Yep, after 1979. I was CIC Officer on Coral Sea from 1976 to 1978 and she
was deployed from NAS Alameda to WestPac.

"Mike Weeks" wrote in message
...
From: (Tom Cooper)
Date: 5/27/2003 02:33 Pacific Daylight Time

Please take a look at the photo I posted he
http://www.acig.org/artman/uploads/l...by_phantom.jpg

Based on the photo, and it's quality ... that's most likely is an F-4N of
VF-154.

The BuNo matches F-4Bs (reworked to N), and the tail color; that solid red
line
matches other published photos very closely of VF-154 F-4s w/ a mix of
black &
a solid red line.

Several other things are su
- I have several excellent shots of the USS Coral Sea off Cannes, in
1983, with F-4s of the VF-21 and VF-154 (and the rest of the CVW-14)
on the deck: they are simply not the same like the Phantoms shown and
described above;

Don't photos you have of VF-154 F-4Ns have a mix of a black tail
(completely or
otherwise), w/ a similar solid red line?

- the Libyans have got their first Tu-22s in 1974, and the remaining
of 14 ordered Tu-22Bs arrived all by 1979. So, the photo couldn't have
been taken before or after that period;

Why couldn't the photo be after 1979? Did the Libyans stop operating the
Tu-22s preior to 1983? I don't think it's clear at all that the photo
represents VF-51 -- given they didn't deploy as CVW-19 on Coral Sea.

This is really confusing...

If in fact the photo is of F-4N 15224x NM10x, then I believe the code's
been
broken. g

Does this help any?

MW
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"As soon as movement begins, so does the fog of war" - Edward N. Luttwak