I'm just an enthusiast Dan, Ray knows his stuff because he lived it!
1987 version of a selfie, on my first trip to the States with a group tour we had a connection at St Louis and a few of us walked down to the Missouri ANG base to have a look at the F-4s. In a great bit of luck we were noticed by a ATC controller working at the airport who was ex mil and an aircraft photographer, we got chatting and he asked if we wanted to go in to see the Phantoms! So this was my first 'private' base visit, all between TWA flights. I was hooked.
Bill, if you look on the engine inlet ramp, specifically at the forward section there is a black area. We called him the spook:
The F-4 Phantom II's "Spook" character, a cartoon ghost mascot, got its name from the crews of either the 12th Tactical Fighter Wing or the 4453rd Combat Crew Training Wing at MacDill Air Force Base. The name was inspired by the aircraft's official nickname, "Phantom," and its distinctive rear profile, where the drooped horizontal stabilizer resembles a hat and the twin engine exhausts look like eyes, evoking a ghostly figure. Created in 1958 by McDonnell Aircraft technical artist Anthony "Tony" Wong for F-4 crew member shoulder patches, the Spook became a beloved and iconic symbol within the global F-4 Phantom community, appearing on various items associated with the aircraft
KevinJacksonUK wrote:
I'm just an enthusiast Dan, Ray knows his stuff because he lived it!
1987 version of a selfie, on my first trip to the States with a group tour we had a connection at St Louis and a few of us walked down to the Missouri ANG base to have a look at the F-4s. In a great bit of luck we were noticed by a ATC controller working at the airport who was ex mil and an aircraft photographer, we got chatting and he asked if we wanted to go in to see the Phantoms! So this was my first 'private' base visit, all between TWA flights. I was hooked.
It is always GREAT to put a face to a "call sign" mate!
Handsome devil ye be!!
While all the "new jets" are great, the F4 was one of the last planes that could be "driven". I have a feeling tomorrow's aircraft, even the F35, will be unmanned and dogfights will cease to exist.
I fear for "our children". An attack will come without anyone knowing it until too late!
Thanks to you and Ray and the other "drivers and crews" for keeping repressed thoughts somewhat visable.
Dan
F4J Willow Grove NAS 1976.
My 1st Cousin was a Navy aircraft mechanic. There was nothing he could not disassemble and reassemble, engine wise, to make it better!
Dan
One of my customers from work gave me some pixs that I put up on my website last year or so.
Being as you all are on a Phantom kik, I thought that I would post these from Jim Dixon, USS Ranger, USS Kitty Hawk.
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The rest from him are here... https://www.killerpixs.com/JimDixonUSSRanger
Nothing like the "real thing" Bill!
Being in the Northern most western part of S. Vietnam, we rarely saw aircraft carrier launched jets. They had the job of heading into N.VN and reaking havoc!
My teams did however, have a few "Bright Light" operations for pilots shot down in my AO. Happy to say we were 100% successful with no loss of men. These operations would always make the "evening broadcast" of "Hanoi Hanna". She knew the names of members of my team and each of our "call signs" and also the "driver", plane number and the mission's "call sign". We had a "bounty" on our head. The amount went up after every operation. AFRTS was very biased in much of its news but believe it or not "HH"'s could be most informative from an intelligence standpoint.
I will again post "guests" of Uncle Ho at the Hanoi Hilton. 1 of them was the 1st pilot to be shot down. Alvarez..
Just some backstory to a time that can't be forgotten.
Great images Bill!
Dan
Hometown and childhood neighbor who flew F4's out of Udorn RTAB 1972-73..No these were NOT his
"They came home without a victory, not because they had been defeated, but because they had been denied permission to win." Ronald Reagan
Most of you know or have seen the challenge coins I make, mainly for the military peeps.
I got the privilege of giving one to a pilot at Kingsley last year in the Ops office with about 50 people around. He was the pilot that had the last confirmed take out of a Mig 17 with an F4 Phantom in the Vietnam War. He told me and everyone else…Those sidewinders worked really well.
Bill Gass wrote:
Most of you know or have seen the challenge coins I make, mainly for the military peeps.
I got the privilege of giving one to a pilot at Kingsley last year in the Ops office with about 50 people around. He was the pilot that had the last confirmed take out of a Mig 17 with an F4 Phantom in the Vietnam War. He told me and everyone else…Those sidewinders worked really well.
Bill's "Challenge Coins" are "thee" best I have encountered since I started exchanging them 50+ years or more.
Bill's "Challenge Coins" were supposed to be exhibited in the Pentagon's 9-11 Memorial Center but due to some politicin', they got eliminated for some other "piece of crap"!
That is fine to me because what they were replaced with in the exhibit was of a lesser "value".
Bill's dedication to those who fought and served and his unselfish character in recognizing all those who served in any conflict has to be commended!
And it should also go without saying, that ALL the patriots that welcome this forum, started by Jim many years ago, whether in the service of their Country or those covering "our six" from the background, THANK YOU!!!
