OV-10 Bronco Ride 1982 Osan Air Base, South Korea

I hoped a ride in an OV-10 Bronco while stationed at Osan Air Base Korea in 1982. We flew to Nightmare Range just 15 miles from the DMZ. I had one of those bulky legacy VHS recorders which was quite awkward to work with in the cockpit. The OV-10 was employed as an airborne forward air control (FAC) aircraft to help direct fighters drop their bombs in support of troops on the ground. With the advent of JDAMS and precision munitions the method by which fighters work with FACs is much different nowadays. We didn't actually get to work with any fighters and I can't remember why.

From GlobalSecurity.org:

Nightmare Range is located north of the 38th parallel in the Tonduchon (also written Tong Du Chon) area south of the Imjin River. The facility is also known as Seung-Jin and is a jointly operated facility with the Republic of Korea.

When units were not on the DMZ, they trained at places like Nightmare Range. During deployments to training areas like Pilsung, Nightmare and Koon-ni Ranges for live-fire close air support training, enlisted terminal attack controllers, or ETACs, controlled missions sent to them by the Air Support Operations Center. ETACs directed the air support for Army units in combat and field training exercises.

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• Osan
• Air
• Base
• OV-10
• Bronco
• Nightmare
• Range
• Korea
• 19th
• TASS
• DMZ
• ETAC

[bondservant1982]

Hey I was stationed at Osan from 82-83 and flew a very similar sorti. I've linked your video to my face book page to show my children and other family members. If it's ok, If not I will remove asap. I was there when MSgt Prater was our NCOIC of the OV-10 and the OA-37s.

[stoneyj50]

@bondservant1982 Go ahead and link.  Those were some great times.

[PappyStu]

@dannocaz Thanks!!

[dannocaz]

@PappyStu . Actually flew the last OV-10 sortie for the 19th TASS. It was a ferry flight from OSAN to Pusan and the last Korean OV-10 to be loaded on a barge and shipped somewhere. That was about Aug or Sep of 1989.

[bondservant1982]

thank you. And yes, that was a very memorable time. Thank you for posting it.

[PhantomZero210]

@PappyStu If I am not mistaken the Philippine Air Force still actively utilizes the OV-10 Bronco in counter insurgency operations. This is however only due to the lack of funding by the government to get newer and possibly better aircraft.

[kisselgirl7]

Thank you for posting! Very interesting to see up close!