F-14 Tomcast – Détails, épisodes et analyse

Sticking with our original plan, this is the 26th and final episode of the F-14 Tomcast. We change it up for this episode, with “Jell-O” Aiello of the Fighter Pilot Podcast interviewing hosts “Crunch” Snyder and “Bio” Baranek. We discuss favorite part of the podcast series, missed opportunities, and more.

In addition, we present the results of the audience poll.

Check out this episode for more stories, audience poll results, and hints about the future!

All good things come to an end, and so it was with the Tomcat’s US Navy service. The end came in 2006, when the final Navy F-14 squadron -- VF-31 Tomcatters – shut down their F-14Ds for the last time. There’s a lot more to the story than the Tomcat Sunset ceremony at NAS Oceana and a final flight, such as the final deployment and behind-the-scenes activities that will surprise you.

Our guest is uniquely qualified for this topic, as he was the last commanding officer of VF-31: James “Puck” Howe. (Yes, the squadron continued, but it became VFA-31.) His accounts of the squadron’s performance and the aircraft’s final months will make you proud to be a Tomcat fan!

The Tomcat’s debut as a precision strike-fighter came in 1999 with NATO Operation Allied Force in Kosovo. We talk to a former F-14 RIO who played a key role in the Tomcat’s successful performance and reveals unexpected episodes from combat missions.

Our guest, retired Rear Admiral Dell “Snapper” Bull, deployed with VF-14 aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt from March-September 1999. He recalls their expectations and combat experiences, and shares stories that are told here for the first time. You’ll hear technical details, learn about the value of delay lazing, and once again realize that resourceful aviators often make the difference between failure and success.

The F-14 and F-15 were developed only a few years apart, and their intended missions had many overlaps, so a rivalry was only natural. We talk to a USAF F-15C pilot who was assigned to a Navy F-14A squadron for an exchange tour and provides wide-ranging and entertaining comments on squadron environment, training, and other topics – as well as the fighters themselves: handling characteristics, engines, and much more.

Our guest is retired Air Force Colonel Doug “Norton” Carney, and he peppers the discussion with different terms for some familiar Navy items, such as calling the PLAT the “danger channel.” The interview is informative and entertaining from start to finish!

US Navy carrier aviation underwent significant changes in the 1990s, with retirement of several types and debate over the future. A team of visionaries realized that the F-14 Tomcat would be much more valuable if it could improve its multi-mission performance and do it quickly – and got to work adapting the Air Force LANTIRN* system to make the Tomcat a premiere precision strike-fighter.

Our guest is former F-14 RIO Dave “HeyJoe” Parsons, known to most F-14 fans for his books and incredible photographs, who was also a key member of the small team that worked miracles in getting LANTIRN on the Tomcat in record time. HeyJoe identifies the people who led the charge and describes how they made it happen. The interview provides fascinating insights into military procurement and shows what a few determined people can accomplish, and explains why the Tomcat was an exceptional strike-fighter.

* LANTIRN: Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared for Night.

US Navy aircraft carrier ops are a series of complex and challenging events for the pilot, RIO or other crew, and shipboard personnel. There is a back-up for almost everything, and the ultimate backup is a barricade recovery.

We talk to a pilot and RIO about their night barricade recovery while flying with VF-2 aboard the USS Ranger in 1989. Pager and Rico describe how they got into the situation, how they prepared when starting this unusual approach, and what it was like flying into a giant net at 150 mph!

Great insights into deployed Tomcat ops and how the Navy prepares aviators to handle emergencies at any time.

Operation Desert Storm, which started in January 1991, was a landmark in modern warfare and the F-14 Tomcat made some important contributions. Former F-14 pilot “Fuzzy” Matheson and RIO “Woodie” Wood, who flew combat missions with VF-84 aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt, talk about taking the big fighter into combat.

Fuzzy and Woodie share fascinating stories about last-minute training, chaotic early missions, and learning some hard lessons of combat … and how Desert Storm influenced Topgun and other Naval Aviation training.

The F-14D Tomcat introduced a host of new combat systems: APG-71 radar, Infrared Search and Track (IRST), and more. We interview combat-experienced F-14D RIO “Fun” Mhley to get the scoop on how they increased combat effectiveness of the Tomcat's ultimate version; it was a lot more than just an improved radar!

This episode also includes several announcements of interest!

The photo reconnaissance mission required a high level of aircrew proficiency, and could be as challenging and exciting as any TACAIR missions. The F-14 performed “recce” using TARPS – a massive pod on the Tomcat’s belly that carried multiple cameras – for much of its career.

We interview RIOs from early and later in the TARPS program, “Rooter” Root and “Santa” Noel, respectively, who describe everything from mission preparation to high-profile flights and combat missions. In addition, technical expert “Kodak” Tennyson, a former limited duty officer (LDO), adds details on camera capabilities, film handling, the TARPS program, and more.

Catch this program to hear about a unique F-14 capability, and remember: smile, you’re on camera!

This episode gives you the full story of the F-14D, sometimes known as the Super Tomcat, as only “Jungle” Jones can tell it! The D-model Tomcat brought powerful engines and many other improved systems to the fight, and our guest is enthusiastically reports on their effectiveness.

Jungle was an F-14D pilot and Topgun instructor, and takes us into his combat missions as well as training dogfights where he surprised many friendly fighters who didn’t realize what the ultimate Tomcat could do. A great story-teller, he holds nothing back in reporting on the problems experienced when the jet was new, but mostly its strengths when put to the test.