Turkey To Retire Its RF-4E Fleet After Crashes

As reported by the Associated Press agency, a senior Turkish military commander says Turkey is retiring its RF-4E Phantom II reconnaissance planes. The announcement came after two RF-4E’s crashed on February 24th during a night training exercise in the central province of Malatya, killing all four crew members. Combat Air Force Commander Gen. Abidin Unal told reporters on Wednesday that the Turkish Air Force had decided to ground the planes as of March 12th, retiring them several months earlier than scheduled. The two RF-4Es crashed into a mountain in Malatya, central Turkey. Nine days later, another Turkish Phantom also crashed, killing its two pilots and raising questions about the safety of Turkey’s aging fleet. Unal said reconnaissance flights would now be carried out by F-16 jets. The more modern F-16 will take over reconnaissance tasks from the RF-4Es, Abidin Ünal told members of the press on Wednesday.

Moreno Aguiari

Born in Milan, Italy, Moreno moved to the U.S. in 1999 to pursue a career as a commercial pilot. His aviation passion began early, inspired by his uncle, an F-104 Starfighter Crew Chief, and his father, a military traffic controller. Childhood adventures included camping outside military bases and watching planes at Aeroporto Linate. In 1999, he relocated to Atlanta, Georgia, to obtain his commercial pilot license, a move that became permanent. With 24 years in the U.S., he now flies full-time for a Part 91 business aviation company in Atlanta. He is actively involved with the Commemorative Air Force, the D-Day Squadron, and other aviation organizations. He enjoys life with his supportive wife and three wonderful children.

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