RF-4C Phantom II (Nebraska ANG)
Nebraska Air National Guard

RF-4C Phantom II
Operator: 173rd TRS, Nebraska ANG
Location: Lincoln, Nebraska (USA)
Timeframe: Mid 1970s through early 1980s
Loadout: Photo reconnaissance training
- Centerline: 600-gal Fuel tank
- Outboard wings: 2x 370-gal Fuel tanks

INSPIRATION
The Nebraska ANG flew the RF-4C from 1971-1993. It went through four different paint schemes, but the one I recall most clearly was the iconic wrap-around Southeast Asia (SEA) camouflage pattern used from the mid-1970s through the early 1980s. I clearly remember looking up at the camouflage-painted underside of a RF-4C roaring directly over me at what could not have been more than 100 feet above ground, a memory that lasts to this day. I can even recall the smell of the black jet exhaust rolling off the ground! This awe-inspiring event made the F-4 my favorite aircraft. Capable of Mach 2+ speed, the RF-4C was known for creating "speed is life" sonic booms throughout the area. I was actually disappointed when supersonic flights were discontinued in the early 1980s, due to ranchers in my area complaining of cattle stampedes, broken windows and cracked plaster walls.