I can’t let OLDAFSARGE and XBRADTC have all the fun now, can I? No. No, I can’t. Especially when I have some good stuff in my archives 
Crank the sound up for the beginning of that video for some sweet J-79 music! It might not be quite as full of raw awesomeness as the video XBRADTC posted, but it sure was fun to film. I just wish I could get the feeling of the raw power shaking my chest and the full saturation of sound in my unprotected ears to come through your speakers 
Aviation Nation 2005 - The mighty F-4 Phantom!
Aviation Nation 2005 - The mighty F-4 Phantom!
That first picture of the camouflaged phantom with the heat mirage distorting the tower as it climbs out over the runway at Nellis AFB has to be one of my very favorite images I’ve ever captured. I liked it so much I put it right at the top of my blog!
For all the Navy folks - U.S. Navy Phantom on the USS Midway!
Now, I might live in an Air Force town but as I’ve said before I grew up in a Navy town. As a matter of fact, I grew up just a short distance from NAS Miramar back when it was Fightertown, USA 
Therefore, I can’t in good conscience let a Phantom Pr0n post go to publication without a Navy Phantom on a carrier deck if it’s within my power to prevent it. Therefore, I’ll leave you with this example painted in the colors of VF-51 based on the USS Coral Sea which is displayed on the USS Midway. I’ll leave it to the reader’s imagination to decide just how much graffiti and how many zaps would have been added to the jet prior to sending the crew home following an arrested landing on the wrong carrier 
Got some of my own Phantom pr0n that would go well with this set, including the F-4N (Formerly a QF-4N) parked on the MIDWAY roof. Always good to get a rise out of such scintillating photos.
Post it up, Mongo
I’ve got a pic of that same Midway Phantom, but it didn’t come out as well. Cuz I’m a terrible photog. I’ll have to dig through my Midway archives and see if any pics came out well.
I hope a few did – There’s always room for more Phantom pics
Fightertown? Phhpppptt.
Hummertown!!!
Ya know, they did have a bunch of those planes with the funny tails and frisbees on top down at the west end of the airfield
I was just reading what was painted on the hangars on the east end of the place 
Seriously, Hummers are cool planes too and I did enjoy the E-2 demo with the tight turns and all! I could swear I heard somewhere that the Hummer could get airborne with a deck run if the catapults were down and the carrier needed an eye in the sky. The fighters are always more effective when you guys are airborne, too
JO’s from 113 got out there one night and repainted it “Hummertown” in between our 85 and 87 cruise. Had a huge poster size photo at the Hawkeye Ball that year (taken by Lt Ogles “Nado”) with one of our birds on the taxiway in the foreground the next morning. Caused quite a stir with CAG. That was the peak of Tomcat/Topgun/Tom Cruise fever. The photo was recently resurrected on the 113 Facebook page and we finally got the full story retold in it’s entirety by one of the JO’s involved.
Not sure if you need if this 113 FB page is public… Here’s that Hummertown pic and part of the backstory. One of the greatest pranks e-vah
http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?fbid=10150351956821374&set=o.91529890400&type=1&theater
worked for me. And I love that they drafted a wife to help paint!
There’s more to the story. I need to find that…
The best part was how they skated free when it started rolling down hill.
I couldn’t figure how to post to that specific FB thread. Here’s the meat of the comments (Rocco was XO or CO at the time):
“…but the best move was calling over to the F-14 RAG as LT Thomas Sawyer from COMFIT and letting them know the Admiral was pretty ticked and they would score major points if they got it painted back the way it was. It was back within 2 days
29 October 2011 at 11:47 · Thanks! I told Rocco that I would make sure it got done. Ten seconds later he was in the door of my office (the training office). As soon as he heard “Tom Sawyer” he jammed his fist in his mouth to keep from laughing out loud and sort of slid down the door frame. I think I even saw a tear.
Post all the Phantom pix you’d like gentlemen; I for one never get tired of looking at them.
And Blackeagle603, your story and link is absolutely hilarious. That should be way up there on the list of the all time pranks in the annals of Navair history
That blew out the cobwebs. Love those F4′s. Sure miss them lifting off from RAF Coningsby, HMS Ark Royal….oh dear, I got myself started again
First off, I love the F-4. There’s just something about it that just looks right, if that makes any sense. Second, have you all noticed that there seems to be a general trend towards the retro on here? I’m not saying that’s a bad thing. Were things just better then, or are we just geezers?
It was a real privilege to see the Blues fly the Phantom back in the day. Made the earth move, it did. Salina, KS, 1973, I believe.
As much as seeing the Blues in F-4′s would have been cool, imagine what is was like to have maestros like Thumper, Mo, Bush, Cess, Sluggo, Bullet, Fireball, and Dude working the magic from your flighftline. Not to brag too much, but Fliterman (Cat) woulda been right at home with this bunch. These gents knew Phantoms better than they knew their own wives. Seriously!
It was some good times watching these guys roll.
Phly! Phight! Phu…um…Win!
With apologies to the Gunner, but I halfway recall a jingle among the old-school that my Ordnance officer tried to teach us:
“The Harrier’s a Tinkertoy
made for little girls and boys,
and when it flies it makes a funny
Whirrr…
“The Phantom is a rocket ship
that takes you on a wild-ass trip,
and when it flies it makes a mighty
ROARRR!!”