F-105 Drivers | FerrariChat

F-105 Drivers

Discussion in 'Aviation Chat' started by wbc, Jan 2, 2010.

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  1. wbc

    wbc Karting

    Sep 21, 2007
    151
    Honolulu
    Full Name:
    Bill
    Another thread had some positive comments about the Thud and I thought I'd pass along a couple of great stories from Jerry W. Cook's book "Once A Fighter Pilot".

    Gen. Cook, who flew 205 combat missions in F-4s in 'Nam, said "The F-105 pilots were respected by all other pilots, especially those of us flying in Southeast Asia. Their valor and performance in the face of overwhelming defenses and odds were fast becoming legend."

    Story one:

    " The four-ship of F-105s was in combat spread formation and ingressing their target area to the west of Hanoi. As they got closer to their heavily defended target, the enemy defenses began to intensify.

    'Lead, this is Four' came the urgent sounding call.

    'Go ahead Four' replied the rather casual sounding flight leader.

    'Roger Lead. They're shooting at us from our three o'clock!', called the excited wingman.

    'Ah, roger Four. You do know that they're allowed to do that?' came the laid-back question."

    Second story:

    "Another four-ship of Thuds had safely completed another mission to the north and were entering the traffic pattern at their base in Thailand. They were in a right-hand echelon formation as they made their steep-banked left turn onto the initial for their fighter 'break'.

    Just as they rolled out of their turn to the straight three-mile run toward the end of the runway, came this call.

    'Lead, this is Four."

    'Go ahead Four', said the bored-sounding flight leader.

    'Roger Lead. Three just hit me!' Called the perturbed-sounding number Four F-105 pilot. (Evidently, the number Three Thud had bounced a little and number Four was up just a little too tight under him during the steep turn and roll out onto initial. They had actually banged together slightly).

    Back came the leader's authoritative command: 'Three, stop hitting Four!'.

    'Roger Lead' came Three's call.

    They landed with no more 'hitting'.
     
  2. 1ual777

    1ual777 F1 Rookie

    Mar 21, 2006
    2,948
    Orange County, CA
    Sounds like when you have the kids in the car.
     
  3. dmaxx3500

    dmaxx3500 Formula 3

    Jul 19, 2008
    1,027
    that was one fast jet back then
     
  4. Rifledriver

    Rifledriver Three Time F1 World Champ

    Apr 29, 2004
    33,691
    Austin TX
    Full Name:
    Brian Crall
    #4 Rifledriver, Feb 2, 2010
    Last edited: Feb 2, 2010
    You should read the book "Thud Ridge". Can't remember the authors name but he was just finishing flight school when WW2 ended. He flew P47's at the time. Was one of the first members of the Thunderbirds and flew over 100 bombing missions as a Thud pilot in Viet Nam before retirement. You will not put it down.
    He wrote a second book, can't remember the title. Both are a must read for anyone interested in military aviation. The author was there, got the T shirt and everything.

    P.S. Just looked him up. It was Jack Broughton.
     
  5. Ryan S.

    Ryan S. Two Time F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Mar 20, 2004
    26,565
  6. Ryan S.

    Ryan S. Two Time F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Mar 20, 2004
    26,565
  7. Ryan S.

    Ryan S. Two Time F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Mar 20, 2004
    26,565
    Col Broughton just passed a few weeks ago....

    Jacksel M. Broughton - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
     
  8. Rifledriver

    Rifledriver Three Time F1 World Champ

    Apr 29, 2004
    33,691
    Austin TX
    Full Name:
    Brian Crall
  9. tazandjan

    tazandjan Three Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Jul 19, 2008
    37,956
    Clarksville, Tennessee
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    Terry H Phillips
    We flew low level pathfinder missions to the Nellis Ranges for the F-105Ds (doppler only) out of the Guard outfit at Carswell in F-111Ds in the mid 70s. We asked them how fast they wanted to go. Answer the first time came back "Can you do 540 knots ground speed?" Sure, so we led four of them at 540 knots. Second time they asked "Can you do 570 knots?". Sure, wondering if they could actually go that fast. So we led them at 570 knots (656 mph) and 200' AGL. Not sure how fast they could actually go at low level, but they were about the only thing I have seen that could keep up with an F-111D at low level with both using military power or below.
     
  10. snj5

    snj5 F1 World Champ

    Feb 22, 2003
    10,213
    San Antonio
    Full Name:
    Russ Turner
    #10 snj5, Nov 10, 2014
    Last edited: Nov 10, 2014
    Our older F4 guys use to always say nothing could go faster faster than an F111 on the deck. While not as fast, have been a bit above 500 knots but very substantially lower than 200 feet over the desert in a Reno Guard F4 Reece with a guy that later became the governor of Nevada!
    Holy crap.

    And something I always marveled at was you could be flying in the middle of the barren desert, a hundred miles or more from anything and there would be a guy on a camel.

    :)
     
  11. ralfabco

    ralfabco Two Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa

    Mar 1, 2002
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    Dixie
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    Itamar Ben-Gvir
    466th TFS F-105D (AFRES), was the last operational Thud unit - Hill AFB. The same unit won Gunsmoke 1985 with the F-16A.
     
  12. tazandjan

    tazandjan Three Time F1 World Champ
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    Jul 19, 2008
    37,956
    Clarksville, Tennessee
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    Terry H Phillips
    Russ- Have been mach 1.1 several times at 100' AGL in F-111As and mach 1.2 a couple of times at the same altitude. No telling how fast an F-111F would go at that altitude. We wanted to break Greenamyer's F-104 988 mph low altitude record with an F-111F, which it easily could have done, but nobody would let us.
     

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