Still a very useful aircraft for sure.
After 48 years, Japan’s days of flying F-4 Phantom II fighters in a combat role are coming to an end. The landmark was formally marked today, with a send-off event for the jets. The aircraft were from 301 Hikotai, the country’s last combat unit equipped with the type, and it’s expected to cease flying operations next month. The remaining F-4EJs will, in the future, only be flown by the country’s Air Development and Test Wing.
Iran's got a few still chugging along.
ReplyDeleteWith over a 1,000 hours in that beast, [Cs, Ds, and Es] it always saddens me to see them disappear from other nations. Maybe Turkey, Greece and Iran still have a few flying as best I can tell. Almost as disheartening as seeing what few remain in the states used solely as drones for target practice.
ReplyDeleteI was with Seabees in Chu Lai 1966-1967. We built a crosswind runway with F4's taking off over our heads, sometimetimes full afterburners. Those Marine pilots liked to jerk us off while building, but bought beers that night. Full burn 100 feet above us. Shook us to the bone. Fucked up our transits, but what a thrill !!!. Just awesome watching them go almost vertical.
ReplyDeleteMy brother and me would sneak out at night to go lay in the grass watching - actually feeling - the full burner takeoffs at El Toro. Oh boy, what a sight! It was better than the drag races.
ReplyDeleteI was fishing near Santa Rosa island when we came across the nose cone of a F-4 drone. I was mad that they used that fine aircraft that way. Pt. Magu offered a small reward for finding parts but my skipper kept it for a yard decoration.
Amazing aircraft. I once saw one of them flying near the bottom of a steep valley in the Teutoburg hills near Paderborn, Germany. I was well above the thing looking down on it as it jinked around the steep, curved hillsides and what seemed to me to be a high speed.
ReplyDeleteFantastically skilled USAF pilot.
Pfabulous!
ReplyDeleteI was painting non traffic markings off the approach end at Beaufort MCAS back in '69.....had two of 'em come in and land at the same time only to execute a touch and go right next to me....couldn't hear 'em coming but I sure as hell heard them leave....in today's wussy world, I'd have never been that close to an active....
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