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F-4 Phantom 50th Anniversary


Steindaddie
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I took this of the flight line / ramp full of F-4's at McConnell Air Force Base in Kansas in the early summer of 1986. Anyone know the unit or recognize the logo on the tail?

 

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All the pics I have posted have been ones which were actually 35mm prints, I had to scan them on a flat bed scanner. The film prints are clear as a bell when I hold them, well mostly anyway, but it sure shows how digital pics are SO much more clear. Sorry for the poor reproductions!

 

As time allows I will try and get some updated ones in digital format, and show a lot better details.

 

Last one. This one was a gate guardian at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, sort of on a stick, in June of 1986 too. No idea if it is still there or still wearing the same paint scheme. Anyone? I think at the time VMAT-101 or VMAT-102 may still have been in operation there then, as I know I got a t-shirt from that squadron at the exhange when I was there! Their moto, as I recall, was "The Proud Ones".

 

Thanks for looking, and others - post more pics!

 

MW

 

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Watched em practice bombing runs at our Mess hall on the Engineer range at Ft. Leonard Wood Misouri 1970 and then in Nam. For me it is the symbol along with Slick that evokes some of my strongest memories. Thanks to all. Mike

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I took this of the flight line / ramp full of F-4's at McConnell Air Force Base in Kansas in the early summer of 1986. Anyone know the unit or recognize the logo on the tail?

 

attachicon.gifa3.jpg

 

 

 

Looks like it may say JAYHAWKS on the tail. If so, it would be part of the ANG's 127 TFS/184 TFG flying F-Ds from McConnell.

 

Randy

 

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The Duluth ANG Unit was the 148th Tactical Reconnaissance Group / 179th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron during the RF-4C years and Fighter Interceptor Group - Fighter Interceptor Squadron during the F-4D years. By the time the 148th got the RF-4C the USAF 87th FIS across the field was long gone to KI Sawyer AFB MI.

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148th / 179th RF-4C at Duluth ANG Base. This aircraft was used by the unit for testing the long range KA-96 camera

Glad you saw the thread and posted, I didn't want to "out" you, but recalled that you had been in some of the units up there :)

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Aircraft 63-482 pictured in the Minnesota Air Guard Museum as a Duluth 148th/179th F-4D is actually an F-4C.

Also the F-101 in the museum was a Duluth aircraft that was sent to Canada to upgrade their fleet when Duluth converted to the RF-4C. The attached picture shows 300 prior to its departure to Canada after being displaced by the RF.

Canada modified it to serve as an ECM target aircraft and applied the glossy black paint scheme. It was

was returned for the museum to display as a Duluth F-101 when it was no longer needed byCanada.

It was repainted to its original Duluth colors. The flight to the museum was the last operational flight of a '101.

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Aircraft 63-482 pictured in the Minnesota Air Guard Museum as a Duluth 148th/179th F-4D is actually an F-4C.

Also the F-101 in the museum was a Duluth aircraft that was sent to Canada to upgrade their fleet when Duluth converted to the RF-4C. The attached picture shows 300 prior to its departure to Canada after being displaced by the RF.

Canada modified it to serve as an ECM target aircraft and applied the glossy black paint scheme. It was

was returned for the museum to display as a Duluth F-101 when it was no longer needed byCanada.

It was repainted to its original Duluth colors. The flight to the museum was the last operational flight of a '101.

Jim-

 

If I recall, the USAF modified the airplane as a one-off ECM modification, and later decided to modify F-111As instead as ECM platforms. 300 was at Tyndall with the USAF Air Defense Weapons Center for a while until the Canadians leased it. They were the ones to paint it black though. It was a sharp looking plane.

 

Randy

 

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Restored RF-4C at the Strategic Air and Space Museum, Ashland Nebraska.

 

This is done in the colors of the 155th Tactical Recon Group, Nebraska Air National Guard.

 

However this same aircraft also served with the 460th Tactical Recon Group, Tan Son Nhut, Vietnam in 1969.

 

This was rescued from outside static display.

 

http://www.sasmuseum.com/aircraft/rf-4c-phantom-ii/

 

F-4 a.jpg

F-4 b.jpg

F-4 c.jpg

F-4 d.jpg

F-4 e.jpg

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Looks like it may say JAYHAWKS on the tail. If so, it would be part of the ANG's 127 TFS/184 TFG flying F-Ds from McConnell.

 

Randy

 

 

Since that was at McConnell the tail would say JAYHAWKS. Those planes could have been 127 TFS, or 161 TFTS, or 177 TFS. All three squadrons were part of the 184 Tac Ftr Gp/ Wing at various times either late 60's, 70's, and 80's. As I recall the 184th did much of the training for ANG F-4 pilots. These were units of the Kansas ANG.

 

There is a F-4 on static display marked with Kansas ANG markings at the Pratt, Kansas, Airport (formerly Pratt Army Airfield) I think there's a F-4 on display at McConnell AFB with other examples of aircraft flown by this unit.

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I just saw this old posting about the F-4's.

 

The photo in post #4 entitled #660 at an unknown location in April 1970 would have probably been either Okinawa or Suwon. Korea, if it wasn't taken while passing through another base. I was with the 347th at Yakota, Japan until the F-4's were all transferred to Oki in June 1971. We always had one squadron at Yakota and one each at Oki and Korea. This photo isn't Yakota. Loved those aircraft. About 30% had visible signs of battle damage repairs, and had so many coats of that lead paint the pilots said it affected their performance. Still one of the hardest working and nicest looking planes we've ever had in service.

 

Bluejacket

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  • 3 years later...

Me in front of the F-4G that made the last official Active Duty front line unit flight in April 1996 at Nellis AFB. Tough plane to crew, but it was a workhorse and a legend!

 

Randy

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I've got photos of quite a few F-4 gate guards. I figured I'd post a few of them here.

 

Here's one close to home. This F-4D last served with the CA ANG. One day back in 1999, I happened to see this Phantom parked on the grounds of Navarro College in Corsicana, TX. Luckily I had my old 35mm camera with me.

 

Sometime later, I went by to check on her again and I was surprised to see that she was up a pole in Thunderbird markings.

 

I haven't been back in awhile to check on her, hope she's still in decent shape!

 

-Derek

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Here are a couple more Texas located Phantoms on sticks.

 

First is an SEA camo F-4E at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Big Spring, TX.

 

The other is an ADC Gray bird at Camp Mabry in Austin, TX.

 

-Derek

 

 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...
phantomfixer

Steindaddies F-4E at Ramstein...compliments of his Asst CC

If anyone can zoom in on the black box with yellow stenciling...it will have the crew chief and rump crew chiefs name and rank...

 

edit...top pic is of ac 68-459...not 404

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phantomfixer

either getting ready to hang 370 tank or just dropped it for Flugtag 84 or 85..the crew chief is taking care of the aircraft forms documentation...Pat (?)

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Did the Thunderbirds fly the Phantom or is it just painted that way for display?....Still has the sexiest lines of all the jets ever built IMHO......Bodes

 

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There's a Phantom about 5 minutes from my home. You can see it driving down the interstate in a little town called Satsuma. It was brought here in 2014 when the now defunct Livingston Parish Veterans Association was working with other entities to create a little veterans museum/park in our parish.

 

Here's our Livingston Parish F-4 Phantom:

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Here's an article with some specifics: http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/communities/livingston_tangipahoa/article_f9d83e90-a44a-11e6-969e-a76c06f3cb88.html

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