An F-4 pilot requested clearance to take off from a joint military/civilian airport, but due to the amount of civilian traffic, the ATC told him he’d have to hold.

F-4B_VF-74_taking_off_1961

After a repeated impatient request by the F-4 to take-off the ATC suggested that if the pilot could reach 14,000ft within half the runway length he could take off; otherwise, he would have to hold.

To the ATC’s surprise, the F-4 pilot acknowledged the tower and began to roll.

At the halfway mark the F-4 went vertically up until he reached 14,000ft, then leveled off.

The ATC had no option than to hand the pilot over to departures and wish him a nice day since he’d met the conditions laid down.

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Arnie
Arnie
13 years ago

Grant a military jet pilot his wish and he will respond.

sch
sch
13 years ago

sadly, ATC often mistakes helos for planes and handles them as planes. The differences only occur to them when we insist on them.

KattMann
KattMann
13 years ago

Regular departure from McDonnell@ KSTL was full military thrust and a “viking one” departure which consisted of 104% thrust to Vr then 70 degrees to cruise FL. in order to pass over incoming or departing civilian activity at Lambert Field. This departure never reached the crossing runway and there is little difference between 70 and 90 degrees climb out in the 4.

Ken Durrance
Ken Durrance
13 years ago

I’ve seen this done “Zaragosa Spain” Excellent job Capt. King

Mike B.
Mike B.
13 years ago

Don’t remember any F-4s doing “Viking” departures here at Lambert, but F-15s flown by McDonnell Douglas test pilots did them almost every day…

More impressive than the T-Birds or Blue Angels any day…..

John
John
12 years ago

The most remarkable routine departures I have witnessed occurred in Lokichokkio, Kenya. The aircraft was a DC-6 loaded 3000 lbs over gross departing a runway 3000 feet short. No, the aircraft never came close to an 80 or 90 degree vertical climb, but it staggered into the air wing in ground effect. The F-4 or F-15 performing “Viking” departures are compelling to watch but not as much as a DC-6 struggling to STAY in the air.

Gadget
Gadget
12 years ago

I somehow doubt the F-4 had the thrust to weight to do this vertically. However, I actually saw this exact story, but involving an F-16 from the Texas ANG. I was at Carswell AFB, then Navy Ft. Worth, now I believe JRB Ft. Worth in a C-21/Lear 35 behind the F-16 in question. He was clean, and therefore not exactly fat on gas. After pleading his case through tower a few times and relaying that if he didn’t take off soon he wouldn’t have the gas to complete his mission, tower comes back and says “Departure says that if you… Read more »

FrankB
FrankB
8 years ago

I was flying the new MD 80 for Ozark Airlines in the mid 80s. TWA had just bought Ozark and said they were going to take the four M 80 planes from the Ozark pilots and only let the TWA pilots fly them.Needless to say we weren’t happy. Waiting to take off on one of the parallel taxiways at STL, an F-15 from McDonnell Douglas did a Viking, straight up, takeoff. One of the pilots sitting in a commercial plane said on the radio, “That was impressive!” My Captain, who will remain nameless, hit the mic button and said, “If… Read more »

Jason
Jason
6 years ago

Cleared for unrestricted climb to angels one four by midfield, cleared for takeoff.

Flight-ER-Doc
Flight-ER-Doc
4 years ago

When they were built at the McDonnel Plant in St. Louis, there was a standard instrument departure doing just that…

Bardo ATC USMC
Bardo ATC USMC
2 years ago

It goes to show, you put big engines on a coke machine it’ll fly. Lol.