I flew A-6's and was part of Operation "El Dorado Canyon" in LIbya back in April 1986, my squadron was tasked with taking out the Benina airstrip at Benghazi while the F-111-s were tasked with hitting Gadafi's compound and CMD in Tripoli. Me and my BN were given the mission of taking out the runway while the rest of the squadron took out the hangars and aircraft on the ramp. I was heavily laden with 24 Mk 82 "snakes". My BN set them up in a ripple stick 0.2 seconds apart. We came down the runway at 420 KIAS and 300 feet and laid waste to that runway. When we got a look at the BDA photos the next day that runway looked like the f'n dark side of the moon. You could not have landed a chopper on that runway. There was minimal flak until we pulled off and then it was pretty thick. We were very lucky to avoid getting any holes in the airplane. We had the new ALQ-126's installed (a fact that were told was secret and not to be divulged) and I guess they did their job. I cobbed the throttles and headed back to the ship as fast as we could go until we were feet wet. My oldest daughter was only 6 weeks old at the time and I had yet to see her. I prayed so hard that night that I would eventually get to hold her. She is 37 and my other daughter 35 now. My God how time flies.
A-6 design is proof that tadpole and sperm cell are examples of biological morphology design perfection. Consider that basic mission of A-6 and sperm cell, to fight to the target through hostile environment, and hit it, are essentially the same.
@@handknitzsche8621 If you consider having sexual relations with your wife, hell, you need either serious marital counseling or you need a new wife. Human genus and associated species have been around for around two million years. For all that time coitus has been essentially same and unchanged.
I served 32 years in the USAF. I've flown the 117A in Desert Storm, the F-15E and A-10 in Iraq and Afghanistan. Hundreds of CAS and strike missions over the years but this is the one aircraft I would have loved to flown just for the sheer fun of it! The closest in general configuration and performance was the T-37 but my conversations with old Intruder pilots who have gotten to play around in the Tweet have said the experience is night and day. Ah, maybe I'll get lucky and find one for sale one day.......
The super tweet was a cool ac. I've heard those little engines screamed! Always thought it was interesting that they put a mini gun in the nose of the super tweet. Always made me wonder if it influenced the a10s design a little.
Well, you have to be elite to be a Naval Aviator…landing on carriers when the seas are throwing your carrier around like it’s nothing. You chose to be fighter pilot. Probably wouldn’t have worked out for you bro… it’s an extremely smaller brotherhood than the Air Farce
@@TS-ew5sm "Elite"??? It's just a matter of training, nothing more and if you believe otherwise, well, that's a 'you' problem. I'm also guessing that you think that 'Top Gun' is the pinnacle of fighter training? Also, "Air Farce"?? We'll discuss this further when you take the time to educate yourself in the mission and capabilities of the Navy and Air Force. Have a nice day.
@@itsjustme8947 lol…calm down. If you really were in the air wing….you’d appreciate banter. It’s all good. I have a friend who’s still in the AF flying. But, I am biased…naval aviators are second to none. Have a good one and Go Navy!
@@TS-ew5sm Banter is expected and accepted....between pilots. If you've never worn the uniform and if you've never strapped a fighter to your ass, you haven't earned the right. I served thirty-two years. Thirty two. I lost my left eye on a mission. I can never fly again. Your original comment was not 'banter'. It was the type of comment posted by a typical internet troll who wants nothing more than to start an argument. Show your friend this exchange. See what he thinks. Good day to you.
The idea of "second run at the target" is the central point of "The Minotaur", even though it might not appear this way on first read. A very good book, together with "Final Flight".
another flying tank brought to you by the Grumman iron works.... Leroy Grumman understood that aircraft are replaceable but pilots are not.. I truly miss his superb aircraft from the Wildcat to the Tomcat, and the LEM.. RIP Mr. Grumman. It was a privilege growing up on Long Island near the Bethpage plant, and near the Republic plant (home of the thunderbolt and the Warthog...) in Farmingdale...
Mr. Kimmel, I recall Jack Broughton talking about a HUGE problem the F105 thunderchief had was the hydraulics were 'unarmored and pretty exposed' to damage, so even 'light damage' could result in your plane venting all it's hydraulic fluid and the result was total loss of control of the aircraft. Did Grumman do a better job at protecting the 'vital systems' of the A6?
I worked in Savannah in the late seventies, at Grumman Gulfstream's Service Center. One day, a Grumman F 14 Tomcat gunfighter machine visited us. What an aircraft. Semper Fi
I was in the Marine Detachment aboard the USS Independence when they filmed this movie onboard in 1989. I had the pleasure of beating Tom Sizemore in the push-up contest in the hanger bay. Fun memories of the filming and being on that ship.
First war movie my daddy took me to see in a theater. This movie, particularly this scene and Go Downtown scene have kept me going in my 3 battles with cancer. The 23rd Psalm and Lean Into It have been my personal favorites.
@@ViperKeeper2070 Initially II Corps around Chu Lai, then got moved to I Corps, Phu Loc District, Thua Tien Province to an area just South of Hue. In the vicinity of the Troui River. Where were you positioned?
He was kicking the wrong box. He was kicking the PCU (Pedestal Control Unit) instead of the CPU (Ballistic Computer) which is mounted directly behind the PCU. I know because I used to fix them that way. AQ in VA-185 and VA-95.
@AstronomyToday It has been a while since I was last there but the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum has an A-6 that you can walk up to and touch. Back in the day we used to climb into the air intakes with our legs hanging out, making it look like we were getting sucked into the engine - it made a great picture!
well here it was no joke actually because the computer in the A-6A Intruder was of the rotary drum design and it froze up all the time, quite literally.
Rip great granpa Keith Curry that I never had the pleasure of meeting he flew an a6 and it crashed into the ocean they never got to recover his body but he will always be remembered this country has had a lot of brave men and he’s definitely earned a spot on that list
@@lufasumafalu5069 Russia, China, North Korea, Iran, Pakistan, any country with a nuke can kill by the thousands. Please get your facts straight if you’re going to discuss world issues with adults. Otherwise go play fortnight and let the grownups talk.
For what it's worth Flying Leather Necks and Brown Shoes, when I was a young Marine fresh from boot camp, no fixed-wing gave me more confidence than the A-6. In those days not much flew in bad weather, but the Intruder ate it up and they put bombs on target. I also think the A-6 is damn good looking, it looks mean. Now they're on popsicle sticks, but they will always be loved by this former Grunt. S/F
I was a very small part of this film, it was shot on my ship USS Independence in '89 or 90.. I'd read the book, when they screened this on the boat I was a little disappointed and thought it cheesy.. Now 25 years later I can appreciate it's actually well made and they worked hard to get it right.. I met Willem Dafoe and Danny Glover, they were aboard for several weeks tied up in San Diego for the interior shots then out to sea for 10 days.
