TOP GUN ICON RETIRES

Flight Journal, Aug 2004 by Carlson, Ted

THE Tomcat ... SLOWLY FADES AWAY

1971: THE VIETNAM WAR WAS IN PROGRESS; the microprocessor made its debut; Apollo 14 and 15 astronauts explored the moon; and the swing-wing F-14 Tomcat prototype took to the skies. Since then, the Tomcat has evolved into one of the most venerated and versatile fighters ever made. Thirty years into its existence, it is more lethal than it was ever anticipated to be, and now, it's about to be retired.

The F-14 debuted in 1973 at the Navy's Top Gun school at the Miramar Naval Air Station in San Diego, California, to support fleet participation in power projection classes. In September 2003, though, the last F-14 Top Gun class graduated. The Navy now flies the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, and that, sadly, marks the twilight of the F-14's 30 years of service.

Farewell

The final F-14 class (May 2003) at the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center (NSAWC) at Naval Air Station Fallon in Nevada was held from July 21 through September 17, 2003. Lt. Steve "Wang" Djunaedi, an F-14A RIO, was one of the last four students. A Naval Academy graduate, Wang flew with the VF-211 "Checkmates" and is now assigned to Strike-Fighter Weapons School Atlantic (SFWSL) in Virginia Beach. When asked about the class, he comments, "Since the 1986 movie 'Top Gun,' people associate the Tomcat with the Top Gun school. Only two crews were selected for this class, which was the final opportunity for an aircrew to earn Tomcat patches. It is truly a shame to see the Tomcat leave Top Gun, especially because it is largely responsible for the traditions and structure of the school today.

"Historically, Tomcat and Hornet crews remained somewhat separate during the class, but in the past few years, the two communities have integrated their tactics and training. Despite its age, the Tomcat successfully matched, and in some cases exceeded, the capabilities of more modern platforms. It is unfortunate that such a great effort was put into increasing the Tomcat's lethality, and that now, while still at the forefront of combat aviation, it's being retired."

Wang's pilot during the class was Lt. John "Bam!" Brattain. Also a Naval Academy graduate, Bam! flew the F-14B (U) with the VF-11 Red Rippers and is also assigned to SFWSL. "I feel honored to be one of the last F-14 guys to go through the Top Gun class. The training here is graduate level and unequaled in the service. Not only did we have the opportunity to be among the last Tomcat crews to go through the course, but we also may one day cruise on one of the last F-14 deployments."

Bam! continues, "Instructors at Top Gun demonstrate every concept in flight that they want you to learn. Then students are expected to perform. You have to execute them well, and if you don't, you must do them again until you have mastered them. The instructors are professional; they set the example and uphold the highest standards in aviation."

Top Gun instructor Lt. Jeremy "Puddles" Andrew, a Naval Academy graduate, has 1,300 hours in the F-14A; these include more than 100 combat hours. Puddles cruised twice with VF-14 in CVW-8 and participated in Operations Allied Force and Enduring Freedom. When asked about the Tomcat at Top Gun, Puddles says, "I love flying the F-14 here. The flying and training at Fallon is aggressive, precise and second to none. You continually learn and work with professionals in the business of aerial combat.

"Since Top Gun was founded, the F-14 has been used in nearly every class, excluding the first four years. It is sad to see it leave NSAWC, as this will greatly impact fleet training. We have to take our hats off, though, to the maintenance crews who have done a superb job in keeping it flying and at the forefront of naval aviation."

Cmdr. Scott "Guido" Guimond has more than 3,800 flight hours, is the 1-v-1 Air Combat expert at Top Gun and the NSAWC ORM (Operational Risk Management) department head. He's an F-14 pilot who also instructs in the F/A-18. He flew A-6Es with VA-75, participated in Operation Desert Storm, transitioned to the F-14 and flew two tours with VF-102 before he arrived at Top Gun. He says, "Having come from the Intruder, getting into the F-14 was an amazing transition. With its aerodynamic capabilities and speed, it is an impressive platform. The F-14 students here now are proud of their community and opted to grow mustaches and wear old-school polo shirts to honor the early F-14 classes and commemorate the plane's heritage. Looking back on when I first flew it, it is amazing how far the community has evolved. The F-14 has been instrumental in meeting the precision strike requirement that included the LANTIRN system. It was also invaluable to the FAC(A) mission and validated this role in Afghanistan and other theaters of operation. Seeing the F-14 evolve from an over-water, air-superiority aircraft into a multirole jet with superb ground-attack capability has been incredible.

"Some of the more recent instructors here probably knew they would not do much blue-air flying, but they brought their expertise in, and that benefits everyone on the staff. When Top Gun was founded in 1969, the F-8 guys helped the F-4 guys. Then the F-4 folks imparted their knowledge to F-14 crews. The F-14 crews later helped the F/A-18 community and, now, the Super Hornet crews. Everybody is willing to help one another in a synergistic manner, and that makes a big difference. The new instructors deserve a pat on the back. Although it is sad to see the F-14 be retired, we need to be ever mindful of its successes."