PhanCon 25 - Legends never die!

A Hellenic F-4E-AUP Phantom II flying through Vouraikos Gorge

Report and photos by Robin Polderman

A scream echoes through Vouraikos Gorge on Greece’s Peloponnessos peninsula, as two dots on the horizon, just having cleared the mountain top in the distance, rapidly grow bigger as they get closer. A yell intended to draw attention to the two objects approaching, in the hope they turn out to be F-4 Phantoms. And indeed, the unmistakable sound of four GE J79 engines disrupts the peace and quiet in the valley, their mighty roar seemingly out of place in these tranquil surroundings.

Within seconds, both jets disappear from view again as they manoeuvre towards the end of the gorge on their way back to home base Andravida.

As a prelude to two days of PhanCon (Phantom Conference) at Andravida, organized by the F-4 Phantom Society for its members, many photographers gathered at the photo spots in the gorge in the hope some F-4s could be observed. They were not disappointed as four Phantoms roared through, leaving many satisfied photographers in their wake. The joy had begun before PhanCon had even commenced!

News of possible Phantom low flights taking place on the day before PhanCon had spread, and close to 90 photographers made the trek. With the participation limit for PhanCon set at 60 souls for 2025, this means many had taken the gamble and travelled south in hope of F-4s appearing.

What is PhanCon exactly? According to the F-4 Phantom Society the event is ' an international gathering of folks who flew, maintained, supported, photographed, tracked, modeled, or just plain enjoyed the sound of freedom promoted by this premier fighter of the 60's, 70's, 80's and 90's.'

During the two days spent on base as a guest of the 338 MDV, the Hellenic Air Force’s (HAF) sole remaining F-4 squadron, PhanCon participants bore witness to ample flight activity by these mighty machines.

On the first day, Tuesday 13 May, a morning-, afternoon-, and evening mission was flown, most of these consisting of four-ships. On both days, the assembled Phantom fanatics were allowed on the ramp to experience walk-around, engine start and taxi out of the based Spooks. The group was taken to different spots on both runway ends, to try and obtain that perfect Phantom picture.

Besides spending time at the ramps and the runway, both the maintenance hangar and engine shop were visited, and participants learned a great deal about the hard work necessary to keep these beasts in the air. During the two days of PhanCon, there was ample opportunity for interaction with HAF air- and ground crew.

To put the cherry on the cake, the specially painted ’50 Years of Hellenic Phantoms’ F-4E was positioned on the ramp for a photo session, much to the delight of the group. During PhanCon 25 the weather gods cooperated and the sun was out on both days while the temperatures were manageable, even for those that had travelled to Greece from colder climates.

One of the main talking points during PhanCon 25 was the future of the Greek Phantom fleet, as rumour had spread on social media about the imminent retirement of the remaining F-4s of the 338 squadron.

In short; nobody knows, not even the higher-ups at Andravida. In April of 2025, the Chief of the HAF General Staff, Lt.Gen Dimosthenis Grigoriadis, confirmed that the annual Iniochos exercise (a report on the 2025 edition is here) will take place at Andravida in the spring of 2026, before it will relocate to nearby Araxos for 2027.  The move is intended to allow construction work at Andravida air base in order to prepare it for future F-35 operations, the first of which is scheduled to arrive in 2028.

Will the remaining operational Phantoms (less than two handful) also make the switch to Araxos or will they be withdrawn from use before that happens? Uncertainty is key here, and only time will tell. With the small number of Phantoms remaining and a dwindling number of available personnel (which needs to convert to the F-35) we fear that the end might be nearer than we would like…..

For the moment, the Hellenic F-4s are still alive and kicking, and long may they roam the valleys around the Peloponnessos. After all, Legends never die!

Many thanks to the Ellis & van Breda families for all their hard work, and the 338 MDV for their hospitality.