Johnny Cade The book is like life; a lot of low-level activity and philosophising punctuated with intense heart pounding action scenes that seem so real they had this old sailor sweating. If all you're looking for is Pulp Fiction style exaggerated "bang bang shoot'em up", then it's probably not for you. If you do like it, you'll enjoy the sequel "The Intruders".
I was CFAY Security in Yokosuka when Midway steamed out for the last time and Indy steamed in to replace her as the forward deployed carrier in 7th Fleet .
@Johnny Dominguez Even better still - it actually happened. No computers, satnav, laser guidance or target lock. Two pieces of wood and two nails for distance, two spotlights for height, and bombs gone! Brave, brave boys.
It's when they start singing "Downtown" which cracks me up! Also when Willem Dafoe talks about the Shrike missiles "mean bastards, eh?" and Brad Johnson's expression!!
My favorite prop plane, Corsair. My favorite jet.... THE INTRUDER!!!! They'd never expect us to come back. Nobody would go through that again"..... High school!
he is a great actor of the 90's... im was born in 1987, at least in the US-Sector of "Berlin (West)" as the official writing was, I grew up here, no border or passing point in both directions for maaaany kilometers, only the inner-berlin wall is not far away in Neukölln against the "Spree" (most important river, that is why they did build Berlin here once, over 750 years ago, some people from today western France came, they were something like mid-age nurses or so... "Bär" = animal, bear... Bärlin is the first documented writting (maybe different, but in todays spelling it would be Bear-Lin), that is why our city flag survived even the shameful dictatorship (I'm no German, I have 2 citizenships, the German is my 2nd since 2011, but I have to prevent former German people which are said to voted Hitler like 99%... Hitlers best result was in the lower 40% range in 1932, a new 1932 election was held in the summer, Hitler even lost voices, this is the last official accepted "democratic" (also hard at the border, people, communists and social democrats were beaten up at the votes day or the night before by drunk SA guys which went all of course to vote, and if they could not stay, your SA friends helped you to make a cross here and there, hitler never came close to 50%, later after (this was REAL luck for hitler, Reichstag was put on fire by a communist from the Netherland, no manipulation! He just wanted to set a sign or so and did not knew maybe how important the building was for Germany, von Hindenburg (until 1935 the Head of state, Hitler had to make a small bow when Hindenburg came, every law needed to be signed by Hindenburg and not Hitler... the Weimarer Republic gave the President not just over 5-times as much payment like Hitler and a much more expensive car and housing cost which Hindenburg could use, it was like the US president today is the single most important person in politic questions (economic decisions are made often by people unknown to the public or only known because the have names like Rockefeller or the Wal-Mart Family...Bush Junior became President because of Daddy, Daddy became president because he was from a good family and made in oil... Directly after the death of the old and since 1934 not really getting what happens inside his state Hindenburg.... he got a great state funeral of course, only days or weeks later Hitler made all steps to take total power, he also introduced the new Nürnberger anti-jewish and "non-arian"-blood laws... it was everything ready, he only waited "this old man" to die... Wehrmacht oath was changed from serving Germany to serving the "Führer" of the German Reich.... a real "leak" in the fast and unprepared "made" Weimarer Republic, and costs for reparation which maybe the US with its millions of km² and Alaska, steady migration willing (no other option) to work hard, in Europe too, but here in Germany there was no job for the masses...than SA-Chief was murdered, SA banned, and 3 million SA people put on their normal clothes again, starting to work as new jobs became available (on debt, like the US is in debt heavily now, just the US has the power to pay it back with ressources and goods... Hitler with almost every of the poor german industry going to the winning powers did not have, also no oil... much money had to be paid for synthethic fuel while the US did flood the world with ~1$ oil for the first 90 years of commercial oil history, with bans for own production and South American and Asian producers to deliver oil to the Axis powers... crazy, but electing trump is crazy too.... Hindenburg was a old idiot who fought you can deal with Hitler as Hindenburg had the power, just not the mind in his age......... now a new threat is over Europe, US is not doing so well with migration and import-exports as we see the tariff tax... its a trade war declaration to China! China answered with banning only a very small amount compared to the US one, US imports got the same max. additional import tax rate of 25% for over 120 US goods, including wine... all together 3 billion annualy, a joke compared to the US export, it sounds like a joke now, but 5,000 bottles of wine should leave California to China yesterday, the US company which would have to pay the tax did stop the import, pork (whatever this is, need dict.cc) was also banned, US is no exporter for goods which china does not export it self (even oil products china became a exporter too, US too, 10 years ago both were each quite large net importer of finished and high quality products but US production changed everything, but without investments the production falls fast, but I think 2018 will be the new peak, after 48 years the highest daily and weekly production EVER reported was reached from shale oil and vertical drilling........ now almost half corporate tax... its insane how much the state is losing on company revenues....21 instead of 39.6% is a joke or not?! for poor companies like Microsoft, ExxonMobil, ChevronTexaco, ConocoPhillips, General Motors, Chrysler, Chevrolet, other producers of oil equipment, large steal or mining companies... Nvidia with RAM prices 3-4x as high even if its old DDR-3 Ram and GTX 1080 Ti cost over 1300$ oversea, if you get one.... oh I forgot Apple, a max. 1 billion income rule or 500 million or 100 million would do it too........
Love it when he starts to recite the Lords prayer as the AA is getting more intense. This movie came on last night right before I went to bed, but I stayed up just to watch this scene. One of my all time favorites. My dad was Air Force but passed away a while ago, he would have appreciated this scene with me.
+Mike Lewis Screw cgi, its for lazy directors,that means we have better taste than cgi chunkers.I cannot believe special effects quality drop after the 80s,90s.
Because special effects had hit its high-water mark in early 90s, whereas afterwards 3-D effects can actually make more convincing scenes in an increasingly cost-effective way?
The camera shake looked realistic--you felt like you were in the cockpit. And the camera didn't track the plane perfectly, particularly as they made the final turn onto the Yellow Brick Road--it looked how it would've looked to someone in a chase plane, not a perfectly-steered camera following a perfectly-rendered A-6. This felt gritty and immediate; you were with two (probably scared) guys, making the bomb run of the century. Most CGI (particularly since the first Matrix movie) gets the physics WAY wrong (assuming they were even trying to get the physics right). And it's almost always too glossy and perfect. There aren't ever any CGI-rendered dust bunnies or dirty windows.
