Vietnam aircraft xmas 2015

We had a family holiday over Xmas and the New Year in Vietnam; it seems prudent to avoid bogging up the family holiday diary/blog with all my aircraft photos, so I thought I’d separate them out.

I haven’t had time to do much in the way of photo manipulation, just thought I’d publish a draft while I have time to do so, as some people out there may find it useful.  It’s a great country for the aviation enthusiast (and everyone else), the museums are largely deserted and you could spend days in them, it’s really great value and the people delightful!

 

Phu Quoc island is a sort of Vietnamese version of Phuket in that it’s a holiday island.  It’s just off the coast of Cambodia, who doubtless lay claim to it, which may explain the rather large airport (it could be used by the Air Force….not that there’s any shelters here).

The terminal is enormous and new, about three times that of Southampton’s with a tenth of the movements.

I tried walking along the beach to be under the approach from the north but it’s not continuous sand so gave up.  The runway end is not exactly St Maarten close to the beach anyway.  However, if your thing is Vietnam Airlines A321/ATR-42, Vietjet and Jetstar A320s while having a very cheap massage, the beach is your place.

 

 

Landing at Hanoi towards the southwest on 25R meant that I was sitting on the wrong side of the aircraft for the taxi past the military area but tucked in the corner is a Tu-134 and behind it a DC-3.

The Tu-134 is VN-A132 ex- of Vietnam Airlines and I assume the DC-3 is an AC-47D 43-49524 ex-Vietnam AF.  According to this trip report the Tu-134 has been stored for 16 years now; whether they still use it for tug towing practice I don’t know.

A few An-26s and an An-28 visible in the distance.

A day of museum touring, all four places marked have aircraft.

Each museum has a F-5 representing the F-5E which Nguyễn Thanh Trung, real name Đinh Khắc Chung, was flying  when he bombed the Reunification Palace on 5-Apr-75 and three weeks later in an A-37, Tan Son Nhut airbase (Saigon airport).  He wanted to avenge the US bombing of Hanoi in 1972 and was encouraged by the Viet Cong to sign up for the South VN Air Force, which included training in the USA.Ho Chi Minh Campaign Museum.

One of the most useful aspects of sightseeing in Vietnam is that every single shop – well, the physical, immovable shops – has its address written clearly on the frontage.  Road signs at intersections were present, but it just helps with map reading old-school style. Google Maps works just fine too and there are wifi networks everywhere.

 

Ho Chi Minh Campaign Museum

To be honest I’m not entirely convinced that this says ‘Ho Chi Minh Campaign Museum’ but it was on the wall outside the compound.  If it says ‘zoo this way’ or is advertising a bar, please let me know.

 

The inside of the museum is filled with strategic displays, probably of more interest to war gamers and dedicated historians.

Outside are a few intact aircraft and a wreck or two.

 

Ho Chi Minh City Museum

The captions say it all.  The museum goes way back in history; their take on the outside displays is here.

 

War Remnants Museum

 

It’s by far and away the most popular (aviation) museum in Vietnam and rightly seems to be on every tour group’s itinerary as it realistically describes the horrors of war.  On a trivial note, I don’t actually like the freshly painted schemes on the aircraft exhibits, although the CH-47 is authentically sun-bleached and worn.

One has to contend with a lot of other humans in shot.  Or wait.  Too hot for that!

 

Reunification Palace

In the grounds of the palace amongst the shade of some trees is this F-5.

Not sure what the true ID is of this aircraft.

 

 

Ho Chi Minh City

Departing from Ho Chi Minh City on the Vietjet A320 to Hanoi.

For completeness, there are several inactive An-26s and ex-South Vietnamese C-130s stored at HCMC.  I didn’t get a chance to investigate these, nor photograph them.   Neither did I visit the museum that’s just outside the airport.

 

Vietnam Military History Museum

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A tad indulgent, but a lot easier than the road transfer.  Or that’s what I told Katy.

It’s much easier spotting from a Cessna 208 than I’d imagined.  It also helped that ATC sent us for a full length departure.

 

The runway gives a reasonable view at the Su-22s stationed on the far side of the airfield

 

A quick whizz to some of the relics.

B-52 museum

The remains of a B-52D that was shot down are the feature exhibit of the B-52 museum.  This could be 56-0605 shot down 27-Dec-1972

Huu Tiep Lake

Huu Tiep Lake and the B-52.  Opinion would appear to be that this is a B-52D 56-0608 callsign ROSE01 shot down by a SAM on 18-Dec-1972.

We didn’t go in, but I hope they don’t sell napalm cocktails etc…..

 

Vietnamese Air Force Museum

   Excerpt from Mig-21 Units of The Vietnam War available from Osprey Publications

 

 

 

 

 

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A wide and varied display of parts of US aircraft shot down during the war.

…..sort out the Su-22s

 

 

 

 

Links

Family holiday Vietnam blog

Tier Points Run to Hawaii

F-117As still active in Nevada 2014 and 2010

Video F-117A 5-Oct-2010

Tikaboo Tales

Groom Lake aircraft 2003/2004

Su-27/N105TB/MiG-29 Groom Lake 2003/2004

FRA DA-20 trip from Hurn 2003

Aircraft northern FL, AL and GA, 2012

Korea/Japan aircraft 2011

Nevada/Groom trip 2006

Nevada/Groom trip 2007

Nevada/Groom trip 2008

Nevada/Groom trip 2010

USA/Groom 2012