Military AI Works

All,
As this is the last week that the mighty Tomcat is flying the local paper here ran a big spread on it which you can view here; http://www.hamptonroads.com/pilotonline ... l/f14.html. I am sure there will be more as the Tomcat flies into the sunset on Friday.

Les

Sad to seem 'em go

Amen to that but, we'll always have Top Gun and the Fighter Fling vids to keep em in our hearts.

A truly great fighter jet. I preferred it to the F-15 for looks. Such a pity we shan't see her fly again (unless we go to Iran of course )

John

VulcanDriver wrote:... (unless we go to Iran of course )

We should think of AI F-14 when we'll do IRIAF AI package ...

RipPipPip wrote:

VulcanDriver wrote:... (unless we go to Iran of course )

We should think of AI F-14 when we'll do IRIAF AI package ...

And their one Mighty Orion ... IIRC they picked up 3 and only one remains flyable. Has a pretty cool paint scheme too.

All,
Was watching the local news last night and there are going to be showing a live video feed from Oceana as the last Tomcat takes off and departs.
It said to log on to http://www.wvec.com at 10 am Eastern Time. As I get more info I will pass it on.

Les

In less than 24hrs she's gone from USN service "Anytime Baby"

http://militarynews.com/jet/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6FCkJc8 ... ed&search=
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThILmv25 ... ed&search=
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GoaQz3i ... ed&search=

you'll be missed.........

More info from the local station here on the F-14 Final flight. Also a pretty cool slide show.
http://www.wvec.com/news/finalflight.html

Les

Found this site today, more pics of the Tomcat. http://www.tomcat-sunset.org/forums/ind ... board=58.0

Hope everyone was able to watch the video stream.

I'll miss seeing the Tomcat flying around Virginia Beach and out at sea.

Les

I feel kinda sad even though I never saw it fly here in the UK. She was one hell of a fighter, I made loads of plastic models of the F-14 and even got a wonderful press pack from the USN with stunning pics of the Wolfpack F-14s in their original 'hi-vis' markings.

Goodbye ol' friend...


We should really do an AI F-14 so we can recreate her glory days...

John

The one and only time I got to see a Tomcat was when the USS John F. Kennedy paid a visit to Portsmouth (UK) and I sat at Stokes Bay watching her, and could see most types in use on the deck, unfortunately there was no flying but hey........I always tried to go to Mildenhall Air Fete every year in the hope that a carrier was visiting UK shores at the same time, but alas, I missed both opportunities...........hasta la vista, baby!

I worked on the F-14 Tomcat from 1982 - 1985 with VF-2 Bounty Hunters, 1989 - 1992 with VF-1 Wolfpack and August 1992 with VF-24 Renegades. I was stationed at NAS (now MCAS) Miramar the whole time during the heydays. At that time, there were around 170-200 Tomcats on the base. The roar of the engines lasted all day and all night long on the base and on the ship.

I made many friends in the Tomcat community, and have plenty of great memories. Of course, there were were the sad memories of planes going down, crews being lost. When I was in VF-1, we lost a crew just 20 minutes after I talked to them when their planes went down during an airwing mission against Topgun, while we were on detachment to NAS Fallon, NV.

But, the plane will always will be near and dear to my heart. I was playing a video of a Tomcat during an airshow for my boys, and the sound of the engines and seeing her in the air again just brought me to tears. I used to laugh at guys who got emotional about their airplanes, such as the F-8 and F-4, but now I am among them in their feelings. Sadly, my other aircraft, the S-3 Viking (1985-1988, VS-41 Shamrocks) has just flown it last flight for the Pacific Fleet, out of NAS North Island. So in one year, I'm losing both of my aircraft.

But, The Tomcat had a long career in the Navy, she served the Navy well. And it was an honor to serve with the men and women who worked on her.

Anytime and ALWAYS Baby!!!!!!!!!