F-14 Tomcat

‘Our primary concern during our gunnery passes was the fact that we were now well within the range of MANPADS. Nevertheless, we positioned ourselves for the strafing runs just under the overcast…’ Craig Geron, Former F-14 Tomcat RIO

Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) was a huge success for the F-14 squadrons committed to the action. Tomcat pilots and radar intercept officers (RIOs) flew myriad missions in their 52 jets, performing air defense, forward air controlling (airborne), strike coordination, reconnaissance and photo-reconnaissance missions, and precision bombing across Iraq.

As told by Tony Holmes in his book U.S. Navy F-14 Tomcat Units of Operation Iraqi Freedom, like their Hornet brethren in OIF, Tomcat crews viewed their internally mounted M61 Vulcan 20 mm cannon as a weapon of last resort should the enemy still be in contact with friendlies on the ground once the F-14 had exhausted all of its bombs. On Mar. 30, 2003, while supporting the stalled V Corps advance in southern Iraq, a VF-2 section had cause to strafe. This was the first time that a Tomcat crew from on USS Constellation CV-64 had fired their cannon in OIF. Leading the section were Lt Tony Culic and his RIO, and mission commander, CVW-2 DCAG Capt Craig Geron. The latter recalled;

‘We were flying a night CAS sortie in marginal weather between An Nasiriyah and An Najaf. An Army FAC on the ground, who was operating with troops heading northwest towards An Najaf, asked my section of Tomcats to take out some Iraqi soldiers who were firing at them from behind a large fence, backed by a treeline. I could tell the guys on the ground really needed our support, so I made the decision to lead my section down through the layers of cloud that blanketed the area so that we could employ our LGBs against the enemy.

‘Once overhead, and having been bracketed by AAA, I quickly ascertained the tactical picture below us and directed a series of LGB runs on both the Iraqi troops and a nearby APC. Despite both Tomcats dropping two LGBs apiece on the targets, the FAC told us that they were still being fired upon, and he asked us could we strafe?

‘Carrying plenty of gas, we decided that it was a benign threat environment as there appeared to be no SAMs. There were no other TACAIR types or attack helicopters available to carry out this request, so after descending still further, we prepared to strafe the enemy positions.

‘Our primary concern during our gunnery passes was the fact that we were now well within the range of MANPADS. Nevertheless, we positioned ourselves for the strafing runs just under the overcast, which started at around 8000 ft, and conducted a modified strafing pattern that bottomed out at 2500 ft. Obviously, we could not achieve pinpoint accuracy when strafing at night, so these passes were more “fire for effect “. However, we got the Iraqis to put their heads down, and convinced them that the soldiers they were firing on had robust aerial support.’

Geron, Guile, and their wingmen were awarded Air Medals following the success of this mission.

Lt Tony Culic Air Medal’s citation read, in part, as follows; ‘He led his flight below the cloud layers to successfully destroy an Iraqi APC hiding in a treeline. After refueling, and despite deteriorating weather, he once again led his flight below the clouds and into a high threat area to conduct attacks in support of Coalition troops who were being fired upon. He quickly and skilfully directed multiple visual bomb and gun attacks at very high speed and low altitude, destroying or dispersing all enemy forces and rescuing Coalition troops.’

U.S. Navy F-14 Tomcat Units of Operation Iraqi Freedom is published by Osprey Publishing and is available to order here.

Photo by U.S. Navy

“We dropped both of our bombs in the same attack, one hitting the hull just above the waterline and the other disappearing amongst the yacht’s superstructure. When we left the target the ship was on fire,” Pat Baker, former F-14 Tomcat RIO

Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) was a huge success for the F-14 squadrons committed to the action. Tomcat pilots and radar intercept officers (RIOs) flew myriad missions in their 52 jets, performing air defense, forward air controlling (airborne), strike coordination, reconnaissance and photo-reconnaissance missions, and precision bombing across Iraq.

