'Operation Babylift - Homeward Bound' | Aero-News Network
Aero-News Network
RSS icon RSS feed
podcast icon MP3 podcast
Subscribe Aero-News e-mail Newsletter Subscribe

Airborne Unlimited -- Most Recent Daily Episodes

Episode Date

Airborne-Monday

Airborne-Tuesday

Airborne-Wednesday Airborne-Thursday

Airborne-Friday

Airborne On YouTube

Airborne-Unlimited-09.16.24

Airborne-NextGen-09.17.24

Airborne-Unlimited-09.18.24

Airborne-FlightTraining-09.19.24

Airborne-Unlimited-09.20.24

Mon, Jun 13, 2005

'Operation Babylift - Homeward Bound'

World Airways Departs For Vietnam

A World Airways plane departed Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport Sunday bound for Vietnam as part of a historic trip commemorating the 30-year anniversary of "Operation Babylift." World Airways is returning 21 Vietnamese adoptees to Ho Chi Minh City for a special two-day visit where they will tour the city and will be honored at a special banquet in the Unification Palace.

World Airways airlifted 57 orphans from Saigon and brought them to the United States to be adopted by American families on April 2, 1975. World Airways contacted 21 of those children, now adults, and invited them for this special trip aboard one of World's modern MD-11 wide-body passenger aircraft, specially painted with the company's former red and white design and logo from 1975. Several of the invited adoptees were on that historic flight.

That flight to California led to an even larger Operation Babylift effort by the U.S. government throughout the month of April 1975, transporting more than 3,000 children.

"After two years of planning, we are finally on our way for what will be the second journey of a lifetime for many of these individuals," said Randy Martinez, chief executive officer of World Air Holdings, Inc. "It's an honor to help make this trip happen, and the two days we will spend in Ho Chi Minh City will truly be memorable."

Invited guests, several of whom participated in the original Operation Babylift, are joining the adoptees and Martinez on the trip. World Airways pilots Ken Healy and Bill Keating, who flew the original flight out of Saigon under dangerous conditions, and other members of the original crew and ground support employees are taking part in the special trip. They will be joined by Ross Meador, who placed the 57 children on the 1975 flight from an orphanage he managed for Friends of the Children of Vietnam (FCVN).

The commemorative flight will stop at World Airways' former headquarters city, Oakland, Calif. before heading on overseas. In Ho Chi Minh City, the adoptees and invited guests will participate in an arrival ceremony at the airport, tours of the city (including the Phu My orphanage) and a gala dinner at the Unification Palace. The group will return to San Francisco on July 17, before finishing the journey back to Atlanta later that day.

FMI: www.worldairways.com

Advertisement

More News

ANN's Daily Aero-Term (09.17.24): Instrument Approach Procedure (IAP) Charts

Instrument Approach Procedure (IAP) Charts Portray the aeronautical data which is required to execute an instrument approach to an airport. These charts depict the procedures, incl>[...]

Aero-News: Quote of the Day (09.17.24)

“Our industry is approaching a 30-year innovation cycle, and we have less than 25 years to decarbonize aviation. We need to develop new methods to get net zero aerospace tech>[...]

Airborne 09.16.24: Bristell Shooting, EAA v FAA, Boeing Strike!

Also: Girls in Aviation Day, B-29 Doc Heads 4 Chino, C-17 Tail Cone Detaches, Bulgaria Airshow Accident One of two private aircraft that launched from Apatity Airport near Murmansk>[...]

Classic Aero-TV: CubCrafters NX Cub-A Stunning Effort To Build The ‘Perfect Cub'

From 2021 (YouTube Version): We Were Blown Away At How Well The Nosewheel Was Adapted To The X Cub Airframe It should not be a secret to any one of you, that with thousands of hour>[...]

Airborne 09.18.24: Boom XB-1 3rd Test, DJI Ban, SubSonex To EAA Museum

Also: Volato Nixed by Honda, New B-21 Bases, A-10 Unit Inactivated, Gogo/Airshare Boom Supersonic announced its demonstrator aircraft XB-1 successfully completed its third test fli>[...]

blog comments powered by Disqus



Advertisement

Advertisement

Podcasts

Advertisement

© 2007 - 2024 Web Development & Design by Pauli Systems, LC