I've seen and heard the video of this incident several time, and I've watched Ward Carroll's breakdown of the incident. This is the first time I've actually heard it from the wingman's perspective. Great interview.
I was on the IKE and I have that t-shirt. It's a camel in a boxing ring knocked out with Libya written on the hump and the iconic Tomcat wearing his signature pistol belt with two six guns and wearing boxing gloves leaning on the rope. I bought mine from a vendor on the aft mess deck while visiting Naples on our Med cruise in '82.
It would have still probably been called the F-14. "21" in "Super Tomcat 21" was just for 21st Century. The F-21 Kfir had already taken the designation, though.
Myself and my wife both work at Hughes Aircraft Company who designed and built the avionics and weapon systems for the F14..... Hughes built the sparrow, side winder, falcon, phoenix, amraam, tomahawk and ASM missiles .... My dad was the original engineer who designed the wings and control surfaces for the Phoenix and later was the lead test and development engineer and was in charge of QA manufacturing...... The sidewinder and Sparrow missiles were affectionately unofficially known within the company as the little b**** and lil bastard.... Both would pull up to 49 G turns..... And we're so manuverable that the missile control surfaces were mechucally locked for the first 1000 feet of flight to ensure it didn't take out the aircraft it was launched from inadvertently
I've been waiting since the event to see and hear this story, sure there's been cursory reports and anecdotes in books, but there's nothing like seeing the guy who was there. Back when Top Gun came out, I wanted to see the movie because it was the ONLY way to see flight deck operations. In VHS video days there was the Cunningham Documentary (The Real Top Gun) (I think) but that was it. What your productions is (are?) doing is commendable. These men and the events they experienced deserve to be remembered.
Don’t know what game it was, but I used to play an F-16 game/simulator (Falcon 3?) that had audio from this event, the “good kill, good kill” is etched in my memory
Love the show and I'm an old US Navy. Rotorhead. I'm trying to understand what happened to the 2 the Phoenix missiles. Unless editing or something had missed and there 4 were bogeys but I'm under the understanding of annoying 2 bogey's mig- 23s.
No Phoenix (Fox-3) missiles were launched in this engagement. There were a total of 3 Sparrow (Fox-1) missiles and 1 Sidewinder (Fox-2) against 2 Libyan MiG-23s.
@@TomcatTales I swore that I seen that the Rio had shot off 2 Phoenix missiles and the pilot said something to the effect of oh crap. I can't get it exactly word for word but like we're in it now. From there your response was I seen it leave and it looked really cool as it went up. That might have been from the short that I Heard that from 🤔 I did see the 2 sparrow s. From your aircraft and the heater from the wingman. That took care of that business. I was on Big John in Kuwait relieving the Saratoga before go time. That's where I got my cherry popped 👊😎 best time of my life. I really didn't understand how historically my carrier was being the last of the kitty hawk class. Unfortunately it went into reserves in '94 and I ers was offered another carrier for an opportunity test pilot. Testing the FMS for the GPS that was fairly new at the time and how that would correspond in Helo ops and also composite main and tail rotor blades. That was on the Sea dragon 18 months on the Sea dragon. That is my all-time favorite Helo 👊😎🕊️
@RagsHSC-7 no even in the official report they fired AIM-7s. I don't think they had AIM-54s on their cats for that flight. I think they had 4 sparrows and 2 sidewinders.
@@louhodo5761 okay, I didn't mean to stir up a hornet's nest per se. I saw a short and then I watched the video. Maybe it was an intro. Please forgive me Brothers. As long as our US Navy is on top and not being taken advantage of by the USAF, I'm happy with it 💯🇺🇸⚓🩵
@@RagsHSC-7 it's a common mistake. People believe that all Tomcats always had phoenix missiles on them. But they were often expensive and heavy so they didn't always fly with them.
