Yes it was, and being a Life Support Specialist I got 5 backseat rides in F-15's, 4 in a F-15B, and 1 in a F-15D. I got one ride in a F-4D, that was cool. And I flew On just about every Transport Jet, from KC-135's to C-130's, and KC-10's, oh and many rides in C-5's. I worked on F-15's, A-10's, F-4D & E's, F-16 A & B's and a short time on B-52H's. So yes it was a hobby and a job. Remember the movie Bat 21, I met Iceal E. Hambleton in Person and the Pilot that kept track of his Parachute decent after ejection, was one of my A-10 Pilots & Friend Bill "Jank" Jankowski. Very cool huh. I loved every minute of my time in.
Heres a link to read about L/C Hambeltons Rescue. BTW I was a Combat Survival Instructor as well, thats how I came to meet him.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rescue_of_Bat_21_Bravohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iceal_HambletonHambleton parachuted into the middle of more than 30,000 troops pouring across the border into South Vietnam. Maj. Jimmie D. Kempton from the 390th Tactical Fighter Squadron was leading a flight of four F-4 on a bombing mission when he got SAM warnings. He saw four SA-2 missiles emerge out of the clouds about 2 miles (3.2 km) ahead of him and saw one strike an aircraft.[7]:29
At a lower altitude, 1st Lt.
Bill Jankowski and Capt. Lyle Wilson in an O-2 (Bilk 34) forward air controller (FAC) aircraft saw Hambleton's plane explode. When Hambleton's URC-64 rescue radio beeped, Jankowski responded, and was surprised to learn that Hambleton was above him descending in his parachute.[7]:29
Jankowski followed Hambleton down. Hambleton was concealed by a low fog bank as he landed, unseen by the NVA troops.[2]:72 As Jankowski observed Hambleton land in a dry rice paddy, his aircraft came under heavy antiaircraft fire. He was astonished at the huge number of NVA troops, equipment, and heavy weapons in the area. Hambleton found refuge in a group of bushes in the middle of the rice paddy. NVA troops were less than 100 metres (330 ft) away. Jankowski fixed Hambleton's location 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) north of the Cam Lo Bridge and just north of TL-88, a major secondary road.[7]:33
Kempton and Jankowski relayed Hambleton's coordinates to King 22, a HC-130 search and rescue (SAR) aircraft operating just south of Qu?ng Tr?.[1]:78[9] Recovering Hambleton quickly was essential, as the odds of recovering downed airmen dropped below twenty percent if the aircrew member was on the ground after four hours.[1]:76 But their efforts would be severely hampered by huge number of troops and large quantity of anti-aircraft fire in the area, some of it supporting the NVA's efforts to capture and protect the Cam Lo Bridge near Hambleton's position.
At about the same time that Hambleton was shot down, Capt. John Ripley, adviser to the 3rd Vietnamese Marine Battalion, blew up the key Highway QL-1 bridge over the Cue Viet River at ?ông Hà. The NVA re-routed thousands of troops, dozens of tanks and other equipment along TL-88, immediately in front of Hambleton's position, to the Cam Lo River bridge 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) to the west.[4]
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