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Air AmericaDAIL\. _rwrIT, Ontario-Upland, Calif., Mon., June 3,19/4 3toceaseBANGKOK (UPI) — Spokesmen today formally announced the impending end of operations in Thailand by Air America,the charter airline linked with the CentralIntelligence Agency (CIA), in what is regarded as a profile-lowering exercise bythe United States.The announcement was made following ceremonies this afternoon transferring to a local company maintenance work which had been done by Air America on Laotian and Cambodian Air Force planes at Udorn Air Base in northeast Thailand.operations in ThailandAt the same time, the spokesman confirmed previous disclosures by American sources that the company was ceasing its flying activities based inThailand and closing out all operationse.herThe step ends involvement in Thailandby the company going back to 1962 and as far back as 1959 in neighboring Laos. Since those dates Air America had flown military cargoes and guerrilla troops from bases in both countries for the CIA,as well as doing charter work for other U.S. government agencies.Spokesmen said the actual transfer of the maintenance activity to Thai Airways Aircraft Maintenance Co., a subsidiary ofthe government-controlled domesticairline here, was scheduled for June 30. They said a transition period would start immediately.According to sources here, the local company is expected to take over many Air America employes, including a fewAmerican technical and administrative personnel. It also will operate a U.S. government-owned maintenance plant at Udorn.At the height of its activity, Air America had more than 250 American employes at its Udorn base, many of them helicopter pilots who flew CIA-sponsored missions into Laos and in some casesNorth Vietnam During the early 1900s Air Americapilots also flew T28 fighters into combatcarrying Laotian Air Force markings, building up a swashbuckling, Terry and the Pirates reputationIn recent years some pilots' salaries passed the $50,000 a year mark, but the risks often matched the pay. Between 1970 and 1973, 17 American crewmen and a similar number of local employes were killed by Communist fire or crashes.Capt. Roy F Townley, formerly of Ontario, is an Air America pilot, who flew out of Vientiane, Laos, on Dec 27, 1971, and remains missing in action.
Newspaper Details
Ontario Daily Report
Ontario, California, US
Mon, Jun 03, 1974
Page 3
Full Page
Clipped by
Tim G.
USA 18 Sep 2019
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