The OV-10 Bronco: Designed by Marines, Built for COIN Ops

Рет қаралды 717,886

3 ай бұрын

The OV-10 Bronco is a unique airplane in military aviation. An Observation/Light Attack aircraft, the Bronco served for decades and was especially effective in Counterinsurgency or COIN operations. Learn about the development, operational history, and interesting features of this flying horse.
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Credits/Attributions:
"The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement."
Department of Defense
Northrop Grumman
Lockheed Martin
Boeing
Raytheon
Pratt & Whitney
General Electric
German OV-10 Bronco: Jakub Hałun, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
3D animations are produced by me, Tog. Some Scenes were made using Digital Combat Simulator (DCS) You can download it for free here:
www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/
Bronco OV-10 mod used: splitair.gumroad.com/l/fwzxn
Opinions expressed are solely my own and do not express the views or opinions of the DOD, any government or company, now you know!
- Tog
#OV10 #Bronco #COIN

Пікірлер: 827

@dogfightdiary5712 2 ай бұрын

On a day patrol off Hill 55 in early 1971, our squad of Marines got caught out in an open area of sand and were pinned down on the opposite side of the Arizona Territory at the Song Vu Gia river by an NVA ambush. The arty on hill 55 almost hit us with Willie Peter. I called for air support and got an OV-10 out of Da Nang with the callsign "HOSTAGE FANG." After he understood what side of the river we were on, he said, "Put your heads down, gents. This stuff bounces." He then proceeded to blast that side of the river and after that we were able to walk away without another hostile shot being fired at us. Brother, if you are out there and see this, many thanks. I will never forget. L/Cpl. P. D. "Gov" Regan, Mco 3/1 1st MARDIV. 👍

@painmt651 2 ай бұрын

Demoed Fi! Edit: Semper Fi! I hate spellcheck.

@thetdchannel 2 ай бұрын

Good story!

@johnmoriarty6158 2 ай бұрын

@dogfightdiary5712 One of my relatives call sign was Hostage Six. VMO-2

@hippiesaboteur2556 Ай бұрын

Hey sir, glad you & your marines made it out... and thanks for your service devil dog. Just wondering, on a semi-random other side not... wasn't Hill 55 also largely the hill where Carlos Hathcock operated out of during much of his time in-country??

@khb6686 Ай бұрын

@@painmt651 What side were on of the perfume river?

@austism1 2 ай бұрын

My dad was one of those Marines who use to parachute out the back of them. He said the pilot would just pull the nose up and they would all slide right out 😂

@jamesb.2064 14 күн бұрын

@@austism1 OV10 pop up. I parachuted from them several times. Scariest and most exhilarating jumps I ever did. 😲

@austism1 14 күн бұрын

@jamesb.2064 so it is true lol 😆 thanks for sharing 👍

@higgs923 2 ай бұрын

I had the privilege of serving with VAL-4, the Black Ponies, in 1971-'72. The OV-10 still has a place in my affection. It was the most willing little aircraft.

@PilotPhotog 2 ай бұрын

My thanks to you for your service, and the highest praise I can ever receive is from individuals such as yourself who were there and served with these incredible machines.

@dogfightdiary5712 2 ай бұрын

I salute you, sir. Semper Fi! 👍

@fearless_ambassador_ambo 2 ай бұрын

From the son of a HAL-3 Seawolf - thanks for your service. My pop was there at Binh Thuy at roughly the same time.

@AlistairGale 2 ай бұрын

@@dogfightdiary5712 don’t you get tired of saluting the military industrial complex?

@pablopeter3564 2 ай бұрын

Thanks for your service Sir. Greetings from Mexico City.

@TheUsmc0802 2 ай бұрын

I promise you, no one has forgotten about the bronco!!!!

@brianb-p6586 2 ай бұрын

I don't know how it could be forgotten... I can't go a week without seeing OV-10 Bronco videos in my KZfaq suggestions and posts in by Facebook feed.

@jerrymclean8075 2 ай бұрын

Im glad they are bringing back the videos on the OV-10! They need to bring it back!! and live by the words if its not broke then dont fix it !@@brianb-p6586

@giantfactory 2 ай бұрын

I haven't. Then again, I never even knew about it till now...

@whyjnot420 2 ай бұрын

As shown by another reply, it is simply unknown by some people and you can't forget what you never knew. A lot of people. I get why. As awesome as it looks to anyone who knows what it is for, it really isn't anywhere near as sexy as an A-10 or AH-64 or really any other attack style platform. Not when a person is making some video that just needs something catchy (youtube, tv, streaming, doesn't matter, anything even just some random website). Especially once you get things that are so ludicrously iconic as brrrrrrrrrrrt.

@TexanUSMC8089 2 ай бұрын

Semper Fi. I saw Ov-10's flying in the 80's. It was always fun watching how maneuverable they were.

@leolyon2373 2 ай бұрын

My brother Leon served two tours in Vietnam in the back seat of an 0V10. Unfortunately, he and his pilot were killed in South Korea, in 1979, while on deployment. Thank you for for remembering. Rest in peace Lt. Leon Gingras.

@PilotPhotog 2 ай бұрын

Rest in peace Lt. Leon Gingras and thank you for sharing

@BillyJ244 2 ай бұрын

I'm sorry for the loss of your brother. May he rest in peace. God bless all of the veterans.

@kennethbrooks4425 2 ай бұрын

RIP to your Warrior brother.

@leolyon2373 2 ай бұрын

@@kennethbrooks4425 Thank you on behalf of my brother and my family.

