Hello everyone, and a gracious Thank You to the Administrators for allowing me an account here.
Long-time aviation enthusiast. I grew up hearing my dad tell stories of flying with his buddies in the 1990s, mostly General Aviation stuff, with some oldies thrown in. My dad isn't too big a fan of Phantoms; he's more of an F-16 guy, F-14, etc. (We've watched Top Gun and Top Gun: Maverick together more times than I can count... lol).
While neither my father nor I have served in the armed forces, I have a deep respect for those who have and those who currently do. My Grandfather (My Father's Father) served in the Army in Germany during the Korean War from 1953 to 1955.
What brings me here to this corner of the web? Since I was young, I've always loved fighter jets. One of my first memories of Phantoms specifically was sometime around 2008 or so, after getting home from the video game store, booting up Ace Combat 5 on my PlayStation 2. Watching the intro cinematics of one of the main characters flying in his F-4G Wild Weasel. From then on, I was hooked. I have had the opportunity to visit many air museums since, was able to see the Oshkosh Airshow three years in a row, the National Museum of the USAF, and I am planning trips to both the Pensacola Naval Air Museum and the Pima Air Museum in Tucson.
I am also beginning a new endeavor on YouTube, using both my knowledge and computer literacy to compile history, data, accounts, and more; not just Phantom-specific, but Cold War Air Combat, Military, and Aviation History from the 60s to the Present.
So what does this mean for me and you all here? For the last five years, I have been amassing a collection of photos, data, flight and maintenance manuals, and all kinds of other knowledge about F-4 Phantoms. They are my favorite aircraft of all time, for all time. I hope to use this website and forums and work with Pilots, WSOs, and Crew alike to capture this segment of history for the record. I'm doing this strictly from passion for History and Aviation, and as a show of respect and admiration for our Men and Women in the Armed Forces.
I hope to both share and receive more facts and knowledge about these fine machines and the people who flew and cared for them. For those of you who have served or are currently serving, thank you for your service, and I thank those deeply who have protected our freedom through sacrifice. May God Bless You.
Respectfully,
-Joe