McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom

Aircraft Information
> Aircraft Make: McDonnell Douglas Model: RF-4C Nickname: Phantom
> Aircraft Mil Civ Description: Tactical Jet
> FAA Category and Class: Airplane ME Land
> Engine Description: twin General Electric J79-GE-15 turbojet engines

Aircraft Experience
> As of: 10/30/2024
> Number of Hours Flown: 1.5
> Number of Times Flown: 1
> Other Aircraft Models Associated: Various F-4 models

First Flown Information
> Sequence First Flown: 29
> Date First Flown: 9/30/1986
> Location First Flown: Edwards AFB, CA (KEDW)
> Who and/or What Organization First Flown With: USAFTPS, Elliott

Recollections: I flew the Phantom during my year as a student at USNTPS.  We were on a field trip (an epic journey worthy of a whole chapter in an as-yet-to-be-written book) and I got lucky to draw this airplane as my “qual eval ride”.

The instructor asked what I wanted to do.  I HAD to get enough data (mechanical characteristics, a basic look at static and dynamic control in all axes, stall characteristics, some cruise and turn perf, etc) to satisfy the requirements of the exercise (to write a daily report) but what I really wanted to do was take this beauty low.  And fast.  So, that’s what we did!  Up we went into the Edwards range…I geeked out for about 45 minutes (including assessing the airplane’s famous low speed characteristics, which require judicious use of the rudders to maintain lateral control) and then we dropped down onto a low level track.  “How low?” I had asked the Instructor in the brief.  The answer?  “however low you’re comfortable with”.  So, down we went.  I think we used 480 knots indicated (using multiples of 60 knots makes the math easier).  And I went low.  I was climbing over telephone wires, thinking “what a fantastically stable and nicely wing loaded airplane” (actually, I was thinking “Wow…this thing is a total sled”).  After about 5 minutes, the instructor said “you mind coming up a bit?”  I guess my comfort level (with the field of view out the front being VASTLY superior to his in the back) was a touch lower that he’d expected.  

It was a joy to fly and I feel so lucky to have gotten a flight in such a famous airplane.