Served on the Indy for 3 years. Lots of internal shots of the ship from "Flight of the Intruder". Never seen a carrier night landing with the opera lights up. Air Boss normally only switched up for emergency FOD walk, stretching out the barricade or medical emergency (double leg laceration) from a 3 wire separation which ended up with a double amputation at the Navy hospital in Yokosuka before being packed up and medivaced to Balbou in San Diego
I like too think this was what it was like for my Uncle. Maj. Ken Fisher at the DMZ Nov. 7 1967. He flew an f4. Got shot down after being criticly hit. After going back in to dump ordinance left. He was a POW. And got home '73
"Flight of the Intruder" was one of my favorite books, still is. Maybe my hopes were too high. They got the basics of the story right, but the spirit was missing.
I didn't know William Defoe was in this movie. I need to check this out. I've been to the U.S.S. Midway in San Diego and in the A-6 pilot's briefing room there were posters, books, a vhs copy, and they were playing this movie on the TV.
Even though this movie didn't really stay true to the amazing book it's based on, I'm glad that the screenwriter still managed to get one thing right - that central moment of truth perfectly shown in "The Minotaur": the will to do a second run at the target.
"..and go DOWNTOWN!" Fantastic! The very best! Few know that the movie has a lot of historical correctness. It remains one of the great unanswered questions of the war.
It was mid 1971, I was a young USAF Sgt stationed in Thailand, working in the comm center of our fighter wing. I met a Maj (F4 pilot) that I was told had been there since 1968 and when I asked him why, his reply was he was waiting to go back "downtown" ... he never made it back and this movie (which I love) reminds me of him and a lot of other aircrew that never came back.
+Peter Lovett Assuming the ground radar could even see them at that altitude, I'm not sure the radars would be able to tell them apart from the ground clutter, much less guide the missile.
One of the best Nam movies ever. I can't watch Tour of Duty or my non-existent PTSD kicks in. But this one... just terrific. I flew in a FAC - O1 Bird dog and shooting "willey-peets" was fun enough. Getting back alive was even better. Thanks for the memories.
They made this beautiful aircraft out in Calverton at the Grumman facility on the east end of Long Island NY, they still have one out there on display next to an F14.
I understand that you can't go on with the old school technology forever, but damn it's a shame they could not replace those A-6's with something as durable as those things. One bit of realism from this movie is the damage they could take and still get back to the carrier. I've heard stories much like those of the A-10 where whole chunks of the wings would be blown off and they would still be flyable.
They tried to. There was a modernization program that would of given them a new computer system, glass cockpit, and an APQ-173 synthetic aperture radar (which, amusingly, would of also allowed the aircraft to carry and fire an absolutely obscene number of AMRAAMs). They cancelled the project when the A-12 looked like it was going to be a thing. And thusly left the Navy looking a bit silly when the A-12 was cancelled.
"...whole chunks of the wings blown off, and they'd still be flyable." AND make an OK pass to the three wire. The Phantom was a brick with rockets attached; the Intruder was a FLYING MACHINE.
Once you got back over the ocean you were pretty much outside the threat envelope of enemy weapon systems unless a particularly persistent MiG was trying to chase you, in which case he ran the risk of being intercepted by other fighters like in the movie.
@@michaelfox10 Funny how the SA-2 seemed to be the only SAM the NVA had in this movie. The only other air-defense systems were machine guns or ZSU-23-4 Shilkas.
My Uncle Col. Ken Fisher did this shit in Nam. Got shot down by a 37mm. Went back took it out. Killed 5 Nva. On ground before taken POW. HANOI HILTON. Nov. 7 1967.
Dicky Fisher is one of your prior post you said your uncle Ken Fishers was a major now he is a Colonel in this post. Are you Bullshitting? How did he know he killed 5 NBA after getting shot down?
naeem ahmad Most POWs got promoted while in the Hilton. Go in a Major, come out a Colonel. From the post, it sounds like he attacked the flak site on foot after he was shot down. One M1911 ACP vs 5 AKs; sounds like Clint Eastwood.
thegr8rambino Well no. You see The North Vietnam knew we were on a Restricted Bombing Campaign under Johnson. So they lined up there weapons in major cites, like the movie shows, knowing we wouldn't. The reason? Fear of bad PR and Chinese intervention like in Korea. When Nixon took office he made a treaty with China, then launched a unrestricted bombing campaign. The targets were weapons stock piles like those and other high value targets. Difference being is B-52's were used in high level bombing targeting manufacturing plants. It sort of worked. The North did sign the Paris Peace accords. What can be argued greatly is whether or not we should have gotten involved.
I was aboard the USS Independence while this movie was being filmed. Actually got to get in the movie (burial at sea scene, I'm one of the sailors in white). The ship put out a call that any folks that wanted to be in the scene, get in their dress whites and goto the hangar deck... Great movie.
zzodr, the A-6 had very effective ailerons AND roll spoilers/speed brakes that could whip it around pretty quick. We used to have detachments from various fighter squadrons stand tours of hot pad duty at our base. Typically they would bring four F-4s and a KA-6 tanker. Sometimes the Phantom jocks would just for giggles "bounce" the KA after they'd mostly sucked it dry. The tanker crews got plenty of practice at dodging slashing attacks. And in a turning fight, the F-4 just couldn't stay with it.
Underrated book and movie. We put our soldier and Marines in situations where they couldn't win, and they never lost a battle. We willingly gave up air superiority over North Vietnam so it wouldn't look to the Soviets and Chinese we were winning, and risked our pilots.
frankdrebin unfortunately that's what happens when politics get mixed in with war. In WWII it was hands off fight untill they give up. Vietnam was take a hill, give it back, strict rules of engagement etc. I have every respect for Vietnam veterans but not for those politicians
Edward Giugliano No, but Viper flew with Duke Mitchell, and witnessed the incident. He saved other pilots that had MiGs on their tails before ejecting in a no-fly zone after being hit from fire. They covered it because all of this happened in the wrong area and it would have been considered a war-crime.
Additionally, A-6 was not in service when Duke Mitchell was shot down in Nov 65. This period is 1972 when Nixon restarted bombing of North Vietnam to force them to the peace table. Operation Linebacker I and II.
I was in the 7th Cav in Desert Storm, but I can tell you this movie accurately depicts the camaraderie of fighting men in any service. One of my favs. Defoe is great. Alpha, Mike, Foxtrot....
