{"id":3112780,"date":"2026-06-28T20:09:37","date_gmt":"2026-06-28T18:09:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/civilian-f-4-phantom-returns-to-flight-robin-olds-markings\/"},"modified":"2026-09-04T09:22:53","modified_gmt":"2026-09-04T07:22:53","slug":"civilian-f-4-phantom-returns-to-flight-robin-olds-markings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/civilian-f-4-phantom-returns-to-flight-robin-olds-markings\/","title":{"rendered":"The World&#8217;s Only Civilian Phantom Flies Again"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.et_pb_title_container h1.entry-title { padding-top: 40px !important; }<\/style>\n<!-- mfsh:top -->\n\n<style>\n.mfsh-trigger{display:inline-flex;align-items:center;gap:10px;height:44px;padding:0 18px;margin:0 0 26px;border:2px solid #0F1720;background:#fff;color:#0F1720;font-family:inherit;font-size:14px;font-weight:700;line-height:1;letter-spacing:0;text-transform:none;cursor:pointer;box-shadow:none;transition:background .15s,color .15s}\n.mfsh-trigger:hover,.mfsh-trigger:focus-visible{background:#0F1720;color:#fff;outline:none}\n.mfsh-trigger svg{width:18px;height:18px;display:block;flex-shrink:0}\n.mfsh-trigger.mfsh-bottom{margin:8px 0 28px}\n.mfsh-meta{position:relative;padding-right:190px}\n.mfsh-trigger.mfsh-inmeta{position:absolute;right:0;bottom:0;margin:0;height:30px;padding:0 8.9px;font-size:13px}\n.mfsh-trigger.mfsh-inmeta svg{width:16px;height:16px}\n.mfsh-overlay{position:fixed;inset:0;background:rgba(15,23,32,.55);z-index:99999;display:flex;align-items:flex-end;justify-content:center;opacity:0;pointer-events:none;transition:opacity .2s}\n.mfsh-overlay.mfsh-open{opacity:1;pointer-events:auto}\n.mfsh-sheet{width:100%;max-width:520px;background:#fff;color:#0F1720;padding:18px 20px 28px;transform:translateY(24px);transition:transform .22s;box-shadow:0 12px 32px rgba(15,23,32,.25);font-family:inherit;max-height:92vh;overflow:auto;-webkit-overflow-scrolling:touch}\n.mfsh-overlay.mfsh-open .mfsh-sheet{transform:none}\n@media (min-width:640px){.mfsh-overlay{align-items:center}.mfsh-sheet{padding-bottom:20px}}\n.mfsh-head{display:flex;align-items:center;justify-content:space-between;margin:0 0 14px}\n.mfsh-head strong{font-size:18px;font-weight:800;display:flex;align-items:center;gap:8px;line-height:1}\n.mfsh-head strong svg{width:18px;height:18px}\n.mfsh-close{background:none;border:0;padding:6px;margin:0;cursor:pointer;color:#0F1720;line-height:0;box-shadow:none}\n.mfsh-close svg{width:18px;height:18px}\n.mfsh-preview{display:grid;grid-template-columns:96px 1fr;gap:12px;border:1px solid #DCE3EE;background:#F5F7FB;padding:10px;margin:0 0 12px;align-items:center}\n.mfsh-preview img{width:96px;height:72px;object-fit:cover;display:block;margin:0}\n.mfsh-preview .mfsh-kicker{font-size:10px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:.14em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#5C91FF;margin:0 0 4px;line-height:1.2}\n.mfsh-preview .mfsh-title{font-size:14px;line-height:1.3;font-weight:700;margin:0;display:block}\n.mfsh-list{display:grid;margin:0;padding:0}\n.mfsh-item{display:flex;align-items:center;gap:14px;height:50px;width:100%;border:0;border-top:1px solid #DCE3EE;background:none;padding:0 4px;margin:0;text-align:left;font-family:inherit;font-size:15px;font-weight:600;color:#0F1720;cursor:pointer;box-shadow:none;letter-spacing:0;text-transform:none;line-height:1}\n.mfsh-item:hover,.mfsh-item:focus-visible{background:#F5F7FB;outline:none}\n.mfsh-item svg{width:20px;height:20px;color:#5C91FF;flex-shrink:0;display:block}\n.mfsh-item small{margin-left:auto;color:#5B6674;font-weight:500;font-size:12px}\n.mfsh-item.mfsh-done svg{color:#1E9E5A}\n.mfsh-toast{position:fixed;left:50%;bottom:32px;transform:translate(-50%,10px);background:#0F1720;color:#fff;padding:10px 16px;font-weight:700;font-size:13px;font-family:inherit;opacity:0;pointer-events:none;transition:opacity .2s,transform .2s;z-index:100000}\n.mfsh-toast.mfsh-show{opacity:1;transform:translate(-50%,0)}\n@media (prefers-reduced-motion:reduce){.mfsh-overlay,.mfsh-sheet,.mfsh-toast,.mfsh-trigger{transition:none}}\n<\/style>\n<svg width=\"0\" height=\"0\" style=\"position:absolute\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-share\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.9\" stroke-linecap=\"square\" d=\"M12 3v12M8 7l4-4 4 4M5 12v8h14v-8\"\/><\/symbol>\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-close\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"2\" stroke-linecap=\"square\" d=\"m5 5 14 14M19 5 5 19\"\/><\/symbol>\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-wa\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M12 2a10 10 0 0 0-8.6 15.1L2 22l5.1-1.3A10 10 0 1 0 12 2Zm0 1.8a8.2 8.2 0 1 1-4.2 15.3l-.3-.2-3 .8.8-2.9-.2-.3A8.2 8.2 0 0 1 12 3.8Zm-3 4.4c-.2 0-.5 0-.8.4-.3.3-1 1-1 2.4s1 2.8 1.2 3c.1.2 2 3.2 5 4.4 2.5 1 3 .8 3.5.7.5 0 1.7-.7 2-1.4.2-.7.2-1.3.1-1.4l-.5-.3-2-1c-.3 0-.5-.1-.7.2l-.9 1.1c-.2.2-.3.2-.6.1-.3-.2-1.3-.5-2.4-1.5-.9-.8-1.5-1.8-1.7-2-.2-.4 0-.5.2-.7l.4-.5.3-.5v-.5l-.9-2.2c-.2-.5-.4-.5-.6-.5H9Z\"\/><\/symbol>\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-x\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M17.8 3h3l-6.7 7.7L22 21h-6.2l-4.8-6.3L5.4 21h-3l7.2-8.2L2 3h6.3l4.4 5.8L17.8 3Zm-1.1 16.2h1.7L7.4 4.7H5.6l11.1 14.5Z\"\/><\/symbol>\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-fb\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M13.5 22v-8h2.7l.4-3.2h-3.1V8.8c0-.9.3-1.6 1.6-1.6h1.7V4.4c-.3 0-1.3-.1-2.5-.1-2.5 0-4.1 1.5-4.1 4.2v2.3H7.4V14h2.8v8h3.3Z\"\/><\/symbol>\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-li\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M6.5 8.5H3V21h3.5V8.5ZM4.8 3a2 2 0 1 0 0 4 2 2 0 0 0 0-4ZM21 13.4c0-3.4-1.8-5.2-4.5-5.2-1.6 0-2.7.8-3.2 1.7V8.5H9.9V21h3.4v-6.4c0-1.7.6-2.8 2.1-2.8 1.4 0 2 1 2 2.8V21H21v-7.6Z\"\/><\/symbol>\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-rd\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M22 12.1a2.4 2.4 0 0 0-4.1-1.7 11.7 11.7 0 0 0-5.5-1.7l1-4.5 3.1.7a1.7 1.7 0 1 0 .2-1l-3.6-.8a.5.5 0 0 0-.6.4l-1.1 5.2a11.8 11.8 0 0 0-5.8 1.7A2.4 2.4 0 1 0 3 14.3v.5c0 3.4 4 6.2 9 6.2s9-2.8 9-6.2v-.5a2.4 2.4 0 0 0 1-2.2ZM7.5 13.8a1.7 1.7 0 1 1 3.4 0 1.7 1.7 0 0 1-3.4 0Zm8.9 