National Geographic - War Heroes Of The Skies (2013) Part 5 Vietnam Dogfight

War Heroes Of The Skies.

Through the eyes of the heroes, experience realistic mid-air combat and see revealing interviews with the last surviving WWII veterans in War Heroes Of The Skies. From the WWII aircrew officer who doused a fire on the wing of his aircraft while 20,000 ft in the sky, to the phantom fighter pilot who took out four MiGs over Vietnam in the most celebrated dog fight of the modern era. Presented by Lord Ashcroft, these are all stories of superhuman endurance, selfless courage and heroism beyond the call of duty. Using vintage aircraft such as Spitfires fighters and Lancaster bombers, aerial stunt teams and state-of-the-art camera technology, the series brings to life the exploits of the world's greatest military air heroes. The series features realistic mid-air combat sequences, revealing interviews with the last surviving veterans, rare archive footage and cutting-edge CGI to transport viewers back in time to experience the reality of air combat. aka Heroes Of The Skies.

Part 5: Vietnam Dogfight

Lord Ashcroft KCMG looks back at the events of July 1966. With North Vietnam's squadron of MiG-21s hammering the US Air Force, the embattled men of the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing needed a hero to whip them into shape. Enter Colonel Robin Olds, a WWII veteran airman, who charged in and commanded respect with his unbreakable courage. But devising a tactic to beat North Vietnam in the air would not come easily. Olds and his men eventually came up with an audacious plan: set a 20th Century Trojan Horse trap high up in the air. To do this they would need to masquerade their F4 Phantom fighter jets as THUD bombers to lure the North Vietnamese MiGs into open skies, then take them down in a ferocious dogfight. Dubbed Operation BOLO, the top-secret scheme was hugely complex – one false move could have proven deadly for them all. Olds won the confidence of top brass and got the green light. On January 2nd, 1967, the 8th Tactical, led by Olds, provoked a ferocious airborne battle and attempted to change the course of the Vietnam War.

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