@raisingcaine5480 Ай бұрын

I worked for your Brother Leon (Lee) in Maintenance Control and on the Flight Line as a Plane Captain 74-75 in VMO-2 at Camp Pendleton before leaving for OCS and eventually becoming a Naval Aviator, for which Lee was instrumental in helping me get accepted to the Enlisted Commissioning Program (Aviation). He was a mentor to me. Was in A-6 training with another former VMO-2 Pilot who knew Lee very well, Don Bruey, when we received word of his accident, and boy was that a shock. He was a CWO when I worked for him. A shock as well to see your post here! RIP Leon Gingras.

@backandforthupanddow 2 ай бұрын

Great video, but the comments from vets sharing their personal experiences is pure gold.

@PilotPhotog 2 ай бұрын

Thank you and to me that’s the best indicator that I did an airplane justice in my videos, I am honored by them sharing their experiences here. Thanks for commenting!

@willdavis7966 2 ай бұрын

The Bronco is not forgotten... Only improperly utilized. Semper Fi 🇺🇸

@doughoward6401 2 ай бұрын

Saw one do a zippy run in Vietnam!!! Never forget it !!! Loved it .

@CorePathway 2 ай бұрын

Sure seems like they would have been perfect in A-Stan.

@johnarnold893 2 ай бұрын

@@CorePathway Maybe not since the Afghans had Manpads which the Cong didn't.

@CorePathway 2 ай бұрын

@@johnarnold893 well, it’s a drone world now

@iloveaviation-burgerclub-a8145 2 ай бұрын

Red Bull would have some use for it. Or National STOL Championship...

@BMF6889 2 ай бұрын

I was a US Marine platoon commander in Vietnam 1968-1969 and the OV-19 occasionally supported us by controlling airstrikes on enemy positions that were difficult for us to observe from our ground positions. Loved when an OV-10 was overhead.

@PilotPhotog 2 ай бұрын

Thank you for your service, Marine! My father was US Army 66-68, you were there during the thick of it. I am glad the OV-10 helped you and your fellow Marines on the ground and your comment - from someone who was there - is the very best kind of feedback I can get.

@PilotPhotog 2 ай бұрын

@henriyoung3895 2 ай бұрын

WELCOME HOME. SGT DOUG, RECON, 101ST, RVN 68-69 LZ SALLY

@simtalkayak 2 ай бұрын

So.. am I the only one that thinks that utilitarian vehicles are aesthetically pleasant ?

@GeorgeRuffner-iy7bm 2 ай бұрын

No! 🙈🙉🙊 😎 🇺🇸

@PilotPhotog 2 ай бұрын

Not at all, I think the OV-10 is a beautiful airplane and very much enjoyed making this video - thanks for commenting!

@donrush5311 2 ай бұрын

Nope. My favorite plane for most of my life was the DC-3/C47.

@michaelslack4937 2 ай бұрын

Nope

@bobverick 2 ай бұрын

A-10, OV-10, A-29 are all beautiful aircraft.

@Broticulus 2 ай бұрын

I remember this plane very well. My father worked at North American Aviation in Columbus Ohio and was a wing fabricator for the OV-10 and many many other aircrafts. During the Vietnam War, I was in junior high in 1965 when my father first started mentioning him working on this plane. By the time I reached high school in 1968 as a 15 year old, with cousins, uncle and a brother all fighting in "Nam", I had a lot of interests in the machinery and equipment used to fight that war. I felt proud my Dad was helping to contribute to that effort. I joined the Air Force in 1972 and my father continued his efforts in building aircrafts that helped fight that war.

@robkirk6623 2 ай бұрын

My father and uncle worked there also. Remember seeing them being built in the high bay area during open house at the plant.

@anthonyhayes1267 2 ай бұрын

Did your dad happen to know a man named John Hayes? He was my grandfather and worked there as well.

@daveclickenger6748 Ай бұрын

I had 2 uncles retired from there during that time. I worked there in the 80's on b1 Lancer. Machinest

@robkirk6623 Ай бұрын

@@daveclickenger6748 They more than likely knew my dad. He worked in the tool grinding area. He sharpened the tools or made them for the machines.

@jeffreym3520 Ай бұрын

I worked at NAA in Columbus in the early 80’s as a design engineer… I actually worked on the OV-10 Life Extension Program. Great little airplane… lots of memories.

@hanschristianben505 2 ай бұрын

much thanks for making this video! my dad flew OV-10s for the Philippine Air Force before he honorably left the service to fly as a civilian, and I was able to watch them fly in and out of our home air base almost on a daily basis, and even get to enjoy seeing annual live fire demos 🤩🤩 the particular plane that bore his name when it first arrived in the PAF fleet (ex USAF 67-14636) is still flying to this day, and has been wired to employ GBU-49 laser JDAMs... one of the planes in the PAF fleet that he also flew, ex USAF 67-14639, was actually one of the planes that exchange pilots from the RAAF flew during the Vietnam War, and was one of the air assets employed during the infamous BAT21 CSAR mission... after 639 was prematurely retired due to extensive airframe corrosion, the PAF donated the airplane to the Australian War Memorial museum in Canberra, where it was fully restored for display, painted back into the original USAF scheme it wore during the conflict...

@1975KyleDavid 2 ай бұрын

I'd love to own one of these for their simplicity. They are truly beautiful.

@slartybarfastb3648 2 ай бұрын

Gotta be fun to fly as well.

@MrAjmay1 2 ай бұрын

Saw one for sale at Oshkosh 2 years ago.... If I had the kind of "FU money", I would absolutely love one.

@bobwilson758 2 ай бұрын

Two buds , traveling in real twin performance ! Wouldn’t that be cool ? Personal urine bottle is necessary - Now , if I can get my AV - Nut brother in-law to fork over his half !

