Wild Weasel back in the saddle | FerrariChat
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Wild Weasel back in the saddle

Discussion in 'Aviation Chat' started by snj5, Jul 17, 2011.

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  1. snj5

    snj5 F1 World Champ

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    #1 snj5, Jul 17, 2011
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Twenty years later, Ed Ballanco and I. We flew together on a combat mission over Iraq in an F4 in 1991, and here we are, older and not appreciably wiser, back in an F4 at the 81st Squadron reunion. Those guys are best men that ever flew a jet.

    Just thought I'd share what was for me a really neat moment.
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  2. GuyIncognito

    GuyIncognito Nine Time F1 World Champ
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    #2 GuyIncognito, Jul 17, 2011
    awesome! :D

    the F4 is my all-time favorite plane. I'd love to hear some of your experiences.
     
  3. Spasso

    Spasso F1 World Champ

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    #3 Spasso, Jul 17, 2011
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  4. judge4re

    judge4re F1 World Champ

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    #4 judge4re, Jul 17, 2011
    Russ, when are you going to be back in my neck of the woods? Need to get you up in a Yak...
     
  5. sparky p-51

    sparky p-51 Formula 3

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    #5 sparky p-51, Jul 17, 2011
    Nice pix Russ. Collings Phantom?
     
  6. snj5

    snj5 F1 World Champ

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    #6 snj5, Jul 17, 2011
    Last edited: Jul 17, 2011
    Sparky,
    they brought in a QF-4 drone that used to be a G that belonged to the squadron.

    Hate to disagree Dana, but it is THE best looking jet. :)

    Will be in Florence this week actually. I don't even know if I will fit in a Yak. :p

    Chas - so many stories....
     
  7. judge4re

    judge4re F1 World Champ

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    #7 judge4re, Jul 17, 2011
    I leave for Germany Tuesday. Let me know the next next time.
     
  8. Ryan S.

    Ryan S. Two Time F1 World Champ
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    #8 Ryan S., Jul 17, 2011
    So awesome!! Need more pics.
     
  9. tazandjan

    tazandjan Three Time F1 World Champ
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    #9 tazandjan, Jul 17, 2011
    Russ- Wonder why they call her Double Ugly?

    From an Aardvark guy, naturally. Nobody except the guys who flew her ever said an Aardvark was pretty. To us, she was beautiful.

    Taz
    Terry Phillips
     
  10. Tim Wells

    Tim Wells Formula Junior

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    #10 Tim Wells, Jul 18, 2011
    I was the Crew Chief on this particular jet after Desert Storm. I had 69-7233 over there in the sand box then this one afterwards. Took this many places TDY for air shows and in fact met my wife at one of them...20 years ago. This was the squadron Commanders jet for the 562nd TFTS (Blue Section) hence the shiney paint. Every Weasel crewman went through this training squadron at George AFB, CA.

    If any of you were stationed there and know a pilot named Forrest Voss, I shure would like to get ahold of him and give him some photos of his last Weasel flight.
     
  11. Spasso

    Spasso F1 World Champ

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    #11 Spasso, Jul 18, 2011
    You're just biased.:)
    I didn't say it wasn't GOOD LOOKING, just not "pretty".
     
  12. donv

    donv Two Time F1 World Champ
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    #12 donv, Jul 18, 2011
  13. open roads

    open roads F1 Rookie

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    #13 open roads, Jul 18, 2011
    Nice one!
     
  14. RacerX_GTO

    RacerX_GTO F1 World Champ
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    #14 RacerX_GTO, Jul 18, 2011
    That must have some serious upgrades to deploy AGM-65 weapon systems!
     
  15. snj5

    snj5 F1 World Champ

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    #15 snj5, Jul 18, 2011
  16. Bob Parks

    Bob Parks F1 Veteran
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    #16 Bob Parks, Jul 18, 2011
    In my opinion the F-4 is comparable to a a wedge and a sledge hammer. It was designed to do a job in the most powerful way and beauty had nothing to do with it. " Form follows function." The most beautiful jet in my mind was the Supermarine Hunter but, of course, it wasn't dealing with super sonic speeds and it was pretty. Non of the modern jets are pretty, they are functional.
    My favorite modern jets are the F-104 and the F-105.
     
  17. Gatorrari

    Gatorrari F1 World Champ
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    #17 Gatorrari, Jul 18, 2011
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Bob, you got your Brits crossed up; it was the Hawker Hunter, but you're right, it was a looker. My vote goes to its contemporary, the F-86 Sabre (the A/E/F versions).
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  18. Bob Parks

    Bob Parks F1 Veteran
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    #18 Bob Parks, Jul 18, 2011
    Gad! How could I have done that? I suppose that I was thinking about the Spitfire and the HAWKER HUNTER at the same time because both of them were absolutely beautiful airplanes. As far as I'm concerned, nothing can compare to them. The newer classes of airplanes are strictly mathematical solutions to sooth production people first as well as the aerodynamicists. Art has flown. In the big airplane category The KC-135 is still the most beautiful.
     
  19. tazandjan

    tazandjan Three Time F1 World Champ
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    #19 tazandjan, Jul 19, 2011
    Gabe- Early Mavericks were not that complicated and all you really needed was a TV feed from the weapon to the cockpit. Once locked on and launched, the Maverick was on its own. The later AGM-65D and follow on versions were a bit more complicated, but the process was the same, except for the laser guided versions.

    I was lucky and got to fire several AGM-65Ds at night on TFR during OT&E. Tactical Air Command decided in its infinite wisdom there was no way F-111Fs would go after tanks so the weapon was never fielded for the F-111. We ended up killing ~1300 tanks, SPGs, and APCs in Desert Storm one at a time with GBU-12s (tank plinking). A good crew could have killed 3 per pass with AGM-65Ds, six total compared to only four possible kills for the GBU-12s we carried. Of course the GBU-12 was ~$10K and the AGM-65D was ~$100K.

    Taz
    Terry Phillips
     
  20. RacerX_GTO

    RacerX_GTO F1 World Champ
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    #20 RacerX_GTO, Jul 19, 2011
    That must have been quite the experience!

    Initially, I always thought there had to be a Hughes/Raytheon computer in there somewhere, but that is interesting the AGM-65 is that simple!
     
  21. alexD

    alexD F1 Rookie

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    #21 alexD, Jul 20, 2011
    I bet to differ! The F-22 is a thing of beauty, IMO
     

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