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Flight Line: The Adventures of a Vietnam-Veteran AC-130 Crew Chief
The year is 1969. Neil Armstrong walks on the moon. Upstate New York hosts an outdoor concert called Woodstock. The Vietnam war rages on. Tom Combs, a young man from Seattle, faces certain draft induction. He decides upon the United States Air Force as the best choice of service. Then it’s Basic Training, technical school for jet mechanics, assistant crew chief on a C-130 at Dyess AFB, Texas, a stint in the Middle East and eventually, he’s assigned to the most prestigious squadron of aircraft in S.E. The 16th Special Operations Squadron of AC-130s. Call SPECTRE. FLIGHTLINE offers a unique “behind-the-scenes” look at how maintenance crews keep their airplanes flying—and fighting—all from the point of view of a seasoned Vietnam veteran Air Force Crew Chief.
- GenresNonfiction
265 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 3, 2018
83 people are currently reading
18 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
December 21, 2020
available in paperback
April 10, 2020
An interesting read and perspective from the seldom hailed ground crew who kept our birds flying. I was a gunner on both A and E models from Jan 1972 to Jan 1973 and overlap the timeline of his story. His tale triggered a LOT of long forgotten memories and I remember the anguish at the loss of 044 that terrible night. After the shoot down two days later there was a lot of trepidation among the crew I can assure you.
I wish I had a copy of some of the audio tape he described and can tell you his transcript was accurate. That year flying 133 mission was the defining point for the rest of my life as it was for so many others in the 16th.
I don't recall the ship that was destroyed by ground fire while rearming in Vietnam but a lot of water has gone by under the bridge. I'm sure we met at some point but don't recall his name.
If you really want to understand what we as Air Force airmen on the flight line and flight crews was all about you definitely should read this book.
I wish I had a copy of some of the audio tape he described and can tell you his transcript was accurate. That year flying 133 mission was the defining point for the rest of my life as it was for so many others in the 16th.
I don't recall the ship that was destroyed by ground fire while rearming in Vietnam but a lot of water has gone by under the bridge. I'm sure we met at some point but don't recall his name.
If you really want to understand what we as Air Force airmen on the flight line and flight crews was all about you definitely should read this book.
September 15, 2020
I served during this period, flying a desk back In the good old USA. People
like Sgt. Combs were unsung heros in the Vietnam war. I envied and admired him and others of his ilk, knowing there were many directly involved in the war while I did my part from a stateside office. I always wondered what their service was like and Sgt. Combs provides a wonderful insight to their service! God bless and thank them! Aside, I noted his comment about buying a Seiko watch, as many of us did especially in the SEA area of operations. My original Seiko is long gone but I wear a Seiko again.
like Sgt. Combs were unsung heros in the Vietnam war. I envied and admired him and others of his ilk, knowing there were many directly involved in the war while I did my part from a stateside office. I always wondered what their service was like and Sgt. Combs provides a wonderful insight to their service! God bless and thank them! Aside, I noted his comment about buying a Seiko watch, as many of us did especially in the SEA area of operations. My original Seiko is long gone but I wear a Seiko again.
June 28, 2018
Great book
Not much is out there about the experiences of a Spectre crew chief and the book did a good job. I found it informative, heartfelt, touching and thought provoking. Thank you Mr. Combs for sharing your experience s and thoughts
Not much is out there about the experiences of a Spectre crew chief and the book did a good job. I found it informative, heartfelt, touching and thought provoking. Thank you Mr. Combs for sharing your experience s and thoughts
August 8, 2022
As an Army grunt in the Vietnam War, I was curious about life in the Air Force and looked forward to reading FLIGHTLINE by Thomas Combs. I found the story different from other biographies and memoirs as it was written like a journal with sections elaborating on memories of the day. As a result of this type of format, I noticed a lot of repetitiveness, especially when starting and launching his aircraft.
The story opens with the author entering the Air Force and following him through training at various bases and then sent on a top-secret mission to the Middle East. Thomas Combs eventually ended up in Ubon, Thailand, as a crew chief for the C-130 Spectre gunships, where much of this story takes place. The primary mission of these aircraft was to locate and attack movement on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos, and help ground units when they are surrounded by the enemy in Vietnam. Although the author didn't accompany the planes on these missions, he was responsible for keeping them maintained and flyable. This includes rebuilding them when returning badly damaged after a mission. The author shares his emotions with readers when "his" plane is damaged and various unit aircrews crash and are killed or MIA.
