Riverside Airshow 2010
McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom

The F-4 Phantom first flew in 1958. It was originally designed for the US Navy for fleet defense. The US Air Force first flew the F-4C in 1963, with production deliveries beginning six months later. The F-4 first entered combat in 1965 in southeast Asia and scored over 100 kills against North Vietnamese fighters. It also served in the ground attack role. The Phantom was the first multiservice aircraft, flying with the US Air Force, US Navy and US Marine Corps. It is also the only aircraft flown by both the USAF Thunderbirds and the US Navy Blue Angels. It served with 11 foreign nations. The F-4 Phantoms also scored a number of aeronautical records during its service. The Phantom was retired from US service in 1996, but is still used for target drones and 2 aircraft are with the Air Combat Command for USAF Heritage Flights.