Glad I'm not a passenger

SamR

Joined Mar 19, 2019
5,499
Operation Eagle Claw was the infamously "failed due to sandstorm" helicopter mission. This was the 2nd but never attempted Operation Credible Sport. Never attempted because the super modified JATOL C-130 caught fire and burned up during Jet Assisted landing on its last scheduled training flight before the mission started. The cause of failure was assigned to the pilot igniting rockets too early during landing. They never did say how they were going to get to the embassy, get them out of the embassy, and back to the stadium a block or so away from the embassy... That part of the Top-Secret plan wasn't revealed. From the films, the take-off and landing rolls were almost nil. It had some serious Jet (rocket) Assist. Enough to dive in and take off from a soccer pitch surrounded by tiers of bleachers.
 

nsaspook

Joined Aug 27, 2009
16,351
Operation Eagle Claw was the infamously "failed due to sandstorm" helicopter mission. This was the 2nd but never attempted Operation Credible Sport. Never attempted because the super modified JATOL C-130 caught fire and burned up during Jet Assisted landing on its last scheduled training flight before the mission started. The cause of failure was assigned to the pilot igniting rockets too early during landing. They never did say how they were going to get to the embassy, get them out of the embassy, and back to the stadium a block or so away from the embassy... That part of the Top-Secret plan wasn't revealed. From the films, the take-off and landing rolls were almost nil. It had some serious Jet (rocket) Assist. Enough to dive in and take off from a soccer pitch surrounded by tiers of bleachers.
I was in the I/O on the same ship with the same complement of equipment at the same general location the next year (1981) for a possible Operation Credible Sport.
https://forum.allaboutcircuits.com/threads/hows-the-weather.106497/post-1249557
1659401811614.png

They didn't even try to have a credible plan to actually rescue the hostages because after the first failure they were dispersed around Iran. So even if they could land and take-off it would be with an empty plane. The C-130 crash was just a lame excuse for doing nothing after Operation Eagle Claw fiasco.

https://digitalarchive.wilsoncenter.org/document/134853
The full liberation plan has been developed in recent weeks by experts from the specially established "Escape Division" at the US Central Intelligence Agency, as well as military expert and officials from the Department of State (with particular knowledge about the local circumstances in the occupied Embassy). A key figure of the undertaking is supposed to have been a CIA agent with the cover name Lady Windermere.

He apparently had the task of tossing phsychotropic drugs from a secret CIA laboratory out of a helicopter with Iranian markings onto the extensive grounds of the Embassy. This "nerve gas" can apparently "reverse the polarity" of any person who comes into contact within a fraction of a second from aggression to meekness.

During this phase two separate liberation groups were supposed to enter Embassy: US Marine Infantry in Iranian Army uniforms, and a number of US soldiers who appear Iranian, as well as Iranians friendly to the USA, who had previously loudly demonstrated at the gates of the Embassy. Also participating in the operation were 125 members of the former Imperial Guard flown in with the Delta Team, who since fleeing the country had been trained in Egypt.

Together with the captured guards, the 53 American hostages were then to be flown out of the country. This was to leave the impression that the entire operation had been a self-organized "repudiation" of the hostages in a different place by the Iranians who had occupied the Embassy.

At the beginning of the operation there were bombs that had been stationed in various parts of Tehran that were to detonate. This was to create great confusion and distract from the events at the Embassy.
 

SamR

Joined Mar 19, 2019
5,499
Seems there may have been an alternate mission/operation name used, Fire Wings. Strange... From what I've read (strange for a Top-Secret) it was operational until they burned up their modified C-130 (I guess that part of Top-Secret was kind of hard to hide). Well ya know what they say about Military Intelligence is an oxymoron... That and lots of smoke and mirrors.
 

Reloadron

Joined Jan 15, 2015
7,892
I am living in a world I don't understand. We, my wife and I, live just off Interstate 480 an outer belt running through the Cleveland, Ohio suburbs. People are running over 100 MPH on a regular basis. This with local police and the Ohio State Patrol working the area actively. This is a congested area and people running in excess of 100 MPH? The posted speed limit is 65 MPH. Anymore my wife shudders when I take the bike out and I am beginning to wonder myself. Traffic signals seem to now be optional and even on local roads speed persist. I simply do not get it. Next we have road rage where if someone gives someone else a dirty look we have shots fired with no concern by the idiot shooting where the bullets may end up. Maybe after 50 years plus of riding a bike it's time to sell it. I simply no longer understand.

Ron
 

nsaspook

Joined Aug 27, 2009
16,351
I am living in a world I don't understand. We, my wife and I, live just off Interstate 480 an outer belt running through the Cleveland, Ohio suburbs. People are running over 100 MPH on a regular basis. This with local police and the Ohio State Patrol working the area actively. This is a congested area and people running in excess of 100 MPH? The posted speed limit is 65 MPH. Anymore my wife shudders when I take the bike out and I am beginning to wonder myself. Traffic signals seem to now be optional and even on local roads speed persist. I simply do not get it. Next we have road rage where if someone gives someone else a dirty look we have shots fired with no concern by the idiot shooting where the bullets may end up. Maybe after 50 years plus of riding a bike it's time to sell it. I simply no longer understand.

Ron
The ones that involve kids really get to me. PTSD is real and kids horribly hurt or killed in an act of violence (this IMO was not an accident) is a trigger for me due to some things seen as a sailor I'd rather forget but can't.
 

Reloadron

Joined Jan 15, 2015
7,892
The ones that involve kids really get to me. PTSD is real and kids horribly hurt or killed in an act of violence (this IMO was not an accident) is a trigger for me due to some things seen as a sailor I'd rather forget but can't.
Sadly we can't erase the past. I do very much like the VA. While I hate the bureaucracy I like my VA because I find others like myself who have been there and done that. I am comfortable around these people. I know what you mean as to kids. My wife was receiving her cancer treatments at Seideman Cancer Center. The most humbling experience in my life was seeing the 5 year old kids being treated. I never want to bury one of my kids or grandkids.

Ron
 

Reloadron

Joined Jan 15, 2015
7,892
Uh Oh, big mistake near hitting a trooper head on when you are on the wrong side of the road.

Fortunately the trooper had some room to swerve right and avoid a head on collision.

Ron
 

SamR

Joined Mar 19, 2019
5,499
That's like Emirates Air with reserved first-class seats for their Falcons. Something odd about the vintage photo, NO cigarettes?
 
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