Vietnam Air Force The Vietnam Air Force – VNAF ( Vietnamese : " Không lực Việt Nam Cộng hòa – KLVNCH " ) was the Air Force branch of the Republic of Vietnam ’ s Military Forces , the official military of the Republic of Vietnam ( South Vietnam ) from 1955 to 1975 . The VNAF began with a few hand - picked men chosen to fly alongside French pilots during the State of Vietnam era . It eventually grew into the world ' s sixth largest air force at the height of its power , in 1974 . It is an often neglected chapter of the history of the Vietnam War as they operated in the shadow of the world ’ s largest air war machine . It was dissolved in 1975 after the Fall of Saigon . Many of its members emigrated to the United States . History . See also Operation Farm Gate In March 1949 , Emperor Bảo Đại officially requested that the French help set up a Vietnamese military air arm . Pressure was maintained with the assistance of Lt . Col . Nguyễn Văn Hinh , who had flown the B - 26 Marauder with the French Air Force in the Second World War . In March 1952 , a training school was set up at Nha Trang , and the following year two army co - operation squadrons began missions flying the Morane - Saulnier MS . 500 Criquet light aircraft . In 1954 , the French allocated a number of Dassault MD . 315 Flamant armed light transports to the inventory of this Vietnamese air arm . Vietnamese pilot trainees began to be sent to France for more advanced training . In May 1954 , with the fall of Điện Biên Phủ , the position of France changed , and on January 31 , 1955 , the Vietnam Air Force ( VNAF ) was inaugurated . French instructors for pilots and mechanics remained until late 1956 , and transferred 69 F8F Bearcat aircraft to the VNAF , which throughout the late 1950s were the main strike aircraft . Analysis . In contrast with the North ' s Vietnam People ' s Air Force , most allied air operations in the Vietnam War were conducted by the U . S . armed forces . The South Vietnamese forces operated at a fairly basic level compared to the U . S . forces , which carried out the bombing campaigns in the north . The 19th Tactical Air Support Squadron was organized on 17 June 1963 . The United States in May 1956 had started to train and advise the South Vietnamese Air Force . The VNAF was supplied with H - 19 helicopters , and later H - 34 s . Initially , they employed simple T - 28 Trojan prop powered trainers which could carry a small bombload . The first jets were B - 57 Canberra bombers arriving in 1965 . In October of the same year the VNAF received its first modern UH - 1 Huey turbine powered helicopters . Later , the US released more powerful light attack A - 1 Skyraider s and jet light attack A - 37 Dragonfly , and the lightweight F - 5 Freedom Fighter which was developed by Northrop as an affordable export fighter for foreign air forces . By late 1972 , the VNAF operated 18 squadrons with 500 new helicopters , one of the largest helicopter fleets in the world . In 1972 , President Thieu asked for , but did not receive , the F - 4 Phantom with its massive bombload and speed that was widely used for all roles by US air services . When the Vietnam People ' s Army ( NVA ) started to install anti - aircraft missiles near Khe Sanh , the VNAF lacked the radar jamming gear , and the navigational aids required to attack the missile sites . The VNAF primarily flew close support as communist forces did not fly aircraft over US - held territory , so they never had the opportunity to fight MiGs or “ go downtown ” in heavy fighter bombers . Consequently , the Army of the Republic of Vietnam ( ARVN ) was at a significant disadvantage once the US air force left Vietnam due to the lack of the bombings and air support provided by the U . S . Fall of South Vietnam . During the final 1975 offensive , it was not simply a case of a massive collapse . The ARVN forces in Long Khánh were fighting to the death . A cooperative effort between the ARVN and the VNAF enabled ARVN troops there to hold on . CH - 47 helicopters brought in 193 tons of artillery ammunition over two days . A - 1 Skyraider s flew in and C - 130 Hercules transports dropped massive 15 , 000 - pound daisy cutter bombs on enemy positions . Flying against intense antiaircraft fire , they took a heavy toll on the NVA divisions around Xuân Lộc . On 28 April at 18 : 06 3 A - 37 Dragonfly s piloted by former VNAF pilots who had defected to the Vietnamese People ' s Air Force at the fall of Danang dropped 6 Mk81 250 lb bombs on the VNAF flightline at Tan Son Nhut Air Base destroying several aircraft . VNAF F - 5 s took off in pursuit , but were unable to intercept the A - 37s . At dawn on 29 April the VNAF began to haphazardly depart Tan Son Nhut Air Base as A - 37s , F - 5s , C - 7s , C - 119 s and C - 130s departed for Thailand while UH - 1s took off in search of the ships of TF - 76 . At 08 : 00 Lieutenant General Minh , commander of the VNAF and 30 of his staff arrived at the DAO Compound demanding evacuation , this signified the complete loss of command and control of the VNAF . Some VNAF aircraft did stay to continue to fight the advancing NVA however . One AC - 119K gunship from 821st . Attack Squadron , had spent the night of 28 / 29 April dropping flares and firing on the approaching NVA . At dawn on 29 April two A - 1 Skyraider s began patrolling the perimeter of Tan Son Nhut at 2500 feet until Maj . Trương Phùng , one of the two Skyraider was shot down , presumably by an SA - 7 . At 07 : 00 the AC - 119K " Tinh Long " flew by Lt . Trang van Thanh was firing on NVA to the east of Tan Son Nhut when it too was hit by a SA - 7 missile , and fell in flames to the ground . Sgt . Son , one of the AC - 119K gunner tried to escape but his chute tangled in the tail of the airplane . Despite sporadic artillery and rocket fire , Binh Thuy Air Base remained operational throughout 29 April and on the morning of 30 April with VNAF A - 37 aircraft flying an unknown number of sorties against PAVN columns moving into Saigon , these were the last combat sorties flown by the VNAF . After the announcement of the surrender of South Vietnam by President Minh the pilots flew their stripped down aircraft to U - Tapao Air Base in Thailand , often carrying three or even four people . Equipment . Attack aircraft Bomber aircraft Fighter aircraft Reconnaissance and observation aircraft Rotary aircraft Training aircraft Transport and utility aircraft Recruitment and Training . Unlike the ARVN , the VNAF was an all - volunteer service , remaining so until its demise in 1975 . The VNAF recruiting center was located at Tan Son Nhut Air Base . Recruits were given a screening test , followed by a physical examination . Basic requirements for service in the VNAF was to be a Vietnamese citizen ; at least age 17 ; minimum age 25 for flight training ; no criminal record ; the equivalent of a US 9th grade education for airmen ; 11th grade for those entering pilot training or a 12th grade for non - rated officer . If a volunteer met all the qualifications , the recruit was then sent to basic training at the ARVN training base at Lam Song . Non - commissioned officer ( NCO ) training was held at Bien Hoa Air Base . After two months of training , or four months for aviation cadets , the recruit was given an aptitude test and progressed to specialized technical training . From there , he was sent to one of the ARVN wings for journeymen training . Aviation cadets pursued three additional months of specialized training after completing their initial four - month training course . Some were sent to the United States for advanced pilot training while non - rated officers pursued training in South Vietnam for their non - flying assignments . This training lasted about nine months , whereupon a cadet served in an operational unit for about a year before receiving a commission as a second lieutenant . Women also served in the VNAF . The Women ' s Armed Forces Corps ( WAFC ) was formed to fill non - combat duties beginning in December 1965 . Women were assigned to VNAF wings , Headquarters , the Air Logistics Wing , performing duties as personnel specialists , secretaries and other administrative roles .