Tag Archives: f-4

Air Force Celebrates Officers Career without Mentioning Race

In a rare event for an Air Force press release, an article celebrated the long and storied career of Col Patrick “Phantom” Campbell, without once mentioning the color of his skin.

Campbell had an interesting career – rejected by the US Air Force Academy initially, he went to the Prep school and then to USAFA. He washed out of pilot training, but then excelled at Navigator training. He was an F-4 EWO in the early 1980s; after a break in service, he eventually returned and would become the Ops Group Commander and finally the 22nd Air Force Director of Operations at Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Georgia. He now retires and plans to continue to live a full life, as well as spend more time with Kimberly, his wife of 38 years.

In an era in which status and physical traits seem Read more

AF Fighter Pilot Col Bud Day Dies at 88

US Air Force Colonel (Retired) George “Bud” Day passed away this weekend at the age of 88.  Col Day received the Medal of Honor following his 5 and a half year stint as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, where he bunked with now-Senator John McCain much of the time.

Prior to that, Col Day was enlisted as a US Marine in World War II and an Air Force Pilot during the Korean War.  He flew the F-84 Thunderjet in Korea and was flying an F-100 Super Sabre when he was shot down in Vietnam.  After he was Read more

Book Review: Leading with Honor

Lee Ellis
FreedomStar Media

Leading with Honor, Leadership Lessons from the Hanoi Hilton, is a unique and outstanding book by former prisoner of war Lee Ellis, an F-4 pilot who spent nearly six years in POW camps in Vietnam. Its stated intent is to pass on “leadership” lessons from the “crucible of captivity.” In truth, it is much more than that: It teaches lessons that are applicable to all of life.

Ellis, who was a 1st Lt at the time, was on his 53rd mission over North Vietnam Read more

Shootdown Victim Opposes Former Navy Pilot’s Promotion

The Virginian-Pilot adds information to the story of US Navy Captain Timothy Dorsey, who shot down an Air Force F-4 during a training exercise in 1987.  Turns out the pilot he shot down has issues with Dorsey’s promotion:

Dorsey’s…critics, including the pilot he shot down, say he should have been forced out of the service more than two decades ago. Some said they are contacting their senators to ask that his appointment be stopped.

The pilot Dorsey shot down, Air Force Lt. Col. Michael Ross, Read more

Fighter Pilot Shoots down Friendly. Promoted to Admiral.

The Washington Times notes with thick irony the story of US Navy Captain Timothy Dorsey, an IG for a Navy Reserve detachment who has been nominated for promotion to Admiral — and who has an interesting history.  As also reported at the Military Times:

The incident took place Sept. 22, 1987. Then-Lt. Dorsey, 25, [piloting an F-14] shot down an RF-4C jet over the Mediterranean while operating off the carrier Saratoga, according to a 1988 Associated Press story on the Navy’s report. The two Air Force crewmen ejected safely…

While he knew he was taking part in an exercise, Read more

The Language of the Fighter Pilot: YGBSM

Much of the fighter pilot lexicon is not suitable for the ears of Mom or the kids.  When translated, this is one of those terms.

YGBSM is short for “You Gotta Be Sh-tting Me,” which is obviously a term of shock, disbelief, or resignation at a realization of institutional stupidity.  Where did it come from, and why is it so popular in the fighter pilot community?

Lt Col Allen Lamb, USAF (ret.), wrote a first person account about being one of the Air Force’s (the world’s) first SAM-killers, otherwise known as “Wild Weasels:”   Read more

History Channel “Pawn Stars” Buy AMRAAM?

A few different entertainment news sources are reporting that the purveyors of the reality TV series Pawn Stars purchased a US Air Force air-to-air missile recently.  As with many discussions of military hardware, its difficult to tell what, precisely, anyone is talking about:

Sources confirm to FOX411 that the stars of the History Channel’s reality show “Pawn Stars” have purchased a guidance system for a missile used on F-4 Phantom fighter planes.

TMZ originally reported that Rick Harrison and his team made the deal for an AIM-120 AMRAAM missile last week, although the missile did not contain a live war head.

An AIM-120 is not a guidance system, and AMRAAMs were not Read more

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