The Hellenic Air Force (HAF) has retired the A-7 Corsair II from active service with a ceremony at Araxos airbase.
On Oct. 17, the Hellenic Air Force organized a ceremony to celebrate the retirement of the last A-7 Corsair flying with 116 Combat Wing (116 PM) jets at Araxos airbase after 39 years of active service.
The event included static displays of A-7 and F-16 aircraft, a photography exhibition, flights and aircraft transits and demonstrations by the Air Demonstration Teams “Zeus” with an F-16 and “Daedalus” with a T-6A aircraft.
Along with the last A-7s aircraft in the typical exotic camouflaged color scheme, a retired Corsair in a celebratory livery was unveiled during the ceremony at Araxos airbase.
As a consequence of the retirement of the last A-7 light attack planes, the HAF operates now 157 F-16s, 44 Mirage 2000 and 45 R/F-4Es.
During the Araxos spotters day, there was the opportunity to observe the local F-16s involved in their usual training activity.
Photographer Daniele Faccioli attended the event at Araxos and took the images in this post.
H/T e-Amyna for providing additional information used in this article. Image credit: Daniele Faccioli
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LMAO I had to do a double take when I saw Captain Jack.
Same thing.
There’s a drawing someone made on deviantART of a pirate F-8 Crusader. Now we have a pirate A-7 Corsair II. All we need is a pirate Phantom II and I think we could have a whole new genre of fun.
Now these are some high quality, professional photographs that I absolutely adore. If Daniele Faccioli peruses these comments know that I appreciate your skill.
You have to be of a certain age to understand. I would say 50 or older.
Quite younger actually but the mid-Cold War era is my favorite piece of history, especially the Vietnam War. But indeed to the overwhelming near total majority who did not live through the era, it would be lost upon them.
Nah. He blew that too. He tried to sell it as a multirole fighter. The F-111 was a great strategic bomber, able to penetrate defenses low level at mach 2, but a fighter it wasn’t.
now that they’re grounded, please do not destroy them, put them in museums, sell a few with a little potential left to some rich collectionner, just don’t chop them.