HAF 338 Sqn Phantoms (PhanCon & low level) May 2025
Posted: Sat May 17, 2025 3:38 pm
I was one of about 60 F-4 enthusiasts for my first time at PhanCon, hosted by Hellenic AF 338 Sqn at Andravida AFB, Greece. The event was heavily oversubscribed and unbelievably cheap at 70 Euros so I consider myself very lucky to have had the opportunity, and some of us had a bonus day in the low level training area which wasn't part of the event.
The two day base visit loosely followed the format of previous years, we got to see some flying at various times around planned sorties, had a guided tour of the J79 engine workshop, had free reign around the deep maintenance hangar, and basically enjoyed the privilege and atmosphere of being on an active Phantom base. It was a truly phantastic experience.
The event is organised by the F-4 Phantom II Society https://www.f4phantom.com/drupal/ which is a non-profit organisation and they did a great job, you need to be a member to attend but that is only $20 a year and goes towards F-4 preservation and keeping the legacy alive so a worthy cause.
Huge thanks to the folks from 338 Sqn for their patience and hospitality. They are a credit to their squadron and the HAF, incredible that they can keep these Cold War warriors at operational readiness still after >50 years. From what they said they had some problems with the behaviour of spotters at Ex INIOCHOS this year so they laid down the law a bit at first, but everything was pretty relaxed after that. They certainly do a better barbecue than their Turkish counterparts!
Here’s a few pics to give a flavour of it
F-4E 01503 HAF 338 Sqn by Aquila427, on Flickr
F-4E 71745 HAF 338 Sqn by Aquila427, on Flickr
F-4E 01504 HAF 338 Sqn by Aquila427, on Flickr
F-4E 01520 HAF 338 Sqn by Aquila427, on Flickr
F-4E 01503 HAF 338 Sqn by Aquila427, on Flickr
F-4E 01520 & 71744 HAF 338 Sqn by Aquila427, on Flickr
F-4E 01503 & 01501 HAF 338 Sqn by Aquila427, on Flickr
F-4E 01503 HAF 338 Sqn by Aquila427, on Flickr
F-4E 71745 & 01501 HAF 338 Sqn by Aquila427, on Flickr
F-4E 01501 HAF 338 Sqn by Aquila427, on Flickr
F-4E 01520 HAF 338 Sqn by Aquila427, on Flickr
F-4E 01501, 71760, 01503 HAF 338 Sqn by Aquila427, on Flickr
F-4E 01501, 71760, 01503 HAF 338 Sqn by Aquila427, on Flickr
F-4E 71745 HAF 338 Sqn by Aquila427, on Flickr
F-4E 01503 HAF 338 Sqn by Aquila427, on Flickr
F-4E 01503 HAF 338 Sqn by Aquila427, on Flickr
F-4E 71745 HAF 338 Sqn by Aquila427, on Flickr
F-4E 01503,71760,01501 HAF 338 Sqn by Aquila427, on Flickr
The two day base visit loosely followed the format of previous years, we got to see some flying at various times around planned sorties, had a guided tour of the J79 engine workshop, had free reign around the deep maintenance hangar, and basically enjoyed the privilege and atmosphere of being on an active Phantom base. It was a truly phantastic experience.
The event is organised by the F-4 Phantom II Society https://www.f4phantom.com/drupal/ which is a non-profit organisation and they did a great job, you need to be a member to attend but that is only $20 a year and goes towards F-4 preservation and keeping the legacy alive so a worthy cause.
Huge thanks to the folks from 338 Sqn for their patience and hospitality. They are a credit to their squadron and the HAF, incredible that they can keep these Cold War warriors at operational readiness still after >50 years. From what they said they had some problems with the behaviour of spotters at Ex INIOCHOS this year so they laid down the law a bit at first, but everything was pretty relaxed after that. They certainly do a better barbecue than their Turkish counterparts!
Here’s a few pics to give a flavour of it
F-4E 01503 HAF 338 Sqn by Aquila427, on FlickrF-4E 71745 HAF 338 Sqn by Aquila427, on FlickrF-4E 01504 HAF 338 Sqn by Aquila427, on FlickrF-4E 01520 HAF 338 Sqn by Aquila427, on FlickrF-4E 01503 HAF 338 Sqn by Aquila427, on FlickrF-4E 01520 & 71744 HAF 338 Sqn by Aquila427, on FlickrF-4E 01503 & 01501 HAF 338 Sqn by Aquila427, on FlickrF-4E 01503 HAF 338 Sqn by Aquila427, on FlickrF-4E 71745 & 01501 HAF 338 Sqn by Aquila427, on FlickrF-4E 01501 HAF 338 Sqn by Aquila427, on FlickrF-4E 01520 HAF 338 Sqn by Aquila427, on FlickrF-4E 01501, 71760, 01503 HAF 338 Sqn by Aquila427, on FlickrF-4E 01501, 71760, 01503 HAF 338 Sqn by Aquila427, on FlickrF-4E 71745 HAF 338 Sqn by Aquila427, on FlickrF-4E 01503 HAF 338 Sqn by Aquila427, on FlickrF-4E 01503 HAF 338 Sqn by Aquila427, on FlickrF-4E 71745 HAF 338 Sqn by Aquila427, on FlickrF-4E 01503,71760,01501 HAF 338 Sqn by Aquila427, on Flickr