As told by Tony Holmes in his book U.S. Navy F-14 Tomcat Units of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the dropping of ‘dumb’ bombs from an F-14 was instead a rare occurrence in OIF, although two crews from VF-2 “Bounty Hunters” enjoyed spectacular results with four 500-lb Mk 82 ‘slicks’ on Mar. 27, 2003. The RIO is one of the jets was Lt(jg) Pat Baker;

“We had been conducting a standard TARPS mission along the Euphrates River, looking at two or three air defense sites, as well as a possible command and control facility that our intelligence folks thought was in the area. They needed photos of the latter in order to confirm its purpose for the target assignment. What was different for us that day was the fact that the ATO gave us two jets armed with a pair of Mk 82 bombs apiece. This was the first time VF-2 had carried such a mixed load, featuring both bombs and a TARPS pod. This allowed us to act as a stop-gap bomber should anyone need immediate on-call support while we were over southern Iraq.

“I was in the back seat of the Dash 2 jet, leaving the RIO in the lead aircraft to run the flight in terms of coordinating the navigation for all the photo-run targets. My job was to work the radios for my pilot, Lt Sean Mathieson, checking with AWACS controllers and FACs on the ground as to whether anyone needed our bombs. Having bounced around through a series of different nets on various frequencies, I ended up talking to a British Army FAC near Basra. He wanted us to head down the Shatt al-Arab waterway and attack Saddam’s presidential yacht, which had been hit by a Maverick fired from an S-3B two days earlier and then missed by two LGB-toting F/A-18s. By the time I contacted the FAC, we had finished our reconnaissance runs and were about to head south over the NAG to hit the tanker and then head back to the carrier.”

Named Al Mansur (The Victor), Saddam Hussein’s presidential yacht had been one of the world’s largest and most impressive vessels of its kind prior to it appearing on the CAOC’s ATO. Eight decks high and 350 feet long, the Finnish-built ship weighed 7359 tons and looked more like a cross-channel ferry than a private boat. It boasted five expansive state cabins for Saddam and his family, and there was even a secret escape route leading from the president’s room to a submarine pod. Launched in 1982, it was the largest vessel in the Iraqi Navy, but it had no military use. The ship was designed to Saddam’s specifications and decorated in marble and exotic woods with silver and gold fittings. Permanently staffed by 120 Special Republican Guard troops, the vessel was moved from the port of Umm Qasr to Basra just days before the war began in an effort to afford it better protection – the order for the move was issued directly by Saddam himself. The Al Mansur had been targeted for destruction because the CAOC had received reports that the vessel’s extensive radio suite was being used for battlefield communications.

Baker continues: “The FAC was not actually near the yacht, so he was relaying information that he had recently received to us when he was describing where the vessel was situated. We were at high altitude, scouring the port facility through binoculars looking for the yacht. We spotted the burnt-out warehouses that had been hit in error by the F/A- 18s the previous day, and these served as a marker for the yacht. It was moored between two freighters, with a third half-sunken vessel nearby. The Maverick damage was clearly visible, with smoke rising from the vessel’s superstructure.

“The lead jet, flown by Lt Mark Callari and Lt(jg) Jeff Sims (RIO), rolled in first, while we provided high cover for it — we were not sure of the AAA or SAM threats in the area. Their first bomb hit the bow, and has been unopposed in the attack, they came in and dropped the second, which struck the vessel just forward of amidships.

`The lead jet then swapped places with us, Lt Mathieson (Baker’s pilot) following his CCIP (Continuously Computed Impact Point) crosshairs in the HUD, which were centered on the vessel. We dropped both of our bombs in the same attack, one hitting the hull just above the waterline and the other disappearing amongst the yacht’s superstructure. When we left the target the ship was on fire, although we knew we had not inflicted sufficient damage to sink it as we were carrying the wrong type of ordnance. Assuming that we were going to be supporting ground troops, we had had our Mk 82s fitted with instantaneous fuses. Therefore, the weapons exploded as soon as they came into contact with the ship, rather than burying themselves into the heart of the vessel before detonating.

