Gliding in Myanmar

Just seen a mention on a website about gliding in Myanmar(formerly
Burma) at a place called Taungbbi.
Anyone got any more info? I'm currently working in
myanmar for 3 months, and it'd be great to get it in
my logbook!

Regards,
Andy

Tuanggyi. Old British base. Heho is the closest runway. I flew there in the
mid-80's spraying opium poppies.

I also wrote a story about it that was copyrighted and a sailplane (owned by
the German charge d'affairs) was part of it. If you could get up and out of
the plains, the mountains to the east are, well, the highest in the world.
But if you have ever read about "flying the hump", you know that if you go
down, you won't be found...ever.

And more than once, I saw tigers running along the tree lines with their
cubs. There are more snake bite deaths in Burma than any place in the
world...mostly from krait bites. And there are mines everywhere and I don't
mean ruby mines. I mean land mines.

It is hard to tell who your friends are and if you are working for our
government it is downright impossible. (Wait. Is that unpatriotic?) One day,
we were ordered to spray some poppies north of a visible line on the
ground...a road or something. But, the poppies to the south looked a lot
better so for grins, I jumped across the line. You should have heard the
uproar! Something about "tests" to prove the efficacy of the oldest phenoxy
herbicide in the world...and the base ingredient in Agent Orange (to which
there is a lot of myth attached). In truth, the stuff we were supposed to
kill was owned by a competitor of the generals that we were working for.
Just a little capitalism in a social world.

So, if you can fly in Burma, do. Just have a little guts because it isn't a
day at the gliderport. It is the last place like it on earth. Enjoy it while
you can.



"Andy Davey" wrote in message
...
Just seen a mention on a website about gliding in Myanmar(formerly
Burma) at a place called Taungbbi.
Anyone got any more info? I'm currently working in
myanmar for 3 months, and it'd be great to get it in
my logbook!

Regards,
Andy

It has been awhile, but Yanks did a bit of gliding
there. For a purpose other than fun.

You know, World War II combat operations, supply, materiel,
and
flying snatches of gliders doing rescue-by-bungee-or
cord snatch uses of gliders for extraction of US soldiers
or airmen from behind enemy Jap lines in Burma.


A citation below is given:

'Operation Thursday, * Burma (USA)

Gliders, stationed in India, had to land in several
clearings in the Burmese jungle. Places code-named
Piccadily, Broadway, Aberdeen, White City, Blackpool
and Chowringhee.

March 5, 1944 Burma

6 CG-4A's landed with equipment by the River Chindwin
to establish a bridgehead to protect the troops crossing.

Operation Thursday : 37 CG-4A's landed at night at
Broadway, delivering 539 troops, three mules and almost
30 tons of supplies.

Another 8 CG4As had landed in friendly areas
and 9 landed in Jap enemy-held territory.
The troops immediately started to construct a runway
on which the following night 63 C-47 planes landed.

March 6, 1944
12 CG-4A's were dispatched to land at Chowingree.
One of these carried a bulldozer, but the glider carrying
it crashed.

March 7, 1944
Another 4 CG-4A's, one carrying a new bulldozer, landed
at Chowingree.

Only four hours later a new landing strip was created
on which C-47s could land.

The gliders used for the operation on Chowingree were
snatched out by C47s in flight.

March 21, 1943
6 CG-4A's landed at Aberdeen with bulldozers and equipment
to create another dirt landing strip.

The next day, after the C-47's had landed, all six
CG-4A's were snatched out.

March 23, 1944
White City LZ came under attack by Japs and 5 CG-4A's
loaded full with ammo landed there during the battle
with Japs.

There at White City LandingZone, 3 gliders were snatched
out with wounded soldiers on board;

the other two gliders were destroyed by the Japanese
in the attempts to launch/snatch.

1 CG-4A landed on a sand bank of the River Irrawaddy
with four folding boats on board, enabling the forces
present to cross the river.
Later that day the CG-4A was snatched out.

For several weeks an unknown number of US gliders were
sent to the jungle to resupply the troops and to fly
out wounded troops.

