Phinal Countdown

[JayTSX]

With this thread I want to invite everyone to share their experiences and memories with or around the phabulous Phantom in celebration of the upcoming release in 13 days.

I'll start:

Relatively close to the village my grandparents live in was an Airbase flying F4-Fs. On of my very first memories regarding planes is, when I was walking my grans dog around the lake and heard the thundering sounds of a Phantom closing in. I stood in awe as the magnificent plane passed overhead and since that day I never lost my interest in aviation.

Thank you Heatblur for giving us the Phantom.

[G.J.S]

Late ‘70’s, wandering home from school along a relatively quiet back road that goes near to my then home. Lazy summer afternoon - thoughts drift to hopefully an ice cream when I get there, wonder what cartoons I could watch . . . . 
RROAARRRR!!!

After extricating myself from a convenient roadside bush, I looked to the source of the now only loud noise that had assailed me. The shapely behind of a 2 ship of RN FG-1’s, and the faint tang of jet exhaust hung in the air. 
I was in awe - I was already “plane mad”, I was a fully paid up member of the EE ‘frightening’ fan club - I had seen Phantoms in pictures in the window of the local recruiting office, but now I had just been assaulted by a pair, and I was in love . I pulled the last remnants of twigs and thorns from my hair and school uniform, and ran home to draw pictures of them.

Not two steps in from my front door my mothers face dropped . . . 
“What in gods name happened to you??, who beat you up??”.

I had failed to notice that my trousers were ripped in such a way that basically the last 2 miles home were completed with my ar5e on show, and a fair amount of blood to highlight the spectacle.

She refused to believe that an aircraft sneak attack was the cause, and I was grounded for a few days.

[Qcumber]

Not much first experience but my latest. F4 next to it's nemesis. 

 

[Jayhawk1971]

[Nodak]

Had a cab ride in a D to the altitude chamber for required physiological since the unit procrastinated to late for commercial tickets.  First one to the jet in the dark, chief showed up to open up and said hop on in and start strapping up.  Might be better if you don't fasten your leg harness straps till after your standing on the seat. 

So I followed his advice, had plenty of experience with similar harnesses and chutes, so got up there standing on the seat, reached between the legs and grabbed the straps one by one and got them synched tight. 

So I begin figuring on how to best seat myself, crew chief is gone, and as I'm starting to move I feel this resistance and wisely freeze.  Turns out both straps fell perfectly through the ejection loops and I was strapped directly to them upon doing a feel around to figure out why I was feeling resistance.

But it was one hell of cab ride, two sorties in one day logged on my official flying time.

You should have seen the looks on that days group of tanker crews pilots when an enlisted guy pulled in with a g suit on and they ask how I got there.  They were active duty and were sent commercial, here shows the Guard Sarge riding a Phantom, it's all they murmured about all morning.  LoL

[thodre]

16 hours ago, Jayhawk1971 said:

[...pics...]

I guess those are from Schleissheim? About 3 hours from here... you're tempting me

[Jayhawk1971]

vor 44 Minuten schrieb thodre:

I guess those are from Schleissheim? About 3 hours from here... you're tempting me

Yes, Flugwerft Schleißheim indeed (about 30 minutes from here  ). Definitely go if you find the time. 

 

[thodre]

There's also one on the USS Midway - those hooks are actually quite massive

[Qcumber]

Just came across these descriptions of the F-4.

"The Phantom is still beloved for many qualities. Beauty is not one of them. Its fat nose gave the F-4 a face that only a mother (or aircraft designer) could love."

"...the F-4’s upward-sloping wing and downward-sloping tail looked like a model aircraft kit that had been assembled wrong."

"One British admiral even asked whether the aircraft had been delivered upside-down."

https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/aviation/a43315881/f-4-phantom-history/

 

[SgtPappy]

There was an F-4D on loan at the Empire State Aerosciences Museum near Albany, NY. It was a surprise to see it there and my first time getting close enough to touch one.

 

 

We also visited the last F-4E ever built which is currently sitting pristine in the Air Park in Hamamatsu, Japan. This was the first time I'd seen an F-4E in person. That whole museum was a great experience.

 

 

Edited May 17, 2024 by SgtPappy

[Stackup]

3 hours ago, SgtPappy said:

 

Hmmm, Heatblur F-101 perhaps?  Maybe in 20 years or something, lol.

[GaryM05]

Most of my experiences with the Phantom are virtual...I have extremely fond memories of re-discovering flight sims in the late 90's just before graduating from college, and spending WAY too many all-nighters playing the Phantom campaign in Jane's Fighters Anthology.  It was definitely a survey sim, but sure was a lot of fun at the time.  I can't believe it's been 25+ years since then, and we're only now getting a detailed sim of this famous bird; seems crazy but I'm really grateful for that.

I also realize that I've had the same framed photo of an F4 hanging on the wall of every post-college apartment and house I've ever lived in...crazy that one same picture has followed me around and always gets hung up (rather than shoved under a bed or in a closet like 99% of the wall decorations I own lol)!

Wow, thinking about all this has me really realizing how meaningful this plane is to me, and how psyched I am for it's release!