Graveman Loc: Indiana

Back in '74 at George AFB, CA, I was assigned to the 20th TFTS, we trained Germans in the F-4. I was but a Sgt. in in the Orderly Room. We also ended up with a couple of English pilots for training.

sammywoody Loc: Moncks Corner, SC

Aaaah ... memories forever. Worked on the E Model at Homestead in 71-72, then crewed a D Model, Tail #727 in Udorn, Thailand during the war (72-73), and got to fly two back seat functional check flight rides for rudder actuator changes. During the first FCF Captain Lewis let me roll the plane and fly supersonic, and pull 4.7 Gs in a turn. This and much more is in a book I just wrote and hope to get published soon, centered and focused mostly on my tour at Udorn in 72-73, and covering the sapper attack on Oct 3 of 72 and Operation Linebacker II, Dec 18-29, 1972.
Just recently attended a Phancon event at Tyndall AFB in Florida and got to video some F-4s in the air, and even a barrier cable engagement - very nice trip.
Thanks for sharing more special memories ... Sam

Graveman Loc: Indiana

I was at Homestead in 71-72, started out at the Wing HQ Bldg and ended up in Ops & Training on the flightline (next door to the simulator).

nicksr1125 Loc: Mesa, AZ

We must have been at Udorn about the same time, Sam. I arrived at the 432nd RTS in late November. Just missed the sapper attack and worked a lot of Linebacker II pre & post mission recon photos.

sammywoody Loc: Moncks Corner, SC

Yep ... about 3 mths apart. You should consider attending one of our annual Udorn reunions - next one will be mid 2015 in Weatherford, TX

nicksr1125 Loc: Mesa, AZ

Would love to be there. Too many things going on next year. 50th anniversary high school reunion and an organization I'm a member of is hosting our national convention 22-25 July here in Columbus. Will there be 1 in 2016?

Cool_It Loc: Whitehall, PA

The F4 has always been a favorite of mine as well. I was lucky enough to photograph one during the Ocean Airshow. I was a little disappointed to hear from someone at the airshow that they were being used as target practice for drones. http://robertballard.smugmug.com/Air-Shows/Virginia-Beach/i-c9HWHDt/0/M/_DCS1829-M.jpg
http://robertballard.smugmug.com/Air-Shows/Virginia-Beach/i-LB3CdFd/0/M/_DCS1877-M.jpg
http://robertballard.smugmug.com/Air-Shows/Virginia-Beach/i-n33WVpw/0/M/_DCS1885-M.jpg

I have more photo's from the airshow at http://robertballard.smugmug.com/Air-Shows/Virginia-Beach/

imntrt1 Loc: St. Louis

I was stationed in Korea in the Mid/Late 60s and we were out in the field on Maneuvers. Some F4 drivers came out and did simulated Strafing Runs on us. I know I couldn't but I swear they were close enough to us to see the colors of their eyes....It was a great experience to see them come in a tree top level over 500 Knots and playing like they were in war. Those planes were made right here in St Louis....I used to watch them, and later the F18s on their maiden flights for testing, take off at Lambert...once airborne they would point the nose straight up and climb to 20K feet where they would roll over on their back and do straight and level flight.

Frosty Loc: Minnesota

Brought back memories. I have several thousand hours in what we used to call "old double ugly. I have time in the F-4C, the F-4D and the RF-4C. Most of my time was flying low level in the RF-4C. I have seen 600 knots at 30 feet during a Red Flag exercise in Nevada. Pure fun and I got paid for it.

I'm not sure what engines were in that plane shown on the video. The engines were modified sometime in the 70's in the US version so that they did not leave a smoke trail as this one did. A black smoke trail was not good for air to air combat.

Thanks big time for posting.

HowardPepper Loc: Palm Coast, FL

Thanks for the link Jerry, the F-4 Phantom II is one of my all time favorite warbirds. When I reported to VF-84 (my first duty station), back in January 1979, NAS Oceana, VA. was about half way converted from F-4s to F-14s. We would routinely see F-4s and F-14s over the skies of Virginia Beach.

TomballLegend Loc: Tomball, Texas

Here's a couple more

Lovely!


Ever See One With that Livery?

flathead27ford Loc: Colorado, North of Greeley

Thanks for the post Jerry, a great plane. Cheers.

FM Loc: near Syracuse, NY

jerry,
Terrific Post! thanks for the F-4 Vids-for some unknown reason, it's become my favorite Jet- I really enjoyed the vids-

and Sam- look forward to reading your book!!

FM

WereWolf1967 Loc: Knoxville, TN

I can tell you guys about an early smokeless engine variant done on one of our birds in VMFA 323 at MCAS Iwakuni, Japan in January 1967. BuNo. 151410 was chosen and on 27, Jan 67, I was flying in the GIB position when we went out for a test flight. Our bird looked funny without any auxiliary drop tanks or ejector racks but she flew like a bat outta Hell. Our test flight was perfect until the point where we passed into the cone of silence over station at FL350. We had just gotten Approach Control clearance to the 30 NM DME fix on the 184 radial of the Iwakuni TACAN. We were told to descend to 20 thousand fix and upon reaching the fix, turn inbound commencing a TAcAN 1 penetration and approach to runway 01. Over station we had complete flameout on both engines. I started holding in breakers and extended the rat for power. We immediately departed FL 350. I called approach control canceling instruments and declared an emergency.

I requested permission to enter the flame-out pattern and that was approved. To make a long story short, we extended too far out on crosswind and downwind so we had to put 151410 in the center of the water runways for the seaplanes about a mile or so off of the east of runways 01/19. at about 3,000 feet ASL. I command ejected us and got busted up bad enough to end my combat flying career. So I guess we were the first to get the smokeless turbines. I'm glad they finally got the bugs worked out.

sammywoody Loc: Moncks Corner, SC

Yes sir - every year