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Spad vs. Mig

Talyn

Emissary
Founding Member
As explained by Wayne Mutza in his book The A-1 Skyraider in Vietnam, the first Spad-MiG encounter occurred on Jun. 20, 1965, when A-1Hs (call sign “Canasta”), flown by Lt. Cmdr. Ed Greathouse, Lt j.g. James Lynne, Lt. Clint Johnson, and Lt. Charles Hartman, were launched from the USS Midway on a ResCAP mission over North Vietnam.

The objective was an F-105 pilot who had been shot down in the vicinity of Dien Bien Phu. The squadron was beginning to feel the frustration and fatigue of being one month into its third period at sea. Operational tempo was at its peak, and VA-25 had suffered its first loss of the war, Spad pilot Lt j.g. Carl Doughtie, on a strike mission ten days earlier.

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After the MiG incident, the four A-1 s were inspected and placed in up status.
  1. BuNo. 137523 (Hartman, “Canasta 73”), just four days later, lost power on approach to the carrier and was ditched.
  2. Bureau Numbers 139768 (Johnson, “Canasta 77”) and 134609 (Greathouse, “Canasta 79”) completed the cruise.
  3. BuNo. 135300 (Lynne, “Canasta 71”) not only completed the cruise and was with VA-25 for the last Spad cruise, but is now on display in the National Museum of Naval Aviation at NAS Pensacola, Florida.

"Canasta 71" refers to the wartime call sign of a historic U.S. Navy A-1 Skyraider attack aircraft (Bureau Number 135300). It is famous for its role in a historic aerial battle during the Vietnam War and is currently on public display in Pensacola, Florida.


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