Desert Storm Wild Weasel tales?

[brickhistory]

Doing some research on F-4G Weasel ops in the first round of the Gulf.

Any one care to either post here or PM me? Good or bad, just interested to hear any related stories.

[BEagle]

Whilst waiting to conduct post-strike refuelling ina VC10K, we were holding on an AARA. Our levels were as assigned in the ATO....as were the levels assigned to the KC-135 above us. He was refuelling a couple of F4Gs as we got to the turn point underneath him.

Without warning, the ill-disciplined Weasel f*ckwits he had just finished refuelling left his formation in a descending turn. One went over the top of us, the other just underneath... The ar$eholes hadn't obeyed SOPs, just followed some sort of "Hey, Saddam, here we come - you betta watch out!" macho stupidity....

Roll the clock forward a few years to OPC. One day we're refuelling some FAF Miarge F1s, when an F-16 and an F-4 cross co-alt a mile ahead. Bloody weasels again, not sticking to the ACO. Their KC-135 had already complained about their antics during AAR; I got back to Incirlik to find the Base Commander furious and in a "I want some butt!" mood. We gave him a "STFU and listen" debrief; by the time we got to the O-Club for a few beers the Weasel team had their "Back Stateside, next available transport" orders.

I'm sure that the Weasels do some stressful stuff; however, all I ever saw personally was rank cowboyism. A shame that the idiot minority spoiled the reputation of the majority.

[brickhistory]

Thanks, BEagle! As I said, I'm looking for both good and bad tales/anecdotes.

[SASless]

OH MY! Weasels being agressive....how ever could that be?

Good on yer Beags....about time someone sorted out the Weasels.....layabouts and all that they are. Why you would think they were the guys down there duking it out with the SAM's and AAA guns protecting every other Mothers's Son. Can't let them get away cowboying....heavens just ain't cricket is it?:ugh:

[Always_broken_in_wilts]

Doubt anyone could have seen that coming, someone crticises the US and SAS gets the hump..........."kell surpreese":ugh:

all spelling mistakes are "df" alcohol induced

[juliet]

or rather ABIW a thread starts up and within 10 secs a brit starts giving the yanks a hard time. i imagine the weasels have saved a hell of a lot more lives (and lost a lot of their own in the process) than just about any other type. i can forgive a bit of 'cowboyism' for that.

[BEagle]

But when anyone, Brit, Yank or b£oody Martian for that matter, doesn't stick to established procedures in the Airspace Co-ordination Order to an extent that they hazard others through stupid, reckless cowboy behaviour, then they thoroughly deserve to be criticised.

Nothing at all to do with nationality.

In the 12 years I flew operations over Iraq, the only real danger I ever encountered (apart from a couple of dozen Scud attacks) was from ill-disciplined Weasels disregarding the ACO.

For truly professional electronic combat fliers, you have only to listen to the stories about the Lechfeld Tornado ECR guys during the Balkan wars.

But the Weasels did throw some good parties at Incirlik!

[FormerFlake]

Im more suprised to find a VC10 type who actaully reads the ACO. Not many of them about these days.

[Fox_4]

Surprised you even looked out of the window on the tanker tracks Beagle. Coffee not being served at the time?

Wonder how many other types, various roles, messed up and were at the wrong level or working hard in their sinlge seat fighter and maybe got a little close. Things happen in v busy airspace. Im sure the fighter guys have plenty stories about tankers not being where they should on the ACO too!

Nobody hit to my knowledge so maybe a wee bit of cutting of slack aint a bad thing. Weasel guys saves asses. Cowboyism is a bit harsh.

[BEagle]

Actually it was the USAF KC-135 captain who had first complained at the way those particular Weasels had behaved in OPC. When we also reported a 'too lose for comfort' incident to Duke, that was the last straw for the OPC boss and he fired them back Stateside until they could learn to conform with orders.

We had to overstress to avoid a collision with the idiots in GW1 - it is hardly 'cutting some slack' to have to push to avoid being hit by a brace of reckless fools who broke away and down off the tanker through our level - and to hear the nose of " 2x 2 x J79 at close range going past the window was not too pleasant.

Bugger all point in Weasels 'saving lives' if they hazard other lives unnecessarily through breaches of flying discipline!

