F-4 Phantom - Joe Kittinger Park, Orlando, Florida
Posted by: Blue Man
N 28° 32.340 W 081° 20.477
17R E 466612 N 3156960
This aircraft was dedicated in Joe Kittinger Park on December 14, 2014. This particular aircraft was flown by Colonel Kittinger prior to his being shot down in the Vietnam conflict and his subsequent imprisonment in the infamous Hanoi Hilton.
Waymark Code: WMN39K
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 12/18/2014
Views: 21
During the Vietnam War the F-4 was used extensively; it served as the principal air superiority fighter for both the Navy and Air Force, and became important in the ground-attack and reconnaissance roles late in the war. The Phantom has the distinction of being the last U.S. fighter flown to attain ace status in the 20th century. During the Vietnam War, both the USAF and the US Navy had a pilot achieve five aerial kills against other enemy fighter aircraft and become aces in air-to-air combat. The F-4 continued to form a major part of U.S. military air power throughout the 1970s and 1980s, being gradually replaced by more modern aircraft such as the F-15 Eagle and F-16 in the U.S. Air Force, the Grumman F-14 Tomcat in the U.S. Navy, and the F/A-18 Hornet in the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps.
On March 1, 1972, Col. Kittinger, commander of the Triple Nickel Squadron, shot down a MiG-21 fighter while flying this F-4 Phantom.
Type of Aircraft: (make/model): McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom
Tail Number: (S/N): OY 747
Construction:: original aircraft
Location (park, airport, museum, etc.): Joe Kittinger Park, Orlando, Florida
inside / outside: outside
Other Information:: Not listed
Access restrictions: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
Photo of aircraft (required - will be interesting to see if the aircraft is ever repainted or progress if being restored)
Photo of serial number (required unless there is not one or it is a replica)
Photo(s) of any artwork on the aircraft (optional but interesting)
Tell why you are visiting this waymark along with any other interesting facts or personal experiences about the aircraft not already mentioned.