Tuesday, April 23, 2013

The Beginning of the End

From the Usual USAF Source...
Final F-4 Regenerated for Use as Aerial Target
The final F-4 regenerated from storage in the Air Force's aircraft boneyard at Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz., earlier this month departed the base for Mojave, Calif., for conversion to a QF-4 target drone, announced base officials. This RF-4C airframe, dubbed "Last One," left Davis-Monthan on April 17, states the base's April 19 release. "It's a great feeling to see such a magnificent aircraft fly again to serve the warfighter," said Eddie Caro, the crew chief assigned to the aircraft since December 2012. BAE Systems will convert the platform into the QF-4 configuration in California and then deliver it to Tyndall AFB, Fla. This airframe arrived at Davis-Monthan for retirement in January 1989 and had been dormant until technicians with the base's 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group last year began restoring it to flying status, according to the release. The Air Force is transitioning from the QF-4 to using QF-16s as its full-scale aerial targets. (Davis-Monthan report by Teresa Pittman) (See also Three-Hundredth QF-4 Delivered.)
I suppose goin' down in flames is preferable to rusting away in The Boneyard... or, as Neil put it: "It's better to burn out than to fade away..."

7 comments:

  1. Just had to ruin my day, didn't you? SOOooo......by implication and extension does "better to burn than fade" apply to ex F-4 driver fossils like me? ....I don't think I like you very much....(waiting for Sebelius' death panels to arrive at my door with a signed commitment form stating my uselessness to society and a date to report to the showers for delousing..)

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    1. ...does "better to burn than fade" apply to ex F-4 driver fossils like me?

      We have some evidence that you burnt out long ago, Virg. The Death Panel verdict will just be a formality.

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  2. What!!?? Evidence!!?? You're now a paid informant for Homeland Security? Been digging into my pristine past for filthy lucre? No WONDER you live in "luxury" digs.. :)

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    1. You're now a paid informant for Homeland Security?

      Nah... I just do it for fun; I have no need for additional income, what with all that money comin' in from HP, the AF, and SS.

      Delete
  3. I'm with Virgil on this one. I wonder at the history behind this old girl. Was she on Okinawa with me? Who flew her?

    What tales she could tell.

    Airplanes are not just machines. Not at all.

    Farewell proud steed! Make them earn that shoot down. Don't go gently into the dark!

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    1. I did some quick and dirty research on her tail number -- 68-599 -- and found this photo of her in Former Happy Days at either Aviano or Zweibrucken (unclear as to home base... but I suspect Zwei). A USAFE bird, in other words.

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    2. I was stationed at Zweibrucken AFB Germany 77-79, 68-599 was based from there during that time. Some of her history was revealed when the HF radio had problems and NO normal efforts resolved issue. I requested the aircraft history for that system from McDonnell Douglass and received a six inch thick printout. This aircraft served in Vietnam and was flown extensively. She had a fairly high number of flight hours at the time she arrived at "Z". The problem was corrosion throughout the airframe causing the HF to fault when airborne. This aircraft was equipped with the TEREC recon system at the time and was flown more often due to this. MY HF was used to transfer data and pretty much crippled for use when the radio died. We had to take both engines and all (86) panels off the aircraft and everyone was required to remove their equipment, The E seats, all instruments, cameras any and all items. She basically was a shell. After the corrosion was removed it took about a week to get everything back together and 2 tries at flight before she made it back to full service. For my remaining time at Zwei, this aircraft flew without much of a fuss for an F-4. My system didn't give anyone trouble during that time, This Rf-4C was one of the better flyers due to it not breaking things while in use. I.E. you could rely on it for TADs and special recon assignments we had. I was TAD/TDY to Norway, Spain, and it flew without incident, Usually, Pilots liked it due to it performing with its systems without write ups that all 29 others we had seemed to have. Except for it going to be shot down, They have a good reputation aircraft from my perspective. 2 years hands on. I don't know if she was at Alconbury at any time or Kadena.

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Just be polite... that's all I ask.