The AIM-7 had a kill probability of less than 10% and a hit rate of 15.8%. It also had a tendency to detonate prematurely, have motor failures, and have erratic flights. They both failed to guide and track to their target.
the Mig pilots were lost at sea. No effort was made by the Libyans to pick up their own people and the USN were allegedly told from higher office not to pick them up, despite the Carrier crew wanting to.
I forgot where I read it but I think it was his sidewinder tone volume knob the pilot had it turned down so he wasn’t hearing the tone until he realized and turned it up
If you listen to the whole recording, the lead pilot was a bit behind the curve the whole time. Once his RIO, who was directing the engagement, called for Master Arm On, the pilot began a radio call to Alpha Bravo (the carrier) in what seems to me like a request from higher command to authorize the use of force. When the RIO fires two AIM-7s in rapid succession, the pilot seems startled. Then after the second F14 hits the Mig23 and the defensive split leaves the lead F14 on the lead Mig's tail, the pilot initially fails to correctly select the AIM-9 as his RIO exhorts him to fire an AIM-9 ("Fox 2").
He was nice to the flight lead, the report by Ward Carroll on his RUclips was a very factual breakdown of the events. This guy got the dfc
I think he won Tomcat pilot of the year or something, despite being the junior pilot of that flight.
I've seen and heard the video of this incident several time, and I've watched Ward Carroll's breakdown of the incident. This is the first time I've actually heard it from the wingman's perspective. Great interview.
Former VF33 AT here. 1979-1983, CV-62, CV-66. Still have the T-shirt purchased in Virginia Beach U. S. Navy 2 Libya 0.
I was AE on Chucky V. It would be awesome to see the T-shirt shipmates
@@oscarmartinez6472 Had to change it to U. S. Navy 4 Libya 0 in 1989.
I was on the IKE and I have that t-shirt. It's a camel in a boxing ring knocked out with Libya written on the hump and the iconic Tomcat wearing his signature pistol belt with two six guns and wearing boxing gloves leaning on the rope. I bought mine from a vendor on the aft mess deck while visiting Naples on our Med cruise in '82.
I remember the signs all over America in 1981: America 2 Libya 0 About time!
My brother was the AIC on the USS Mississippi who directed this mission, including DOLLYING the F14s.
Terrific interview! Sure wish we had the F21 Super Tomcat as proposed by Grumman! We need that capability in Asia today!
R
It would have still probably been called the F-14. "21" in "Super Tomcat 21" was just for 21st Century. The F-21 Kfir had already taken the designation, though.
Incredible Reliving of that dogfight!
VF-32 certainly put those two Mig-23s to the sword. One of those cats became an F-14D
159610. Saw it at Chantilly. It has a good home.
US Navy carrier pilots, THE best pilots in the world, its just that simple.
I wanted more from this interview. Is feeling while on ship etc.
@@RogerSanGabriel There’s more coming…this was just about the Gulf of Sidra incident.
Myself and my wife both work at Hughes Aircraft Company who designed and built the avionics and weapon systems for the F14..... Hughes built the sparrow, side winder, falcon, phoenix, amraam, tomahawk and ASM missiles .... My dad was the original engineer who designed the wings and control surfaces for the Phoenix and later was the lead test and development engineer and was in charge of QA manufacturing......
The sidewinder and Sparrow missiles were affectionately unofficially known within the company as the little b**** and lil bastard....
Both would pull up to 49 G turns..... And we're so manuverable that the missile control surfaces were mechucally locked for the first 1000 feet of flight to ensure it didn't take out the aircraft it was launched from inadvertently
I've been waiting since the event to see and hear this story, sure there's been cursory reports and anecdotes in books, but there's nothing like seeing the guy who was there.
Back when Top Gun came out, I wanted to see the movie because it was the ONLY way to see flight deck operations. In VHS video days there was the Cunningham Documentary (The Real Top Gun) (I think) but that was it.
What your productions is (are?) doing is commendable. These men and the events they experienced deserve to be remembered.
Don’t know what game it was, but I used to play an F-16 game/simulator (Falcon 3?) that had audio from this event, the “good kill, good kill” is etched in my memory
Falcon 4.0 had the audio in its main menu.