@bobwilson758 2 ай бұрын

I would think of-10 had AM receiver also - Very handy to catch the game ! 😊

@bobwilson758 2 ай бұрын

They did more than just mark an area with those w/p rockets !

@thegeneral5716 2 ай бұрын

My father was a Mustang & served 26 yrs in the Corps (Enlisted at 17 & was a B.A.R. Gunner in Korea & Retired a Maj after two tours in Vietnam w/ 4th Bat/12th Mar/3rd Mar Div '66-'67 & 4th Bat/11th Mar/1st Mar Div '70-71') and I loved and remember in the late 60's & early 70's him taking us often to watch the Bronco's operating at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, Orange County, CA. As we lived at US Navy/USMC Pacific Heights Housing Annex, San Pedro, CA., which now is USAF Housing Annex, Pacific Heights.

@PilotPhotog 2 ай бұрын

Thanks to him for his service - I hope this video brought back some fond memories for you. If I ever start another channel the B.A.R. and John Browning would definitely be a topic I'd explore in a video. Greetings from Texas!

@FlightSimHistorian 2 ай бұрын

We have three Broncos at the museum where I work (including one of the original factory mock-ups), one of which is painted in memory of Captain Steven Bennett, the only Bronco pilot to be a recipient of the Medal of Honor.

@PilotPhotog 2 ай бұрын

Thanks for commenting, what museum? I'd love to visit and see a real-life OV-10

@FlightSimHistorian 2 ай бұрын

Fort Worth Aviation Museum in Fort Worth, Texas.

@user-nv1gm2zj7y Ай бұрын

we still use there here in my country.. guess the place...... one of the problems we have now is electrical issues due to age. but someone needs to remake the bronco

@glenn_r_frank_author 2 ай бұрын

I have seen the Cal Fire (California's Wild Fire Service) OV-10s acting as aerial spotters and guide planes for the larger water tanker planes which drop water and retardant on wildfires here! Love the OV-10... great second life in the fire-fighting role!

@danmiller7079 2 ай бұрын

My wife and I were driving through Hemet, Ca. the other day when we saw a CalFire OV-10 Bronco taking off from Hemet airport. She asked me what kind of plane it was and I said “That’s an OV-10 Bronco, one of the best planes the Corps used during Vietnam”. I was a L/CPL aboard Camp Hansen Okinawa from 3/75 to 4/76 and had OV-10s flying over our training all the time. We even had a couple land on the USS New Orleans (LPH-11) when we were at sea. They were some cowboys for sure. I saw those boys push that plane around like nothin. Uhrahhhh! Semper Fi!

@spikespa5208 2 ай бұрын

Hearing one circling the area around my home with, S-2ATs nearby, is an attention getter in the summer. But sure glad the CAL FIRE air attack bse base is only 5 miles away

@schmittbox7616 2 ай бұрын

When CalFire switched from the O-2 Skymaster to the Bronco, our Air Attack Officers’ biggest complaint was that they would arrive over the fire scene before they had time to get their maps out.

@coser293 2 ай бұрын

@schmittbox7616 My uncle had a civilian skymaster. Haven't seen anybody talk about it besides an O-2 being at the Dayton Air Force Museum in one of the hanging displays. Always gives me joy seeing someone mention it so they're not completely forgotten

@johnwatt9041 Ай бұрын

Retired Cal Fire aerial supervisor here. The Bronco is the best platform I ever was able to work in. The O2 was the workhorse before we put the OV-10 in service. The tandem seating allowed us to maneuver in both directions as needed where you can't in side by side seating. Totally awesome airplanes. Besides it looks like the Batman alarm in the sky!

@AlbertSantoso 2 ай бұрын

Growing up in Indonesia, I love the OV-10 Bronco. It was one of the first aircrafts I learnt about. Thank you for making this video.

@PilotPhotog 2 ай бұрын

Thank you, very happy that you enjoyed my video.

@robertweldon7909 2 ай бұрын

I just happen to be one of the Navy Aviation Ordnance men (AO) who worked on the OV -10 (I was assigned to VS-41) when the first 2 Broncos were delivered (air frame numbers 155470 and 155472) to the Navy. I don't think that there is an AO who worked on Bronco's that did not enjoy the experience. VAL- 4 went on to be the best known OV-10 squadron, I am proud to have been a small part in their history. The Navy still has an OV-10. 155472 now lives at the Navy Air Museum in Pensacola, Florida. I don't know if this is still true, but 155470 was at one time used for mosquito suppression in, I believe, the coastal area of South Carolina, as it was, minus the M-60's. Very nice video, ;-)

@higgs923 2 ай бұрын

Spent some time in VS-41 FRAMP on my way to Vietnam. You folks did a great job. It was fun for me because I finally was able to work on a Stoof.

@robertweldon7909 2 ай бұрын

When were you there? I was at VS-41 1/1967 thou 9/1969

@longrider42 2 ай бұрын

But them Skeeters down there are pretty big, might want them guns back :)

@robertweldon7909 2 ай бұрын

@@longrider42 very funny

@stevengilbert3530 2 ай бұрын

I can confirm that the OV-10 is currently used in South Carolina. A bit unnerving the first time it came over at what seemed like a very low altitude- the county (Beaufort) lets people know when it will be operating.

@blockchainreaction762 2 ай бұрын

I have 3000 hrs on this bird and I love it! So versatile and at the same time very forgiving. You forgot to mention it has counter rotatating prop hence no tourqe and can still climb with a single engine. We also used this for cloud seeding operations. I miss this bird and can proudly say I am a bronco jock!

