' s ▁dis astr ous ▁mission ▁during ▁Operation ▁B olo , ▁as ▁the ▁wing man . ▁The ▁first ▁and ▁second ▁Mi G - 1 7 ▁fl ights ▁were ▁commanded ▁by ▁C ao ▁Th anh ▁T in h ▁and ▁N gu yen ▁Van ▁Th o ▁respectively . ▁Once ▁air bor ne , ▁North ▁Vietnam ese ▁pil ots ▁man eu ver ed ▁their ▁aircraft ▁into ▁positions ▁to ▁deploy ▁their ▁new ▁t actic ▁which ▁required ▁the ▁Mi G - 1 7 ▁f igh ters ▁to ▁act ▁as ▁b ait , ▁while ▁the ▁Mi G - 2 1 ▁f igh ters ▁attacked ▁from ▁the ▁rear . ▁After ▁Ch ieu ▁and ▁C oc ▁had ▁depart ed ▁from ▁Ph uc ▁Y en ▁Air ▁Base , ▁they ▁fle w ▁at ▁low ▁level ▁and ▁stayed ▁in ▁the ▁ground ▁cl utter ▁to ▁avoid ▁detection ▁by ▁air bor ne ▁rad ars ▁employed ▁by ▁U . S ▁aircraft . ▁However , ▁the ▁Mi G - 2 1 ' s ▁trans pond ers ▁were ▁detected ▁by ▁an ▁orbit ing ▁EC - 1 2 1 ▁air bor ne ▁early ▁warning ▁rad ar ▁surve ill ance ▁aircraft , ▁and ▁their ▁positions ▁were ▁relay ed ▁to ▁the ▁F - 4 ▁f igh ters ▁that ▁were ▁esc ort ing ▁the ▁strike ▁formation , ▁but ▁they ▁did ▁not ▁respond . ▁ ▁Initial ly ▁the ▁first ▁Mi G - 1 7 ▁flight ▁fell ▁behind ▁the ▁U . S . ▁strike ▁formation , ▁so ▁T in h ▁and ▁his ▁formation ▁clim bed ▁with ▁full ▁after burn er ▁and ▁they ▁immediately ▁played ▁their