Tribute to the Military

Friday, March 10, 2006

US Navy Retires their F-14 'Tomcats"

(F-14 picture compliments of Wikipedia)

Friday, March 10, 2006, Associated Press (AP)

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — An era is over. The last two squadrons of the sleek, Cold War fighter jet returned home from their final deployment on Friday aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt. All 22 Tomcats of fighter squadrons VF-213 and VF-31 arrived in style, flying together in a wedge formation over Oceana Naval Air Station as hundreds of sailors and their family and friends cheered. The F-14s are being replaced by the F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet…the aircraft leading the United States Navy into the 21st Century.

For the rest of the article: Tomcats retire




(F-18 picture compliments of the United States Navy)

5 comments:

Rosemary Welch said...

I always feel sad when something is put down even though it doesn't have to be. It feels like a piece of me is going it. Hey?! Maybe we could get together and buy one cheap? lol.

Bos'un said...

Thanks for the comments, Rosemary. Boy, this is the end of an era. I remember when the F18s first came out and then the Super Hornet. At that time, I knew that the Tomcats days were numbers. The Tomcat was an awesome aircraft with superior firepower. The F18, is top of the line.

They will have the F-14 on static display at places like Oceana. I think that they have static display F-14 at Miramar MCAS. That used to be Fighter Town USA, before it was turned over the the USMC.

Have a good weekend.

R/ Bosun

Tom the Redhunter said...

Go F-35 JSF! Can't get then in service fast enough.

Crazy Politico said...

I always liked watching them do a slow fly by, wings extended, then kick the burners and haul ass away.

I'll miss them.

Rosemary Welch said...

Yes, but can we buy one? lol.