“I never got to see my bombs hitting home in all the LGB and JDAM missions that we flew in OIF. However, on this occasion, thanks to the diving, rolling, and pulling off of the target that we had had to do in order to accurately deliver our Mk 82s, I was able to see the two little grey ‘blurs’ that were our bombs hitting the ship as I peered back over my shoulder at the target.”

Photo by Photographer’s Mate 2nd Class Daniel J. McLain / U.S. Navy

U.S. Navy F-14 Tomcat Units of Operation Iraqi Freedom is published by Osprey Publishing and is available to order here.

Remembering that there could be no friendly aircraft north of his F-14, Glaze cut the range to the target down to 20 miles and repeatedly told his RIO to lock up the target…

On Aug. 2, 1990, Iraq invaded its southern neighbor Kuwait, provoking the affair that was to result in UN sanctions and US-led Operation Desert Storm, aimed at liberating the latter country. In reaction to the Iraqi invasion, Washington ordered the USS Saratoga, with her embarked Carrier Air Wing 17 (CVW-17), and her escorting ships to the Red Sea. CVW-17 included two squadrons equipped with the then-brand-new F-14A+ model of Grumman’s Tomcat, powered by General Electric F110-GE-400 engines: VF-74 “Be-Devilers” and VF-103 “Sluggers”. Fate would have it that this cruise would see their baptism of fire against a combat-experienced and well-equipped enemy: the Iraqi Air Force (IrAF), fresh out of the eight-year-long and bloody war with Iran.

Saratoga’s Tomcats got their first taste of combat against the Iraqis early during the morning (local time) of Jan. 17, 1991, while MiG sweeping for a strike package consisting of McDonnell-Douglas F/A-18C Hornets and Grumman A-6E Intruders against the complex of airbases in western Iraq, known as “H-3”. Although locking up bogies on their AWG-9 radars while approaching the target zone, the Tomcats didn’t obtain permission to fire due to the E-2C Hawkeye contacting them on the wrong frequency. Thus, they passed the combat zone and began curling back south. In turn, the Iraqis attempted to sneak two of their MiG-21bis interceptors upon the strikers unobserved but the ploy did not work. Two VFA-81 “Sunliners” Hornets shot the two MiG-21s in the face and went on to show the multi-mission ability of the Hornet by subsequently bombing the airfield with 2,000-pound bombs.

Later that night, another airstrike was to be conducted, this time against H-3 and what was known as H-2 which was northeast of H-3. A-6Es from the USS Saratoga was destined for H-3 while A-6Es from the USS John F. Kennedy would hit H-2. Two VF-103 Tomcats took off to provide MiG sweep in front of the strike package for any Iraqi opposition. On the wing of the section leader was F-14A+ AA207 BuNo 161440 piloted by LT Tim “Glaze” Glaser with an LT RIO in the back seat. The mission went wrong quite early: while attempting to refuel from a Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker of the US Air Force (USAF) in bad weather, their section leader could not get enough fuel and eventually had to return to the Saratoga early when he hit bingo. Left on their own, Glaze and his RIO went over Iraq sweeping for all the strike aircraft by themselves. Shortly after entering the Iraqi airspace, they passed two McDonnell-Douglas F-15C Eagles of the USAF. The Eagles were performing a defensive CAP along the border, rendering anything flying north of the lone Tomcat a bandit (confirmed enemy aircraft) as there were no other friendly aircraft in the vicinity. Once deeper inside Iraq, Glaze and his RIO had to make a decision: either to turn left, or west, and make a circle to the north of H-3 before returning, or turn right, or east, and make a circle around H-2. Since there were no radar contacts, Glaze took the former option and started a left turn when, all of a sudden, a radar contact popped up northwest of their position at a range of 44 miles flying fast and climbing. Almost instantly, his RIO called the E-2C Hawkeye airborne early warning (AEW) aircraft supporting their mission, reporting the emerging target. However, while doing so he used the wrong reference: instead of citing the new target’s position relative to bullseye (H-3, codenamed “Manny”) he cited its bearing and range relative to the Tomcat, leaving the crew of the Hawkeye wondering where the Tomcat’s nose was pointed.

Remembering that there could be no friendly aircraft north of him, Glaze cut the range to the target down to 20 miles and repeatedly told his RIO to lock up the target. Glaze then fired a single AIM-7M Sparrow air-to-air missile at 13 miles and cranked left as both jets approached each other at a combined closure rate of around 1,200 knots. To his dismay, his RIO then committed a mistake and called “Fox 3” on the radio: this was a code-word for the deployment of one of mighty AIM-54C Phoenix long-range missiles. Unsurprisingly, his call sent everyone on board the E-2 into a frenzy, because nobody was sure at whom Glaze was shooting. Misinterpreting the situation, the E-2 began calling one of the A-6E’s (which were 30 miles south of Glaze’s position) as a bandit. AWACS corrected the call twice and said, “That’s friendly.” Confused by the friendly calls, Glaze’s RIO turned off the AWG-9 radar, thus causing the Sparrow to lose a radar lock. Recently reviewed HUD tape footage shows that the AIM-7M had 20 seconds TOF (time of flight) from its firing from station 1B to the radar being turned off. A F/A-18 simulator instructor at NAS Oceana ran the missile shot in the simulator and it showed that the AIM-7M would take 15 seconds to hit the Iraqi interceptor.

The unknown Iraqi aircraft, most likely a MiG-23ML from No. 73 Squadron, was thought to have escaped. Frustrated, Glaze wrenched his F-14 into a hard left turn worried the MiG might counterattack him. TOT (time on target) was a minute after the missile shot and after watching the bombs hit they continued to egress and had to evade three SA-6s which were shot at them. His RIO then set a course to the tanker aircraft to top off the tanks for the trip home. That was no end of his difficulties: the weather prevented him from refueling in the air and forced him to divert to the al-Jauf airfield in Saudi Arabia instead, together with an A-6E that was damaged by an Iraqi Roland SAM.

Yet more problems were still ahead: after refueling at al-Jauf, Glaze flew back to USS Saratoga, caught the wire, and was pulled up just below the island. A sea of deck crew swarmed his Tomcat in a scene reminiscent of the movie “Top Gun” since everybody was convinced that the VF-103 crew got an air-air kill. On the contrary, the AWACS community was spreading the news that they shot down a friendly. Subsequently, the intel officers became convinced that Glaze and his RIO shot down the A-6E flown by LT Robert Wetzel and LT Jeffrey Zaun. Unsurprisingly, the unfortunate crew was subjected to a thorough investigation until the U.S. Navy managed to establish that Wetzel and Zaun were actually shot down by an Iraqi Roland SAM. Until Glaze was cleared of any wrongdoing and granted permission to fly combat sorties over Iraq, he had only been regulated to fly CAPs over the Saratoga.

While the overall outcome of the engagement might appear meager, the results of the encounter left no doubt of the F-14’s ability to fight a determined and well-equipped foe. VF-74 and VF-103 would go on to perform admirably throughout the remainder of the conflict even as the threat from the Iraqi Air Force diminished through CAP, TARPS, and BDA missions.

Please check out his website – www.facebook.com/ThingsWithWingsPhotography – for some of the finest aviation photography from one of the industry’s best.

Sources:
• U.S. Navy
• U.S. Air Force
• Tim “Glaze” Glaser
• Tom Cooper
• David F. Brown

Top image: U.S. Air Force and Tom Cooper Collection

On Oct. 17, 2018 “Sweet Little Miss” has arrived at its new home at the Museum of Flight in Rome, Georgia

On Oct. 17, 2018, Grumman F-14D BuNo 164346 “Sweet Little Miss” has arrived at its new home at the Museum of Flight in Rome, Georgia. This jet is the last Tomcat to land on an aircraft carrier.

