A pilot prepares to climb aboard a Douglas A-1 Skyraider marked with bold shark-mouth nose art, a design favored by several attack squadrons flying the type during the Vietnam War. Slow but heavily armed and able to absorb battle damage, the A-1 was a mainstay of close air support and search-and-rescue escort missions throughout the conflict, flown by Air Force "Sandy" pilots who worked closely with ground crews to keep these veteran airframes mission-ready. Project: 218938