Photos F-4 Phantom II Paradise

Oh so lovely......but I must say--WHAT!! No RAF or Luftwaffe Phantoms!!? ? ?
 
Great pictures, everybody! What a great, great plane. And what an underrated one! The Phantom first entered service in 1960. We're talking about a sixty years old aircraft still soldiering on in frontline service in places which aren't exactly third world countries (e.g. Japan, South Korea, Turkey). That's just amazing.
 
Turkish F-4E 2020 Terminator during the Joint tranining with PLAF Shenyang J-11 in Konya AFB Turkey 2010.

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Luftwaffe & TurAF Phantoms somewhere in Western Germany in 1980s

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On its way to a joint NATO exercise in Denmark 1987

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Flying over Northern Iraq during operation Desert Storm 1991

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To me, that has always been a beautiful bird (before my time). I was an AD in the Navy and was told it was a bitch to maintain. Also, it is proof that brick with wings can fly. :)

Great pix peeps. (Y)

Exactly. I was an AO for 11 years then a PR for nine years. A pilot that once flew Phantoms and then transitioned to Tomcats told me ..Flying a Phantom was like driving a truck compared to Flying a Tomcat which was like driving a sports car. Both had the speed..but the Tomcat was much more capable.

330-PS-9903 (428-GX-USN 710625) by Photograph Curator, on Flickr

U.S. Navy’s newest and fastest aircraft, the F4H “Phantom II”, makes its first carrier landing on board USS Independence (CVA 62), 15 February 1960. Piloted by Lieutenant Commander Paul Spencer, USN, the McDonnell “Phantom II” was catapulted from the Independence and landed 15 minutes later. The Phantom II flies more than twice the speed of sound and has the longest range of any Navy fighter.

428-GX-K-113545 by Photograph Curator, on Flickr

Naval Air Station, Miramar, San Diego, California. A Bicentennial paint scheme on the tail of a Fighter Squadron 111, VF-111, F-4 “Phantom II” fighter aircraft from USS Coral Sea (CV 43). Photographed April 1976. U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.

428-GX-K-112658 by Photograph Curator, on Flickr

Pacific Missile Test Center, Point Mugu, California. A parked Air Test and Evaluation Squadron Four, VX-4, F-4J “Phantom II” fighter painted for the Bicentennial. Photographed February 1976. U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.

428-K-98293 by Photograph Curator, on Flickr

Three Fighter Squadron 161 (VF-161) F-4D Phantom II fighter aircraft from USS Midway (CVA-41) and three Corsair II attack aircraft from USS America (CVA 66) drop Loran Bombs during a strike mission, 1973. Photographed by Lieutenant Fred P. Leonar
 
Clearly,... Phantoms had two seats. The backseat was occupied by the RIO = radar intercept officer.

The term RIO is special for USN aviation, it's USAF and other NATO equivalents are WSO which stands for Weapon Systems Officer. Talking about the Phantom we have to keep in mind that the aircraft was a true "jack of all trades but master of one". It would be not incorrect to say that F-4 Phantom has set the first standards on how a modern "multirole" jet fighter should be. It was the first air combat platform which operationally fielded BVR air-to-air missiles, laser guided bombs, targeting & jamming pods and anti-radiation missiles in different USAF & USN squadrons but at the same time. Therefore a lot of tactics and mission types of the air warfare used today like SEAD & DEAD, deep strike missions has been tested and perfected with legendary Phantom...
 
The term RIO is special for USN aviation

True! That's all I know though is RIO. All these bad boys are from the US Navy..



VF-111 Sundowners F-4B Phantom ready to launch from USS Coral Sea (CVA- 43) circa 1970.



VF-51 "Screaming Eagles" at NAS Miramar San Diego CA



March 25th 1986 aboard USS Midway (CV 41)



VF-151 "Vigilantes" F-4N Phantom launched off USS Midway(CV 41)



VF-14 Tophatters F-4B Phantom aboard USS John F Kennedy (CVA 67) circa early 1970's
 
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