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Perhaps most of you already know this story...
Dont <img src=newicons/anim_cussing.gif border=0 align=middle> or <img src=newicons/Whatever_anim.gif border=0 align=middle> or <img src=newicons/anim_lol.gif border=0 align=middle> but I read it the first time today... <img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>


http://www.boeing.com/defense-space/military/f4/pardopush.htm

It was March 10, 1967, in enemy skies over Hanoi. The last of 44 F-4 aircraft were just coming off a bombing raid into North Vietnam when Capt. Bob Pardo and his wingman Capt. Earl Aman were both hit by enemy fire. Aman's aircraft was the worse off. Hit by two damaging blows to the fuel tank, he suddenly was down to 2,000 pounds of fuel instead of the 7,000 pounds he needed to safely return to the refueling tanker.

Pardo knew he had to do something quickly if Aman was going to make it out. First, he tried to use Aman's drag chute to help the wounded Phantom. With the drag chute extended, Pardo tried to maneuver behind Aman's aircraft so he could use the drag chute compartment to push the aircraft toward the tanker. No good. Turbulence was too great.

Pardo decided to try to use the tailhook on Aman's aircraft. He moved in under Aman's aircraft and got the tailhook against the windscreen of his F-4 Phantom. Success. By this time, Aman's aircraft was so low on fuel that Pardo told him to shut down the engines. Pardo's push was working, but the two aircraft had to stay directly in line with one another. Pardo would push for 15 to 20 seconds, lose the necessary balance and slide off to the side. Then he'd have to reposition and push again. By now the pressure of Aman's F-4 aircraft was cracking the windscreen of Pardo's fighter. As the spider web of cracks grew, Pardo became increasingly concerned. He moved the hook down the windscreen into a small metal area below. The hook stayed put, and the push continued. To keep his own damaged Phantom flying, Pardo shut down one engine for the last 10 minutes of the flight.

After pushing Aman's aircraft almost 88 miles, the two damaged Phantoms reached friendly air space. At 6,000 feet, with practically no fuel left, the two pilots and their weapons systems officers parachuted to safety.

"That was one hell of an airplane," retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Bob Pardo recalled later. "For one aircraft to get two airplanes that far out of Vietnam speaks very well of the people who put it together."


"Mankind has always dreamed of destroying the sun" -- Mr. Burns

_________________
\"My name's Pitt, and you ain't talkin' your ass outta this shit.\"

Balls of steel.

JEEZE Homer THANKS, I HAD heard this story before but had forgotten the details and was going to look it up this past week but never got the free time, thanks for the refresher (btw all US Phantoms were made in good ole Missouri <img src=newicons/anim_bow.gif border=0 align=middle> cant help it, I'm just proud of the Rhino even if it DID turn like a wounded cement truck <img src=newicons/anim_lol.gif border=0 align=middle> )

"We sleep safely in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would harm us". George Orwell

Fighting For Justice With Brains Of Steel !
<img src="http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/atengun2X.GIF" border=0>

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The only time you have too much fuel is when you're on fire.

I've heard this as well. Very amazing what they'd do back then. Wonder what QA would say about this should a couple of pilots try it today?

"Some pup"
Nickname by Fenderstrat72

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Evil is evil, no matter how small.

Yeah the Phantom still rocks. I have a picture of a Phantom in VF14 durinf Nam that actually flew a pattern around the carrier with the wings folded. It had an uncommanded fold on the cat apparently and still flew and landed like that. Thats one tough mutha.

By this time tomorrow I shall have gained either a pearage or Westminster Abbey........Nelson

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YGBSM !

Amazing.

"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction"

Ronald Reagan

I've seen pics of the F-8 flying that way too but not returning to trap. Actually I think someone was trying to prove a bet with regards to the F-8 flying with wings folded.


"We sleep safely in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would harm us". George Orwell

Fighting For Justice With Brains Of Steel !
<img src="http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/atengun2X.GIF" border=0>

_________________
The only time you have too much fuel is when you're on fire.

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote><font size=1 face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>
Yeah the Phantom still rocks. I have a picture of a Phantom in VF14 durinf Nam that actually flew a pattern around the carrier with the wings folded. It had an uncommanded fold on the cat apparently and still flew and landed like that. Thats one tough mutha.

By this time tomorrow I shall have gained either a pearage or Westminster Abbey........Nelson
<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size=2 id=quote>

Hawg166, could you post this pic or e-mail it? would be very interesting!



"Mankind has always dreamed of destroying the sun" -- Mr. Burns

_________________
\"My name's Pitt, and you ain't talkin' your ass outta this shit.\"

I'd heard of a night takeoff of a Marine Crusader with it's wings folded. Pilot realized it and gently nursed the plane back to a gear-up landing. <img src=icon_smile_sad.gif border=0 align=middle>