@ Santa Rosa, CA
September 2016
The annual Wings Over Wine Country Airshow is put on by the resident Pacific Coast Air Museum which has an impressive collection of jet warbirds. For the airshow, these aircraft are staged with related displays and opened up for cockpit access. Delivered in 1965, this F-4 is a “C” model designed specifically for U.S. Air Force use, seeing action in Vietnams and was last operated by the Oregon Air National Guard before retirement in 1988. After retirement, it was assigned to the Sierra Army Depot for use in crash & burn firefighter training. Never burned as intended, the Museum took possession in 1994.
Designed by McDonnell Aircraft and first flown in 1958, this classic fighter served with all three US services and air forces around the world. December 21, 2016 would mark the phinal retirement of the Phantom from US service. F-4 production ran from 1958 to 1981, with a total of 5,195 built, making it the most produced American supersonic military aircraft. McDonnell Aircraft would later merge with Douglas Aircraft in 1967. Nikon D7100 w/18-200mm.