A soldier is only as good as his support!
Thanks brother!
Hawkeye One Zero-Actual, 1967-1969
Thanks Dan, I give it my best like you all do!
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I made custom B-25 coins for the owner of the plane we made parts for, it gets painted in a few months, flies here for a year and off to it's owner/home in Switzerland.
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Pilot, FAA Inspector, Owner, Hanger Big Boss...1943 B-25
Bill Gass wrote:
Thanks Dan, I give it my best like you all do!
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I made custom B-25 coins for the owner of the plane we made parts for, it gets painted in a few months, flies here for a year and off to it's owner/home in Switzerland.
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Pilot, FAA Inspector, Owner, Hanger Big Boss...1943 B-25
Hey that's Hugo Mathys, the B25 is the former Grumpy based in the UK and Seattle with the HFF
N88972 former 43-3318
Built in Fairfax, Kansas City in 1943 and used by the US Army Air Forces as a crew trainer, 43-3318 went to the Royal Canadian Air Force as KL161 at the beginning of 1945. It served with the RCAF until being struck off charge during early 1962, taking up a new career as a fire-bomber. Restored by type experts Aero Trader at Chino, California, the B-25 arrived with The Fighter Collection at Duxford in 1987. It was with TFC that the No 98 Squadron, RAF livery with the name Grumpy was applied, this being the scheme the aircraft still wears. A subsequent sale to Vulcan Warbirds saw Grumpy moving to North Weald between 2004 and 2008, before acquisition by the Historic Flight Foundation. Having been worked on at Duxford by the Aircraft Restoration Company, the Mitchell was flown back across the Atlantic during 2009.
I was an F-102, F-101 and F-4 crew chief for many years. I had an AE-1 camera back then. I had total access to the flight line and a front row seat to the runway, about 300 yards from runway 17 approach, and even much less when I was tagged for end of runway inspection after my jet taxied (EOR, actually it was done at the apron to the takeoff area of the runway). I can't remember ever taking my camera to work to take photos. Why? Well, I guess it was just an everyday occurrence, nothing special. Now I ache each time I think about not having photos.
I even flew 4 times in the back seat of the F-4 without a camera. Why? Each time I was jerked off the flightline and taken to OPs for the ejection briefing, put on a jumpsuit/G-suit/helmet and then put in the back seat in less than an hour (short ejection seat briefing because I was an ejection seat augmentee). One ride was a two-ship formation. When we descended through the clouds to land at Shepherd AFB,TX, the pilot told the wing-ship to get in close. I watched as he stayed within 10 feet of our right wingtip through the thick clouds. Talk about a photo op. I could see the whites of the pilots eyes staring at our wingtip. Oh well, it is burned in my memory.
Ray Swindle wrote:
I was an F-102, F-101 and F-4 crew chief for many years. I had an AE-1 camera back then. I had total access to the flight line and a front row seat to the runway, about 300 yards from runway 17 approach, and even much less when I was tagged for end of runway inspection after my jet taxied (EOR, actually it was done at the apron to the takeoff area of the runway). I can't remember ever taking my camera to work to take photos. Why? Well, I guess it was just an everyday occurrence, nothing special. Now I ache each time I think about not having photos.
I even flew 4 times in the back seat of the F-4 without a camera. Why? Each time I was jerked off the flightline and taken to OPs for the ejection briefing, put on a jumpsuit/G-suit/helmet and then put in the back seat in less than an hour (short ejection seat briefing because I was an ejection seat augmentee). One ride was a two-ship formation. When we descended through the clouds to land at Shepherd AFB,TX, the pilot told the wing-ship to get in close. I watched as he stayed within 10 feet of our right wingtip through the thick clouds. Talk about a photo op. I could see the whites of the pilots eyes staring at our wingtip. Oh well, it is burned in my memory....Show more →
You didn't even have an iPhone with you?. Just kidding!
My first camera was a Yashica, my second camera was a Canon AE-1 which was smuggled into China from Hong Kong for me by a friend in the mid 80's. There weren't any for sale in China back then. I still have an AE-1 somewhere in my house that I bought for my daughter when she took photography class in high school.
"because I was an ejection seat augmentee"
One hell of a story Eddie Ray.
And yes, I bet you kick yourself every day thinking about the missed picture ops.
Great stories and work you Guys! I'm just slogging through the "Dog Days...." and trying to keep up with my assignments. Captured this little spot yesterday for my outdoor living client. Flew the Mavic 4 Pro to it's highest altitude so far, 400' +- This image was at around 200'.
I haven't edited all the video clips yet, but at some point I noticed that I was above a couple of Mississippi Kites that were orbiting in the thermals, that's a first.
Beautiful Castle there Jim, I love brick and stone houses.
Figured you been very busy because we haven't heard from you for a while.
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Mississippi Kites ?
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Kid kite ?
Bird kite ?
Or
