Raven U-17 Aircraft

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Raven U-17 Aircraft

Tail Number Listing

Raven U-17 Aircraft Tail Number Listing

This table is a compilation of information concerning the Cessna U-17 aircraft flown by the RAVEN "in-country" forward air controllers from 1964 to 1974 in the Kingdom of Laos.The U-17 was the military version of the Cessna 185. It served as the "other" Raven FAC aircraft. Most were fitted with rocket rails for marking rockets. However it was used for many other missions including pilot training, visual reconnaissance, people haulers, and psyops missions.
The information was compiled from previously researched material combined with inputs from the RAVENs themselves. This project is a work in progress.

Project initiated on 01 October 2004. Last update on 31 July 2007

Explanations

Black entries are information from the referenced source. Red entries represent my expansion of the initial source information using other source data. Dates in the Who and Entered fields are computer dates without the century (year, month, day). Usually aircraft were referred to by the last three or four digits of the serial number. The bold red shows the association to the serial number. C/n is the Cessna construction number. Question marks indicate the information is probably true but unconfirmed.


Type	C/n	Tail #	Where	Who	When	Comment	Activity/Fate	Source	Entered
U-17A-CE	.	64-17796	Bangkok (T09)	.	641002	former USAF 64-177796. Assembled at T09	transfer to MAP for RLAF	Leeker U17 file	041001
U-17A-CE	.	64-17796	T09-T08	AAM Joe Hazen	641026	ferry to Udorn (T08)	.	Leeker U17 file	041001
U-17A-CE	.	64-17797	Bangkok (T09)	.	641002	former USAF 64-177797. Assembled at T09	transfer to MAP for RLAF	Leeker U17 file	041001
U-17A-CE	.	64-17797	T09-T08	AAM Joe Hazen	641023	ferry to Udorn (T08)	.	Leeker U17 file	041001
U-17A-CE	.	64-17797	Vientiane (L08)	AAM Paul Severson	651001	.	.	Leeker U17 file	041001
U-17A-CE	.	64-17797	Vang Vieng (L16)	.	651011	Erawan markings. TTU photos VA031039 & VA031041	Destroyed at Vang Vieng on takeoff.	Leeker U17 file	041001
U-17A-CE	.	65-10853	.	.	650528	former USAF 65-10853	transfer to MAP for RLAF	Leeker U17 file	041001
U-17A-CE	.	65-10853	Vientiane (L08)	AAM Paul Severson	651115	L08 to T08	.	Leeker U17 file	041001
U-17A-CE	.	65-10853	Long Tieng (LS20A)	AAM Paul Severson	660104	4-5 January	.	Leeker U17 file	041001
U-17A-CE	.	65-10853	Vientiane (L08)	Raven Ed Gunter	690400	Jul69-Feb70	.	Ed Gunter in Leeker U17 file	041001
U-17A-CE	.	65-10853	Long Tieng (LS20A)	Raven Larry Sanborn	710307	Mar71-Apr71	.	Larry Sanborn in Leeker U17 file	041001
U17A-CE	.	65-10853	Moung Ngam (LS63)	Raven Morgan? and u/i person killed	710429	AAM Porter pilot Mulholland killed	Destroyed in midair with AAM PC6 Porter N180K	Leeker U17 & PC6 files	041001
U-17A-CE	.	65-10854	.	.	650629	former USAF 65-10854	transfer to MAP for RLAF	Leeker U17 file	041001
U-17A-CE	.	65-10854	Vientiane (L08)	AAM Paul Severson	651013	13-17Oct	.	Leeker U17 file	041001
U-17A-CE	.	65-10854	.	.	720401	Not current on AAM maintenance log	.	Leeker U17 file	041001
U-17B	.	66-8549	.	.	000000	former USAF 66-8549 Owned by USAF under USEmb Vientiane control	transfer to MAP	Leeker U17 file	041001
U-17B	.	66-8549	MR1	Raven Lloyd Van Zee	720400	"549"	MR1 Ops	Email LVanZee 20041030	041030
U-17B	.	66-8549	.	.	720401	.	Current in AAM maintenance log	Leeker U17 file	041001
U-17B	.	66-8549	MR1	Raven Lloyd Van Zee	720500	"549"	MR1 Ops	Email LVanZee 20041030	041030
U-17B	.	68-10538	.	.	000000	former USAF 68-10538 Owned by USAF under USEmb Vientiane control	transfer to MAP	Leeker U17 file	041030
U-17B	.	68-10538	Luang Prabang (L54)	Raven Ed Gunter	690700	Jul69-Feb70	.	Ed Gunter in Leeker U17 file	041001
U-17B	.	68-10538	Luang Prabang (L54)	Raven Larry Sanborn	700621	Jun70-Jan71	.	Larry Sanborn in Leeker U17 file	041001
U-17B	.	68-10538	Long Tieng (LS20A)	Raven Larry Sanborn	710606	Jun71-Jul 71	.	Larry Sanborn in Leeker U17 file	041001
U-17B	.	68-10538	Vientiane (L08)	Raven Lloyd Van Zee	720300	"538" Checkout	.	Email LVanZee 20041030	041030
U-17B	.	.	.	.	720401	.	Current in AAM maintenance log	Leeker U17 file	041001
U-17B	.	68-10538	MR1	Raven Lloyd Van Zee	720500	"538"	MR1 Ops	Email LVanZee 20041030	041030
U-17B	.	68-10538	MR1	Raven Lloyd Van Zee	720600	"538"	MR1 Ops	Email LVanZee 20041030	041030
