VIETNAM Vietnam War Aviation Sites, Museums & Collections; Air Force Base Gate Guardians; Cu Chi Tunnels; DMZ; My Lai; and limited sightseeing PROVISIONAL ITINERARY & GENERAL INFORMATION Friday, 2nd – Saturday, 17th March, 2018 For those looking for somewhere different to visit we are pleased to announce our first ever aviation tour to the reunited Vietnam, which, during the Vietnam War - from December 1956 to the fall of Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) on 30th April 1975 - was the scene of bitter fighting between the northern and southern halves of the country, and their many allies. Our itinerary features some well-known battle sites, aircraft remains and crash sites, aviation museums and collections, e.g.: Hoa Lo Prison – the “Hanoi Hilton” Vietnam Military History Museum Huu Tiep Lake (B-52 wreck) Museum of Victory Over B-52s Museum of Military Zone Thu Do Museum of the Air Defence and Air Force Museum of Military Zone 4 Dong Loc T-Junction Khe Sanh Combat Base Museum (ex-USMC airbase) Hue Military Museum De-Militarized Zone (DMZ) Vinh Moc underground tunnels Museum of Military Zone 5 / Ho Chi Minh Museum Museum of Quang Nam Ho Chi Minh City Museum Reunification Palace War Remnants Museum Ho Chi Minh Campaign Museum Cu Chi Tunnels Bien Hoa Airbase Military Museum Museum of the Air Force, Ho Chi Minh Long Bien Bridge Hien Luong Bridge There are also several non-aviation visits and experiences to enjoy during our travels around the country: Photos above courtesy: of Phil Boyden Day and overnight cruise around the World Heritage site of Ha Long Bay, with its incredible limestone karsts, caves, grottos etc (pictured left) Mausoleum and Residence of Ho Chi Minh Train from Ha Tinh city to Dong Ha Imperial Citadel in Hue: home of former Kings of Vietnam My Lai – the infamous massacre of civilians the famous Ho Chi Minh Trail We visit all the major aviation sites, both large and small, in the country. Plus some sightseeing: why travel all the way to the other side of the world, to such a different culture, and not see something of the country and its friendly people? Tour 227819 - Vietnam – Provisional Itinerary – Issue 1 Page 1 of 13 Ian Allan Aviation Tours Terminal House, Shepperton, Middlesex, TW17 8AS, United Kingdom Telephone: +44 (0)1932 255625 Fax: +44 (0)1932 231942 e-mail: [email protected] www.ianallantravel.com/aviationtours We fly from London’s Heathrow Airport on the non-stop scheduled international (and domestic) services of Vietnam Airlines; in-country we travel by chartered coach, rail and boat; for your comfort we stay in superior 4* hotels; and, in addition to your Ian Allan Tour Manager, we are accompanied by a local English-speaking official guide. All breakfasts and evening meals, and some lunches, as stated each day, are included in the tour price. Dinners will either be in the hotel (or superior local restaurants which cater for overseas visitors). This promises to be an enjoyable and memorable holiday for both aviation - and non-aviation - enthusiasts alike! PROVISIONAL ITINERARY (all times local) DAY 1: FRIDAY, 2nd MARCH Between 07:30 – 08:00 please check-in with Vietnam Airlines who operate from Terminal 4 at London’s Heathrow Airport. Then meet your Ian Allan Tour Manager and fellow enthusiasts who will be gathering in the check in area. Latest check-in time is 3 hours prior to departure i.e. 08:00. London Heathrow Airport, Terminal 4 Flight: VN 54 (B787) Departs: 11:00 DAY 2: SATURDAY, 3rd MARCH (Dinner) Ha Noi Arrives: 05:10 After Immigration, Baggage Reclaim and Customs, we enter the Arrivals Hall and meet our local guide. We start our time in Vietnam with their famous “Hanoi Pho and Coffee” breakfast. As our hotel rooms will not be ready for occupation, we make a short visit to the Mausoleum and Residence of Ho Chi Minh. Late morning we arrive at the Army Hotel, staying tonight at this fine hotel; for details of location and facilities please see page 8. The remainder of the day is free to rest and/or explore at your leisure. At 18:45 we meet in reception and go along to the restaurant for our evening meal at 19:00. DAY 3: SUNDAY, 4th MARCH (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner) This morning we drive through the countryside to the coast, to Ha Long Bay, a World Heritage site. The Bay consists of a dense cluster of some 1,600 limestone monolithic islands each topped with thick jungle vegetation, rising spectacularly from the