Douglas A-1E Skyraider of the 1st SOS drops a Madden Kit, in 1971 (230320-F-IO108-0065)

A U.S. Air Force Douglas A-1E Skyraider of the 1st Special Operations Squadron drops a "Madden Kit" during initial testing at Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, in 1971. In February 1971, U.S. Air Force Captain Jim Madden was in the second day of a rescue mission over Laos. Night fell over the Mu Gia Pass with the enemy still too close for a rescue helicopter. Madden returned to base to rearm, refuel, and return to protect the downed airman. Receiving word from the on-scene Forward Air Controller that the downed pilot’s radio batteries were dead, Madden, along with a Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) from his Life Support unit, developed a way to resupply airmen from his A-1. Using a hollow Mk 24 parachute flare canister, Madden and his NCO filled the empty canister with a survival radio, batteries, water, and miniature Snickers bars. A lead weight in the nose angled the kit downward as it dropped. After several practice drops to calculate speed and angle, and to ensure the items would not be damaged, the improvised “Madden Kit” was ready for use.

Date

1971

Photographer / author

U.S. Air Force

Archive

Wikimedia Commons

Type

image

Original size

1,069 × 771 pixels

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