December 14, 2016The final flight for the F-4 Phantom set for next weekBy John Smith=14pxThe final flight and retirement ceremony for the venerable F-4 Phantom will be December 21st at Holloman AFB, New Mexico. The Phantom is still in active service at Holloman with Detachment 1 of the 82nd Aerial Targets Squadron. =14pxThe F-4 first flew in 1958 and set it set 15 world records for in-flight performance, including an absolute speed record, and an absolute altitude record. It first entered active service with the Navy in 1960 and eventually became the frontline fighter not only with the Navy, but also with the Air Force and the Marines.=14px=14pxThe Phantom was the fighter plane of the Vietnam generation and was the last US fighter plane flown to achieve Ace status. To my knowledge, it was also the only aircraft to achieve a supersonic gun kill, also while in action over Vietnam. The Phantom was the mainstay of US Air Force and US Navy during the Cold War throughout the 70s and early eighties until replaced by F-15s, F-16s in the USAF, and F-14 Tomcats, and F/A 18 Hornets in the Navy. Phantoms also saw action in the Persian Gulf War as reconnaissance aircraft and as the “Wild Weasel” conducting anti-enemy air defense missions. The F-4 was finally removed from its combat role in 1996.=14pxOver its production run a total of 5,195 were built, making it the most numerous American supersonic military aircraft. Phantoms were also used by eleven other nations including Israel where it had extensive combat operations in the many Arab-Israeli conflicts. And it was the only aircraft to be used by both the Thunderbirds and the Blue Angels flight demonstration teams. =14pxThe last flight and ceremony are open to the public, but attendees must RSVP to the base. Contact details for access to the base and the agenda are given in the linked article. Let’s hope the Phantom gets a first class sendoff.=14pxJohn Smith is the pen name of a former U.S. intelligence officer.
Turkey still flies the F-4 Phantom. Had one shot down near Syria, losing both crew members. Me thinks they had their revenge on a Russian Mig that was shot down some time later.
My first Med deployment in 79 one of the carriers had F-4's and the other had Tomcats. It was fun to see them going at each other in dog fights which we watched by air search radar. The Phantom was one monster of a air frame and loud as heck. She earned her rep in Vietnam and many a pilot was very fond of them.
The first models had no gun so they were missile platforms only. Better minds said the age of the dog fight was over, but alas it was not so a gun was added, outside of the air frame and later it was internal, allowing a guns attack.
=14pxThe Phantom was 
