2

PREPARATIONS

After the signing of the contract, preparations were made for the acceptance and introduction into service of the new aircraft.An important meeting was held in the Air Force Headquarters on May 31 of 1972.
The committee responsible for the evaluation and acceptance of the Phantoms, made an account of the progress being made.There was discussion concerning the configuration and the armaments and electronics to be carried on the new aircraft.
The USAF had proposed three Phantom types:The F-4E, the F-4F chosen by the Luftwaffe, and a single-seat, simplified version called the F-4( ).Brackets would be filled after it was chosen.
In the end, the -E type was chosen, without nuclear capability.It is unclear why this was omitted, but it is possible that cost considerations played a role.In any case, Greece had the F-104G, which was nuclear capable and was assigned this role as part of the NATO strategy.
Other matters discussed in the meeting, were the units to be equipped with the F-4 Phantom and the personnel to man them.Forty one flying officers were chosen to be sent to the US for training on the new type.Also, 5 technical officers and 95 NCOs were chosen.Finally, 117 technical personnel left for the US.
Most of the pilots chosen, had many hours on the F-84F Thunderstreak, one was a F-104G pilot and 5 were coming from the F-5.
The units chosen to receive the F-4E were the 338 and 339 FB Squadrons, then flying the F-84F.Their base was in Andravida and they would come under 117 Combat Wing.
Another decision made was to establish a pilot training center in the 114 Combat Wing.There, the chosen pilots were split in four groups and "flew" on the F-104G simulator, training in radar use and the L3 INS.
The technical personnel had an intensive course in English language.
In the same period, studies were made for the infrastructure work to be made in the 117CW.It was decided to build 26 aircraft shelters, new taxiways, but also new communication and accommodation buildings.Funds for these, would come partly, (50%) from NATO and partly from the national budget.
In the end, 36 pilots were send to the US for training, with the first group leaving on December of 1973.
The other two groups left in January 1974.They all went to Homestead AFB in Florida, to train with the 31st TFW, then flying F-4Cs and -Ds.The Greek pilots trained on the F-4C in interceptor and bombing missions.They "put" around 70 flying hours.From these, 30 were flown in the back seat and the 40 in the front.Eight pilots from the first group, received instructor training.They were the first to arrive back to Greece in April 1974, to start the training of more pilots for the Phantom.
The arrival of the last group, coincided with the Turkish invasion of Cyprus.

DELIVERIES

The program which had aquired the code name "Peace Icarus I" in the USAF, was running smoothly. and the first aircraft for the Hellenic Air Force was ready on schedule.
McDonnel-Douglas F-4E Phantom II serialled 72-01500, took off for the first time from Lambert, St Louis, on January 29 1974.At the controls was the McDD test pilot E.D. Francis.
The procedure followed was this.When each aircraft came out of the production line, a McDD test pilot flew it running the appropriate tests.When everything was in order and working smoothly, another test flight was carried out, this time by a USAF test pilot.After he had tested the aircrcraft and "passed" it, an acceptance protocol was signed by the USAF.
Then, the aircraft were given to the 2^nd Air Delivery Sq. of TAG and was ready to be flown to Greece.
Aircraft 72-01500 and 72-01501 were received by the 2^nd ADS on Friday, March 15 1974, in Lambert, St. Louis.From there, they were flown to Capital Airport in Springfield, Illinois.There they waited, until six aircraft were ready.Then, the long flight to Greece could start.
For the ferry flight, the Hellenic Air Force had chosen Skyways Inc. of Sherman Oaks Ca., a company specializing in aircraft deliveries.According to the contract, Skyways crews were taking charge of the Greek Phantoms in Springfield Ill., for tax reasons!If the aircraft were accepted in St Louis, taxes had to be paid to the State of Missouri, as this would be a commercial transaction within the State limits.
The moving the aircraft to Springfield, made the transaction inter-State, and exempt of any taxes.
This procedure made Greek Phantoms a few thousand dollars cheaper.
The aircraft were flown in the "North Atlantic route".From Capital Airport, they were flown to Griffiths AFB in Rome NY.From there to the vast Goose Bay in Labrador, Canada.Then, on to the small airfield of Sonderstrom, a USAF Radar base in Greenland.From there, they were flown to Keflavik, Iceland.
Next stop was RAF Bentwaters, in Eastern England.Last stop was Aviano AB in Northern Italy.From there the flight to Adravida, was the easiest part.