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Chris Hobson
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Vietnam Air Losses: United States Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps Fixed-Wing Aircraft Losses in Southeast Asia 1961-1973 Paperback – March 1 2002

by Chris Hobson (Author)
4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 32 ratings
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This is a thorough and detailed review of all fixed-wing losses suffered by the USAF, Navy, and Marine Corps over a 12-year period. Includes information on unit, personnel, location, and cause of loss. Interspersed with the main text is general background information and material on campaigns, units, aircraft and weapons, and other relevant topics. Photos illustrate the various entries. For historians and the general public.
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  1. ISBN-10
    1857801156
  2. ISBN-13
    978-1857801156
  3. Publisher
    Midland Pub Ltd
  4. Publication date
    March 1 2002
  5. Language
    English
  6. Dimensions
    20.96 x 1.91 x 27.31 cm
  7. See all details
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Product description

About the Author

Chris Hobson (Vietnam Losses) of England is senior librarian at the Joint Services Command and Staff College.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Midland Pub Ltd (March 1 2002)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1857801156
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1857801156
  • Item weight ‏ : ‎ 1.18 kg
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 20.96 x 1.91 x 27.31 cm
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 32 ratings

About the author

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Chris Hobson

Chris Hobson

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Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
4.8 out of 5
32 global ratings

Top reviews from Canada

Doghaus
5.0 out of 5 stars Finally! Almost all the answers in one tome
Reviewed in Canada on March 16, 2003
Someone ought to stick 5 gold stars on the author's forehead!!
Chris Hobson has managed to compile a great amount of very valuable information into a well laid out and easily accessed format. With this book in hand the reader will be able to play "Historical Trivial Pursuit" with style. Examples?
How many F-104s were lost in SEA? On what day did the USAF lose
THREE F-104s? Or - How many KB-50s did the USAF lose in Vietnam?
Although the book appears to be a mass of gray type with a sparse
selection of B&W pictures, there is enough information here to give a dedicated aerophile hours & hours of interesting reading.
Besides the date and type of aircraft lost, most entries also include the airframe serial number, names of the pilot and/or crewmembers, and salient notes of interest such as what nose art was worn by the aircraft. The author uses an abbreviated but
entertaining writing style to describe how the loss occurred, Search and Rescue efforts, and in some cases the subsequent careers of select individuals. Those cases where remains were recovered at a later date are also recorded.
The personnel index provided is exemplary. Using it, I finally
found out how and where a pilot I had known had perished. Other
entries brought back old memories from my time spent in SEA.
If you are a minor air historian or a modeler, GET THIS BOOK!~
I guarantee that it will become one of your most valuable assets when researching the Vietnam Air War.
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J. Copalman
5.0 out of 5 stars Indisposable Resource.
Reviewed in Canada on August 3, 2002
This book is quite useful for anyone researching the air war over Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. The only shortcomings of note are the absence of data on US Army fixed-wing (Bird Dogs, Mohawks, Caribous, etc.) losses, Air America and other "civilian" losses, and aircraft lost after 1973, like the tragic loss of a C-5A carrying 250 Vietnamese orphans on 4 April 1975. Some of the data is incomplete (i.e. names and aircraft numbers missing here and there - nothing major), but most of the blanks can be filled in by tracking down the right sources. It's better that Hobson released the book with these minor omissions rather than delaying publication until he had all the information on every single loss, which would most likely mean the book would never be published.
Though the individual loss reports are the heart and soul of this book, Hobson has supplied a few indecies that break down such things as the air order of battle for each service, losses by type, and losses to missles. These are helpful as well, and quite interesting.
This book is also a good resource to have if you read a lot of air combat memoirs from the Vietnam era. Pretty much any fixed-wing loss you read about in books can be found in this one, allowing you to cross-reference data and catch a glimpse of "the bigger picture."
Now, if someone would publish a similar book detailing American helicopter losses in Southeast Asia. I'm sure that would be twice the size though.
This book is worth every cent.
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David Parsons
5.0 out of 5 stars A must-have for any serious reader
Reviewed in Canada on January 5, 2003
Wow, let me say that again, wow! The original data has been kicking around for years (I have seen it myself), but it was unwieldy and hard to find for most. My hat is off to the author and publisher for taking on this project and going beyond the mere typesetting the listing of aircraft losses during the Vietnam conflict. The addition of well researched photographs and well written captions is a definite bonus. The author obviously did his homework and produced a true classic reference for any student of the Vietnamese conflict. Well done!
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Jerry Brouillette
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent ! A book you will reference again and again.
Reviewed in Canada on March 8, 2002
I had ordered this book prior to publishing figuring it's about the only book I'd heard of, short of Govt listings, that compiled the information stated in the title. I was right. This is an exhaustive research/work masterpiece that will be invaluable in any military or aviation history buffs library. Losses are listed in chronological order with a where,who,why heading and description of action and outcome. The appendixes alone give an enlightening (and stunning) amount of information and cross reference of aircraft losses by type and weapon that downed it. Good job Mr. Hobson, this is a fine book!
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stanley e. goldstein
5.0 out of 5 stars Vietnam Air Losses
Reviewed in Canada on August 6, 2002
Book is a must have for any aircrew member who flew in S.E.A. Lists losses by dates and aircrew names. Not a dry treatise but with enough of a story for even the non-flyer who is interested in aviation history. Introduced to the book by a gentleman who has visted Vietnam looking for the remains of a lost F-111 crew member.
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Scott Swindle
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent work
Reviewed in Canada on July 20, 2002
Covers ALL fixed wing losses of the Navy, Air Force, & Marines for the years specified, whether due to enemy action or accidents. The author has obviously done his research and the result is highly readable. His summaries lack the dryness found in government reports, and the photos complement the subject matter. Great news for us serial number fanatics.
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Boom Powell
5.0 out of 5 stars everything you need to know
Reviewed in Canada on March 2, 2003
Was loaned a copy and am ordering my own because of the tremndous amount of research that Hobson put into this book. It is well laid out and logical. The summaries at the end are worth the price.
cheers, Boom
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Top reviews from other countries