Disciplined, professional aggression is good; cowboy antics are not.

Which could bring me to the subject of the behaviour of certain ANG units some years later....but that would be off-topic.

There must be some good Wild Weasel anecdotes around, surely?

[brickhistory]

There are some good tales.

One, that I've gotten from the Weasel driver involved, had a 'better lucky than good' quality. Since it involved some GR1s, it is along the lines of why I posted my question on pprune.

Short story: several weeks into Desert Storm, not many Iraqi air defenders were lighting up ANY radars, much less the search or tracking varieties of the SA-2 or -3. On one night mission supporting GR1s against H2, a surveillance radar was the only game in town, so the F-4G crew decided to at least get that one.

Launched just a little before the GR1s were to lay down their load, the HARM actually acquired a SA-3 that illuminated the GR's in the last few seconds of the missile's flight. The GR flight lead was impressed and appreciative of the 'precise' destruction of the SAM tracking his flight and said so upon RTB. The Weasel had to 'fess up that while he was glad he could help, he had actually meant to take out something else.

In another anecdote, on night three, a four ship was escorting B-52s dropping on Republican Guard. SA-2's to the left, to the right, yet still the regiment rode through the valley (oh, wait, wrong conflict....). Anyway, 1 & 2 stayed to tangle with the SAMs while 3 & 4 pressed with the BUFFs. Lead had to avoid six SA-2 shots within 70 seconds. A busy time in his life........

[West Coast]

Ooooh beag's, its soo cute when REMF's play tough with the gun slingers....

[The Helpful Stacker]

Ooooh beag's, its soo cute when REMF's play tough with the gun slingers....

Although I'm not one of the grow bagged Gods I believe calling the 10 guys 'REMF's' is a bit harsh. Many a low on fuel US Marine/US Navy a/c was drouged out of trouble by VC10's during the various Gulf Wars, not always in the 'safe' side of the border either.

[SkyHawk-N]

"YGBSM"

Is the story behind this true?

[brickhistory]

"YGBSM"
Is the story behind this true?

Do you mean the phrase?

If so, supposedly.

For those unaware, this is the suppossed to be the quote (You gotta be
sh1tting me!) from the GIB when the Weasel mission was being set-up in Vietnam.

Edited to add: Is this the story to which you referred?

First flown in F-100Fs
then F-105F/G
F-4G
EA-6B
F-16CJ
maybe the E/F-18G.

[trap one]

[QUOTE=BEagle;2819611]
For truly professional electronic combat fliers, you have only to listen to the stories about the Lechfeld Tornado ECR guys during the Balkan wars.

Kosovo in 99 first night the E3D took the southern Orbit, had two ECR's come all the way down from northern Italy and both failed to take gas off of fragged Tanker and KC10 that was in the orbit. Had to get them to Goia Del Cole? (spelling) on a mayday which kind of blew the plan for that raid out of the water. But F18 and EA6 stepped forward and instead of PET shots waited to target any Serb radars that came up. Always wondered why both ECR's failed to take gas?

[Doctor Cruces]

SASless, you're an ar***ole. Your attitude stinks.

There is no substitute for discipline, no matter how dangerous or glamourous the job. Take out a "Ten" full of fuel instead of following published procedures and Op Order. Why not, hey should have got outta the way guy! Mind you, neatly explains how the Maverick ended up in the Warrior APC in the first GW doesn't it?

Grow up.

Flame if you wish, but Jeez that annoyed me. :mad: :mad: :mad:

Doc C

[Beagle-eye]

Worth a look here :
www.sci.fi/~fta/storm-01.htm
Desert Storm - The Electronic Battle by Carlo Kopp
Published in Australian Aviation, June/July/August, 1993

B-E

[Always_broken_in_wilts]

Beag's,
You should know better than offering criticism of our "cousins", not only have you upset SAS but you now have his faithfull sidekick Westy yapping at you as well:rolleyes:

You could'nt write this stuff:p

all spelling mistakes are "df" alcohol induced

[brickhistory]

You could'nt write this stuff:p


You're right, apparently you can't.

[Phil_R]

Hi,

Can't resist stoking the fires here.

