1971... I was a scared radio operator in a VERY bad place.. talked to a Phantom pilot... the spotter put WP on the enemy where they were dug in on the side of a cliff. The F-4 pilot reassured me... swooped out of the sky and put an iron bomb DEAD ON the bad guys. We walked out untouched. Bless him.
The lead sled is violently american, strong, deadly, kinda ugly and in your face. As a kid it was a contest between the F-4 and the F-14 for coolest bird in the sky.
@@waynetaylor8082 He forgot who he was and succumbed to greed...It takes nothing away from his military accomplishments, but sadly it's what he'll be remembered for...
I also thought they were really cool looking. We had them here for our Oregon Air Guard and you could always see them coming far off with the dark exhaust. I love the growl of the engines.
This is beauty--be damned the nay-saying beholders! I spent summers as a Civil Air Patrol cadet crawling through them as they were being repaired at Hill AFB.
My dad was a gunner on the USS Hank (DD-702) in the early 60's. Sadly he saw an F-4 Phantom crash while attempting a night landing on the USS Saratoga. I don't think most people realize what dangerous work Naval aviation is for both pilots and crew, even during peace time. Nothing but respect for the brave men and women who do that job.
I was on Sara in 71 med. Taken off to America when Sara settled on the ocean floor in Athens harbor. Before Sara we were on Forrestal for 6 months. We flew Ea-6as.
1970 or 1971, I deployed on the Sara from the Wasp in HS-5. 0:15 We loved night ops watching the blast deflector turn the color of the sun from the jets on the cat. We looked at each other and said, This is the real Navy.”
I always marvel when someone says that the F4 “might not win a beauty contest”. For me, the Phantom is one of the top badass looking fighters of all time. For a fighter plane badass = beauty.
I was born in 1950. I grew up knowing the military airplanes. I was a Crew Chief/Door Gunner on Hueys in the Nam in "69/"70. I always loved the Phantom. To me it was beautiful.
When it came to the Muscle Cars of the air, The Phantom was it. A family friend of ours was shot down and killed over Laos during Vietnam when his Phantom took a direct hit, His wingman said that the pilot basically died instantly. His name was Bobby Vinson and was a graduate of West Point. RIP Bobby.
I read a statement in "Threshold, the Blue Angels experience" stating: Imagine the most souped up chopped, channeled set of wheels you can, and multiply it by your wildest dreams, and you've got the F-4 Phantom.
I severed as a recon Platoon Sgt in the central highlands of Vietnam in "69-'70. The F4 Phantom will forever be the most beautiful plane ever conceived and those that flew them my heroes.
One of my close friends flew a Phantom as a Navy pilot in Vietnam. In his 2 tours he flew both the front seat and back seat. His combat experience was incredible including being shot down. I miss you shipmate. Rest in peace.
The F4 Phantom has been a fighter, attack, interceptor, electronic jammer, and is still one of thr fastest jets in the world, hitting over 1,500 mph top speed. It served as carrier launched planes, air force planes, marines air wings, and dod all very well. While the early F4 were shot because they didn't have a cannon but relied only on early, hit and miss missiles, the later ones had cannons installed and were deadly. They were heavy and were not as maneuverable as the MIGs, but they had range and weaponry. Still a beautiful, unique airplane that served for almost 60 years. Their downward rear ailerons, upswepted wing tips and side by side air scoops were unique.
@@rayaninc.electronicindustr1402 more important how many innocent people did the VC kill ? how many innocent civilians, US and allied military were kept from being killed by the VC from us using our air power ? 555th TFS
I used to pull guard duty on Zweibrucken Air Force Base in Germany. We would watch these planes take off, touch and go, and land there all day and night. This was in the early 80s. Good memories!
Attached to a Marine F-4 unit in Tsk Force Delta, the last Marine Corps op in Viet Nam. Moved from Da Nang to RTAFB Nam Phong, Thailand (USMC Air station Rose Garden). I can still hear and feel the F-4's taking off on an am sortie. VMFA - 115 and VMFA 232. . Some of the greatest role models a 19 year old kid could have. Went on to become a USN medical officer assigned to Marine Corps infantry units. Semper fi and Semper fortis. Tom CPL USMC RVN CDR USNR
When I was a kid, my dad (who was in the Air Force) would take us to watch the Thunderbirds perform in the F-4s every year. What an incredible experience. Just sitting on the ground, the Phantom looked like it was ready and waiting to kick butt. But flying by in tight formations, spewing smoke and shaking your guts with their sound, was something that was pure ecstasy to watch. How I wish I could experience it one more time.
