• Please take a moment and update your account profile. If you have an updated account profile with basic information on why you are on Air Warriors it will help other people respond to your posts. How do you update your profile you ask?

    Go here:

    Edit Account Details and Profile

Why....

FastMover

FastMover

NFO
None
At this point you can pretty much forget about ever getting to see a Tomcat airborne again (unless you go to Iran). There was a rumor a while back that CAPT Snodgrass was trying to get a few saved for the air show circuits but nothing ever came of it that I know of.

VF-213 does have one jet down in Pensacola that they keep out behind the museum that looks fairly complete. It has been outside for at least a couple of years now. The last time I saw it someone had broken the bottom tip off of the starboard strake and there was a bird's nest in the fuel dump.

Blacklion204.jpg


Blacklion204-6.jpg
 
HeyJoe

HeyJoe

Fly Navy! ...or USMC
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
Want2flyNow said:
http://www.airliners.net/open.file?id=1302988&size=L&TopOfYest=yes



Why is the CAG jet of the blacklions at AMARC? I would think this would be a prime museum plane. Also, will any F-14s be left fully intact? Will they be used 4 airshows? Sorry if this has already been discussed. This bothers me a lot. Since the day I was born 14 years ago the F-14s been my fav plane.
Click to expand...

1. Two squadrons of Tomcats are in War Reserve (one B and one D squadron's worth) hence their preservation coverings. They will eventually be releases when Strike Board determines they are not needed. Since they are in War Reserve, they are fully intact and can be brought back to flying status*.

2. Although Dale "Snort" Snodgrass tried to grab some of the last D models for the airshow circuit and NASA expressed interest in obtaining at least three, neither of these capers came to pass. There are plenty of Tomcats in museums and on static display.

3. AMARC is now AMARG (G = Group)

4. Visit www.Tomcat-Sunset.org/forums for any updates

*However, the constant attempts by Iran to get Tomcat parts will likely result in all Tomcats at AMARG suffering the fate of the A models unless museums can show they can provide adequate security and pay for SARDIP process and transportation. Currently, the F-14A models at AMARG are in the process being destroyed.


tomcat_sunset.gif
 
Uncle Fester

Uncle Fester

Robot Pimp
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
NMNA ("the Museum") has a huge backlog of planes waiting to be restored, although Hurricane Ivan took care of a few of them. They're the ones you can see out back, and on the "bus tour" of the flight line (for you TRAWING-6 folks, the ones you taxi by to the east of the -4/-10 hangar). Some are too big to fit indoors, like the PBM Mariner, and others need work. The restoration work is done by a bunch of volunteers, mostly old retired guys, so it's not on anything like a regular schedule. Blacklion 204 will just have to sit outside and rust for a while, sad to say. Travesty, but it's a time/money issue.

When I was a kid, the Museum just consisted of the area where the F-4, F-8, A-6, etc, are now. What's now the Cubi Bar used to be the main entrance. The IMAX, carrier deck, Blue Angel Atrium and so on, were fairly recent additions. The grand plan was to keep building the hexagonal additions in a circle, so that eventually the Blue Angel Atrium would be the center of the building. Then there would be enough room for pretty much the entire collection indoors. Again, time/money.
 
Mr. Blonde

Mr. Blonde

My ass is a motherfuckin' champion
pilot
Heck, just give it to me, I'll give it a good home ;).

I can't believe they didn't set a couple aside for air show demos, the air force has several F-4's and such they use for heritage flights. I guess though like you said, once it's deemed by the strike board they are no longer needed maybe they'll restore a couple to flying condition. It would be a travesty if the tomcat never flew again.
 
HeyJoe

HeyJoe

Fly Navy! ...or USMC
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
Mr. Blonde said:
Heck, just give it to me, I'll give it a good home ;).

