USAF F4 Final Flight
Holloman Air Force Base > Home > F-4 Farewell Event
The Retirement Ceremony and Final Flight of the last F-4 Phantom II aircraft in active duty Air Force inventory is scheduled for Wednesday, December 21, 2016 at Holloman AFB, NM. A public event expo will take place from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. The full schedule of events is as follows: 8 a.m. – La Luz Gate* opens to attendees (attendees will be directed to designated parking areas and then bused to the event) 8 a.m. – Community expo open to include static aircraft such as the QF-4 and QF-16 10 a.m. – F-4 Phantom II takeoff and final flight (tentative) 11:30 a.m-12 p.m. – F-4 Phantom II retirement ceremony 1 p.m. – event conclusion.......... |
Who knew?
I didn't even know there were any active Phantoms left in the US Military. My dad flew Navy F-4s for ~2,000 hours in the 70s.
My dad died in 2013. Some years before he described travelling and spontaneously stopping at an airplane museum somewhere. He commented about the F-4 on display, "I forgot how big it was" after not touching one for 30 years. In my opinion the F-4 is the best looking American fighter plane ever - followed by the F-86. Terry |
My thoughts exactly.
Any other poster from `murica who can tell us in what role the mighty `toom is/was still serving? I thought they'd all been retired years ago. (Raises a civilian salute to the daddy of all heavy-iron fast jets). |
Well the Holloman base Facebook page describes the forthcoming event as the end of the QF-4 so I'd Imagine some form of Drone ?
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They've been operating the QF-4 drone program for years, gradually using up all the stock of F-4's sitting in DM storage (just as they did in previous years with the F-106, and F-86 etc)
With the F-4's all used up, the next up for drone conversion to targets is the supply of F-16's in DM, hence the mention of the QF-16 in the OP. |
Many moons ago I used to love it when the F4G's came out to play over the range at Spadeadam.
Only word for it - Warbird. |
GeeRam With the F-4's all used up, the next up for drone conversion to targets is the supply of F-16's in DM..... Point of clarification, there are droves of F-4's still in the boneyard at DM, I believe the switch to the QF-16 had more to do with them being a 4th generation jet than anything- and of course there are plenty available. Looks like Greece, Turkey and Iran are the remaining Phantom users. |
sad - remember the distinct size and sound of the German Weasels when at school near Rheindahlen. Even sadder to think of F-16s already being 'droned-up' for destruction. Rushed out to buy the large scale model of them from Elmpt model shop when they were first introduced into USAF service :)
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The Collings Foundation (Houston) still has one flying.
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Current inventory as of last month shows about 70 F-4's now left there.
I think you can add Japan to the list of still current users, pretty sure they are still flying the beast....?? |
As of 15/11/2016 there were 176 F-4's still in storage at AMARG, Davis-Monthan AFB.
They comprised- F-4C - 2 F-4D - 8 F-4E - 65 F-4F - 15 F-4G - 10 F-4J - 1 F-4S - 4 QRF-4C - 4 RF-4B - 1 RF-4C - 66 The number may have dropped by a few more since then as they are being scrapped on an increasingly regular basis. As to the remaining front line operators of the F-4, Turkey, Greece, Iran, Japan and South Korea are the only ones left... -RP |
Seems apt to be retiring them as the UK is looking at generating one.. :E
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1 Attachment(s)
Can anyone shed some light on the attached photo. Purported to be of the last aircraft to leave 19 MU St Athan in the mid seventies.
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Originally Posted by papa_sierra
(Post 9610569)
Can anyone shed some light on the attached photo...
Also, allegedly flown by a chap called G** P****e, who had form for this type of post maintenance departure, if what I've read elsewhere is to be believed... -RP |
I wish in 1983 at Leeming I had a camera when the US Air National Guard came on detachment with a squadron of F-4s.
During their arrival two came across the airfield and went between the hangars below roof height with near enough 90 degrees of bank on and burners glowing :) |
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