Another very cool aircraft, especially considering it's a little tin-can that could fly across an ocean. Pretty bold stuff back in those days. I got to fly in one, once. We took off, but never landed. :eek:
Well... the pilot landed. The rest of us jumped out. The whole plane was gutted, and we just sat cross legged on the deck until we reached altitude. You want to know the scary part? The oil-streaked sputtering engines! It looked like the plane hadn't been serviced since WWII. But it's a solid, slow flying platform. What could possibly go wrong?
It's when those engines stopped leaking oil that you needed to worry. :)
Those F4's were loud. I remember back when the Blue Angels were flying them. I saw them perform up close at Cleveland's Burke Lakefront Airport. They had a nice P51 vs. F4F Corsair demonstration that day. With those huge flaps the Corsair could easily out turn it when low and slow. The mustang would skid by at higher speeds as that is what Mustangs do. They go fast.
I Pray Heaven to Bestow The Best of Blessing on THIS HOUSE, and on ALL that shall hereafter Inhabit it. May none but Honest and Wise Men ever rule under This Roof! (John Adams regarding the White House)
Follow the Christ, the King,
Live pure, speak true, right wrong, follow the King--
Else, wherefore born?" (Tennyson)
I’ve been fond of it since 1968, when, two weeks after I had arrived in Vietnam, my battery of six M109s was called to cover the exfiltration of a 186th Airborne Brigade LRRP team that was being trapped by the NVA against a shore of the Song Dong Nai. Also called in were a pair of F4s.
As junior Fire Direction Officer, I was tasked with coordinating our fire with their sorties through a Forward Air Controller. Their 20mm cannons and their bombs were unleashed just a half-mile from our fire base. And I had thought artillery made noise.
Not my last heated encounter with a Phantom.
I've always been fond of the F-4 Phantom II as well... it had such a nice look to it with beautiful curves and lines. And, it had a **** of a ROAR at takeoff...
...I recall being on a TWA flight long ago and we were taxiing along toward the main runway when we stopped and the flight attendant came over the intercom. She told us there was going to be a slight delay in taxiing and how TWA was always pursuing faster ways to get its passengers to their destinations. She then said that if we looked out the left windows we'd see two of TWA's newest supersonic acquisitions for doing just that...
...When I looked out the window, I saw two Air National Guard F-4's taxiing on by. They'd apparently been given priority takeoff by the tower over all other aircraft awaiting their turn on the runway... I watched as these F-4s swung onto the main runway, stopped, and stood side by side as they did a quick check of their ailerons and rudders before going to full afterburners and charging down the runway in a full-performance takeoff... man, the THUNDER of their engines penetrated and shook the cabin as they roared off, went airborne, and executed an unrestricted climb. There was an equal roar of cheer and rounds of applause by most of the passengers as the F-4s vanished into the sky. A most impressive and thrilling sight.
Knew a couple of Phantom pilots in the Corps...They echoed the old saw, "The F-4 is proof that even a brick can fly when enough thrust is applied".
Ever jump from an OV-10 Bronco....very interesting seating...4 guys butthole to belly button in the tunnel, very bad juju if the bird has problems. LOL. I did it twice back in my Grunt days plus C-130, C-141, CH-53, CH-47 (US Army) and CH-46 (USMC), UH-1 and a couple foreign birds. Fun times.
Another very cool aircraft, especially considering it's a little tin-can that could fly across an ocean. Pretty bold stuff back in those days. I got to fly in one, once. We took off, but never landed. :eek:
Well... the pilot landed. The rest of us jumped out. The whole plane was gutted, and we just sat cross legged on the deck until we reached altitude. You want to know the scary part? The oil-streaked sputtering engines! It looked like the plane hadn't been serviced since WWII. But it's a solid, slow flying platform. What could possibly go wrong?
Barry
Bonne Journey!
For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword
Do what you can, where you are, with what you have! Theodore Roosevelt
I'm a big fan of WW2 aviation. Spitfires & Hurricanes dogfighting ME-109s during the Battle of Britain. The F4U Corsairs & Mitsubishi Zeros made famous by the TV show Baa Baa Blacksheep. The Mosquito from the Dambusters movie. The Ju 87 Stuka flown by Hans-Ulrich Rudel. The unique P-38 Lightning. And I could go on.
My favorite though is the iconic P-40 Warhawk made famous by the Flying Tigers. Reading about Claire Chennault's AVG and those shark mouthed P40s made a big impression on me as a kid. I was lucky as an adult to briefly work for a gentleman who flew with the AVG until the U.S. Army Air Corp entered the war.
FlyingTiger.jpeg
A Spit flew over us yesterday. The sound of the Merlin engine is unmistakable. We were walking in an area where there were various Fighter Squadron bases during the Battle of Britain, Tangmere being the most famous.
On a longer hike, Monday, we wandered into an ancient village churchyard when I saw a war grave marker on the gate. A 19 year old RAF rear-gunner, probably from a nearby crash site, I guess. It is a pretty spot to spend eternity.
Love reading stories on the A-10 Warthog! Seeing some photos of that plane shot to pieces and still getting it's pilot home! And then there's it's Gatling gun!!
When in the field during basic and AIT we would always see A-10’s on training missions from White Sands.
The burb of the guns was unmistakable.
On a forced march a couple A-10’s strafed us at about 100 feet, that was very impressive.
