my father was a pilot for vf-213 back in 1986-1992... every time i watch these videos it makes me that much more sure of my decision to fly for the navy... navy here i come!
Grumman got it right when they designed this beast! Besides basing the designed around what it needed to do, they gave the right amount of aggression with a sprinkle of elegance in terms of looks. Long live the Tomcat.
From early age, (i was born in 1980.) an image of the Tomcat has been set in my mind, it represented (and still does) everything that is beautiful about aviation, flying and fighter pilotness. And yes, i'm serious about this "Save the Tomcat" project. Maybe i could set up a web page and start a vote :). Maybe it could be interesting.. :) ~aero~
i can truly appreciate your upload, as i was in your sister squadron VF-114 Aardvarks 1979-1982!! Med n IO cruise..Thank you, ab wonderful! AE-1 retired James Price
My dad was apart of VF-213 Blacklion out of Mirimar in San Diego. He got out in 91'. He was a Troubleshooter. Served on the Conny, Lincoln, and Coral Sea
Bkacklion 80-84 cruises America, and back to back Enterprise cruises. Plane Captain and then engine mech. When trimming the TF-30 in afterburner underneath the aircraft the sound also went thru your face and skull!!! 145 decibels. We used an Allen wrench on the fuel control adjustment along with a trim box. A compressor stall on deck in AB could blow an intake screen off and past the nose. That would be during maintenance. Extremely Rare though. I think it had 22,000 lb 's of thrust per engine if I remember correctly. We needed about 30 knots of wind almost straight down the deck to run high power AB. And a high-power chain rated at 180,000 pounds plus about 20 10k chains, chocks and brakes set. The big chain weighed 180 pounds too. Try varying that up the ladderwell when we couldn't get an elevator. That practiced was stopped when someone dropped one onto a sponson from the catwalk. It bounced once and into the drink it went. Not me. Luckily nobody was hurt. The plane leaked fuel quite a bit especially the wings which we had to caulk. Drop tanks became easy with a good crew. Fuel cells were tough to change out. The airframe and electricians had to work even more to get these birds in the air. Eventually the man hours to flight hours became too great.
Great vid! You have shots in here. Love the one of the Tomcats hugging each other and the one goes vertical.......pure sexy. The other is the inverted afterburners. Let's face it when the Tomcat when supersonic she made a STATEMENT, wings back, full on adrenaline rush. She looked good in sub and super sonic. Turn and burn never looked so good.
the Navy ordered an insane aircraft then managed to find the most insane pilots merged the two together and came up with seriously bad ass squadrons Any Time Baby
i totally agree!!the tomcat IS the most beautiful machine man has made,she has proved herself in my opinon to be the best in the world and certanly does not deserve the treatment shes given now,SAVE THE TOMCAT!!shes the most majestic bird to ever grace our skys,yes plse start up the page aero!
OMFG, that has to be one of the most awesome F-14 Tomcat videos I have ever seen. I love the shot of the Tomcat between the verticals that pulls straight up.
We should start a foundation and call it: "Save the Tomcat". When i saw those pictures of tomcats being brutally dismantled with the use of hydraulic grabbers, my heart broke into million pieces (so im pretty shure they have a lots of parts to sell, they're destroying the planes anyway). What an undecent way to treat a piece of history. Sad.
VF-213, Black Lions was the last Tomcat operational squadron. Around since 1970 she was getting old and worn out. And the maint. costs were way over budget. That's why she was retired.
When I was last out at AMARG, I had the same response. What was once a long row of "mothballed" Tomcats is now gone. Even though AMARG is a secure facility, there is some fear that Iranians could get a hold of some parts for their F-14s. Makes little sense to me. I've seen this aircraft fly at Oceana and some airshows and it is everything you'd expect...VERY impressive!
Snort couldnt swing it. The Navy wouldn't go for it, since they upgraded all the F-14s stored at AMARG to "D" status ("destroy"). The only airframes left out there are the two on celeberty row and the MiG killer which is waiting for a museum.
damn, I'm studying to become U.S. Naval Aviator, (the official term) I'll be going to the academy soon. Wish I could've flown the cat. It's what I grew up dreaming to fly, but I was devastated once it was taken out of service around/in 2006. I'm still continuing on with my dream though, and I'll be flying the F/A-18. No problem though, I'll still fly on the carriers that once flew these babies! If I get into top gun, and become an aggressor pilot, to train other aviatiors, this is what I'll fly!
godbless the mighty TOMCAT any ""retired"" turkey drivers or rios out there?post ya footage share the tomcat experience with everyone!STINKN HORNETS BY MANDATE,TOMCATS BY CHOICE BABY!!ANYTIME!!
