The Most Dangerous Plane to Fly in Vietnam - Episode 76

Air Force veteran Art Elser reveals what it took to fly low, slow, and exposed as a forward air controller during the Vietnam War.

In this episode, Host Rick Crandall talks with former forward air controller Art Elser about flying more than 400 combat missions in the Cessna O-2A Skymaster and O-1E Bird Dog. From directing air support over the Ho Chi Minh Trail to helping Special Forces teams under fire, Elser offers a personal account of aviation, fear, courage, responsibility, and the long journey home. This one is going to be cool!

What you’ll hear:

• Inside the O-2 Skymaster: How a civilian aircraft became a flying observation post, radio relay, and target marker
• The forward air controller mission: Why FAC pilots remained low over the battlefield after faster aircraft departed
• O-1 Bird Dog vs. O-2 Skymaster: How the aircraft differed in handling, performance, and suitability for remote airstrips
• Marking targets under fire: How Elser used white-phosphorus “Willie Pete” rockets to guide attacking aircraft
• Over the Ho Chi Minh Trail: Searching for trucks, supply areas, choke points, and hidden movement beneath the jungle
• Night operations: Using starlight scopes, Blind Bat flare ships, B-57 Canberras, and F-4 Phantoms to find targets in darkness
• Becoming “Jake 44”: How Elser built personal relationships with the Special Forces teams who depended on him
• Courage and coming home: What Elser learned about fear, character, loss, and carrying the war’s memories into civilian life

Learn More:

• Read the full show notes on the Wings Over the Rockies website
• Donate to Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum
• Subscribe and leave a review to support the show

This episode is supported in part by United Airlines.