I flew A-6's and was part of Operation "El Dorado Canyon" in LIbya back in April 1986, my squadron was tasked with taking out the Benina airstrip at Benghazi while the F-111-s were tasked with hitting Gadafi's compound and CMD in Tripoli. Me and my BN were given the mission of taking out the runway while the rest of the squadron took out the hangars and aircraft on the ramp. I was heavily laden with 24 Mk 82 "snakes". My BN set them up in a ripple stick 0.2 seconds apart. We came down the runway at 420 KIAS and 300 feet and laid waste to that runway. When we got a look at the BDA photos the next day that runway looked like the f'n dark side of the moon. You could not have landed a chopper on that runway. There was minimal flak until we pulled off and then it was pretty thick. We were very lucky to avoid getting any holes in the airplane. We had the new ALQ-126's installed (a fact that were told was secret and not to be divulged) and I guess they did their job. I cobbed the throttles and headed back to the ship as fast as we could go until we were feet wet. My oldest daughter was only 6 weeks old at the time and I had yet to see her. I prayed so hard that night that I would eventually get to hold her. She is 37 and my other daughter 35 now. My God how time flies.
So Mr Murphy...Who took out the PT boat on the way back to the boat? (With a shrike I heard)
A-6 design is proof that tadpole and sperm cell are examples of biological morphology design perfection. Consider that basic mission of A-6 and sperm cell, to fight to the target through hostile environment, and hit it, are essentially the same.
My wife and I went through hell many times to have a baby. Your analogy is spot on!
@@handknitzsche8621 If you consider having sexual relations with your wife, hell, you need either serious marital counseling or you need a new wife.
Human genus and associated species have been around for around two million years. For all that time coitus has been essentially same and unchanged.
wow
This movie gets savaged by critics, but I love it unapologetically.
Me to. Way better than top gun
I live by the law of contrary opinion. If everyone says one, I say bet the other way.
Farg'n civies. :)
SAME HERE!! My FAVORITE war movie!!!
@@johnnyguitar6639*chokes* say that again?!
“They’d never expect us to come back.”
That line always makes me grin
No one would go through that again.
Same here. The would be looking for the other bombers.
“I came here to bomb!”
@@jonharper4478
Tell that to 617 Squadron
Mee too 180 one more time
I served 32 years in the USAF. I've flown the 117A in Desert Storm, the F-15E and A-10 in Iraq and Afghanistan. Hundreds of CAS and strike missions over the years but this is the one aircraft I would have loved to flown just for the sheer fun of it! The closest in general configuration and performance was the T-37 but my conversations with old Intruder pilots who have gotten to play around in the Tweet have said the experience is night and day. Ah, maybe I'll get lucky and find one for sale one day.......
The super tweet was a cool ac. I've heard those little engines screamed! Always thought it was interesting that they put a mini gun in the nose of the super tweet. Always made me wonder if it influenced the a10s design a little.
Well, you have to be elite to be a Naval Aviator…landing on carriers when the seas are throwing your carrier around like it’s nothing. You chose to be fighter pilot. Probably wouldn’t have worked out for you bro… it’s an extremely smaller brotherhood than the Air Farce
@@TS-ew5sm "Elite"??? It's just a matter of training, nothing more and if you believe otherwise, well, that's a 'you' problem. I'm also guessing that you think that 'Top Gun' is the pinnacle of fighter training?
Also, "Air Farce"?? We'll discuss this further when you take the time to educate yourself in the mission and capabilities of the Navy and Air Force.
Have a nice day.
@@itsjustme8947 lol…calm down. If you really were in the air wing….you’d appreciate banter. It’s all good. I have a friend who’s still in the AF flying. But, I am biased…naval aviators are second to none. Have a good one and Go Navy!
@@TS-ew5sm Banter is expected and accepted....between pilots. If you've never worn the uniform and if you've never strapped a fighter to your ass, you haven't earned the right. I served thirty-two years. Thirty two. I lost my left eye on a mission. I can never fly again.
Your original comment was not 'banter'. It was the type of comment posted by a typical internet troll who wants nothing more than to start an argument. Show your friend this exchange. See what he thinks.
Good day to you.
Cole's little giggle when he knows they're about to try another run is so authentic.
Loved that part
180 one more time
The idea of "second run at the target" is the central point of "The Minotaur", even though it might not appear this way on first read.
A very good book, together with "Final Flight".
ikr the crazy in him is like oh yea round two
"We're gonna' have to bomb by hand."
"Fighter pukes make movies. Bomber pilots make... HISTORY!"
ARRRRRRR...YOU.....A fighter pilot.?
Navy doesn't have pilots. They have aviators. That's why their the best at what they do.
@@vanringo Other people go on strikes with signs. Naval Aviators either strike the enemy pos, or they strike the ramp.
I am an Army Gunship Instructor Pilot. This video is required watching every class.
Ex Navy Instructor
Thanks for your service. Best Vietnam helicopter combat book is ever read is "Chickenhawk by Robert Mason". FLY NAVY!!!
Wooww; reminds me, 20 yr Navy Vet, back when In Harm's Way was shown for DAMAGE CONTROL TRAINING
nobody:
Willem Dafoe: *You know I'm something of an Electronics Officer myself*
Green Goblin was a Vietnam Vet, Spidey oughta show some respect.
" Well he died in the end; but hey! What happen to the 'Italian mafia'??? :
Navy man you say!! John Kelly can fly!
another flying tank brought to you by the Grumman iron works.... Leroy Grumman understood that aircraft are replaceable but pilots are not.. I truly miss his superb aircraft from the Wildcat to the Tomcat, and the LEM.. RIP Mr. Grumman. It was a privilege growing up on Long Island near the Bethpage plant, and near the Republic plant (home of the thunderbolt and the Warthog...) in Farmingdale...
Because Grumman makes the very best!
Mr. Kimmel, I recall Jack Broughton talking about a HUGE problem the F105 thunderchief had was the hydraulics were 'unarmored and pretty exposed' to damage, so even 'light damage' could result in your plane venting all it's hydraulic fluid and the result was total loss of control of the aircraft. Did Grumman do a better job at protecting the 'vital systems' of the A6?
I worked in Savannah in the late seventies, at Grumman Gulfstream's Service Center. One day, a Grumman F 14 Tomcat gunfighter machine visited us. What an aircraft.
Semper Fi
Fuckin A Seth! Iron Works FTW! USN AT3 AIMD IM3 93-97 CV63 CVN68!
Tell that to poor Morg :-(
I spent 18 years and three cruises on West Pac ships in that wonderful aircraft. No finer bomber in the fleet. PERIOD.
Steve Hammond
Thank you for your service, Sir! Your sweat, your tears, your shots and your traps and your nights in the barrel.
VA-165, The Boomers!
"Fighter pukes make movies...Bomber pilots make HISTORY!"
Was iron hand ur thing?
Navy forever.
