USN Photo of Day: Forever-Fearsome F-14 Tomcat Fighter Jet's Last Official Launch, Flyby, Landing

United States NavyNews- Eye On the Fleet ^ | July 28, 2006 | Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Nathan Laird, USN

[EnjoyingLife]

Photo #1: 060728-N-7241L-026 Atlantic Ocean (July 28, 2006) - An F-14D Tomcat, aircraft number 100, assigned to the "Tomcatters" of Fighter Squadron Three One (VF-31) makes a near supersonic fly-by above the flight deck of USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71). The F-14 will officially retire in September 2006, after 32 years of service to the fleet. Theodore Roosevelt is completing Joint Task Force Exercises with USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69). U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Nathan Laird (RELEASED). Caption Source: http://www.navy.mil/view_single.asp?id=37555 - Big Image Link: http://www.navy.mil/management/photodb/photos/060728-N-7241L-026.jpg

Photo #2: 060728-N-7241L-015 Atlantic Ocean (July 28, 2006) - An F-14D Tomcat, aircraft number 100, assigned to the "Tomcatters" of Fighter Squadron Three One (VF-31) makes a near supersonic fly-by above the flight deck of USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71). The F-14 will officially retire in September 2006, after 32 years of service to the fleet. Theodore Roosevelt is completing Joint Task Force Exercises with USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69). U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communications Specialist 3rd Class Nathan Laird (RELEASED). Caption Source: http://www.navy.mil/view_single.asp?id=37558 - Big Image Link: http://www.navy.mil/management/photodb/photos/060728-N-7241L-015.jpg

Photo #3: 060728-N-7241L-005 Atlantic Ocean (July 28, 2006) - Aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), an F-14D Tomcat assigned to the "Tomcatters" of Fighter Squadron Three One (VF-31), aircraft number 112, prepares for launch on the ship's number three catapult during the final launch of an F-14 Tomcat fighter aircraft. The last launch marks the end of an era for Naval Aviation. The F-14 will officially retire in September 2006, after 32 years of service to the fleet. Theodore Roosevelt is completing Joint Task Force Exercises with USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69). U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communications Specialist 3rd Class Nathan Laird (RELEASED). Caption Source: http://www.navy.mil/view_single.asp?id=37560 - Big Image Link: http://www.navy.mil/management/photodb/photos/060728-N-7241L-005.jpg

Photo #4: 060728-N-7241L-005 Atlantic Ocean (July 28, 2006) – Aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), an F-14D Tomcat assigned to the "Tomcatters" of Fighter Squadron Three One (VF-31), aircraft number 112, prepares for launch on the ship's number three catapult during the final launch of an F-14 Tomcat fighter aircraft. The last launch marks the end of an era for Naval Aviation. The F-14 will officially retire in September 2006, after 32 years of service to the fleet. Theodore Roosevelt is completing Joint Task Force Exercises with USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69). U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communications Specialist 3rd Class Nathan Laird (RELEASED). Caption Source: http://www.navy.mil/view_single.asp?id=37561 - Big Image Link: http://www.navy.mil/management/photodb/photos/060728-N-7241L-004.jpg

Photo #5: 060728-N-7241L-023 Atlantic Ocean (July 28, 2006) - Aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), an F-14D Tomcat, aircraft number 101, piloted by Lieutenant Chris Rattigan and Lieutenant Paul Dort assigned to the "Tomcatters" of Fighter Squadron Three One (VF-31), complete the last scheduled arrested landing of an F-14 fighter aircraft. The F-14 will officially retire in September 2006, after 32 years of service to the fleet. Theodore Roosevelt is completing Joint Task Force Exercises with USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69). U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communications Specialist 3rd Class Nathan Laird (RELEASED) . Caption Source: http://www.navy.mil/view_single.asp?id=37556 - Big Image Link: http://www.navy.mil/management/photodb/photos/060728-N-7241L-023.jpg

Additional F-14 Tomcat Photos, 28 July 2006, USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) in the Atlantic Ocean:

