An Air Force pilot pauses in the cockpit of his A-1 Skyraider, the aircraft's weathered camouflage and exhaust-streaked fuselage bearing witness to hard combat use. The "Spad," prized for its heavy ordnance load and long loiter time, remained a vital close air support and rescue escort platform throughout the Vietnam War, long after most propeller-driven combat aircraft had been retired. Project: 218950