First Published: 1979
ISBN: 0-304-30311-9
Publisher: Cassell Ltd.
Pages: 209
Robert Prest's book, F4 Phantom - A Pilot's Story, is an autobiographical account of the author's experiences flying the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II during the 1970's whilst serving with the Royal Air Force.
Apart from a brief chapter at the beginning of the book that tells when, as a child, he first saw an F-4 Phantom and his training to become an RAF pilot, the entire book is a journey through some select experiences chosen from his years flying the F4 Phantom II.
The book is an excellent insight into life as an RAF pilot during the Cold War period of the 1970's. The stories Prest has chosen to recount, from what must be a huge log book, areincredibly varied and range from flying Combat Air Patrols over the North Sea close to Norway and the Arctic Circle, defending attacks on carrier forces in NATO exercises, switching to the ground attack, or "mud mover", role to simulate attacks on aerodromes in the UK, patrols in Germany along the Soviet border and protecting SEPECAT Jaguars from "enemy" Phantoms as they carry out bombing exercises show that the variety of situations in which Prest finds himself in are many and all are enthralling.
His vivid descriptions of life in an F4 Phantom cockpit actually put you in the star filled, moonless sky over the North Sea at 30,000 feet and 400 knots; A blip on the radar screen leads to a midnight vis-ident encounter with a 747 Jumbo '...stealing up from low in the stern..'; Coming in to land he takes you through the pilot's thought process "...On-Speed - 148 Knots... hook - checked up... harness - tight and locked...". His writing at times is eloquent and prosaic, not quite like Antoine de Saint-Exupéry but nearly. At other times his writing is the fast pace of the fighter pilot, screaming through valleys, defending ground attack aircraft or formation flying for an air show, "plugging in" for air-to-air refuelling and aerial combat exercises.
There is no combat in the book. There are no bombing runs into heavily defended, high priority targets. There are chance encounters with other NATO aircraft in Germany which quickly develop into "friendly" dog fights. There are instrumentation failures, navigation errors, weather problems, aerial gunnery exercises and, sadly but inevitably, tragic accidents involving his fellow pilots. F4-Phantom - A Pilot's Story is exciting and enthralling enough without the combat and Robert Prest has done an excellent job in keeping the reader firmly in the cockpit of his aircraft.
Aircraft, Squadrons and OCUs
A list of the aircraft mentioned in this book and corresponding page numbers. Many types are given only a passing mention, however the historical context in which they are referred to, their geographic location or just their action could be of interest to any researcher in aviation or AvGeek in general.
The page numbers referencing the F4 Phantom II model may seem strange given that "F4 Phantom- A Pilot's Story" is entirely based upon this aircraft type. They have been included to show when the author referrers to his own aircraft directly or other pilot's Phantoms.
Soviet aircraft have their NATO Reporting Names in speech marks.
There is a printing error on page 52 which incorrectly identifies the Tupolev Tu-95 "Bear" as a Tu-16. The description Prest gives of the aircraft is unmistakably a Tu-95 with its "...four giant Kuznetsov turboprops.."; the Tu-16 has two turbojet engines.
AIRCRAFT TYPE (INC. VARIENT) | Page number |
---|---|
Aérospatiale-BAC Concorde | 135 |
Antonov An-12 “Cub” | 49 |
Avro Lancaster | 183, 184 |
Avro Type 696 Shackleton AEW | 110, 111-113 |
Blackburn Buccaneer | 24, 34, 45, 61, 75, 87, 109-113, 126, 142, 167, 195, 199, 205 |
Boeing 707 | 48 |
Boeing 737 | 130, 135 |
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress | 67 |
Breguet Br. 1150 Atlantic | 32 |
