(Image: Jeffrey Stone, reproduced with permission)
One of several abandoned aircraft resting (not very peacefully) in an airplane graveyard at MCAS Beaufort in South Carolina, this dilapidated F-4 Phantom has clearly seen better days. Stripped of all useful parts and left standing near the end of a disused runway to the west of the Marine Corps base, the once proud fighter plane’s battered shell still displays faded unit markings and national insignia.
Meanwhile, two ejection seats remain fitted in the front and rear cockpits while the rear canopy rests upside-down on the ground beneath the retired airframe. It may appear an undignified scene but this F-4 Phantom and others like it still serve a role, employed as and crash rescue training aids so that firefighters and other emergency services can train for real life incidents where the pilots’ chances of survival depend entirely on their skill and preparation.
Other roles include battle damage repair (BDR) training, where ground crews learn to hastily patch damaged aircraft in a bid to keep them available for combat sorties when spare parts aren’t immediately available. Check out more photos of the MCAS airplane graveyard here.
(Image: Google Earth)
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