Fly Navy!
Hey Herman!
Love the show and I'm an old US Navy. Rotorhead. I'm trying to understand what happened to the 2 the Phoenix missiles. Unless editing or something had missed and there 4 were bogeys but I'm under the understanding of annoying 2 bogey's mig- 23s.
No Phoenix (Fox-3) missiles were launched in this engagement. There were a total of 3 Sparrow (Fox-1) missiles and 1 Sidewinder (Fox-2) against 2 Libyan MiG-23s.
@@TomcatTales I swore that I seen that the Rio had shot off 2 Phoenix missiles and the pilot said something to the effect of oh crap. I can't get it exactly word for word but like we're in it now. From there your response was I seen it leave and it looked really cool as it went up. That might have been from the short that I Heard that from 🤔 I did see the 2 sparrow s. From your aircraft and the heater from the wingman. That took care of that business. I was on Big John in Kuwait relieving the Saratoga before go time. That's where I got my cherry popped 👊😎 best time of my life. I really didn't understand how historically my carrier was being the last of the kitty hawk class. Unfortunately it went into reserves in '94 and I ers was offered another carrier for an opportunity test pilot. Testing the FMS for the GPS that was fairly new at the time and how that would correspond in Helo ops and also composite main and tail rotor blades. That was on the Sea dragon 18 months on the Sea dragon. That is my all-time favorite Helo 👊😎🕊️
@RagsHSC-7 no even in the official report they fired AIM-7s. I don't think they had AIM-54s on their cats for that flight. I think they had 4 sparrows and 2 sidewinders.
@@louhodo5761 okay, I didn't mean to stir up a hornet's nest per se. I saw a short and then I watched the video. Maybe it was an intro. Please forgive me Brothers. As long as our US Navy is on top and not being taken advantage of by the USAF, I'm happy with it 💯🇺🇸⚓🩵
@@RagsHSC-7 it's a common mistake. People believe that all Tomcats always had phoenix missiles on them. But they were often expensive and heavy so they didn't always fly with them.
I remember when that happened.
The Wonder is There a Migs Club in Navy & Air Force For Air to Air Victories Against Migs.? (smile)
what happened to Sparrows 1 and 2?
The AIM-7 had a kill probability of less than 10% and a hit rate of 15.8%. It also had a tendency to detonate prematurely, have motor failures, and have erratic flights. They both failed to guide and track to their target.
the Mig pilots were lost at sea. No effort was made by the Libyans to pick up their own people and the USN were allegedly told from higher office not to pick them up, despite the Carrier crew wanting to.
Blame Libya. Not every nation values their military personnel.
Rewriting history here. You can’t see a “jink into me” at that range.
Radar??? And I’m old enough to remember hearing the radio chatter when the news reported the story when it happened, they haven’t changed anything
"Works out the switchology." Uh huh. I heard he freaked out and couldn't get the switch set for the right weapon. Cost him a medal. Is that right?
I forgot where I read it but I think it was his sidewinder tone volume knob the pilot had it turned down so he wasn’t hearing the tone until he realized and turned it up
@@lukewilliams8835 is correct. He couldn’t hear the growl at first.
If you listen to the whole recording, the lead pilot was a bit behind the curve the whole time. Once his RIO, who was directing the engagement, called for Master Arm On, the pilot began a radio call to Alpha Bravo (the carrier) in what seems to me like a request from higher command to authorize the use of force. When the RIO fires two AIM-7s in rapid succession, the pilot seems startled. Then after the second F14 hits the Mig23 and the defensive split leaves the lead F14 on the lead Mig's tail, the pilot initially fails to correctly select the AIM-9 as his RIO exhorts him to fire an AIM-9 ("Fox 2").
@@mikemilner8080 forgive my ignorance. I was never in the military. But the RIO can actually fire the weapons?
@@ME-wq8lq Sparrow and Phoenix missiles. The gun, Sidewinder, and bombs are in the front seat alongside the Sparrow and Phoenix.