@BlackLizrd 2 ай бұрын

Was there any special procedure in the event of a bailout in order to avoid that vicious looking tail wing/stabilizer thingy?

@blockchainreaction762 Ай бұрын

No but we have a Zero zero ejection seat meaning you can eject at zero airspeed and zero altitude.

@BlackLizrd Ай бұрын

@@blockchainreaction762 Hey, thanks for responding. An ejection seat makes sense for the design of the aircraft. I can imagine if it's in a steep descent and picking up speed when the driver needs to bail, it would be perilous without an ejection seat.

@mrico523 2 ай бұрын

COIN is the least of our worries since we've found out that the age of full-scale war is back. That being said, the Bronco was an awesome piece of kit 😁

@sambojinbojin-sam6550 2 ай бұрын

I don't know. It wouldn't take much to have shaped radio jammers on it, just crashing UAVs out of the sky. There's better platforms for that, but if push came to shove, the Bronco might ride again in some role.

@user-nv1gm2zj7y Ай бұрын

great as a coin we still use it till today for coin. even though its really a swissarmy knife of light planes/

@kerbalairforce8802 Ай бұрын

There are always battlefields that don't require advanced weapons.

@raymondswenson1268 2 ай бұрын

I worked at US Forces Japan from 1980-1983. In 1982, a flight of two OV-10s was flying in formation from Osan Air Base, Korea to Yokota Air Base, Tokyo, Japan, to participate in the annual Yokota Air Show. As the approached the coast of Jaoan, they ran into thick clouds and the wingman l9st sight of the lead plane. Rather than pull away to ensure separation, the wing pilot got obsessed with switching to instrument flight, allowing his plane to drift too close to the lead plane, his left propeller cutting the right tail.boom of the lead plane. The lead plane came apart, pitching nose down. The pilot hit the ejection seats, but in that odd attitude the parachute for the passenger (a TSgt maintenance crew member being rewarded for outstanding performance) got wrapped around the ejection rocket of his seat and.burned up. It took about 5 minutes for him to fall to earth. The wing plane's engine came apart and the crew ejected. I served as legal advisor to the aircraft accident investigation board comvened by the brigadier general commanding USFJ/ 5th Air Force.

@Yuki_Ika7 2 ай бұрын

i adore the OV-10, one of my favorite planes of the Vietnam war era

@richardanderson182 13 күн бұрын

@@Yuki_Ika7 It was my favorite too. As a kid I would build models of it and have longed to own and fly the OV-10 ever since

@secondhandlyon2603 2 ай бұрын

The OV-10 to me is one of the most interesting aircraft designs ever.

@tomclayton6875 2 ай бұрын

Like they said 'the Swiss Knife of the air'.

@Mountain_bonker Ай бұрын

why the hell dont we use these nowadays? we need something cheap and reliable and with modern warfare drones can protect these while they do their activities

@densealloy 2 ай бұрын

When I was a Camp Pendleton in the early 1990s, it was so cool to see an OV-10 pull up into a climb and see a bunch of Recon Bubba's parachute out the back. Very cool aircraft.

@rojoloco3911 2 ай бұрын

Haha awesome! I was in BCo. 1/1 outta Camp Horno 90-96. As I was watching this video I was thinking Jesus I think I remember seeing a couple of these things dropping a couple guys out the back… No maybe I’m making that up?? Then I saw your comment.Semper Fi.

@THEoriginaljmelford 2 ай бұрын

I worked on and supervised the maintenance of the OV-10A for 6 years in the U.S.A.F after I transferred from C-130's. Love that plane! easy to work on and always enjoyed wathing the take off and landings. Msgt. USAF retired

@derekdawson5788 Ай бұрын

I had the honor of serving as an OV-10 Life Support Systems Technician (Ejection Seat Mech) with VMO-1 from 1990-1992. To get to Operation Desert Storm, we deployed with the USS Roosevelt and America Battle Groups. Flying off the carriers 100 miles from the coast of Spain, we stopped at several Mediterranean countries until finally arriving at King Abdul Aziz Air Base just south of the Port of Jubail. I am proud to state that we never missed a sortie during Operation Desert Storm, maintaining 100% mission capability throughout the conflict. We suffered a great loss on 2/25/91 when Major Small and Captain Spellacy were shot down over Kuwait. Major Small became a POW who was later released, but Captain Spellacy was killed. I am happy to see this video as it shows these fine Marine Officers and their aircraft haven’t been forgotten. It also makes me thankful that I and my fellow Marines who kept these aircraft operational can share the love of our awesome weapons delivery platform, the OV-10! Thank you!

@wrightflyer7855 2 ай бұрын

While stationed at Ubon Thailand in 1971 I decided to spend my day off at NKP, just to check out the arrivals and departures. Besides the always impressive Caribou, one hotshot OV-10 pilot did a fast downwind, then with wings almost vertical turned base and final over the end of the runway, hit the deck and stopped on a dime. It was the best carrier landing I've ever seen.

@edwardbrown9831 2 ай бұрын

Bill Beckett was my older Cousin. Whenever I was around him, I was always asking him about stories concerning his history of flying and building planes. He was also a member of the Black Sheep Squadron in WWII

@DSP49 2 ай бұрын

Considering I fly on the OV-10A in the course of my duties, I can confidentiality say that it is an aircraft still very much in use. Funky plane with some unique characteristics, but perfect for the ATGS role. You can expect them to keep flying for at least another 20 years; we did just aquire 5 additional D model airframes this year.

