By: Jon 'Mako' Troutman
Date: 2005-06-24
So there I was standing in front of an old crusty CMC (Command Master Chief).
“I don’t care what they told you at ‘A’ school son we are deploying on Monday, so you better have your sea bag packed and ready”. This was on Friday afternoon the same day I checked into VF-31.
We were housed in the “Top Gun” hangar at NAS Miramar at the time, and up to that point nothing could touch the thrill I got when I walked up to the actual hangar that you see on the movie. It was kind of surreal; I spent a whole two days there.
The Carl Vinson was a daunting ship. My first impression was that I would starve to death because I would never be able to find the galley, and if I did I would definitely never be able to find my way back to the berthing I just knew that I was doomed to a life of wondering around asking boat chucks how to get back to the VF-31 berthing and getting that blank stare that says “I don’t know what the hell you are talking about I just know how to check this here gauge.”. But things were not so bleak.
Soon, I was walking around the ship and finding my way with ease.
The first day I was on the flight deck during full launch and recovery operations was indescribable. The action was constant and everywhere, so was the danger, from the A6 spinning up on L4 to the Tomcats leaping into the sky from the waist cats, only to slam into the deck for a trap a few minutes later. I was a plane captain trainee. The lowest on the Airdale totem pole, my AE rate meant nothing to anyone, yet.
I spent the next few months getting my plane captain PQS signed off. I did everything from diving the intakes to look for FOD’d engines to cleaning the canopy. It was a great time.
The day finally came that I got to launch my first combat loaded F-14D. It was 1996 and we were escorting a couple of B52’s into Iraq to take out some SAM sites. As I walked up to start my preflight the first thing I noticed was the ordinance two 500 pound LGB’s a Phoenix missile two winders and a sparrow. You don’t know intimidation till that is staring you in the face. I managed to stutter through the launch with very few mistakes and walked the jet up to the cats. Watching that plane take to the air was one of the proudest moments of my life. Recovering it a few hours later safe and sound was another. That is the day it started really, my love of the Tomcat.
I spent the next 6 years working on them. More detachments than I want to think about and another 6 month cruise. My six months on the Lincoln was a lot easier it was like coming home. The noise the smells the sounds all join together in an experience that says distinctly Warship. This time I was working in the AE shop (aircraft electrician) actually maintaining the jets.
Like anything else being good a fixing Tomcats takes dedication. They can be maintenance nightmares. The wingsweep and flap systems alone are a real bear to maintain throw in the outdated flight control system, lack of replacement parts and the aging airframe and you have a recipe for a lot of late nights and hard work.
But in the past few years the Tomcat has had flight control upgrades taking them from old analog computers to a new digital system, as well as other upgrades including TARPS DI, LANTIRN, and FACA capabilities making it a very versatile fighter. It’s a real shame to see it go.
Like most I was hearing about the new F18 coming down the pike, and I was impressed. It sounded like an acceptable replacement for my favorite old bird. You will have to forgive me I was working a LOT of late nights.
So the time comes for me to accept orders. I have two choices, go to VF-101 and continue to work on Tomcats, or go to Strike at NAS Pax and get some test squadron experience working on multiple platforms. I chose Strike (now designated VX-23).
I go through a bit of a depression when they decide to close the F14 project office and we send our last Tomcat to VX-1. As we accept custody of the Navy’s newest fighter, an F-18 E Super Hornet. I am, to say the least, unimpressed. Now don’t go quoting stats at me. I am talking about gut feeling when I walk up to the jet and look it over. I just don’t get the same feeling of raw power. It’s like having a 68 Camero then suddenly you are relegated to working on a supped up Civic, yea it may have all the cool new gadgets but somewhere along the way someone lost sight of what a fighter should be.
My biggest problem with the Super Hornet is that they are trying to cram too many capabilities into the airframe and while it may fill the role of such greats as the A6 and F14 it doesn’t to it as well or with as much style. If they had made the decision to make a fighter or even a straight fighter attack aircraft to replace the Tomcat then I believe that the Super Hornet could have been a great aircraft, maybe a little on the “We can build them fairly cheap and throw them away when we are done.” side but a great aircraft none the less. But we are left with merely a good aircraft. But those are the times we live in. Convenience over function dominates our world.
Every statement made is just my opinion as always. Just another cranky old Tomcat guy reminiscing on the old days when a fighter jet meant power and speed, not just the newest gadgets packed into the smallest package for the lowest price.
