And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
I lived in Tustin in the 60’s & 70’s and loved it when the Phantoms would scream over I5 near San Canyon Ave and OCIR with the afterburners on only a couple hundred feet overhead. .They would literally rock the car.
Back in the 70's I was stationed at El Toro, CA and my work area was Bldg 10 if I remember correctly. Those Phantoms would take off maybe 100 yds away with the after burners on. It would literally rattle your trousers and give you a hearing loss. Loudest jet by far. A-6's were close but F-4 was raw power.
Me and brother would like in the grass at night just yards away from the F-4s making two ship full burner takeoffs at El Toro. El Toro is where I got my first non-commercial plane ride. A B-25, just me and a pilot. Dad said, walk through the hanger, don't stop, don't look at anyone. Go stand by that there airplane and wait. I was in 4th grade. It was there that I watched an AH-1 Cobra make a full loop. I had thought that was impossible. How'd he keep 1g at the top, I don't know. A lot of fond memories of that place.
I believe Iran and Turkey are still flying their F-4s. Back in 1978 our squadron deployed in F-4Es to Iran to fire video contrast Mavericks [and coincidentally to try to sell them those "turkey" video weapons.] It was a fun deployment as far as weapons deployment. The hotel and rest ... meh. One year later, bye bye shah.
While serving as a US Marine tank commander in Vietnam ('68 - '69), we had a lot of CAS provided by Phantoms. God bless the drivers!!!
ReplyDeleteI lived in Tustin in the 60’s & 70’s and loved it when the Phantoms would scream over I5 near San Canyon Ave and OCIR with the afterburners on only a couple hundred feet overhead. .They would literally rock the car.
DeleteBack in the 70's I was stationed at El Toro, CA and my work area was Bldg 10 if I remember correctly. Those Phantoms would take off maybe 100 yds away with the after burners on. It would literally rattle your trousers and give you a hearing loss. Loudest jet by far. A-6's were close but F-4 was raw power.
ReplyDeleteMe and brother would like in the grass at night just yards away from the F-4s making two ship full burner takeoffs at El Toro.
DeleteEl Toro is where I got my first non-commercial plane ride. A B-25, just me and a pilot.
Dad said, walk through the hanger, don't stop, don't look at anyone. Go stand by that there airplane and wait.
I was in 4th grade.
It was there that I watched an AH-1 Cobra make a full loop. I had thought that was impossible. How'd he keep 1g at the top, I don't know.
A lot of fond memories of that place.
Used to drive past it every morning on the way to work '84-86. The birds I rode around in were just up the ramp from VX-4.
ReplyDeleteBest tail emblem evar.
I think it was last year, 2024, that Japan retired their F-4s. They were the last to fly the Phantom. The end of an era.
ReplyDeleteI believe Iran and Turkey are still flying their F-4s. Back in 1978 our squadron deployed in F-4Es to Iran to fire video contrast Mavericks [and coincidentally to try to sell them those "turkey" video weapons.] It was a fun deployment as far as weapons deployment. The hotel and rest ... meh. One year later, bye bye shah.
DeleteI remember the Rhions back in my time.
ReplyDeleteHigh horizontal speed, high rate of climb, high weapons load, long range.
ReplyDeleteNot maneuverable, poor dog fighter, dense smoke trail.
Best all around FB of its era.