I've tried to my boys to consider the carrier over fox holes. they have no idea what is like. i miss the adventure of the ports and coming home. I still have the denium jacket plaastered w/ blacklions and cvn-65 patches from the '89cruise. AQ2 Inman
@jaja1818 There was one by the Tomcatters that had rainbow fins if I remember correctly. There's another one that had the emblem of a red wolf blazed on the fin. That one I appreciate the most, as my first F-14 toy bore that insignia. :)
The F-14's were normally parked on the fantail. Plane Captains got all the jet blast and everything else back there. Very dangerous with engines running.
No, when you're in the cockpit and you look back the tail fins look more angled out than they really are. I got to fly the cat for about two years, awesome time. The fins are actually angled out a little bit, but as you seem to already know, not nearly as much as the Hornet. But I suppose the distortion from the windscreen makes them look a lot more angled from that view.
@CRsBeem NO! How could they?... I mean, take it out of service, yeah, but you can't kill them all off! I would have LOVED to see this plane at an airshow!...alas, i was born too late..
@hopintheroflcopter I liked them too. Well, in the story I was writing a guy stole one from being scrapped then hid it for 100 years. Afterwards his grandkid dug it up then stuck lasers and ion engines on it. ;) Not that it changes anything but that was my way of coping. >.>
I said it once, I'll say it again......shame they took the almighty Tomcat out and replaced it with the Whorenet. Tomcat was and always WILL BE THE BESTFIGHTER JET EVER!
Simply Awesome. VF-213 was the last squadron to fly the Big Cat along with VF-31 Tomcatters. Do someone has the name of the song on that video ? Anytime baby !!
That's true. The Imperial Iranian Airforce does keep a few of the old F-14As flying and uses the rest for spare parts. American support for these Tomcats was canceled when the Shah was overthrown and a pro Russian government was created. The Russians copied and reverse-engineered some of the U.S. technology, and were making their own spare parts for the F-14s.
F14 personally the sexiest plane on earth in my opinion
The F-14 Tomcat is still my favorite fighter.
my father was a pilot for vf-213 back in 1986-1992... every time i watch these videos it makes me that much more sure of my decision to fly for the navy... navy here i come!
Awesome man. I hope you and your pops are well. Sincerely, a fellow Blacklion.
The F-14 Tomcat. Greatest Fighter of all time!! Its what every other fighter plane wishes it could be. Awesome video, amazing scenes!!!
Nothing will ever come close to the mighty tomcat. "TOMCATS ALWAYS BABY.....!"
There saddly missed!
This IS my favorite video ever on youtube or anywhere. I could watch this everyday. Well Done!
Had to come back and watch some of these videos again to get motivated to go back to school so I can learn how to fly my Tomcat in DCS.
Grumman got it right when they designed this beast! Besides basing the designed around what it needed to do, they gave the right amount of aggression with a sprinkle of elegance in terms of looks. Long live the Tomcat.
Those Mirages really had a bad day, right? Tomcats by choice, meow baby!
Motley Crue - Kickstart My Heart.
I listen to it when I get on my motorcycle. :)
That was the most AWESOME TOmCat vid ever. Great tribute. Thanks for sharing it. Great editing and music. Thank you sir.
Merry Christmas
From early age, (i was born in 1980.) an image of the Tomcat has been set in my mind, it represented (and still does) everything that is beautiful about aviation, flying and fighter pilotness. And yes, i'm serious about this "Save the Tomcat" project. Maybe i could set up a web page and start a vote :). Maybe it could be interesting.. :)
~aero~
Nothin' gets the blood pumpin' like afterburner light-off in a Fighter Jet !! Doc Mike USN FMF
i can truly appreciate your upload, as i was in your sister squadron VF-114 Aardvarks 1979-1982!! Med n IO cruise..Thank you, ab wonderful! AE-1 retired James Price
I was on the that cruise as well but I was with VF-213 Blacklions
"Because I was inverted."
I was a AME in VF 213 1994-95, I miss those Tomcats. BLACKLIONS HOO-RAH!!! Have a fine Navy day!
Kickstart my heart, Anytime, Any weather, and Anytime Baby!..
My dad was apart of VF-213 Blacklion out of Mirimar in San Diego. He got out in 91'. He was a Troubleshooter. Served on the Conny, Lincoln, and Coral Sea
Miss that Tomcat
Cool Vid...2:19-2:23 is a cool angle.
From a former VF-32 Swordsman, I salute you dudes.
its fantastic to fly on a aeroplane like this... well done :)
Bkacklion 80-84 cruises America, and back to back Enterprise cruises. Plane Captain and then engine mech. When trimming the TF-30 in afterburner underneath the aircraft the sound also went thru your face and skull!!! 145 decibels. We used an Allen wrench on the fuel control adjustment along with a trim box.
