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Last week, I got to attend PhanCon, the annual meeting of the F-4 Phantom society, with Procopius himself at Holloman AFB in Alamogordo, NM. The attendees were former Phantom pilots and maintainers, aviation professionals, aerospace press, and two overawed modellers that you may recognize.

 

Each day, we were driven in buses to the end of the Holloman runways and two of the last Phantoms in USAF service would take off and fly low and loud. They would signal their return 45 minutes later with a pair of sonic booms. Incredible stuff. PC and I did our best to point the camera (borrowed from my sister) at them as they zoomed by. Occasionally, an F-4 would appear in frame when we managed to click the button, but rarely in focus. Here are some of the best we got.

 

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The steely-eyed Procopius raises his lens.

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We also got to visit the flight line.

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In addition to the Phantoms, Holloman is also host to two F-16 training squadrons who graciously allowed us to visit one of their hangars and ask questions of an instructor pilot and aircraft crew chief.

 

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I can't help but think that this F-16's chosen departure technique may have been influenced by seeing a gaggle of photographers at the end of the runway.

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Oh to walk a Phantom flightline again.....! What a very lucky pair you are, I bet there were grins from ear to ear all week long. Thanks for making me very jealous and for the great photos too (I now want to break out that Hasegawa F-4E and paint that worn looking Toom).

 

Duncan B (ex Phantom Phondler)

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Wow. I had no idea the USAF still operated a few F4s.  Not sure we get skies that big and blue in the UK :)

 

On 22 September 2016 at 1:19 PM, Duncan B said:

What a very lucky pair you are, I bet there were grins from ear to ear all week long. Thanks for making me very jealous and for the great photos too 

 

 

Echo those sentiments.  Jealous - very jealous.

 

Love to sit in an F16 again....

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On 22/9/2016 at 14:19, Duncan B said:

 What a very lucky pair you are, I bet there were grins from ear to ear all week long. Thanks for making me very jealous and for the great photos too (I now want to break out that Hasegawa F-4E and paint that worn looking Toom).

 

Duncan B (ex Phantom Phondler)

Can only echo this comment myself (including the Hasegawa F-4E thing :winkgrin: ).

 

And the F-16s and Tornados are super-cool too! You and PC, lucky b... guys :D 

Thank you so much for sharing, Cookie! :speak_cool: 

 

Ciao

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Just goes to show you have to kiss a lot of F4ogs before you meet your Prince :coat:

(If it's not an F4 please go with it... like 'art', humour has its own rules)

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On 9/22/2016 at 6:19 AM, Duncan B said:

I now want to break out that Hasegawa F-4E and paint that worn looking Toom.

 

Duncan B (ex Phantom Phondler)

 

On 9/22/2016 at 5:34 AM, ozothenutter said:

That last phantom with very very well worn finish......yummy

 

Here are a few more shots of the well worn Phantom for you guys - it certainly captured my attention as well.

 

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On 9/25/2016 at 1:41 PM, Fritag said:

Love to sit in an F16 again....

 

Stories please!

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...

:goodjob:

 

Wow! Excellent work you lucky ..........

A long time ago, 30 years in fact, I lived in a collection of portacabin type thingy's at the end of the runway at RAF Mount Pleasant in the Falklands and would spend many a happy time listening to and feeling the Phantoms depart. A similar amount of time was spent in the Land Rover watching and smelling them return, and yes Chief Yeoman that is what I was doing!

I watched them depart from RIAT a couple of years ago on the Monday morning while stood in the field near the green car park, what a thrill to hear and feel it again!

Possibly the most beautiful jet ever built.

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