Hall George - Grumman F-14 Tomcat: bye-bye, Baby ...!: images & reminiscences from 35 years of active service

This book was made possible by support from the proud men and women of Northrop Grumman Integrated Systems, the people behind the Tomcat legend.

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For TOM STOUT MCGUINNESS, Tomcatter extraordinaire and copilot of American Airlines Flight 11 on 11 September 2001.

IMAGES & REMINISCENCES FROM 35 YEARS OF ACTIVE SERVICE

COMPILED BY DAVE PARSONS, GEORGE HALL, BOB LAWSON

F-14B with full load of six Phoenix AIM-54 missiles TOM TWOMEY / PLANEPIX.COM

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First published 2006 by Zenith Press
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Digital edition: 978-1-61060-261-7
Softcover edition: 978-0-76033-981-7

Library of Congress Control Number: 2006922650
ISBN-13: 978-0-7603-2576-6
ISBN-10: 0-7603-2576-6
UPC 75274832576

Commemorative Printing 2006

Printed in China

Produced by
Check Six
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Publication 2006 Check Six
Compiled by George Hall / Bob Lawson / Dave Parsons
Edited by Daniel Salcedo / George Hall / Bob Lawson / Sallie Lawson
Designed by Daniel Salcedo & Impressionarium.com

Images 2006 planepix.com
collectively and individually/

Dave Baranek
Dan Bayer
Ted Carlson
John Cetrino
Keith Chapman
John Clark
Pete Clayton
Curtis Fowles
Mike Grove
George Hall
CJ Heatley
Jon Houghtaling
Jan Jacobs
Bob Lawson
Rick Llinares
Bill Minich
Dave Parsons
Dana Potts
Tyson Rininger
Barry Smith
Katsuhiko Tokunaga
Tom Twomey
Richard VanderMeulen
US Navy

All Rights Reserved

All the images in this book are available as top quality photo prints through www.planepix.com

of the shuttle as it moves aft for the next launch.

The exhaust from the powerful and reliable F-110 engines fills my nostrils until we drop the canopy and bring our jet to life. Air roars through the ECS. Systems power up. Soon were parked behind the cat, waiting our turn. I roger the weight board 68,000 pounds, Baby, 68,000 pounds! Grasp that if you can.

The jet blast deflector comes down and we taxi into place, my pilot deftly splitting the cat track with the twin nose tires. And then even after decades of doing the same thing the adrenaline starts to flow as we start into the deck ballet unique to the Tomcat. The nose strut compresses, giving the fighter the look of a rail dragster. The launch bar drops down. Wings motor forward. Flaps lower. Outboard spoiler module circuit breaker is engaged an old RIO gotcha. Our four hands go up as the ordies arm the missiles, bombs and gun.

The cat officers arm is raised. My pilot puts the throttles to mil power and wipes the controls stick forward, aft, left, right, rudder left, rudder right.

Mooch, you ready? he asks.

I run the fingers of my right hand across the top of the lower ejection handle just for orientation purposes, of course and answer, Ready.

He trades left-handed salutes with the cat officer. We both lean forward slightly into the straps no self-respecting Tomcatter would take a cat shot with his melon against the headrest, a good way to get the old bell rung because of the way the airplane surges down before it jerks forward. A couple of potatoes and were off.

Airborne.

And were getting paid to do it.

And for the next few hours we stand ready to bring this machine, this amazing manifestation of American know-how and industrial will, to bear in whatever way required. Maybe today isnt our day to save the world. So we accommodate one of the small boys requests for a fly-by. Or we break the sound barrier just because we can and were far enough above our fuel ladder to get away with it.