4.5c-1.2 1.2-3.4 1.3-4.4 1.3s-3.3-.1-4.4-1.3a.5.5 0 0 1 .7-.7c.7.8 2.4 1 3.7 1s2.9-.2 3.7-1a.5.5 0 0 1 .7.7Zm-.6-2.8a1.7 1.7 0 1 1 0-3.4 1.7 1.7 0 0 1 0 3.4Z\"\/><\/symbol>\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-tg\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M21.9 4.6 18.7 19.9c-.2 1-.9 1.3-1.7.8l-4.9-3.6-2.3 2.3c-.3.3-.5.5-1 .5l.4-5 9-8.2c.4-.3-.1-.5-.6-.2L6.4 13.5 1.6 12c-1-.3-1.1-1 .2-1.5l18.8-7.2c.9-.3 1.6.2 1.3 1.3Z\"\/><\/symbol>\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-mail\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.8\" d=\"M3 6h18v12H3z\"\/><path fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.8\" d=\"m3 7 9 6 9-6\"\/><\/symbol>\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-link\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.9\" stroke-linecap=\"square\" d=\"M10 14a4 4 0 0 0 5.7 0l3-3a4 4 0 0 0-5.7-5.7l-1.5 1.5M14 10a4 4 0 0 0-5.7 0l-3 3a4 4 0 0 0 5.7 5.7l1.5-1.5\"\/><\/symbol>\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-more\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><circle cx=\"5\" cy=\"12\" r=\"2\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/><circle cx=\"12\" cy=\"12\" r=\"2\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/><circle cx=\"19\" cy=\"12\" r=\"2\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/><\/symbol>\n<\/svg>\n<span class=\"mfsh-top-slot\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"mfsh-trigger\" data-mfsh-placement=\"top\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><svg><use href=\"#mfsh-i-share\"\/><\/svg>Share this story<\/button><\/span>\n<script>\n(function(){\n  if (window.__mfsh) return; window.__mfsh = true;\n  var SECTION = 'afterburner';\n  function meta(p){ var m=document.querySelector('meta[property=\"'+p+'\"]'); return m ? m.getAttribute('content') : ''; }\n  function pageUrl(){ var c=document.querySelector('link[rel=\"canonical\"]'); return (c && c.href) || (location.origin + location.pathname); }\n  function pageTitle(){ var h=document.querySelector('h1.entry-title'); return (h && h.textContent.trim()) || meta('og:title') || document.title; }\n  function slug(){ return location.pathname.replace(\/\\\/+$\/,'').split('\/').pop() || 'home'; }\n  function kicker(){ var c=document.querySelector('.et_pb_title_container a[rel=\"category tag\"], .et_pb_title_container a[rel=\"category\"], a[rel=\"category tag\"]'); return 'Afterburner' + (c && c.textContent.trim() ? ' \u00b7 ' + c.textContent.trim() : ''); }\n  function shareUrl(ch, placement){ return pageUrl() + '?utm_source=share&utm_medium=' + ch + '&utm_campaign=' + SECTION + '&utm_content=sheet_' + placement; }\n  function track(ch, placement, extra){\n    window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];\n    var ev = { event:'share', share_channel:ch, share_variant:'sheet', share_placement:placement, page_section:SECTION, content_id:slug() };\n    if (extra) for (var k in extra) ev[k]=extra[k];\n    window.dataLayer.push(ev);\n  }\n  var CH = [\n    ['whatsapp','WhatsApp','mfsh-i-wa',''],\n    ['x','X','mfsh-i-x',''],\n    ['facebook','Facebook','mfsh-i-fb',''],\n    ['linkedin','LinkedIn','mfsh-i-li',''],\n    ['reddit','Reddit','mfsh-i-rd','r\/aviation, r\/WarplanePorn'],\n    ['telegram','Telegram','mfsh-i-tg',''],\n    ['email','Email','mfsh-i-mail',''],\n    ['copy','Copy link','mfsh-i-link',''],\n    ['native','More','mfsh-i-more','Instagram, Signal, AirDrop']\n  ];\n  var overlay, toastEl, toastT, placement = 'top';\n  function build(){\n    overlay = document.createElement('div'); overlay.className = 'mfsh-overlay'; overlay.setAttribute('role','dialog'); overlay.setAttribute('aria-modal','true'); overlay.setAttribute('aria-label','Share');\n    var img = meta('og:image');\n    var items = CH.filter(function(c){ return c[0] !== 'native' || !!navigator.share; }).map(function(c){\n      return '<button type=\"button\" class=\"mfsh-item\" data-mfsh-ch=\"'+c[0]+'\"><svg><use href=\"#'+c[2]+'\"\/><\/svg>'+c[1]+(c[3]?'<small>'+c[3]+'<\/small>':'')+'<\/button>';\n    }).join('');\n    overlay.innerHTML = '<div class=\"mfsh-sheet\"><div class=\"mfsh-head\"><strong><svg><use href=\"#mfsh-i-share\"\/><\/svg>Share<\/strong><button type=\"button\" class=\"mfsh-close\" aria-label=\"Close\"><svg><use href=\"#mfsh-i-close\"\/><\/svg><\/button><\/div>'\n      + '<div class=\"mfsh-preview\">' + (img ? '<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"'+img+'\" alt=\"\">' : '<span><\/span>') + '<div><div class=\"mfsh-kicker\">'+kicker()+'<\/div><span class=\"mfsh-title\">'+pageTitle()+'<\/span><\/div><\/div>'\n      + '<div class=\"mfsh-list\">'+items+'<\/div><\/div>';\n    document.body.appendChild(overlay);\n    toastEl = document.createElement('div'); toastEl.className = 'mfsh-toast'; document.body.appendChild(toastEl);\n    overlay.addEventListener('click', function(e){\n      if (e.target === overlay || e.target.closest('.mfsh-close')) { close(); return; }\n      var b = e.target.closest('.mfsh-item'); if (b) act(b.getAttribute('data-mfsh-ch'), b);\n    });\n    document.addEventListener('keydown', function(e){ if (e.key === 'Escape') close(); });\n  }\n  function open(p){ placement = p || 'top'; if (!overlay) build(); overlay.classList.add('mfsh-open'); track('open', placement); }\n  function close(){ if (overlay) overlay.classList.remove('mfsh-open'); }\n  function toast(m){ toastEl.textContent = m; toastEl.classList.add('mfsh-show'); clearTimeout(toastT); toastT = setTimeout(function(){ toastEl.classList.remove('mfsh-show'); }, 1600); }\n  function act(ch, btn){\n    var url = shareUrl(ch, placement), t = pageTitle(), enc = encodeURIComponent;\n    if (ch === 'copy') {\n      var done = function(){ toast('Link copied'); btn.classList.add('mfsh-done'); setTimeout(function(){ btn.classList.remove('mfsh-done'); close(); }, 900); };\n      track(ch, placement);\n      if (navigator.clipboard && navigator.clipboard.writeText) navigator.clipboard.writeText(url).then(done, done); else done();\n      return;\n    }\n    if (ch === 'native') {\n      track(ch, placement, { share_result:'opened' });\n      navigator.share({ title:t, text:t, url:url }).then(function(){ track('native', placement, { share_result:'completed' }); close(); }).catch(function(){});\n      