F14 Tomcat makes its last combat trap

She'll be missed!

I fell in luv with the tomcat when I saw TopGun back in '86 (I was 16 then). I had wanted to join the Air Force because of the F-15, then decided on the Navy for the F-14. I was not illusioned into thinking that it was going to be an easy life, but I felt the Tomcat would have made the sacrifice worth it. She really was the Marylin Monroe of fighter jets, and i will miss knowing that those "Long Island beauties" will disappear from active duty. I wonder though if some of them will fall into private ownership within the next 20 years or so (I could dream can't I?) Anyway, I'll miss her.
 
I was always a F-15 fan but have mad respect for the F-14. If there was no F-15, I'd be in love with the F-14. I thought I'd never see the military planes of my day get phased out:(
 
F-15's are cool, but after watching a few zillion land at Eglin AFB while we're on a ground stop to ATL, they look a little "MiG-gy" now the Tomcat, that's a curvy, sexy, graceful-looking jet.
 
HorizonCRJ said:
Being a veteran and an old F-14 Plane Captain for VF-154, it breaks my heart reading this.

http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,88041,00.html?ESRC=navy.nl

The Senior Chief got it right when he said “But no matter what, the Tomcat is the sexiest airplane in the sky.”
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....threadhijack..............

HorizonCRJ, when did you get out of the Navy? Where did you serve? Which carrier? I was on the decom crew and made the last cruise onboard the USS Ranger (CV-61). She was indeed a beauty of a plane.
 
Nice to see another squid on the site, did you serve as part of the Air Wing on the Ranger? I served for two years, my first station was Miramar NAS (hanger 2 “Fighter Town “) and Atsugi NAS Japan. We deployed on CV-62 USS Independence, now she’s parked in Bremerton, WA, but I’ve heard talk about bringing her down to Portland, OR, and turning her into a museum.
 
Long live the F/A-18.
Thats a sexy plane. I'm glad the AF didn't want it and chose the F-16.
 
Another carrier squid here. I was on the USS Constellation CV-64 from 92-96. I had the pleasure of working with the Bounty Hunters of VF-2 during that time. Tomcats ruled the deck back then even though there were twice as many hornets on board. I worked the roof with the ordies of G-1. I can honestly say that I miss those days. To arm the Pheonix missle on the belly stations we had to run between the intakes to get to them. They called it running the tunnel. Never anything that cool on any other plane. The F-14 will always be my favorite fighter. I am proud to have had her in my life. I only wish I could have flown one!!!!!!!!!!!
 
HorizonCRJ said:
Nice to see another squid on the site, did you serve as part of the Air Wing on the Ranger? I served for two years, my first station was Miramar NAS (hanger 2 “Fighter Town “) and Atsugi NAS Japan. We deployed on CV-62 USS Independence, now she’s parked in Bremerton, WA, but I’ve heard talk about bringing her down to Portland, OR, and turning her into a museum.
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No Air Wing, just plane old ships company; X-2 Admin..... I served my 1st 3 yrs at S.I.M.A. Peral Harbor on shore duty and then a year on the Ranger. 5 days after I got to the Ranger, we left on her final WestPac;
Yokosuka (sp?), Pusan, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Jebel Ali, Perth (New Years Eve), Sydney, Pearl Harbor (Tiger Cruise), and back to North Island.

It's funny you mention Portland. There is a big push to relocate the Ranger from Bremerton to Portland for a musuem.

The time on the ship was the best. Any spare minute I had, I was up on vulture's row watching the planes come in. One of the coolest things frmo the cruise happened while circling in the Persian Gulf; for the first time in history, a Russian Helo landed onboard a USN ship.
 
I loved my time in the Navy; don’t get me wrong I had my share of crap duty. Working on the flight deck is the coolest job. The things we see while we served are unforgettable.
A drink to us brave and lucky few and second drink for those still on patrol.
 
eta71 said:
Long live the F/A-18.
Thats a sexy plane. I'm glad the AF didn't want it and chose the F-16.
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It's indeed a sad day. The F-14 is and was the vernable war plane of the 80's and will be deeply missed.

The F/A-18 Super Hornet is quiet the looker.In fact it is my favorite active service airplane but not sure that it can in anyway measure up or ever replace the F-14.

I think that the Navy should have pulled another F-18 and purchased the YF-23 after it was rejected by the Air Force. Now that was a truly future design that could have upheld the F-14's proud linage!
 
Plane captain and AE from VFA-94 here. Cruised on the Kitty Hawk and the Carl Vinson. I'll never forget working the flight deck, and getting blasted by the Tomcats, lol. Those things put out the most God-awful exhaust fumes!
 
JEP said:
No Air Wing, just plane old ships company; X-2 Admin..... I served my 1st 3 yrs at S.I.M.A. Peral Harbor on shore duty and then a year on the Ranger. 5 days after I got to the Ranger, we left on her final WestPac;
Yokosuka (sp?), Pusan, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Jebel Ali, Perth (New Years Eve), Sydney, Pearl Harbor (Tiger Cruise), and back to North Island.

It's funny you mention Portland. There is a big push to relocate the Ranger from Bremerton to Portland for a musuem.

The time on the ship was the best. Any spare minute I had, I was up on vulture's row watching the planes come in. One of the coolest things frmo the cruise happened while circling in the Persian Gulf; for the first time in history, a Russian Helo landed onboard a USN ship.
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You can't see me, but I am in the letter 'T'. Pic was taken off the coast of Somalia in Dec '92. Man was it HOT!!!!!
 
Fair enough, but I think to say the Migs look a little F-15ish is more correct since I belive it came first. Just like the space shuttleski and the 727ski etc

Doug Taylor said:
F-15's are cool, but after watching a few zillion land at Eglin AFB while we're on a ground stop to ATL, they look a little "MiG-gy" now the Tomcat, that's a curvy, sexy, graceful-looking jet.
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Im liking that new F-22 Raptor. I see that thing on a reg basis here in Vegas around the Nellis area Im not to sure if it is in service yet or still in testing , that thing is quiet though, has kind of a creepy whisper to the engines.Some friends and I got drunk with a few pilots from Nellis one night one of them claimed to have piloted the Raptor in test flights and said you can aim and fire the weapons just by thinking, I think he was full of sh#t if he was telling the truth then the AF needs to give him a spank for spilling the beans. Any word on what is replacing the F-14 ? Are they just adding more Hornets to the fleet ?
 
SeanD said:
Im liking that new F-22 Raptor. I see that thing on a reg basis here in Vegas around the Nellis area Im not to sure if it is in service yet or still in testing , that thing is quiet though, has kind of a creepy whisper to the engines.Some friends and I got drunk with a few pilots from Nellis one night one of them claimed to have piloted the Raptor in test flights and said you can aim and fire the weapons just by thinking, I think he was full of sh#t if he was telling the truth then the AF needs to give him a spank for spilling the beans. Any word on what is replacing the F-14 ? Are they just adding more Hornets to the fleet ?
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They said in the (article if you read it) that the E & F model Super Hornet will be replacing the F-14. As for the F-22 it is not yet in service.
 
Best military aircraft ever built, my uncle was a F 14 Tomcat pilot during shah back in Iran, he fled the country after the revolution. Great stories of how that giant fighter jet would be controlled nice and very smoothely.
To add to the fun, their jet was painted in military dark brown colors. Long live the TOMCAT. Let's not forget that we all fell more in love with it after Top Gun.
 
YES! Top Gun but more so when my parents got me the G.I Joe TomCat, damn those were the days.
 
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