#F 14 TOMCAT AIR COMBAT MANEUVERING PLUS#

HeyJoe identifies the people who led the charge and describes how they made it happen. 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. 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.

US Navy carrier aviation underwent significant changes in the 1990s, with retirement of several types and debate over the future. This is an episode you won’t forget! Support this podcast at - Advertising Inquiries: He relates a heart-stopping mission to support friendlies in a desperate situation and shows us his “Afghanistan ordnance Christmas tree.” A member of VF-213 flying from the USS Carl Vinson, Tung describes aerial refueling challenges that almost turned his first mission into a disaster (but was saved by a daring USAF tanker crew) enthusiasm among the ship’s crew to avenge the attacks and dealing with the MANPAD threat. We talk to former F-14 RIO Mike Peterson, callsign “Tung,” about what it was like being on deployment when 9/11 happened…and flying in the first strike to begin the military response. It was an incredible period in recent history, and our guest was a key participant. Successive engagements would occur until the first jet reached bingo fuel and then the student instructor would lead the flight back home.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. At the same time both aircraft would be climbing back up to the starting altitude of the next engagement and getting the speed set. As if that wasn’t enough, simultaneously each pilot would be writing notes on a card on their kneeboard about the previous engagement, for debriefing purposes. The student instructor would then get the aircraft back together and on a heading to remain in the area. “Knock it offs” usually were the result of a valid shot, a neutral stagnation of the fight, or a successful disengagement (bug out) by one of the aircraft. Typical engagements would last anywhere from a minute and a half to three or four minutes. We would then set up for the ACM engagements, usually commencing at about 20,000 feet, 300 to 350 knots, and a mile to a mile and a half abeam. We found our places at a table denoted with paper name tags and a stack of handouts for each of us.Īs a FAM/TAC student instructor, it was your job to orchestrate all of this and keep your flight within the restricted area along a certain TACAN radial between two different DME distances. Obviously none of it appeared nice enough to have had origins on an Air Force base. Most of the furnishings of this room and the rest of the spaces had probably been lifted from somewhere else on the base, or traded for through the navy supply system. At numerous places around the room there were models of different types of US and threat fighter aircraft attached to wooden dowels that could be used for briefing and debriefing purposes. At the front of the classroom was a whiteboard, a podium, and an opaque plastic screen that slides could be projected onto from behind. There were a few large TV’s in the corners. The left side of the classroom had a single air conditioning window unit that dumped the heat and humidity from the classroom into the hangar.

#F 14 TOMCAT AIR COMBAT MANEUVERING PLUS#

There were tables and chairs to seat about 35 students plus a row of chairs with no tables across the back for additional guests.

We were directed into Classroom One which was walled with 4X8 sheets of imitation wood paneling.

Beyond that was the operations office and the training office. There were several small groups of briefing and debriefing rooms, along with two relatively large classrooms. There was a small ready room where the Squadron Duty Officer sat during flight ops. The CO and XO offices were first with a secretary in front. Down the left side of the hallway were the squadron spaces.

F 14 tomcat air combat maneuvering