no it cirtainly wasn't, often it wasn't even a strip just a feild, and the agents that had to prepare the strip weren't trained enough and so chose rather useless landing spots that the lizzies had to use anyway..........
Yeah it would not be fun. The crasiest place I have ever landed was at 8000ft up Big Duke mountain in Kosovo. There is no room for error and you can see for miles.
C-47s were hardly used to pick up casualties. They did try their best to make little landing strips in openings in the jungle. I'll be able to get some pictures off WaW of a L-5, I think it is, taking off from one.
True they did it, but that dose not mean the crews had to like it, or that it was the best for the planes. The first Helos were used in the CBI if you all are interested.
Adler, your landing were with a blackhawk yes? A friend from high school went out for the Airforce special forces units, but I dd not hear from him if he made it or not.
I am not in the Airforce though. I am in Army Aviation. The Airforce guys have a pretty tough job but the whole HALO thing that they have to do is awesome. Must be a trip.
The largest plane that I have heard being used to pick up agents in occupied Europe were Hudsons. There was a story of one that landed but got bogged down in the mud when it turned to take off again. The engines were reved up but nothing happened and in the end they got some horses to help pull it out. Everyone was wondering when the Germans would turn up as they must have heard what was going on but they never did. Later the rumour was that the Germans did know what was happening but the idea of blundering around in the dark, knowing that the place was crawling with resistance fighters who
a) were expecting them
b) knew every inch of the area
didn't appeal and they stayed in their base
C-47s were everywhere. In the CBI they were a big part of the "Hump" misions. I have seen a picture of one with camel mission mrks on it.
As for the HALO jumps yes they are dangorous and they do have more accidents, but that is expected when you jump from 30,000 feet or so, with O2 bottles on your back and open your chutes around 3000 feet. It is a great way to travel.