Interview with Jerry Beaulier on the USN F-4 Phantom 

Charlie Moore I never saw any of our Phantoms configured with 8 Sidewinders. It's true that Sparrows were not reliable and went ballistic on many occasions. VF-142 had no black pilots or RIOs during my time as a Ghostrider , but other squadrons did...Phantom squadrons as well as other types of aircraft.

Charlie, the Sidewinder was the better weapon, as it would track on a heat signature, day or night. The Sparrow relied on too many intangibles to be effective, or at least the Sparrows we had during the '60s and early '70s. during Vietnam. I can't comment on later versions of the Sparrow which came after my time.

I do have one question as on the JFK I heard some pilots calling the Mig Flogger the Phantom Flogger. around 75-76. In you opinion what Mig would you say retired the Phantom? or were you gone by then?

Nice words

Former enlisted make the best officers!

Great to hear you enjoyed and thanks for sharing.

What a nice story.... How about that trainer that couldn't take all the power and might slip...it reminds me of my homemade go-cart...

And Marines

Swaglife 81 they don’t let idiots fly military fighter jets

I suppose so, only because by nature they have to communicate and remember every single bit of detail of every op for debrief & intelligence purposes with military precision, and so ... There U hv it, the Perfect Speaker

Hello Shipmate, I was a Ghostrider from Dec 73-Dec 76. I was in AT/AE shop. Have many memories of the 74 cruise. As you might know we moved to the east coast and are having a reunion shortly.

@@mstallion98 yeah when we got back from the Med cruise was told that the squadron was being decommissioned and changing from F - 4J Phantoms to F - 14 Tomcats. some friends were transferred to other squadrons at NAS Miramar. Dont know if you remember me. BOATS

@@mstallion98 you are the first contact i've had with the squadron since i've been out

Yes I agree his demeanor comes across that way

I agree

Great vid, great guy. You could be anywhere in America or anywhere on the planet and have a fab time having a beer with this guy.

He looks so much like Alec Guiness I heard an English accent for a sec.

Wish I had more time with him as he had some great stories to share much like yourself. . Glad you enjoyed it, Chris.

Glad you enjoyed it, Steve :)

I totally agree. I am currently looking into it.

The funny thing is that as common as Phantoms used to be in the US, I only ever saw them fly overhead TWICE, and I've lived in the Midwest US most of my life. I know they crisscrossed the area ALL the time. There are installations, many ANG/reserve bases all over the place. In Ohio alone, there used to be AT LEAST 3 ANG bases (Toledo, Newark, Rickenbacker ANG Base in Columbus) that had fighter wings. One guy I knew in high school, a real character, had a flight in an F-4 he said when he was in Boy Scouts. An Air Force F-4 most likely. Then again, I knew a junior high school science teacher who had a ride in an F-15 trainer (B or D-model at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base) and another guy who had a buddy in the Italian Air Force who snuck him a ride (allegedly) in a Tornado so civilians HAVE gotten rides in these things in the past. Just like I've run across people who claimed their sibling got into the torch of the Statue of Liberty! (I'm NOT that naive guys, so yeah, I know there's a possibility my leg WAS being pulled by at least one of these guys but I can vouch for the honesty of at least two of these people -- the science teacher and the Tornado joyrider.) One time, a formation of F-4s (6-8?) flew overhead of my high school during graduation ceremonies in 1987. I'm thinking they were Air Force Reserves or ANG (Ohio fighter wing). They probably flew overhead because one of the guys in the graduating class that year had been accepted into the Air Force Academy. The second time I saw the F-4, I watched a pair of RF-4C's fly over during the Dayton Air Show in 1990. They were probably the noisiest pair of fighters that flew overhead. They basically made one pass and that was it. At the same show, I saw a solo F-16 demo, the Blue Angels (all F-18As at the time), and an F-14B solo demo. I can remember being really impressed by the F-14B (with the F110 engine) and its maneuverability, the total control its aircrew had close to the ground. The F-16 DID accelerate faster but it also disappeared into the sky more often and my general impression was that "air show" speed was not its forte. The Blue Angels also impressed me by how close they flew to the ground AND by how slow they appeared to fly at times. I saw the Angels two more times when I lived in Chicago. What we didn't know then was that next year was the combat finale (Gulf War I) for the F-4 Phantom in US service. By 1992 (was it?), the bulk of the non-Wild Weasel models of the F-4 would be retired in US service. We talk about the retirement of the American F-4 recently but that was the QF-4 drone version ( end of 2016). Active duty/frontline planes, F-4Gs, retired in USAF/ANG service in 1996. There are a very limited number of operational F-4s in service now. Probably less than 200 in 5 (6?) air forces around the world now as we approach the 60th anniversary of the flight of the very first F-4 Phantom II -- May 27, 1958.

Glad you enjoyed it, Dan.

Stephan Greenway Cheers.

You’re very welcome.

Cheers

Thank you, Eric.

Thanks Gordon.

Thanks very much.

Thanks once again, Ian! I know a crazy amount of types and some of my favourite aircraft. Well that’s one up from me as I haven’t done anything like that.

Cheers.

Thanks!

You’re very welcome. I wish, that would have been brilliant to have!

Thanks Simon.

Thanks again.

Cheers! Hopefully,​ the channel will grow with the more content we put out. Thanks for your support :)

Cheers Paul.

Thank you.

Cheers Mike. Ha well it’s in my top ten but my favourite aircraft is the Tornado F3! I often get slated for that!

Keith Stewart thanks :)

Awesome! Cheers Dustin.

Thanks Pete.

I am a fan of variable geometry winged aircraft in general! That is a great noise.

Aircrew Interview yeah me too, the likes of F-14 the F1-11 etc, I absolutely love the FGR2 and SR71 and the EE Lighting and F14 , they just amaze me. TSR2 is always an amazing aircraft too but sadly not to be.

Thanks.

Thanks Tim.

I believe that was one of our interviews with Roy Macintyre;)

Thanks Mike.

The F8 pilot's dogfight training was unoffical and the guys who were good at BFM didn't exactly share the knowlege, so TG was a way of institutionalizing the knowledge. Also, the book states that maintainance and handling were the main reasons the Sparrow was so unreliable.

One lesson is you can never trust the whiz kids

Thanks. I would love to but I believe it is very difficult to get on base. It won’t stop me trying tho!

I believe he just stayed from his time at Leuchars. He now runs a B&B.

Tour at RAF Leuchars, Fife, Scotland then met his future wife - the rest is history

Cheers

Thanks David.

Ah my mistake. I will now know for next time, thanks.

Thanks Peter. Pretty much, he regally enjoys the area and also the people.

Cheers Brian.

Thank you.

Thanks Angel.

The A-6A Intruder and E-2 Hawkeye were the first planes to use the nose gear engagement launch system circa 1964.