@capt2be 2 ай бұрын

Great piece. Love the ridiculous versatility of the Bronco. Grew up seeing it at a base near my home. Bien Hoa = “Be-in wha” in the north and “Bean wha” in the south.

@GeorgeRuffner-iy7bm 2 ай бұрын

I always remember hearing "Ben- wah". 🙈🙉🙊 😎 🇺🇸

@capt2be 2 ай бұрын

@@GeorgeRuffner-iy7bm Agreed. I think that’s the pronunciation our American troops adopted.

@byronharano2391 2 ай бұрын

I saw this aircraft flying a lot as a child in Hawai'i. My uncle who was still fighting in Vietnam told me about this wonderful aircraft. 💖

@ogearbox6132 2 ай бұрын

I was a Marine rigger for OV-10’s serving with VMO-6 out of MCAS Futema OK in 74-75. This was a great plane and I was fortunate to fly many test hops on it. It was a joy to fly and a few of my fellow pilots allowed me to have a hand at flying them. Very cool lil bird indeed.

@steveparsons6324 2 ай бұрын

We must have served together. I was in VMO 6 from Dec ‘74 to Jan 76. Was Leonard your NCOIC. I still have the infamous VMO 6 Christmas Cards from 74 and 75. Edit: that may have been Bill Leopold. It was a long time ago.

@ryanpotter4138 2 ай бұрын

I was Parachute rigger in the Marine Corps from 85 to 89 and parachuted out of a Bronco while with a Marine Force Reconnaissance unit in the late 80’s then had them overhead fighting wildfires in California as private contractor when I finally retired in 2022.

@jeffreyzaleski412 2 ай бұрын

I remember this from my PJ RESCUE OF DAYS IN VIETNAM. It was a small but very durable ACFT.. TOOK A LOT OF BALLS TO FLY ONE IN MY OPINION.

@PilotPhotog 2 ай бұрын

Thank you for your comment and for your service, PJ rescue takes a lot of intestinal fortitude as well - cheers!

@scallopohare9431 2 ай бұрын

Those pilots were said to be the best of the best. Only a few hundred such craft.

@williambarnebee40 2 ай бұрын

I grew up at Camp Pendleton. I lived seeing these flying all over.

@anthonyglickman6245 2 ай бұрын

Used to see these occasionally over our house in SoCal in the mid and late 1980s. Always low enough to see the pilots wave.

@gulfmarine8857 2 ай бұрын

I was VMO-2 Marine. Seat shop. It's a great bird.

@williambarnebee40 2 ай бұрын

@@gulfmarine8857 my dad was the Flight Surgeon for VMO-2 back in the day.

@exsanguinenation 2 ай бұрын

I always wanted a Bronco. I think it'd make a blast of a civil aircraft.

@rainsilversplash4376 2 ай бұрын

Never worked on or flew an OV-10, but as a flight sim enthusiast, the OV-10 has always been one of my favorite aircraft. Its striking appearance first attracted me, but the performance of the craft in simulation kept me coming back for more.

@trentonarney6066 Ай бұрын

I saw other comments about how Recon Marines were parachuted by the OV-10. So here is a funny story. In the last quarter of my dads 20 years in the Corps he transferred to motor transport. He figured it would help develop some skills for the civilian world when he retired. One of his first assignments was with Recon. One Recon Marine told him of his first time "jumping" from a Bronco. When deploying from this bird the pilot would pull straight up and the Marines would just fall out the back. I guess no one told this Marine of the procedure. He was first in the plane so last one out. The pilot opened the back and went vertical. The maneuver startled him so bad he went spread eagle and locked himself before he could fall out. Before he could come to grips with the situation the pilot had leveled out and closed the back. When they got back to base they heard the banging when they shut the plane off and found a very confused Marine still in the back.

@GoaTrex2531 2 ай бұрын

I was at Camp Pendelton in 1991 and saw it use with Marine recon. It would go vertical slightly and dump out parachutists. Very cool.

@CharlesCParraUSMC Ай бұрын

I served as a Marine Corps parachute rigger 7113, at camp Pendleton with 1st VMO-5 then HML-267. 1967-68. We were the the 1st to receive the Broncos, we were a training squadron. We received training on how to pack the chutes in the new container (pack) with explosive cutters & actuators, I was the paraloft NCOIC. I was in VN in 66 and my tour was coming to an end. Semper Fi Great Plane!

@killerkane1957 2 ай бұрын

I assure you, Victor Charles will never forget the Bronco.

@slartybarfastb3648 2 ай бұрын

Back in the 90s, DynCorp was granted a contract to spray the coca fields of Colombia (and possibly other ops) to deny the FARC of their revenue sources. DynCorp decided surplus OV-10s were the platform of choice. They also determined Daytona to be the ideal midpoint for refueling and staging. It was two years of Daytona becoming a defacto base for OV-10 operations. They have a distinct sound of high RPM props with 60s jet screech. Coincidentally, this was also around the period when Daytona was also a primary base for post-Hurricane Andrew relief efforts. Those efforts saw massive use of CH-47 Chinooks flying in and out in long streams of 12 or more. It was a great time to be an aviation freak.

@treadstone1138 Ай бұрын

So glad this bird is getting some love. My late stepfather, Lt col Wayne Wood (RET) was a pilot for the OV-10 in Vietnam for one tour. I believe at the time he was either a captain or a major. His call sign was B.Eagle (he was bald. Lol) and Rustic 6 later on and he flew with the 20th TASS. Always had plenty of stories from him about his time there. A book was published after he passed away that apparently was able to talk about some declassified missions that were flown into Cambodia and Laos using the OV-10. And apparently he was one of the pilots selected to do these missions. I believe it was operation Rustic if I'm not mistaken. What we also didn't know, and didn't find out until after he passed away in 2019, that he had won the Distinguished Flying Cross during his service there with the OV-10. And he never mentioned it to anyone. But that's the way he was. Godspeed, Wayne. You're sorely missed.