It's a situation where both USAF and RAF aircraft taxiing towards runway. All the USAF aircraft have amusingly ego-obsessive things painted under the crew's names - "Turbo", "Nitro", "Boy, am I ever compensating with this jet plane." So I'm shooting (video, not bullets) as they're taxiing past, and all the USAF guys, Ray Ban Aviators akimbo, looking like Judge Dredd with the sun visor down, doing Sylvester Stallone impressions, are giving the camera the thumbs-up, firing off snappy salutes, etc.

Tornado trundles past. Immediately, both crew begin mugging like schoolkids and shouting "Hello, mum!".

I'm not sure which I prefer really, but I know which shot the producer preferred :)

Phil

[SASless]

Cruces,

The USAF has no monopoly for own side goals.....your side does it as well. When masses of troops and aircraft get involved in a slanging match with a herd of bad guys....things get confused sometimes. Tragic as it is....that is the nature of warfare. Check out the advances the US Military has made in trying to minimize those kinds of incidents.

Does it not strike you as being a bit over the top for the very first comment in the thread is one that talks ill of someone? I have had RAF FJ's do the same to me more than a few times while trundling off to an oil rig or hauling MOD folks on the Rassay Sound Sub range. I never filed a complaint on any of them and took it in good humour although I thought it a bit annoying after about the fifth time.

There probably is not a FJ pilot around that has not done something similar in their flying career.....used to be that was part of the normal make-up of a FJ pilot I thought.

Thinking of things past....I guess Discipline at all costs is better than some idle Polish Chit Chat.

If that were the case then the Tankers would never violate the rules and fly into the outbound guys running short of fuel.

So which would you have....Blind Discipline or pilots that use their noggins for more than a hat rack? I always thought we were in this together....no matter the aircraft, service, or nationality.

As to your being offended....get over it....the only one that is getting stressed is you.

[Ewan Whosearmy]

Brick, do you know Tony Thornborough? If you do, ask him as I am pretty sure he knows a few ODS Weasel guys. If you don't then let me know via PM and I'll send you his email.

Phil R

How did you know they were wearing Raybans if they had their visors down? As for 'ego obsessive' callsigns, give me a break. The majority of Yank flyers get callsigns that take the piss out of stupid things they've done, or unfortunate physical characteristics. The guys that get callsigns that do stoke egos do so because they are generally believed to be exceptionally talented - they are very few and far between. You 'don't know which you prefer'? Odd that, because you sound like you know exactly which one you do.

[brickhistory]

B-E, thanks, that is a good source!

ewan, PM sent, thanks!

[TEEEJ]

Hi,
Can't resist stoking the fires here.
It's a situation where both USAF and RAF aircraft taxiing towards runway. All the USAF aircraft have amusingly ego-obsessive things painted under the crew's names - "Turbo", "Nitro", "Boy, am I ever compensating with this jet plane." So I'm shooting (video, not bullets) as they're taxiing past, and all the USAF guys, Ray Ban Aviators akimbo, looking like Judge Dredd with the sun visor down, doing Sylvester Stallone impressions, are giving the camera the thumbs-up, firing off snappy salutes, etc.
Tornado trundles past. Immediately, both crew begin mugging like schoolkids and shouting "Hello, mum!".
I'm not sure which I prefer really, but I know which shot the producer preferred :)
Phil
Took this one at RIAT, Fairford 2006. Couldn't resist!
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h261/TOMMYJO/Picture119aaa.jpg

[SASless]

TJ,

This the one that cooked the engine and jumped the chocks upon shutdown? Then sat out the show as a Static Display?

[Tombstone]

He well have done that however,

at least he found the correct airfield hosting the airshow, unlike a certain B2 'state of the art' bomber that er missed a rather large UK airshow last year...

[The Helpful Stacker]

He well have done that however,

at least he found the correct airfield hosting the airshow, unlike a certain B2 'state of the art' bomber that er missed a rather large UK airshow last year...

It came as a surprise though to a few at the Blackbushe car auction house I'm lead to believe.

[Doctor Cruces]

SASless,

Your reply to my post sounds more like the attitude one should expect from a professional aviator.

The first one made me wish not to be within a thousand miles of you if you are toting weapons.

