Photographed from the cockpit at low level over the jungled coastal mountains near Da Nang in about June 1970, this slide looks out past the wing and a large external fuel tank of what is almost certainly a Douglas A-1 Skyraider. Extra fuel was the Skyraider's defining advantage: where jets measured their time over a target in minutes, the piston-engined 'Spad' could remain overhead for hours. That endurance made it the aircraft of choice for close air support and for the combat search and rescue escort mission. The photographer flew with the Da Nang Skyraider detachment, Operating Location Alpha Alpha of the 56th Special Operations Wing, which devoted nearly half its missions to supporting MACV-SOG reconnaissance teams. Project: 219603