Pointy noses… More from the Pacific Aviation Museum…
These are in order of photography, not chronology…
This one’s for Juvat and MSgt B! F-15A one each! It had two major advances, a HUD that could actually be seen in all environments including bright sunlight, and a look down, shoot down capability.
Mig-15 and F-86E Saber simulating Mig Alley in the Korean war.
F-111 Aardvark. This one is in Aussie livery, they were the last ones actually flying the F-111. This one actually as the Photo/Recce pod still attached.
P-40 Warhawk in Flying Tigers livery. Beautiful bird! Painted as Robert Prescott’s airplane, he was in the Adam and Eve’s squadron and an ace. He later went on to found Flying Tiger Air Cargo.
Mig- 17 21 (My recce sucks! H/T Juvat for the correction) Vietnam era, flown by both NVA and Soviet pilots.
F-100F, rigged out as a Misty FAC. They were also the first Wild Weasels, going after the Soviet Sam sites.
The nose gear cover is actually signed by a number of Misty FACs that have come through the museum.
This one’s is for Old AF Sarge, and F-4C. This bird did see combat in Vietnam in the late 60’s with 12th Tactical Fighter Wing’s 559th Tactical Fighter Squadron.
A Turkey, better known as a F-14A Tomcat. This one is in the ‘squat’ as it’s called. It was in the last active Tomcat squadron, VF-31. Callsign was Felix 102.
Here is a picture of her at the Tomcat Sunset celebration with the special tail paint. (Photo by [email protected] at Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor)
Another F-86, this one is an L model, flown by HANG. It’s been rode hard and put up wet.
Truly a rocket with a man attached, The F-104A Starfighter! Known as the Zipper or Widow Maker (it was damn near impossible to recover from a stall in one) it was the first Mach 2 fighter/interceptor.
Old number 77, this bird started life as a straight stick A-3D bomber, flew in bombing missions in Vietnam, then was converted to a flying classroom for the VQ bubbas. It was later used by Hughes and Raytheon Flight Test to test various radar systems including the F-14 and B-2 Radar. I’ve actually been inside this bird when it was at Van Nuys.
Korean F-5A Freedom Fighter. If it looks kinda familiar, it’s a variant off the venerable T-38 Talon trainer. US Aggressor squadrons still fly these today at NAS Fallon and NAS Key West. 
F-102 Delta Dagger. An oddball interceptor, it was a delta wing interceptor and the first one that was truly supersonic. It’s electronic weapons system allowed it to ‘automatically’ fire weapons. Interestingly, these remained as a front line interceptor for 19 years!
That’s it for the pictures, hope y’all enjoyed them and I’d highly recommend the museum if you get a chance to get a day or two on Oahu. Pearl Harbor, the Submarine Memorial, the USS Missouri and the Pacific Aviation Museum are all within three miles of each other. It’s worth a day of your time to see these pieces of history!
Awesome birds!
Great photos, Jim! Love the P-40. I think that Boyington was in the Adam & Eves, also.
Thank you, sir. The pictures are fantastic. And my wife thinks I want to go to Hawaii to lay on the beach. HAH!
When I was a young teen, I took a trial aviation class during summer school. We had an Air Force pilot as a liaison. He had flown B-58’s and B-52’s. He cracked us up telling us the difference between flying them. The Hustler would respond immediately to pilot input…the BUFF, as he described it, took about 15 minutes to respond to the controls. (And yeah, it’s the truth, give or take a lie or two!)
He also got us on to Wright Field in Dayton to see a prototype of the F-15. People were walking all around and under it in a hanger. They even had a stand next to the cockpit so people could walk up steps and see in to the cockpit.
A young officer was overheard stating very loudly, “This isn’t a real prototype! They’d never allow people to get this close!”
Right before we headed back to our cars, the class liaison heard that the plane would be taking off soon. Sure enough, the bird was fired up, taxied out to the runway and did a full powered takeoff! Trailing afterburner flames the pilot did three rolls while climbing at about 80 degrees and disappeared in to the clouds. I wanted to see the young officer’s face but I couldn’t find him.
Later we heard that the F-15 and a F-4 did several dog fights over the base. The F-15 stayed over the airbase the entire time. The lead sled…just no way it could compete.
Minor Quibble, Picture #5 is a Mig-21. Had a 3 engagement mission against one once. Had my butt handed to me on #1, managed to successfully disengage without getting shot on #2 and a tracking gun kill on #3.
