10 Percent True - Tales from the Cockpit
Leisure:Aviation
Wild Weasel over Vietnam - Ben Fuller on Flying the F-105F
Flying the Wild Weasel F-105 over Vietnam and the story of the first WW Thud crews.
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10 Percent True #23.
Ben Fuller recalls his experiences as one of the early F-105F Wild Weasel pilots, and recounts the tactics, weapons, sensors, threats and missions that he flew, including the mission on which he led four F-105s against an SA-2 site and lost two wingmen (including Medal of Honor recipient, Leo Thorsness) to a MiG ambush.
Chapters:
00:00:00 Introduction
00:01:43 Getting into the Wild Weasel Business
00:11:40 WW Beginnings
00:16:47 Build Up to Vietnam
00:18:34 Flying the F-105D in Europe / Preparing for SEA
00:24:08 F-105F Training
00:26:40 F-105F WW Technical Description
00:36:41 Anti Radiation Missiles
00:42:14 Finding SAM Sites - WW Tactics
00:44:04 AGM-45 Employment
00:48:26 SAM Site Tactics
00:52:49 Visual Detection of SAM Sites
00:57:50 Trolling for SAMs
00:59:18 Visually Acquiring SA-2 In Flight
01:01:50 First Combat Mission
01:08:11 Surviving 100 Missions
01:10:20 High Calibre AAA
01:12:33 From Hunter-Killer to SAM Suppression
01:19:22 Ben's Wife Prompts a Short Interlude
01:19:42 Back to Talking About Getting Gas
01:20:57 April 30 1967 - Double Shootdown
01:36:10 Treachery and Political Interference
50 second plug for Red Eagles
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