My grandfather was one of the guys running the rework/upgrade program for the Navy/Marine Phantoms at NASNI. I spent a lot of time there as a kid, something that would never happen nowadays. I got to go through buildings where the work was done sit in cockpits, eat at the O Club watching aircraft land. It was pretty awesome. So what I end up doing? Joined the Army........
I was in Navy Air during the Phantom's reign. My squadron flew RAFC's but every so often a F-4 would land at the base. I recall one take-off, full A/B. The pilot got to the end of the runway and shot straight up into the sky! Loved their looks also!
I was a very young Third Mate on a Victory Ship anchored off Vung Tau, Vietnam awaiting passage up river to Saigon in 1966. I was on the flying bridge 60 feet above the water and saw a Phantom approaching at high speed. He was right over the water and I was looking down at him as he approached the ship and it was totally silent as he was ahead of the sound. As he passed us, he pulled up and did a barrel roll and then pulled vertical and hit his after burners and sped skyward. Then the sound reached us and came with a huge roar! That happened almost 57 years ago and I remember it like it happened yesterday. What a remarkable aircraft!
We lived about a half mile from the takoff end of an airfield. If you were having a conversation you would just stop until the F-4's flew over. They would visibly shake the glass in our windows. Nobody complained. To us it was the sound of freedom. I missed them when I moved away.
My new bride and I lived in Va Beach, just off Oceana NAS. She quickly became accustomed to the beautiful sound of the F-4 as they passed overhead. She was so suprised that she could see the names of the pilot and RIO on the side of the cockpit. Fast forward 30 years, now living in Tucson, AZ. When the Phantoms flew overhead on their last flight enroute to the aircraft graveyard outside Davis Monthan AFB we could hear the unmistakable roar of the GE J-79 engines overhead. We always stepped outside to see the beautiful bird for one last time.
@@philcutler1123You must have been there about the same time as me….’73-‘76. LOVED the F4! My next door neighbor was an F4 pilot…took me over to show his plane and had me sit in it. Incredible badass aircraft!
My stepfather was an A-4 Pilot, he joined the navy back in the 80s, his trainers were Vietnam pilots. He told me a story how on a training flight, his instructor took them through canyons, he was scared shitless, he said the speed was alot high than recommended and he flew disturbingly close to canyon walls. Best flight he ever had, just his instructor had no fear, laughing and giggling the whole time as my stepfather was holding on to dear life. He said, that era of pilots just werent afraid and if they were, you would never know. A different breed of fearless.
Don't mistake confidence for lack of fear. Today, we have fighters that are so expensive to fly that pilots don't get to fly them very much. Only the Naval and Marine pilots fly a lot and only when they are at sea, because there are no training days when you are on station at sea and there are always planes in the air. Back in the day, pilots flew 4 or 5 times a week and in my Harrier Squadron, because of the super high availability of the Harrier, pilots got huge amounts of time (the Harrier AV8-B was called out by Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf as being incredible performers during the Gulf war, and the AF pilots were envious of the amount of Sorties flown by the Harriers.) Anyway, when you fly a lot, you gain confidence, but if you are smart, you always know that you are a few fractions of a second from it all going to hell in a handbasket. (The AV8-B was not in service in my day. We flew the AV8A at that time, and overall, it two was a very reliable aircraft and you could get a lot of hours if you were in a Harrier squadron.)
Yep, a Marine Major once said ( there are old pilots, bold pilots, but few old bold pilots). Navy and Marine pilots that fly off and on aircraft carriers do in all conditions. I had time on the flt deck of 4 carriers. The most dangerous 3 acres on earth, peace or war.
@@jameseast7966 When I was with VMFA-451, as all Marine Corp squadrons do, we deployed for a cruise aboard the Forrestal and I saw first had how remarkable air operations were, and during the cruise, a Navy F4 hit the round down during a recovery on heavy seas. Both crew members were lost. The RIO ejected over the deck with with the AC banked about 70 degrees and he hit the tail of an F4 on the side of the angle deck. The pilot appears to have gone down with the AC. No deck personnel were injured, but it shows how dangerous carrier ops can be, and it shows that you should never be where you are not supposed to be. I was assigned a collateral duty to assist Naval personell in installing CCTV to the living spaces and because of this, I had almost complete access to the entire ship and I can't tell you how much respect I gained from seeing the innermost functioning of a fleet carrier. It was remarkable, and I gained a huge amount of respect for the mission the sailors perform. Hats off to them. Every day is a work day for them and for many of them, every day is dangerous. I respect them more than a lot of special services people that only train, train, train, and when they are not training, they are bragging and strutting.
