http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/tomcat/ en-us Wed, 14 May 2008 17:56:39 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2015895/posts United States Navy Pilot Lieutenant Commander David Burnham and Radar Intercept Officer (RIO) Lieutenant Commander Bruce Defibaugh attached to Fighter Squadron Two (VF-2), bring their [transonic] F-14D "Super Tomcat" through the sound barrier during an air-power demonstration with USS Constellation (CV 64) battlegroup on 10 July 1999. Large or medium photo via http://ChamorroBible.org/gpw/gpw-20040818.htm (photo 10). Image ID: 990710-N-6483G-001 PhotographerEnsign John Gay, United States Navy http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2015895/posts#comment Wed, 14 May 2008 17:56:39 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1963036/posts Iranian F-14s Fly Again January 31, 2008: The U.S. has now forbidden the sale of any F-14 aircraft components. This is to prevent Iran from getting any parts with which to keep its dwindling fleet of F-14s operational. All surplus F-14s, and F-14 components, must be destroyed. The U.S. Navy has been doing that, since last year, to the retired F-14s it has. It is believed that Iran has restored at least three of its three-decade old F-14A jets to operational status. More F-14As are to be restored this year. There is, however, the matter of credibility and capability. For... Strategy Page http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1963036/posts#comment Fri, 1 Feb 2008 04:59:55 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1961255/posts WASHINGTON - President Bush signed legislation Monday prohibiting the Pentagon from selling leftover F-14 fighter jet parts, a move prompted by security gaps in the military's surplus auction. Those gaps made the surplus auction a prime place for Iran to shop for the spares it desperately needs for its Tomcat fleet. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., proposed the ban after The Associated Press reported last year that buyers for Iran, China and other countries exploited weaknesses in Pentagon surplus-sale security to obtain sensitive military equipment including parts for F-14s and other aircraft and for missile components.... Yahoo | AP http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1961255/posts#comment Tue, 29 Jan 2008 10:44:37 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1889227/posts Iran upgrading its U.S. F-14s, testing GPS-guided smart bombs LONDON — Iran says it has succeeded both in restoring its F-14 fighter-jet fleet to operational service and in developing its own GPS-guided smart bomb. Industry sources said Iranian defense firms have been overhauling and upgrading F-14A fighter-jets. They said the Defense Ministry has overseen a serial production line for F-14 overhaul. The ministry has administered a project by the state-owned Iranian Aircraft Industries Complex to enhance the F-14As, Middle East Newsline reported. The sources said the project began in 2007, and since May three F-14As were upgraded. In 1972, Iran... World Tribune http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1889227/posts#comment Fri, 31 Aug 2007 04:00:57 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1860474/posts A mechanical monster grabs the F-14 fighter jet and chews through one wing and then another, ripping off the Tomcat's appendages before moving on to its guts. Finally, all that's left is a pile of shredded rubble — like the scraps from a Thanksgiving turkey. Within a workday, a $38 million fighter jet that once soared as a showpiece of U.S. air power can be destroyed at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, home to the military's "boneyard" for retired aircraft. The Pentagon is paying a contractor at least $900,000 to destroy old F-14s, a jet affectionately nicknamed "the turkey," rather than... ARIZONA DAILY STAR [TUCSON] http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1860474/posts#comment Tue, 3 Jul 2007 23:24:12 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1796818/posts Federal agents seized four F-14 Tomcat fighters in San Bernardino County on Tuesday — three from airplane museums — after investigators determined that the jets were not demilitarized and were improperly sold or transferred to private companies, including the producer of the TV show "JAG," authorities said. When the jets were retired in the mid-1990s at the Naval Air Station at Point