Blind discipline is not too good I agree, but the kind of discipline that makes "hotshots" haul off a tanker and make one below take violent avoiding action and overstress the airframe is beyond understanding, and your seeming to condone such action made me see red.

If I got your post the wrong way I apologise, if I didn't I stand by my assessment.


Doc C

[Ewan Whosearmy]

He well have done that however,

at least he found the correct airfield hosting the airshow, unlike a certain B2 'state of the art' bomber that er missed a rather large UK airshow last year...

Tombstone, it was actually a 50-year-old B-52, and it was a couple of years back. Still pretty embarrassing, though.

[West Coast]

Followed very quickly by a Brit FJ crew doing the same. Funny all the idiot Brit posters that lambasted the buff crew were no where to be found after the FJ cock up hit the presses.

[BEagle]

But an idiot Spam was.... Hoo-ahhh, sir YES SIR!

It was but a mere matter of banter and pi$$-taking, something which certain folk have difficulty in comprehending.

Incident 1 was one of Uncle Spam's finest bomber crews, chosen to display the mighty Stratofortress in front of the crowd at one of the world's most important airshows. In an aircraft containing almost as many navigators and 'you-are-here' meters than engines. Doing their everyday job. But, oops, they got the wrong aerodrome and gave a super display to an afternoon outdoor market, who couldn't believe their luck!

Incident 2 was an Air Defence FJ crew (who probably hadn't done anything as demeaning as air-to-mud for years) tasked to do a flypast at some little village fete. Given vague guidance, no targeting radar or anything else, they screwed up and got the wrong village. Pretty amateur show - anyone in a light aeroplane could have done better. Assuming, that is, that the correct coordinates had been given in the first place.

[Ewan Whosearmy]

Beags

I think that your first post has entirely wrecked this thread - valid as it may have been. What a shame you couldn't have simply PM'd it.

Given all the good that the F-4Gs did in ODS, instead of stories that now give them the credit they no doubt deserve, we now have a pissing contest between people who have absolutely nothing to say about the Weasels and Septics that are (quite rightly, IMO) taking offence. Most of this thread amounts to little more than Yank-bashing. How pathetic.

[BEagle]

"There must be some good Wild Weasel anecdotes around, surely?"

Surely??

[brickhistory]

Surely??

Thought that's what post #11 was..........

Edited to add: wingman to six SA-2s in 70 second story in post #11: the flight was at about 23,000 when they saw a glow from the undercast that was at about 2,000AGL. Two bright orange balls came through and then became fixed on the canopy. No movement relative to the canopy was bad, meant the SAMs were guiding on you and getting closer.

Our hero, rolls inverted, pulls, hits the 'burners while pumping chaff and screaming for the EWO to fire up the -184 ECM pod. Levels out at 10,000 after seeing the SAMs detonate overhead. Sees a weird blue light outside, can't figure it out, realizes that every AAA gunner in Iraq is blazing away. Clue light comes on, takes the F-4 out of AB........

Played cat and mouse with the SA-2 site for the next 1/2 hour. On an in-bound course, the AN/APR-47 (primary radar sniffer, took the place/space of the gun!) goes 'dotted,' meaning the radar is shut off but 'here's the last line of bearing' to the site. Turning tail and the radar goes solid line. No HARM shot taken, but no BUFFS targeted either. Crew flew three sorties that night.

[BEagle]

OK, surely more than one?

[brickhistory]

I'm bingo on any more, hence my reason for starting the thread.

Anyone?

Anyone?

Bueller.....

[HAL Pilot]

Beags
I think that your first post has entirely wrecked this thread - valid as it may have been..... Most of this thread amounts to little more than Yank-bashing. How pathetic.That's BEagle's whole purpose in life - Yank-bashing. It doesn't matter what the subject is, he will find a way. If the Queen farts, it was probably a Yank cook who fed her beans....

[West Coast]

Beagle

"But an idiot Spam was.... Hoo-ahhh, sir YES SIR!"
I do remember you being one of those who didn't want to comment on the FJ cockup. Were you drinking alone in a dark room.....again... sticking pins in dolls of the FJ crew for doing the same thing as the Yanks?

Yes, the buff crew screwed the pooch. Funny though you attempt to water down the same lapse in BASIC airmenship and navigational skills by the Brit FJ crew. Its ok however, used to the double standard that applies here.
Did you hear about the light house?

