Goodbye to a loyal servant.

[NigelC]

We gave up ours 21 years ago after quarter of a century of service and now, today, the Germans are saying goodbye to theirs after 40 years. The "Phinal Phlyout " is taking place today at Wittmund as JG71 "Richthofen" exchanges their F-4F's for Eurofighters.

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articl ... ightglobal

[Tomliner]

I've always thought that the Phantom and particularly the Victor were two of the most menacing looking aircraft ever built.
It will be sad to see the departure of the F4, does anyone know if there will be any of them remaining in an airworthy condition in Europe? EricT

[SkippyBing]

Does Turkey still use them? I know I saw a pair practising airfield attacks when I was there in 2009 and they lost one over/near Syria last year as well.

[NigelC]

Flightglobal's MiliCAS database shows Germany's retirement of the Phantom will reduce the global frontline fleet of the type to 431 aircraft, operated by the air forces of Egypt, Greece, Iran, Japan, South Korea and Turkey.

Turkey is planning to keep them 'til 2020 I believe, not sure about the others. 2020 puts it at 62 years from first flight, not far off the equivalent of the Sopwith Camel being in front line service during the Falklands War!

N

[Garry Russell]

I've never seen one apart from static in museums

[Chris Trott]

Interestingly, just last week was the last manned flight of a USAF F-4 Phantom as the final QF-4 was flown from Arizona to Florida to be put on the line to most likely be shot down by the end of the year.

The number of flying Phantoms in the US will soon be 1. The single F-4D owned by the Collings Foundation that will be flying again later this year after some maintenance is completed.

[NigelC]

One for the RN contingent, from the days when we had carriers, and proper ones too!

[Airspeed]

Me too, Garry,
At Point Cook RAAF Museum. It's cetainly a mean machine.
Even Mrs Airspeed liked it, and that's coming from prop lovers.

[511Flyer]

We've been going to the same small village in Kefalonia for many years, and the Phantoms are a regular sight flying low along the shoreline.

Noisy and dirty. Don't you just love it?

[dodger]

Hi,

Great looking aircraft but i remember back in the 1970's when i lived in Devon they used to do their low flying around the Okehampton area and i kid you not that i used to drive up the A30 and i have seen them [Phantoms] lower than my truck giving it welly though the valley!

i was picking up a trailer out at Halwill Junction [near Holsworthy] one morning and was in between the unit and the trailer and had just switched the red line on [which lets air though to the trailer] when this terrific noise came on and i jumped off the unit just in time to feel the heat and two bright exhaust disappearing at a rate of knots away from me, it frightened the living daylights out of me i can tell you!!

We used to get the C130's from Lyneham flying low in the area as well every week,

Just bought back some thoughts of that time.

Cheers,

Roger.