Last F-14A's Are Gone

[El Cid]

El Cid,
I made 2 cruises with VF-32. First was in 73 with our F-4B'S, the second was in 75 with our new F-14A's. We were on the Kennedy both cruises. Our sister squadron was VF-14.

They already switched to the Super Hornets a few years ago and VF-32 is switching next year.

Jack

Damn man, that's fantastic. I bet the Navy was really interesting back then. I wonder how similar the trasition from F-14's to F-18's will be to the transition from F-4's to F-14's.

My dad was in the AF during the 80's when they transition from F-4's to F-16's. There was a lot of mixed emotion at MoodyAFB,GA. I remember, even as a kid, a lot of pilot's were very sad to see the F-4 go.

 

[Red2]

Jakapr, thanks for the pics. It gives us young kids an idea of what Navy aviation was like back then.

1973, wow, I wasn't even born!!

 

[Flash]

Don't tell that to any P-3 guys. I've yet to find a P-3 pilot that dosen't think he should have ditched that airplane. I've also heard things along the line of "he set us back 10 years in intel" by not ditching it.

That being said, none of them/us were in the cockpit at the time.

The accident happened when I was going through VT-86 and I got asked all sorts of questions, the most common was why they did not bail out or ditch. Most guys were reasonable and listened to what I had to say, especially when I told them there has only been one US P-3 that ditched where everyone survived. There always a few that said they still should have taken one for the team. I even saw a former F-14 or 18 pilot say basically the same thing in a Nobody asked me, but.... column in a Proceedings shortly after the accident. First, they weren't there (pointed out already by Bunk) and second they did not know what was on the plane. Having left the squadron just 4 months before, I can say there was not one damn thing on there worth anyones life. I will be glad to debate/argue with anyone who says differently.

As for the F-14. My Uncle was a pilot in VF-1 and he came by Andrews when I was 5 and I got to sit in the plane, put his helmet on and walk all over the thing. I even made my parents wait until he took off (believe it or not, he had maintenance trouble ). I still vividly remember that day. From then on I was hooked on Naval Aviation.

........HOORAYYYYY!!!

In remembrance, this is definitely the best picture I have ever seen of the Tomcat. A former VF-41 pilot I flew with in EP-3's knew the guy who did this, Schnuggapup do you know who this is? You maybe :icon_smil ?

http://www.elchineroconcepts.com/F14 fly by.jpg

 

[HAL Pilot]

In remembrance, this is definitely the best picture I have ever seen of the Tomcat. A former VF-41 pilot I flew with in EP-3's knew the guy who did this, Schnuggapup do you know who this is? You maybe :icon_smil ?

http://www.elchineroconcepts.com/F14 fly by.jpg

Snort? Looks like something he'd do....

 

[zab1001]

The accident happened when I was going through VT-86 and I got asked all sorts of questions, the most common was why they did not bail out or ditch. Most guys were reasonable and listened to what I had to say, especially when I told them there has only been one US P-3 that ditched where everyone survived.

Not to mention THAT one was 4 engine out, dead stick, AMAZING. A side note, NATOPS only outlines procedures for 4 and 3 engine ditches...bottom line is everyone made it back alive.

F-14s...hm.....anyone know what the current status is of the Iranian F-14 force? (again re-railing thread)

 

[Fly Navy]

Not to mention THAT one was 4 engine out, dead stick, AMAZING. A side note, NATOPS only outlines procedures for 4 and 3 engine ditches...bottom line is everyone made it back alive.

F-14s...hm.....anyone know what the current status is of the Iranian F-14 force? (again re-railing thread)

Last I heard they use them as a patrol aircraft. Since half the sh!t is broken or "disabled", I've been told the NFO in the back has a set of binoculars to look for contacts. Call it a P-14.

 

[HAL Pilot]

Dale SNORT Snodgrass... and no he didn't get **** canned for that like all the posts on the internet say. They guy standing on the LSO platform with his hands behind his back is an Admiral (can't remember what level) and it was during a demonstration.

There's an article on the internet about the whole thing, with a full interview with Snort.

Never said he got canned or in trouble for it, just that it was something he'd do. He was the Gator on TR when I was an OOD. He took me flying in the Turkey a couple of times off the TR and than again in Oceana when he was the Wing Commander. Great pilot and officer - he should have been a flag.

 

[Schnugg]

AB launches not authorized for F-14B or D

Back on topic, there is absolutely nothing more spectacular than a high speed fly-by by a Tomcat. I also remember in 99 being on the LSO platform in the Gulf. It got up to 140 degrees on the flight deck during the day and the only thing that made it worse was an F-14D in full burner. **** that was hot. It felt like our skin was melting off. Gotta love it

Actually....

