Dad is class of '70, and was in the defunct Squadron 11 of the Corps. We finally got him to scan this picture from his naval aviator days! He had 106 carrier landings in his 8 year tenure.



[This message has been edited by FightinAggie07 (edited 11/27/2011 1:09p).]

nice

Great Pic!

You Dad rocked that 70's porn stache!

Your dad looks like Goose!

Great picture. All those guys were rocking the stash back then. To this day, when prospective Naval Aviators first attempt carrier qualification, they grow a "boat stash".

Great pic. Makes me miss crewing F-15s

Thanks for his service. Cool picture btw.

Yeah, those class of 70 guys were sure funky.

I knew your dad but for the life of me I can't recall his name and my yearbooks are all in storage. He was one class behind me. Many of my best friends were in Heaven's 11, since Titan 10 frequently shared a dorm with them, we were in the same Group/Wing, and both were engineering outfits back in the day.

I'd like to know his name as well. I was class behind him but don't recognize the pic.

Sorry guys, just saw those last two responses (love the new "Watch List" feature!)

My dad is Mike Granberry. I'm sure he would love hearing from you guys if you want me to help you get in touch!

Having served in Viet Nam, and flying in and out of various air bases, that brings back memories. Saw those guys coming back in from missions and parking in their shelters.

I went to an air show at the old Carswell. They had two F-4s simulate a low level bombing run. They had ordinance planted between runways and the Phantoms came in low and fast, and when they set off the explosives, they pulled up and leaned on the throttle. They set off car alarms all over the parking area. It gave me chills!

rock on!

i wish i had some pics of my dad with his Cobra.

Great pic that brings back a lot of great memories.

I was a butter bar AF meteorologist in the early 70's, stationed at Cannon AFB, NM. We got lots of Navy/Marine transients because Cannon was a great fuel stop going to and from either coast. Great weather most of the time and very little traffic. Kinda like an easy off/easy on exit ramp on the interstate.

The Navy/Marine pilots I encountered were always easygoing, easy to brief, and professional. You could tell from the mission patches on their flight suits that they had been there, done that - many times over. They had a relaxed confidence that I didn't often see in the (mostly) younger AF pilots stationed at Cannon.

NormanAg,
You may be able to answer this question. My crusty, old Ops Officer* at Ubon, later Sqdn Commander (best I ever served with) at Holloman used to ask, "ever see a base weather office that had a window?" I remember returning from combat missions and stopping in with the Wx guys to give them a PIREP for the target area. Of course it could rain at any time in SEA. Went in one day soaking wet, and having the Wx guy ask with seeming all sincerity, "is it raining outside?" Maybe that was a weatherman's idea of humor. The weather shop at Ubon WAS buried inside the headquarters building and did not have a window.
* The best part of the silly movie "Top Gun" (apologies to all that loved it, but I was too close to the business) was the squadron commander on the carrier. He was the spitting image in all ways of Lt Col Thomas. Had a plaque on his desk, "People are no damned good".
Sorry to digress.

F4GIB71 - Enjoyed your post. We had a window at Cannon (I had two tours their, first one as a butter bar and the second one as the wx detachment commander.)

I visited the Holloman wx station a few times in the early 80's - I seem to recall that they did NOT have a window.

I recall a mid shift during my first tour at Cannon when the we got a call from an SP at the main gate asking how long the snow was going to last. We didn't KNOW it was snowing, but quickly put out a special obs to make it "official".

So there's a good chance the wx weenie at Ubon did NOT know it was raining.

When I met my wife, her dad was a Boeing engineer working on the SRAM test program at Holloman. We got married in Alamogordo.

And finally, back in the day I had a lot of friends who were F-4 GIBs and a few who were F-101 GIBs.

One of my F-4 GIB buddies held out to the bitter end and moved from one AF Res/ANG base to another as the F-4 was being phased out. He actually ended up in the last F-4 outfit.

My bud was a mechanical engineer who had worked for NASA at JSC. But he loved flying.

Also had a bud (an Academy grad) who was an F-4 pilot and a damned good one. He always talked about how much he liked having a GIB - a second set of eyeballs.

