Runway Visions
An American C-130 Pilot’s Memoir of Combat Airlift Operations in Southeast Asia, 1967–1968, 2d ed.
Second Edition$39.95
In stock
About the Book
From February 1967 to April 1968, David Vaughan flew the Lockheed C-130 Hercules in Southeast Asia. Initially a co-pilot, he moved up to aircraft commander and then instructor pilot as he mastered the challenges of landing on very short, unimproved airstrips in difficult terrain and bad weather. He describes his progression from inexperienced novice to veteran flyer as he learned his trade under combat conditions.
Vaughan’s airlift missions took him to more than 50 fields in South Vietnam, from the Delta in the south to the DMZ in the north, carrying supplies, mail, food, ammunition, and soldiers alive, wounded, and dead. Among his most harrowing flights were resupply missions into the U.S. Marine base at Khe Sanh during the most intensive days of the 1968 Tet offensive. This expanded and revised edition of his memoir details several additional episodes and features more than twice as many photographs as appeared in the original edition.
About the Author(s)
Bibliographic Details
David Kirk Vaughan. Series Editor David Kirk Vaughan
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 218
Bibliographic Info: 42 photos, 3 maps, index
Copyright Date: 2024
pISBN: 978-1-4766-9468-9
eISBN: 978-1-4766-5271-9
Imprint: McFarland
Series: Voices in American Military Aviation
Table of Contents
Preface 1
Introduction to the Revised Edition 5
Poem: “Visions of Runways” 7
Before 9
1. New Guy 11
2. The View from the Air 18
3. Check Out 27
4. On the Shuttle 36
5. Rubber Plantations and Banana Runs 47
6. Da Nang ABCCC 55
7. Piece of Cake 62
8. The Golf Course 70
9. Blackout Flight to Khe Sanh 77
10. Orbit City 81
11. Phan Thiet in Blue 87
12. Long Night over the South China Sea 96
13. Dancing in the Alligator House 102
14. Ground Pounder 109
15. Gear and Flaps Man 114
16. Taipei R&R 119
17. Christmas at Khe Sanh 123
18. Bao Loc in the Fog 133
19. Tet 144
20. Rising Dust at Dak To 156
21. Blind Descent to Kham Duc 164
22. Low Visibility at Quang Tri 171
23. Bangkok Shuttle 179
24. Old Head 187
After 198
Poem: “Incident at Tuy Hoa” 200
Postscript 201
Pronunciation Guide 205
Military History of David K. Vaughan 207
Index 209
Book Reviews & Awards
From the previous edition:
• “A fascinating book about a little-known aspect of the Southeast Asian conflict”—Flight Journal
• “Nails the Vietnam War airlift experience with the precision of a perfect assault landing…straightforward…selfless accuracy”—Air Power History
