The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly – Flying the Grumman OV-1 Mohawk in Vietnam

The twin-engine triple-tail OV-1 Mohawk was an odd character from the start. Proven in combat in Vietnam, Gulf War I and a few lesser known actions, the Mohawk also served in Europe and Korea during the Cold War. The OV-1D was the final production version and served in the electronic intelligence gathering role when the Army retired the aircraft from active service in 1996. (Photo by Greg L. Davis.)

Editors’ note: this article is a compilation of I-was-there stories gathered by two of our main contributors: Warren Thompson and Jim Busha You had to be better than just a good stick as an Army aviator to be selected to fly the Mohawk in Vietnam. The enemy on the ground was bad enough to contend with, but the ever changing weather, mountainous terrain and political infighting between military branches on how the Mohawk would be...

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