I can't believe they didn't set a couple aside for air show demos, the air force has several F-4's and such they use for heritage flights. I guess though like you said, once it's deemed by the strike board they are no longer needed maybe they'll restore a couple to flying condition. It would be a travesty if the tomcat never flew again.
Click to expand...

The Air Force DOES NOT have several F-4's and such they use for heritage flights. However, they do sponsor a Heritage Flight program that qualifies pilots to fly formation with vintage aircraft that are contracted out. The cost of restoring and maintaining those aircraft is borne by the owners. In the case of the F-4 Phantom, the Collings Foundation owns the F-4D Phantom seen on airshow circuit. They also fly a TA-4J Skyhawk on the airshow circuit.

So what you suggest is not possible as services don't "set aside" aircraft that have left service and keep them maintained for airshow purposes. The cost is exorbiant and Recruiting Command is focused on Blue Angels as their prime aerial demonstration effort (note: ACC is in charge of Thunderbirds and keeps them at an ACC base and also funs the Heritage Flight). The Navy has been allowing active duty units to qualify to fly formation with vintage aircraft, but is not sponsoring anything on scale of USAF in that regard (no dedicated active duty aerial demo teams other than Blue Angels).

As to Tomcat in particular, the issue came down to insurance and ownership. The Navy maintains ownership of the aircraft lent to museums and the Tomcats are no different. Although "Snort" had worked the cost of getting the Tomcat into airshow circuit, it hit a wall over the insurance/ownership hurdle. The Collings Foundation had a similar issue with the F-4 Phantom, but was able to get Congressional language releasing the aircraft to them. With the ongoing F-14 parts issue vis a vis Iran still at fever pitch, I currently can't see Navy being able to bail, lease, loan or give a Tomcat to anyone for airshow purposes even if liability issue was resolved.
 
HackerF15E

HackerF15E

Retired Strike Pig Driver
None
heyjoe said:
The Air Force DOES NOT have several F-4's and such they use for heritage flights. However, they do sponsor a Heritage Flight program that qualifies pilots to fly formation with vintage aircraft that are contracted out. The cost of restoring and maintaining those aircraft is borne by the owners.
Click to expand...

Sort of, and sort of not.

The USAF does have several QF-4 drones that are painted in Southeast Asia style camouflage and participate in the Heritage Flights. 4 of them participated in the flyby for Robin Olds' memorial, and they make their way through the airshow circuit during the summer. They're based out at Holloman AFB. Since they are all active drones, eventually they'll be shot down.

So far as I know, the Collings F-4 does not participate in Heritage Flight.
 
HeyJoe

HeyJoe

Fly Navy! ...or USMC
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
HackerF15E said:
So far as I know, the Collings F-4 does not participate in Heritage Flight.
Click to expand...

You're correct, Collings has their own Vietnam Heritage Flight that they book for airshows.

The Holloman QF-4s are government assets (that will go away) so that is a unique way to underwrite Heritage Flights (pilots need to be proficient and airframes kept mission ready), but it can't last forever. So, if someone wants to turn Tomcats into drones, maybe there's a chance (actually, I heard it's more likely to see F-16 drones as Tomcat is mighty complex to convert to a drone and maintaining them would be too costly).
 
DanMa1156

DanMa1156

Is it baseball season yet?
pilot
Contributor
Not to be an idiot, but you mentioned ACC with regard to the Thunderbirds... what is the ACC?
 
HeyJoe

HeyJoe

Fly Navy! ...or USMC
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
K

KState_Poke22

New Member
Want2flyNow said:
http://www.airliners.net/open.file?id=1302988&size=L&TopOfYest=yes



Why is the CAG jet of the blacklions at AMARC? I would think this would be a prime museum plane. Also, will any F-14s be left fully intact? Will they be used 4 airshows? Sorry if this has already been discussed. This bothers me a lot. Since the day I was born 14 years ago the F-14s been my fav plane.
Click to expand...

The Air and Space Museum in Tulsa has an intact one inside and they let you get into the cockpit.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top