HAL pilot
Absolutely correct. I think a low ranking airmen must have run over his dog, stole his girl or something like that. My bet is a female 2nd lt splashed him 1v1and then sent the HUD tape his squadron

BTW beag's "Hoo-ahhh" is for the US Army. Ooohrah is how we say it. Not sure how your attention to detail is these days, but there you have it.

[BEagle]

brick - if the AN/APR-47 didn't detect those SA-2s, how were they guiding? Presumably not optically, due to the undercast, so were the Iraqis using third party targetting?

[Pontius Navigator]

Brick, when did the F100 start weaselling?

I recall a 'must read' int rep about 1966 I guess about an unidentified FJ over 'nam.

It was must read as it was a first account, at least to us, on effective SA2 evasion.

The article started off in the usual way - telegraph pole on end of smoke trail at 10 o'clock. Turned towards, rolled, pulled and out manouevred the SA2. This impressed the hell out of us (not - as in a Vulcan there was no way we would have wanted to give that a go*). The report continued a bit like your Balaclava quote.

After 3 or 4 we started over and started counting. After 10 it was boots off and continuing. Then socks. In all this jock evade 21 SA2 in short order. It was also significant that there was no mention of evasion after about 12-15 missiles.

I have no clue whether the guy was a weasel but he would certainly have had problems getting into a flight suit with balls that big.

The article would have been in the Defense Intelligence Digest which you might be able to track down.

(*I guess if we had been in the right place, wrong time, with enough height, and my skipper remembered the article, we might just have tried this - nothing to lose)

[brickhistory]

brick - if the AN/APR-47 didn't detect those SA-2s, how were they guiding? Presumably not optically, due to the undercast, so were the Iraqis using third party targetting?

Didn't say the -47 didn't detect the SA-2. In fact, they did. Lead, in my anecdote from 1 & 2, did pickle a HARM, but the launch had already occurred.
As for third party targeting, I don't know, I wasn't there. (Nor would I want to be!) 1g and my coffee, please, in my nice comfy E-3........

[brickhistory]

PN,

In 1965, several F-100Fs were modified for the role of identifying, marking, and attacking North Vietnamese SAM sites, particularly their radar installations. Applied Technology Inc. did much of the early work. This company began by adapting electronic equipment that had originally been developed for the U-2. In the system which eventually emerged, the F-100F was provided with an AN/APR-25 radar homing and warning receiver which was capable of detecting the S-band signal emitted by the North Vietnamese SA-2 fire control radar as well as the C-band signal emitted by upgraded SA-2 systems and the X-band signals emitted by enemy airborne interception radars and radar-guided antiaircraft artillery. A cockpit display included a "threat panel" plus a cathode-ray tube which showed the bearing of the threat signal. An AN/APR-26 receiver was fitted which detected missile guidance launch signals by sensing a power change in the enemy's command guidance radar signal and flashed a red launch warning signal light in the cockpit. An IR-133 receiver was fitted, this receiver having a greater sensitivity than the APR-25 homing and warning receiver and having the additional capability of indicating the nature of the threat by signal analysis.

The modified F-100Fs carried the usual load of 20-mm cannon ammunition plus a pair of LAU-3 canisters loaded with 24 rockets which served as markers as well as weapons which could demolish a radar site. Fighter-bombers accompanying the F-100F would then attack the target with iron bombs. The project was given the name *Wild Weasel*, after the fierce little mammal which has a reputation of being so fearless that it pursues its prey into its very den.

The first F-100F Wild Weasel I aircraft arrived in Southeast Asia in November of 1965. The first Wild Weasel F-100F combat mission was flown on December 3. The missions were flown under the codename *Iron Hand*, and the antiradar missions were usually flown by one F-100F accompanied by four F-105s. The F-100F would identify and mark the radar site for attack by the accompanying F-105Ds. (compiled from a variety of sources)

[Gainesy]

Brick, will you also be covering the RAF's "Grumpy Gerbil" programme? Any ALARMing stories yet?

[brickhistory]

Brick, will you also be covering the RAF's "Grumpy Gerbil" programme? Any ALARMing stories yet?