A compressor stall on deck in AB could blow an intake screen off and past the nose. That would be during maintenance. Extremely Rare though. I think it had 22,000 lb 's of thrust per engine if I remember correctly. We needed about 30 knots of wind almost straight down the deck to run high power AB. And a high-power chain rated at 180,000 pounds plus about 20 10k chains, chocks and brakes set. The big chain weighed 180 pounds too. Try varying that up the ladderwell when we couldn't get an elevator. That practiced was stopped when someone dropped one onto a sponson from the catwalk. It bounced once and into the drink it went. Not me. Luckily nobody was hurt. The plane leaked fuel quite a bit especially the wings which we had to caulk. Drop tanks became easy with a good crew. Fuel cells were tough to change out. The airframe and electricians had to work even more to get these birds in the air. Eventually the man hours to flight hours became too great.
what a beauty!
Great vid! You have shots in here. Love the one of the Tomcats hugging each other and the one goes vertical.......pure sexy. The other is the inverted afterburners.
Let's face it when the Tomcat when supersonic she made a STATEMENT, wings back, full on adrenaline rush. She looked good in sub and super sonic.
Turn and burn never looked so good.
Legend tomcat and Vf 213
2:18-2:33 - AWESOME perspective...one of the best fighter jet vids i've seen yet and I've watched a lot. thanks
the Navy ordered an insane aircraft then managed to find the most insane pilots merged the two together and came up with seriously bad ass squadrons
Any Time Baby
i totally agree!!the tomcat IS the most beautiful machine man has made,she has proved herself in my opinon to be the best in the world and certanly does not deserve the treatment shes given now,SAVE THE TOMCAT!!shes the most majestic bird to ever grace our skys,yes plse start up the page aero!
OMFG, that has to be one of the most awesome F-14 Tomcat videos I have ever seen. I love the shot of the Tomcat between the verticals that pulls straight up.
LOVE IT!!!best plane in the world!!!
I had the greatest time being a F-14 tomcat plane captain
We should start a foundation and call it: "Save the Tomcat". When i saw those pictures of tomcats being brutally dismantled with the use of hydraulic grabbers, my heart broke into million pieces (so im pretty shure they have a lots of parts to sell, they're destroying the planes anyway). What an undecent way to treat a piece of history. Sad.
As a Tomcatter for 10 years, I can say that that hulking peice of awesome will never be truly replaced.
Oorah
I recently got my copy of this DVD, VF-213s Last Tomcat Cruise. Tomcats and Targets baby
Best Catvideo ever!👍👍👍
From a Brit,the most stunning Aircraft ever made,it is truly a stunning piece of Engineering,hats off to you Yanks you made a Gudden.
Best plane in the world na in the universe yeah can't stop my heart 🤑🤑🕊
you can definitely kckstart my heart with a beautiful tomcat... and with the crue... AMAZING
Best aircraft ever made TOMCAT❤️❤️❤️❤️
Great footage in this video; well done.
I was part of vf-213 starting in 2004 up until we decom'd and became VFA-213 and then i separated in july of 2008. Long live the tomcat.
we all want the tomcat back
VF-213, Black Lions was the last Tomcat operational squadron. Around since 1970 she was getting old and worn out. And the maint. costs were way over budget. That's why she was retired.
Awesome vid! Think I saw a few old schoolers I know!
15-years later and I’m still watching this! Anytime baby!
F-14 kicking ass everytime.
I remember drip pans under every F14 things just bleed hydraulic fluid.....CAG11 ARS on CVN-72 from 93-96
I could watch cat videos all day long.
Yea!! Bring back the F-4!!
PO3 ABE CV-67 87-91
GO NAVY!!!! FLY NAVY!!!!
When I was last out at AMARG, I had the same response. What was once a long row of "mothballed" Tomcats is now gone. Even though AMARG is a secure facility, there is some fear that Iranians could get a hold of some parts for their F-14s. Makes little sense to me.
I've seen this aircraft fly at Oceana and some airshows and it is everything you'd expect...VERY impressive!
Snort couldnt swing it. The Navy wouldn't go for it, since they upgraded all the F-14s stored at AMARG to "D" status ("destroy"). The only airframes left out there are the two on celeberty row and the MiG killer which is waiting for a museum.
damn, I'm studying to become U.S. Naval Aviator, (the official term) I'll be going to the academy soon. Wish I could've flown the cat. It's what I grew up dreaming to fly, but I was devastated once it was taken out of service around/in 2006. I'm still continuing on with my dream though, and I'll be flying the F/A-18. No problem though, I'll still fly on the carriers that once flew these babies! If I get into top gun, and become an aggressor pilot, to train other aviatiors, this is what I'll fly!
godbless the mighty TOMCAT any ""retired"" turkey drivers or rios out there?post ya footage share the tomcat experience with everyone!STINKN HORNETS BY MANDATE,TOMCATS BY CHOICE BABY!!ANYTIME!!
