Sometime during the summer of 1982, I was stationed at MCAS, El Toro, CA, and we were transitioning to the F-18 Hornet. One morning, I heard the usual J79 F-4 sound louder than usual and went outside to watch (as I did too often) and saw pairs of our F-4s taxiing toward the active. Turns out our 3 fighter squadrons (VMFA-314, 323, and 531) were flying off their F-4s in preparation to receive the first of their (and the Marine Corps') Hornets! I had the pleasure of watching pairs of Phantoms launch for the better part of a couple hours! Wow, quite a sight and a memory for me!! What a sound I'll never forget!

My buddy Jimmy Rosinski and I were crew chiefs for RF-4C models at Shaw AFB. Beautiful airplane Eric in every way. Can smell that JP-4 and feel the power of the 17 stage J79GE15!!

Eric, it was my honor to serve such an awesome organization. I sometimes wish I could work on them again. The F-4 was a fantastic Aircraft. And thank you for your service, Sir!

these phantoms still pretty damn good predators. they never get old

These planes should be given to museums for future generations to see. They will be missed.

Having spent many hours in Phantoms, it is sweet music to my ears to here the power carts and engines again.

That pilot looks like call sign "Elvis" got to meet him, great guy. SEMPER FIDELIS.

Beautiful jets with a beautiful sound, RIP Phantoms

Love the sound of the J-79 engines.

BTW, I was at the Olympic Air Show in Olympia, WA, a couple years back, and a QF-4 from Holloman AFB (82nd Aerial Target Squadron) was there for a few passes. How cool that was, too! Talked with the Colonel (CO) who flew it, and he told me they were the last USAF F-4 squadron with 38 birds. What a legacy!

Great footage & def the most beautiful fighter

Was a real treat to see two F-4E's at Oshkosh this year.

I was an egress phantom phixer in the 80's,awesome aircraft.

The sound of these are awesome

what an absolute beast

Nice, thanks for posting (VMFP-3 Iwakuni Japan, 1989)

I saw them taking off from Alameda Naval Air Station in 1964. We were touring the aircraft carrier Coral Sea at the time and the Ranger was directly across from us. A good friend was a F4 crew chief on the carrier Kennedy in the early 70's. Just a beautiful plane to me.

I miss the sound of the J 79’s firing up . Thanks for this video .

Goodnight Texas - Hypothermic should be the sound of this farewell

The F4 was in test when I was in high school, at Pt. Mugu California, my father worked there and we saw them regularly. I'll never forget them setting the time to climb record, which was right over (seemed so) our high school, which was inland from the runway at Mugu (one was parallel to the coast the other perpendicular), everything stopped in the class for a few minutes... It was great, never forget it

You got some great detail on the closeups. Really feel its menacing size and metallic presence.

F-4 Phantoms is the best in the world forever...👍

I'm sure glad the AF is allowing these baby's to fly across the country before their end dates we the Phantom fans are getting some great video of the ole girls.

I'll give one a home. hit me up and I'll mow-off a spot to park it. LOL

Crew chief on F4E’s in Da Nang, Vietnam Nam in 1970.

High five the ol girl. I love it! 😊

legendary fighter

Phuk ! It's a Phantom. I love em.

The sound of those J-79 engines over 40 years after Vietnam ended still mean freedom for Americans everywhere!

It's so cool watching the pilot prep! Did he put on Spotify with those earphones? 😄

in 70's I was in germany and these planes were at RAF sqn Bruggen Gutersloh and Laarbrook

I miss the F-4 very much

What a fantastic airplane WOW. What on earth were the people who designed that on at the time, what magic mushrooms did they do and nothing looks nowhere near as good these days as they still do still. What a brute of a plane ✈

Great video!

I miss working on them., I was in the 35th Munitions Maintenance Squadron at George AFB in Victorville, Ca. I was in weapons release. Best tour I had.

That paint scheme has to be from the reserve unit out of Bergstrom AFB TX.

Never underestimate the growl of twin J79's.

shes beautiful..

It's sad to see the famous air defense diesel retire

Never count the f4 fan I'm out it was a reason why they maintain those phantoms in the boneyards in Arizona. F-4 fans is still a formidable weapon with upgraded electronics to keep it current. Can you imagine replacing phantom engines with two F100 engines instead of the standard phantom engines.

fantastic

I live right under the flight path for final and takeoff for this airport. I see all kinds of cool stuff come out of there.

we should all be entitled to an F-4!

jets take off at 8:28. anyway great video I love the F-4 phantom 2

Awesome bird.

Yes, there are contracting super techs involved in rigging (task above and beyond any normal AF five level F-4 trained senior Airman would be) the remote controls to these transitioning manned acft to drone status. ----- As more sophisticated acft come on-line, avail for drone status that has 'fly-by-wire' as the F-16 with the flight-control servos are already in place, will become very less costly for the conversions. Remove and "plug and play" will be the norm.

cool F4

Nothing like watching these things go full afterburner at low level during their prime.

Please tell me they're going to be sold as surplus so a retired pilot can pick one up and atleast send them to an air museum, i really really hope they do not scrap them.

Hell, I thought these things had been retired long ago. Shows how little I know.

phantom forever. real phantom.tomorrow

I really get sad when I see the designation of QF. That means they'll be drones. Unceremoniously blown out of the sky for target practice :(

I live about 5 min drive away from this airport

Who flies them? Contractors?

Too bad they don't just slap a pair of Pratt- Whitney f-100's in it and invest some up to day avionics in it. This old girl can still kick some ass

That plane is beat up.

I hear the sound of trumpets they talk to me they feed me it's time to take. My meds thanks F4 ever silently numb...

I hope they are not going to be used as target drones

You didnt gert them leaving??? Why not?

Interesting but no take off. No matter what you do, you MUST show the take off of these airplanes, that is the very best part.

Sept. 4, 2018---Thanks for the video, but you wanna know what the bitch is? Watching them during my 10 years in the Air Force and now knowing they're being blown up or chop up for pots and pans. Icing to this bitch cake? With the exception of F-5's, KC-135's & B-52's, EVERY aircraft I have slides and photos of have also gone to the boneyard/chopped or blown up.

F4 wild weasels?