BANGKOK-DON MUANG AIRPORT 1975

A selection of photographs I took on my first visit to SE Asia during September 1975.

Although large prop aircraft were plentiful on the military and civil areas of this airport, access for photographs was restricted.
A disused taxiway between the parallel runways was used to park escaping aircraft during the fall of South Vietnam and
Cambodia earlier that year: Royal Air Lao Caravelle, Air Cambodge DC-4, DC-3s, Air America Turbo Porters and Beech 18s

View from the 707 window coming over the fence at Don Muang: the highly restricted Thai-Am Inc maintenance ramp,
where a heady mix of military and civil aircraft were parked: three dismantled T-28s in the foreground. My attempts to gain
access were repelled at the main guard gate on the other side.  These two landing shots were taken by Stuart Bremner

 
Further along the Thai-Am Inc area: Convair N102KA ex Cambodian Air Services, ex Air Cambodge DC-7B N774R which
flew on three engines during the Phnom Penh mercy airlift, and white ATL-98 Carvair LN-NAA ex Red Cross contract

Royal Air Lao DC-4 XW-PNI arrives on an airline passenger service, seen through the window of the customs hall.
The Curtiss C-46 in the background was parked with the rows of South Vietnam and Cambodian refugee aircraft

Tradewinds CL-44 G-AWOV lands, its big propellers generating visible vortices in the hot humid conditions.
The Air Cambodge DC-4 behind was in the refugee storage line parked on a taxiway


A Royal Thai Air Force Fairchild C-123K Provider lands. RTAF had a large inventory of C-123 transports

The Don Muang terminal still had an open air terrace in 1975, with tables and chairs where I had a coffee.
During that coffee a number of Royal Thai Air Force Lockheed T-33s taxied past at close quarters





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