return;\n    }\n    var target = {\n      whatsapp: 'https:\/\/api.whatsapp.com\/send?text=' + enc(t + ' ' + url),\n      x:        'https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=' + enc(t) + '&url=' + enc(url) + '&via=MiGFlug',\n      facebook: 'https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=' + enc(url),\n      linkedin: 'https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/sharing\/share-offsite\/?url=' + enc(url),\n      reddit:   'https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/submit?url=' + enc(url) + '&title=' + enc(t),\n      telegram: 'https:\/\/t.me\/share\/url?url=' + enc(url) + '&text=' + enc(t),\n      email:    'mailto:?subject=' + enc(t) + '&body=' + enc('Thought you would like this, from Afterburner, MiGFlug\\'s magazine:\\n' + t + '\\n' + url)\n    }[ch];\n    track(ch, placement);\n    if (target) { if (ch === 'email') location.href = target; else window.open(target, '_blank', 'noopener,width=680,height=560'); }\n    close();\n  }\n  var mq = window.matchMedia('(min-width:981px)');\n  function place(){\n    var t = document.querySelector('.mfsh-trigger[data-mfsh-placement=\"top\"]'), slot = document.querySelector('.mfsh-top-slot');\n    var meta = [].slice.call(document.querySelectorAll('.et_pb_title_meta_container, .et_post_meta_wrapper .post-meta, .single .post-meta')).filter(function(m){ return m.offsetParent !== null; })[0];\n    if (!t || !slot) return;\n    if (meta && mq.matches) { meta.classList.add('mfsh-meta'); t.classList.add('mfsh-inmeta'); if (t.parentNode !== meta) meta.appendChild(t); var a = meta.querySelector('a'); if (a) { var pr = document.createElement('span'); pr.style.cssText = 'display:inline-block;width:0;height:0;vertical-align:baseline'; a.appendChild(pr); var base = pr.getBoundingClientRect().bottom; pr.remove(); var fs = parseFloat(getComputedStyle(a).fontSize) || 14, mb = meta.getBoundingClientRect().bottom; t.style.bottom = Math.max(0, mb - (base + fs * 0.12)) + 'px'; } }\n    else { t.classList.remove('mfsh-inmeta'); if (t.parentNode !== slot) slot.appendChild(t); }\n  }\n  if (document.readyState === 'loading') document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', place); else place(); window.addEventListener('load', place); if (document.fonts && document.fonts.ready) document.fonts.ready.then(place); window.addEventListener('resize', place);\n  if (mq.addEventListener) mq.addEventListener('change', place); else mq.addListener(place);\n  document.addEventListener('click', function(e){ var b = e.target.closest('.mfsh-trigger'); if (b) { e.preventDefault(); open(b.getAttribute('data-mfsh-placement') || 'top'); } });\n})();\n<\/script><!-- \/mfsh:top -->\n\n<p>It is mid-morning on 8 June 2026 at Ellington Field in Houston, and Harry \u201cD-Day\u201d Daye is strapping into a machine that has not left the ground in seven years. The ramp smells of jet fuel and Texas heat. Behind him sits Jerod Flohr, one of the volunteers who spent the last months coaxing this aircraft back to life. At 10:50 a.m. local time, two General Electric J79 turbojets light their afterburners, the noise rolls across the field like thunder with a grudge, and the only civilian-operated <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/f-4-phantom-ii\">F-4<\/a> Phantom II in the world claws its way back into the sky.<\/p>\n<p>For about forty minutes, a grey ghost from the Vietnam era flies again \u2014 two touch-and-goes, then a full stop. It is not a record run or a combat sortie. It is something rarer: a complex, cantankerous 1960s fighter, kept alive by people who simply refused to let it die.<\/p>\n<p>And it wears a name that anyone who loves the Phantom will recognise on sight. This jet flies in the markings of an F-4D associated with Col. Robin Olds \u2014 the moustachioed, larger-than-life ace who led the most famous ambush of the air war over North Vietnam.<\/p>\n\n<div style=\"background:#f4f6f8;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;border-radius:10px;padding:18px 22px;margin:24px 0\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 10px;font-weight:700;font-size:17px;color:#1a1a1a\">Quick Facts<\/p><ul style=\"margin:0;padding-left:18px;line-height:1.8;color:#333\"><li><strong>Aircraft:<\/strong> McDonnell Douglas F-4D Phantom II, civil registration N749CF<\/li><li><strong>Operator:<\/strong> Collings Foundation \/ Vietnam War Flight Museum, Ellington Field, Houston<\/li><li><strong>Return to flight:<\/strong> 8 June 2026, ~10:50 a.m. local time, after roughly seven years grounded<\/li><li><strong>Test pilot:<\/strong> Harry \u201cD-Day\u201d Daye (2,500+ hours on type); Jerod Flohr in the rear cockpit<\/li><li><strong>Markings:<\/strong> painted as F-4D 66-7680, linked to Col. Robin Olds and Operation Bolo<\/li><li><strong>Powerplant:<\/strong> two General Electric J79 turbojets; top speed over Mach 2.2<\/li><li><strong>Status:<\/strong> believed to be the only privately operated, airworthy F-4 in the world<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">A forty-minute miracle on the Houston ramp<\/h2>\n<p>The Phantom was never meant to be a museum piece you could start up and fly. It was built to be flown hard by a national air arm with a supply chain to match \u2014 thousands of spare parts, depots, and trained crews. Strip all of that away and you are left with a 1960s interceptor that fights you for every flight hour.<\/p>\n<p>That is why this particular F-4 spent so long on the ground. The aircraft had been grounded for major maintenance since around 2011, and returning it to airworthy condition meant years of patient, unglamorous work: overhauling hydraulics, validating systems, chasing down inspections, and proving every repair. Daye, a former U.S. Air Force Phantom pilot with more than 2,500 hours on type and over a thousand as an instructor, was exactly the right person to take it up and re-earn his currency in the jet.<\/p>\n\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/_Cml2zLhtSU\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0;border-radius:8px\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n\n<p style=\"font-size:14px;color:#666;text-align:center;margin-top:-8px\">Vintage Aviation News captured the Collings Foundation Phantom\u2019s first flight in seven years from Ellington Field. Sound up \u2014 this is what two J79s waking up sounds like.