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Desert Control, I've Lost My RIO
Approach ^ | March-April 2004 | U.S. Navy Lt. Geoff Vickers, F-14D Tomcat pilot

Posted on 05/15/2010 6:46:48 PM PDT by EnjoyingLife

My squadron and air wing were detached to NAS Fallon, Nevada, for strike training. Most of us attended lectures all day, but I was tasked with giving the battle-group-air-warfare commander an orientation flight in the F-14D. As skipper of the cruiser in charge of the battle group's air defenses, he had been spending time with the air wing to better understand how we conduct our missions. He had observed a number of the strike events through the tactical-air-combat-training system (TACTS) replays, and he had flown with the E-2C and EA-6B squadrons. He was proud that the Prowler guys hadn't been able to make him sick.

My job was to demonstrate the Tomcat's performance and tactical capabilities. Though this flight was my first without a qualified radar-intercept officer (RIO) in the back seat, I had flown with a number of aviators who had very little Tomcat experience.

The captain arrived at the squadron a half-hour before the brief to receive his cockpit-orientation lecture and ejection-seat checkout. Once in the ready room, we briefed the flight with our wingman. I covered the administrative and tactical procedures in accordance with our squadron's standard-operating procedures (SOP).

I told the captain that after the G-awareness maneuver, we would do a quick inverted check to verify cockpit security. . . .


Photo 1 via http://img96.imageshack.us/i/f14dtomcatnocanopynorio.jpg/


Photo 2 via http://www.anft.net/f-14/f14-photo-vf213-21.htm


Photo 3 via http://www.anft.net/f-14/f14-photo-vf213-22.htm

(Excerpt) Read more at web.archive.org ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Military/Veterans
KEYWORDS: f14d; navair; tomcat
Approach, March-April 2004 (PDF with article and photos)
http://web.archive.org/web/20041026225101/www.safetycenter.navy.mil/media/approach/issues/marapr04/pdf/AppMar-Apr04pdf.pdf
1 posted on 05/15/2010 6:46:48 PM PDT by EnjoyingLife
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To: EnjoyingLife

that is a cool sight


2 posted on 05/15/2010 6:55:22 PM PDT by GeronL (Political Correctness Kills)
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To: EnjoyingLife; magslinger

I enjoy reading the Approach articles. Very honest way to look at accidents. Us shoes were never as good reviewing mistakes.


3 posted on 05/15/2010 6:56:07 PM PDT by neodad (USS Vincennes (CG 49) "Freedom's Fortress")
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To: Vroomfondel; SC Swamp Fox; Fred Hayek; NY Attitude; P3_Acoustic; Bean Counter; investigateworld; ...
SONOBUOY PING!

Click on pic for past Navair pings.

Post or FReepmail me if you wish to be enlisted in or discharged from the Navair Pinglist.
The only requirement for inclusion in the Navair Pinglist is an interest in Naval Aviation.
This is a medium to low volume pinglist.

4 posted on 05/15/2010 7:14:38 PM PDT by magslinger (Tagline impounded as a threat to national security.)
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To: EnjoyingLife
Bravo Zulu!!!
5 posted on 05/15/2010 7:18:22 PM PDT by Chode (American Hedonist *DTOM* -ww- NO Pity for the LAZY)
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To: alfa6

Please exit the aircraft......ping


6 posted on 05/15/2010 7:26:32 PM PDT by BIGLOOK (Keelhaul Congress!)
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To: neodad

Yeah, Approach and Mech are a great resource. The Naval Safety Center has some entertaining stories as well.


7 posted on 05/15/2010 7:30:36 PM PDT by rabidralph
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To: EnjoyingLife
At least the Captain made it safely out of the aircraft.

Irish Luck - Surviving Partial Ejection from A-6 Aircraft


8 posted on 05/15/2010 7:32:52 PM PDT by Yo-Yo (Is the /sarc tag really necessary?)
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To: magslinger

List me, please.


9 posted on 05/15/2010 7:58:53 PM PDT by JimVT (Oh, the days of the Kerry dancing, Oh, the ring of the piper's tune)
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To: JimVT

Welcome aboard! You can check out past pings by doing a keyword search on ‘navair’ or clicking the pic on pings. Not all of the pings are to articles this good. As a matter of fact, this is ,IMO, the best one to date.
Mark


10 posted on 05/15/2010 8:05:23 PM PDT by magslinger (Tagline impounded as a threat to national security.)
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To: EnjoyingLife

[cue “Ragtop Day” by Jimmy Buffett]


11 posted on 05/15/2010 8:57:20 PM PDT by RichInOC (No! BAD Rich! (What'd I say?))
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To: MS.BEHAVIN

I though you might like this.


12 posted on 05/15/2010 9:00:05 PM PDT by Jet Jaguar (*)
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To: rabidralph

>>The Naval Safety Center has some entertaining stories as well.<<

Forget the name of the magaazine they published, but I’ll never forget the story about the rated airman working on a carrier plane. Seems that the hydraulic actuator for the wings to fold is supposed to go in only one way. Well, this genius found a way to put it in - backwards. Imagine the poor pilot who folded his wings - only to find them on the deck!


13 posted on 05/16/2010 1:54:55 AM PDT by NTHockey (Rules of engagement #1: Take no prisoners)
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To: NTHockey

Always some knucklehead story :-)


14 posted on 05/16/2010 4:37:38 AM PDT by rabidralph
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To: BIGLOOK

An interesting article, thanks for the ping

Regards

alfa6 ;>}


15 posted on 05/16/2010 5:44:29 AM PDT by alfa6
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