ocean. Several of the islands are hollow, with enormous caves. The bay stretches from Yên Hưng to the Gulf of Tonkin in the south, is bordered on the north by China, and on the west and southwest by Cát Bà Island. The Bay has a coastline stretching 75miles/120kms and is approximately 970 square miles/1,553 kms² in size, with about 2,000 islets. We set sail in the afternoon (pictured), with picturesque views of the hundreds of limestone karsts protruding out of the deep blue waters, weathered into many shapes. There will be optional opportunities to visit caves, grottos, floating fishing villages and aqua farms, and even a swim on Tip Top Island. Or relax on the sundeck with a cool drink from the bar. Our cruise continues through the night, sleeping in comfortable cabins: for details of the vessel’s facilities and accommodation, please see a summary on page 8 and their website: www.pelicancruise.com DAY 4: MONDAY, 5th MARCH (Brunch and Dinner) Arriving back at Ha Long Bay at 11:00 we board the coach and return to Hanoi, checking in again at the Army Hotel for 2 nights. We then visit the Long Bien Bridge which was bombed virtually on a daily basis during the Vietnam War by US bombers including B-52s. Tour 227819 - Vietnam – Provisional Itinerary – Issue 1 Page 2 of 13 Ian Allan Aviation Tours Terminal House, Shepperton, Middlesex, TW17 8AS, United Kingdom Telephone: +44 (0)1932 255625 Fax: +44 (0)1932 231942 e-mail: [email protected] www.ianallantravel.com/aviationtours DAY 5: TUESDAY, 6th MARCH (Breakfast and Dinner) At 09:00 we depart for the Museum of the Air Defence and Air Force; its large collection of aircraft include 1 or more examples of: L-29 Delfin; An-2 (plaque states that this aircraft was used in the attack on a secret US radar site at Phou Pha Thi Battle of Lima Site 85); UH-1H Iroquois; A-37 Dragonfly; O-1 Bird Dog; A-1H Skyraider; Kamov Ka-25Bsh; F-4 Phantom IIB (wreckage); MiG-17F (plaque states that on 19th April 1972 this and other aircraft bombed the USS Higbee and USS Oklahoma City in the Gulf of Tonkin); MiG-21PFM and MF (the PFM has 12 victory stars painted on its nose, and the plaque states that one of the victories was US Air Force F-4E (67-0296), shot down on 5th July 1972; the MF has 8 victory stars on its nose, with the plaque stating that one of the victories was a B-52D, shot down on 27th December 1972); Mil Mi-4; (the plaque states that this was Ho Chi Minh's personal helicopter); Mil Mi-6 Hook; Mil Mi-24 Hind; F-5 Freedom Fighter; Ryan Firebee (wreckage); Shenyang J-5 (plaque states that this aircraft scored 9 victories, one of which was a US Air Force F-4C (63-7614), shot down on 12th May 1967); Shenyang J-6; TL-1 (a Vietnamese designed and built training and liaison aircraft); and a Zlin Z-26. Website: http://placesinvietnam.org/2939/air-defense-air-force-museum/ Then to Huu Tiep Lake and the poignant remains of a B-52D. Call sign "Rose Zero One", it was flown by the 99th Bomb Wing based on Westover AFB, MA but was operating out of U-Tapao airbase in Thailand. It was shot down over Hanoi by a SA-2 SAM during Operation "Linebacker II" on the night of 18th/19th December 1972, and crashed in Huu Tiep Lake. Of the 6 crew, 2 were killed and 4 taken prisoner. The wreckage of 56-0908 has lain untouched since it crashed 46 years ago! It is now a War Memorial, in what is also known as the "B-52 Lake". DAY 6: WEDNESDAY, 7th MARCH (Breakfast and Dinner) We start the day with a look around the very famous POW prison, Hoa Lo – or as it was nicknamed by the Americans, the “Hanoi Hilton” – now a museum. Our second visit is to the little museum with the big name: the Museum of Military Zone Thu Do/Museum of Victory Over B-52s! On display here are the remains of several shot-down B-52Gs and a North Vietnamese Air Force MiG-21F. Website: http://vmhm.org.vn/tabid/56/language/en-GB/Default.aspx Next is the Vietnam Military History Museum: exhibits include a Bell UH-1H Iroquois; wreckage of a B-52G shot down during Operation Linebacker II; Cessna A-37B Dragonfly; 2 Douglas A-1E & H Skyraiders; MiG-17F; 2 MiG-21s MF and PFM; and various armoured fighting vehicles, e.g. T-34 and T-54 tanks. Photo: courtesy of Phil Boyden Mid-afternoon we check in at Ha Noi Airport for our Vietnam Airlines flight to Vinh: Hanoi Flight: VN 1715 Departs: 19:05 Vinh Arrives: 19:55 Upon arrival we transfer to the quaintly named Muong Thanh Grand Phuong Dong Hotel, for one night: see page 8 for details.