Contribution from John M Czarnota, Crewchief on a Phantom F-4C in the 92nd TFS from 1967-1970. 

"My" jet, 64-0872, which was sold to Spain in the early 70's and is now in a Spanish Air Museum.

 

Me and my buddies from the flight line, from right to left is me, Mike Solop, Mike Lynam, Chuck Boucher and in back Gren Stanley.

Pictures A-F are from the 92nd's deployment exercise in December 1969, to Ancona - Falconara, Italy.  It was a resort area about 300 miles from Rome.  There was a paved runway but the taxiways and parking areas were all steel planking laid over an ocean of mud.  It soon became Mud Fest 69, and it was cold!  We lived in tents for 10 days - too much like being in the Army for my taste.  We quickly realised that if you crawled into the tailpipe right after you parked a returning jet, you could get nice and warm!  We were a real scruffy looking bunch when we returned, as you can tell from the pictures.

 

A. Paul "PJ" Wilkes

 

B. Gren "Stan" Stanley

 

C. "Auggie"

 

D. Mike "Milo" Lynam, left and John Czarnota

 

E. Mike "Sloopy" Solop

 

F. Working conditions at Mud Fest 69

 

Pictures G & H are not of anyone in particular, just an uncommon occurrence.  In the summer of 67 I was lucky enough to be chose to go with three other guys and two jets to Belgium, to participate in the Brussels Air Show.  It was a great assignment; enjoy four days in Brussels, then start up the planes so they could make a fly-by with one hooked up to a tanker, and go home.   Since we brought no ground power units with us, we had to use starter cartridges to start the engines.  They are about the size of a gallon paint can full of something similar to black powder.  When ignited, it generates sufficient gas and pressure to spin up the engines to starting speed and creates a good sized cloud of irritating smoke.

G. 

 

H. 

 

General scenes from our Quarterly trips to Wheelus AFB, below.
Anyone have captions?

I. Clark Creber, at Wheelus AFB

 

J.

 

 K. 

 

L. 

 

 M.   David "Spike" Sprague

 

N.

 

 

A few more photos from Bentwaters. Poor quality so if you decide not to use them I'll understand.

[Linn Barringer: No, John, as you say, not your usual quality but after a bit of PaintShop Pro tinkering, still very worthwhile posting on the site for their content, particularly B. which is an unusual viewpoint and D - who IS that airman?]

 

A. 64-0884 on display at the 1967 Bentwaters Open House.

 

B. Near the Flightline entrance. The Quonset hut near the top was 92nd "A" flight shack, back in the distance behind it is "B" flight shack, further down the taxiway off to the right (out of picture) was the VA area.

 

 

C. Before the HAS construction.

 

D. Showing how open the area was before the HAS construction.

 

E. Showing how open the area was before the HAS construction.

 

John Czarnota has also contributed three Phantom patches.

More Phantom pictures in the George Pennick Collection.