A U.S. Air Force pilot poses beside an A-1 Skyraider, nicknamed the "SPAD" by aircrews, loaded with bombs and rocket pods for a close air support or interdiction mission during the Vietnam War. The propeller-driven Skyraider, though a design dating to the late 1940s, remained a highly effective and heavily armed attack aircraft throughout the conflict, valued for its long loiter time and ability to absorb battle damage. Project: 219083