U-17B	.	68-10538	MR1	Raven Lloyd Van Zee	720700	"538"	MR1 Ops	Email LVanZee 20041030	041030
U-17B	.	69-7304	.	.	000000	former USAF 69-7304 Owned by USAF under USEmb Vientiane control	transfer to MAP	Leeker U17 file	041030
U-17B	.	69-7304	Long Tieng (LS20A)	Raven Larry Sanborn	710505	May71-Aug71	.	Larry Sanborn in Leeker U17 file	041001
U-17B	.	69-7304	.	.	720401	.	Current in AAM maintenance log	Leeker U17 file	041001
U-17B	.	69-7305	.	.	000000	former USAF 69-7305 Owned by USAF under USEmb Vientiane control	transfer to MAP	Leeker U17 file	041001
U-17B	.	69-7305	MR1	Raven Lloyd Van Zee	720500	"305"	MR1 Ops	Email LVanZee 20041030	041001
U-17B	.	69-7305	MR1	Raven Lloyd Van Zee	720800	"305"	MR1 Ops	Email LVanZee 20041030	041001
U-17B	.	69-7305	MR1	Raven Lloyd Van Zee	720900	"305"	MR1 Ops	Email LVanZee 20041030	041001
U-17B	.	69-7306	.	.	000000	former USAF 69-7306 Owned by USAF under USEmb Vientiane control	transfer to MAP	Leeker U17 file	041001
U-17B	.	69-7306	Luang Prabang (L54)	Raven Ed Gunter	700100	.	.	Ed Gunter in Leeker U17 file	041001
U-17B	.	69-7306	Luang Prabang (L54)	Raven Larry Sanborn	700619	Jun70-Jan71	.	Larry Sanborn in Leeker U17 file	041001
U-17B	.	69-7306	Long Tieng (LS20A)	Raven Larry Sanborn	710324	Mar71-Jun71	.	Larry Sanborn in Leeker U17 file	041001
U-17B	.	69-7306	Udorn (T08)?	.	720000	Photos by Tom Lum. See TTU photos VA024821 & VA024822 , Erawan markings	.	Leeker U17 file	041001
U-17B	.	69-7306	Savannakhet (L39)	.	720000	Photo probably at L39	Used for pilot training and FAC	Conboy, War in Laos, pp 37&54 from Leeker U17 file	041001
U-17B	.	69-7306	Savannakhet (L39)	.	720401	.	Current in AAM maintenance log	Leeker U17 file	041001
U-17B	.	69-7306	Savannakhet (L39)	.	721023	.	Engine fire at L39 after shutdown. Repaired?	Leeker U17 file	041001
U-17B	.	71-1050	.	.	000000	former USAF 71-1050 Owned by USAF under USEmb Vientiane control	transfer to MAP	Leeker U17 file	041001
U-17B	.	71-1050	.	.	720401	.	Current in AAM maintenance log	Leeker U17 file	041001
U-17B	.	71-11046	.	.	000000	former USAF 71-1050 Owned by USAF under USEmb Vientiane control	transfer to MAP	Leeker U17 file	041001
U-17B	.	71-11046	.	.	720401	.	Current in AAM maintenance log	Leeker U17 file	041001
U-17	.	.	Savannakhet (L39)	Raven Bob Downs	660000	visited Raven Don Moody at L54. One of several trips to L39-L54 to assist General Ma	aircraft had rocket rails and Erawan markings	Bob & Don Episode 1	041001
U-17	.	.	Savannakhet (L39)	Raven Claude Puckett and Tom Lee	680900	After commissary run to Vientiane, lost generator over NE Thailand at dark enroute L39. "Emergency" night landing & RON at NKP (T55)	temporary repair at NKP, permanent repair by AAM	T Lee log	041001
U-17	.	.	Savannakhet (L39)	Raven Hoss McBride and Tom Lee	681000	Oct68-Nov68	Training flights	T Lee log	041001
U-17	.	.	Nakhon Phanom (T55)	Ravens Hoss McBride, Claude Pucket?, Jim Baker? and Tom Lee	681000	Ground looped on landing at T55 due to bad brakes. No damage except to pride. 4 farangs in an Erawan marked aircraft? Mon Dieu!	Brakes repaired by AAM and Erawan painted over.	T Lee log	041001
U-17B	.	.	Long Tieng (LS20A)	Raven Karl Polifka	690612	Operated vic Phou Pha Thi (LS85)	.	Churchill, Hit my Smoke, p122	041001
U-17B	.	.	Long Tieng (LS20A)	Ravens Jim Cross & Dave Reese	700424	On area orientation flight	Shot down in Ban Ban Valley, 2 KIA	Leeker U17 file & Laos Incident List	041001


A comment on sources: Dr Joe Leeker researched the U-17 aircraft as part of his work on Air America (AAM) aircraft. This excellent research is archived at University of Texas, Dallas and is on line as part of their Air America holdings. See http://www.utdallas.edu/library/special/aviation/AirAmerica . All Leeker data used with permission of Dr Erik Carlson, University of Texas, Dallas Although AAM did not operate U-17s as part of their fleet, they performed maintenance on Raven aircraft at their Udorn facility regularly after 1968. A key data point was the April 1972 maintenance summary that listed the active aircraft. Ravens Larry Sanborn and Ed Gunter provided additional information to Dr. Leeker. U-17 serials are part of my Secret War research plus a bit of "bootleg" flying of the U-17 based at Savannakhet in 1968. In October 2004, I requested assistance from the Ravens in sending me the serials of the aircraft they flew during their tours in Laos. Responses are included.


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