<\/p>\n<p>What you hear in that footage is not nostalgia. It is engineering. Every system that screams to life had to be coaxed there by hand, and the man who flew it knew exactly how much trust that took.<\/p>\n\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #1565c0;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;border-radius:0 8px 8px 0;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7;display:flex;gap:20px;align-items:flex-start\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/06\/robin-olds-preflight-f-4-1967.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"flex-shrink:0\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/06\/robin-olds-preflight-f-4-1967.jpg\" alt=\"Harry \u201cD-Day\u201d Daye\" style=\"width:96px;height:96px;border-radius:50%;object-fit:cover;object-position:center;display:block;border:2px solid #ddd\"><\/a><div><em>\u201cToday I had the distinct honor of representing the Collings Foundation as this incredible team managed to get this amazing bird airborne after seven long years of preparation. This group of talented volunteers worked tirelessly, especially over the last few months, to make the magic happen today. It was a privilege to slip the surly bonds with my friend and fellow pilot Jerod Flohr.\u201d<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>Harry \u201cD-Day\u201d Daye<\/strong> \u2014 Former USAF F-4 pilot, who flew the 8 June 2026 test flight<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">An Act of Congress to keep a fighter flying<\/h2>\n<p>Here is the part most people never realise: it is not simply hard to keep a Phantom flying \u2014 it was, for a time, against the rules. A retired front-line fighter does not just get handed over to a museum with the keys. Getting this F-4 into civilian hands took an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act of 1999 \u2014 an actual Act of Congress.<\/p>\n<p>Once the legal door opened, the airframe still needed an enormous refurbishment: zero-timed engines, sourced ejection seats, overhauled hydraulics, and refreshed cockpit avionics. The Phantom made its first flight in civilian hands in August 1999, then flew sparingly \u2014 the running costs are brutal \u2014 before being parked for the long maintenance that ended this June.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/06\/f-4d-phantom-25th-tfs-66-8709.jpg\" alt=\"A McDonnell F-4D Phantom II of the 25th Tactical Fighter Squadron in Southeast Asia camouflage\" style=\"display:block;width:100%;height:auto;border-radius:6px\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">A McDonnell F-4D Phantom II of the 25th Tactical Fighter Squadron wearing Vietnam-era Southeast Asia camouflage \u2014 the same model and paint family the Collings jet represents. (Photo: USAF \/ public domain)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n<p>The aircraft itself, registered N749CF, rolled out in 1965 as F-4D 65-0749 for the U.S. Air Force. The Collings Foundation, working through the Vietnam War Flight Museum, has cared for it for more than two decades. The volunteers are the real story here \u2014 the kind of people who give up weekends to torque a fitting correctly so that a stranger at an airshow can someday hear a J79 in afterburner and feel their chest vibrate.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Why the Phantom matters \u2014 and why people love it<\/h2>\n<p>The F-4 Phantom II is one of the defining aircraft of the jet age. A tandem two-seat, twin-engine fighter powered by those two J79s, it could top Mach 2.2 and haul a heavier load than many bombers of an earlier generation. The Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force all flew it. More than 5,000 were built. It served on the front line for decades and in some air arms well into this century.<\/p>\n<p>It was never delicate or pretty in the conventional sense \u2014 pilots affectionately called it the \u201cRhino,\u201d and joked that it was proof a brick could fly if you bolted enough thrust to it. But it was tough, fast, and adaptable, and it earned a devotion that few machines ever do. Seeing one fly in 2026 is like hearing a song you thought had gone silent forever.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/06\/robin-olds-100th-mission-1967.jpg\" alt=\"Aviators of the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing carry Col. Robin Olds after his 100th combat mission in 1967\" style=\"display:block;width:100%;height:auto;border-radius:6px\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">Wolfpack aviators of the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing carry their commander, Col. Robin Olds, after his 100th combat mission over North Vietnam, 23 September 1967. (Photo: USAF \/ public domain)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">The Robin Olds connection<\/h2>\n<p>The markings on this jet are not decoration. They are a deliberate salute. The Phantom is painted as F-4D 66-7680, an aircraft associated with Col. Robin Olds, the World War II and Vietnam triple ace who commanded the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing \u2014 the \u201cWolfpack.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>On 2 January 1967, Olds led Operation Bolo, a piece of aerial theatre so audacious it still gets taught today. His Phantoms mimicked the call signs and flight profiles of slower <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/f-105-thunderchief\">F-105<\/a> bombers to bait North Vietnamese <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/mig-21-fishbed\">MiG-21<\/a> interceptors into the air \u2014 and then sprang the trap. We have told that story in full elsewhere, so we will not retell it here; if you have never read it, go and do that next.<\/p>\n\n<p style=\"margin:4px 0 24px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/operation-bolo-robin-olds-mig-trap-over-hanoi\/\">&rarr; Read the full story: Operation Bolo \u2014 Robin Olds\u2019 MiG Trap Over Hanoi<\/a><\/p>\n\n<p>That is the weight this aircraft carries every time it leaves the ground. It is not just an F-4. It is a flying tribute to one of the most charismatic leaders American military aviation ever produced \u2014 kept aloft by volunteers who understand exactly what that name means.