Question About A Real Rhino

[Purpledog]

I saw an F-4 land yesterday with drag chute deployed. First, I didn't think there were anymore that weren't painted orange with a bullseye on the side. Anyway, is that chute really necessary on a 10k runway and when you take it on the road who packs it up?

 

[727C47]

was it landing at Mugu?

 

[ExAF]

F-4 Chute

There are no more active duty, guard or reserve F-4s out there that aren't drone material; however, there are some privately owned and "planes of fame type" owned F-4s still flying. I'm not sure of the organizations that fly them.
As for the drag chute, it probably wasn't absolutely necessary for the 10K runway unless it was really heavy. In the AF, we were required to use the chute on every landing. It saved wear and tear on the brakes. I would imagine if a privately owned F-4 was paying for brake maintenance, they would use the chute all of the time as well. Usually the "chute shop" would repack them but the pilot can stuff it back in as well if you know what you are doing. Having a broomstick handy was a big help as well.

 

[Mud Eagle]

There is *one* civilian F-4 flying...the one owned by the Collings Foundation.

http://www.collingsfoundation.org/tx_f-4dphantom.htm

From their website:

However, major legal obstacles were encountered when individuals made efforts to acquire non-demiled (demiled combat jets are not flight-worthy) US-built combat jets in America or from abroad. Despite these obstacles, the Collings Foundation decided that it was going to try to acquire and restore a Phantom for flight exhibition. Accordingly, it took an act of Congress by means of an amendment to the Defense Authorization Bill of 1999 to allow the Collings Foundation to acquire its F-4 Phantom.

 

[JimNtexas]

Doesn't USAF still operate F-4s at the target squardron at Tyndall and the German training uint?

BAE converts the old F-4s and Mojhave for use as targets.

 

[Weasel Keeper]

The Germans retired their F-4Fs from HO a year ago.

*edit, misread* HO may still operate QF-4E/Gs, and Tyndall does for sure.

Other than the Collings Foundation, there are a group of 4-6 F-4E/Gs Tyndall has painted back up in old paint schemes to do airshows and Heritage Flights.

 

[L'il J.Seinfeld]

There are F-4s flying today in America. They don't belong to the USAF or USN. The German Luftwaffe has a training squadron and they routinely air refuel with USAF tankers. The Japanese Self Defense Force are also still flying phantoms. FWIW.

OK. Strike the above regarding the Germans as I had not heard they were done. But as far as I know the Japanese are still flying F-4s. The Australians are still flying F-111s BTW.

 

[Mud Eagle]

There are F-4s flying today in America. They don't belong to the USAF or USN. The German Luftwaffe has a training squadron and they routinely air refuel with USAF tankers. The Japanese Self Defense Force are also still flying phantoms. FWIW.

The German F-4s have been retired for over a year.

 

[DaveGriffin]

There are no more active duty, guard or reserve F-4s out there that aren't drone material; however, there are some privately owned and "planes of fame type" owned F-4s still flying. I'm not sure of the organizations that fly them.
As for the drag chute, it probably wasn't absolutely necessary for the 10K runway unless it was really heavy. In the AF, we were required to use the chute on every landing. It saved wear and tear on the brakes. I would imagine if a privately owned F-4 was paying for brake maintenance, they would use the chute all of the time as well. Usually the "chute shop" would repack them but the pilot can stuff it back in as well if you know what you are doing. Having a broomstick handy was a big help as well.

A chute on every landing on a 10,000' runway?? It seems a terrible and criminal abuse of a great airplane designed for carrier landings that uses only 75 ft of carrier deck to come to a complete stop. I guess it all depends on the pilot.

 

[stonewall]

A chute on every landing on a 10,000' runway?? It seems a terrible and criminal abuse of a great airplane designed for carrier landings that uses only 75 ft of carrier deck to come to a complete stop. I guess it all depends on the pilot.

75 feet of carrier deck AND AN ARRESTING CABLE, you moron. Why don't you leave the pilot stuff to the pilots, Dave.