Morococha Falcon, 84 Years Ago
On 16 December 1937, Peruvian Air Force (FAP) Comandante Manuel Escalante was returning from Iquitos to Ancón in his Curtiss F-8 Falcon when a strong storm forced him to land in frigid Laguna Morococha, a clear freshwater lake some 15,000 ft. above sea level, resulting in much amusement from the locals.
Formed just eight years prior, the FAP had already been engaged in combat, tying up with identical Colombian F-8s in 1933-34 over a dispute along the Amazon, also an area where floatplanes came in handy.
The humble Falcon could carry 2 forward-firing and one rear-mounted light machine guns as well as up to 400 pounds of bombs.
