Will Your Wife Believe It Followed You Home?
by ANN Senior Correspondent Kevin R.C. "Hognose" O'Brien
I love Bird Dogs. Not bird dogs -- not that there's anything
wrong with, say, an English Springer Spaniel. I'm talking about the
L-19/ O-1 Bird Dog series of liaison and observation airplanes,
that were used by the US Army, Marines and Air Force in the period
from 1950 through the early 70s, and by many foreign services.
The Bird Dog, or Cessna Model 305, was a purpose-built liaison
plane that used some parts of the Cessna 170. It's known for
sturdiness and excellent STOL performance. It's a real warbird; if
it had a guidon, it would be festooned with battle streamers from
Korea and Vietnam. Along with the other two names, the military
called it the L-19 (before 1962) and the O-1 (after).
And it has quite a war record. In Korea, they were flown as
intended, as artillery spotters. In Vietnam, they served as
commanders' eyes and ears in a variety of roles. Bird Dogs figured
in Medals of Honor (the highest US combat decoration) in both
conflicts. (And no, I'm not going to tell you. I'm going to make
you Google 'em up yourself).
Here's one you may not have heard of. During the Vietnam War,
special operations reconnaissance team leaders would go look their
next operating areas over, flying, naturally, in a Bird Dog. Even
if the areas were in Laos or Cambodia.
Then, when the small teams (six men, typically) went into harm's
way, another recon team leader would ride in a Bird Dog overhead.
The call sign of the Air Force unit that flew the missions, the
20th Tactical Air Support Squadron, was "Covey," and the Studies
and Observations Group men who flew with them were, naturally,
Covey Riders, and served as the team's lifeline to support.
If you ever meet a guy who says he was a Covey Rider, now you
know. Buy him one of whatever he's drinking, and I'll pay you
back.
It's one of the few Army aircraft to ever make a carrier landing
on live TV. A South Vietnamese Bird Dog landed on a carrier during
the fall of Vietnam, in April, 1975. The plane is now in the Naval
Aviation Museum; the Vietnamese family onboard was spared the
horrors of "re-education.
A famous general was responsible for its name, sort of. General
Mark Clark was the judge of a contest among Cessna workers and
picked the name from among numerous suggestions.
So I like Bird Dogs. Which is why this average looking Bird Dog
with a "For Sale" sign caught my eye at Sun-n-Fun. Something was
familiar about it. It was mostly in military condition, with added
civilian radio and transponder, and an added glider-towing
hook.
It wasn't over-restored -- the US Air Force titles were sprayed
on with stencils, just like they were back in the day. The US Stars
and Bars colors were faded; but according to the seller, it served
in the Japanese forces until 1981, and thereafter had a tour of
duty in the US Civil Air Patrol. The machine has low engine (375
SMOH) and prop (10 SMOH) times, and has been converted to Cleveland
brakes.
He's asking $78,000 but will accept an RV (Van's, not Winnebago)
in trade.
Then it struck me. I've seen this plane before. In the pages of
Trade- a-Plane!
Trade-a-Plane is one of our advertisers, and you all should be
out there trying to buy stuff so that they know how effective our
advertising is. Someone should have bought this Bird Dog.
Someone still should. So, what are you waiting for?
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