The F-14B and D are prohibited from taking off in afterburner CVN or shore based. MIL power take off only. Reason is you would overspeed the gear (250kts sop, 280 kts NATOPS) before you could get the gear up.

Not to say I haven't done an AB go in a F-14D...Reno- Stead NV on a hot day at high altitude after the Reno Air Races...sort of had to do it to get airborne with enough runway remining for an abort if needed.

You must be thinking of a Hornet in blower or an F-14A...

Cheers,
Goz

 

[Schnugg]

Don't tell that to any P-3 guys. I've yet to find a P-3 pilot that dosen't think he should have ditched that airplane. I've also heard things along the line of "he set us back 10 years in intel" by not ditching it.

That being said, none of them/us were in the cockpit at the time.

The accident happened when I was going through VT-86 and I got asked all sorts of questions, the most common was why they did not bail out or ditch. Most guys were reasonable and listened to what I had to say, especially when I told them there has only been one US P-3 that ditched where everyone survived. There always a few that said they still should have taken one for the team. I even saw a former F-14 or 18 pilot say basically the same thing in a Nobody asked me, but.... column in a Proceedings shortly after the accident. First, they weren't there (pointed out already by Bunk) and second they did not know what was on the plane. Having left the squadron just 4 months before, I can say there was not one damn thing on there worth anyones life. I will be glad to debate/argue with anyone who says differently.

As for the F-14. My Uncle was a pilot in VF-1 and he came by Andrews when I was 5 and I got to sit in the plane, put his helmet on and walk all over the thing. I even made my parents wait until he took off (believe it or not, he had maintenance trouble ). I still vividly remember that day. From then on I was hooked on Naval Aviation.

........HOORAYYYYY!!!

In remembrance, this is definitely the best picture I have ever seen of the Tomcat. A former VF-41 pilot I flew with in EP-3's knew the guy who did this, Schnuggapup do you know who this is? You maybe :icon_smil ?

http://www.elchineroconcepts.com/F14 fly by.jpg

I've done many fly-bys but not quite that low. Yeah that was Dale "Snort" Snodgrass. He came by the academy during our last service selection night last Feb.

The thing with low fast fly-bys is the baro altimeter becomes twitchy at .95 or so due to supersonic airflow over the pitot-static ports/probe. So you need to watch the radalt and look out. More than one guy has accidentally averstressed the jet with a herculean pull straight up as he watches the barometric altimeter almost touch 0 feet. Remember you are going by at 400-500 knots at about 100 feet....

Gotta love it...
Goz

 

[Fly Navy]

That's now my new desktop background.

 

[bunk22]

Actually....

The F-14B and D are prohibited from taking off in afterburner CVN or shore based. MIL power take off only. Reason is you would overspeed the gear (250kts sop, 280 kts NATOPS) before you could get the gear up.

Not to say I haven't done an AB go in a F-14D...Reno- Stead NV on a hot day at high altitude after the Reno Air Races...sort of had to do it to get airborne with enough runway remining for an abort if needed.

You must be thinking of a Hornet in blower or an F-14A...

Cheers,
Goz

Then the aircraft obviously wasn't in burner but mil. We had D's or B's, can't remember.

 

[tophatter]

Will miss them

I made three cruises with VF-14. We also transistioned from the f-4s to the f-14s. I was a AE2 flight deck troubleshooter for the last two cruises. I was also sent on a detachment with a power plants troubleshooter to the Queens Silver Jubilee air show. We had to take care of two aircraft. One was ours and the other was from our sister squadron VF-32. When our f-14 took off you should of heard the crowd. It was the first time they witnessed a f-14 take off vertically. It was great to see our pilot pull that stunt right after the f-15s showed their stuff. The only problem was he forgot to raise his landing gear. The plane had to make an emergency landing with hydraulic fluid leaking all over the place. We got to stay at a British air field for a week to repair the plane. What a great time we had.

 

[SteveG75]

F-14s...hm.....anyone know what the current status is of the Iranian F-14 force? (again re-railing thread)

Got this book at Hook 04.

Here is a link: http://www.ospreypublishing.com/title_detail.php/title=S7875~per=36

Pretty well researched and basically the Iranian F-14's scored 130-150 kills during the Iran-Iraq war (1981-88) with approximately 40-50 being Phoenix kills. Don't forget, most of the pilots during that war were US trained.

 

[Schnugg]

Hey Bunk22...

You know Swervin' Ervin ?

r/
Goz

 

[bunk22]

Hey Bunk22...

You know Swervin' Ervin ?

r/
Goz

Sure do. He comes down from the wing a couple of times a month.