Veterans! let us know who you are.

[Chuckbig]

Navy, boot camp photo circa 95.

 

[John McLaughlin]

Glad to see everyone posting as we should all be proud of our service to our Country.

 

[Coheeba]

 

[John McLaughlin]

Job well done

 

[merlinjet]

USAF 72-92...F-4D, E and G

 

[jawsf16]

USAF 72-92...F-4D, E and G

View attachment 55105

My dad flew the Rhino too. Love that thing!

 

[buckbuck]

Rhino? I have a friend that called it a brick with two engines.

 

[jawsf16]

Rhino? I have a friend that called it a brick with two engines.

I think that's a valid assessment. It turns like a an Aircraft Carrier too. My dad also calls it Lead Sled and Double Ugly sometimes.

A few more from Google that I hadn't heard of... Flying Footlocker, Warped Wing, Bug Basher

 

[merlinjet]

Yes, I've heard them all...don't forget the black arrow. Anyway, I'd rather jump in the fray with any of them before any of the toys they build today. She wasn't the perfect platform for any specific mission but was pretty good at almost everything...and would get you back to base even with some sizable holes and a few pieces missing.

 

[WaltB]

No doubt the F-4 was a great fighter in her day! However, the F-14 was far superior in every metric, including bombing with CCIP and later, Lantern. The Tomcat would stand zero chance of survival against todays F-35 or F-22! So jumping into the frey driving a Phantom in today's world would ensure a quick death never knowing you were even targeted.

 

[jawsf16]

@WaltB
Completely agree. Phantoms are amazing. Vipers are better. Raptors are even better. Of course all this assumes an equally skilled expert pilot in each jet. I have beat up on Raptors in the visual arena when they were inexperienced and new to their tactics. I've also had Hogs nearly gun me when I was a young wingman!

 

[merlinjet]

No doubt the F-4 was a great fighter in her day! However, the F-14 was far superior in every metric, including bombing with CCIP and later, Lantern. The Tomcat would stand zero chance of survival against todays F-35 or F-22! So jumping into the frey driving a Phantom in today's world would ensure a quick death never knowing you were even targeted.

Wow, you learn something everyday on this forum...today's fighter aircraft have BVR capabilities far superior to those built in the 60s. My comment referring to a preference of the F-4 over current aircraft was in the context of its post mission survivability (AA, GA or DS), maybe that wasn't clear. IMHO the F-4 could sustain considerably more battle damage than today's fly by wire aircraft and still return its crew safely home.

So, back to the subject of the thread...thx for your service, brother!

 

[WaltB]

The post mission survivability of the F4 being better than todays fly by wire aircraft is your opinion, as you stated, but certainly not factual.
The F16 and the F18 are fly by wire and the F15 has Fly by wire control augmentation. There are numerous times these aircraft made it back with very serious damage equal to anything the F4 had seen. (All 3 still serve as front line fighters)

The F4 was truly a workhorse and I have numerous hours flying against them but they smoked badly, (without the smokeless engines), were not very maneuverable and were certainly not stealthy. They did not have the radar, Rhaw gear, electronic counter measures, fighter to fighter data-link or stealth to survive or to be effective in todays world. (The F14 either) Where the F4 really shined was damn near bullet proof goose ingesting J79 engines and the ability to run away.

In the next advanced conflict the aircraft of choice will have to be stealthy, (Low heat and radar signature), with a frequency hopping anti-radiation radar.

 

[merlinjet]

Respect your "facts" but its still my opinion...

o·pin·ion
əˈpinyən/
noun
noun: opinion; plural noun: opinions
a view or judgment formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge

 

[Blenderhead]

Last jump with the "boys" . I'm third from the right in the pic. And a video clip of me performing one of my last jumpmaster duties.

24yrs
CW4, USA Retired 2014

 

[WaltB]

Merlinjet,

"a view or judgment formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge"

On this I agree with you.

Walt

 

[John McLaughlin]

Blenderhead great video

 

[Jp127]

USMC 94-98 0352 TOW Gunner

Stationed at K Bay and spent a summer at MEC-P South Korea.

I'm on the left and my best friend is on the right. We were in SOI together got stationed in the fleet together. Sadly he passed away on November 11, 2016 (ironically Veterans Day).

 

[Coheeba]

 

[Pinhacker71]

Navy 1997-2001
Newport RI
Norfolk VA
Cherry Point NC