The Cessna L-19/O-1 Bird Dog was a liaison and observation aircraft. It was the first all-metal fixed-wing aircraft ordered for and by the United States Army. The Bird Dog had a lengthy career in the U.S. military, as well as in other countries.
The name Bird Dog was chosen because the role of the army's new aircraft was to find the enemy and orbit overhead until artillery (or attack aircraft) could be brought to bear on the enemy. While flying low and close to the battlefield, the pilot would observe the exploding shells and adjust the fire via his radios, in the manner of a bird dog (gun dog) used by game hunters.

The video shows the Cessna L-19/O-1 Bird Dog "Mekong Mauler" restored by Andrea Rossetto with the colors of the Mekong Mauler who was operated in Vietnam by Rick Shoup. It is a former Italian Army Cessna L-19/O-1 Bird Dog and it can do glider airtow activity.

Video shooted with Panasonic DMC-GH4 http://rp9.it/LumixDMCGH4 with Olympus MSC ED-M 75-300mm http://rp9.it/Olympus75-300mm

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