The Air America Foundation was founded in June of 2001, in Melbourne Florida. A small
group of aviation enthusiasts and pilots, had just managed to save a Fairchild C-123K aircraft
from the scrappers torch, after the Airport Authority at Titusville's Spacecoast Executive Airport
had decided that the long silent airplane was unsightly and would be demolished unless
something was done immediately to get the airplane back into flying condition. Plans were
made to save the airplane, and thru the generosity of the aircraft's former owner, and the
cooperation of the airport authority, the local FBO, and other airport businesses, the airplane
was given a new chance to fly again.
Then came the hard part! What to do with a huge, 'unsightly' (No argument there!) old cargo
airplane! The small group of volunteers gave serious consideration to a variety of possible
scenarios that could justify the huge amount of work and costs that would be necessary to
make the airplane flightworthy. After researching the amazing story of Air America, the CIA
owned airline that operated in and around Southeast Asia during the Viet Nam war, there was
no doubt that the story of Air America's courageous and skilled crews deserved to be told.
It is the desire of the volunteers of the Air America Foundation to give the Air America veterans
some long overdue recognition and well-deserved praise for their actions in the line of duty.
The men and women of Air America are as close as any family, sharing a common bond of
courage and compassion to their fellow man, while operating under some of the most
dangerous conditions ever encountered by aviators.
group of aviation enthusiasts and pilots, had just managed to save a Fairchild C-123K aircraft
from the scrappers torch, after the Airport Authority at Titusville's Spacecoast Executive Airport
had decided that the long silent airplane was unsightly and would be demolished unless
something was done immediately to get the airplane back into flying condition. Plans were
made to save the airplane, and thru the generosity of the aircraft's former owner, and the
cooperation of the airport authority, the local FBO, and other airport businesses, the airplane
was given a new chance to fly again.
Then came the hard part! What to do with a huge, 'unsightly' (No argument there!) old cargo
airplane! The small group of volunteers gave serious consideration to a variety of possible
scenarios that could justify the huge amount of work and costs that would be necessary to
make the airplane flightworthy. After researching the amazing story of Air America, the CIA
owned airline that operated in and around Southeast Asia during the Viet Nam war, there was
no doubt that the story of Air America's courageous and skilled crews deserved to be told.
It is the desire of the volunteers of the Air America Foundation to give the Air America veterans
some long overdue recognition and well-deserved praise for their actions in the line of duty.
The men and women of Air America are as close as any family, sharing a common bond of
courage and compassion to their fellow man, while operating under some of the most
dangerous conditions ever encountered by aviators.
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Plans are now in motion to restore the C-123 airplane so that it can tour the nation, telling the story of Air America, as told by the
Air America veterans themselves. The Air America Foundation, though not affiliated directly with the Air America Association, (the
official veterans organization of the Air America employees), is dedicated to assisting their organization in furthering their goals
to obtain better public knowledge of their amazing history, obtaining veterans benefits, and helping to increase the amount of
accurate information which illustrates the varied and diverse missions flown by Air America.
Air America and its predecessor, Civil Air Transport, (CAT) helped to save the lives of countless Chinese nationals after the end
of WWII, and later did the same for huge numbers of Southeast Asians as the Viet Nam war came to an end. The employees of
Air America felt a deep and abiding compassion for the Laotian, Thai and Vietnamese people, who were caught in the middle of
a war between two foreign political ideologies.
It is for these reasons, that the volunteers and members of the Air America Foundation, pledge to uphold the proud legacy of the
employees of Air America. After decades of secrecy, their story can now be told.
Paul Vasconi
President, Air America Foundation
Introduction to the AAF
