Huge plane....low and fast but a MIG 21 could do a figure 8 within the turning radius of the 4. Also, in the first few years of Nam, they didn't have any guns on them. What moron thought of that!? The first time to see a 4 up close, it surprised me at how big they were. I don't hate them but glad they ain't buzzing my home anymore and especially during air shows lol. I'm pretty close to the old Ellington AFB.
Nothing like two F4’s taking off on afterburner
Ever see one come off of the end of the run way and pull the nose straight up? Looked like it would hang in mid air for a couple of seconds just above the tarmac like it was going to sit down butt first then take off full after burner until the 'twins' looked like a single yellow dot and then out of sight. They would do touch and goes and the goes were straight ups time after time after time. Never seen anything like it....or since then and didn't know that any plane could do straight ups until I saw it. Yup, the F-4 was quite the beast. Was stationed at Hahn AFB from late summer of 71 until early spring of 73 and it was pretty much all they had there......
I got to Zweibrucken AB in February 73, working on the RF-4's as a crew chief, Phantom Phixer.
I used to like seeing them at the end of the runway, during night flying missions, lighting them up in afterburner, with the orange, blue, flame coming out the *** end of those engines.
Saw lots of that!! Saw enough to the point where it was nearly too much. Kinda like watching a fireworks show for over a year and a half lol. Gotta say that I'm fortunate that I didn't end up in Nam because I did get my draft notice but slid out of that and into the AF instead. Lot story short, I had been in contact with the AF a full year before I was 18 but after a long conversation with a lifer AF uncle, I decided to not join unless I had to.....
The Lemoore boys come through often as well, 18s and those F35s....impressive, futuristic, and loud..awesome. The resident F15s are badass too. But then hell I love them all!