On Jul. 28, 2006, in fact, F-14D 164346 then assigned to the “Tomcatters” of Fighter Squadron Three One (VF-31) and piloted by Lieutenant Chris Rattigan and Lieutenant Paul Dort completed the last scheduled arrested landing of an F-14 fighter aircraft landing aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) in the Atlantic Ocean.

The F-14 was officially retired on Sept. 22, 2006, after 32 years of service to the fleet.

As we have previously reported, the Museum of Flight has been given the extremely unique opportunity by the National Naval Aviation Museum to host and display Georgia’s only Tomcat, a living relic that tells the story of brave men and women who have flown and fought in the mighty F-14.

The F-14 Tomcat was the premier fighter aircraft for the U.S. Navy, from the end of the Vietnam War to 2006. The fighter was glorified on the big screen in movies like The Final Countdown and Top Gun and regarded by its pilots and aircraft engineers as the best aircraft of its time. But when F-14s were retired from service, there was concern that Iran would begin to acquire the spare parts through the black market as the U.S. Navy Tomcats were being demilitarized. The Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) in fact still flies several of the F-14s that the U.S. sold to Iran in the 70s when the countries were still on good terms.

The Department of Defense began destroying the planes and their parts as a result, and Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon drafted the Stop Arming Iran Act in 2008 to prohibit the sale of any parts to any entity other than museums.

Museums are now the only place where the F-14 survives, and are the best places to celebrate this unique fighter.

BuNo 164346 was delivered to the Evaluators of Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX-4) in 1992 and before ending its career serving with VF-31, it flew with the Grim Reapers of VF-101 and the Bounty Hunters of VF-2. BuNo 164346 flew combat missions in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Photo by Museum of Flight and Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Nathan Laird / U.S. Navy

Civilians in communities near Miramar called the base and local news media asking about a ‘berserk F-14 pilot’…

Author Dave ‘Bio’ Baranek, former F-14 radar intercept officer (RIO), an instructor at the real-life Topgun school who helped film the movie, provides a unique description of the famed Miramar tower fly-by scene in Issue 13 “Grumman F-14 Tomcat” of Aviation Classics magazine.

“This was the first F-14 footage shot for Top Gun, and it represents a fantasy of many aviators: making a low pass by your home-field control tower. Although VF-51 was focused on its Red Flag detachment, the squadron had already applied the fictional tail insignia to one aircraft for the movie. Smegs [Lieutenant John H ‘Smegs’ Semcken, a former F-14 pilot who during his final assignment to NAS Miramar public affairs office assisted with the production of Top Gun] coordinated with Miramar flight ops personnel for the unusual flight and received approval from the FAA, who warned that the aircraft had to stay in the Miramar airport traffic area, which stops abruptly just south of the main runways to avoid conflict with a civilian airport. Bozo [Lieutenant Commander Lloyd “Bozo” Abel] and his RIO, Mark ‘Slick’ Schlichter, planned accordingly and manned their jet. On the takeoff roll, however, that aircraft suffered a FOD on one engine and the aircraft was down. The crew quickly manned a spare, bureau number 160665, and this one performed as required.

Scott [Top Gun director Tony Scott] envisioned a supersonic pass to make the point about Maverick’s recklessness, but Bozo knew this would be unwise for many reasons. He also knew that a jet at low altitude would look plenty fast at a moderate airspeed, so he kept the speed around 300 knots indicated. Manually sweeping the wings back to 68 degrees added to the illusion of speed, although it meant that Bozo would be in the buffet – an aerodynamic warning of approaching a stall -as he made the turn to remain within the airfield boundary to the south.”

Bio continues:

“Balancing their kid-in-a-candy-store opportunity with the desire not to mess up, Bozo and Slick made several passes, crossing the airfield around 100 feet above ground level (AGL) or less. Remember, this was their first experience of flying for the cameras and they had relatively little time to mentally prepare for this unusual mission. It was going well; Scott was getting the film he needed but wanted more passes so he could choose the best. Then the phone calls started. Civilians in communities near Miramar called the base and local news media asking about a ‘berserk F-14 pilot’. When the word got to Smegs, who was with the film crew, as usual, he called knock it off. Scott wanted to film the F-14 performing a roll after the flyby, but that was only simulated in the cockpit mock-up.”

The following, the popular video features Bozo taking part in the actual flight of the legendary Miramar tower fly-by.

Produced by former F-14 driver Francesco “Paco” Chierici, Speed & Angels follows Jay and Meagan as they chase their childhood dream of becoming naval aviators flying the mighty Tomcat

Featuring several scenes from Speed & Angels movie, the spectacular video in this post shows the last U.S. Navy F-14 Tomcats in action.

The motion picture was filmed in the 2003-2006 period, while Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIR) was underway.

Director Peyton Wilson entered the world of U.S. Navy fighter pilots, and thanks to unprecedented access granted by the Navy, Peyton captured and created the most intimate film ever made on fighter pilots. Epic High Definition aerial footage and stunning cockpit photography provide a dramatic backdrop for the larger story of fighting for your dreams.

Inspired by the passion of two young Navy officers and produced by former F-14 driver Francesco “Paco” Chierici, Speed & Angels follows Jay and Meagan as they chase their childhood dream of becoming naval aviators flying the mighty Tomcat. Their two-and-a-half-year journey takes them through dogfights in the Nevada desert, night landings on aircraft carriers off the Atlantic coast, and eventually to the biggest challenge young officers face: wartime deployment to Iraq.

What begins as a story of realizing a childhood dream turns into a story of fighting for one’s life and career as Jay and Meagan face the realities of war.

You can watch the full movie here and here.

“It was the perfect opportunity to give VF-84 one last moment in the spotlight. Overall, the experience was very positive. I hope this movie will help people remember the Jolly Rogers,” VF-84 F-14 pilot Lieutenant Eric Mitchell

The following article titled John C. Stennis and VF-84 Go Hollywood and written by Ltjg. Lisa Brackenbury appeared in the July-August 1996 issue of Naval Aviation News.

A Boeing 747 loaded with passengers is suddenly hijacked by terrorists demanding the release of their imprisoned comrades. If their demands are not met, they threaten to kill the passengers and attack Washington, D.C.

The president faces an Executive Decision: concede to the terrorist demands or intercept the 747 and shoot it down, killing all aboard.

This is a brief glimpse of the Warner Brothers blockbuster movie released in March starring Kurt Russell and Steven Segal.

What, you ask, does this movie have to do with the Navy? Well, the movie mirrors the real world in that the first question the nation’s leaders asked was: “Where is the nearest aircraft carrier?” The Navy’s newest carrier, John C. Stennis (CVN 74), was nearby. The aircraft that intercepted the hijacked jumbo jet were Navy F-14A Tomcats from the since-disestablished Fighter Squadron (VF) 84 Jolly Rogers based at Naval Air Station (NAS), Oceana, Va.

Warner Brothers decided to use the F-14, the Navy’s premier fighter, for the movie and obtained Department of Defense permission to do so, while agreeing to pay all costs associated with the use of the aircraft. Stennis was able to take a break during August 1995 workups for the staging of the movie off Key West, Fla.

Once the Department of Defense approved the project, Commander Naval Air Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet, and Commander Fighter Wing, U.S. Atlantic Fleet was tasked with finding an F-14 squadron with time to accommodate a filming schedule.

The Jolly Rogers, with their menacing skull and crossbones insignia, was a perfect choice. VF-84, which appeared in the 1980 movie Final Countdown, was ready for another starring role.