I was in the Marine Detachment aboard the USS Independence when they filmed this movie onboard in 1989. I had the pleasure of beating Tom Sizemore in the push-up contest in the hanger bay. Fun memories of the filming and being on that ship.
Dafoe is pretty much a badass in everything he does.
Egg bagel, cream cheese.
@@DustDevilRage Twist of lemon....
@@specialwhenlit8435
THERE WAS A FIREFIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
His role in the lighthouse movie was outstanding.
On the ground in the climax, he is objectively useless
First war movie my daddy took me to see in a theater. This movie, particularly this scene and Go Downtown scene have kept me going in my 3 battles with cancer. The 23rd Psalm and Lean Into It have been my personal favorites.
Nathan, may the good Lord grant you many more years of great unhindered health, happiness and comfort.
@@LesterMoore thank you
"Normally I'm blabby, but I sat on this one." A great line in front of the Board.
“You can lead the Manson Family now that Charlie’s in jail”. Best line ever!
"I used up my goodbyes", best line in the film, it really sets the tone and lets you know that they might not make it back.
“We’ll be carrying thousand pound Snake-Eyes instead of 500’s”... love that line
Take it from a 'Nam Marine. Few things nastier than snake and nape.
@@LesterMoore former Marine myself. Semper, Devil. Where did you serve in Nam?
@@ViperKeeper2070 Initially II Corps around Chu Lai, then got moved to I Corps, Phu Loc District, Thua Tien Province to an area just South of Hue. In the vicinity of the Troui River. Where were you positioned?
Did they actually have Mk. 83 Snake-eye Bombs in Vietnam? They had plenty of the Mk. 82 version.
I love they would never expect us to come back noone would go thru that again I came here to bomb 180 one more time
"Aww. Velocity has gone bananas." "The manual says to kick the sob to get rotors going." He kicked it and then it died LOL
He was kicking the wrong box. He was kicking the PCU (Pedestal Control Unit) instead of the CPU (Ballistic Computer) which is mounted directly behind the PCU. I know because I used to fix them that way. AQ in VA-185 and VA-95.
@@chicom70 huh, neat
@@chicom70 Outstanding
I always liked VA-95. A very professional and resolved squadron. They always "went out to bomb".
Let's Roll!
Wolf Alaska
Coonts actually mentioned this in the book. Pretty cool that they added it to the movie. Small detail.
The A-6 Intruder was a terrific airplane
There's one on the USS LEXINGTON in Corpus Christi Texas
We trained the EWs (Dafoe's character) at NAVAIRTU Mather AFB, CA in the 80s.
@AstronomyToday It has been a while since I was last there but the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum has an A-6 that you can walk up to and touch. Back in the day we used to climb into the air intakes with our legs hanging out, making it look like we were getting sucked into the engine - it made a great picture!
worked on that plane for 9 years in the Navy. Loved it
I was the AE shop supervisor in VA-65.
"Manual says to kick the son of a bitch to get it going"
More instruction manuals need this beautiful piece of advice.
well here it was no joke actually because the computer in the A-6A Intruder was of the rotary drum design and it froze up all the time, quite literally.
@@strikerdelta I'm aware. I still stand by what I said.
this scene alone is worth the price of admission. the music/nightscene/action gives me goosebumps every time.
Rip great granpa Keith Curry that I never had the pleasure of meeting he flew an a6 and it crashed into the ocean they never got to recover his body but he will always be remembered this country has had a lot of brave men and he’s definitely earned a spot on that list
RIP
the heroism and honor belong to the vietnam people who resisted both french and US attempt to divide their country.
@@lufasumafalu5069and used children and women as human bombs to kill the forces of those armies… how very heroic.
@@ebeckman1011 incredibly evil , only the US can kill people by thousands and still proclaim defender of humanity..
@@lufasumafalu5069 Russia, China, North Korea, Iran, Pakistan, any country with a nuke can kill by the thousands. Please get your facts straight if you’re going to discuss world issues with adults. Otherwise go play fortnight and let the grownups talk.
For what it's worth Flying Leather Necks and Brown Shoes, when I was a young Marine fresh from boot camp, no fixed-wing gave me more confidence than the A-6. In those days not much flew in bad weather, but the Intruder ate it up and they put bombs on target. I also think the A-6 is damn good looking, it looks mean. Now they're on popsicle sticks, but they will always be loved by this former Grunt. S/F
Fighter pilots make movies. Bomber pilots make history! Right on!!!
I was a very small part of this film, it was shot on my ship USS Independence in '89 or 90.. I'd read the book, when they screened this on the boat I was a little disappointed and thought it cheesy.. Now 25 years later I can appreciate it's actually well made and they worked hard to get it right.. I met Willem Dafoe and Danny Glover, they were aboard for several weeks tied up in San Diego for the interior shots then out to sea for 10 days.
Johnny Cade
The book is like life; a lot of low-level activity and philosophising punctuated with intense heart pounding action scenes that seem so real they had this old sailor sweating. If all you're looking for is Pulp Fiction style exaggerated "bang bang shoot'em up", then it's probably not for you. If you do like it, you'll enjoy the sequel "The Intruders".
coolness!! especially under the conditions, them working the movie!
that’s awesome
I was CFAY Security in Yokosuka when Midway steamed out for the last time and Indy steamed in to replace her as the forward deployed carrier in 7th Fleet .
Special thanks to the pilots and personnel of the VA-165 Boomers
You know it is an accurate Navy film when they add in The Phantom Shitter
yeah, he really got around in those days... :)
@William Wright I was out of the USN in 1988 but saw CV62 as the last USN Ship in Phillipines, 1992.
The phantom shitters treachery knows no bounds!
Phantom shitter, CV-64 1985 WEST PAC. Was alive and shitten lol! Sick son of a bitch he was
@@GhostofSicklesleg he'll never die. He's everywhere
- you guys are crazy man! You're never gonna make!
- YEAH!
One of my favorite scenes LOL
Christobal Ian Cantu I get good vibes
And the smile Dafoe had when he said "yeah"! Funny as shit!
Rest in Peace Brad Johnson and Tom Sizemore 🙏
Holy Feck!
Brad died of Covid complications , only 62
Anyone who served in Nam gets my respect. I was scared $h!tless I would have to go. it ended when I graduated HS. God bless all who served!!!!!
The greatest bombing run in cinemtic history. Period.
pixelsilva the Memphis Belle bomb run was pretty epic
30 Seconds Over Tokyo is my fav. Real old school.
633 Squadron is way better.
Plus it inspired every Star Wars battle ever.
@daAnder71 Cry me a river....it's a f**king movie snowflake.
