747400sp From United States, joined Aug 2003, 1879 posts, RR: 2 Posted (3 years 2 days 22 hours ago) and read 2868 times:
I took me a while but I think I am almost over missing out on the F-14 Tomcat. I spent nearly a year trying to catch a Tomcat at NAS Oceana after the TR came back from deployment. But it was usually a day when they was not fling them. I had cars trouble the weakend of the 2006 NAS Oceana air show so I had to miss there last A/B fly by. When people on my ship who was abord when they had F-14, talk about how great they was, it use to hurt. I had some one tell me to get over it, but they are not plane lover. I still can not go to NAS Oceana and can not stand to look at the TR due to being the last ship to carry them, but I am doing a lot better than a was four months ago.
PS: Please do not say any cool about the F-14 Tomcat I still not fully over it.
Avsfan From United States, joined Aug 2006, 250 posts, RR: 2 Reply 1, posted (3 years 2 days 21 hours ago) and read 2859 times:
I enjoyed controlling the F-14 Tomcat during my 20 year carrer in the USAF whether it be in ATC or as a weapons controller on the E-3. One of my upcoming projects is to get this picture printed and framed for myself and the Defense Fuels section here at Grand Junction. The fuels section here was the last people to put gas into her prior to its final flight and resting place in Palmdale, CA.
SlamClick From United States, joined Nov 2003, 9996 posts, RR: 78 Reply 2, posted (3 years 2 days 20 hours ago) and read 2847 times:
One great Tomcat memory.
I was standing on the ramp at Imperial County Airport, Calif. (KIPL) one evening just after dark when a really big rocket launched from Navy El Centro just about five miles west. It was a tremendous sight - a great column of fire as tons of metal acclerated into the night sky.
Then it pitched over toward NAS Miramar and came out of afterburner. It was just an F-14 and not a Saturn V!
They put on a great show at Miramar every year. Just driving by on 163 (US-395) you could see them thundering by on approach.
Hey, keep watching Trade-A-Plane. Maybe one will come up for sale.
Happiness is not seeing another trite Ste. Maarten photo all week long.
747400sp From United States, joined Aug 2003, 1879 posts, RR: 2 Reply 3, posted (3 years 2 days 20 hours ago) and read 2832 times:
Quoting 747400sp (Thread starter): PS: Please do not say any cool about the F-14 Tomcat I still not fully over it.
Hey! Please no more cool stuff about the F-14. I do not want to feel this void void I have about missing out on Tomcat, and more cool stuff about the F-14 will remind me that I missed out on the greatest aircraft the USN ever had.
Avsfan From United States, joined Aug 2006, 250 posts, RR: 2 Reply 4, posted (3 years 2 days 19 hours ago) and read 2821 times:
One memorable moment for me:
I had my parents visiting me in the Control Tower on day while I was stationed at Offutt AFB, NE in 1985. We had an F-14 Tomcat getting ready for departure and was heading back to the East Coast. By the time he was ready to leave, the sun had set and it was dark. When he took off, he was given an unrestricted climb to 15,000 ft. His takeoff consisted of using only 8,800 ft of runway. He used full afterburner and performed a very nice climb to 15,000 before coming out of burner.
Louis
"Oh I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth...Put out my hand and touched the face of God"
KPDX From United States, joined Dec 2005, 1593 posts, RR: 4 Reply 5, posted (3 years 2 days 5 hours ago) and read 2741 times:
Quoting 747400sp (Reply 3): Hey! Please no more cool stuff about the F-14. I do not want to feel this void void I have about missing out on Tomcat, and more cool stuff about the F-14 will remind me that I missed out on the greatest aircraft the USN ever had.
Uhh, ok? Then whats the point of posting this thread? lol
CX747 From United States, joined May 1999, 4283 posts, RR: 7 Reply 9, posted (1 year 6 months 2 days 6 hours ago) and read 1931 times:
The main reason that the F-14 was retired is due to the high maintenance costs. Only the pinch to Uncle Sam's wallet led to the F-14 being retired, not inability to perform the mission or lack of up to date technology. The F-14Ds were actually the chosen platform of choice for CAS, bombing missions and recce during their last cruises. Heck, even the ancient F-14As of VF-211 led the way into Afghanistan with the short legged "Legacy" Hornets following like little ducklings. When OIF kicked off, there was 1 F-14D Tomcat squadron (VF-31) on the Lincoln and 1 F/A-18E (VFA-115). The Tomcat squadron was "King of the Wing". They received the overwhelming majority of taskings because the mission planners ASKED FOR them.
While there is no reason to cry over spilt milk, ask anyone in the know if they would be happier with two F-14 Tomcat 21 squadrons on the carrier or their current mix of 1 F/A-18F and 1 F/A-18E. I understand that the Rhino is extremely versatile, but the Tomcat 21 would have been a much better platform, providing a much heavier punch, along with offering all of the same versatility, bells and whistles.
