Tag Archives: F4 Phantom II

Racing Back to Vietnam – A Good Read

Posted on June 1, 2018 by

There are few books that have really captured the world of the F4  backseater or GIB (Guy in Back)  in combat. For Dr. John Pendergrass flying in the F-4 Phantom II in combat during the Vietnam War changed his life … Continue reading →

Posted in American History, Combat, F-4 Phantom II, F4 emergency, F4 Phantom II, Vietnam War | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

You can go Home Again

Posted on October 3, 2016 by

Recently,  I spent a great day at the Air Force Museum in Dayton Ohio. It was amazing to see all those aircraft — every version of Air Force One from President Franklin Roosevelt’s plane to the 707 aircraft that took … Continue reading →

Posted in 13 TFS, 43 TFS, Air Force, American History, F-4 Phantom II, F4 Phantom II, Fighter Aircraft, U Dorn RTAFB, Udorn RTAFB, Veterans | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Night Flight

Posted on July 24, 2016 by

There is a belief among some aviators that there is “no lift” at night, therefore night flight is not possible. Clearly this is not true, and regarded as a joke among flyers, but it does reflect an unease among many … Continue reading →

Posted in 13 TFS, 43 TFS, Air Force, American History, Fighter Aircraft, Fighter pilot lingo, Fighter pilot slang, SEA, Veterans | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Warming your car….

Posted on August 11, 2015 by

In Alaska it was a challenge to drive in the winter.   Although snow was not a major issue in Anchorage, cold weather often was the downfall of many vehicles. 40 years ago, long before it became common in the … Continue reading →

Posted in 43 TFS, Air Force, Alaska, Alaskan Air Command, American History, Anchorage, Anchorage Alaska, F4 Phantom II | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Up in the Air so Blue

Posted on June 20, 2015 by

When you fly in the military there is a path that you follow.  All do it.   You start as a student flier, earn your wings, become qualified in a certain aircraft, move on as a squadron member, and then if … Continue reading →

Posted in Air Force, Air Force lingo, American History, F-4 Phantom II, Norvell Family History | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

How does it feel…?

Posted on June 7, 2015 by

So there I was flying combat missions daily in the F4 over Cambodia in 1973 and a letter comes from my late sister and she asked “How does it feel to kill someone?”  To say it pissed me off at the … Continue reading →

Posted in 13 TFS, Air Force, American History, Combat, Norvell Family History, NY, Thailand, Veterans, Vietnam War | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

News from Afar: With Gilligan and Spiro Agnew in China

Posted on May 21, 2015 by

In the fall of 1973, as a member of the 13th TFS,  I had the opportunity to ferry an F4 from Udorn RTAFB in Thailand to Tainan, Taiwan, China.   The Air Force used a system of central depots to … Continue reading →

Posted in 13 TFS, Air Force, American History, Combat, F-4 Phantom II, Fighter Aircraft, Military history, SEA, Thailand, U Dorn RTAFB, Vietnam War | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment