While serving as a paratrooper in Alaska in '73 my company was doing some CAS
training. We had an O-2 FAC and 2 F4E Phantoms on station. The platoon leaders
took turns calling in "airstrikes" on the other platoons until the FAC advised
the jets were near bingo and had gas for one more pass. My Lt. told the FAC to
have the jets make a pass on the friendly village. A little confusion occured
here. G We were at the company CP on a small hill and had not had any passes
made over us. We were training close the the town of Fort Yukon. The LTs
intention was for the jets to make a pass over the town to show the locals the
jets, the FAC thought make a pass on the CP.

We see lead roll in on us. I was standing near my poncho hooch watching this
Phantom dive straight toward our hilltop (this hill was maybe 50-75 higher than
the surrounding terrain). His dive bottomed out below us - we were looking down
at the top of the airplane - and he started back up hill following the terrain
contour. As he passed our GP medium tent (rough field prob, we were watching
movies in the evening) he pitched up, burner and two real slick rolls as he
climbed away. I was looking right up the tailpipe totally enveloped by the roar
of the engines when WHOOSH the wake/jetblast hit sending the GP medium tent
crashing down (ridgepole destroyed the projector), my hootch went somewhere in
western Canada, leaves, twigs, etc flying around... Two went by fairly high..he
was probably at 50 feet or so when he went by and was pretty much a non-event
after leads pass. G

BTW, any posters here that flew F4s in Alaska in '73? My buddy was signed for
that projector and he'd like a word with you. G

(Friggin awesome pass!!)

--
Dale L. Falk

There is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing
as simply messing around with airplanes.

http://home.gci.net/~sncdfalk/flying.html