TOMCAT Pilot Talks About His Exchange Tour Flying the Tornado F3 with the RAF | Interview Clips
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- Опубликовано: 1 ноя 2020
- Oral was one of the last Tomcat pilots in the Navy. After his first tour flying the F-14D, we applied for an exchange tour with the British Royal Air Force. In this clip from our live interview, Oral talks about what it was like flying the Tornado (And Hawk) with the RAF. Originally aired LIVE 8-3-2020 • TOMCATS! Interview wit...
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I was the first USN exchange pilot on the F3. It had a roomy, quiet cockpit. It had thrust reverse and a civilian capable ILS. Dual IRS. You could see how your Nav (RIO) was using the radar in search modes and what he was seeing. For a skilled user, it had a form of NCTR (A-scope). The 25mm cannon was very accurate, and because you wore an air-mix O2 mask, you could smell the burnt powder - and its ammo bay, when empty, allowed two sets of gulf clubs plus your overnight gear. In the Tomcat, you were limited to a change of socks and a shaving kit. Self starting with an APU. Tomcat required two carts, air and electric and somebody available who knew what they were doing. It had a weapon systems controller which gave you some pretty impressive off-bore sight no-radar-lock capabilities with the AIM-9. English winters aren’t conducive to training, so we’d head down to Deci (Sardegna) or Cyprus, tanking off of the magnificent Victor. It was a blast. As for the language, you have to know your limitations. Americans should not attempt “Bloody Hell” and brits should stay away from “Kick Ass.”
The RAF have a history of precision low level strike going back to WW2 and low means low. This takes immense skill and an ability to do it manually without total reliance on technology, hence the sheep/cows comment.
The F3 was designed to head off to the north Sea. . Select slowest cruise.. and wait for soviet bombers... then it would close and attack... it was essential to kill soviet bombers before they could release their stand off weapons... for this specific purpose it was well suited
Interesting. Earlier generation mud-moving RAF fighter pilot here. I did my service on Hawker Hunter, Bae Harrier and Tornado GR1. Flew 1,250 hours on Tornado. Retired to airline flying in 1989. God that was b.o.r.i.n.g. In the 1970s and early 80s the UK Orientation Course was done on the Hawker Hunter on which I was a weapons and combat instructor. We had many exchange officers from NATO air forces coming through prior to their 3 year tours with front-line squadrons or OCUs. We learned a lot from each other. The Americans learned how a cash-strapped Air Force did the job without things like ABCCC, Rivet Joint, Wild Weasels and fighter escorts while we marvelled at the 120-ship gorillas! Red and Green Flag were fantastic. Never did Maple Flag. Happy days. The spirit is alive and well.
If you never flew the F3 with JTIDS, AMRAAM and ASRAAM then you don’t understand the aircraft
I was stationed on a Brit base, flying the U-2 and we had a very good rapport with our hosts. Oral is right, I used my mess dress, service dress and a tux (subject of a humorous story in itself) multiple times that year. The RAF puts a very high value on socializing and likes to keep it highbrow, though, paradoxically, the parties to get crazy at times. I very much enjoyed my year with the Brits.
Because the word Tornado is an american word, therefore the correct form has the emphisis on the first syllable
Just heard a story of F3 and Hawks up against F14's and 18 during friendly DACT sorties in the late 80's early 90's..During a particular 3 day session the RAF beat the USN 12-0..So it's not always the aircraft..which helps of course..but also the pilots and tatics. For those slagging off the F3.
Ewan McGregor's brother Colin used to fly Tornado GR4. His call sign was Obi-Two
By the end of its service life, the F3 was equipped with link-16, ARMAAM, ASRAMM, and the Foxhunter, which had been fully optimized for excellent Fox 3 / BVR performance. In addition, the range and loiter capability remained outstanding which enabled the crews to bide their time and chose when and how to engage. Moreover, RAF pilots/navigators had honed their tactics, over the years, to the point where the aircraft and crews could hold their own against anything in the allied inventory, including Luftwaffe Mig-29s. It would be an understatement to suggest that no RAF pilot would even consider merging or turning with an agile aircraft, as this would mean being shot down after the first turn. It is a pity that the F3 came into its own as an interceptor/fighter around the same time as the Typhoon was being introduced into service.
When I was in the RAF in the 80s at Leuchars, I was ground crew on Phantoms, we always had two American crews seconded to our squadron. One of the pilots we had was a highly decorated Vietnam veteran. I always found the yank aircrews a lot more down to earth and approachable than our own aircrew, when they came back from leave, the first thing they really wanted was a decent beer, instead of what they got state side.
I know next to nothing about combat aircraft but I used to love going on holiday to the Scottish countryside and seeing Tornadoes scream through the valleys. I also saw F15's doing the same thing. As a kid and young teenager I built model kits of both. Seeing these planes flying low level above a river with the mountains in the background was something special.
The engines in the F3 are the same both sides, i.e. based on those in the GR1 and 4 but with "extended reheat". The intake strakes are different between the left and right sides because the intakes are mirror images of each other but the engines, obviously, are not. As a result the flow field the left intake provides to its engine is different from that of the right, in terms of rotational flow. Therefore optimisation of the intakes required different solutions for left and right hand sides.
These interviews... make me extremely happy to see when you post. I love them and so excited when they pop up just released.
I was on 56 Squadron from 2000 to 2004 as an Avionics Technician. I remember the whole sqn was relocated from Coningsby to Leuchars, as Coningsby was re-roled to fly the Eurofighter Typhoon.
Interviewing tomcat pilots is very popular and I love it. No one can resist "Interview with Tomcat pilot" title. Grim reapers have done 2 in a month or so. Interesting learning about the f3
I remember being on holiday in Scotland high up on a valley with the kids and a couple of Tornado's tore down the valley at eye level the kids waved frantically and the pilot waggled his wings, great sight, great sound.
The Mach loop passes over my house. I get a regular air show.
The original ADV's had manual wing sweep and different engines and were used on the OCU. The Squadron aircraft all had auto wing sweep, auto maneuvering devices and upgraded engines.
I am a regular visitor to the Channel and being from the UK I thought it was awesome that Mover knew what the Mach Loop was and also how cool it is that Oral got 500 hours in the Tornado F-3!