Well, I am a little prejudiced about the F-4. Did six years AD when the F-4 was still the front line fighter, but even an Aggie could see the hand writing on the wall as all the new fighters coming in to the inventory didn't have enough chairs for me to stay. Got into the ANG at Ellington where I could still fly. Hate to admit in mixed company but picked up just under 500 hours in the F-101 Doodoo, er Voodoo. We transitioned to F-4Cs in '82. Of course, we got the "dogs of the fleet" from elsewhere. After a couple of years and our maintenance troops had them flying well, it was decided the wing spares were too corroded so we went throught it all over again going into D models. Managed to stiff arm the single seat until 18 years when I finished my last years as a maintnance office.

Should have spell checked my previous post. Was your engineer friend at JSC in the Guard at Ellington? Who was it?

Don't know for sure, but he probably was. His name was Warren Eastman.

Edit: When you were at Ellington, was your mission air to air only, or did you do some CAS as well?

I was at Andrews from 84-88 and lived on base, so spent a lot of time at the O Club. Rubbed shoulders with lot of ANG guys at the Club. (ANG Headquarters is there and an ANG F-16 outfit.)

I always found it strange that the F-16 outfit did not have any birds on alert - just outside of DC!

Fast forward to 9/11 - the AF had to scramble F-15s from Langley AFB, VA and Stewart AFB, NY to intercept the highjacked planes.





[This message has been edited by NormanAg (edited 12/27/2011 8:21p).]

[This message has been edited by NormanAg (edited 12/27/2011 8:22p).]

His name is familiar but if he was at EFD, it was at the end. San Antonio Guard had F-4s as did the Reserve unit at Bergstrom. We were conehead interceptor in the 101 days and the first year or so in the F-4. Became a fighter unit after that but always air to air in my days. When we got the F-16, it was the Air Defense version. After I left, they changed roles to GP. Had a pretty big turnover of pilots after that. Most of those we recruited in my day were from F-15, F-16, and Aggressors in anticipation of the eventual F-16 transition. Think a lot of them did not relish the idea of hurdling their bodies at the grounds.
During my AD days, we were primarily A/G. Ubon was a good base for GIBs since we pioneered laser bombing, had all the LORAN bombing birds, and did the EO bombing (never got to do that). At Holloman, we were dual based to USAFE so had a tac nuke committment.

There are still 50 QF-4s in the inventory. These are drones used for various purposes, but they can also be piloted.

According to the website of the USAF Heritage Flight, there are two F-4 qualified pilots in the AF and they often fly a QF-4 at airshows where the Heritage Flight performs.

http://www.acc.af.mil/aerialevents/heritageflight/index.asp

The March issue of Air Classics has some nice photos of a QF-4 flying with a Skyraider at Nellis.

There was no one in the back seat, F4GIB.

The Navy has a Legacy Flight that performs at airshows, but they do not have an F-4.

Not to break hearts, but I hear they're using drone F-4s out of Tyndall for live fire exercises, and shooting them down in the Gulf.

Yep. One of the "various purposes" I mentioned. That will be the fate of most, if not all of them eventually, unless they save back two or so for the Heritage Flight.

I'm guessing early model F-16s will take the place of the QF-4s after they're gone.

The Collings Foundation owns an F-4, A-4, F-100F, and a Huey along with some WWII aircraft. They take them to airshows as a Vietnam flying memorial. The F-4 orginally was painted like Richie's jet and he flew it. For reasons most of the F-4 community that knew him would understand, it is now painted with the markings of a genuine Air Force legend, Robin Olds. They painted the F-100F with the markings of MOH recipient Col. Bud Day as Misty 1. I was there for the dedication and had the honor of shaking Col. Day's hand. For those who don't know his story, do a Google search on him. Two outstanding books about his life. You can find American Patriot, a biography by Robert Coram, on Amazon. Col. Day's autobiography, Duty, Honor, Country, is a little harder to find. I got mine from him. Anyway, the Collings Foundation is having great difficulties with the incompetance of the FAA getting an airworthiness certificate. A real Catch 22. The Collings Foundation wants to get a Thud but the Air Force is fighting it, like they did the F-4.

quote:

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The F-4 orginally was painted like Richie's jet and he flew it. For reasons most of the F-4 community that knew him would understand, it is now painted with the markings of a genuine Air Force legend, Robin Olds.

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Out of curiosity, what is the issue with BGen Ritchie? He came and spoke to us in Kingsville a couple years ago.