Smokin'!
This beast was and probably still is technically the truest fighter. It's big,it's powerfull,it's mean and if you shoot at it it only gets pissed.
Drop in some old Buno's! If you were a Tomcater, from 213 or wherever, you will know hat I mean! Rattle off those numbers!
161159.
I was a Blacklion from 1996-2001!
Simply the best...
This is proof danger zone doesn't make F-14s look good. F-14 makes any sound awesome.
My favorite squadron + My favorite plane = My favorite video (Not really. Just one of my favorite videos :p)
superb video
thank you White Lion !
superhornet
I've tried to my boys to consider the carrier over fox holes. they have no idea what is like. i miss the adventure of the ports and coming home. I still have the denium jacket plaastered w/ blacklions and cvn-65 patches from the '89cruise. AQ2 Inman
Abso-bloody-lutely right!!!
Well done vid on a truly great aircraft!
@jaja1818 There was one by the Tomcatters that had rainbow fins if I remember correctly. There's another one that had the emblem of a red wolf blazed on the fin. That one I appreciate the most, as my first F-14 toy bore that insignia. :)
Tomcats and targets.
one of the best video i have seen
insead of the super hornet it should be the super tomcat !
The Tomcat is awesome
I was asked to go there after my tour in VF11 wish I would have
Okay yes I need to say
I LOVE IT!!!
Tomcat baby!
The F-14's were normally parked on the fantail. Plane Captains got all the jet blast and everything else back there. Very dangerous with engines running.
1:45 G meter pegged at 2.3g's during launch.
@kiwicannon Way ahead of you! Imagine how they'd be now if we upgraded them with vector thrust and all that other cool crap. :)
No, when you're in the cockpit and you look back the tail fins look more angled out than they really are. I got to fly the cat for about two years, awesome time. The fins are actually angled out a little bit, but as you seem to already know, not nearly as much as the Hornet. But I suppose the distortion from the windscreen makes them look a lot more angled from that view.
every aircraft has had this said from
WWI till the present.. My first carrier was the Ticondroega in "73
@CRsBeem NO! How could they?...
I mean, take it out of service, yeah, but you can't kill them all off!
I would have LOVED to see this plane at an airshow!...alas, i was born too late..
RIP LT CLAAR...................................................................
@hopintheroflcopter I liked them too. Well, in the story I was writing a guy stole one from being scrapped then hid it for 100 years. Afterwards his grandkid dug it up then stuck lasers and ion engines on it. ;) Not that it changes anything but that was my way of coping. >.>
very cool
I said it once, I'll say it again......shame they took the almighty Tomcat out and replaced it with the Whorenet. Tomcat was and always WILL BE THE BESTFIGHTER JET EVER!
If the navy kept the Tomcat I would have skipped the Air Force and joined the Navy.
BEST VID ON RUclips EVERRRR!
NOTHING will ever take the place of the biggest 'CAT'
Gonna have to buy a de-mil from Iran when I win the lottery lol.
awesome vid. i (AM3 Styx) just left before you guys went on cruise. who made this video. i kind of regret not going, hope it was fun.
Aye 4 Aye
Watch those wings swing back -- and that big kitty just walk right on away from you! "Meowww," you say"?
@b747dude Meh, what can I say? that is my younger side talking. The point being is that it is a damn shame the discontinued it.
the one with the wolf is from VF-1 and the rainbow fins are from the VF31 CAG the number of that F14 is 100 i think
Simply Awesome. VF-213 was the last squadron to fly the Big Cat along with VF-31 Tomcatters. Do someone has the name of the song on that video ?
Anytime baby !!
15 years late but it's called "Kickstart my heart" by Motley Crue
They should at least still use these magnificent planes in air shows, i'd love to see a squad of these flying around! >:[
That's true. The Imperial Iranian Airforce does keep a few of the old F-14As flying and uses the rest for spare parts. American support for these Tomcats was canceled when the Shah was overthrown and a pro Russian government was created. The Russians copied and reverse-engineered some of the U.S. technology, and were making their own spare parts for the F-14s.
Band: Motley Crue, Song: Kickstart my heart
lol guys headbanging is awsome
A piece of Art and Technology too early put down by Cheney's burocracy...
where's the rest of the video please?
Amazing what you can do with millions of dollars! Nice video! I wonder if you can make s’mores with a little after burner?
i liked working on the f4 when i went to school in milington