Wings Over Vietnam: The Missions

tv show

Wings Over Vietnam: The Missions poster unavailable

8 total episodes

-

1 seasons

First Aired October 21, 2002

Overview

During the course of the Southeast Asian war, the United States developed many new types of air tactics that had never previously been needed. New missions were devised, often under bizarre code-names. Some of these missions have gone on to become legends, while others have simply faded. What does remain are the men who flew the missions, the planes that were involved, and incredible stories of determination, triumph and tragedy. Wings Over Vietnam compares rare combat footage with first-hand accounts, to create a captivating portrait of these unique missions.

Spookies, Spectres and Shadows poster unavailable

Spookies, Spectres and Shadows

Season 1 - Episode 5 - 0h 0m

Air Date

April 07, 2004

Overview

Benign aircraft has always proved useful for modification to the military. During the Southeast Asian War, such benign cargo planes were modified into some of the most extraordinary and destructive weapon systems of all time. The hastily improvised AC-47 "Spookies" roamed the night skies of South Vietnam, defending outposts against lethal enemy assaults with blazing fire from three side-mounted guns. The success of these makeshift gunships led to the creation of more sophisticated airborne predators, such as the AC-130.