Oh, I SO wanna hear that story!
I have a soft spot in my heart for the F4 Phantom. Literally.
I was under a J-79 engine, removing the fuel pump (which was damn heavy). I asked the two “helpers” several times if they had it. They assured me they did.
They didn’t. Damn thing nearly crushed my ribcage when it fell on me. Ouch.
Great photos! Keep ’em coming!
BZ
The F/B-111, while not exactly well conceived, nor the best of ideas, did excel at precision long range interdiction. My Uncle Gary flew them in SEA, using some of the first precision guided munitions.
And didn’t an EF-111 force down an Iraqi MiG in Gulf War One?
Speaking of Uncle Gary, he always said the F-102 and F-106 series interceptors were his favorite fighter jets.
Those Misty FAC’s had balls that clanked when they walked.
You have singlehandedly lengthened my bucket list by a bunch… Oh Shiny…
Very interesting. I find I know nothing about planes except what I learn here and that they fly. LOL> And to think my uncle and dad were both pilots.
I’d never heard a Pave Tack described as a Photo/Recce pod before.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pave_Tack
It’s a bit more than that…
Old AF- You need to go see them! 🙂
Robert- Good question, I don’t know…
LCB- That’s a great story! One never knows what may be ‘lurking’ in hangars…Just sayin… 🙂
Juvat- That’s why you’re a pilot and I’m an NFO… 🙂 Thanks!
Alan- So it LITERALLY left a mark… 🙂
BZ- Tryin!
SPE- It was that generation’s F-35…
LL- That they did!
Dammit- You would enjoy it!
Fargo- LOL, not everyone is ‘hooked’ on aviation! 🙂
Finally back on-line, just to weigh in here. Love the pix, and need to drag my carcass to Ford Island next year (or whenever we make it back to HI).
Saw a notable signature on the Misty nosegear door: “Dick Rutan”, brother of Burt Rutan and as Wikipedia put it:
Rutan served during Vietnam as one of the founding members of the “Mistys” of Operation Commando Sabre, the 1st time use of tactical jets as a “FastFAC” (Fast Forward Air Controller), searching for and marking targets with “Willie Petes” (White Phosphorus rockets) ahead of the strike package, and flew 325 missions, but he had to eject when his “Hun” (F-100D Super Sabre) aircraft was hit. He had to eject a second time in his Air Force career when his aircraft suffered an engine failure over England. Through his career, he was awarded the Silver Star, five Distinguished Flying Crosses, 16 Air Medals, and a Purple Heart.
Rev- Glad y’all made it back okay!
Haze gray- Yep, he’s also involved with Scaled Composites… And Space Ship One!
Those are FANTASTIC! And I see that Dick Rutan was one of the Mistys that signed that F-100F. Ubercool. Thanks for the pics and the stories behind them.
Nice shots!
Hey Old NFO;
I am sure that HANG F86 would look good to Murphy….He likes projects. Love the pics btw. Keep them coming. and thank you
Murph- Thanks!
Mrs.C- Thank you!
Bob- That one would take a LOT of time… Thanks!
The F5 was also flown by VNAF out of Bein Hoa.
Always enjoy seeing a F-100. A large number of them in Vietnam were flown by the Colorado Air National Guard.
I watched a Phantom II launch from Forrestal in ’74 or ’75. Went up to the vulture’s roost on the island, saw the preparation for a launch on the starboard cat, and when the jet blast deflector went up it sent a lot of the jet blast up towards the island, the Phantom seemed to hunker down, and yes it looked exactly like an athlete in the starters block, and then a lot of flames and noise and then launch and flying.
I remember seeing A-7s and Vigilantes, on board, but I am not sure if I saw A-4s.
And the introduction of Tomcats towards the end of my time on Forrestal.
Great series of photos, thank you.
John in Philly
Donin- THanks, I didn’t know that!
WSF- That they were!
John- Thank you. I’m pretty sure they had Scooters on FID back in the day… 🙂
Great pictures, I love them
Dangit!! We need a bridge to Hawaii now, as there is no way I could survive flying over on airline seats.
The F-104 did not stall. It departed controlled flight or pitched up. Take your pick, either way,for all intents and purposes, you were f*&%ed.Usually led to a nylon letdown.That’s why it had a stick shaker followed by a stick kicker.