BAT 21 (O-2 Skymaster)

I saw this movie for the first time yesterday and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It stars Danny Glover and Gene Hackman. Hackman plays a USAF Colonel that was flying an aircraft that was downed (I think it was an EB-66 or some variant of that jet) while flying a mission to detect SAM launches. Glover plays a USAF Captain that flys the O-2A Skymaster FAC aircraft. Glover (radio callsign Bird Dog…how ironic, i.e. the other FAC plane the O-1 Bird Dog) gets in contact with Hackman (radio callsign BAT 21) and the movie progresses as Glover goes up as many times as possible to stay in contact with Hackman and make sure he is okay and to verify his position. They work to find a good spot where rescue helos can extract Hackman. It is a very good movie and I suggest that anyone who hasn’t seen it give it a rent. It was made in 1988 I think. Very good film. It got me thinking also about just how brave FAC pilots were and still are during war. It also made me think about what a neat aircraft the O-2 was/is. How Glover’s character just kept coming back day after day to reassure Hackman’s character was just amazing to me. What a brave man! The thing is, I think this movie might’ve been based on a true story. Anyone care to comment on this movie, the O-2, the FAC role and its pilots or anything else related, please do. This is a very interesting subject to me.