Funny, Funny. My Dad's last plane was the F-4. not sure which modification it was. He had over 4.5 k hours in fighter jets. He's gonna be 90 years old this November. His cold ass self, told me to look for the dirty spot in the sky for F4's. And, "Focus on Infinity" I was 9 years old, the sob told me that. lol. Tough men raise tough sons.
Beautiful Bird. As an Infantry Soldier serving at Ft. Carson (76-79) when on large Field Training Exercise, the Fighter Group at Paterson AFB would train with us as Close Air Support. They flew the F-4 and the A-7. Two Bad Ass Gun Slingers.
May this valiant warrior, the aviators who flew her and the men and women who repaired, maintained, armed and loved her never be forgotten for their selfless service to and sacrifices for America. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
What a galaxy above most people's thinking to include the people that made every bit of it happen...I worked on mostly F4s and always appreciated their versatility...cannons, bombs, cameras..TAC... thank you for your excellent comment...
I saw the Thunderbirds in the F4 at Altus Air Force Base where I was stationed. The show was the military version. These planes literally shook the Earth at low altitude in AB. Never seen anything like it since. It was in 72 or 73 I think. Then they went to the T-38! Great airplane but not the raw power of the F4.
My uncle died in one of these in a training crash. That said, I still think it’s one of the baddest planes ever. Also, I wouldn’t call it’s looks ugly… more like fearsome!
I was stationed at George AFB, 1973. There was F4D's, F4E's and F105s. Saw a U2 make a low pass over the run way. In Victorville Ca there was a river with trees on your way to the front gate. Today there is nothing there but rock and sand.
@@JC-yp6vd I pass through there sometimes. It's sad to see what a beautiful place it was and to see it now is heart wrenching. Most of the old housing is gone. What's left now is vandalized and in ruins. The baseball fields are now used for storing rubble.
I'll always remember the F4 Phantom as it was the fighter my late father was a crew chief for. That was his fighter, and was very proud of it. One of the best fighter jets I had ever seen and stand proud next to my dad to be part of it. I am also an AirForce vet. Love you, Dad, and miss you very much.
Yep, Ole' Smokey was a show stopper. Any time the air boss announced a supersonic pass down the port side, anybody who possibly could, would watch the specticle.
We were pulling into SD on the Connie one morning in the mid-80s. There was a Marine F4 putting on a show. After about a half dozen passes, the air boss got us lined up on the aft end of the landing area. On his cue, we all mooned him. Good times, he'd probably get court-martialed for that now.
The "Connie" was an absolutely beautiful aircraft. Those FIRE breathing radials were amazing to watch. I heard a former pilot say during a documentary interview that he was told by the tower on takeoff that his engines were on fire. HE said back to the controller ... I hope so, we'd be in trouble if they weren't. I got a laugh out of that reply.
My Father was an RAF pilot on the F4 for many years. I had the privilege of sitting in the cockpit whilst in the hanger on several occasions! I can still smell it now!
I can remember a British Phantom waiting to take off from RAF Wyton in the late 70s? They used the shut the road during take offs as the rear of the planes were about two hundred metres away.All the people got out and watched . As the noise went into a crescendo, two flaps opened at the tail and water ? Shot out .Then the ground shook as it let go of the brakes and dissapeared. Very impressed.
Like you Paul I sat in the cockpit of an F-4 while in college. With all its intimidating gauges and switches I came away dejected thinking I could never fly one. Two years later I was flying them.
I got buzzed by a Phantom once at NTC. It was flying REAL low. I felt the heat before I heard the sound and looked up to see his backside. Needless to say I was massively impressed.
I got buzzed by an F-14. Miramar air show. He came in low, misjudged and broke the sound barrier. Broke windows in LaJolla. Scared the crap out of my little girl. Loved it. Sadly the pilot was reprimanded over it.
Back in the early 80's I was backpacking out west in a high desert with my college roommate and while we were heading across a wide open, flat stretch two F-4's buzzed us really low for fun and wagged their wings as they zoomed off. It was so cool. I'll never forget we heard them coming and couldn't figure out where they were until they were right on top of us. We whooped and hollered and waved at them and wished they would have done it again.