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">What comes next<\/h2>\n<p>The 8 June flight was the beginning, not the finale. The Collings Foundation plans to bring the Phantom to the airshow circuit during the 2026 season alongside the rest of its Cold War jet fleet. It is expected to be a featured attraction at the CAF Wings Over Houston Airshow on 31 October and 1 November 2026, where a new generation of spectators may meet the Rhino for the first time.<\/p>\n<p>One honest note on the \u201conly in the world\u201d claim: this is the only flyable, privately operated F-4 anyone can currently point to, and with the U.S. Air Force\u2019s QF-4 drone program shut down in December 2016, it is very likely the last airworthy Phantom in the United States. A handful of enthusiasts dispute whether it is strictly the only one on Earth, so we will say what is provable: it is believed to be the only civilian-operated F-4 flying today, and that is remarkable enough.<\/p>\n\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/p5s4g16JfZI\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0;border-radius:8px\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n\n<p style=\"font-size:14px;color:#666;text-align:center;margin-top:-8px\">A closer look at the Collings Foundation Phantom on the ground at Ellington Field, including the crew preparing the jet for its return to the air.<\/p>\n<p>For seven years, the loudest thing this Phantom did was sit quietly in a hangar. On a hot June morning in Houston, it answered back. And somewhere, you suspect, a moustachioed colonel would have approved.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-style:italic;color:#777;margin-top:28px\">Sources: Vintage Aviation News; Aero-News Network; Collings Foundation and Vietnam War Flight Museum; National Air and Space Museum (F-4 \/ J79 reference).<\/p>\n<!-- mfsh:bottom -->\n\n<button type=\"button\" class=\"mfsh-trigger mfsh-bottom\" data-mfsh-placement=\"bottom\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><svg><use href=\"#mfsh-i-share\"\/><\/svg>Share this story<\/button>\n\n<!-- \/mfsh:bottom -->\n\n<!-- mf-faq -->\n\n<div class=\"mf-faq-block\"><style>.mf-faq-block{margin:34px 0}.mf-faq-item:not([open]) .mf-faq-answer{display:none !important}.mf-faq-block h2.mf-faq-h{padding-top:22px;margin-bottom:14px}.mf-faq-item{border:1px solid #e2e8f5;border-radius:8px;margin:0 0 10px;background:#fff}.mf-faq-item summary{list-style:none;cursor:pointer;padding:15px 50px 15px 18px;font-weight:600;color:#1a1a1a;position:relative;line-height:1.45;user-select:none}.mf-faq-item summary::-webkit-details-marker{display:none}.mf-faq-item summary::after{content:\"+\";position:absolute;right:18px;top:50%;transform:translateY(-50%);font-size:1.5em;font-weight:400;color:#5C91FF;line-height:1}.mf-faq-item[open] summary::after{content:\"\\2013\"}.mf-faq-item[open] summary{border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f8}.mf-faq-item summary:hover{background:#f5f8ff}.mf-faq-answer{padding:14px 18px;color:#333;line-height:1.6}.mf-faq-answer p{margin:0}<\/style><h2 class=\"mf-faq-h\">Related Questions<\/h2><details class=\"mf-faq-item\"><summary>Is the F-4 Phantom still flying?<\/summary><div class=\"mf-faq-answer\"><p>Yes, in very limited numbers. On 8 June 2026 the Collings Foundation's civilian F-4 Phantom II returned to flight from Ellington Field in Houston after about seven years grounded. It is the only flying example in North America and is believed to be the last privately operated, airworthy F-4 in the world. No air force still flies the Phantom operationally as a front-line fighter.<\/p><\/div><\/details><details class=\"mf-faq-item\"><summary>Who owns the civilian F-4 Phantom?<\/summary><div class=\"mf-faq-answer\"><p>The aircraft is owned by the Collings Foundation and operated by the Vietnam War Flight Museum, both based at Ellington Field in Houston, Texas. Acquiring a flyable Phantom required an Act of Congress, through an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act of 1999, before the jet could pass into civilian hands.<\/p><\/div><\/details><details class=\"mf-faq-item\"><summary>What markings does the Collings Foundation F-4 wear?<\/summary><div class=\"mf-faq-answer\"><p>The jet, registered N749CF, was built in 1965 as F-4D 65-0749 for the U.S. Air Force. Today it is painted in the markings of F-4D 66-7680, an aircraft associated with Col. Robin Olds, the legendary 8th Tactical Fighter Wing commander who led Operation Bolo over North Vietnam in January 1967.<\/p><\/div><\/details><details class=\"mf-faq-item\"><summary>How many engines does the F-4 Phantom have?<\/summary><div class=\"mf-faq-answer\"><p>The F-4 Phantom II is a twin-engine, tandem two-seat fighter. It is powered by two General Electric J79 axial-flow turbojets, each producing roughly 17,800 pounds of thrust in afterburner, giving the Phantom a top speed of more than Mach 2.2.<\/p><\/div><\/details><details class=\"mf-faq-item\"><summary>Who was Robin Olds?<\/summary><div class=\"mf-faq-answer\"><p>Robin Olds was a triple-ace U.S. fighter pilot who scored victories in World War II and Vietnam. As commander of the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing, he devised and led Operation Bolo on 2 January 1967, a deception mission that lured North Vietnamese MiG-21s into a trap and downed several without a single American loss.<\/p><\/div><\/details><details class=\"mf-faq-item\"><summary>What was Operation Bolo?<\/summary><div class=\"mf-faq-answer\"><p>Operation Bolo was a January 1967 U.S. Air Force ruse in which F-4 Phantoms mimicked the flight profiles and call signs of slower F-105 bombers to bait North Vietnamese MiG-21 interceptors. The trap worked, and the engagement cost the North Vietnamese several of their best fighters.<\/p><\/div><\/details><details class=\"mf-faq-item\"><summary>Why was the Collings Foundation F-4 grounded for so long?