Don't know what "GG" is. Is it still an active program? If so, I probably won't touch it. I write for a hobby, but since I still wear Uncle's uniform, I have to be careful in what I write about. I tend to stay on things past and no longer in the inventory. (Man, I hope that doesn't make me a, gasp!, part-time journo! I like to tell "there I was" stuff, not investigative tell-alls.)

Would greatly enjoy any of said stories if any ppruners care to tell. Going toe-to-toe with SAMs intentionally is a very ballsy mission, regardless of whose insignia is on the side of the jet.

[Wader2]

Brick,

Do a Google for Grumpy Gerbil.





I think you have been had.

Grumpy as in Wild
Gerbil as in scaled down small furry animal used as children's pet

[Vifferpilot]

Plugged in behind a VC10, Nav shouts look left 10, saw an F4G cross above the VC10 by about 500ft, closely followed by 3 trailers. Unfortuantely the #4 was about 10 feet (yes, 10 feet) above the VC10! My heart was so far in my mouth (and there was a little turbulence ;) so I was concentrating), that I didn't say anything and I'm not sure what I could have said to the VC10 as he was past so quickly. I assumed that they knew what they were doing, were visual throughout and were trying to be punchy, but then #4 rolls back left and I guess he must have seen the VC10, realised how close he must have come (had he seen it in the first place?) and the whole aircraft rocked left/right/left.

If he knew what he was doing, he was an arse, if he didn't then I don't think much of his lookout.

[brickhistory]

Man, what is about VC-10s that Weasels apparently didn't like? Kinda like the bully picking on the Poindexter with the pen pocket protector! :}

Gainesy, well done! "Gerbil" has a connotation over here that I wasn't sure translated on your side. I found it fitting, but didn't want to say so in public.

[Gainesy]

Yeah, sorry Brick, cheap shot.:) Now you have to tell us about the US gerbil thing though.

[BEagle]

It involves a cardboard tube......

And a shout of 'Armageddon'!!

Do some Googling for the rest......it'll make your eyes water though.

[Flap62]

Have to say that my OPC experience of the ANG WW guys ties up with BEags. My major problem with them was that if they did cock up, and don't we all, they would deny it was them until the AWACS tapes were pulled. Either:
a) They had no idea of the ATO and little idea of where they were
or
b)They knew exactly what they'd done and tried to bull theier way out of it.

Either way I'd rather not have those kinds of attitudes floating around thanks.

On a lighter note, it used to tickle me in a schoolboy fashion to see them bringing loads of time expired bacon back from the BX. This was loaded into the airbrakes and next day at 100ft over some Republican Guard barracks - well, you can guess the rest!

[brickhistory]

Yeah, sorry Brick, cheap shot.:) Now you have to tell us about the US gerbil thing though.

No apology necessary; I fell for it! :O

[MG]

Back to the original thread.........
The scariest moment of GW1, for me, was one that was actually was quite surreal, looking back.
A night sortie on GR1s, we were on our way to the target and in the pitch black there was this sudden flash of white light streak past our cockpit. Far too close for comfort, it seemed at the time. I, clearly, got the navigator's twitch and started punching out chaff like it was in a sale, whilst my pilot rolled the jet onto its back (Easy to do with 8 x 1000lbs on board!). It was only having lost a good deal of height that we realised that it was a WW shooting a HARM. We heard no call from them and I'm not making any criticism but it scared the 2 of us f@rtless! Odd that it did, as we did other bits of that war that should have been scarier. I think it was because it was so unexpected and appeared to be right outside the cockpit.

[brickhistory]

MG, thank you for the post. That's along the lines of why I started the thread.

At the time of firing, did you have RWR indications? Did you know you were being tracked by something/somebody?

[MG]

Brick, I don't recall whether we had any indications. It's far too many pints ago but I seem to remember that it was so much of a surprise because there were no RHWR indications.
I could tell you a story of wasting 70% of our chaff later on in the war due to an EF-111 and RHWR indications, but I'll go and swing a lantern instead!

[Tombstone]

Followed very quickly by a Brit FJ crew doing the same. Funny all the idiot Brit posters that lambasted the buff crew were no where to be found after the FJ cock up hit the presses.