@@cracker4706 There is still a US domicile at Alconbury but the old air base is fast disappearing under housing following decommissioning some years back. Molesworth was completely rebuilt from it's old derelict state after WWII but does not have (so far as I know) the nuclear presence which it was rebuilt for. The nuclear bunker remains at Alconbury as a protected historic structure, also the old control tower (I believe). I'd love to get one or two of the old blue marker lights out of the runway before they all disappear, just as a souvenir. I worked at Alconbury for a while for DHL, our base was building 97. Other motor dealers operated out of a couple of the bomb-proof hangars near the fuelling point. Cams Police had a training unit in another of the buildings with a yard outside so they could practice riot control and other stuff. Was also wonderful to see so much wodlife on the huge grass areas and in the wooded areas which have grown up. Saw deer, foxes, rabbits, buzzards, plenty of hares and pheasants. Fascinating place!
@@peebee143 I know things cant last forever, But whats even more sad Is the RAF Upwood base were Me and my family lived in base housing, . Its so sad to see it in ruins. THe MOD needs to tear it all down and let it become a field. It was a beutiful base I had a lot of fun there. I miss drinking "real" Guiness.
@@cracker4706 I agree, Jim. When you study a map from years back there were a great many air bases from the South, right through East Anglia, up through Lincolnshire and into Yorkshire. Most have disappeared back into farmland or been re-purposed, others are like Alconbury and have become huge housing estates. That said our Ministry of defence is still one of the biggest land owners in the UK.
Yonks ago when RAF Wyton was operating there were traffic lights on the main road to stop traffic whilst planes landed and took off. ( the end of the runnway was only a few hundred meters from the road facing us). This particular day there was an RAF/ Navy? Phantom getting ready to leave after the weekends air show. So lights were red and everyone got out of the cars to watch. Well it got louder and LOUDER. then the ground actually shook ,then something was blasted out by the rear tail..water l was told . And she went off down the runway still shaking us . Never seen anything like it.
Thank you, it's been a long time. The first F4 I was around was launching at twilight with full burners, until then I never knew you could fall in love with an aircraft
They were doing mods on some F4s in Tulsa. One day I was running collections in the Post Office and my final stop was TUL Air Transfer Office. Just beyond the fence an F4 was lined up for takeoff. The pilot fire walled it, afterburner and all! My little jeep was shaking and rattling! As soon as the pilot had enough altitude, he pulled up in a climb and went straight up out of sight! I’ll never forget that show!
7 months on the flight deck of the USS Nimitz in a Marine F-4J squadron was the best time of my life. Between that, and living with a '79 CBX for 10 years.... a man can ask for no more 😊
Watched many a Phantom being launched from the Saratoga off the coast of Vietnam. It is a thing of beauty and power to behold. My adrenaline gland worked overtime back then and the only thing I can compare it to now is chasing super cells in the midwest in the Spring.
The Phantom was my favorite of this time. It could do over Mach 2.2 , it could carry over 18,000 pounds of weapons and it was an air superiority fighter. (I took that from Wikipedia.) It was the F-15 of its era. That clip of the Phantom lighting up and taking off was awesome.
It's a shame Randy Cunningham disgraced himself in the end. I was a Buff and Tanker man, but I spent time around F-4s and F-105s. Always liked the F-4, but the afterburner on the -105 was simply awesome!
Thinking that same thing when I saw him at the beginning of the clip. I wonder if he got one of those last minute Trump/Giuliani $2 Million dollar pardons?
The AB of a f 105 was nothing short of a pure biga$$ rocket motor on max burn!!! lol Loved to watch 105s and 4s go ab at night. That will always make your heart go thump!!
The F4 is the classic muscle car of fighter jets. It's powerful, good looking and bad @ss. When I was in the Air Force in the early 80's I was fortunate to see Guard unit F4's come through my base.
I built a model of the F4 in 1968 if I remember correctly.....the Phantom is in the top 3 of my favorite aircraft. Awesome aircraft that deserves all the accolades it can ever receive.
While in pilot training at Webb AFB, we were used to seeing the T-37 and T-38 flying all the time. An F-4 landed and was on the ramp. We all rushed to have a look. Wow, I thought how much bigger and the ultimate war machine.