<\/summary><div class=\"mf-faq-answer\"><p>The Phantom had been grounded for major maintenance since around 2011, and the work to return such a complex 1960s fighter to airworthy condition is enormous and expensive. Volunteers spent years overhauling systems and validating the airframe before the test flight on 8 June 2026.<\/p><\/div><\/details><details class=\"mf-faq-item\"><summary>Where will the civilian F-4 Phantom fly in 2026?<\/summary><div class=\"mf-faq-answer\"><p>The Collings Foundation plans to bring the Phantom to the U.S. airshow circuit during the 2026 season alongside other jets in its fleet. It is expected to be a featured attraction at the CAF Wings Over Houston Airshow on 31 October and 1 November 2026.<\/p><\/div><\/details><\/div>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Is the F-4 Phantom still flying?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Yes, in very limited numbers. On 8 June 2026 the Collings Foundation's civilian F-4 Phantom II returned to flight from Ellington Field in Houston after about seven years grounded. It is the only flying example in North America and is believed to be the last privately operated, airworthy F-4 in the world. No air force still flies the Phantom operationally as a front-line fighter.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Who owns the civilian F-4 Phantom?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The aircraft is owned by the Collings Foundation and operated by the Vietnam War Flight Museum, both based at Ellington Field in Houston, Texas. Acquiring a flyable Phantom required an Act of Congress, through an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act of 1999, before the jet could pass into civilian hands.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What markings does the Collings Foundation F-4 wear?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The jet, registered N749CF, was built in 1965 as F-4D 65-0749 for the U.S. Air Force. Today it is painted in the markings of F-4D 66-7680, an aircraft associated with Col. Robin Olds, the legendary 8th Tactical Fighter Wing commander who led Operation Bolo over North Vietnam in January 1967.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How many engines does the F-4 Phantom have?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The F-4 Phantom II is a twin-engine, tandem two-seat fighter. It is powered by two General Electric J79 axial-flow turbojets, each producing roughly 17,800 pounds of thrust in afterburner, giving the Phantom a top speed of more than Mach 2.2.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Who was Robin Olds?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Robin Olds was a triple-ace U.S. fighter pilot who scored victories in World War II and Vietnam. As commander of the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing, he devised and led Operation Bolo on 2 January 1967, a deception mission that lured North Vietnamese MiG-21s into a trap and downed several without a single American loss.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What was Operation Bolo?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Operation Bolo was a January 1967 U.S. Air Force ruse in which F-4 Phantoms mimicked the flight profiles and call signs of slower F-105 bombers to bait North Vietnamese MiG-21 interceptors. The trap worked, and the engagement cost the North Vietnamese several of their best fighters.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Why was the Collings Foundation F-4 grounded for so long?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The Phantom had been grounded for major maintenance since around 2011, and the work to return such a complex 1960s fighter to airworthy condition is enormous and expensive. Volunteers spent years overhauling systems and validating the airframe before the test flight on 8 June 2026.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Where will the civilian F-4 Phantom fly in 2026?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The Collings Foundation plans to bring the Phantom to the U.S. airshow circuit during the 2026 season alongside other jets in its fleet. It is expected to be a featured attraction at the CAF Wings Over Houston Airshow on 31 October and 1 November 2026.\"}}]}<\/script><!-- \/mf-faq -->\n\n<div style=\"background:#f0f4ff;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:16px 20px;margin:32px 0 8px;border-radius:0 8px 8px 0\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:600;color:#333\">Related Posts<\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/operation-bolo-robin-olds-mig-trap-over-hanoi\/\">Operation Bolo: Robin Olds\u2019 MiG Trap Over Hanoi<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/raf-phantom-intercepts-soviet-il-62-spy-plane-aeroflot\/\">The RAF Phantom That Caught a Soviet Spy in Aeroflot Paint<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Share this story It is mid-morning on 8 June 2026 at Ellington Field in Houston, and Harry \u201cD-Day\u201d Daye is strapping into a machine that has not left the ground in seven years. The ramp smells of jet fuel and Texas heat. Behind him sits Jerod Flohr, one of the volunteers who spent the last [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":3112562,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[666,664],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3112780","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-history-and-legends","category-military-aviation"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>World&#039;s Only Civilian F-4 Phantom Flies Again | MiGFlug<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"After 7 years grounded, the only civilian-operated F-4 Phantom flew again from Houston on 8 June 2026, in Robin Olds Operation Bolo markings.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/civilian-f-4-phantom-returns-to-flight-robin-olds-markings\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"World&#039;s Only Civilian F-4 Phantom Flies Again | MiGFlug\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"After 7 years grounded, the only civilian-operated F-4 Phantom flew again from Houston on 8 June 2026, in Robin Olds Operation Bolo markings.