F-4 flies for final time [Image 17 of 32]

ALAMOGORDO, NM, UNITED STATES

12.16.2016

Photo by Joseph Eddins    

Airman Magazine   

The last active-duty Air Force pilot to fly the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II, Lt. Col. Ron "Elvis" King of the 82nd Aerial Target Squadron Detachment 1 returns from a rehearsal for the final military flight of the storied aircraft at Holloman AFB, N.M., Dec. 16, 2016. The F-4 Phantom II entered the U.S. Air Force inventory in 1963 and was the primary multi-role aircraft in the USAF throughout the 1960s and 1970s. The F-4 flew bombing, combat air patrol, fighter escort, reconnaissance and the famous Wild Weasel anti-aircraft missile suppression missions. The final variant of the Phantom II was the QF-4 unmanned aerial targets flown by the 82nd at Holloman AFB. (U.S. Air Force photo by J.M. Eddins Jr.)

• Date Taken: 12.16.2016
• Date Posted: 02.21.2017 08:38
• Photo ID: 3177880
• VIRIN: 161216-F-LW859-002
• Resolution: 2501x4092
• Size: 5.5 MB
• Location: ALAMOGORDO, NM, US