CaptOveur From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 11, posted (1 year 6 months 1 day 8 hours ago) and read 1793 times:
Quoting CX747 (Reply 9): and recce during their last cruises.
They were assigned to do recon from day 1. That is how the Navy justified getting rid of the Vigilantes.. An F-14 with a TARPS pod could do the same job.
Lets hear from a Tomcat mechanic about how much he misses the things.
AirRyan From United States, joined Mar 2005, 2285 posts, RR: 11 Reply 12, posted (1 year 6 months 1 day 5 hours ago) and read 1751 times:
Quoting Avsfan (Reply 4): His takeoff consisted of using only 8,800 ft of runway.
Even a TF-30 powered Tomcat with full fuel could take off in full A/B in less than 8,800'?!
Quoting Transpac787 (Reply 8): Wasn't there always a rule of thumb about how every one flight hour on the F-14 required about 24 man-hours of MX??
Just slightly more expensive than a 172 or such
It's amazing how that works when you close the production line and the manufactuerer is forced to merge with another company just to stay alive.
Quoting CX747 (Reply 9): While there is no reason to cry over spilt milk, ask anyone in the know if they would be happier with two F-14 Tomcat 21 squadrons on the carrier or their current mix of 1 F/A-18F and 1 F/A-18E. I understand that the Rhino is extremely versatile, but the Tomcat 21 would have been a much better platform, providing a much heavier punch, along with offering all of the same versatility, bells and whistles.
No doubt - and the people who look the silliest are the Navy decision makes who let this happen! Just recently you read an article how the USN was not sure if they still wanted the F-35C because it was not going to be good enough to seperate itself from the F-35B's the Marines want to use off of short LHD's which thereby effectively voids the need for a larger full sized aircraft carrier that is the prized possession of the USN! How stupid was the USN to let the Tomcat sucumb to the half-assed jacl of all trades but master of none Hornet and threaten their carriers!
Quoting CaptOveur (Reply 11): Lets hear from a Tomcat mechanic about how much he misses the things.
I used to work on CH-46E's in the Marines and it an old helo with a lot of moving parts and was no joy working on - but you still took pride in what you did. For me, the fact that the aircraft was severely outdated and inferior to what was otherwise currently available was a whole different story than what at least it must have been about the F-14 - as big a beast as it was to maintain it you could still at least take pride in the fact that it was a beautiful and powerful beast. I would equate that to a big-block motor in a Corvette I used to tinker with - a pain in the ass to work on sure but there is nothing in the world like a big-block Corvette and everytime you drove it all that labor was well worth it!
CURLYHEADBOY From Italy, joined Feb 2005, 899 posts, RR: 2 Reply 13, posted (1 year 6 months 19 hours ago) and read 1709 times:
Quoting CX747 (Reply 9): While there is no reason to cry over spilt milk, ask anyone in the know if they would be happier with two F-14 Tomcat 21 squadrons on the carrier or their current mix of 1 F/A-18F and 1 F/A-18E. I understand that the Rhino is extremely versatile, but the Tomcat 21 would have been a much better platform, providing a much heavier punch, along with offering all of the same versatility, bells and whistles.
What about radar capabilities? I heard the Tomcats had a very powerful radar, so effective that when Iran was at war with Iraq they used their tomcats as "mini-AWACS" scanning airspace for enemy fighters. Is it true? And how's the F/A-18 radar compared to that of the F-14?
If God had wanted men to fly he would have given them more money...
LMP737 From United States, joined May 2002, 3901 posts, RR: 25 Reply 14, posted (1 year 6 months 13 hours ago) and read 1667 times:
Quoting CaptOveur (Reply 11): Lets hear from a Tomcat mechanic about how much he misses the things.
Actually I do miss the Tomcat. Granted I've been out of the Navy for a number of years now and have not made the transition to the Super Hornet. I'm going to guess however that those who have made the trasition still feel a bit of loyalty to the Tomcat. Especially if it was the first aircraft they ever worked on.
Wolverine From Switzerland, joined Aug 2006, 332 posts, RR: 0 Reply 16, posted (1 year 5 months 2 weeks 1 day 12 hours ago) and read 1244 times:
I'm missing the Tomcat, too. I would love to see one in flight, but I never will, and that's very very sad.
I can't even go visit a museum, to see one, cause I live in Europe, and no European museum got one.
My room is full of posters, modells, patches, everything related to the Tomcat, I got T-Shirts, books, DVDs, all about the Tomcat. I really love this aircraft!
Some weeks ago I found some pictures, of what's happening to those birds now, and it nearly made me cry. They should be on display in museums around the world, they should be kept flyable and should tour around the world, from airshow to airshow.
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