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At the introduction of USAF tail codes as we know them, the first were assigned to wings and broke down to individual squadrons ex: on Holloman it was HB-7th TFS, HC-8thTFS, HD-9thTFS, and HE-417TFS, and later they all went to HO. I saw on a website where Holloman had a HA code never while I was assigned there did I see the tail code HA. So me fine former fellow TAC rats...did I miss something, was there before my arrival an HA tail code for one of the squadrons?. I'm asking because our birds traveled a lot, and someone may have seen one of the 49th's Phantoms with an HA tail code when it was doing a XC run, and stopped in for fuel at any one of a number of bases. I just don't remember ever seeing that code, and I was there for a year or two. I remember other units have a similar setup...Nellis had WD, WC and I can't remember the others, Bergstrom had B*'s the others totally elude me.

There is a pic on ikipedia that shows what it purports to be a pic of a 9th TFS F-4D....however if you look closely you'll see the "HE" tail code and the unit emblem is that of the 417th "Red Dorques", not a "Flying Knight", I suppose guessing is better than nothing at all <_< .

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Thanx J, I've been doing research looking for any indication that it was used by the 49th even if only for a minute...but it looks like I'm correct in saying it was never used by the 49th as a tail code.

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According to the excellent book "Tail Code" by Pat Martin, the code HA was briefly assigned to the 417 TFS after they were reassigned from the 67 TRW at Mountain Home AFB to the 49th TFW at Holloman AFB (around November 1970 time). No photograph though.

Cheers,

Haydn.

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I don't have the Martin book, but Airdoc's F-4 Phantoms of the USAFE have a chapter on the 49TFW, and states that the 7TFS used HB, 8TFS used HC, 9TFS used HD and 417TFS used HE - Airdoc also refer to the Martin Collection?

All assignments with the 26TRW are TDY's.

I think the 185TFW carried the HA-tailcode, atleast from 1976. Will try to search the net to see if any of their F-100's flew with this also.

Edit:

A little searching found this list, indicating that HA belonged to the 185TFW all along;

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_F-100_units_of_the_United_States_Air_Force

F-4D with HE tail code;

http://www.aviationspectator.com/files/images/McDonnell-Douglas-F-4-Phantom-II-110.preview.jpg

F-100C with HA tail code;

http://www.f-100.org/images/f-100c_41827.jpg

F-100C 174TFS serving in Vietnam with HA-tailcode;

http://www.f-100.org/hun017.shtml

Edited by Niels
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According to the excellent book "Tail Code" by Pat Martin, the code HA was briefly assigned to the 417 TFS after they were reassigned from the 67 TRW at Mountain Home AFB to the 49th TFW at Holloman AFB (around November 1970 time). No photograph though.

Cheers,

Haydn.

Aha...thanks I was still sweating it out in S.E. Asia, counting down the days till my ride on a "Freedom Bird" heading east...for the land of the Big BX, :D B) , guess what I MADE IT!!! :lol: :whistle:

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