He didn't cock up, he was simply verifying an alternative route...;)

British aircrew, always thinking!!!

[Tombstone]

The Serbians were victims of their own initiative in that they listened in to many of our freqs and often reacted to the 'Magnum Magnum' calls very quickly indeed.

Having worked this out, I am aware of a few trips where the WW mates caled 'Magnum' without pulling the trigger & watched a radar nearby react accordingly.

Cheap as chips!

[Luftpig]

I met a WW back-seater from GW1 who had to punch out late at night close to KKMC during a sandstorm. The airfield was zero-zero and no tankers were available. They bingo'd and performed a controlled bailout. I can't remember the time frame of the war when this took place. It was a good story though.

[brickhistory]

Bet they hate when that happens! :}

Thanks, sounds like a good story to follow up. Will have to arrange a trip to dig through the USAF archives to find the records of the, in particular, 561st TFS. This should be in there.

[Ewan Whosearmy]

I met a WW back-seater from GW1 who had to punch out late at night close to KKMC during a sandstorm. The airfield was zero-zero and no tankers were available. They bingo'd and performed a controlled bailout. I can't remember the time frame of the war when this took place. It was a good story though.

Sounds a lot like the F-4G that ended up in the drink following fuel starvation. Given that there was only one F-4G loss, you may want to check that it's not the same incident, Brick.

My info ("Gulf Air War Debrief", Aerospace Publishing) says it was: 19 Jan; 81st TFS, 52nd TFW; pilot Capt. Tim Burke. Punched-out on fifth landing attempt when one engine siezed due fuel starvation (at odds with Luftig's story). It was later found that one of the bags had been punctured by an AK round, and the loss was classified as a 'hostile loss'.

[trap one]

The Serbians were victims of their own initiative in that they listened in to many of our freqs and often reacted to the 'Magnum Magnum' calls very quickly indeed.
Having worked this out, I am aware of a few trips where the WW mates caled 'Magnum' without pulling the trigger & watched a radar nearby react accordingly.
Cheap as chips!
Tombstone
As E3D WC in Balkans from Summer 95 till we extracted ourselves in 2000 I witnessed a number of Magnum calls with no shots in fact if the WW or Harm truck F18's weren't in a position to cover the E3D crews used to call Magnum and the Serbs shut down.
2 Other stories from the Balkans and 1 from the GW2

1st Balkans, was bad from WW tasking point as some Gr4's from RAFG spent some serious time defensive to a BUFF broadband jamming the entire theatre of the particular Serb radar. Left the GR4 mates with no tanks, bombs, chaff and V low/slow. So much so they actually considered going to Rumania. All because the WW coverage was allocated to the US only raid.:mad:

2nd Balkans good as a 4 ship of WW F16s on station sausage side of the fence react to E3D pick up switch from HARM to AMRAAM. Result 1 Mig29 kill.:ok:

GW2
Late tasking from KMARTto Western Dessert E3. Get some assets and take out a SA3 TTR protected by an SA6 battery. GR7 mate gets the fag packet brief and WW F16 pair come over from east of Bagdad. Pass the tasking, arrange a TOT window to cover, all WW wants to know is, are they cleared PET shots?
Result no SA3 seen but SA6's don't even think about comming on air. GR7 mates 1 pass haul deriere.:D

Trap One

[Luftpig]

Sounds a lot like the F-4G that ended up in the drink following fuel starvation. Given that there was only one F-4G loss, you may want to check that it's not the same incident, Brick.
My info ("Gulf Air War Debrief", Aerospace Publishing) says it was: 19 Jan; 81st TFS, 52nd TFW; pilot Capt. Tim Burke. Punched-out on fifth landing attempt when one engine siezed due fuel starvation (at odds with Luftig's story). It was later found that one of the bags had been punctured by an AK round, and the loss was classified as a 'hostile loss'.
Ewan,
I admit I didn't reference any publications. I believe you and your source are correct. I only recollect the story as told to me by the GIB who rode the silk down following the ejection. I'm embarrased I can't recall his name. I had this conversation back around 1995-6ish at Ramstein AB. It was definitely an F-4G. He did mention that they made several attempts to land but with no luck due to the sandstorm. I don't recall his pilot's name or any mention of punctured bags by AK-47 rounds.