A1E Skyraider

A1E Skyraider

This is a WWII holdover, the A1E Skyraider. It was flown by the Vietnamese pilots, and some of them were real experts. I witnessed a belly landing of an A1E when the landing gear didn't deploy. The plane was almost into a stall when the propeller blades started hitting the runway. After the propeller shattered, the plane settled down onto the concrete as pretty as you please. You never saw such a soft landing. Everyone who was watching started to applaud. It was a magnificent job of flying!