F-4 Phantom II, is one of my favorite military aircraft, right now only few air force still operate it, and the Japan Air Self Defense Force (JASDF) is one of these countries.
(1)JASDF F-4EJ Kai in Nyutabaru, taxiing toward to the runway threshold.
Due to replaced the old F-104 J Starfighters, the JASDF received the total of 154 F-4EJ and RF-4E Phantoms from 1968, and most of these Phantoms were built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, a Japan company. Currently only 71 Phantoms of JASDF is still in service, and they are belong to 3 different squadron, the 301st squadron, the 302nd squadron, and the 501st squadron, all located at Hyakuri airbase.
This article is about the 301st squadron. They were formed at Hyakuri airbase in August, 1972, and became the first squadron to use F-4 Phantom in Japan. The 301st squadron moved from Hyakuri to Nyutabaru in 1985, and began to receive the upgraded F-4EJ-Kai in 1991. After stayed at Nyutabaru for 31 years, the 301st squadron was moved back to their birthplace----Hyakuri, in 2016.
The 301st squadron’s tail marking is a frog, a cute frog with the yellow scarf around the neck. The frog means “to return home,” implying to return to airbase safely. When they were based at Nyutabaru airbase, the yellow scarf had five black stars, in honor of belong to the 5th Air Wing. Therefore, other two stars were added following the move to Hyakuri when they belong to the 7th Air Wing.
In May of 2015, I have visited the Nyutabaru airbase to see these Phantoms of the 301st squadron. The airbase is located in the Miyazaki, the south of Kyushu. This airbase is an important training base, every morning from Monday to Friday you can hear the engines screaming around the airfield, and smell the flavor of fuel in the air. The runway of this airfield is slightly skewed in an east-west direction, and the best location to do the spotting is in the south side of airfield, a farm with some small tracks. You could easily find a small track which can walk adjacent to the fence of airfield, and it's better to use a ladder to avoid the interference from the fence.
Take-off, landing, taxiing, approach, rotation, all are possible to be spotted from the south side of airfield, you could stay here all day long. At both side of runway end, you also can find some good location to do the spotting, you can see the aircraft taxi down towards the end of runway.
Not a good weather when I stayed there, but it still be lucky can see so many Phantoms' movement. Just few months later, the 301st squadron moved to the Hyakuri airbase, so maybe this will be the last time I saw them in the Nyutabaru.
(2)Front View of Phantom, clear see the dihedral of the wing。
(3)Closer, closer, this photo spotted at the end of RWY10.
(4)Phantom is a old-style tandem two-seat fighter, pilot in the front seat, and weapon systems officer(WSO) in the rear seat.
(5)Tailmark of the 301st squadron.
(6)Final check before the take-off, can feel the tension in the air.
(7)Three Phantoms running down on the taxiway, a normal training on that day.
(8)301st SQ Phantoms, smooth taxiing.
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(10)I like the heat from J-79, It makes this fighter much stronger.
(11)JASDF F-4EJ Kai(77-8395)
(12)Kawasaki T-4 of 301st, a training type aircraft.
(13)Close view of T-4, two pilots in tandem seats.
(14)JASDF Kawasaki T-4(96-5620), two external fuel tanks under its wings.
(15)JASDF Kawasaki T-4(56-5739)
(16)A pair of Phantoms take-off from RWY10.
(17)A tight formation when they tak-off.
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(19)JASDF F-4EJ Kai(97-8417).
(20)JASDF F-4EJ Kai(97-8421).
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(22)FOD check on the runway, not often to see so many people walking down on the runway.
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(24)Phantom using a drag parachute for extra braking after landing.
(25)The other landing Phantom slowing down on the runway.
(26)A landing Phantom on the runway, a resting Phantom on the apron.
(27)A pair of T-4 take-off, it seems like two dancers in the air.
(28)JASDF F-4EJ Kai(97-8425).
(29)JASDF F-4EJ Kai(97-8417), you can see the tower in the background, and also some F-15s of Fighter Training Group on the ground.
(30)A lower tak-off from Phantom, this angle can feel the body length of Phantom.
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(32)A Close view of Landing Phantom, spotting from the end of RWY28.
(33)A close view for tail wing and drag parachute.
(34)Finished the training class, this Phantom went back to the apron.
(35)taxiing with the drag parachute, need someone's help to pack it up.
(36)Like to see Phantoms taxi down toward me, can feel the power of them.
(37)Toward the different direction, go your own way.
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(42)For me, the best angle to spot the Phantom is the frontside, especially with its drag parachute.
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(44)JASDF F-4EJ Kai(97-8423).
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(46)Line-up and wait, a pair of Phantoms prepared to tak-off.
(47)Many spotter stayed on the south side of airfield for whole day, because it's the easiest location to spot.
(48)Touchdown with smoke!
(49)A low approach training for this Phantom, doing it again and again.
(50)Not a good weather condition, but stillcan see the mountain in the background.
(51)The moment when Phantom throw its drag parachute.
(52)Prepare for landing, A trio of F-15 Eagles were waiting on the ground
(53)Touchdown with smoke!
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The Phantoms of JASDF having served from the late of 1960s into the 21st century, and believe they are going to retire after the JASDF receive the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II. Old soldiers never die, they only fade away. The period of Phantoms are going to the end.
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