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Recent Posts
- May 1973 First F-4 Combat Mission over Cambodia May 17, 2023
- Jungle Survival – A Piece of Cake May 2, 2023
- Leaving Luke For Southeast Asia 1973 March 28, 2023
- The POWs come Home and we welcome one January 24, 2023
- Greeting the Future in Times Square December 29, 2022
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© John Norvell
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Category Archives: Luke AFB
Leaving Luke For Southeast Asia 1973
An excerpt from my book Fighter ‘Gator Luke AFB Arizona In March 1973, my class completed its F-4 training at Luke. Our class photo taken outside the 310th TFTS showed a confident group. It had been a demanding eight months … Continue reading
Posted in Air Force, American History, Arizona, F-4 Phantom II, F4 Phantom II, F4 PhantomII, Luke AFB, Navigator, Veterans, Vietnam War
Tagged F-4 GIB, F-4 WSO, F4 RTU
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The POWs come Home and we welcome one
Fifty years ago, on January 27, 1973, the United States and North Vietnam agreed to a ceasefire to withdraw American military forces from South Vietnam. The agreement also released American prisoners of war (POWs) held by North Vietnam. Operation Homecoming … Continue reading
Posted in Air Force, American History, Arizona, F4 Phantom II, Luke AFB, POW training, Veterans, Vietnam War
Tagged 1973, POW Release
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Up in the Air So Blue
14 October 1972 Luke AFB Arizona Our bird, F-4C 662, taxied out of its parking space and slowly moved into position. While Hollywood has accustomed Americans to think that there is considerable banter between aircrew members, there is usually strict … Continue reading
Two types of flyers…
There was an old saying in the F-4 world: “There are two types of flyers, those who have been sick and those who will be.” As our training continued, we moved into a lot of turning and violent maneuvering in … Continue reading
Posted in 13 TFS, 43 TFS, Air Force, Air Force lingo, American History, F-4 Phantom II, F4 emergency, F4 Phantom II, F4 PhantomII, Luke AFB, Thailand, U Dorn RTAFB, Udorn RTAFB, Veterans, Vietnam War
Tagged air sick, Fighter Gator
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The Real Air Force
Way back in 1968, I was a very green second lieutenant with no real job assigned to a base in Washington, D.C. One day a crusty old chief warrant officer. who had served in WWII, said to me: “This is … Continue reading
Posted in 13 TFS, Air Force, American History, F-4 Phantom II, Fighter Aircraft, Luke AFB, Mather AFB, Thailand, Veterans, Vietnam War
Tagged The Real Air Force
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Hail to the Chiefs — Crew that is
Some thoughts on a most important member of the Phantom II Team: The ground crews. When I was a non-rated officer, that is non-flying, I knew nothing about crew chiefs. Even when I was in navigator training, they did not … Continue reading
At Fairchild 1972
After my graduation from navigator training in July 1972, I went almost immediately to basic survival training. When I got the F-4 aircraft assignment, I knew that this virtually ensured that I would find myself in combat soon. To … Continue reading
Posted in Air Force, American History, Combat, F-4 Phantom II, F4 emergency, F4 PhantomII, Family History, Fighter Aircraft, Fighter pilot lingo, Fighter pilot slang, Luke AFB, Mather AFB, Navigator, Navigator Training, POW training, SEA, Vietnam War
Tagged Fairchild AFB, Pow camp exoeriences, Survival training, Trek
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The View from the Pit
Unlike Undergraduate Navigator Training –UNT, the F-4 backseat AKA “The Pit” was a very different world. At nav school, I sat at a table in a classroom, “flew” our practice mission, and did my computations. In the F-4 Sim, I … Continue reading
Posted in 13 TFS, Air Force, Alaska, American History, Arizona, F-4 Phantom II, F4 Phantom II, F4 PhantomII, Family History, Luke AFB, Navigator, SEA, Vietnam War
Tagged F-training, The Pit
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Tales of My Phantom FNG Moments
Everyone who has flown has been an FNG more than once. For the uninitiated that is a F’ing New Guy. The term FNG has been used in the Air Force, I can bet, as long at there were aircrews. It … Continue reading
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