Cockpit recording of USAF F-4D ejection - 1975.

[gaviscon]

Fascinating transcript of cockpit recordings during a doomed flight of an USAF F-4D, that crashed about 80 miles off the coast of Norfolk in 1975. Both pilot and navigator ejected and were rescued.

http://youtu.be/o7G1rvmwfIk

Cheers

Gav

[tim_3216]

Thanks for posting this, very interesting listening.
40 years ago!

[PORTPHANTOM]

Thanks for this, very interesting. I'm sure I have newspaper report of this one. Oddly it happened on a Saturday, i didn't think they flew on a weekend except for visitors leaving. Perhaps you "old hands" can put me right? i was still at Primary school at the time. Fascinating.

[deerhunter]

Thanks for posting, very interesting

[Andy_99]

Think back in the old 'Cold War' days they flew a lot more than nowdays.

Remember my Nan lived in Brandon & when we used to go at the weekends there would be aircraft up & about.

[PORTPHANTOM]

Thanks Andy. Hmm can't remember hearing them over Littleport on a weekend. Pal of mine from those days said they knew times visitors would arrive and depart Heath on a weekend but didn't say about based flying. I can remember being down Undley with dad on a Sunday morning and hearing a pair go off a time or two.

[graham luxton]

Thanks for this, very interesting. I'm sure I have newspaper report of this one. Oddly it happened on a Saturday, i didn't think they flew on a weekend except for visitors leaving. Perhaps you "old hands" can put me right? i was still at Primary school at the time. Fascinating.

Great find Gav, very interesting.
This was the demise of 48TFW F-4D 66-0256

I remember the F-4 days at Lakenheath and the F-100's which preceeded them. The 48th didn't normally fly routine missions on weekends due to RAF bombing ranges being closed and noise abatement in the local area. However, some weekend movements did take place but they were few and far between. Examples I can think of being when the Wing participated in airshow flypasts and when their a/c were returning from visiting other bases within Europe - the USAF called these flights "cross - countries" (x-c). Its possible "Trest11Flt" was a (x-c) with gas to spare for air combat training before recovery.

In those days Lakenheath was a popular choice amongst USAFE F-4 pilots for these (x-c) flights which may explain why it appeared that the 48th routinely flew on weekends.

[PORTPHANTOM]

Thanks Graham
That tallies with my pals tales of pairs of visitors in and out on a weekend and his pictures he's passed to me. One they relate with great delight is an Iceland based pair, 1 with a large Polar bear on the tail?

[herbert]

Would be a 21sr TFW from Elmendorf AFB, AK with the polar bear on the rudder. A couple visited RAF Lakenheath in June 1981.