bindian
Super Member
bindian- I think I remember our pilots refering to the Phantom as the "flying brick". And yes jinman it did leave a huge trail of smoke across the sky and were very easy to pick up. Every year when we were back in the states we would go to MCAS Yuma for gunnery practice. Yuma was a strange place to fly because of the heat. We would start sorties at 0400 and quit at about 1600. I always worked night check and we would start at 1600. We never had problems with hot brakes except at Yuma, then we had lots.
Our pilots loved Yuma because we also did a lot of dogfighting with the F-4 Squadrons that were there out of Miramar also. They would always come back after tangling with the Phantoms with a smile & a swagger and a "Sea Story" about kicking the Phantoms butt. For non-Fleet Sailors in the group the difference between a Fairy Tale and a Sea Story is, a Fair Tale begins "Once upon a time......" and a Sea Story begins "This is no s***......". Anyway the Crusader for it's age and all its faults could fly circles around the Phantom.
FYI- MCAS Yuma had the best mid-rats that I ever had the priviledge to enjoy. I use to come back from the Acey-Ducey Club and change into dungeress and go hit mid-rats. I guess the Marines figured they had to fees the troops good out there in the desert to keep them a little bit sane.
Charlie
Oh yeah, I remember, now that you mention, some folks calling them bricks. Cause they flew like a brick without power up. Chance-Voight had a long history of great fighters. My favorite prop fighter was the F4U Corsair. Douglass, not so much making fighters.
hugs, Brandi