@jamescook7713 2 ай бұрын

The military should restart production on the OV-10. They could build 14 to 16 Broncos compared to the cost of 1 F-35.

@Warlock2018a 2 ай бұрын

VMO-2 at Camp Pendleton was my first parent squadron in 1983. I was an Avionics Tech stationed at Camp Pendleton. We would watch the OV-10's dropping Marine paratroopers out of the back of the broncos. They would remove the rear hatch and put 5 Paratroopers in the back tunnel. The last guy had his feet and legs hanging out the back. The pilot would fly along level and when it was time to drop the paratroops he would pull up sharply allowing the 5 Marines to slide out the back.

@polaris5250 2 ай бұрын

I was with MALS-39 from 89-93 & 96-98 and deployed with VMO-2 to Oki as they were being decommissioned. When they flew over Area 33 (Magaritta?), we would have to look away so they wouldn't fall out of the sky! 🤣 j/k. They sounded like flying lawnmowers. Also, I seem to remember more D models than A during that time.

@daveweiss5647 2 ай бұрын

That is absolutely insane! Much respect for the bravery!

@johngalt2506 2 ай бұрын

The Nevada Division of Forestry used it as well. There was a privately owned one based at Carson City Airport i used to see flying around from time to time.

@timbaskett6299 2 ай бұрын

There are a few with the NIFC (National Interagency Fire Center) in Boise, ID. In my opinion, this is the best non military use for the Bronco.

@troybullard9631 2 ай бұрын

I've seen quite a few OV-10's flying over "hot spots" in California sporting CDF paint jobs.

@richwalter3107 2 ай бұрын

Ok. Was a great airplane in its day... So, take a look at the OV 1 MOHAWK.

@joshtroutman1462 2 ай бұрын

My dad was an U.S.M.C. avionics tech around 1970 or so. He worked on the OV-10, AH-1 Cobra and KC-130. He has many fond memories of those aircraft.

@pinoruggiero1805 2 ай бұрын

Incredible, thank you for bringing this very well done informative piece of flying history. I wasn’t aware of the OV-10. I truly enjoyed watching, I could have taken in a whole lot more info. Again thank you us, the ones that didn’t know about this amazing aircraft.

@PilotPhotog 2 ай бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it, and I am glad you learned about a new airframe - aviation is fascinating and I will work on finding more unusual aircraft to make videos of. Cheers!

@MichaelDonahue-kn8tg 2 ай бұрын

Being assigned to VMO-4 from 1977-1980 , thanks.

@rampant_1644 2 ай бұрын

The air base, Bien Hoa (bee-en, wah, short “a”) was a major air base in III Corps, near Saigon. It’s where I landed and left Vietnam back in 69-70. Most troops for the south landed there to be shuttled off to Long Binh (long, bin), 90th Replacement for assignments. After assignment, you’re shuttled back to Bien Hoa to fly out to wherever your new unit is based. Mine was Phuoc Vinh (fook, vin), 31st Combat Engineers. They were assigned to support the 1st Cav. Good video.

@havocmwf 2 ай бұрын

I am Scottish and lived in the Philippines for 10 years and used to see the Bronco at a number of local airports, mainly in the South. They were used extensivley for COIN ops against the Islamic Terrorists in the region. One of my Fav aircraft.

@markarca6360 2 ай бұрын

It has been used in airstrikes during the Marawi conflict.

@user-ji2nv2vd6r 2 ай бұрын

They need to bring them back. Great video. Thanks for sharing, and have a wonderful day

@PilotPhotog 2 ай бұрын

Thank you too and agreed!

@LordEvan5 2 ай бұрын

Wow that German Bronco sure did look like something out of world war 2

@JimFinley11 3 сағат бұрын

In a training exercise on Okinawa in 1977, my unit's side had an OV-10 to spot targets for us (I was a mortarman), and the other side had a Cobra. I watched that attack chopper make one swooping attack run after another on that Bronco, and the pilots in the Bronco danced out of the Cobra's way every time. It was a lot of fun to watch. At my next duty station at Camp Pendleton, I used to see the OV-10 squadron operating from the airfield near Camp Margarita.

@markcollins2666 2 ай бұрын

As a military aircraft, I'm afraid that the Bronco's day is done. The Philippines are phasing them out, replacing them with Super Tocanos. They are maxed out in weight, decreasing performance. And there is the unfortunate fact that no aircrew has ever survived ditching one.

@slartybarfastb3648 2 ай бұрын

They're also 65 years old.

@txvet7738 2 ай бұрын

I would have to disagree, if you modernize a Bronco to today standards, it would be a better performing and economical option over the Tucano in my opinion. Just look at the AH-1, UH-1, and CH-47s, all have been and still are being upgraded and are far superior than when they first came out!

@paulsteaven 2 ай бұрын

@@txvet7738the problem is, North American is no longer existing unlike Bell and Boeing to make a new version of OV-10 Bronco. COIN aircrafts were dominated by Embraer's Super Tucano.

@massmike11 2 ай бұрын

North American is part of Boeing now.

@markcollins2666 2 ай бұрын

@@txvet7738, that depends on who, if anyone, is willing to do it. The Philippine Air Force wasn't. The last ejector seat modification added 1,600 pounds to the airframe, maxing it out. Too much time and effort, to modify, when they could simply buy brand new, and at a sweet price, at that. And that last niggling little "fun fact", was the final straw, that truly hung the millstone around the Bronco's neck, here. And keep in mind that two civil wars are happening here, one against ISIS, the other against Communists. The PAF has no time to wait around.

