The greatest jet the Air Force had at the time

[Buccaneer]

I worked on the F-111, now a museum piece on the avionics systems, attack radar, inertial nav/weapons delivery and electronic counter measures systems in my 23 year AF career. Did all the models except the "C" since it was Australian. It was a great jet, but it had its issues for sure. BUT, when you really needed weapon "overnight delivery" anywhere in the world...We DELIVERED, day or night, rain, snow whatever the weather or terrain with no escorts. Also, the pilot pictured below I met in 2019 while on our five week travels around the country and we swapped war stories about the F-111. Nice guy.

 

For all you AF retirees and or active duty AF people. The Smithsonian Channel will air "F-111" on Sunday, May 22nd at 8PM EDT under their Air Warriors series. "The history of the F-111 and how the fighter-bomber no one wanted went on to dominate both air and battlefields in the late 20th century".  ENJOY!

 

[Desertdawg]

Thanks. I’ll look for it.  

[Extender32]

You mean the F-111 is/was better than the A-7?

[CrimsonNCream]

I am looking forward to the TV show. Was the F111 or the A7 used in Vietnam, and were one of them called “The Thud?”

[P51tj]

12 hours ago, CrimsonNCream said:

I am looking forward to the TV show. Was the F111 or the A7 used in Vietnam, and were one of them called “The Thud?”

 

Both the F111 and A7 were used in Nam and the F105 is nicknamed the Thud.

 

DVR was already set since I record the series. Good stuff on the Smitty channel!

[Buccaneer]

^^^THIS^^^

The A7 was an attack jet, relatively short range, but a good all around jet during Vietnam. The F-111 was a medium range mach 2+ bomber even though it says "F" for fighter in front of the number and was also in Vietnam. It did carry missiles every once and a while on the wings pylons though. It also had a six barrel 20mm GE electric gatling gun under the belly forward of weapons bay. I started the F-111G squadron at Cannon AFB, NM (428th Fighter Squadron (Buccaneers) in 1990 and closed it down in 1997.  Not many Air Force troops can say they have done that in their career. The last flight of a F-111 was in 2010, in Australia.

 

A brief history on the Australian F-111s. They flew F-111C models forever, which is really a F-111A model. They also bought the F-111G model which was originally a FB-111A from SAC. The G model was a modded jet with the new Avionics Modernization Program (AMP) which I spear headed that program for the AF writing the Weapons Delivery/Firepower Control maintenance T.O. when I was in SAC. When SAC FB-111A jets left Pease AFB, NH they were sent to Cannon AFB, NM and when they hit the ground there, they were designated F-111G models. I trained a group of Australian RAAF troops on the new avionics packages and was supposed to go to Australia for a while at RAAF Amberly. Well, the AF nix that TDY because of who was going to pay for that trip...DAMNIT! The Australians flew the F-111 for a very long time and retired them in 2010. Sad day for me and the rest is history...

Last Flight

[Buccaneer]

If anyone watched this you would have seen that the channel was is error. It said F-111 History on the screen, but it was about WWII P47. Highly disappointed. If anyone happens to find the correct one, post it up. Would love to see what they have to say.

[P51tj]

Yes that happened here as well BUT, I found it on Air Warriors on demand...DISH! 

It also re-aired the next day correctly.

 

[German]

Tom, if you have Cox TV, it is available on demand. Search Air Warriors with the voice command, it pops right up.