1. http://www.navy.mil/list_all.asp?id=24913
2. http://www.navy.mil/view_single.asp?id=37554
3. http://www.navy.mil/view_single.asp?id=37553
4. http://www.navy.mil/view_single.asp?id=37552
5. http://www.navy.mil/view_single.asp?id=37556
6. http://www.navy.mil/view_single.asp?id=37557
7. http://www.navy.mil/view_single.asp?id=37559
8. http://www.navy.mil/view_single.asp?id=37561
9. http://www.navy.mil/view_single.asp?id=37562
10. http://www.navy.mil/view_single.asp?id=37563
11. http://www.navy.mil/view_single.asp?id=37555
12. http://www.navy.mil/view_single.asp?id=37558
13. http://www.navy.mil/view_single.asp?id=37560

[Northern Yankee]

LOL...

Great aticle!

[LM_Guy]

The end of an era is at hand......

[Tommyjo]

The B at Edwards got replaced by an H.

[sukhoi-30mki]

Are you sure about the range part of the SuperHornet???I've read numerous articles criticising it's combat radius when compared to stuff like the Strike Eagle or CFT equipped F-16s.Which is probably why those 2 aircraft still are winning orders,while the more modern Super Hornet still has a bare cupboard.I think there was an article in Janes last year or so about a proposed "Block-3" variant to hedge against delays in the JSF.It's supposed to be more stealthy,uprated F-414 engines & possibly conformal fuel tanks.Now that's a possible winner on the export front!!!

[Renfield]

THe Super Hornet is optimised for Carrier-based operation. The US is the major market for carrier-launched fighters; I wouldn't expect a huge export market for the Super Hornet. The F-16 is a much more cost-efficient platform for any buyer who will launch from land only.

[sukhoi-30mki]

So was the Hornet-but it won orders from around 6 countries!!! Being carrier-specific is in fact an advantage for some countries which need aircraft with rugged engines & reinforced undercarriages among other things.

[EnjoyingLife]

In post #40 on 8/8/2006 hiramknight wrote: "I don't have photos or video. I don't recall the pilots name, I just remember that he was a full captain, which I found unusual that someone of that rank would be flying a flight demo. It was one of those moments that started out like "yea, yea, yea. Ive seen dozens of different flight demos, let's go get a beer", that turned into one of the most unforgetable moments in my life. It was almost mystical so to speak."

Could the pilot have been USN Captain Dale "Snort" Snodgrass? The F-14 pilot that did this famous and amazing 1989 maneuver near the USS America?

(Photo source: http://aerofiles.com/f14flyby.html)

Captain Snodgrass talks about the maneuver, and much more, in the following interview with John "Spoons" Sponauer:

"Q&A: Capt. Dale "Snort" Snodgrass (USN, Ret)" by John "Spoons" Sponauer: http://www.sponauer.com/snodgrass/index.html

[EnjoyingLife]

Image link: http://www.aviation-fr.info/militaire/murduson/F14%20Tomcat%20066.jpg

Via: http://www.aviation-fr.info/militaire/IIB1.php (page 1), http://www.aviation-fr.info/militaire/IIB2.php (page 2)

Prandtl-Glauert Condensation Clouds and the F-14 Tomcat:
1. http://FluidMech.net/tutorials/sonic/prandtl-glauert-clouds.htm (Prandtl-Glauert vapor cloud tutorial)
2. http://www.GalleryOfFluidMechanics.com/conden/pg_sing.htm
3. http://ChamorroBible.org/gpw/gpw-20040817.htm
4. http://ChamorroBible.org/gpw/gpw-20040818.htm

[elc]

My dad (F-14 RIO) and I were talking recently about the Israeli-Hezbollah war. We were talking about the use of human shields and placing weapons near residential areas, mosques, etc. He vividly remembers taking photos of a (insert big a** gun here) on top of a mosque in Beirut in the 80s (83 I believe). A very good friend of the family was shot down maybe the next night. I was only 8 at the time so the timing is cloudy in my memory. I just remember getting the phone call and being glued to CNN. Does anyone remember the days that CNN just basically rolled headlines up over a blue background?

[EnjoyingLife]

A sobering F-14 Tomcat story: "Remember My Mistakes" by Lt. Christopher Alexander
http://www.safetycenter.navy.mil/MEDIA/approach/issues/mayjun06/Remember_My_Mistakes.htm