The Tomcat Legacy; 35+ years from Fleet Air Defender to Recce to Precision Strike

[Coota0]

Question from the article GiveLt21DaBall posted http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/military/20060728-9999-7m28tomcat.html

In the sidebar it says

1973: Miramar Naval Air Station becomes home for all Pacific Fleet F-14 fighter squadrons.

and

1996: F-14 squadrons move from Miramar to Oceana Naval Air Station in Virginia.

It doesn't make much sense to me. The Navy pulled all of the F-14 squadrons including the ones from the Pacific fleet and sent them to Oceana?

 

[Fly Navy]

Question from the article GiveLt21DaBall posted http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/military/20060728-9999-7m28tomcat.html

In the sidebar it says

and



It doesn't make much sense to me. The Navy pulled all of the F-14 squadrons including the ones from the Pacific fleet and sent them to Oceana?

Oceana was the only fighter base after Miramar was given to the Marines. Lemoore is strictly a strike-fighter base.

 

[Fly Navy]

it rarely suffers major mechanical problems

What a load of crap.

 

[Catmando]

What a load of crap.

Now don't sugar coat it…

More seriously, the F-14 is/was an extraordinary aircraft that rightfully enjoyed a long and impressive career. It is sad to see her retire. But the F-14 as you indicate, also was definitely, "high-maintenance", especially the early blocks.

And never should it be forgotten, the aircraft's tremendously difficult growing pains in the early years of its introduction to the fleet. It was an aircraft initially with an unintended and regrettable engine. It was an aircraft all too frequently, "maintenance down." But worse, it was a new aircraft that was way too frequently, falling out of the sky!

Thankfully, the myriad of early design problems was eventually fixed. Later, the aircraft greatly expanded its mission, and significantly improved its reliability, capability, and service. But its later well-deserved celebrity and superb performance could never replace friends and squadron mates lost in those difficult early days, amid the growing pains of the young F-14.

 

[Brett327]

I think this is the point where A4s chimes in with an admonishment to cease the "Tomcat is going away and it was the bestest jet ever" group orgasm.

Brett

 

[raptor10]

Its like the Michael Jordan of airplanes. I'm telling you thier coming back!

 

[TheBubba]

Has anyone read the Tomcat tribute in the Smithsonian's Air & Space magazine? Its pretty well done... great pics and personal stories and a couple info-pieces on what makes the swept wing work and on Iran's Tomcats.

The website has some stff the article doesn't and vice versa.

Great tribute to a great aircraft.

 

[gregsivers]

I just got my copy of Air and Space a few days ago. Its a great article, 22 pages long in fact.

 

[TurnandBurn55]

Isn't this about the 5th time the Tomcat has been retired? I could swear every couple weeks there is a new article online saying that it is finally being laid down for the "last" time.

Pay attention, dude... this isn't the "last" time they're flying, it's their last carrier ops, since VF-31 was on post-deployment surge the last few months.

The end of the Tomcat is not changing and has not changed... it'll be in September (Heyjoe would know the exact Tomcat sunset), then they'll turn their F-14s in for F/A-18Es for the transition at VFA-106.

 

[TheBubba]

I just got my copy of Air and Space a few days ago. Its a great article, 22 pages long in fact.

Looks like heyjoe has a couple quotes in there...

 

[mules83]

The end of the Tomcat is not changing and has not changed... it'll be in September (Heyjoe would know the exact Tomcat sunset), then they'll turn their F-14s in for F/A-18Es for the transition at VFA-106.

All the information you need

http://www.tomcat-sunset.org/

 

[jai5w4]

Last Tomcat Launch/Trap: Done and Done

An historic event in Naval Aviation.

I like the "full use" of the shooters on the Roosevelt. Nice touch.

navy.mil has a few more photos and captions for each.

-jai5w4

 

[jai5w4]

Yep

 

[Goober]

Isn't this about the 5th time the Tomcat has been retired? I could swear every couple weeks there is a new article online saying that it is finally being laid down for the "last" time.

That's because for each possible accomplishment someone has to bring up that it'll be the last time for the Tomcat, i.e. "last time...under lights...indoors...on astroturf...on a Tuesday...with the designated hitter rule..." etc.

 

[Brett327]

That's because for each possible accomplishment someone has to bring up that it'll be the last time for the Tomcat, i.e. "last time...under lights...indoors...on astroturf...on a Tuesday...with the designated hitter rule..." etc.

It reminds me of some of those inane, obscure stats the color commentator throws around during a football game. "You know, Al, this team has a 43% success rate in the red zone on Monday night games during even numbered minutes on the game clock while on the road. Fascinating!"

Brett