Cessna O-1G Bird Dog The O-1G was a two-place observation and liaison aircraft developed from the commercial Cessna Model 170 in 1949. Originally designated L-19s, Bird Dogs were used by the U.S. Air Force, Army and Marine Corps for such tasks as artillery spotting, front-line communications, medical evacuation and pilot training. In Southeast Asia, the O-1s became a USAF forward air control aircraft. A forward air controller (FAC), often an experienced fighter pilot, flew in a specific geograph

The O-1G was a two-place observation and liaison aircraft developed from the commercial Cessna Model 170 in 1949. Originally designated L-19s, Bird Dogs were used by the U.S. Air Force, Army and Marine Corps for such tasks as artillery spotting, front-line communications, medical evacuation and pilot training. | National Museum of the U.S. Air Force

Welcome our newest addition to the Airbase Arizona Flying Museum, the Cessna O-1 Bird Dog! This small but mighty workhorse, originally designated the L-19, was a U.S. liaison and observation aircraft first flown in 1949 and introduced in 1950. Based on the civilian Cessna 170, it was designed to meet the Army’s need for a two-seat aircraft with excellent visibility, short takeoff and landing capability, and tandem seating for a pilot and observer. It served extensively during the Korean and Viet

78K views · 1K reactions | #OTD in 1975, South Vietnamese Air Force...

In late 1966 the U.S. Air Force selected a military variant of the Cessna Model 337 Super Skymaster, designated the O-2, to supplement the O-1 Bird Dog forward air controller (FAC) aircraft then operating in Southeast Asia. Distinguished by twin tail booms and tandem-mounted engines, it featured a tractor-pusher propeller arrangement. Having twin engines enabled the O-2 to absorb more ground fire and still return safely, endearing it to its crews. The O-2 first flew in January 1967, and producti