According to Commander Dan Cloyd, VF-84 skipper, the Jolly Rogers were in the “right place at the right time. Our famous logo probably had something to do with it, as well.”

Next came the task of coordinating a shooting schedule between Warner Brothers and its commercial film pilots, VF-84 pilots, and NAS Key West tower controllers. The producers of Executive Decision wanted to film during the morning sunrise and evening sunset to take advantage of the “soft lighting.”

Not only was the flying schedule unique, but the flying itself presented some unusual challenges to the pilots and radar intercept officers of VF-84. Flying in formation with three other Tomcats while intercepting a Boeing 747 is not a scenario experienced in flight school. The crews also had to deal with flying in close proximity to a Learjet loaded with film cameras. According to Cloyd, the plot of the movie is fairly realistic, although the filming seemed to be a “hybrid of real-life and Hollywood movie magic.” VF-84’s technical input led to changes involving dialogue and flight formations that made the plot more believable.

Working on the movie was “a very unique experience—one I will never forget,” said F-14 pilot Lieutenant Eric Mitchell. “It was the perfect opportunity to give VF-84 one last moment in the spotlight.” (The squadron was disestablished on 1 October 1995, and the Jolly Rogers name and insignia were then transferred to VF-103, also based at Oceana.) “Overall, the experience was very positive. I hope this movie will help people remember the Jolly Rogers,” he said.

Thanks to Hollywood magic, the Navy’s newest aircraft carrier made her motion picture debut, and the legacy of the Jolly Rogers was immortalized forever on the silver screen.

We think the best way to remember VF-84 is by watching the aerial sequences featuring Jolly Rogers F-14’s in Executive Decision.

Photo by U.S. Navy

The pilot suffered a broken right collarbone and glass in both eyes, but managed to bring the VF-142 jet back to the ship for a perfect two wire landing

Taken on Nov. 13, 1991, the pictures in this post show U.S. Navy Grumman F-14B Tomcat (BuNo 161433) from Fighter Squadron 142 (VF-142) “Ghost Riders” aboard the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69). The crew, LtCdr. Joe F. Edwards Lt.JG Scott C. Grundmeier, had to make an emergency landing when the nose cone came off because of a latching mechanism failure at a height of 8,200 m over the Persian Gulf.

According to the site HOME OF M.A.T.S., during the departure, the radome came in contact with the canopy and broke out the forward glass, and shattered the windscreen. The pilot suffered a broken right collarbone and glass in both eyes but managed to bring the jet back to the ship for a perfect two-wire landing.

Forward visibility was restricted to looking through a three-inch hole in the left windscreen since the rest of the forward glass was so badly cracked. The pilot was LCDR Joe Edwards and the RIO was LCDR Scott Grundmeier. LCDR Edwards was medevac’d to Bahrain for eye surgery then home to the US. He later became a pilot for NASA in the Space Shuttle program. Both crewmembers received Distinguished Flying Crosses for their remarkable achievement.

VF-142 was assigned to Carrier Air Wing 7 (CVW-7) aboard the Eisenhower for a deployment to the Mediterranean Sea from Sep. 26, 1991, to Apr. 2, 1992.

The F-14B 161433 was returned to service and finally retired on Mar. 11, 2005.

Photo by U.S. Navy and U.S. Navy via HOME OF M.A.T.S.

Third image Courtesy of Henk van der Lugh” of 205

“We’ll reinvent ‘Danger Zone’, to a point. That’s what I’m hoping to do,” Kenny Loggins

Kenny Loggins will re-record ‘Danger Zone’ for Top Gun: Maverick, the sequel of the legendary Top Gun movie which has been 31 years in the making and follows the blockbuster 1986 original that drew more than $350 million at the box office.

TMZ caught up with Kenny Loggins recently and asked him about potentially revisiting his classic 80s hit for the upcoming sequel. Loggins played it coy at first saying, “I certainly hope so,” but then proceeded to dish some additional details. Here’s what he had to say about it.

