Chiang Mai Air Museum - Tango Squadron

[jntlange]

There have been a couple different threads on this topic over the years.  They are closed now, but can be read at:

 

and

 

Anyways, I was able to visit the museum this morning with my wife and four children.  We had a great time.  The person to contact now is Mr. Chaiyong and his number is 089-636-9146.  You need to call in advance.  He met us at the Wing 41 blue gate across the street from the airport taxi exit at the Chiang Mai airport.  We followed him to the museum.  The tour is free but there is a donation box.  I asked Mr. Chaiyong what an appropriate amount was and he just said it was up to me.  We put in 500 baht for the donation.... probably too much but wanted to be generous on our first visit.  Mr. Chaiyong speaks enough English to communicate what is there.  He is 65 years young.  He said that he would continue to volunteer until the end of the year and then hopes someone else would take over.  It is not a huge museum, you are in a hanger near the end of the runway.  It only has around 10 planes (can't remember the total) both inside and out of the hanger.  The highlight was seeing the wreckage of William McGarry's P-40 that was shot down during a raid on Chiang Mai in WWII.  He flew in the AVG (American Volunteer Group) and part the famous Flying Tigers.

 

Here is a website with some pictures of the museum:  http://www.chiangmaitouristguide.com/02-2004/feature2.html

and another: http://www.webring.org/l/rd?ring=aviationring;id=22;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thaiaviation.com%2Fgallery2%2Fv%2FTango%2BSquadron%2BChiang%2BMai%2F%3Fg2_page%3D10

 

Although the museum is not to what most Westerners would expect in terms of standards, my kids had a blast.  They got to climb into cockpits and hear the stories Mr. Chaiyong would tell as he gave us the history of each plane.

 

One side note, there is a Japanese Zero in the museum.  We thought it was authentic.  It even had the markings that it shot down 3 American planes and sank one ship.  However, Mr. Chaiyong clarified for us that it was actually a modified P-6 that was used as a prop in the original movie Tora Tora Tora.  So, not authentic, but still pretty cool to see.

[jonwilly]

About 10 years ago the surviving members of the Flying Tigers came out to CM and there was a presentation from them, at the Foreign Cemetery, to commemorate  a raid on the airport under Japanese control where they lost William McGarry. 

Afterward there where  Drinks in the Gymkhana Club.

One of the 'Tigers' Tex by name approach a member and asked if Major Roy Hudson was present.

Yes thats Roy over there.

He's not a violent man, is he ?

No, come on I'll introduce you.

The two elderly gentlemen where introduced and Roy says along the lines of Delighted to meet you.

Oh we've met before says Tex.

No surely not.

Yes I was one of the pilots who straffed you on your retreat to the Sittang.

The two old warriors where last seen arms around each others shoulders and a rapidly diminishing bottle of Scotch sat on the bar between them.

 

john

I had heard from Roy and read the account of the 'Tigers' attacking what they understood to be a jap column advancing on the Sitting Bridge.

[Rotweiler]

If any of you are interested in the history of Northern Thailand during WW2, a lot of information here:

 

http://lanna-ww2.com/index.html