Bud Day was our AF ATTACHE OffICER in my ANG unit at Niagara Falls. He flew regularly thru the weeks while assigned to us. He knew then in the 60's that the ANG units were 10X better than any of his REGULAR AIR FORCE units. I met up with him again in Panama City Beach FL in 1979 I think. He was still at war but then he was fighting Uncle Sam for Vets. He gained a lot for us.

My Dad was with the Security Police during that time at Lakenheath TSGT Berry.

+Nfarce That is what I was thinking. Eye out and head on a swivel. That man is a Fighter Pilot

I was air frame at phantom Rang 67 68 . Thay flow the hell out of that 100 and b 57 . Greatest people I ever none prod to have served

Yep I was stationed at Bien Hoa , Vietnam in '67 when we had one crash and flip upside down and came to rest in a ditch full of water. I was an Air Force crash and rescue and saved the pilot from drowning. Fire and 20 mm where going of all around me. Brings back a lot of memories.

I was working at Sheppard Air Force Base in the 80s, the air force were reviving F100s somewhere out west and ferrying them to Florida to be used as target drones, anyway they stopped at Sheppard in TX to refuel. I noticed that they make a distint Boom shortly after starting the takeoff roll, I have never heard another fighter jet do that.

Hi Rodney - Yes that was a characteristic of the afterburner on the F-100. It was not a progressive type afterburner like on newer planes like the F-4. When the F-100 burner would light the segmented nozzle would immediately pop all the way open and the engine would jump right into full afterburner. That's what caused the boom you would hear. It was awesome actually. The F-100 was always popular at airshows when they would do a low pass and light the burner. I can also tell you what it was like from inside the jet when the burner would light because I got two rides in the F-100. You'd be going along down the runway on takeoff or in flight and when the pilot would light the burner you would get a good kick in the rear. The sound in the cockpit didn't really change, but you could see the momentary drop in EPR (engine pressure ratio) when the nozzle would open and then it could come back up when the burner would light. And of course the fuel flow would jump way up. It was all pretty awesome.

Please tell me all of your stories, I would love to know. And this is not sarcasm.

once a pilot always a pilot. you never lose it.

+Daniel Cannata Indeed. I will never forget my first flight, and will always remember the freedom flying has given me.

+Evil Merlin i read he had 8000 hours tt and 4800 hours in single engine jets at his death

+jdhiner1 Yep, he was a hell of a pilot for sure.

I was a weapons release trouble shooter on the F100 at Phu Cat Airbase , and I was with the 421mms . I came with the Atlantic City ANG , but worked on all the planes of the 4 squadrons;. We use to call the 555 the Triple Nickle . We got there in July 68 , and left in June 69 . These planes did a hell of a job for the ground troops . Bailed them out of a lot of battles with there highly experienced and accurate pilots .We brought 20 Plaines with us and after a year of many sorties , they all came back with us . I can imagine how the Coronial must have felt in that F100 .

Yep, thats the one Triple Nickle. I have some great old images of it, when they transitioned out of 'Nam to Turkey.

Hey Guys I was regular AF but I was assigned to the 355th [ANG] at Phu Cat Jan 1969 and I was the crew chief on Triple Nickel. I went to Nam my 4th year as an Airman 1st. I did make Staff in Aug. When the ANG'S year was up we were sent to Tuy Hoa with the acft.Their was about 10 of us regular AF. We left Phu Cat May 18th. On the 24th of May Triple Nickel was hit by ground fire and crashed into the South China Sea killing the pilot. I don't have permission to say the pilots name She was carrying napalm I understand some f 100's were sold to the Turkish Gov but not Triple Nickel I came home in Jan 1970 and was discharged Some of the best years of my life.

Thankyou Sir 🙏❤️🇺🇸

You are correct. During their service in the USAF and ANG the F-100 used a different ejection seat. By modern standards it wasn't a very capable seat. It was not zero-zero. You had too be moving at a fairly high rate of speed and be above some minimum altitude to have any chance of surviving an ejection. If you tried to punch out while the plane was sitting on the tarmac or rolling slow you were dead. It's not surprising that the Collins Foundation chose to put a different seat into its F-100. It's probably a newer, more capable modern seat.

Hey Bill ! Remember me G Dougan. I signed off your OJT papers. I crewed triple nickel and after it went down I crewed 456 I left Tuy Hoa in Jan. of 70. I think you extended for 6 months. Take care

+Sgt. Mac , The paint burned off of the aft section of the aircraft, so it just simply was not painted.

Thanks for the info. Makes sense now, lol!

Because the J57 generated so much heat, that it caused the paint to burn off, so they decided to not paint the aft end of the fuselage.

I was stationed at Luke AFB 1965-67 as f100 engine mechanic later flightline. Pcs at bien hoa vn 1967-68 3rd FMS. Shop overhauled 33 engine monthly even got picture by star n strip of me inspecting the flamethrower. I love the f100 but I love the f4 for its design. After 5yrs, in af got discharged. Worked and retired with United Airlines 16 as pw4000 engine tech. Missed the f100. Thanks you so much, brought back precious memory, Robert chow

The F-4 was one of the greatest fighters and broke many world records and YOU think the F-4 was a mistake....

Andy Peterson The F-4 wasn't a mistake at all, THOUGH, he is right leaving the gun out cost service men their lives needlessly, and THAT mistake should never be repeated.

The E Model had an integral gun. The pods never worked very well. I'd hardly call the F-4 a mistake though.

Robert Babcock n

Robert Babcock Do you know why those things are called "missiles"??? Because they "miss" a lot!!!!!!