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/civilian-f-4-phantom-returns-to-flight-robin-olds-markings\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Afterburner - MiGFlug&#039;s Magazine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MiGFlug\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-06-28T18:09:37+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-09-04T07:22:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/06\/f-4d-phantom-497th-tfs-ubon-vietnam-1971.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1280\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"848\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Tamika Johnson\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@migflug\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@migflug\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Tamika Johnson\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"9 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/civilian-f-4-phantom-returns-to-flight-robin-olds-markings\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/civilian-f-4-phantom-returns-to-flight-robin-olds-markings\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Tamika Johnson\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/88afb39d0a02d6de10537662492fb68d\"},\"headline\":\"The World&#8217;s Only Civilian Phantom Flies Again\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-28T18:09:37+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-09-04T07:22:53+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/civilian-f-4-phantom-returns-to-flight-robin-olds-markings\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1880,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/civilian-f-4-phantom-returns-to-flight-robin-olds-markings\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/f-4d-phantom-497th-tfs-ubon-vietnam-1971.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"History &amp; Legends\",\"Military Aviation\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/civilian-f-4-phantom-returns-to-flight-robin-olds-markings\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/civilian-f-4-phantom-returns-to-flight-robin-olds-markings\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/civilian-f-4-phantom-returns-to-flight-robin-olds-markings\\\/\",\"name\":\"World's Only Civilian F-4 Phantom Flies Again | MiGFlug\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/civilian-f-4-phantom-returns-to-flight-robin-olds-markings\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/civilian-f-4-phantom-returns-to-flight-robin-olds-markings\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/f-4d-phantom-497th-tfs-ubon-vietnam-1971.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-28T18:09:37+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-09-04T07:22:53+00:00\",\"description\":\"After 7 years grounded, the only civilian-operated F-4 Phantom flew again from Houston on 8 June 2026, in Robin Olds Operation Bolo markings.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/civilian-f-4-phantom-returns-to-flight-robin-olds-markings\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/civilian-f-4-phantom-returns-to-flight-robin-olds-markings\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/civilian-f-4-phantom-returns-to-flight-robin-olds-markings\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/f-4d-phantom-497th-tfs-ubon-vietnam-1971.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/f-4d-phantom-497th-tfs-ubon-vietnam-1971.jpg\",\"width\":1280,\"height\":848,\"caption\":\"A U.S. Air Force F-4D Phantom II of the 497th Tactical Fighter Squadron taxiing at Ubon, Thailand, 1971\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/civilian-f-4-phantom-returns-to-flight-robin-olds-markings\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Startseite\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"The World&#8217;s Only Civilian Phantom Flies Again\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/\",\"name\":\"Afterburner - MiGFlug's Magazine\",\"description\":\"for those interested in flying military jets and aviation related  topics\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"MiGFlug GmbH\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\\\/cb:0e0_.b970\\\/w:897\\\/h:278\\\/q:mauto\\\/ig:avif\\\/https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/MIGFLUG_LOGO-no-background.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\\\/cb:0e0_.b970\\\/w:897\\\/h:278\\\/q:mauto\\\/ig:avif\\\/https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/MIGFLUG_LOGO-no-background.png\",\"width\":897,\"height\":278,\"caption\":\"MiGFlug GmbH\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/MiGFlug\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/migflug\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/migflug\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/user\\\/MiGFlug\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/company\\\/migflug.com\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pinterest.ch\\\/migflug\\\/\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/88afb39d0a02d6de10537662492fb68d\",\"name\":\"Tamika Johnson\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/0aec3158aff3d47ac0cba1da9c62fe9994a454e4e6a14b6260de35a598abdb4d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/0aec3158aff3d47ac0cba1da9c62fe9994a454e4e6a14b6260de35a598abdb4d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/0aec3158aff3d47ac0cba1da9c62fe9994a454e4e6a14b6260de35a598abdb4d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Tamika Johnson\"},\"description\":\"Tamika Johnson tells the human stories of aviation \u2014 the pilots, pioneers and characters behind the machines.\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/author\\\/tamikajohnson\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"World's Only Civilian F-4 Phantom Flies Again | MiGFlug","description":"After 7 years grounded, the only civilian-operated F-4 Phantom flew again from Houston on 8 June 2026, in Robin Olds Operation Bolo markings.