May 17 1944
US and Chinese troops captured the airfield of Mykityina.
As they were expecting a Japanese counterattack, 10
CG-4A's were sent to the field, which landed under
heavy fire.

With the help of the native population the equipment
was discharged and the strip was prepared to accept
the larger C-47's. That same day reinforcement troops
arrived by C-47's.

The glider operations in Burma proved that gliders
were the superb aircraft to deliver equipment, troops,
ammunition, equipment including bulldozers, to prepare
a runway for transport aircraft, deep in hostile territory,
far behind enemy lines.

this from
http://www.fiddlersgreen.net/aircraf..._info/info.htm

Thank God for the courage and stalwartness of our heroes,
American, British, NewZealanders, Australian, Burmese,
Indians, Nepalese, and so many others in that savage
war.

Those who survive to this day, by grace of God, are
now in their mid to late eighties or nineties. If
you meet or know one, thank them for their service,
valor,
and for your freedom.

Kind regards,

Jim Culp USA
GatorCity Florida
(my dad was among them in US Infantry in
the south Pacific Island war fighting up to
Japan and he was Witness to the Japanese
surrender aboard Battleship Missouri).

It has been awhile, but Yanks did a bit of gliding
there. For a purpose other than fun.

You know, World War II combat operations, supply, materiel,
and
flying snatches of gliders doing rescue-by-bungee-or
cord snatch uses of gliders for extraction of US soldiers
or airmen from behind enemy Jap lines in Burma.


A citation below is given:

'Operation Thursday, * Burma (USA)

Gliders, stationed in India, had to land in several
clearings in the Burmese jungle. Places code-named
Piccadily, Broadway, Aberdeen, White City, Blackpool
and Chowringhee.

March 5, 1944 Burma

6 CG-4A's landed with equipment by the River Chindwin
to establish a bridgehead to protect the troops crossing.

Operation Thursday : 37 CG-4A's landed at night at
Broadway, delivering 539 troops, three mules and almost
30 tons of supplies.

Another 8 CG4As had landed in friendly areas
and 9 landed in Jap enemy-held territory.
The troops immediately started to construct a runway
on which the following night 63 C-47 planes landed.

March 6, 1944
12 CG-4A's were dispatched to land at Chowingree.
One of these carried a bulldozer, but the glider carrying
it crashed.

March 7, 1944
Another 4 CG-4A's, one carrying a new bulldozer, landed
at Chowingree.

Only four hours later a new landing strip was created
on which C-47s could land.

The gliders used for the operation on Chowingree were
snatched out by C47s in flight.

March 21, 1943
6 CG-4A's landed at Aberdeen with bulldozers and equipment
to create another dirt landing strip.

The next day, after the C-47's had landed, all six
CG-4A's were snatched out.

March 23, 1944
White City LZ came under attack by Japs and 5 CG-4A's
loaded full with ammo landed there during the battle
with Japs.

There at White City LandingZone, 3 gliders were snatched
out with wounded soldiers on board;

the other two gliders were destroyed by the Japanese
in the attempts to launch/snatch.

1 CG-4A landed on a sand bank of the River Irrawaddy
with four folding boats on board, enabling the forces
present to cross the river.
Later that day the CG-4A was snatched out.

For several weeks an unknown number of US gliders were
sent to the jungle to resupply the troops and to fly
out wounded troops.

May 17 1944
US and Chinese troops captured the airfield of Mykityina.
As they were expecting a Japanese counterattack, 10
CG-4A's were sent to the field, which landed under
heavy fire.

With the help of the native population the equipment
was discharged and the strip was prepared to accept
the larger C-47's. That same day reinforcement troops
arrived by C-47's.

The glider operations in Burma proved that gliders
were the superb aircraft to deliver equipment, troops,
ammunition, equipment including bulldozers, to prepare
a runway for transport aircraft, deep in hostile territory,
far behind enemy lines.

this from
http://www.fiddlersgreen.net/aircraf..._info/info.htm

Thank God for the courage and stalwartness of our heroes,
American, British, NewZealanders, Australian, Burmese,
Indians, Nepalese, and so many others in that savage
war.