@gangstercheesefries1112 Ай бұрын

I took vare of an older gentleman who flew a few of these in Vietnam he said he flew aircrafts 1-4 and most crashed after he cycles to a different one i adored hearing his stories and am happy to say hes still around :)

@dewaynecargill188 Ай бұрын

Thanks, I was in a USMC OV-10 squadron and worked on the AC. I still have happy memories of te aircraft.

@lesterweinheimer665 2 ай бұрын

I would have loved to get my hands on one of these when I was still flying! Thanks a lot I really enjoyed that on memorial Day!

@bradbo3 2 ай бұрын

Love the Bronco…lived at Camp Pendelton in the early 80’s and there was a squadron of them….always flying over base housing. Awesome little plane.

@stepanbandera5206 2 ай бұрын

I built the Revell 1/72 scale Bronco when I was a kid. Learned of its service at a young age. Loved the design.👍

@grob25 2 ай бұрын

I got to see them, once, in the early 90's. I was awestruck when I saw them.

@allankleidon6437 2 ай бұрын

It's always good to see such a versatile and still capable aircraft, conceived decades ago. Still being of practical use today.

@robertfincher2895 7 күн бұрын

Had 2 as escort back to NKP in 75. Pilot put front of OV-10 on ramp at about 6900 ft.,and co-pilot took pictures.I’m the one standing there, would love to see the pictures and the look on my face. Played chicken with each other and us,flew wing on wing. Beautiful plane.

@jakeb7087 Ай бұрын

Interesting video! My grandfather flew the Bronco from April- June 29, 1972 with the 20th TASS. I love this plane.

@scottnj2503 2 ай бұрын

Again I learned more Juan. Thanks for another great post. My father worked with Bronco's as FAC and following some mission, would fly post mission assessments with his buddy, an OV-10 driver. Pop loved the Bronco. Bronco, kinda the forefather of the of Warthog, but Bronco didn't take as high dose of steroids, took the seventies to up the dosage. LOL p.s. I work with a fellow that few OV-10s and OA-10s as FAQ n the desert wars.

@PilotPhotog 2 ай бұрын

Thank you Scott, and I didn't realize your father had time in the OV-10...very cool. I'm going to make an AC-47 video soon

@stevenhall9762 6 күн бұрын

We had a detachment of OV-10s on Binh Thuy AB (Air Force Base). The mortar attacks on the base nearly stopped completely after these guys showed up in/around the Spring 1969. We loved 'em.

@MaSterChOu1 2 ай бұрын

« A LONELY KIND OF WAR » written by Marshall harrison. If you want stories about the OV10 Bronco, it’s one of the best read about vietnam and about aviation I have ever had. Very nice video, the 3d views are very interseting. The models looks nice too. Great channel. Thank you.

@deebee2854 2 ай бұрын

Add "Flying Black Ponies" by Kit Lavell and "Da Nang Diary" by Tom Yarborough to the list. Agreed, Great video. Well done. This from a person that loves the OV-10, truly my favorite airplane. Although, the closest to flying it has been with a simulator that rhymes with "explain." 😂 Saw plenty of them at work, though: USMC 1980-1990.

@MaSterChOu1 2 ай бұрын

@@deebee2854 I’ll look for it, thank you very much.

@DanielOrtegoUSA 19 күн бұрын

I remember these very well during the 70s when I worked at the fire department at Camp Pendleton. They were the original A-10 of that period; incredibly maneuverable and fun to watch. 😊

@mothmagic1 2 ай бұрын

One of the most underappreciated aircraft ever built. Definitely earned its spurs. One very valid comment in this is "the value of a human in the decision chain. Humans can react to unexpected situations and make decisions on the fly which AI can't.

@mtssman 2 ай бұрын

Two Marines, in a desert, thinking about aircraft. 🤣🤣🤣

@remalm3670 2 ай бұрын

... should have been about crayons ... ;-)

@Mutlap 19 күн бұрын

I was on guard duty circa 1973 walking the tarmac 1st Marine Air Wing Futenma Air Base. This aircraft was parked in my area. I couldn't resist giving it a good look.

@terminalblue 28 күн бұрын

This video is a masterpiece of free-association, wishes, hopes, and dreams. Never change.

@joeyho5134 23 күн бұрын

I find the OV-10 Bronco one of the most beautiful aircraft ever built.

@aviador30mk2 2 ай бұрын

In Venezuela it flew for several decades, an incredible aircraft, reliable and versatile, unfortunately it became famous in the country for the attempted coup d'état in 1992 when ov10 broncos piloted by rebels bombed the capital and important air bases of the country causing significant damage and destruction of some planes on the ground, 3 Broncos were shot down on November 27, 1992, 2 by F16 and one by anti-aircraft battery fire, excellent documentary, my congratulations

@shannonchurchill4556 2 ай бұрын

Love the Bronco. Just such a cool looking plane, and so capable and versatile. I loved going to the El Toro air show back in the 90's and watching the MAGTF demo. a pair of OV-10's would come in right on the deck, pull straight up, and at about 1,000 feet, 6 troopers would stream out the back while still in the vertical

@shoominati23 Ай бұрын

The O-2 Skymaster and OV-10 are my two favourite underdog planes of the Vietnam era, the jet boys got all the kudos - but without planes like this they wouldn't know what they were going to shoot at on their next missions

@glenjohnson9302 2 ай бұрын

Although it loosing relevancy, it been one of my favorite aircraft in history. A beautiful bird. It sets up there with the A10 and so many more.

