Builder: Craig Gottschang
Location: Sautee, Georgia
Craig was an Air Force aviator in the 388 TFW during vietnam and was one of the few vietnam aviators who actually flew A-7D #982! So, when he saw our SEA A-7D, it brought back a few memories. Craig has set his bird up with our 12s E-Turbax fan and is very pleased with the performance. Here is one of his stories while flying 982. Thanks for sharing it with us Craig!
"I had my old logbook out and confirmed I had flown 982 on 5 or 6 combat missions in Vietnam . Coincidentally, I was in 982 on one of my more memorable flights….Christmas day in 1972. Despite Nixon's one day bombing halt in “Vietnam”, late in the day some General scrambled the two of us standing alert to fly a mission in Cambodia . Being the only 2 airplanes flying is South East Asia that day, they really unloaded on us, particularly me being the second guy in. I took a hit in the engine and was loosing power and gas fast. I barely made it back across the border into Thailand and was able to land at Ubon, the nearest base, streaming fuel all the way. Got to spend the rest of Christmas away from my unit. I was lucky though, the mechanic who worked on the plane the next day said there was no way the engine should have been able to run with the damage it had to the fuel control. I still think of it as my “Christmas present” that year."
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