S&WCA #3065

Twice,(Shaw and DaNang) I was stationed with OV-10's and O-2's. I got to be familiar with the pilots. They usually operated at crop dusting levels and told harrowing stories.

They had more guts than I ever will and when I called them "Sir", I actually meant it.

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

There were two OV-10 squadrons at Sembach AB, West Germany, when I got there in 1983. As a tower controller who'd been stationed at busy jet fighter bases for seven years, I initially thought I was going to need a rocking chair to control those little gnats. I learned to love 'em. They weren't as fast, but they were far more maneuverable than the jets -- turn on a dime and give you change. Lot's of fun to have a swarm of them in the tower pattern doing low approaches, touch-and-goes, and stop-and-goes. We affectionately called them mosquito foggers 'cause they had a thing called a smoke generator they'd have to periodically "test" and it could nearly engulf the bird in smoke when done on the ground. Great memories until one day about half way through my tour.

We launched every bird that day. They took off in flights of four and circled the field till every one of them was airborne. They joined up as one big gaggle, we handed them off to Frankfurt's radar facility, and they flew back to the good ol' U.S.A. Several years later the 'Force decommissioned them. Nice to see at least a few of them back in service.

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Wrangler of stray Chiefs
Bob

We had 0-2's at Phan Rang. Walt FACs. I had a couple of good friends stationed there flying them. I had been in country for about a month and ran into one of them. He had just gotten back from the secret invasion of Cambodia and had had some rough times. He ended up marrying my first childhood girl friend.

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Mike
S&WCA #3065

worked a lot of 0-2s and OV-10s from Nov-69 to Nov 71 with the 19th, 20th and 21st TASS'. got to fly in a few 0-2s and sat in an OV-10 once. 72 2.75" rockets and four M-60 machine guns wasn't nuthin to sneeze at. I was an AF radio operator(TACP) attached to Infantry, Air Cav, Marines and ROK Infantry. lots of all kinds of memories both good and bad. glad to see them back. attached are some photos from Hurlburt AFB, FL I took last June. the Memorial is for all the FACs that lost their lives in the Viet Nam war. lee

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Wow. Just bloody Wow. Terrific documentary. Thanks for the memories. Never got to ride in an OV, but enjoyed many, many castle tours in the back end of those lumbering CH-53s.

Tschüss

Bob

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Wrangler of stray Chiefs
Bob

In 1966, my dad pulled his papers at Hurlburt Field. (Eglin Aux. Field #9)

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

One of my friends owned an OV-2. He and his oldest son restored it. It was a real pleasure to fly. Unfortunately, someone made them a high cash offer they couldn't refuse and they sold it.

O2's were used in the 70s at the TAC base I was on for calling in aircraft to the range we flew to .. they were set up to drop flares for night strafing and bombing runs at the range ..

Here is one of our 0-2s at Phan Rang
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A Walt FAC

They worked our F-100s in the 35TFW. This shot is of our last two F-100Fs as they left Phan Rang AB for Davis Monthan AFB in May of 1971. Those four pilots flew non-stop from Vietnam to Arizona in a single engine fighter.

imgurl

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Mike
S&WCA #3065

Is the OV-10 the one with a twin boom fuselage?


I knew a gun dealer in a Dallas suburb who flew those for the USMC. I bought my second S&W M-60-4 from him at a gun show, but also visited his shop in Richardson a few times.


Steveno-


SUPER video! I URGE everyone here to watch it in full. It answered my question about the twin boomed OV-10.

Boeing owns the rights to the OV-10 now. They were actually contemplating putting it back into production recently. Within the last year. Apparently, they still have most of the original tooling in a warehouse somewhere. In part, that's what the 2013 tests in Iraq were about.

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the Vietnam's vet always on duty...hard job.