Required Reading
Let’s step away from the politics for a moment, and take a look back at one of the all-time great Air Force operations. The year is 1966, the North Vietnamese MiG pilots are shooting down unacceptable numbers of American F-105s. Something had to be done.
The idea and planning of this operation was the masterpiece of a living legend among the US F-4 pilots in South East Asia: Colonel Robin Olds. He was a P-38/P-51 Ace during WWII, credited with 12 kills against the German Luftwaffe in 1944-45, and now – at 44 years old – he was the CO of the 8th TFW (nicknamed “The Wolf Pack”). He was an “old-fashioned” fighter pilot: impulsive, rough, hard-drinking, but a natural leader and an intuitive tactician.
He realized that the F-105 and F-4 formations used the same approaches time after time, and the SIGINT analysts in Hanoi became expert in identifying the more vulnerable F-105 “Thuds” from the F-4 Phantoms, from their radio frequencies and call signs. So Olds decided to fly Phantom F-4s using the same routes, altitude, and callsigns as the F-105s, ambushing the MiG-21s that would be guided towards them, expecting to find Thunderchiefs, and when they realized the truth, it would be too late for them.
Stephen, if you’ve not read it, find Robin Olds’ memoir – written with his daughter. You’ll get a kick out of it, I’m very sure. He was a character, a real aviator.
Robin Olds was the Commandant of Cadets when I came to the AF Academy. He was exactly what the cadets needed – a real Air Warrior. Unfortunately for him, he was also what the senior leadership of the AF feared – a real Air Warrior. He was not politically correct, and was forced into early retirement. But we loved him…
There was a good reenactment of this air engagement on the Discovery show ‘Dogfights’ using CG animation.
http://youtu.be/qTvunIg5mqg
Got to see a F-4 demonstration at the Ft. Worth Alliance airport airshow a few months ago. Not so nimble but when the driver stood it on it’s tail and hit the afterburners a 100ft above the tarmac it would shake the ground it was so loud.
The F4 Phantom wasn’t a “nimble” aircraft. But it was a workhorse, a classic. It performed well for a long time in service, the last years as a Wild Weasel airframe (Wild Weasel is a nickname for an aircraft designed to jam and hunt air defense radars).
You’ll enjoy these as Cunningham shows how to dogfight with a Phantom:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiuAxisJZ-0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_EEaw4-UKY
The Thunderbirds AND Blue Angels both used the F4 for their aerial demonstrations during the early ’70′s.
The noise of that machine in burner was glorious and visceral.
Their shows haven’t been the same since.
The Navy is looking forward to transitioning the Blue Angels from their current F-18 to the brand new MQ-47.
;^)
We also lost another legend of our AF Family just last month- Col Ralph Parr (died 7 Dec 2012 at age 88). Combat vet of three wars, Double Ace, 641 total combat missions, Silver Star, 10 Distinguished Flying Crosses, Bronze Star, 41 Air Medals, and the only American aviator to receive both the Distinguished Service Cross and Air Force Cross.