Convair F-106 Delta Dart | 13, 125 |
Dassault MD. 452 Mystère | 153 |
Dassault Mirage | 68, 73, 127, 153, 166 |
Dassault Mirage 5 | 149 |
Dassault Mirage III Interceptor | 151 |
de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk | 80 |
de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito | 185-186 |
English Electric Canberra T4 | 13, 60, 76-78, 151 |
English Electric Lightning (Link to an interesting E.E. Lightning promo film) | 13, 47, 53, 57-58, 68, 70-72, 80-81, 93, 97-100, 127, 137, 167-168, 186, 170- 174, 189, 191, 194, 197, 199, 205 |
Fiat G91 | 149, 153 |
Fournier RF-4 | 153 |
Gloster Javelin | 168 |
Handley Page Halifax | 184 |
Handley Page Victor | 21, 22, 24, 30, 34-35, 46, 54, 61, 74-76, 101, 110-111, 115-121, 187, 189, 199 |
Hawker Hunter | 6, 13, 61, 68, 168 |
Hawker Siddeley (Folland) Fo. 141 Gnat | 5, 47, 61, 165 |
Hawker Siddeley Harrier | 25, 26, 61, 126, 149, 168, 175, 189, 199, 205 |
Hawker Siddeley Nimrod | 32, 124, 126 |
Hunting P.84 Jet Provost | 4, 205 |
Hunting P.84 Jet Provost Mk. 3 | 4 |
Ilyushin Il-38 “May” | 53 |
Junkers Ju 87 Stuka | 67 |
Junkers Ju-88 | 185 |
Lockheed C-130 Hercules | 122, 124 |
Lockheed C-141 Starlifter | 125 |
Lockheed F-104 Starfighter | 15, 17-19, 49, 68, 125, 127, 147, 153, 161-165, 200, 204, 205 |
General Dynamics F-16A/B Fighting Falcon | 147, 205 |
Lockheed P-2 Neptune | 32 |
Lockheed P-3 Orion | 32 |
LTV (Ling-Temco-Vought) A7 Corsair II | 125, 152 |
LTV (Ling-Temco-Vought) A7D Corsair II | 152 |
McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle | 147, 153, 205 |
McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II | 3, 7, 10, 21, 25, 28-29, 34, 38, 53-54, 68, 73, 77-78, 81, 85-92, 96-97, 101- 103, 107, 109-110, 113, 118, 120, 124- 125, 131-132, 135-137, 139, 141, 143- 145, 147, 149, 150, 153, 160-161, 164- 165, 167, 169-170, 173, 175, 183, 185, 186, 187, 188-195, 197-199, 200, 202, 204 |
McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II XT893 | 10 |
McDonnell Douglas F-4D Phantom II | 103 |
McDonnell Douglas F-4D Wild Weasel | 189-190, 199 |
McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantom II | 101, 103, 125, 153 |
McDonnell Douglas F-4F Phantom II | 167 |
McDonnell Douglas FG-1 Phantom II | 102 |
McDonnell Douglas FG-1 Phantom II XV577 | 110 |
McDonnell F-101 Voodoo | 13 |
Messerschmitt Bf 110 | 184 |
Mikoyan MiG | 96, 130,141-142, 166 |
Mikoyan MiG-21 “Fishbed” | 96, 130, 142 |
Mikoyan MiG-23 “Flogger” | 130, 141 |
Myasishchev M-4, 3M “Bison” | 53 |
Northrop F-5A/B Freedom Fighter | 73, 125, 147, 149, 153 |
Pitts Special Bi-Plane | 159-160 |
Republic F-105 Thunderchief | 13, 125, 166 |
Saab 35 Draken | 147 |
Scottish Aviation Bulldog | 124 |
SEPECAT Jaguar | 75, 124, 126, 139, 142, 167, 175, 189- 196, 199, 205 |
Short Stirling | 184 |
Sopwith Camel | 77 |
Supermarine Spitfire | 13, 80 |
Tupolev Tu-126 “Moss” | 53 |
Tupolev Tu-142 “Bear-F” ASW | 53-54 |
Tupolev Tu-16 “Badger” | 53 |
Tupolev TU-95 “Bear-A” | 54 |
Tupolev TU-95/142 “Bear” | 15, 20, 52-55, 127, 142 |
Tupolev TU-95Mr “Bear-E” | 54 |
Tupolev TU-95RTz “Bear-D” | 54 |
Vickers VC-10 | 80, 124 |
SQUADRONS AND OTHER AIR GROUPS | Page number |
No. 2 Squadron RAF | 175 |
No. 5 Squadron RAF | 189 |
No. 14 Squadron RAF | 189 |
No. 19 Squadron RAF “Dolphins” | 137, 157 |
No. 23 Squadron RAF | 81 |
No. 25 Squadron RAF | 138 |
No. 29 Squadron RAF | 191 |
No. 41 Squadron RAF | 165 |
No. 43 Squadron RAF “fighting cocks” | 26, 40, 81, 101-102, 115-116, 150, 175, 187, 189 |
No. 56 Squadron RAF | 73 |
No. 92 (East India) Squadron RAF “The Cobras” | 127, 137, 150, 153, 157, 161, 168 |
No. 617 Squadron RAF | 183 |
892 Naval Air Squadron | 81 |
The Path Finders | 185 |
No. 228 Operational Conversion Unit RAF (Phantoms) | 7 |
No. 349 Squadron (Belgian) | 152 |
525th Fighter Squadron USAF “The Bulldogs” | 101 |
Aggressor Squadron | 125 |
Escadron de Chasse 3/2 Alsace ALA | 151 |
Comments will be approved before showing up.