@DM-wp9vq Ай бұрын

That plane is amazing!! As soon as I saw it I thought of the A-10 Thunderbolt/Warthog. The aircraft from the Vietnam War era are some of my favorites, like the little 2 person recon helicopters they had, the light and fast jets, the super sick seaplanes of the time and a bit before (like Korean War era), and various multi-role helo gunships and aircraft. Great video! Thank you!

@Kennethvitatoe-jc5pv 16 күн бұрын

I watched 5 of them come in to our base flown by USMC and boy did they put on a show landing ,crazy pilots but knew there stuff !

@jeepinbanditrider Ай бұрын

When I was stationed on MCAS Miramar in the mid 20teens I remeber seeing 2 OV-10s with NAVY markings parked on the flight line. From what I gathered the NAVY had been playing with them in the observation role again. I was always enamored with the Bronco when I was growing up in the early 90s.

@Hawkewood 6 сағат бұрын

Love that plane. Lived near Dobbins AFB and NAS Atlanta. OV-1Bs on one side with the Army and Marine OV-10s on the Navy side. I had a fun childhood, watching those buzzing around. Got to tour a Bronco. Nice bird, all except for the canopy breaker on the top of the ejection seat. But, with a canopy that big, it was deemed the safest way. Only heard of one failure, and the observer lived to tell about it.

@tomsparks2294 Ай бұрын

When I was stationed at Sembach AB in Germany from 84 thru 90 OV10's where stationed and flew from there. The pilots loved them.

@jefferyisbell8320 Ай бұрын

I really appreciate your posting. Learned so much about the OV 10.

@orlandosierra9109 Ай бұрын

Great video!!! I absolutely remember these back in the early 90s with the Marines. I always thought they were just for observation and on occasion drop some Paratroopers. I never knew how badass they were actually. Thanks for the information. I will definitely add a Bronco model to my Marine Aviation collection. Semper Fi

@KuyaHandyKap 2 ай бұрын

we use the OV-10's here in the Philippines as a bomber for COIN ops in Mindanao and other parts of the country with rebel insurgents. I never thought those where such a beauty and also a beast of an aircraft!

@dontall71 2 ай бұрын

Awesome plane, the video does well to document its development and use. Thanks!

@adamadams6740 2 ай бұрын

That footage of the plane on the bumpy runway is awesome,it looks like a Trophy Truck through a whoop section,it gets on top of the bumps and smoothes out.very cool.

@MayheM_72 2 ай бұрын

I was always fascinated by the Bronco. Small, agile, armed, it just sounds like a down and dirty wild ride!

@Foxtrap731 21 күн бұрын

My father flew OV-10s in Vietnam and Cambodia. Rustic 17 FAC. I am so glad to see that people know about this interesting aircraft. I wonder if the ones in service with CalFire were in service during Vietnam.

@peter-radiantpipes2800 2 ай бұрын

I’ve seen it a few times over my house for firefighting spotters here in California. Was so excited to see just overhead. I was aviation geeking out. :)

@Mariner311 2 ай бұрын

Worked with Broncos in the late 1980s as a Naval Aircrewman - even got some flight time while going through Naval Gunfire Spotting School - and later flew in the SH-60B Seahawk during Desert Shield/Storm in coordination with the Bronco. These days - the Bronco still flies with California's Department of Forestry as a CALFIRE spotter aircraft - coordinating tanker-drop aircraft and providing aerial supervision of all wild-fires -

@BIG-DIPPER-56 2 ай бұрын

THANKS! I'd never heard about this! Cool concept!

@marksasahara1115 Ай бұрын

One of my favorite aircraft! There is something beautiful and Noble about Sky Raiders, Broncos, A-10's, Spooky's, Shadows and Spectres, providing CAS to our troops in contact. Silencing the enemy. How lovely!

@rolandharrison5651 2 ай бұрын

Thanks for the trip down memory lane. I was assigned to VMO-1 in 1976 through 1981. Such a versatile and valuable A/C. I wish I had one. Gunny USMC (Ret)

@jameslovelace8958 6 сағат бұрын

They said the Army wish they had it. Bad news for them, I was a photographer in the Army and we flew the Bronco. I’m an old man and can’t remember the MOS now but I have spent many hours in a Bronco photographing areas that only the Army operated in.

@xpump876 2 ай бұрын

The' knuckled'' shock absorber performance on the corrugated runway at the 14 min mark was just amazing. What an incredible aircraft.

@lonnierobinson2125 8 сағат бұрын

I’m one of those Marines that jumped out of the back of an OV-10. Jumped is a subjective term here. If I win the lottery, I’ll buy one. 😂

@FuzzyMarineVet 2 ай бұрын

In 1977 I was posted to Camp Schwab, Okinawa when I was buzzed by an OV 10 on the coast road, just for fun. I have seen an OV-10 land in less than 100 ft on an expeditionary airfield.

@jameshaberer4644 2 ай бұрын

I was an avionics tech on the OV10 while stationed at NKP RTAFB, Thailand 1973-74 & 6-months in 1975. The pilots were notorious for stepping on the control boxes on the ladder-side of the cockpit control consoles, which bent the shafts on the control knobs. Crew-chiefs always wrote these up.

@maxhill7065 2 ай бұрын

I always loved watching my buddy play DCS A10 and it makes sense knowing that it was a FAC-A after having seen the observation capabilities of the spotting pods, sure it was useful for spotting and marking your own targets, but that could easily be used to guide in others as well at a safe stand-off distance, neat!