Aviapedia

Tomcat’s last flight

By osuorsa | September 30, 2006 on 1:04 pm | In # Avia news |

One of the most famous fighter ever, the Grumman F-14 Tomcat made its last flight on September 22. 2006 in a flight display at Oceana Naval Air Station. The world famous, immortalized by the 1980’s movie Top Gun, the F-14 Tomcat gathered about 3000 guests to see the ‘Cat’ for the last time in air.

The last flight was concluded by pilot Lt. Cmdr. David Faehnle and WSO Lt. Cmdr. Robert Gentry with Tomcat number 102. The aircraft that flew on the display weren’t actually this plane. It was no. 107 with Lt. Cmdr. Chris Richard at the controls and WSO Lt. Mike Petronis in the back seat. This was because of the mechanical failure of the first one and the other Tomcat was on standby just in case.

Commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command and a former F-14 pilot, adm. John Nathman told the jet with the moveable, swept-back wings was “sometimes tough to fly” and tough to fix - but it was resilient. “The legacy of this aircraft is not the ‘Top Gun’ movie,” Nathman continued. “The legacy is found in America’s commitment to win the Cold War.”

The last flying Tomcat goes to Virginia Aviation Museum in Richmond to be carefully retained.

The Grumman’s last of the famous ‘Cat’ series has now fully retired from the US flightlines albeit it still seems to be flying in Iran. The Tomcat was initially developed to be the Navy’s primary fleet air defense fighter and to defend it from the former Soviet Union’s long-range bombers carrying long-range cruise missiles. The F-14 entered Navy service in 1972 and is now replaced with the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet.

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It’s sad to see this great bird to retire from service…a great looks it throughly has.

Comment by osuorsa — September 30, 2006 #
This bird started it’s service the year I was born… When old enough to discover that aircraft, I was instantly hooked! Still today, it is my favorite one and will stay that way for a long time…

Farewell Tomcat!

Comment by jlgl — October 4, 2006 #
the f-14 aint nothing but a movie plane, still an old mig 29 will beat the heck out of it.hahahahahaha

Comment by joe — October 6, 2006 #
No MiG-29 has any chance against a Grumman Works F-14 Tomcat (no matter which version)!!!!!!!!!!!

I’m German and my favorite aircraft is the “Eurofighter Typhoon” and because of that I don’t prefer the F-14 or MiG-29, but:

It’s a simple fact that the “Cat” beats the MiG-29 “Fulcrum” in 9 of 10 cases. The 10th case is fighting in smallest area. The MiG-29 is (much) more agile but it’s very easy to beat if you don’t let the fulcrum fight in visual area. The F-14 would just shoot a Phoenix in best case or an AMRAAM (a newer rocket than the old Sparrow) and ByeBye Fulcrum!!!

Farewell Tomcat!

Comment by RoKil — October 12, 2006 #
Agreed RoKill, Well put.

Comment by Adam — October 15, 2006 #
AMRAAM has never been installed to the ‘Cat’ in active sercvise…

Comment by osuorsa — October 15, 2006 #
And…by the way…phoenix is missile made to counter bomber threat…not fighters.
Anyway, it is not that agile missile as sparrow…or sidewinder.

Comment by Azagtoth — October 25, 2006 #
the most beautiful military aircraft ever built, at least in my eyes, i love it! …i was 6 when the movie top gun came out,i instantly fell in love with aviation and flying… F-14 wil never be forgotten..shame to see it go away…

tomcat forever

Comment by aero — November 1, 2006 #
Quote “No MiG-29 has any chance against a Grumman Works F-14 Tomcat (no matter which version)!!!!!!!!!!!”,so far I’ve only seen that case in the Japanese fighter jets anime “Macross”…

Comment by TovarishSamsonShekovich — November 17, 2006 #
O F14 Tomcat, sem duvida é o avião mais bonito, mais fantástico, capaz de operar em diversos tipos de missões e com uma autonomia espantosa, com certeza também é o que tem mais admiradores por todo o mundo, pra min é o melhor seja já construido e vai fazer muita falta.

Mas vai ficar imortalizado pelo filme TOPGUN e pelo anime japônes MACROSS e por diverças outras aparicões na tela do cinema.

Esse avião fantástico em vários aspectos e superior a muitos que voão atualmente, inclusive ao F18, que ira substituilo, é verdade que os tempos são outros, mas o F14 merece ser continuado, quem sabe uma nova geração do Tom Cats possa novamente voar.

até lá os americanos terão que voar com a carroça, lenta e desajeitada que é o F-18 Super Hornet, e esperar o F-35 Lightning II

Last time baby,

tomcat forever…

Comment by Rodrigo — December 15, 2006 #
what a sad sight. One of the best fighter aircraft ever made. it made be old but they can always update it instead.

Comment by Jed Miller — January 8, 2007 #