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/civilian-f-4-phantom-returns-to-flight-robin-olds-markings\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"World's Only Civilian F-4 Phantom Flies Again | MiGFlug","og_description":"After 7 years grounded, the only civilian-operated F-4 Phantom flew again from Houston on 8 June 2026, in Robin Olds Operation Bolo markings.","og_url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/civilian-f-4-phantom-returns-to-flight-robin-olds-markings\/","og_site_name":"Afterburner - MiGFlug's Magazine","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MiGFlug\/","article_published_time":"2026-06-28T18:09:37+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-09-04T07:22:53+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1280,"height":848,"url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/06\/f-4d-phantom-497th-tfs-ubon-vietnam-1971.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Tamika Johnson","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@migflug","twitter_site":"@migflug","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Tamika Johnson","Est. reading time":"9 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/civilian-f-4-phantom-returns-to-flight-robin-olds-markings\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/civilian-f-4-phantom-returns-to-flight-robin-olds-markings\/"},"author":{"name":"Tamika Johnson","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#\/schema\/person\/88afb39d0a02d6de10537662492fb68d"},"headline":"The World&#8217;s Only Civilian Phantom Flies Again","datePublished":"2026-06-28T18:09:37+00:00","dateModified":"2026-09-04T07:22:53+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/civilian-f-4-phantom-returns-to-flight-robin-olds-markings\/"},"wordCount":1880,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/civilian-f-4-phantom-returns-to-flight-robin-olds-markings\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/06\/f-4d-phantom-497th-tfs-ubon-vietnam-1971.jpg","articleSection":["History &amp; Legends","Military Aviation"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/civilian-f-4-phantom-returns-to-flight-robin-olds-markings\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/civilian-f-4-phantom-returns-to-flight-robin-olds-markings\/","url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/civilian-f-4-phantom-returns-to-flight-robin-olds-markings\/","name":"World's Only Civilian F-4 Phantom Flies Again | MiGFlug","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/civilian-f-4-phantom-returns-to-flight-robin-olds-markings\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/civilian-f-4-phantom-returns-to-flight-robin-olds-markings\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/06\/f-4d-phantom-497th-tfs-ubon-vietnam-1971.jpg","datePublished":"2026-06-28T18:09:37+00:00","dateModified":"2026-09-04T07:22:53+00:00","description":"After 7 years grounded, the only civilian-operated F-4 Phantom flew again from Houston on 8 June 2026, in Robin Olds Operation Bolo markings.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/civilian-f-4-phantom-returns-to-flight-robin-olds-markings\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/civilian-f-4-phantom-returns-to-flight-robin-olds-markings\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/civilian-f-4-phantom-returns-to-flight-robin-olds-markings\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/06\/f-4d-phantom-497th-tfs-ubon-vietnam-1971.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/06\/f-4d-phantom-497th-tfs-ubon-vietnam-1971.jpg","width":1280,"height":848,"caption":"A U.S. Air Force F-4D Phantom II of the 497th Tactical Fighter Squadron taxiing at Ubon, Thailand, 1971"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/civilian-f-4-phantom-returns-to-flight-robin-olds-markings\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Startseite","item":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The World&#8217;s Only Civilian Phantom Flies Again"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#website","url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/","name":"Afterburner - MiGFlug's Magazine","description":"for those interested in flying military jets and aviation related  topics","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#organization","name":"MiGFlug GmbH","url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\/cb:0e0_.b970\/w:897\/h:278\/q:mauto\/ig:avif\/https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/06\/MIGFLUG_LOGO-no-background.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\/cb:0e0_.b970\/w:897\/h:278\/q:mauto\/ig:avif\/https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/06\/MIGFLUG_LOGO-no-background.png","width":897,"height":278,"caption":"MiGFlug GmbH"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MiGFlug\/","https:\/\/x.com\/migflug","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/migflug\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/MiGFlug","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/migflug.com\/","https:\/\/www.pinterest.ch\/migflug\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#\/schema\/person\/88afb39d0a02d6de10537662492fb68d","name":"Tamika Johnson","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0aec3158aff3d47ac0cba1da9c62fe9994a454e4e6a14b6260de35a598abdb4d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0aec3158aff3d47ac0cba1da9c62fe9994a454e4e6a14b6260de35a598abdb4d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0aec3158aff3d47ac0cba1da9c62fe9994a454e4e6a14b6260de35a598abdb4d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Tamika Johnson"},"description":"Tamika Johnson tells the human stories of aviation \u2014 the pilots, pioneers and characters behind the machines.","url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/author\/tamikajohnson\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3112780","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3112780"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3112780\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20010260,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3112780\/revisions\/20010260"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3112562"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3112780"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3112780"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3112780"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}