BirdAir/LAD

BirdAir

Not an Air America, Inc. or Pacific Corporation subsidiary -- Bird & Sons, Inc. was a construction company with an air division. Bill Bird sold the air division and its aircraft to Continental in 1965 to form CASI. When Bird sold that division there was a non-compete  clause in his contract with Continental that precluded Bill Bird from operating another aviation company in Laos for a certain number of years. When that time expired, Bird got back into the air charter business and created BirdAir.

BirdAir operated C-130s that were loaned from the USAF and participated in the evacuation of ex-guerrilla troops in Laos. It was also critical for the air bridge to Phnom Penh at the very end of the war.  Due to its scarcity we've not ever before even seen fantasy copies. Thank you to the anonymous contributors.

Bill Bird	Birdair Pilot Wing		Birdair Epaulettes
BirdAir Pilot at Long Tieng Evacuation (This particular pilot helped evacuate Vang Pao) Note: Blue and Silver Shoulder Boards and no wing.
Bird & Sons, Inc. Aircraft
Kenneth Conboy, War in Laos (Carrollton, Texas: Squadron/Signal Publications, Inc.) 1994.
BirdAir Aircraft
BirdAir and Bird & Sons Letterhead
Bird & Son ID -- Front		Bird & Son ID -- Back
Bird & Son C-46 Manual (excerpts)
0n Feb. 1975, Col. James Baginski, ( later maj gen ), went to U-Tapao, Thailand, as commander of Project SCOOT-CE, which was a acronym for Supply Cambodia Operations Transport. This was a re-supply group consisting of 10 C-130s with no military markings and 5 civilian DC-8s. The whole operation was under the 374th Tactical Airlift Wing out of the Philippines, under the 7th Air Force at U-Tapao. The DC-8's were flown by civilian crews from Flying Tiger Air Lines, Airlift Internationald and World Airways in California. The C-130s were flown by Birdair crews, most of which were retired Air Force Personnel. They flew from U-Tapao to Phnom Penh daily in February and March right up until the day before the country fell. (adapted from the Vietnam Insignia Collectors Newsletter).
Bandits Patch Courtesy Bob Chatt - Vintage Productions
Phnom Penh from 10,000 ft.		Pochentong Airport Bunker
Pochentong Airport Ramp		Pochentong Airport Ramp
US Embassy Armor-Plated Car		TIA DC-8 Damaged by Incoming
While Bird was under a non-compete restriction with Continental Airlines he created a small airline called Lao Air Development, Inc. (LAD) with two Laotion partners. LAD flew some small fixed wing and a few helicopters in Laos until 1973 (note tail insignia).
Lao Air Development Office		LAD Aircraft
Lao Air Development Staff
14 August, 1970 Back: Left-Right: Mr. Mullins, Mr. Engel, Mr. McCarthy, Mr. Khamphanh Sayasith Front: Left-Right: Ms. Chansone, Douang Nga, Sommala Aranyaphong Courtesy: Joseph C. Engel, III Attorney at Law, Great Falls, Montana, whose father Joseph Engel Jr., went there and did that to pay for me to become a lawyer, and who can say, 34 years later, Dad, I am one hell of a lawyer, thanks to you.

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