@Johnny Dominguez Even better still - it actually happened. No computers, satnav, laser guidance or target lock. Two pieces of wood and two nails for distance, two spotlights for height, and bombs gone! Brave, brave boys.
Green Goblin, "I used up my goodbyes!" wearing Tiger Stripes.
I remember watching this movie with my dad when I was a kid. This was my favorite part.
same here!
fortunately vader and a pair of tie fighters don't turn up to spoil the attack run here ;D
@@klynsma76 🤣🤣🤣
"We came here to to bomb".
Best war movie one liner ever.
One of my favorite flight movies ever. "The Phantom Shitter" killed me as a kid.
SOMEBODY...in this room...
Maverick was the Phantom shitter in top gun, as a way to get back at jester and viper 😆
It's when they start singing "Downtown" which cracks me up! Also when Willem Dafoe talks about the Shrike missiles "mean bastards, eh?" and Brad Johnson's expression!!
IF I LIVE TO BE 100 I'LL ALWAYS LOVE THE SONG " DOWNTOWN ".
Things will be great when you're downtown
My favorite prop plane, Corsair. My favorite jet.... THE INTRUDER!!!!
They'd never expect us to come back. Nobody would go through that again"..... High school!
The Music in this whole Movie is freakin' awesome. R.I.P. Basil Poledouris
I love the score & have the soundtrack
I like Willem Dafoe's character (Virgil Cole). He looks like a bit insane.
+youreale that's me on a daily basis
Dafoe always does
"You're never going to friggin make it."
He smiles and say "Yeah" back at him.
"I have good vibes."
youreale he is Canadian
he is a great actor of the 90's... im was born in 1987, at least in the US-Sector of "Berlin (West)" as the official writing was, I grew up here, no border or passing point in both directions for maaaany kilometers, only the inner-berlin wall is not far away in Neukölln against the "Spree" (most important river, that is why they did build Berlin here once, over 750 years ago, some people from today western France came, they were something like mid-age nurses or so... "Bär" = animal, bear... Bärlin is the first documented writting (maybe different, but in todays spelling it would be Bear-Lin), that is why our city flag survived even the shameful dictatorship (I'm no German, I have 2 citizenships, the German is my 2nd since 2011, but I have to prevent former German people which are said to voted Hitler like 99%... Hitlers best result was in the lower 40% range in 1932, a new 1932 election was held in the summer, Hitler even lost voices, this is the last official accepted "democratic" (also hard at the border, people, communists and social democrats were beaten up at the votes day or the night before by drunk SA guys which went all of course to vote, and if they could not stay,
your SA friends helped you to make a cross here and there, hitler never came close to 50%, later after (this was REAL luck for hitler, Reichstag was put on fire by a communist from the Netherland, no manipulation! He just wanted to set a sign or so and did not knew maybe how important the building was for Germany, von Hindenburg (until 1935 the Head of state, Hitler had to make a small bow when Hindenburg came, every law needed to be signed by Hindenburg and not Hitler... the Weimarer Republic gave the President not just over 5-times as much payment like Hitler and a much more expensive car and housing cost which Hindenburg could use, it was like the US president today is the single most important person in politic questions (economic decisions are made often by people unknown to the public or only known because the have names like Rockefeller or the Wal-Mart Family...Bush Junior became President because of Daddy, Daddy became president because he was from a good family and made in oil... Directly after the death of the old and since 1934 not really getting what happens inside his state Hindenburg.... he got a great state funeral of course, only days or weeks later Hitler made all steps to take total power, he also introduced the new Nürnberger anti-jewish and "non-arian"-blood laws... it was everything ready, he only waited "this old man" to die... Wehrmacht oath was changed from serving Germany to serving the "Führer" of the German Reich.... a real "leak" in the fast and unprepared "made" Weimarer Republic, and costs for reparation which maybe the US with its millions of km² and Alaska, steady migration willing (no other option) to work hard, in Europe too, but here in Germany there was no job for the masses...than SA-Chief was murdered, SA banned, and 3 million SA people put on their normal clothes again, starting to work as new jobs became available (on debt, like the US is in debt heavily now, just the US has the power to pay it back with ressources and goods... Hitler with almost every of the poor german industry going to the winning powers did not have, also no oil... much money had to be paid for synthethic fuel while the US did flood the world with ~1$ oil for the first 90 years of commercial oil history, with bans for own production and South American and Asian producers to deliver oil to the Axis powers... crazy, but electing trump is crazy too.... Hindenburg was a old idiot who fought you can deal with Hitler as Hindenburg had the power, just not the mind in his age.........
now a new threat is over Europe, US is not doing so well with migration and import-exports as we see the tariff tax... its a trade war declaration to China! China answered with banning only a very small amount compared to the US one, US imports got the same max. additional import tax rate of 25% for over 120 US goods, including wine... all together 3 billion annualy, a joke compared to the US export, it sounds like a joke now, but 5,000 bottles of wine should leave California to China yesterday, the US company which would have to pay the tax did stop the import, pork (whatever this is, need dict.cc) was also banned, US is no exporter for goods which china does not export it self (even oil products china became a exporter too, US too, 10 years ago both were each quite large net importer of finished and high quality products but US production changed everything, but without investments the production falls fast, but I think 2018 will be the new peak, after 48 years the highest daily and weekly production EVER reported was reached from shale oil and vertical drilling........ now almost half corporate tax... its insane how much the state is losing on company revenues....21 instead of 39.6% is a joke or not?! for poor companies like Microsoft, ExxonMobil, ChevronTexaco, ConocoPhillips, General Motors, Chrysler, Chevrolet, other producers of oil equipment, large steal or mining companies... Nvidia with RAM prices 3-4x as high even if its old DDR-3 Ram and GTX 1080 Ti cost over 1300$ oversea, if you get one.... oh I forgot Apple, a max. 1 billion income rule or 500 million or 100 million would do it too........
Love it when he starts to recite the Lords prayer as the AA is getting more intense. This movie came on last night right before I went to bed, but I stayed up just to watch this scene. One of my all time favorites. My dad was Air Force but passed away a while ago, he would have appreciated this scene with me.
I would have preferred to dive straight in from 30k feet in an F-15 strike eagle. There’s no way they could hit me doing it dead vertical
23rd Psalm
@@matthewcaughey8898 They didn't exist yet.
@@strikerdelta the F-111 did and at Mach 2 right on the deck you would have had all kinds of crap in your wake
@@matthewcaughey8898 Was Air Force. These guys FLY NAVY.
BAD ASS special effects. Not a CGI in sight. They just don't make stuff like this anymore.
+Mike Lewis Screw cgi, its for lazy directors,that means we have better taste than cgi chunkers.I cannot believe special effects quality drop after the 80s,90s.
