| There was an aircraft that used to fly across our | | | | plane back up again, such was the legacy of the |
| skies that was affectionately called the Phantom II | | | | Phantom. There was also a unique thing that all |
| or the F-4 Fighter. It was a very powerful aircraft | | | | maintainers came to know as well called the Phantom |
| that seemed to prove the theory that you could | | | | bite, as this aircraft had many jagged and protruding |
| make a rock fly if you put big enough engines on it. | | | | drains that would inevitably cut or hurt you. Still it |
| It was a MIG Killer in Vietnam and used extensively in | | | | was a badge of honor to get it, but if you were |
| every theater of the world. It had two huge engines | | | | lucky you just lost a uniform and no skin. The |
| that delivered 25,000 lbs of thrust and when the | | | | Phantom had light strips on the sides and when it |
| afterburners were lit up, it would rock the ground for | | | | was sitting on the end of the runway and lit up the |
| miles away. The early versions like the F-4C could be | | | | afterburners it was truly an amazing sight. That has |
| seen for miles as they had a huge smoke trail, this | | | | been captured by many photographers, but it had to |
| was later modified in the F-4D and F-4E versions. | | | | be seen to be believed. Luckily there are some F-4's |
| There were also versions used for air recon missions | | | | featured in various air show acts and if you are |
| that had photo cameras on the bottom. The F-4G | | | | fortunate to see one, be sure to watch it on take |
| was called the Wild Weasel and had the capability of | | | | off, that is where the legacy of the Phantom was |
| taking out enemy air defenses, which proved to be | | | | born, the power and might of McDonnell-Douglas |
| very valuable during the attacks against the North | | | | engineering in all 5,195 of the Phantoms that were |
| Vietnamese air defense system. The Phantom had | | | | produced from 1958-1979. |
| two seats and that pilot was in the front seat, and | | | | I was stationed at Clark Air Base in the Philippines in |
| directly behind him was the weapons officer | | | | the late 80's and got to work on these mighty |
| otherwise called the WISO. These aircraft have been | | | | beasts called the Phantom. Our aircraft, of course |
| featured in many movies such Top Gun or | | | | had Shark Teeth painted on the nose and were |
| Hamburger Hill to mention just a few. The aircraft is | | | | feared immensely by our good friends up there in |
| now retired from active service, last flown by the Air | | | | North Korea. The meaning of the teeth painted on |
| National Guard and Air Force Reserves, and now can | | | | the nose was to represent fear to the Asian people, |
| usually be seen as static aircraft all over the US. The | | | | but I appreciated it from a strictly artistic |
| testament to the glory days of a true fighter, and | | | | prospective. The Phantom ruled the Pacific those |
| though it was hated by maintenance personnel it | | | | days and even those up and coming F-16 Falcons had |
| carries a special place in the hearts of those of us | | | | to bow in respect when the F-4 Phantom II rolled by, |
| who worked on it. | | | | and it was not until the F-15 Eagles started to replace |
| The Phantom was definitely a loud and leaky aircraft | | | | the aircraft in the inventory that signaled the end of |
| that loved to fly, in fact if you flew the aircraft | | | | an era. Phantoms of the Air Force now live on in our |
| constantly it would rarely break, but let it sit for even | | | | memory only. |
| a few days and it took a major effort to get the | | | | |