Sticking with our original plan, this is the 26th and final episode of the F-14 Tomcast season 1. We change it up for this episode, with “Jell-O” Aiello of the Fighter Pilot Podcast interviewing ho...
All good things come to an end, and so it was with the Tomcat’s U.S. 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 ...
Coalition combat returned to Iraq in 2003 with Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). Among U.S. Navy forces were the Bounty Hunters of VF-2, which brought F-14D Tomcats to the fight. This episode goes int...
In response to the 9/11 attacks, American and coalition forces commenced combat operations in Afghanistan (and other locations), with conventional operations commencing 7 October 2001. It was an in...
The AIM-54 Phoenix missile was a major part of the F-14 program: it affected the Tomcat’s design and was the weapon that gave the Tomcat its unique and most impressive capabilities. During the Tomc...
Sure, you’ve seen an air show -- and the lucky ones have seen a Tomcat demonstration, or demo – but you will be amazed at what it took to train for the performance and what it was like to fly a sho...
Aviation movie fans are likely familiar with the movie 'Speed & Angels,' a documentary that was released in 2008 and still gets high praise for its scenes of fighter aviation as well as its rea...
One of the stars of the 1986 movie 'Top Gun' was the F-14 Tomcat, and we dig deep into what it took to create this memorable film. From the canopy-to-canopy scene, tower fly-by, and low-altitude fl...
The U.S. Navy maintained a robust force of adversaries to provide air-to-air training for its fighter squadrons in the 1970s and 1980s, proving that it really had learned from its experience in Vie...
The AWG-9 radar was one of the systems that made the Tomcat a remarkable fighter when it was introduced. It had exceptional range and multi-shot capability but required specialized maintenance to o...
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 a...
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...
U.S. 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...
U.S. 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 b...
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” Wo...
The F-14D "Super" Tomcat introduced a host of new combat systems: APG-71 radar, Infrared Search and Track (IRST), and more. On this episode, we interview combat-experienced F-14D RIO “Fun” Mhley to...
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 po...
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 syst...
Crunch and Bio tell the stories behind their callsigns and answer questions: Fuzzbusters, fuel ladders, switching between the Tomcat and Hornet, and more! Support this podcast at — https://r...
Hot steel on target, on time. That’s the difference between a strike fighter feared by the enemy and a parade aircraft. The men who enable that mission effectiveness are Aviation Ordnancemen, who p...
