Scott R Wilson

Modelers usually want to do their models with the aircraft carrying a full load of weapons. As I've said before, in real life during peacetime that was a very rare thing to see which is precisely why you've found it so challenging to find the photos you want. For training sorties F-4s in the USAF/ANG/AFRES generally carried one captive Sidewinder, and short-nosed versions might have a centerline gun pod. For simulating Sparrows there was a small cylindrical device that was plugged into the electrical connection in the launchers. For bombing sorties they would carry blue BDU-33 practice bombs

I replaced the links to other people's posts of my photos with my scans of my photos in the above post. I hope you find that more convenient.

Here are my photos of 64-0699 that I took at Ellington on May 4, 1983. As you can see it has four AIM-7E, I presume the dash 2 version, Sparrows that have been painted light ghost gray though a couple have white tail fins. There are no Sidewinders, and it has 370 gallon wing tanks but nothing on the centerline. When the original poster clarifies which ANG unit he was interested in I may have more photos to post later.

Which Texas ANG unit were you interested in, the 149 TFG at Kelly AFB or 147 FIG, 111FIS at Ellington ANGB? The 149 TFG, when I was assigned to that unit 1980-1982 and when I last visited in summer 1983, had a primary mission called TASMO, Tactical Air Support of Maritime Operations. Essentially they practiced bombing ships. Our weapons loaders practiced loading white Rockeye cluster bombs, but I never saw them fly. For training sorties the 149th's F-4Cs often carried an SUU-23 on the centerline and TERs on the inboards with BDU-33 practice bombs mounted to adapters fitted to the TERs, an

Cool! Where is your squadron? Does your unit do Air Defense training sorties too?

Nope, no shame at all. One thing I just remembered to mention, several times as the F-22 was coming up from behind we had a strange buzzing noise in our intercom. We figured it was his radar causing harmonics. It was almost like our own RHAW system.

Manly gonads?

Hopefully this link works. Paul Hirst's video: https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=59D36E79E02D0609%21169&authkey=%21AGAqF85kjCGyCKU&ithint=video%2CMOV

I'm more envious of the Raptor pilots. It must be incredible to fly such an airplane! I think a lot of CAP units get to do these intercept exercises. I know the Appleton, Wisconsin CAP squadron did them with the Madison F-16s. You don't have to be a pilot to participate, non-pilots can fly as mission scanners or observers. It's a lot of fun, check out your closest CAP unit if you are interested. Free airplane rides and the chance to do good works in responding to disasters, what's not to like?

Slow passes past us, then turn in front of us to indicate we should turn away. The exercise script had us ignoring him, continuing straight ahead as he made multiple passes. Paul took an excellent video of one pass but it's a large file. I'll have to figure out how to post it.

I fly with the Hilo, Hawaii Civil Air Patrol unit. Recently I got to participate in a couple of Air Defense exercises with F-22As from the Hawaii Air National Guard from Hickam AFB intercepting us out over the ocean south of Oahu. On my first flight last week, I was Mission Observer in our Cessna 182. I got these photos: Yesterday we flew another mission, and I was pilot while my friend Paul Hirst was Mission Observer. Paul has a much, much better camera. Here are three of his photos:

Maybe you've heard the old saying that there's nothing more useless than the altitude above you, the runway behind you, and the gas you didn't put in the tanks. Clif, do you still fly?

Now it makes sense, it was local policy that you assumed to be an FAA rule. A flight instructor I know was involved in an accident in which his student did the preflight on the Cessna 152 and assured the instructor there was plenty of fuel in the tanks. The instructor took him at his word, and sure enough less than an hour into the flight they ran out of gas and had to glide down to a farm field. The FAA was not amused. The instructor now double-checks the fuel no matter who he's flying with.

Jennings is absolutely correct, there is no requirement for four hours of fuel. I'd be very interested in where you got that "information." It always amazes me how people can invent rules that don't exist. Back when I was in the USAF and spent some time photographing military airplanes, a USAF Security Policeman told me it was against regulations for me to get the tail number in my photos. More recently, a fellow flying a sail plane was ordered to land, arrested and thrown in jail for violating a "no-fly zone" over a nuclear plant. No such no-fly zone exists. The glider pilot tried to tell

I had talked to Col. Graham about Brian Shul at the EAA airshow in Oshkosh a few years back and posted here about what Rich Graham said. That raised the ire of a couple of Brian Shul fanboys, who had a much different perspective that you might find interesting: http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/index.php?showtopic=267042

I know Victor Alert ended at Ramstein, Spangdahlem and Hahn back in late 1983 or thereabouts. I think the F-111s at Upper Heyford and Lakenheath continued it for a few more years, but I'm reasonably certain it was discontinued there as well after the Soviet Union fell apart, before F-15Es were assigned to Lakenheath. I also remember reading the stateside heavy bomber units also discontinued nuclear alert some years back, leaving only land and submarine based missiles the only nukes on alert. I highly doubt that any F-15Es have sat Victor. That being said, if the fat boy in North Korea s

Thanks for the heads up. I corrected the link above, but for your convenience here it is again. Sent from my iPhone

This video has a detailed analysis of the disaster, maybe it's the one you saw: Check out this video on YouTube: Sent from my iPhone

I was TDY to Moron AB, Spain with the 526 TFS from Ramstein AB, West Germany. It was the last Ramstein F-4E deployment, the 512th had already started conversion to the F-16. It was late afternoon there, I'd just got off duty and was back in the barracks laying on my bed when a fellow came running down the hall saying the shuttle had just exploded. I figured he was full of Scheiss, but turned on my radio to hear what had really happened and heard the commentators talking about debris still falling. I was stunned. Several of my buddies came in to listen. We hoped there was some way the crew mig

Have you seen this? http://youtu.be/ethVLMyxA7M

They are calling off the search for survivors at sunset today. Now the focus will be on recovery. So far they've only found all four life rafts from the two helos and aircraft debris, but no sign of the crews.

Frim Hawaii News Now: Search by air, sea for 12 missing Marines enters 3rd day HNN Staff Jan 17, 2016 12:37 PM HALEIWA, OAHU (HawaiiNewsNow) - The search for 12 Marines who were on board two helicopters that collided off Oahu's North Shore entered its third day Sunday, with rescuers scouring a widening search area in hopes of finding survivors. The Coast Guard said Sunday that it remains hopeful survivors will be found. "We’ve been searching 24 hours a day since we were notified and got on scene, and we’re continuing our efforts," Jenkins said, at a news conference. "We are dedicated to

From KITV-4's website: "Search and rescue teams looking for the crews of two crashed military helicopters off the north shore battled large seas and pounding waves from a monster northwest swell. Waves in excess of 30 feet along with seas 14-18 feet made the operations extremely difficult. A front that pushed through also created challenges. It brought persistent rain, lower visibility, increasing and shifting northeast winds. Overall the swell remained the primary threat. "This swell we have right now is special, it definitely reflects the El Nino winter. This is one of the biggest most

As of this morning they hadn't found any trace of the victims but they have been recovering wreckage. There is a high surf warning, seas are 15 to 25 feet. That's making the search difficult. Also some idiot on shore was shining a high-power green laser at a C-130 involved in the search, forcing the Herkasaurus crew to alter their search pattern.

Sounds like a great way to see both teams. Years ago when I visited the Thunderbird hangar at Nellis I was told they and the Blue Angels are not allowed to be at the same airshow in order to maximize both teams' exposure to the public.