What’s It Like To Fly The F-4G Wild Weasel? | Starbaby Pietrucha (Part 1) 

This book is well worth picking up "F-4 Phantom II Wild Weasel Units in Combat" amzn.to/478i8yH

I worked Weasels at the end of Nam when they flew Thuds (F105s) and used the smaller APR 46. I was an ECM wienie. I have previously worked Buff-Ds and later worked Fs, Gs, and Hs for SAC. In Nam, the average life expectancy for a Weasel crew from the time of engagement with a SAM3, SAM2, or SAM6 was 10 seconds. You had to defeat the SAM in about 10 seconds or they sent a letter of condolence to your family. They used a variety of tactics and regularly changed them but they were so good that, when the SAM operators realized a Weasel was in the area, they turned off their radar and equipment and went for a pee just in case the Weasel found the unit. We called that radar suppression and began using it to protect other planes on their missions. We would send teams of Weasels into area to shut down the SAMs so the other planes could safely fly into and through that area and didn't pull the Weasel teams until after the last of our other aircraft were out of the area. Weasels were first in and last out. The Weasels didn't start flying F4s until after I went to another unit. I also worked ECM on F4Es, A7Ds, and RF4Cs. A funny side note is that there was actually a Weasel pilot with the rank and name of "Major Catastrophe". I was walking down the hallway to their offices and saw it on his door. Imagine being his EWO in combat. 🙂 That was in 73 at Korat, Thailand.

Nice to see Starbaby has a new RU-vid channel.

F-4 will always be my favorite jet . I got an incentive ride in an E when I was in Korea . I was at Nellis when they closed George and their jets came to Nellis .

Starbaby is the best, I’ve seen interviews with him which brought me to tears of laughter!

I was a flightline EW tech and worked on the F-4G at Clark AB in the Philippines from 1985-88. The weasel system at that time was the APR-38. We had two F-4 squadrons at Clark, the 3rd TFW and the 90th TFW. The 3rd flew F-4Gs and F-4Es. The 90th flew only F-4Es. I remember all the F-4s in the 3rd having centerline tanks, F-4Gs and F-4Es. The F-4Es in the 90th flew with two wing tanks. As far as the loadout was concerned, I don't ever remember the F-4Gs carrying anti-aircraft missiles. It was always AGM-78s, AGM-88s, and dumb bombs. The APR-38 could pass on targeting info for bomb toss.

"Some air conditioning would have been nice" 😂

Great interview! From a guy who's quiet on the mission he knows how to tell a good story!

What a True Pleasure THIS EWO was to listen to! Thank You! Cheers!🎉🇨🇦🍺

Great Interview!

I heard Starbaby mention flying gunnery range missions from George AFB up to China Lake. But I didn't hear him mention Cuddeback AGGR, which was the primary range George AFB aircraft used when I was there from 1975-79. I don't remember any of our birds using China Lake at all.

Nice one. Currently building an F-4G kit. ;-)

It was always nice to see a wild weasle overhead. Same for mud bombers ( specially spads ).

If ever a (signed) autobiography from a fighter aviator needed publishing. Starbabys is it! Endless reams of anecdotes, stories and very interesting av-geek factoids. People can't get enough of Starbaby Mike. Brilliant interview lads. (Just dont mention English "cuisine" or Spanish fish guts).

I worked with A10, F16 & F15 crew chiefs that were former F4E & G model maintainers and they all shared one thing in common. They all admit that the F4 was always their favorite fighter to maintain.

تحياتي من المغرب🇲🇦 فيديو كان رائع جدا ومفيد 🙏❤

What a great interview.

That was bloody excellent!

Great stuff, AI. Thanks very much!

Turning up amongst more modern platforms in a Phantom must have been like showing up in a 69 Stingray. Everyone glad they have satnav and airbags, but secretly rather be cruising in the Corvette.

The competition in the fazes of training was similiar to what we did in the army , just very different subjects.

This was a really good watch.

So funny I was doing A scheduled inspection with a bore scope on a J79 and had tell the boss we needed to pull the engine he calling me a idiot, there’s no right up from the pilots about the engine and I yell back go Fing look your self he goes my god it’s hurt and tells me sorry lol your right

I was a crew chief on F-4E/G's at George AFB, CA, and Clark AB, PI. When I was at George AFB, I had an EWO who wrote in the aircraft maintenance forms, that the Weasel equipment did not work in the off position.

I would recommend a smoother intro other than just "when did you become interested in aviation". Maybe start with introducing them by full name (including the nickname).. And maybe give a quick overview of their accomplishments/career. But then say, "welcome to the show" -Let them respond- And then say "so i was thinking we could start off with how you got interested in aviation in the 1st place, and then you can walk us through some of your career". That would help 'set the scene' before they begin their stories, and would sound like a more natural conversation instead of an interview/interrogation. Otherwise i think you're doing great & ive enjoyed the few videos of yours ive watched so far👍

I graduated in 85. Would have killed to fly f-4 wild weasels!

My German is the same as Starbaby's (then?) wife.

I like this powerful fighters jets

Why did they change the wingtip of the F-15? On the prototype/pre-production model the tips were parallel to the fuselage, whereas on the A-model they're at a 45° angle. What was the reasoning behind this? (I may be wrong, it may have changed between the A and B models.)

👌

Did you have Steve Canyon comics in NZ?

Could the F-4G carry Shrikes in the Sparrow conformal hardpoints?

Was there a command list for the -47 ?

One question, why do Americans call Aerobatics Acrobatics? Acrobatics are done on the ground.

Dad and brother were tanker pilots. They came into Iraq for you? Yeah, thank you tanker guys....

I heard Starbaby mention flying gunnery range missions from George AFB up to China Lake. But I didn't hear him mention Cuddeback AGGR, which was the primary range George AFB aircraft used when I was there from 1975-79. I don't remember any of our birds using China Lake at all.