An Unexpected Treat

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On 7-Mar-2007, wrote:

I didn't know anyone
was still flying F-4's. I thought the RF-4 (last variant in service)
was retired a few years ago.

The F-4 is actually a QF-4E drone. They are flown by units at Tyndall AFB,
Florida and Holloman AFB, New Mexico. The QF-4s are flown manned for many
sorties, and when their time is up, they are flown unmanned and expended
as
missile targets. The drone units each have four or five airplanes that
were
given new paintjobs loosely based on camouflage paint worn by the F-4
during
its operational service to fly at airshows. The QF-4E in the photo is one
of those. Those particular airplanes have just a certain number hours
they'll be allowed to fly (until their next major inspections are due) and
then they too will be expended as targets. There have been a few QRF-4Cs
and
as the F-4E supply at Davis-Monthan gets depleted, there will be more.
Early
in the drone program all of the F-4G Wild Weasels were expended, with the
exception of a very few that made it to museums or permanent static
displays.
The Phantoms have been very popular for Heritage Flight displays, and
I've
read the Air Force plans to increase the numbers in new paintjobs for the
program. One more note for those who ca the ugly hump on the top of
the
fuselage seen on drones up until now is going away; they've changed the
equipment and the hump is no longer required for the drone conversion.
Scott Wilson

Interesting...

I had no idea there were enough airworthy (with a human aboard) airframes to
do this. I would have bet dollars to donuts that it was the Collings
Foundation's F4.

I should call DMs PubAff office and ask.

Jay B