I have to admit I learned a lot about the Air Force and this part of the war while reading this story. The brotherhood and closeness exhibited within this group is exceptional but the same camaraderie exists in all branches of the service.
This book is not an action-packed shoot-em-up story. Instead, it's a tale of a young man who was proud of his job and accomplishments in keeping his aircraft in tip-top shape. He didn't have boots on the ground in Vietnam, but he's just as much a Vietnam Veteran as I am. This book has zero errors, is easy to read, and is highly recommended. Thank you for your service, SSGT Combs!
The story opens with the author entering the Air Force and following him through training at various bases and then sent on a top-secret mission to the Middle East. Thomas Combs eventually ended up in Ubon, Thailand, as a crew chief for the C-130 Spectre gunships, where much of this story takes place. The primary mission of these aircraft was to locate and attack movement on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos, and help ground units when they are surrounded by the enemy in Vietnam. Although the author didn't accompany the planes on these missions, he was responsible for keeping them maintained and flyable. This includes rebuilding them when returning badly damaged after a mission. The author shares his emotions with readers when "his" plane is damaged and various unit aircrews crash and are killed or MIA.
I have to admit I learned a lot about the Air Force and this part of the war while reading this story. The brotherhood and closeness exhibited within this group is exceptional but the same camaraderie exists in all branches of the service.
This book is not an action-packed shoot-em-up story. Instead, it's a tale of a young man who was proud of his job and accomplishments in keeping his aircraft in tip-top shape. He didn't have boots on the ground in Vietnam, but he's just as much a Vietnam Veteran as I am. This book has zero errors, is easy to read, and is highly recommended. Thank you for your service, SSGT Combs!
May 3, 2021
I flew the C-130, too
I was a Cold-War warrior flying as a loadmaster with over 5,000 flight hours. My first duty station was at Dyess AFB. When I retired in 1997 my last TDY was in support of Joint Task Force Full Accounting. Searching for the MIA of the Vietnam war. I could not have been more humbled or honored. Tom’s writing brought back a lot of memories.
I was a Cold-War warrior flying as a loadmaster with over 5,000 flight hours. My first duty station was at Dyess AFB. When I retired in 1997 my last TDY was in support of Joint Task Force Full Accounting. Searching for the MIA of the Vietnam war. I could not have been more humbled or honored. Tom’s writing brought back a lot of memories.
July 20, 2019
Great human story
I
Thoroughly enjoyed this well written story about the author. Wanted him to badly head out on a mission but at same time I didn't want anything bad to happen to the author
I
Thoroughly enjoyed this well written story about the author. Wanted him to badly head out on a mission but at same time I didn't want anything bad to happen to the author
April 16, 2023
Crew chiefs are underappreciated
This is my second AC-130 war memoir, and I hope I can find more of them on Kindle Unlimited. The AC-130 is an interesting platform that continues to evolve and remain in use today, after more than 50 years.
This is my second AC-130 war memoir, and I hope I can find more of them on Kindle Unlimited. The AC-130 is an interesting platform that continues to evolve and remain in use today, after more than 50 years.
February 2, 2021
Excellent book
This book grabs you right from the start. It shows the brotherhood that develops between service members that serve together.
This book grabs you right from the start. It shows the brotherhood that develops between service members that serve together.
June 2, 2021
Great book
Very touching and real. I Shed some tears and a lot of laughter. Just a great book! I would highly recommend this book
Very touching and real. I Shed some tears and a lot of laughter. Just a great book! I would highly recommend this book
September 5, 2021
Very good
Great story. Enjoyed front to back. Writing was cohesive and interesting . stories drawer you in and you could feel the pain and turmoil, as well as Joy.
Great story. Enjoyed front to back. Writing was cohesive and interesting . stories drawer you in and you could feel the pain and turmoil, as well as Joy.
September 11, 2023
This book brought back a lot of memories for me as I too was a crew chief twenty years after the author. The book is a fast, easy read. I enjoyed it.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews