Flying Brick (F4) still flying?

[Hammerhead]

Think I've just seen an F4 Phantom just fly by - or have I mistaken it for something else?

[anonymous-user]

There is a German F-4F at Lyneham for the next couple of weeks doing trials off the south coast.

That'll be what you saw. I'm going to see if I can get down there tomorrow to get some photos of it.

Edited by anonymous-user on Monday 21st September 17:06

[Hammerhead]

Cool! Won't need a trip to spec-savers afterall

Was in a grey livery but couldn't see any markings. Lyneham makes sense though, with me being here in Somerset.

Cheers!

Steve

[Eric Mc]

The F-4 isn't quite extinct yet. Germany and Greece (at least) still operate them.

[anonymous-user]

Turkey still have them, not sure whether Japan still have any or Israel.

[griffdude]

There's one on a plinth outside the terminal at Mount Pleasant. Shame it's not airworthy, maybe replaced by a Tornado F3 as they're just about to leave the island?

[Chris71]

Didn't the Swiss airforce pick these up after it got rid of its Vampires (yes, Vampires) not so long ago? Bless.

[Eric Mc]

No.

Next

The Swiss operate F-18 Hornets in the fighter/bomber role.

(They retired their Vampires and Venoms in the 80s and 90s).

[smack]

Google found this:
http://forums.airshows.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=9&amp...

One of my friends served on USS Enterprise during the Vietnam war, working on th flight deck. He had a few great photos of F4's and other aircraft from his time onboard.

[Hammerhead]

Nice one, Smack

[smack]

griffdude said:

There's one on a plinth outside the terminal at Mount Pleasant. Shame it's not airworthy, maybe replaced by a Tornado F3 as they're just about to leave the island?

There is one by the gates at RAF Brampton, a few miles out of Huntingdon, Cambs.

http://www.simplyplanes.co.uk/phantom.html

[Hammerhead]

It's just flown by again

[PAUL. S]

There was a good program on satellite tv a while ago about how they were refurbing phantoms in the US as remote control drones, problem was they were then blowing them out of the sky with missiles

[Wheelrepairit]

smack said:

One of my friends served on USS Enterprise during the Vietnam war, working on th flight deck. He had a few great photos of Captain Kirk and Spock from his time onboard.

Would love to see those

[anonymous-user]

I'm really peed off.

I went from Essex down to Lyneham this morning, missed it flying by about 20 minutes.

Spent the morning there, then was stopped by the RAF Police who told me to produce ID, then told me I could stay but not to take any photo's due to the current climate

I have now come back not seeing it fly and just a handful of photos of knackered old C-130's, very disappointed as I really wanted to see the Phantom flying again.

[RizzoTheRat]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Yeah, grey aircraft don't photograph well when it's overcast.

Don't most of the countries still flying them use the Wild Weasel EW version?

[anonymous-user]

The US had them in the Wild Weasel role until about 1996.

Greece use them as Interceptors and Photo Recon, Germany in the Interceptor role and Turkey also in the Interceptor role.

Don't think any are used in the Wild Weasel role now.

[aeropilot]

PAUL. S said:

There was a good program on satellite tv a while ago about how they were refurbing phantoms in the US as remote control drones, problem was they were then blowing them out of the sky with missiles

Yup, they are getting through hundreds of QF-4's now that they have used up all the QF-106's.

There is one civilian operated F-4 on the US display circuit, operated by the Collings Foundation.

[Mybabbers]

I saw the Phantom this morning, not flying though, just parked up next to a DC-8.

If you are planning on seeing it fly, be warned that between 10.30 and 14.00 tomorrow (Thursday) there is only one movement. A C-17 will be arriving at 11.00am bringing the bodies of two fallen soldiers back.

[anonymous-user]

The RAF Police have been telling aircraft photographers/spotters to put their "lenses" away at Lyneham.

Never had that happen to me before although I only go out to bases about once a year. They were a bit more sarcastic and abrupt with another guy that was down there today.

Other bases are not quite as touchy about it, and once they see you are causing no harm let you carry on.

Either they are a little wary, maybe due to the bomb scare the other week, whether the F-4 has some bits they don't want photographed or anything else overthere I don't know. Certainly in the last few days they have been telling people to put their "big lenses" away, but allowing people to stay and just watch.

Legally they can do this under the Official Secrets Act as they can say you are photographing into the base, and are breaking the law. I can't say I have heard this being implemented by RAF Police to people outside the fence quite as rigourously as it has been in the last few days.