+Mike Lewis
You realize it's all CGI?
Because special effects had hit its high-water mark in early 90s, whereas afterwards 3-D effects can actually make more convincing scenes in an increasingly cost-effective way?
Nope, all I see are models. It was simply impossible in the early 90s to get such effects done with computers.
The camera shake looked realistic--you felt like you were in the cockpit. And the camera didn't track the plane perfectly, particularly as they made the final turn onto the Yellow Brick Road--it looked how it would've looked to someone in a chase plane, not a perfectly-steered camera following a perfectly-rendered A-6.
This felt gritty and immediate; you were with two (probably scared) guys, making the bomb run of the century.
Most CGI (particularly since the first Matrix movie) gets the physics WAY wrong (assuming they were even trying to get the physics right). And it's almost always too glossy and perfect. There aren't ever any CGI-rendered dust bunnies or dirty windows.
The A-6 Intruder had very good electronic counter measures and had very good gas economy to weapons loads.
Served on the Indy for 3 years. Lots of internal shots of the ship from "Flight of the Intruder".
Never seen a carrier night landing with the opera lights up. Air Boss normally only switched up for emergency FOD walk, stretching out the barricade or medical emergency (double leg laceration) from a 3 wire separation which ended up with a double amputation at the Navy hospital in Yokosuka before being packed up and medivaced to Balbou in San Diego
I like too think this was what it was like for my Uncle. Maj. Ken Fisher at the DMZ Nov. 7 1967. He flew an f4. Got shot down after being criticly hit. After going back in to dump ordinance left. He was a POW. And got home '73
Welcome home Major.
That’s an amazing story. A big thanks goes out to your Uncle for his bravery and his service!!
RIP Brad Johnson may you fly high in the skies.✊😔
And Tom sizemore.
@@YoshiYosheda DEFINITELY
2:20 "I used up my goodbyes" you said it all right there
Truly, one of the most emotionally satisfying scenes in cinema.
"Manual says to kick the son of a bitch, get the rotors going."
***** "It's no fun until they send up 3 at once. Then we give the gomers our first rocket while you get to dive under."
I used to do this for a living.
Thank you for your service.
fly A-6's? you are privileged, much respect
You were an actor?
Big balls. Thank you.
gallantrycross x and Mike that was a great joke.
"Flight of the Intruder" was one of my favorite books, still is. Maybe my hopes were too high. They got the basics of the story right, but the spirit was missing.
Wow what a war bird. I used to order parts for these planes. Aviation store keeper. VA-196.
Talk about Naval pilots flying the right aircraft and putting the bread on the table. Simply EPIC!
To me this is one of the all-time great movies...
I didn't know William Defoe was in this movie. I need to check this out. I've been to the U.S.S. Midway in San Diego and in the A-6 pilot's briefing room there were posters, books, a vhs copy, and they were playing this movie on the TV.
Even though this movie didn't really stay true to the amazing book it's based on, I'm glad that the screenwriter still managed to get one thing right - that central moment of truth perfectly shown in "The Minotaur": the will to do a second run at the target.
The Minotaur. Tell me more about this.
"..and go DOWNTOWN!" Fantastic! The very best! Few know that the movie has a lot of historical correctness. It remains one of the great unanswered questions of the war.
It's sick how one of the Sam missile goes berserk in the building. Great detail
That must have been the "Children's Hospital" they said we attacked.
And they were all models, no CGI
It was mid 1971, I was a young USAF Sgt stationed in Thailand, working in the comm center of our fighter wing. I met a Maj (F4 pilot) that I was told had been there since 1968 and when I asked him why, his reply was he was waiting to go back "downtown" ... he never made it back and this movie (which I love) reminds me of him and a lot of other aircrew that never came back.
very nice fantasy and made up story kid , keep on posting nonsense on youtube comment section
I feel happy for the A-6 guys, who flew an unglamorous airplane through hellfire to get shit done, that they finally got a good movie.
fighter jocks make movies... bomber pilots make history ... and movies too
One of the better flying films but I very much doubt a SAM would be launched to intercept an A 6 at a couple of hundred feet.
+Peter Lovett no nut a red eye lol
+Peter Lovett Assuming the ground radar could even see them at that altitude, I'm not sure the radars would be able to tell them apart from the ground clutter, much less guide the missile.
zerstorer335 Good point.
Is that why they were trying to get in at 200ft?
Correct. SA'2's minimum altitude is 1500 feet.
You know, I’m something of a pilot myself…
One of the best Nam movies ever. I can't watch Tour of Duty or my non-existent PTSD kicks in. But this one... just terrific. I flew in a FAC - O1 Bird dog and shooting "willey-peets" was fun enough. Getting back alive was even better. Thanks for the memories.
Thanks for sharing :)
Peace be with you Alan, glad you made it back, you guys were great! Ciao, L (118 missions Navy)
They call it the "Front Office " right that Bird Dog?
They made this beautiful aircraft out in Calverton at the Grumman facility on the east end of Long Island NY, they still have one out there on display next to an F14.
The most truly bad ass war scene ever AND the beyond cool Willem Dafoe. It don't get no better! John Milius, I love you. RIP
He's not dead!
"All that jinkin around must've thrown off the ACU."
I understand that you can't go on with the old school technology forever, but damn it's a shame they could not replace those A-6's with something as durable as those things. One bit of realism from this movie is the damage they could take and still get back to the carrier. I've heard stories much like those of the A-10 where whole chunks of the wings would be blown off and they would still be flyable.
The hog can fly with one engine shot out its 3 hydraulic systems shot out half the tail shot off and half a wing shot off in short it's a flying tank
They tried to. There was a modernization program that would of given them a new computer system, glass cockpit, and an APQ-173 synthetic aperture radar (which, amusingly, would of also allowed the aircraft to carry and fire an absolutely obscene number of AMRAAMs). They cancelled the project when the A-12 looked like it was going to be a thing. And thusly left the Navy looking a bit silly when the A-12 was cancelled.
miss the a6 f14
@@tanall5959 they could have at least used the two extra weapon stations onbthe prowler i think
"...whole chunks of the wings blown off, and they'd still be flyable." AND make an OK pass to the three wire. The Phantom was a brick with rockets attached; the Intruder was a FLYING MACHINE.
RIP Brad Johnson ("Cool Hand" Grafton) passed at age 62 of Covid complications.
RIP
I remember in the book going wet was a huge relief for the pilots. At least in the novel once over the water they felt much safer.
Once you got back over the ocean you were pretty much outside the threat envelope of enemy weapon systems unless a particularly persistent MiG was trying to chase you, in which case he ran the risk of being intercepted by other fighters like in the movie.