Mugu, Navy officials failed to ensure that the aircraft were stripped of military hardware, according to a court affidavit filed by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent. Three of the fighter jets then were sold, in "unauthorized... LA TIMES http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1796818/posts#comment Wed, 7 Mar 2007 17:48:10 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1749615/posts With the final retirement of the Tomcat in the fall of last year, no airworthy examples of Grumman’s ultimate ‘Cold War’ fighter now remain in active service with the US Navy. However, some 70 plus airframes are on display at various museums in 25 states from Florida in the southeast to Washington in the northwest -- and Hawaii is due to receive an ex-VF-31 jet in 2007. Yet despite the F-14 performing on a global stage for more than 30 years, the only Tomcats to be found outside of the USA are the 44 A-models currently operated by the Islamic... military.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1749615/posts#comment Thu, 7 Dec 2006 01:19:35 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1721645/posts Awesome, beautiful view of twenty-two U.S. Navy F-14 Tomcat fighters with Carrier Air Wing 8 (CVW-8) flying in formation -- "The Wedge Formation" -- over NAS Oceana on 10 March 2006. Photographer: Paul Tiller, http://www.outermarker.co.uk The Story and More CVW-8 Homecoming Photos by Paul Tiller "The Last Cat home... is not a pussy!" (http://www.outermarker.co.uk/Articles/CVW8/cvw8.htm)http://www.outermarker.co.uk/Articles/CVW8/cvw8a.htm (photo gallery) OUTERMARKER: Aviation reviews and photography http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1721645/posts#comment Wed, 18 Oct 2006 16:49:40 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1707226/posts 060115-N-7571S-002 Persian Gulf, 15 January 2006 - An F-14D Tomcat assigned to the "Tomcatters" of Fighter Squadron Three One (VF-31) sits parked on the flight deck aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71). Photographer Lithographer's Mate 3rd Class Jonathan Snyder, United States Navy Viahttp://www.navy.mil/view_single.asp?id=31253http://www.navy.mil/management/photodb/photos/060115-N-7571S-002.jpg United States Navy -- Eye on the Fleet http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1707226/posts#comment Sun, 24 Sep 2006 04:34:37 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1706952/posts VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - The F-14 Tomcat, the dogfighting Cold War fighter jet immortalized in the movie "Top Gun," made its ceremonial final flight Friday in a display that suggested the timing was right for retirement. Pilot Lt. Cmdr. David Faehnle and radar intercept officer Lt. Cmdr. Robert Gentry gave a final salute from inside their cockpit before aircraft no. 102 taxied down the runway and out of sight at Oceana Naval Air Station. The plane that actually took off as thousands applauded and whistled, however, was aircraft no. 107, with Lt. Cmdr. Chris Richard at the controls and intercept... AP via Yahoo! http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1706952/posts#comment Sat, 23 Sep 2006 15:40:26 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1705764/posts CNN Pipeline #4 showing live feed of last USN F-14 Tomcat flight. Crew is turning on engines now. CNN http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1705764/posts#comment Thu, 21 Sep 2006 18:22:56 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1700653/posts The Tomcat Sunset Committee is a nonprofit, nonfederal entity established to plan and execute the farewell ceremonies for the F-14 Tomcat in September, 2006. The Committee is chaired by Rear Admiral Fred Lewis, USN (Ret) and includes retired military and industry representatives associated with the Tomcat legacy. snip Ratheon and Northrop Grumman are the main sponsors of this event. See the website for details. Here's an awesome video of the Tomcat Goodbye to a great aircraft! Tomcat Sunset http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1700653/posts#comment Wed, 13 Sep 2006 14:10:28 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1699671/posts Iran's Mix-and-Match Air Force Still May Have Bite Aviation Week & Space Technology 09/11/2006 Authors: Douglas Barrie and Andy Nativi Israel's 1981 strike against Iraq's Osirak nuclear site was achieved without loss of any aircraft. But it is far from guaranteed