Hello, phellow Phantom lovers!
I am a new member, and am very happy I found this site.
This is my first post, so I hope I did it right. I am looking forward to memories, discussions, and technical information. Who knows, I might even run into someone that I used to work with!
If there is a better forum section to be in, please let me know!
phantomphixer6
I think you're in the right place for sure. Unfortunately these forums are fairly new and the membership is still discovering them.
For years your fellow members asked for a set of forums all their own. The Society set up one over on Google, but it was difficult to get to and manage. These are much better.
But it will take folks a lttile time to start participating. I note thirty some folks have read your post with no reply. I was out of country without a computer when I first read your post and I certainly hoped someone else would have replied by now. Oh well.
Do start a topic of interest to you. It might get some folks out of the woodwork.
And thank you for posting!
Shefftini
Where were you stationed when you worked on Phantoms? Beginning in 1969 and thru 1976, I was a crew chief on Phantoms at Homestead AFB, FL; Tan Son Nhut Airbase, Vietnam; and Ubon RTAFB, Thailand. In 1981 and '82, I was a government quality assurance representative on a Navy and Marine Phantom overhaul contract at a facility in Birmingham, AL. Definitely not the best place to get your Phantom refurb'd!!
Fred writes "Where were you stationed when you worked on Phantoms? Beginning in 1969 and thru 1976, I was a crew chief on Phantoms at Homestead AFB, FL; Tan Son Nhut Airbase, Vietnam; and Ubon RTAFB, Thailand. "
We may have crossed paths at Ubon. I was there in '72 and again in '73 with the 336th TDY, but not in maintenance. Flew the Rhino, although my roomie was our squadron maintenance officer and I hobnobbed with the crew chiefs and maintainers a lot.
BTW, if members have updated their personal info as to "affiliation" one (as a Member) can do a search on it in the Member Directory link. Try 336 and you will see mine...
Shefftini
I was a 'late bloomer' on Phantoms - I was at George AFB from Oct 80 to May of 83, in the 20th TFTS (Silver Lobos). After that I worked on F-15's, A-7's, and F-16's. One thing about the Phantom - if you were not a mechanic before you started working on them, you certainly were when you got done! One of my best memories was getting my run license. THAT was the best part of the job! The first time I ran one I was a one-striper with a qualified run man in the back. My supervisor heard about it, and when I looked over my left shoulder, there he was, hands on his hips, shaking his head! He told me it would be a 'cold day' before I got my license. The week I was promoted to SrA, guess what came? Yep! It was a 'cold day'!!
So, if anyone else was at GAFB, let me know - it would be cool to reminisce! I hated it while I was there, but now I miss it now that it is gone, as are my beloved Phantoms!
My Dad was a phixer in thailand in the late 60's Lived in portsmouth ohio, went by the nickname "Burp" Name Everett Bennett. Please pass this along to anyone that you may know that might have worked with him. Thanks
I can guess by your E mail you were a PhantomPhixer, I too I was a Crew Chief, I received my Master CrewChief rating while at Hahn AB Ge. I spent 14.5 years on the F-4D, RF and E. Got my First F-4 in 1969.
I had the pleasure to two flights, one in a RF-4 C, the other in my F-4D. I was one of the few last fully qualified Egress Crew Dawgs, later on that blue rocket landed me an job with DynCorp at Holloman AFB NM . We hold a gathering every year called PhanCon as you can review on the home site some of them in the past. Some times some great subjects are disccused here so enjoy and again Welcom to the F-4 Phantom II Society Phantoms Phorever !
Jim Bob
I agree! Phantoms Phorever! I look forward to some great discussions!
As for where I worked on Phantoms, see my reply to #3 above...
I was a pointyhead avionics Wild Weasel Phantom Phixer at Spangdahlem AB FRG '86-'91, 81st TFS. I was selected as the 52 TFW Flight Control Impoundment Team Chief, earned USAFE Master Technician, and have 2.0 flight hours in the backseat of an F-4G without having to use the barf bag (my flight included A-A engagement with a Spang F-16D who was also doing an incentive flt). I deployed to Desert Sheild/Storm where we had the high flyer/high SAM killer for the war 69-0212. The 81st was selected to go to DS becuase the summer before we had achieved a 95% FMC rate, to which the USAFE/CC remarked "Sierra Hotel job on this weapon system, best seen to date!"....and then we got deployed...maybe we shouldn't have tried so hard! LOL!