Keel-hauling is a serious offense especially aboard an aircraft carrier mister .
Best Attack aircraft the Navy had, it will never be replaced. The hornet can't do the job.
I've always loved this bomb run scene and Dafoe is one of my favorites. Forget all your troubles and go DOWNtown.
"Usually I'm blabby, but I sat on this one."
A-6 was a beautiful bird.
Underrated movie. Flight of the Intruder. The movie before Top Gun that should have been a blockbuster.
You see, ironhand's my thing
Great film. A valued addition to my huge DVD library. Saw this in the theater.
Loved this scene from what is the only A-6 movie set in the Vietnam War. No doubt it was a very epic scene.
"Breaking left." ⚫️ Black screen. Silence. "Downtown Music 🎶
I'm surprised a SAM's radar can even locate an aircraft flying at 200ft AGL, let alone be able to launch and track it around a city landscape.
The SA-2 could not. It was designed to shoot down B-52s at altitude.
@@michaelfox10 Funny how the SA-2 seemed to be the only SAM the NVA had in this movie. The only other air-defense systems were machine guns or ZSU-23-4 Shilkas.
My Uncle Col. Ken Fisher did this shit in Nam. Got shot down by a 37mm. Went back took it out. Killed 5 Nva. On ground before taken POW. HANOI HILTON. Nov. 7 1967.
Dicky Fisher is one of your prior post you said your uncle Ken Fishers was a major now he is a Colonel in this post. Are you Bullshitting? How did he know he killed 5 NBA after getting shot down?
naeem ahmad
Most POWs got promoted while in the Hilton. Go in a Major, come out a Colonel. From the post, it sounds like he attacked the flak site on foot after he was shot down. One M1911 ACP vs 5 AKs; sounds like Clint Eastwood.
One seriously cool kick butt of a movie. 👍
Although fictional every American should be fiercely proud of our pilots-if called upon they are willing to give their all. Fly Navy!
Especially John McCaine Republican, State of Arizona.
Not Donald J. Trump Pussy, State of New York. Medical 4-F.
McCaine HAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!
McCain is an asshole. Fuck Hillary, you mean.
loup garou yes, bombing innocent people all around the globe for Israel and central banks!
thegr8rambino Well no. You see The North Vietnam knew we were on a Restricted Bombing Campaign under Johnson. So they lined up there weapons in major cites, like the movie shows, knowing we wouldn't. The reason? Fear of bad PR and Chinese intervention like in Korea. When Nixon took office he made a treaty with China, then launched a unrestricted bombing campaign. The targets were weapons stock piles like those and other high value targets. Difference being is B-52's were used in high level bombing targeting manufacturing plants. It sort of worked. The North did sign the Paris Peace accords. What can be argued greatly is whether or not we should have gotten involved.
love this movie reminds me when subic was crazy
Best liberty in the whole WESTPAC!
any pilot would of known if he lost 6000 pounds of bombs... and would not have to ask
Great flick to get a flight simmer pumped
Steelbeastcavlary. Respect to you. Same unit my dad was with in Viet Nam. Go BLACKHORSE
I was aboard the USS Independence while this movie was being filmed. Actually got to get in the movie (burial at sea scene, I'm one of the sailors in white). The ship put out a call that any folks that wanted to be in the scene, get in their dress whites and goto the hangar deck... Great movie.
The special effects are a master piece - as good as Gerry Anderson.
Imagine if the bomber scene from The Last Jedi played out more like this with some smaller faster bomber than spacefaring knock-off B17s.
NAVY STRONG !!! There are "Pilots" and there are NAVAL AVIATORS ! !;>)
Having had an uncle who was a Huey pilot in Vietnam, Willem nails the pilot's drawl so perfectly.
"PAYBACK, YOU MOTHER...!!!!"
"Cole, you can lead the Manson family now that Charlie's dead!"
In jail, not dead.
@@strikerdelta Updated!
2:28 that's a hell of a roll rate for an A6 luggin supposedly 8,000bs of ordnance.. but anyway.
the a 6 was fairly maneuverable
More so than the Tomcat
zzodr less than half of its rated capacity.
zzodr, the A-6 had very effective ailerons AND roll spoilers/speed brakes that could whip it around pretty quick. We used to have detachments from various fighter squadrons stand tours of hot pad duty at our base. Typically they would bring four F-4s and a KA-6 tanker. Sometimes the Phantom jocks would just for giggles "bounce" the KA after they'd mostly sucked it dry. The tanker crews got plenty of practice at dodging slashing attacks. And in a turning fight, the F-4 just couldn't stay with it.
"Payback you Mother!"
"Get some! Righteous!"
Underrated book and movie. We put our soldier and Marines in situations where they couldn't win, and they never lost a battle. We willingly gave up air superiority over North Vietnam so it wouldn't look to the Soviets and Chinese we were winning, and risked our pilots.
frankdrebin unfortunately that's what happens when politics get mixed in with war. In WWII it was hands off fight untill they give up. Vietnam was take a hill, give it back, strict rules of engagement etc. I have every respect for Vietnam veterans but not for those politicians
Also book and following 2-3 sequels were amazing
and what would we have accomplished? you need to study history more and understand blowing up shit is not what makes america great.
That what loser say
@@amielatabaki755 To avoid a greater war, we were forced to let them win and then we pulled out.
Maybe this is what (Top Gun) Maverick's dad did to get him in so much hot water with the Navy.
That's a tie-in I can get behind.
except maverick's dad flew an F-4 fighter not an A-6 Intruder
Erick Vollmer: That's the story they have been telling Maverick all along. The Navy has been trying to bury this incident ever since it happened. ;)
Edward Giugliano No, but Viper flew with Duke Mitchell, and witnessed the incident. He saved other pilots that had MiGs on their tails before ejecting in a no-fly zone after being hit from fire. They covered it because all of this happened in the wrong area and it would have been considered a war-crime.
Additionally, A-6 was not in service when Duke Mitchell was shot down in Nov 65. This period is 1972 when Nixon restarted bombing of North Vietnam to force them to the peace table. Operation Linebacker I and II.
I was in the 7th Cav in Desert Storm, but I can tell you this movie accurately depicts the camaraderie of fighting men in any service. One of my favs. Defoe is great. Alpha, Mike, Foxtrot....
Did you serve with a guy named Gary Owen?
your milirary experience was playing call of duty , stop imagining things kiddo
I hope we still have men like this in America.
Vietnam pilots were a special breed nothing like them.
RIP Brad Johnson
When movies are better than what comes out now.
Thank you- how did I miss that one over all these years?!