that an attack intended to degrade any Iranian nuclear weapons program would have the same outcome. The Iranian air force inventory is a mix of Western, Russian and Chinese combat aircraft--most of them obsolescent. Any spares for Western aircraft will have to be bought surreptitiously, or be work-arounds found using local technology because an arms embargo remains in place.... Aviation Week & Space Technology http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1699671/posts#comment Mon, 11 Sep 2006 23:58:10 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1679090/posts Photo #1: 060728-N-7241L-026 Atlantic Ocean (July 28, 2006) - An F-14D Tomcat, aircraft number 100, assigned to the "Tomcatters" of Fighter Squadron Three One (VF-31) makes a near supersonic fly-by above the flight deck of USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71). The F-14 will officially retire in September 2006, after 32 years of service to the fleet. Theodore Roosevelt is completing Joint Task Force Exercises with USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69). U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Nathan Laird (RELEASED). Caption Source: http://www.navy.mil/view_single.asp?id=37555 - Big Image Link: http://www.navy.mil/management/photodb/photos/060728-N-7241L-026.jpg Photo #2: 060728-N-7241L-015 Atlantic Ocean (July 28, 2006)... United States NavyNews- Eye On the Fleet http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1679090/posts#comment Mon, 7 Aug 2006 12:12:47 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1597366/posts Awesome video of a truly awesome jet! F-14 Video Google.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1597366/posts#comment Thu, 16 Mar 2006 13:21:45 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1592052/posts <p>The Navy's last two squadrons of F-14 Tomcats are heading home, ending the final combat deployment of the Cold War-era fighter jet. The Tomcats will be replaced by F/A-18 Super Hornets.</p> LA Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1592052/posts#comment Wed, 8 Mar 2006 01:51:33 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1551250/posts 051216-N-9362D-001 Persian Gulf (Dec. 16, 2005) - Commander Carrier Air Wing Eight (CVW-8), Capt. Bill Sizemore makes his 10,000th trap aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71). Sizemore was piloting an F-14D Tomcat assigned to the "Blacklions" of Fighter Squadron Two One Three (VF-213). Roosevelt and embarked CVW-8 are underway on a regularly scheduled deployment conducting maritime security operations. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate 3rd Class Randall Damm (RELEASED) United States Navy http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1551250/posts#comment Tue, 3 Jan 2006 20:30:25 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1521181/posts ". . . The True Tomcat Believers still couldn't quite bring themselves to accept that this was the last time they would see their favorite aircraft on display, but indeed this demonstration ship departed from Oceana on the day after the airshow, on its way to the Castle Air Museum in California." The Linkhttp://www.richard-seaman.com/Aircraft/AirShows/Oceana2005/Highlights The Flying Kiwi (Richard-Seaman.com) - - Highlights of the 2005 Oceana Airshow http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1521181/posts#comment Sun, 13 Nov 2005 12:52:41 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1468959/posts An F-14 Tomcat fighter jet was set in place at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library on Monday in ceremonies marking an important milestone in construction of the Air Force One Pavilion, which is expected to open in the fall. Addressing a crowd of hundreds of guests, Rear Adm. David J. Venlet said the Air Force One exhibit and others at the library and museum tell the story of President Reagan's legacy. "It does a great job of highlighting the military's impact in the defense of freedom," said Venlet, who was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for action in the Gulf... LA Daily News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1468959/posts#comment Tue, 23 Aug 2005 15:25:06 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1460703/posts United States Navy (USN) F-14B Tomcat assigned to the "Swordsmen" of Fighter Squadron Three Two (VF-32)with its stylish Prandtl-Glauert condensation cloud on March 30, 2005 in the Mediterranean