Combat Aircraft Journal looks back at the final days of the US Air Force’s F-105 Thunderchief, and one very special farewell event at Hill AFB.
On a bitterly cold Utah day in February 1984, just three Republic F-105Fs were all that remained of the US Air Force’s once huge Thunderchief fleet, one that at its peak numbered in excess of 800 aircraft. Hill AFB was the ‘Thuds’ final operating location under the Air Force Reserves (AFRES) of the 419th Tactical Fighter Wing (TFW) at Hill, located near Salt Lake City.
Entering service in August 1958, the F-105’s operational career has been well documented in Combat Aircraft Journal and enshrined in tomes such as Thud Ridge and 100 Missions North. Suffice to say that the Thunderchief was often likened to the ugly duckling that eventually became a swan. It was certainly among the finest of the celebrated ‘Century Series’ of US fighters in terms of combat exploits during the Vietnam War. That conflict exacted a heavy toll on both man and machine and was also largely responsible for a dramatic change in pilot attitudes to the Thunderchief. These underwent a remarkable transformation, with the once derogatory appellation of ‘Thud’ eventually becoming a term of great affection and pride.
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