GOCAPS16 From Japan, joined Jan 2000, 4298 posts, RR: 23 Reply 3, posted (6 years 8 months 23 hours ago) and read 4051 times:
Lucky them! The reporter that is. Tomorrow morning will be the final fly-by for the 'cats, then the retirement ceremony and then to the desert. A very sad, sad day.
LMP737 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 4, posted (6 years 8 months 22 hours ago) and read 4040 times:
IMHO they should have given that ride to some young enlised guy in VF-31 who has worked long hours on the night shift keeping those birds flying. But that's just me.
TedTAce From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 5, posted (6 years 8 months 21 hours ago) and read 4027 times:
Quoting LMP737 (Reply 4): IMHO they should have given that ride to some young enlised guy in VF-31 who has worked long hours on the night shift keeping those birds flying. But that's just me.
Falcon84 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 12, posted (6 years 8 months 1 hour ago) and read 3832 times:
Quoting Cadet985 (Reply 11): Quoting N231YE (Reply 10):
Top Gun is now officially a "classic" movie.
Hasn't it been considered a classic for quite some time now?
Kinda-sorta. It is now, no doubt, with the retirement of the Tomcat.
My cousin's ex flew the -14, and was at the time (don't know about now), a Top Gun Instructor. Visited them in SAN in '91, and saw his trophy and everything. He gave us a tour of the hangar at Mirmar. It was pretty damn awesome.
Cadet985 From United States of America, joined Mar 2002, 1408 posts, RR: 5 Reply 13, posted (6 years 8 months 1 hour ago) and read 3821 times:
I was just wondering.....keeping money out of the picture, how long do you guys think it will be before someone can buy a Tomcat and restore it to flying status. I know after I'm a millionaire, I want one of them as my private jet .
N231YE From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 15, posted (6 years 7 months 4 weeks 1 day 23 hours ago) and read 3805 times:
Quoting Cadet985 (Reply 11): Hasn't it been considered a classic for quite some time now?
The key word in my post is officially, but I said my post jokingly. Top Gun is 20 years old this year, if I am not mistaken, so it is pretty much a classic.
Ftrguy From United States of America, joined Aug 2003, 358 posts, RR: 0 Reply 16, posted (6 years 7 months 4 weeks 1 day 22 hours ago) and read 3784 times:
I was there and actually saw it today and it was pretty unimpressive. Its pretty sad that the jet went down for maintenance and they had to use a spare. Just comes to show that the Tomcat is ready to go. Apparently they had this elaborate demonstration/flyby planned, but the Admiral (Airlant) turned it down due to the antics of VF-31 recently. Speaking of, they almost had a mid-air yesterday at some fly-by they did. As I've said before, this squadron is a mishap waiting to happen and they will still be flying the Tomcat for the next two weeks or so.
GOCAPS16 From Japan, joined Jan 2000, 4298 posts, RR: 23 Reply 17, posted (6 years 7 months 4 weeks 1 day 21 hours ago) and read 3761 times:
Quoting Ftrguy (Reply 16): I was there and actually saw it today and it was pretty unimpressive.
For once, I agree with you, Ftrguy. It was just a ceremonial "planned" fly-by and that was it. Nothing special for all the people who showed up. Thanks!
Quoting Ftrguy (Reply 16): Its pretty sad that the jet went down for maintenance and they had to use a spare
She's 34 years old, but it was kinda a bad timing, tho. But using ship 107 worked. Would you rather want to go there and not see the Tomcat fly? This was only an option. I bet a lot of people would've been disappointed if they didn't get to see her fly once last time. But the retro scheme was pretty nice. Oh yea, a lot of folks were wondering where did Felix 107 go after the fly-by. Well, she went to Chambers Field.
N911ME From United States of America, joined Jan 2006, 117 posts, RR: 0 Reply 19, posted (6 years 7 months 4 weeks 1 day 7 hours ago) and read 3684 times:
I am in the middle of watching Top Gun right now and I just found this thread - very sad day. If you guys are die-hard 'Turkey' fans, there are some great DVD's on eBay.....the Fighter Fling DVD's. I bought one as it's 3 hours of nothing but Tomcat footage. If you love the Tomcat, you'll love these!
GOCAPS16 From Japan, joined Jan 2000, 4298 posts, RR: 23 Reply 20, posted (6 years 7 months 4 weeks 1 day 4 hours ago) and read 3641 times:
Quoting N911ME (Reply 19): I bought one as it's 3 hours of nothing but Tomcat footage. If you love the Tomcat, you'll love these!
Thanks for the information. That's fine with me. I spent my first 4 years on shore and out to sea working on the Tomcats and I've seen everything on what it can do. I have many photos and videos from my last cruise with VF-31 and they will cherish and remember the F-14s forever for me, and I'll show them to my future kids when they get older.
N911ME From United States of America, joined Jan 2006, 117 posts, RR: 0 Reply 21, posted (6 years 7 months 3 weeks 6 days 5 hours ago) and read 3461 times:
Quoting GOCAPS16 (Reply 20): I have many photos and videos from my last cruise with VF-31
Funny you should say that: on one of the Fighter Fling videos, they speak of wondering if the Tomcatters will become the "HORNETTES" (after conversion)! LOL! I deeply respect anyone who ever was around, worked on, or flew the Tomcat - my favorite aircraft of all time!
Galaxy5007 From United States of America, joined Sep 2005, 586 posts, RR: 0 Reply 23, posted (6 years 7 months 3 weeks 5 days 10 hours ago) and read 3333 times:
The best part was it was LOUD!
The C-5 may be a FRED, but once you learn the ins and outs of it, the C-5 Galaxy is a awesome plane!
Airfoilsguy From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 24, posted (6 years 7 months 3 weeks 5 days 3 hours ago) and read 3283 times:
What are they going to replace the F14 with?
25 RichardPrice: F/A-18 Super Hornet. Designed around the basic F-18 Hornet, but massively improved and larger airframe.
26 LMP737: Mine as well, however since the F-14 was the first aircraft I ever laid my hands on I guess it goes without saying. The one thing I will fondly remem
27 DB777: A Tomcat was flown into Opa-locka Thursday afternoon from Oceana. I don't have the reggie but there's a "100" painted on the nose and they painted CAG
28 GOCAPS16: He's a former F-14 aviator here in Oceana til he retired from the Navy. Kevin
29 DB777: The Miami Herald article that came out after my post says that he is on the board of directors for the Fantasy of Flight museum at Kendall-Tamiami Ex
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I'm gonna go watch Top Gun now... for the old times.
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