“I met Tom Cruise on Fallon and I asked him that question. He said ‘Of course we have to use Danger Zone.’ So I’d probably do it maybe as a duet with a young act. I’d like to work with, well there’s young and then there’s young…we have some feelers out there. Some pretty cool rock acts. The rockers that I’m interested in are male.”

According to Movie Web, Kenny Loggins wasn’t saying he isn’t interested in female rockers, but it’s just that the ones being looked at to possibly collaborate with for this new take on Danger Zone are male. The singer/songwriter added, “Maybe do it his way or their way, depending on whether it’s a band or a solo artist. So we’ll reinvent the song, to a point. That’s what I’m hoping to do.” He wouldn’t reveal any of the artists they’re reaching out to right now, so it’s really anyone’s guess as to what contemporary act may be putting their stamp on Top Gun: Maverick.

Danger Zone anchored the original Top Gun soundtrack when it was released in 1986. The single reached number two on the Billboard singles chart and the Top Gun soundtrack went on to become the highest-selling soundtrack of the 80s and remains one of the highest-selling movie soundtracks ever to this day.

VF-103 Jolly Rogers made it’s last deployment flying the F-14B Tomcat in 2004 aboard the USS John F. Kennedy, conducting missions in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), and the squadron transitioned to the F/A-18F Super Hornet in February of 2005

Called “VF-103 Jolly Rogers Combat Cruise 2004,” the following cool video features the squadron’s last deployment flying the iconic F-14 Tomcat.

As we have previously explained, following VF-84’s decommissioning in October 1995, the decision was made to retire the “Club and Cloverleaf” insignia of the VF-103 “Sluggers” and have Fighting 103 adopt the Jolly Roger insignia and the Tactical callsign, “Victory,” on Oct. 1, 1995. Prior to assuming the Jolly Rogers name and insignia, VF-103, commissioned in 1952, had consistently proven ready and willing to accomplish all assigned missions while flying successively more complex and more capable aircraft. VF-103 flew numerous sorties in the moonless skies over Vietnam and achieved the only night MiG kill of the entire conflict.

VF-103 made its last deployment flying the F-14B Tomcat in 2004 aboard the USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67), conducting missions in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), and the squadron transitioned to the F/A-18F Super Hornet in February of 2005, becoming re-designated VFA-103. In October 2006, VFA-103 deployed with CVW-7 aboard USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) to the CENTCOM AOR in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, and Horn of Africa Operations off the coast of Somalia. Returning in May 2007, the squadron completed an eight-month surge period.

In 2008, the Jolly Rogers transited the Straits of Magellan aboard USS George Washington (CVN 73) during the Partnership of America’s deployment before beginning workups in June. The Jolly Rogers deployed again in February 2009 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. During five months of supporting coalition ground forces engaged in close combat with the enemy, the squadron led the air wing in kinetic effects.

Less than six months later, the Jolly Rogers returned to sea for a seven-month surge deployment beginning in January 2010 aboard USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). VFA-103 continued their role as Carrier Air Wing SEVEN’s (CVW-7’s) go-to squadron for the most demanding combat and combat support missions. While deployed, the Jolly Rogers led the air wing in combat operations, flying over 1850 sorties and nearly 5900 hours.

The squadron’s relentless effort to prepare for operations on the tip of the spear culminated in the successful delivery of 14 precision weapons, over 600 rounds of 20mm, and more than 80 non-kinetic shows of force/presence in direct support of coalition forces fighting in Afghanistan.

The Jolly Rogers most recently completed a cruise for the ages, embarked upon the USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) in support of Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR). During this deployment, the Jolly Rogers once again proved to be the most lethal squadron in the Air Wing (CVW-7), which saw them employing more Precision Guided Munitions (490 pieces of ordnance) than any other single squadron in Naval History.

Photo from video screenshot

Source: VFA-103 and U.S. Navy