Sea. The PhotographerPhotographer's Mate 3rd Class Justin S. Osborne, USNThe SourceNavy NewsStand - Eye on the Fleet Photo Gallery, USNhttp://www.news.navy.mil/view_single.asp?id=23503, USN Image ID: 050330-N-0382O-503 The Big Image Linkhttp://www.news.navy.mil/management/photodb/photos/050330-N-0382O-503.jpg Navy NewsStand - Eye on the Fleet, United States Navy http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1460703/posts#comment Wed, 10 Aug 2005 18:47:50 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1442464/posts The title of the Big-Boys.com piece is "I Gotta Get Me One of These!" If you're into airplanes at all, one look at the video for this 6' long jet-powered F-14 Tomcat in full test-flight mode will have you uttering similar sentiments. http://www.big-boys.com/articles/f14model.html This is AWESOME! big-boys.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1442464/posts#comment Thu, 14 Jul 2005 02:41:07 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1380076/posts Farewell and welcome on Oceana's runways The Virginian-Pilot © April 8, 2005 Few sights compare to that of an F-14 Tomcat soaring through the blue sky above Virginia Beach. Residents and tourists alike delight in glimpsing the jets wheeling and plummeting over the ocean, or rocketing full tilt from the NAS Oceana runways, their distinctive delta-winged shape more reminiscent of a sci-fi fighter plane than a U.S. Navy workhorse. The F-14's grace and elegant design almost always elicit a pause, a sigh, a pointed finger or a sense of wonder at how a triangle can fly. The Tomcat is an... The Virginian Pilot http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1380076/posts#comment Fri, 8 Apr 2005 21:35:53 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1342383/posts Now this message for America's most famous athletes: Someday you may be invited to fly in the backseat of one of your country's most powerful fighter jets. Many of you already have -- John Elway, John Stockton, Tiger Woods to name a few. If you get this opportunity, let me urge you, with the greatest sincerity.... Move to Guam. Change your name. Fake your own death. Whatever you do, do not go. I know. The U.S. Navy invited me to try it. I was thrilled. I was pumped. I was toast! I should've known when they told me my pilot... SportsIllustratedCNN.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1342383/posts#comment Sun, 13 Feb 2005 20:01:45 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1294939/posts An F-14 "Tomcat" fighter jet assigned to the "Jolly Rogers" of Fighter Squadron One Zero Three (VF-103), September 26, 2002, United States Navy. Photographer: Journalist 2nd Class David Valdez, United States Navy Original U.S. Navy source: http://www.news.navy.mil/view_single.asp?id=2827 (has more information) and http://www.news.navy.mil/management/photodb/photos/020926-N-2781V-170.jpg (big image) Above photo from: Dr. Mark S. Cramer's "Gallery of Fluid Mechanics" WWW site (http://GalleryofFluidMechanics.com), the Prandtl-Glauert Gallery (An Eerie Condensation Cloud), http://www.GalleryOfFluidMechanics.com/conden/eerief14.htm and http://www.GalleryOfFluidMechanics.com/conden/ef14b.htmPhoto caption from: ChamorroBible.org WWW site's "Photograph of the Day" for August 17, 2004 (Part 1 of 2, photo #5), http://ChamorroBible.org/gpw/gpw-20040817.htmExplanation for this scary Prandtl-Glauert condensation cloud: "P-G Clouds" tutorial by Dr.... Gallery of Fluid Mechanics by Dr. Mark S. Cramer http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1294939/posts#comment Sun, 5 Dec 2004 19:40:39 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1261494/posts     Official U.S. Navy file photo of an F-14D Tomcat assigned to Fighter Squadron (VF) 31. The return of the squadron marks the final deployment of the F-14 Tomcat to the Pacific Coast. View Larger Download HiRes   Tomcatters Return from Pacific DeploymentStory Number: NNS041029-01Release Date: 10/29/2004 7:24:00 AMFrom Commander, Naval Air Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet Public AffairsNORFOLK, Va. (NNS) -- The “Tomcatters” of Fighter Squadron (VF) 31 will return to their home base at Naval Air Station Oceana Oct. 31, following a five-month deployment to the Western Pacific aboard the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN... Navy News Stand http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1261494/posts#comment Fri, 29 Oct 2004 16:05:01 GMT