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Some food for thought for fans wishing to mingle with Veteran circles.
I am a US Navy Veteran, and perhaps I can offer some feedback as to why they retired the F-14 and also how servicemen that actually worked on this aircraft view it. I have observed that there is wide rift between how fans view the aircraft and how veterans view it and veterans and fans don't always get along because of this rift.
To a Fan the F-14 is a cool machine that zorches across the sky. They sometimes merge it with the mascot Grumman Aerospace assigned to it--Tom the Cat, making it into a curious anthropomorphic creation. I see many fans on this site enjoying the F-14 in that fashion. Still the merge is done in much subtler fashion with the use of pronouns such as 'him, and he'. It is also the product of coming from cultures where language assigns the masculine to aircraft.
Now how do most Navy Veterans view this machine, especially those who cracked their knuckles on it fixing it or spent hours cleaning up after it? First let me fill you in on a little history. The machine was name after Vice Admiral Thomas ' Connelly, the man who made the famous statement about the F-111B--the Missileer that was supposed to replace the F-4 Phantom. " All the thrust in Christendom couldn't make a fighter out of that airplane". The funding for the Navalized F-111 stopped. The F-14 was born and was named Tom's Cat. The named was contracted to Tomcat.
Now to the original question, how servicemen view their baby: The plane needs a lot of pampering to keep it flying. The plane in finicky. Each one has its own personality to the point that sailors and pilots have taken to giving them names.
To the vast majority of servicemen, especially those that worked on the F-14-she is their favorite girl. To the pilots she is that curvy muscle backed beauty they like to show off. The men tend fiercely defend their love, the F-14.
The Fan world and the Veteran world, when it comes to the F-14 are two different worlds. They tend to clash at times.
Here I am a Navy Veteran in your world. I will try not to stink things up for you, claw up the furniture or leave my messes unburied.
AT2 R. Woods Marks Retired.
I am a US Navy Veteran, and perhaps I can offer some feedback as to why they retired the F-14 and also how servicemen that actually worked on this aircraft view it. I have observed that there is wide rift between how fans view the aircraft and how veterans view it and veterans and fans don't always get along because of this rift.
To a Fan the F-14 is a cool machine that zorches across the sky. They sometimes merge it with the mascot Grumman Aerospace assigned to it--Tom the Cat, making it into a curious anthropomorphic creation. I see many fans on this site enjoying the F-14 in that fashion. Still the merge is done in much subtler fashion with the use of pronouns such as 'him, and he'. It is also the product of coming from cultures where language assigns the masculine to aircraft.
Now how do most Navy Veterans view this machine, especially those who cracked their knuckles on it fixing it or spent hours cleaning up after it? First let me fill you in on a little history. The machine was name after Vice Admiral Thomas ' Connelly, the man who made the famous statement about the F-111B--the Missileer that was supposed to replace the F-4 Phantom. " All the thrust in Christendom couldn't make a fighter out of that airplane". The funding for the Navalized F-111 stopped. The F-14 was born and was named Tom's Cat. The named was contracted to Tomcat.
Now to the original question, how servicemen view their baby: The plane needs a lot of pampering to keep it flying. The plane in finicky. Each one has its own personality to the point that sailors and pilots have taken to giving them names.
To the vast majority of servicemen, especially those that worked on the F-14-she is their favorite girl. To the pilots she is that curvy muscle backed beauty they like to show off. The men tend fiercely defend their love, the F-14.
The Fan world and the Veteran world, when it comes to the F-14 are two different worlds. They tend to clash at times.
Here I am a Navy Veteran in your world. I will try not to stink things up for you, claw up the furniture or leave my messes unburied.
AT2 R. Woods Marks Retired.
Who is Mister Tomcat?
This is from my F-14 page I have on Facebook and I thought you folks here might enjoy it.
I have heard that appellation thrown around and I have seen it used in memes. Well is certainly is not the airplane and I'll tell you why. She's just a lovely looking piece of metal sitting on the ground without her aircrew and the men and women who maintain her. She needs a brace of Salty Dogs to live and breathe. The name Mister Tomcat can go to any number of Salts or experts that know her intimately.
The title could go to a number of people: David F Brown, a writer and photographer who has compiled biographies of every F-14 Tomcat to roll out of th
In remembrance...
We remembrance at the Grumman F-14 Tomcat, the best fighter ever.
I've never seen such a beautiful fighter before, and i never want to se such a beautiful fighter again
The Hornet and the Super Hornet may be a "high-tech fighter" But it never will be better, faster or powerful than the Tomcat. No aircraft can replaced it!
Hello there!
Hello and Welcome here...
there is not much to say than this...
I´ve make this group out of two reasons:
1)In remembrance of the F-14 Tomcat
2)Show many pictures of the planes of 1965 to 2000(the history)
1965 to 2000
McDonell Douglas F-4J Phantom (VF-31 Tomcatters...)
Vought F-8 Crusader (VF-33...)
North American F-86 Sabre
Convair F-102 Delta Dagger/ F-106B Delta Dart
Grumman F-14 A/B/D (Super) Tomcat (VF-31/VF-84 Jolly Rogers...)
These are the 5 aircrafts that have a role in the club
More aircrafts in the AircraftFanClub (https://www.deviantart.com/aircraftfanclub)
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first of all thank you for you service .... 2ndly i rather listen to a veteran then any one else as i do love learning about the craft as i am sure any one else who grew up with tomcat as the aircraft there dreams understand only veteran that is been around and in the plane understand it better then any one else what i know of the tomcat is airshows the natops files and simulation games i don't know and can't vouch for others but i personaly would love to hear and learn from you the plane from you'r perspective for more understanding