Captain Curtis H. Briggs
5.0 out of 5 stars Paul was trapped by the control stick that went full right and froze as the aircraft was in a shallow left turn forcing him to b
Reviewed in the United States on May 23, 2015
Verified Purchase
I’m on page 23, Father’s Day, June 20, 1965. We were hit by 37mm AAA on a dive bomb pass over Son La, North Vietnam and not shot down by a Mig 17 as the article states. We were only able to fly 1 ½ miles from the target with our F-4 was trailing fire as the AAA rounds must have hit the fuel cells above the engines, the hydraulics went out and the aircraft became uncontrollable within minutes, forcing us to eject. Paul was trapped by the control stick that went full right and froze as the aircraft was in a shallow left turn forcing him to be in a bad position and delayed his ejection. We had lost intercom and I ejected when the aircraft stopped responding to the controls.
I was rescued by Air America the 2nd day after the first rescue attempt around noon the first day was aborted due to a machine gun set up above my original hiding place next to a ridge line. I was just running towards the helicopter when the North Vietnamese opened fire, the H-34A helicopter was sputtering and backfiring as I watched it leave me. I then hid under a bush face down and didn't move even though later they were shaking the bush and yelling. They must have been afraid to get too close to an ugly Yankee Air Pirate. The Air America rescue helicopter was lucky to make it back to Laos as one of the machine gun rounds hit the throttle quadrant and jammed the mixture in auto lean. The Air America crew was pulling alert out of site 107 in Laos, standing by to rescue Captain Charles Shelton, an RF-101 pilot who’s release and ransom was being negotiated.
Paul Kari is still recovering from multiple surgeries from shoulder injuries resulting from torture by the North Vietnamese. Other than that an excellent book and I have highly recommended it to all my ex-military friends.

Cheers, Curt
5 people found this helpful
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John Lopez Jr.
5.0 out of 5 stars All The Answers Are Here!
Reviewed in the United States on April 10, 2006
Verified Purchase
I have always been fascinated with the Air War over Vietnam, especially the air campaigns over North Vietnam (Rolling Thunder and Linebacker). I attempted to compile a list of air losses but this produced more questions and more searching. Mr Hobson has put it all together in one book. Finally, one book that has all the answers. When I received my copy I couldn't put it down until after several hours.

This book has few shortcomings. There are a few errors in his entries and he appears not to have access to crew information on operational and accidental losses. I also noted at least six USAF losses in North Vietnam and Laos that were not included. An example is the collision of two A1 Skyraiders on 8 June 1966 during the rescue of an F105D pilot. Both Sandys were killed. Only one of the losses are listed in the book. Another is the 4 August 1966 loss of a RF101C over North Vietnam to unknown causes. The pilot E&E'd on the ground four days until the SAR force searching for F105D pilot MAJ Kasler found him instead. There was considerable publicity about this rescue in the papers at that time.

Despite these minor errors this book is THE reference book that Vietnam historians and researchers should have in their library. I hope he can produce another volume that covers rotary wing and Army fixed wing losses. My hats off to Chris Hobson on producing such a valuable resource book.
2 people found this helpful
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M. Thomas
5.0 out of 5 stars Detailed, in-depth accounting of US air losses
Reviewed in the United States on November 2, 2021
Verified Purchase
I have had the book just a few days and it has answered many questions regarding aircraft lost during the VN war. I have finally gotten the straight story on several squadron mates and what exactly happened. What is chilling is the number of KIAs especially in AC-47s and C-123s where the entire crew is lost. Also, the unfortunate airman shot down by the Chinese for accidently violating their airspace.
One person found this helpful
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Robert
5.0 out of 5 stars This is "the" best reference book on the subject
Reviewed in the United States on October 27, 2014
Verified Purchase
This is "the" best reference book on the subject. I keep it by my desk all the time and use it to verify information on everything from the beginning to the bitter end. Not only does it have the facts, it tells a lot of the "rest of the story" behind every loss... the background, the ongoing events and operations as well as something about the pilots flying the aircraft for most of the losses. I used this nearly every day while writing "Memories of Naked Fanny" and "More Memories of Naked Fanny". It is a must have for anyone who is interested in the air campaign(s) during the Second Indochina War (Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia). If you want to be sure your facts are right, this is the best source.
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Motown
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Resource
Reviewed in the United States on March 23, 2014
Verified Purchase
The best reference source about Vietnam air losses. Well written, informative, and well captioned this tome provides data for every USAF, USN, and USMC fixed wing loss. Pictures of every aircraft type, capsule summaries of aircraft and units that served in SEA, Charts and tables sort losses into useful categories, and there are plenty of useful sidebars. Individual entries include date of loss, aircraft type and identifying information, as well as crew information. Highly recommended as a standard source about the air war in Southeast Asia.
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