The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is an American tandem two-seat, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor and fighter-bomber originally developed by McDonnell Aircraft for the United States Navy. Proving highly adaptable, it entered service with the Navy in 1961 before it was adopted by the United States Marine Corps and the United States Air Force, and by the mid-1960s it had become a major part of their air arms. Phantom production ran from 1958 to 1981 with a total of 5,195 aircraft built, making it the most produced American supersonic military aircraft in history, and cementing its position as a signature combat aircraft of the Cold War.
The United States Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor program, more popularly known as Top Gun, is a United States Navy training program that teaches air combat maneuvering tactics and techniques to selected naval aviators and naval flight officers, who return to their operating units as surrogate instructors.
William Patrick "Willy Irish" Driscoll is a retired commander in the United States Navy and a flying ace. Driscoll, a Naval Flight Officer, and aircrewmate Duke Cunningham, a Naval Aviator, were their service's only aces of the Vietnam War. They remain the Navy's most recently minted aces.
Brigadier General Richard Stephen Ritchie served as an officer in the United States Air Force and the Colorado Air National Guard, and a general officer in the Air Force Reserve. Ritchie joined Navy Commander Randy Cunningham as the only two pilots among the five American aces during the Vietnam War. Ritchie is a recipient of the Air Force Cross, the second highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of the United States Air Force.
Nguyễn Văn Cốc is a former North Vietnamese MiG-21 fighter ace of the Vietnamese People's Air Force's 921st Fighter Regiment.
Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base is a Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) facility located near the city of Ubon Ratchathani, in Ubon Ratchathani Province. It is approximately 488 km northeast of Bangkok. The Laos border is about 60 kilometres (37 mi) directly east. The facility is also used as a civil airport.
Colonel Charles Barbin DeBellevue is a retired officer in the United States Air Force (USAF). In 1972, DeBellevue became one of only five Americans to achieve flying ace status during the Vietnam War and the first as a USAF Weapon Systems Officer (WSO), an integral part of two-man aircrews with the emergence of air-to-air missiles as the primary weapons during aerial combat. He was credited with a total of six MiG kills, the most earned by any U.S. aviator during the Vietnam War, and is a recipient of the Air Force Cross.
The 555th Fighter Squadron is part of the 31st Operations Group at Aviano Air Base, Italy. It operates General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft conducting multirole air and ground missions.
Nguyễn Văn Bảy, was a Vietnamese jet fighter ace for the Vietnam People's Air Force during the Vietnam War. Piloting a MiG-17F while assigned to the 923rd Fighter Regiment, Bay claimed 7 aerial combat victories while engaged against aircraft of the USAF and USN: 2 F-8s, 1 F-4B, 1 A-4C and 1 F-105D. Of the 7 claimed victories, 5 are acknowledged by American documents. Of 16 VPAF aces during Vietnam War, only Bay, Luu Huy Chao, and Le Hai solely flew MiG-17s.
Đặng Ngọc Ngự, †, was a Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 pilot of the Vietnamese People's Air Force who flew with the 921st fighter regiment and tied for third place amongst Vietnam War fighter aces with seven kills.
Nguyễn Đức Soát was a Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 pilot of the Vietnamese People's Air Force, he flew with the 921st fighter regiment and tied for fourth place amongst Vietnam War fighter aces with at least six kills.
Lê Thanh Đạo was a MiG-21 pilot of the Vietnamese People's Air Force, he flew with the 921st and 927th fighter regiment and tied for fourth place amongst Vietnam War fighter aces with six kills.
"We took off from Noi Bai Airbase ascending to an altitude of 3,500m toward Ba Vi... we discovered the enemy Phantoms and intercepted two aircraft in a pair, and I prepared to launch my missile, when another F-4 hit my MiG-21 and I had to eject immediately. While I was descending, a Phantom fired a burst from their cannon which made many holes in my parachute... I had fallen and crashed into a big rock at high speed. I was unconscious for two days; both legs and vertebra were broken... locals made a stretcher from my parachute and transported me a distance of 9km where an Mi-6 helicopter brought me to Hospital No. 108 where I stayed for 4 months... I was only able to return to flight duty after a year."
Nguyễn Đăng Kính was a Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 pilot of the Vietnamese People's Air Force who flew with the 921st Fighter Regiment from 1965-1972, becoming a deputy commander of the newly established 927th FR from 1972-75, and tied for fourth place amongst Vietnam War fighter aces with six kills.
Nguyễn Tiến Sâm was a Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 pilot of the Vietnamese People's Air Force, he flew with the 921st fighter regiment from 1968-72 and the 927th fighter regiment from 1972-75, and tied for fourth place amongst Vietnam War fighter aces with six kills.
Fighter Squadron 92, or VF-92Silver Kings was an aviation unit of the United States Navy. Originally established as VF-92 on 26 March 1952, it was redesignated VF-54 on 1 June 1962, redesignated VF-92 on 15 October 1963, it was disestablished on 12 December 1975. It was the third US Navy squadron to be designated VF-92.
Lieutenant Colonel Lee T. "Bear" Lasseter (1934–1980) was an Officer and aviator in the United States Marine Corps. Major Lasseter and his Radar Intercept Officer (RIO) Captain John "Lil" Cummings are the only all USMC aircrew to shoot down a North Vietnam MiG during the Viet Nam War. On 11 September 1972, while piloting his F-4J of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 333(VMFA-333) off the deck of the USS America (CV-66), he and his RIO led a four-ship MigCap mission northeast of Hanoi and successfully shot down a MiG-21 and damaged a second MiG. On egress their F-4J was hit by a Surface to Air Missile (SAM), forcing the crew to eject feet wet out to sea and were successfully rescued. Lasseter died in 1980 following gall bladder surgery in Florida.
VFA-161, nicknamed the Chargers, was a Strike Fighter Squadron of the U.S. Navy. It was established at NAS Cecil Field as Fighter Squadron VF-161 on 1 September 1960. It moved to NAS Miramar on 19 September 1961, and to Naval Station Yokosuka, Japan. On 1 April 1986, the squadron was redesignated VFA-161. It was disestablished on 1 April 1988.
Fighter Squadron 96, or VF-96Fighting Falcons was an aviation unit of the United States Navy in service from 1962 to 1975. When assigned to Carrier Air Wing Nine (CVW-9) their tailcode was NG, and their radio callsign was Showtime. Originally established as United States Naval Reserve squadron VF-791Fighting Falcons on 20 July 1950 it was redesignated VF-142 after becoming a regular squadron on 4 February 1953. It was re-designated VF-96 on 1 June 1962 and disestablished on 1 December 1975.
555th TFS Insignia
VF-96 insignia
555th TFS F-4D
VF-96 F-4J
AIM-9s on an F-8
