Phantom Friday

[WE992]

I love this thread it reminds me of the great Air Force I joined and not the pathetic RAF I left 39 years later!

[BEagle]

That 892 Sqn commissioning clip brought back memories! The pilot of the Sea Venom, the late John 'Farmer' Steele, was a great family friend with a fine sense of humour. His description of the event was hilarious and he had visions of foam splattering the brass in their best sailor suits. Which didn't actually happen, of course.

As an ex-Vampire T11 CFS A1 QFI, he doubtless found the actual landing quite straightforward.

[essdee]

43 Sqn Hybrid

43 Sqn Reunion June 1976

[etudiant]

Originally Posted by WE992

I love this thread it reminds me of the great Air Force I joined and not the pathetic RAF I left 39 years later!

Not sure that you'd want credit(?) for that.

[RAFEngO74to09]

First flight of the YF4H-1 63 years ago today 27 May 1958.

https://www.thisdayinaviation.com/27-may-1958/

[SATCOS WHIPPING BOY]

This just popped onto my facetube page:

It'll take a few of you back in time.

You Tube

[typerated]

Shot down USN F-4B in the Hanoi Air Force Museum

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[garyscott]

Originally Posted by typerated

Shot down USN F-4B in the Hanoi Air Force Museum

Not sure what that canopy is from, but it didn’t come with the rest of it.

[typerated]

Originally Posted by garyscott

Not sure what that canopy is from, but it didn’t come with the rest of it.

F-105 Thud

[RAFEngO74to09]

62 years ago today - 6 Dec 59 - Operation TOP FLIGHT
XF4H-1 performed a zoom climb to a world record 98,557 ft
This record and others in the archive video

THE RECORD BREAKING F-4 PHANTOM II FIGHTER AIRCRAFT MCDONNELL FILM 81264 - YouTube

[Lookleft]

Not sure what that canopy is from, but it didn’t come with the rest of it.

Same goes for the propeller!

[matkat]

Originally Posted by Saintsman

Looking through some old photos, I came across this one. Taken at Akrotiri in 83 or 84.

I was there with 43 in 1984

[LOMCEVAK]

43 was one of the squadrons that operated from Akrotiri on Operation Pulsator from Sep 83 to April 84 (56 was the other). Great times having their support and doing affil with them! And then there was the chicken at the dining in night for their departure ....

[Shackman]

And who exactly took the press (BBC et al) across to Beirut so they could film the 'first RAF aircraft over Beirut' - 8 Sqn Chinooks had already commenced operations into Beirut.

PS What happened to the piece of 'Beirut Rock' we bought back for you (actually from one of the HLS's we were using).

[BEagle]

RAFG F-4s at Goose on the way to Red Flag 5 Oct 1988:



Taken by yours truly from the flight deck of our VC10K3 ZA150. The late RFK was the co-pilot; after the last bracket we landed at Lincon Nebraska whilst the F-4s continued to Nellis.

[wiggy]

Originally Posted by RAFEngO74to09

62 years ago today - 6 Dec 59 - Operation TOP FLIGHT
XF4H-1 performed a zoom climb to a world record 98,557 ft
This record and others in the archive video

THE RECORD BREAKING F-4 PHANTOM II FIGHTER AIRCRAFT MCDONNELL FILM 81264 - YouTube

A bit late on parade with this one but the Lt R F Gordon mentioned in the Project Lana segment of the YouTube video was Dick Gordon of NASA, Gemini 11 and Apollo 12 fame.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_F._Gordon_Jr.

FWIW John Young also set a couple of time to climb world records in the F-4 prior to him dabbling with being an astronaut for a little while…

A phenomenal performer in it’s day with the J79s…Of course as I’m know you are well aware UK Gov in their wisdom ordered theirs with Spey engines……..

[ATSA1]

...but the Speys didn't give your position away quite so easily!!!

(or so I was told!)

[X767]

At 17:52 , my one and only film role demonstrating the intricacies of the Hunter stick top !

[RAFEngO74to09]

First flight of the YF4H-1 64 years ago today 27 May 1958.

https://www.thisdayinaviation.com/27-may-1958/

[Spyglass]

Ref posts 727 and 728, the canopy frame with the wrecked F-4B looks to be from an F-105 Thunderchief.

Graham