Worked on the A -D converters for cockpit digital readings F14, F15, F16. The F4 posters were abundant throughout the company. We had all engineering types under one roof back in the mid to late 70's. Design, Process, Electrical, Mechnical, Chemical and a Hybrid micro electronics manufacturing assembly area. Worked on the ESI and Teradyne laser trimming systems bringing thick and thin film resistors into tolerances that were going into the hybrids for A to D converters. Back in the day when we did most of the design and manufacturing in the US. C
The Phantom was a bad ass looking bird. It looked so mean and menacing just sitting there on the tarmac before any sortie. With 2 J79s she proved just like the bumble bee that it could fly even though theoretically it should not have been too. The flying brick I have always marveled at her ability to perform so well in the performance of her duties . The last MIG Killer. 1958-1978. I loved her as an Air Force brat growing and it was an honor to serve with her when I was active duty.
Great montage! Thanks for the service to all past or present US, UK & Commonwealth servicemen and women and full respect form your humble NATO ally - Bulgaria
It also made enemy pilots who underestimated it due to how it looked pay dearly for their misjudgment. The Phantom and the Thunderbolt are two warbirds of the same feather.
I have never even heard anyone suggest that the phantoms looks were anything but incredible, although that is not the criteria they set out to satisfy when designing a fighter jet, the phantom is an incredible plane to look at from every angle
You had to be there I think. At the time of the F-4s entry into service, the "Century" jets were the main line fighters. The F100 Sabre was sleek, and lean. The F101 Voodoo, while not a pretty plane, was very conventional and un-offensive. The F102 and F102 lived up to their names of Dart and Dagger because they were little more than spikes with wings. When the Phantom II entered service, it was so far removed from the normal, that people did indeed struggle with the brutish looks and the odd angles. Nothing on the plane was sleek or aerodynamic looking and commentators said it was a triumph of thrust over aerodynamics but that was clearly a gross overstatement. While it did have two 18,000 thrust engines, it was a large aircraft that could operate off of carriers and carry a useful bomb load, unlike the Century series aircraft. and it had a top speed of Mach 2.3, which is faster than the F35C, which has one 40,000 lb of thrust engine and can only reach Mach 1.6. though to be fair, the F-35C can carry a bigger bomb load. When McDonnel showed the plane to the Air Force, they were not interested and I think that was partly do to the fact that it was so unconventional. It has to be remembered that this aircraft first entered service with the Navy in 1961, and the Air Force very quickly realized that it was the superior aircraft to everything they were flying, and suddenly, the F4 became one of the best selling and most widely used combat aircraft of all time. By 1958 standards though, it did not matc the contemporary standard to be judged "beautiful"
Mel Holmes is by far one of the most prolific Phantom pilots ever. As the tactical officer of the original Top Gun fighters he was incredible and the Phantom is not only sexy as hell but lethal as hell
I watched them taking off and returning in the early 70's at RAF Alconbury in Hunts England. Beautiful aircraft and seemingly very advanced for its time! Love 'em!
Google a photo of an A5 Vigilante on a flight deck near to an F4 Phantom! I went on a 7 month "pleasure cruise " to the Mediterranean, and we had a squadron of Vigilantes on that boat. Wow! Are they big, and they have the same J-79 engines as the Phantoms! I was an electrician for an F4 squadron, VF-102 Diamondbacks...
@@steveowens913true, the RA-5c looked like mach 2 just sitting on the deck. I was flt deck crew on USS Forrestal in 70-71 med. We were flying EA-6a. Cross decked to Saratoga for 45 days, then to America. Came stateside on Sara. 6 mos deployment became almost 10.
If you ever have the pleasure of going to an aircraft museum (the one in Pensacola, Florida is awesome!) check out "The Whale." It was the A3 Navy aircraft that was used during our 1970 Med cruise for air refueling of the various planes on our "boat." That thing looked like a commercial jet coming in for a landing on the carrier! Also, the A5 Vigilantes were larger than our F4's. They carried no weapons, just great photo equipment, and could exceed Mach 2!
One of the last truly fearsome, beastly aircraft. Awesome to behold - it is magnificent! What it lacks in finesse, it makes up with - MORE HORSEPOWER!!!!!!!!!!
Stationed at NAS North Island, 1965-68, and worked on F4’s on the test line after they went through Overhaul and Repair. Full afterburner and stood on its tail after wheels up what a sight to watch it go straight up and disappear.
