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

[The Chief]

Thanks for sharing. Looking forward to the photos.

Received several calls from friends reporting on the Fly-in from the Roosevelt.

 

[Schnugg]

Sniff...sniff.

I'll miss the jet that has been so much a part of my life for the past 20 years.

Glad I got to see them on their last cruise here in the AOR.

r/
G

 

[Brooklyn]

Video footage from a helo:
http://wavy.com/Global/story.asp?S=4614336

 

[mules83]

new F model with -213 paint

 

[gregsivers]

Here's a pic on the Navy's website of the flyover at Oceana
http://www.navy.mil/management/photodb/photos/060310-N-4287G-008.jpg

 

[mules83]

At least two LT's got the last launch, no CAG

pic

 

[mules83]

More pics from navy.mil

 

[Shakey]

Ever since I was a little kid, all I wanted to do was fly the Tomcat. Well, I'm still in college, so I'll just have to settle for Sups. But those Tomcats will never die. They're freakin legends!

 

[AllAmerican75]

Ever since I was a little kid, all I wanted to do was fly the Tomcat.

I'm the same way. I always thought that the Tomcat was the most awesomest plane ever built. It was one of the reasons I want to become a Naval Aviator. When I found out it would be long gone by the time I hit the fleet my face looked something like this:
The Tomcat will be missed.

 

[kray1395]

Thanks for the post Brooklyn. I'm a former Tomcat plane captain with the Pukin' Dogs, but to tell you the truth, I hadn't really felt the sadness that I should feel coming with the end of the Tomcat era. Reading this post and seeing those pictures of the formation just brought back a rush of emotions, and I truly feel somewhat depressed. She was a nightmare to work on but a dream to be a part of. That was a couple years of my life that I'll always hold in high regard. I just wanted to thank you for jump starting the emotion in me that I should have been feeling for some time now.

 

[Blutonski816]

Here's a pic on the Navy's website of the flyover at Oceana
http://www.navy.mil/management/photodb/photos/060310-N-4287G-008.jpg

What a sobering sight to see last remaining F-14 all in one flyover... and right below them, the changing image of the Ramp at Oceana... now all Hornets...


and yeah, like most of the younger guys here, I also Grew up with dreams of Flying the F-14... Hell 90% of my patch collection is made up of Tomcat (or related) patches...
What I wouldn't give for one ride in that huge, beautiful airplane...

 

[VAmookie]

Its amazing and awesome to see such great emotion. I feel today like i felt when President Reagan died.... The end of an era. Even though Im USMC, the Tomcat is a legend. Those of us that grew up with Top Gun hold a special place in our heart for the Tomcat.

Im curious as to why they would decommission functional aircraft. It seems that they would keep all of these in the air until it was no longer practical, from an economic standpoint, to fly these aircraft. What are they going to do with them, sell them to Iraq? Why not use them until they can no longer sustain air under the wings, seems like a waste of taxpayer money.

 

[goplay234]

The reason why the tomkitty was decommed is because we no longer train to it's mission anymore. The tomcat was built primarily as a cold war weapon. To take the fight to the russkies and take out their a/c before they can get to the battle group. Well friends, those days are over. We needed a bird that could tangle in the air but also handle a sporty air to ground loadout. Hence, we have the hornet. Not exactly the best fighter out there (sorry hornet dudes), but definitely worth it's weight in mission effectiveness. As for keeping them flying....That's harder to do when the last f-14 came off the line sometime in the 80's I think. I am surprised they got 22 jets up. It's a feet. Those maintainers deserve a big thank you from the crews. The 14 has been plauged with the fact that they are just old a/c. Parts were being cannabalized, the airframe itself was just not keeping up. Don't get me wrong. I wanted to fly tomcats too. When I saw the formation this past week, I got emotional. She was a great bird and she will be missed. But it was time.

 

[HeyJoe]

Great comments. It was indeed time and the Big Fighter is going into its sunset with head held high. When the jets taxied in they all remained in spot until last two were in position and the crowd was treated to last time (and one of few times in recent history) that 44 F110 engines were singing their song. The sound was incredible. Two double rows of Tomcats all turning and then shutting down at the same time...what a symphony! As the engines all wound down at same time, history was made. Never again. Such power and grace. Well done CVW-8!

Good news on horizon. Although Snort is still trying to get a few of remaining Ds for airshow circuit; that hasn't been finalized, but NASA wants 3 for some testing only the Tomcat can accomplish so there may still be some opportunities to see the Tomcat grace the skies down the road (other than Iran).

 

[Lips]

I am surprised they got 22 jets up. It's a feet.

I don't know much about the tomcat except from the movies, but i know that if the hornet is showing its age, the tomcat definitely is. I was thinking the most impressive thing about the flyover was not 22 tomcats, but that they got 22 tomcats airborne all at the same time.