FAC Aircraft Vietnam Query

[Cobra]

Hey Guys, after Talking to my Mom, i got to Wondering if Anyone could Point me to a Site or Resource for an Aircraft of the FAC Type Known as 'Jay Birds'?  Trying to find info but Having Little or Rotten Luck. Can Anyone Help? thanks for looking.Dan

[philp]

Dan,
Do you have any additional information?  The only reference I can find to J-birds is a name for the SNJ which was the Naval version of the T-6 Texan.  Texans were used in Korea for FAC but were known as Mosquitos.

The O-1 Bird Dog was frequently used for FAC in Vietnam but can't find anything refering them as Jay birds.  Also don't see any information regarding Jay Birds as a group or aircraft in nam.

[Ian the Kiwi Herder]

I know my Vietnam stuff quite well, and that's a new one on me..... are you certain it was/is an aircraft type and not a callsign ??. Was it Air Force, Navy, USMC or even an Army machine ??. All branches used FAC's (as did the CIA in Cambodia). Any additional info would help.

Ian

[Nigel Bunker]

The only USAF call sign I can find which is close is 20th TASS who used "Bird Dog" when flying O-1Es out of Quang Tri, Dong Ha in 1966 and they then changed to "Jake" used by 20th TASS flying 0-1Es out of Quang Ngai 66-67 then O-2s out of Tam Ky 67-68. "Jake" was the only callsign beginning with J that seems to have been used by FACs.

[garys]

This is just a theory but the Marines flew Grumman F9F Cougar trainers out of Danang in the FAC role.  They were later replaced by TA-4F Skyhawks.  However, by the time they were in Vietnam, the F9F-8 had been redesignated TF-9J, hence J-Birds.

Gary