At sea aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) Dec. 24, 2001-- A row of F-14 “Tomcats” assigned to the "Diamondbacks" of Fighter Squadron One Zero Two (VF 102) await their next mission. Theodore Roosevelt and her embarked Carrier Air Wing One (CVW-1) are conducting missions in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. U.S. Navy Photo by Photographer’s Mate Airman Carly Joy Cranston (Released)
At sea aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) Dec. 24, 2001– A row of F-14 “Tomcats” assigned to the “Diamondbacks” of Fighter Squadron One Zero Two (VF 102) await their next mission. Theodore Roosevelt and her embarked Carrier Air Wing One (CVW-1) are conducting missions in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. U.S. Navy Photo by Photographer’s Mate Airman Carly Joy Cranston (Released)
Tomcat Tuesday! – Episode 2
So, people seemed to really like last week’s Tomcat Tuesday… We suspected they might! We all love – and miss – seeing this charismatic beast thundering through the skies, so we thought we would bring you a few more beautiful US Navy images of the Tomcat and her crews and maintainers in action. We did also here from a number of people who worked in, on, or around the mighty F-14, and hope more of you write in with some of your own stories too. We look forwards to hearing from you! In the meantime, here is the second selection of images and captions for your enjoyment!
At sea aboard USS Enterprise (CVN 65) (Nov. 6, 1998) — An F-14 “Tomcat” from Fighter Squadron Thirty Two (VF-32) undergoes a check for proper operation of its landing gear. The USS Enterprise deployed to the Arabian Gulf. U.S. Navy Photo by Photographer’s Mate 1st Class Nicholas D. Sherrouse. (RELEASED)
Twenty Nine Palms, Calif. (Jul. 17, 1996) — An F-14A “Tomcat” assigned to the “Checkmates” of Fighter Squadron Two One One (VF-211) prepares to make a bombing run at Twenty Nine Palms Marine Corps Station. The aircraft is on a routine training mission and is loaded with four MK-82 500-pound bombs. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 1st Class Mahlon K. Miller. (RELEASED)
Koper, Slovenia (Oct. 29, 2002) — The aircraft carrier, USS George Washington (CVN 73), pulls up along side the dock in Koper located in the Mediterranean Sea where it is deployed to project air power. Washington is homeported in Norfolk, Va., and is nearing the end of a scheduled six month deployment after completing combat missions in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and Southern Watch. U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Isaac G. L. Freeman. (RELEASED)
At sea aboard USS Abraham Lincoln (Oct. 18, 2002) — Aviation Electronic’s Technician 2nd Class Tony Komljenovich from Cleveland, Ohio, assigned to Fighter Squadron Thirty-One (VF-31) troubleshoots the wires on a cannon plug of an F-14D “Tomcat.” This maintenance is performed to ensure that the APG-71 radar system aboard the aircraft is working properly. The APG-71 radar is a digital processing system that gives the F-14D improved detection and tracking range. It features a low-sidelobe antenna, a sidelobe-blanking guard channel, and monopulse angle tracking, all of which are intended to make the radar less vulnerable to jamming. Lincoln and her embarked Carrier Air Wing Fourteen (CVW-14) are on a scheduled six month deployment conducting combat missions in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 2nd Class Virginia K. Schaefer. (RELEASED)
At sea aboard USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) Aug. 6, 2002 — An F-14D “Tomcat” from Fighter Squadron Three One (VF-31) launches from catapult three during flight operations aboard USS Abraham Lincoln. The Lincoln and Carrier Air Wing Fourteen (CVW-14) are on a regularly scheduled deployment conducting missions in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate Airman Philip A. McDaniel. (RELEASED)
At sea aboard USS George Washington (CVN 73) Apr. 26, 2002 — An F-14B “Tomcat” assigned to the “Jolly Rogers” of Fighter Squadron One Zero Three (VF-103) assigned to Carrier Air Wing Seventeen (CVW-17) attached to USS George Washington battle group performs a high-speed pass while conducting integrated training exercises in the Caribbean. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 3rd Class Ramon Preciado. (RELEASED)
At sea aboard USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) Apr. 12, 2002 — Lt. David Sanderson from San Diego, CA, gives the launch signal to the pilot of an F-14 “Tomcat” assigned to the “Checkmates” of Fighter Squadron Two One One (VF-211). John C. Stennis and Carrier Air Wing Nine (CVW-9) are conducting combat missions in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 3rd Class Jayme T. Pastoric. (RELEASED)
Aboard USS Enterprise (CVN 65) Nov 9, 2001– F-14 Tomcats prepare to take off from the flight deck of USS Enterprise a final time. This was the last time the 34 year-old aircraft will be deploying on the carrier. USS Enterprise (CVN 65) is returning to her homeport in Norfolk, Virginia after completing a six-month deployment. U.S. Navy Photo by Photographer’s Mate 1st Class, Martin Maddock. (RLEASED)
Don’t forget to tune in to WarbirdsNews next Tuesday morning for the next episode of Tomcat Tuesday! We’ll probably to do this for a couple more weeks, then space issues a little further apart so as not to overdo things… mind you, there can never be too many Tomcats, can there?
Richard Mallory Allnutt's aviation passion ignited at the 1974 Farnborough Airshow. Raised in 1970s Britain, he was immersed in WWII aviation lore. Moving to Washington DC, he frequented the Smithsonian’s National Air & Space Museum, meeting aviation legends.
After grad school, Richard worked for Lockheed-Martin but stayed devoted to aviation, volunteering at museums and honing his photography skills. In 2013, he became the founding editor of Warbirds News, now Vintage Aviation News. With around 800 articles written, he focuses on supporting grassroots aviation groups.
Richard values the connections made in the aviation community and is proud to help grow Vintage Aviation News.
Richard Mallory Allnutt's aviation passion ignited at the 1974 Farnborough Airshow. Raised in 1970s Britain, he was immersed in WWII aviation lore. Moving to Washington DC, he frequented the Smithsonian’s National Air & Space Museum, meeting aviation legends.
After grad school, Richard worked for Lockheed-Martin but stayed devoted to aviation, volunteering at museums and honing his photography skills. In 2013, he became the founding editor of Warbirds News, now Vintage Aviation News. With around 800 articles written, he focuses on supporting grassroots aviation groups.
Richard values the connections made in the aviation community and is proud to help grow Vintage Aviation News.
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