Posted: 11/29/2016 8:57:01 PM EDT
| https://airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/mcdonnell-f-4s-phantom-ii?object=nasm_A19890038000 |
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Quoted:
I spent plenty of blood sweat and tears repairing this particular F-4. https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQcO_v5p_zKk9ouAZ0jkTOhOnnKdHBtJTOPZXDmJElBHHDB8KkHJKk02ANSqQ Deployed with it, too.  They don't fly if a blood sacrifice isn't involved ! |
| I was stationed a Torrejon AB, Spain in 1978 and we were flying the "C" models while the Spaniards were flying "Ds." The Spaniards had an annual air show and the stuff they used to do to those old airframes made me cringe. I remember a full afterburner low level that went between the hangers (maybe 50 feet off the ground) and then he went vertical over the runway until he bled off every ounce of airspeed and kicked her over. |
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Quoted:
Those were the days <a href="http://s1283.photobucket.com/user/beech18/media/n1622751327_86427_6678-1_zpsggd43jxc.jpg.html" target="_blank">http://i1283.photobucket.com/albums/a552/beech18/n1622751327_86427_6678-1_zpsggd43jxc.jpg</a> I feel his pain. As a Marine, we had C-130's for tanker support. Refueling speed was around 210 kts, which for us was pretty slow. |
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Quoted:
I feel his pain. As a Marine, we had C-130's for tanker support. Refueling speed was around 210 kts, which for us was pretty slow. Quoted:
Quoted:
Those were the days <a href="http://s1283.photobucket.com/user/beech18/media/n1622751327_86427_6678-1_zpsggd43jxc.jpg.html" target="_blank">http://i1283.photobucket.com/albums/a552/beech18/n1622751327_86427_6678-1_zpsggd43jxc.jpg</a> I feel his pain. As a Marine, we had C-130's for tanker support. Refueling speed was around 210 kts, which for us was pretty slow. I wasn't flying the F-4. I was driving the KC-97L sophisticated war machine. We were better than the C-130 tanker. We could do 230 KIAS up to FL250. We had the help of the two J-47 jets to force the otherwise sleek and sexy airframe through the air much like doing 95 knots in a freight barge and making a wake of Biblical proportions. When we were doing 230 KIAS the old girl was shaking like a blind queer at a wiener roast and all "humped up in the back"!! 
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Quoted:
I wasn't flying the F-4. I was driving the KC-97L sophisticated war machine. We were better than the C-130 tanker. We could do 230 KIAS up to FL250. We had the help of the two J-47 jets to force the otherwise sleek and sexy airframe through the air much like doing 95 knots in a freight barge and making a wake of Biblical proportions. When we were doing 230 KIAS the old girl was shaking like a blind queer at a wiener roast and all "humped up in the back"!! Sounds exciting. The best luck I had tanking was with Air Force KC-135's. Their tanking speed was 350 which worked well for us. All we had to do was stop the boom operator from trying to help us. The 135 used a short, stiff adapter hose to refuel probe and drogue a/c. Not optimum, but it worked. |
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Over Germany from a KC-97L Looking into the pilots eyes.Attached File Attached File Attached File Attached File Attached File |
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Quoted:
I was stationed a Torrejon AB, Spain in 1978 and we were flying the "C" models while the Spaniards were flying "Ds." The Spaniards had an annual air show and the stuff they used to do to those old airframes made me cringe. I remember a full afterburner low level that went between the hangers (maybe 50 feet off the ground) and then he went vertical over the runway until he bled off every ounce of airspeed and kicked her over. Up until late 1976, at least, the Spanish Air Force was still flying a JU-52 out of Torrejon. Gotta see if I can find the photos. Oh yea, they also had a couple of PBY Catalinas too. |
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Quoted:
I spent plenty of blood sweat and tears repairing this particular F-4. https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQcO_v5p_zKk9ouAZ0jkTOhOnnKdHBtJTOPZXDmJElBHHDB8KkHJKk02ANSqQ Deployed with it, too. I worked on that one as well. I was in the ordnance shop with VMFA-212 at K-bay 86-89 We were winding down our time with Phantoms after our last Westpac and after our flew off to the boneyard to become targets I did WTI with 235 and 321 and then TAD with 232 for CAX. I was there with them when this one left the stumps for the museum. Great plane. Even had a ride in one in the P.I. with then Lt.Col Amos as the pilot. Now Gen. (ret) Amos Commandant of The Marine Corps. Years later still one of my greatest experiences . Stellar memories. |