Between the Blue Angels and the Thunderbirds, it's amazing seeing the Phantoms being flown the way the aerobatics teams do it, being the high-speed bricks they are. It really makes me wonder what it would be like to see such a demo with F-15s...
Sadly, the newer videos only show high speed passes, slow pass, and some tight turns. No inverted flight or barrel rolls, especially the precision rolls.
Fun fact: At the time both the US Navy and the US Airforce were using the F-4 Phantom, and thus the US Navy blue angels also used it for their demonstration squadron, only it used the F-4J instead of the F-4E which was used by the USAF Thunderbirds before the oil crisis that forced the change of aircraft to the F-5 or T-38 Talon.
Remember seeing both the Blue Angels and Thunderbirds perform in thier F-4 Phantoms 👻 Those shows were the best...nothing since then compares to the F-4 Phantom...Nothing
The Super 8 Video that I shot it with had not sound. As such I added the music which happened to be the music that I had played a piccolo solo for in high school. Glad you liked it.
I saw them in F-4's at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota in 1972 or 1973 as part of a school field trip. Got to see the Blue Angels at the same place with my family a couple years later. Both events and the associated open houses were thrlling for a school boy. Thanks for sharing this video.
I saw them 1974, above the airbase runway of an airport in the Andes mountains, at an altitude of 2800 meters. My father had decided we had to see it. They were extraordinary, doing the whole show with apparent ease. The "Phantom" is one of the most beautiful planes that were made. The F-16 is not the same thing. This single air intake under the fuselage... I prefer the Сухой 27.
The aircraft built for the Thunderbirds did not have the radar system installed, also the missile firing wiring and relay boxes were never installed. When the AF quit using F4G's for the Thunderbirds they were only used for pilot training. The missiles in the cavities were dummies filled with oil used to lubricate the engines in inverted flight.
Unfortunately, I only owned a Super 8 movie camera. Video cameras with sound were only used by television networks back then and were very expensive. Certainly way too expensive for me as an enlisted USAF 2 striper.
Between the Blue Angels and the Thunderbirds, it's amazing seeing the Phantoms being flown the way the aerobatics teams do it, being the high-speed bricks they are. It really makes me wonder what it would be like to see such a demo with F-15s...
It’d be downright impressive considering how maneuverable it is.
It would be AWESOME
I seen them in Abittsford Canada in F4's with the Blue Angels F4's yes I was a happy kid.
Sadly, the newer videos only show high speed passes, slow pass, and some tight turns. No inverted flight or barrel rolls, especially the precision rolls.
Fun fact: At the time both the US Navy and the US Airforce were using the F-4 Phantom, and thus the US Navy blue angels also used it for their demonstration squadron, only it used the F-4J instead of the F-4E which was used by the USAF Thunderbirds before the oil crisis that forced the change of aircraft to the F-5 or T-38 Talon.
Remember seeing both the Blue Angels and Thunderbirds perform in thier F-4 Phantoms 👻
Those shows were the best...nothing since then compares to the F-4 Phantom...Nothing
Agreed! 😊👍🇺🇸
The flying was great but what made them special in F-4s was the SOUND......unless you heard them you cannot imagind what it was like.
The Super 8 Video that I shot it with had not sound. As such I added the music which happened to be the music that I had played a piccolo solo for in high school. Glad you liked it.
if you want to see the Thunderbird 1 F4 ...its on display just outside Burke Lakefront Airport in Cleveland, right next to Blue Angel 1 F4...
What a great find, thanks for posting! I was at this airshow, albeit I was probably 11.
I saw them in F-4's at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota in 1972 or 1973 as part of a school field trip. Got to see the Blue Angels at the same place with my family a couple years later. Both events and the associated open houses were thrlling for a school boy.
Thanks for sharing this video.
Thanks for uploading this video! I grew up not far from Travis. Born and raised at Mather AFB. T-38's was my generation of Thunderbirds.
thank you sir for this marvel
This is a very valuable video!
I saw them 1974, above the airbase runway of an airport in the Andes mountains, at an altitude of 2800 meters. My father had decided we had to see it. They were extraordinary, doing the whole show with apparent ease.
The "Phantom" is one of the most beautiful planes that were made.
The F-16 is not the same thing. This single air intake under the fuselage... I prefer the Сухой 27.
I saw them in 73' .
Great show and the Phantom was impressive
The aircraft built for the Thunderbirds did not have the radar system installed, also the missile firing wiring and relay boxes were never installed. When the AF quit using F4G's for the Thunderbirds they were only used for pilot training. The missiles in the cavities were dummies filled with oil used to lubricate the engines in inverted flight.
Too bad no sound in this video, no hearing the thunder.
Unfortunately, I only owned a Super 8 movie camera. Video cameras with sound were only used by television networks back then and were very expensive. Certainly way too expensive for me as an enlisted USAF 2 striper.
Music???... 😳
8 FPM....
Number 4 with the black painted tail... paint it black or let lead's J79s do it!