Re: AO At Takhli F-111A's 72 73
One of the F-111s unique features that set them apart from other aircraft was that they used their terrain-following radar and other avionics systems to fly very low (200 ft) over the jungle on their way to targets. They didn't just swoop down and shoot, they approached the targets very low, took shots and/or dropped bombs and then got the hell out of there. I don't know that last part first hand because I wasn't a pilot but it sounds logical. It is documented that they flew in low to target using their terrain-following radar. It also sounds logical that while flying that low over jungle and other areas the F-111s could have picked up AO on their skin and into places air could get into. Ground maintenance troops could get exposed to that while working on the planes. I was an avionics troop at Takhli in 69-70. Mostly worked on F-105s. F-111s wern't at Takhli when I was but I knew about their capabilities. I trained on them in tech school and I did work with F-111 avionics at Cannon AFB when I left Takhli.
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