[A.A. Cunningham]

LaBranche has come a long way since his days of sleeping on midcrew at Cherry Point back in 1983-1984.

060310-N-0685C-001 Atlantic Ocean (March 10, 2006) - Aircraft assigned Carrier Air Wing Eight (CVW-8) are staged on the flight deck aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) in preparation for departure to their homeports. Roosevelt and CVW-8 are completing a scheduled deployment in support of maritime security operations and the global war on terrorism. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate Airman Javier Capella (RELEASED)

Return will end era

And so they fly off today, with VF-213 taking a short break, then beginning training on the Super Hornets. It falls to VF-31 to fly the Tomcat for the final time, staying on ready status into August, then beginning on the Super Hornet in September. The VF-31 pilots will even get a final cruise, to England for a show-and-tell a couple of weeks in April.

With the final flights, a process begins that's sad for pilot and maintenance worker alike: disposing of the Tomcat. Some will go to Davis-Monathan Air Force Base in Arizona, military aviation's bone yard. Others will become museum pieces. And still others will become razor blades.

And an era will end.

excerpt Daily Press

[Cecily]

[GrandEagle]

Truly the end of an era.
Farewell to a trustworthy warrior.

GE

[brainstem223]

The F18 isnt that much newer of a design, a 20 year old from 1985, just lighter and cheaper...

[rhombus]

Thanks to a great weapon system, mission accomplished.

[edgrimly78]

Have the Tomcat and Hornet ever been put up against each other in a mock dogfight? If so, which one was the better machine?

[Spruce]

Can Super-Hornet carry the Pheonix? Does this not degrade the defence of a carrier battle group?

[APRPEH]

[Terabitten]

Sad ping.

[rlmorel]

Sniff. I will SO miss those beautiful birds. Of all the Cats, I loved the Tomcat the best, with the Hellcat a close second.

God, Grumman sure knew how to make fighter aircraft.

Salute to the Tomcat, those who designed, built, maintained and flew it.

[Redleg Duke]

It is the end of a very long era, of "Cats" provided by Gruman, like the Wildcat, Hellcat, Bearcat, Tigercat and Tomcat.

The shades of many Naval Aviators, like Butch O'Hare, et al, are looking down and wondering. Those of us who read about these "Cats" and the heroes who flew them are also wondering.