Those who survive to this day, by grace of God, are
now in their mid to late eighties or nineties. If
you meet or know one, thank them for their service,
valor,
and for your freedom.

Kind regards,

Jim Culp USA
GatorCity Florida
(my dad was among them in US Infantry in
the Pacific Island war fighting up to
Japan and he was Witness to the Japanese
surrender aboard Battleship Missouri,
then on into Japan).

In article , Jim Culp
writes

It has been awhile, but Yanks did a bit of gliding
there. For a purpose other than fun.

You know, World War II combat operations, supply, materiel,
and
flying snatches of gliders doing rescue-by-bungee-or
cord snatch uses of gliders for extraction of US soldiers
or airmen from behind enemy Jap lines in Burma.


A citation below is given:

'Operation Thursday, * Burma (USA)

Gliders, stationed in India, had to land in several
clearings in the Burmese jungle. Places code-named
Piccadily, Broadway, Aberdeen, White City, Blackpool
and Chowringhee.

March 5, 1944 Burma

6 CG-4A's landed with equipment by the River Chindwin
to establish a bridgehead to protect the troops crossing.

Operation Thursday : 37 CG-4A's landed at night at
Broadway, delivering 539 troops, three mules and almost
30 tons of supplies.

Another 8 CG4As had landed in friendly areas
and 9 landed in Jap enemy-held territory.
The troops immediately started to construct a runway
on which the following night 63 C-47 planes landed.

March 6, 1944
12 CG-4A's were dispatched to land at Chowingree.
One of these carried a bulldozer, but the glider carrying
it crashed.

March 7, 1944
Another 4 CG-4A's, one carrying a new bulldozer, landed
at Chowingree.

Only four hours later a new landing strip was created
on which C-47s could land.

The gliders used for the operation on Chowingree were
snatched out by C47s in flight.

March 21, 1943
6 CG-4A's landed at Aberdeen with bulldozers and equipment
to create another dirt landing strip.

The next day, after the C-47's had landed, all six
CG-4A's were snatched out.

A few years ago an old gent turned up at out club, and when asked if he
had flown in a glider before, said yes, but the last time was at Arnham.
This would have been 1944, and refers to one of the worst cock-ups of
WW2.
This guy, who must be 80+ still flies solo with us.





--
Mike Lindsay

We don't 'invite' people to come to Myanmar, they come
of their own free will. We just offer a service. Whether
we're here or not won't alter that fact.
I know people who refuse to travel to the so-called
'land of the free' because of YOUR human rights record
and world domination antics.
I realise that the regime here is a long long way from
perfect and that working here is controversial, but
I feel far safer here than I would in the USA- at least
no-ones trying to blow us up all the time, and we can
walk about unmolested in a beautiful country with very
little crime.

Only 35 million people come and go annually from other countries to the USA.
I doubt that a few clowns from snotty little second-rate countries would
matter much in the big scheme of things. Tell your friends to give America
one more chance. We like to bend over backwards for naive elitists.

My guess is you are from what little second-rate country that is guilty of
how many historical crimes? Hmmm. And the beautiful land you live in, had an
election recently? Seen the soldiers up near Hmabi with their legs blown
off? Do you know ANYTHING that goes on away from the Irriwaddy River? Sure
you do. You just don't wish to mention it.

I have a friend over in Chiang Mai that used to work with me there. I will
see if he still kills people for a living and, if he is free, he can come
over to Pagan and take a balloon ride or a glider ride. You can tell him
about the land of the free. We worked for the very same people that suppress
the crime in Burma.

We weren't conducting balloon rides for tourists. We weren't dominating the
world. We were working for your benefactors.


"Andy Davey" wrote in message
...
We don't 'invite' people to come to Myanmar, they come
of their own free will. We just offer a service. Whether
we're here or not won't alter that fact.
I know people who refuse to travel to the so-called
'land of the free' because of YOUR human rights record
and world domination antics.
I realise that the regime here is a long long way from
perfect and that working here is controversial, but
I feel far safer here than I would in the USA- at least
no-ones trying to blow us up all the time, and we can
walk about unmolested in a beautiful country with very
little crime.