Caribou Airlines: A History of USAF C-7A Caribou Operations in Vietnam Volume 1 - The First Years: 1966-1967
Pat Hanavan graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1958. He received the Marine Corps Association Prize for "Peleliu Pushover," judged to be the best research paper of 1958 on operational or doctrinal aspects of ground, air, or amphibious operations. He and Alicia, his wife of 54 years, raised four children (Patrick III, Cynthia, Michael, and Theresa). During his 20 years in the United States Air Force, he was a pilot, research and development engineer, maintenance officer, and logistics officer. His USAF assignments included the 55th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, the 6570th Aerospace Medical Research Laboratory, Aeronautical Systems Division, the 535th Tactical Airlift Squadron and the 483rd Tactical Airlift Wing in Vietnam, the Space and Missile Systems Organization, Headquarters Air Force Systems Command, Warner Robins Air Logistics Center, and San Antonio Air Logistics Center. He worked on manned extra-vehicular operations for Gemini and Manned Orbiting Laboratory space programs from 1964-1965 and was the Ohio Society of Professional Engineers Young Engineer of 1966. Pat flew the C-7A Caribou as an Instructor Pilot in the 535th Tactical Airlift Squadron at Vung Tau, Republic of Vietnam (RVN), during the Tet Offensive of 1968 and was then assigned as the Quality Control Officer and chief test pilot for the 483rd Tactical Airlift Wing at Cam Ranh Bay, RVN. During his Vietnam tour, he flew over 600 hours in the Caribou. Colonel Hanavan retired from the USAF in 1978 and transitioned to industry and academia. Dr. Hanavan received a Ph.D. in Engineering from the University of California at Los Angeles while on active duty in the Air Force. From 1979-1990 he was a member of the faculty at The University of Texas at San Antonio. He worked at the Software Engineering Institute from 1990-1995. His consulting work took him to France, Australia, China, England, Canada, Italy, Holland, Korea, and Singapore. He is a registered Professional Engineer in Software Engineering (TX) and in Aeronautical Engineering (OH), a member of the National Society of Professional Engineers since 1965, a Life Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, a Senior Member of the Association for Computing Machinery, and a senior member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Pat has been a member of the C-7A Caribou Association since 2003 and serves as its President and newsletter editor.