Last QF-4 Sortie Flown on 17 August 2016

USAF's last operational use of an F-4 Phantom II, reengineered as a QF-4, took place during an F-35 test flight over White Sands Missile Range on 17 August 2016.

 

Apparently the QF-4E survived

https://theaviationist.com/2016/08/31/usaf-qf-4-phantom-is-shot-at-by-an-f-35-with-two-aim-120s-during-last-unmanned-mission-and-survives/

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6s7LMuHWQrk[/ame]

 

They have been using QF-16s for quite a while. Much cheaper to operate than the QF-4, and there are tons of F-16As and Bs out there to use.

 

The F4 at the 29 second mark in that video (74-0645) was flown by my friend out of Seymour Johnson back in the day. Any idea where I can find out if it survived its last flight like 72-0166?

 

Found a pic of my buddy's QF-4 (74-0645) flying last week out a Holloman during their show for the Phantoms. Apparently it's just sitting on the ramp now...I wonder what their plans are for it.
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Very cool.

 

I believe two of them flew at the Reno Air Races last week.
QF-4 Phantom Airshow Appearances | F-4 Phantom II Society

 

Yep! Some people have posted pics on FlickR. It looks great!
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Some more info on the Heritage QF-4s:


"In 2004, 82 ATRS personnel sought to add the QF-4 to the USAF’s Heritage Flight program, to fill a gap in historical coverage between World War Two and Korean War warbirds and modern fighters. Six QF-4Es were repainted in camouflage schemes from the F-4’s operational service, four at Tyndall and two at Holloman. Following USAF approval, they took part in Heritage Flight formations at a few airshows on each coast in 2005. In 2006, the QF-4s received Heritage Flight funding from Air Combat Command – the 2005 flights had been funded from the 53 WEG operating budget! – allowing the QF-4s to appear at approximately 20 shows. As well, a simple QF-4 solo display routine was introduced."

"Except for their camouflage, the Heritage Flight QF-4Es are standard "primary flier" drones and are used for normal 82 ATRS operations when not at airshows. As the first six aircraft began to run out of flight hours in 2007, a new batch was painted. These aircraft all wear the same Southeast Asia scheme to simplify maintenance."


The Final Mission: The USAF’s QF-4 Target Drones The Final Mission: The USAF’s QF-4 Target Drones The Final Mission: The USAF’s QF-4 Target Drones


"While the Heritage Flight QF-4s salute those who served in the 1960s and ‘70s, they are also a reminder why full-scale targets are important. Early in its USAF career, the F-4 was hobbled in air-to-air combat when its AIM-4 Falcon and AIM-7 Sparrow missiles failed to work properly in real engagements over North Vietnam. Today, the QF-4’s final duty is to ensure such failures never happen again."

 

Thankfully, the Collings Foundation one is safe for a while longer.

 

Awesome. Merica!

 

2 of the remaining QF-4's were spotted going through "Star Wars Canyon" in Death Valley. Looks like there will be a final send off on 12/21/16 at Holloman AFB

https://theaviationist.com/2016/10/28/last-u-s-air-force-phantoms-make-rare-appearance-flying-through-the-star-wars-canyon/

 

Rob- My original title was somewhat misleading. That was the last operational sortie of a QF-4 flown as a drone target. Some of the aircraft are still flying with pilots.

 

Aside from the last few airshow/pr appearances, why are they still flying?

Not that I'm not a phan of the Phantom!

 

Terry - No worries.. I just wish I could get the time off to go down to Holloman for the final send off. I lived there when the 49th transitioned from the F-4 to F-15 so it would be cool to see the old childhood stomping grounds.

Unfortunately getting time off at FedEx between Thanksgiving and Christmas is next to impossible.

 

Thanks for the link. I told my buddy that his F4 is one of the last 7 still in manned flying condition. I hope he can make it out there Dec 21 to see the four fly up with maybe one being his...Got my fingers crossed for 74-0645.

He said they'll probably take all the remaining ones out to the range next year as static target practice. Everyone that has wanted an F4 for display/lawn dart purposes already got one long ago so probably can't/won't be preserved.

 

When I was on the "mod team" for the F-22 I picked up a magazine, I think it was Air & Space laying on a desk somewhere that had an F-4G on the cover as a drone.

I read the article and it had a list of the G models that had been turned into drones and their demise to date. Sadly I learned that the first jet I was assigned to when I arrived at George AFB, 69-7254 had been shot down over the gulf of Mexico as a drone. Well, that jet was the prototype for the Phantom version of the "Wild Weasel" in other words, the first G model and in my humble crew chief opinion, should be in a museum.

I had a few others assigned to me, during Desert Storm 7233 and after the war 7292 and like the rest they are all artificial reefs these days having fulfilled their final missions.

So, any time I see one flying even if it is an E model with a TISEO, I am understandably delighted. I loved those things!

 

I think that I can understand your emotions about destroying things that have/had importance as a piece of historical evidence. Too many B-17's that survived the terrible odds of combat over Europe were summarily scrapped after the war. A couple of aircraft carriers that survived Kamikaze attacks that nearly destroyed them were simply scrapped when they came home. I saw some of them and they were monuments to the crews and the heroic feats that they accomplished and endured. The U.S.A. has no sense of tradition or history in some cases. I did a painting of a B-17 that was displayed during the 50th Anniversary of that airplane in 1985. An ex-crew member of the airplane illustrated was emotionally overwhelmed when he saw it and he brought 1944 back to 1985 with his attachment to the vehicle that carried him safely through its last 50 missions over Germany. The airplane, a B-17G, "Ole Miss Destry", flew 138 missions without an abort. She was scrapped on her return from England.

 

One B-17 that certainly should have been saved is "5 Grand".

The B-32 Dominator was hardly a stellar performer, but one was actually saved for the USAF Museum, for a while; then it was inexplicably scrapped.

The battleship USS Oregon, a veteran of the Spanish-American War, was a museum ship in Portland between the world wars. In WW2 it was taken over as a Navy auxiliary, which is fine, but after the war, instead of being returned to Portland, it was scrapped.

Also, a number of the Pearl Harbor battleship survivors, which earned many battle stars later in the war, were held in Suisun Bay until 1959 - and then all scrapped. At least one should have been saved.

 

My brother flew both of the F-4s at the National Museum of the USAF and I flew both of the F-111s (an A and an F) there.

At least those F-4s died an honorable death while they were in flight. Last time I went to D-M, all the F-111s not due to be mounted on a stick were being chopped up for scrap. Really sad sight.

 

How many surviving F4s were there of those that were turned into drones, are there any others left still out int he dessert that can be rectivated. How many flyable ones still exist? How many drones destroyed.

As for scrapping our heritage. Look at the efforts of a few to save the SS united states.

On a positive recently visisted the Battleship NJ. Its kept in great shape and the ineterior of the ship is pristine.
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How do you compare the F4 flying experience to other jets?

 

F-4 Drones aren't hard to shoot down... just follow the smoke. Like a couple of cigars under the tail.

 

The F-4s all received the smokeless engine kits a long time ago when F-4Es, F-4Gs, and RF-4Cs were all still in operational use. The F-4Gs and RF-4Cs I flew in 1983 as part of the USAFE IG Team all had the smokeless kits installed.

 

My friend that flew that F4 is at Holloman now for the final flights and sent me a pic of him with his old jet...So cool.

Tons of photographers are there so I'm sure we'll see the pics soon. They'll be flying a 4 ship with 4 primaries and 2 spares. One of the primaries is his.

I wish I could've gotten out of work and joined him for the event