F-14s heading to aircraft graveyard

Otis Willie wrote in message . ..
F-14s heading to aircraft graveyard

http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?...&article=24037

{EXCERPT}, by Greg Tyler, Stars and Stripes Pacific edition, Friday,
August 27, 2004

ONBOARD USS JOHN C. STENNIS, Sasebo, Japan ? The U.S. Navy?s meanest,
fastest and most agile fighter jet, nearing retirement, is deployed in
the western Pacific Ocean for the last time.

The Grumman F-14, which entered military service in 1972, also is a
movie star. At least for aviation aficionados, it upstaged actors
including T...

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Otis Willie
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Wonder what stopping any of those tomcats from being bought up and
flown by private owners? Surely someone has gotta keep at least 1 or 2
jets airworthy just to remind future generations what the f-14 stood
for.
As for VF-31 I wonder if they'll rename themselves the "Rhinos"?

Wonder what stopping any of those tomcats from being bought up and
flown by private owners? Surely someone has gotta keep at least 1 or 2
jets airworthy just to remind future generations what the f-14 stood
for.

How about dollars? Not only would the fuel costs be high (roughly 2000 gal
of JP per sortie), but the maintenance man hours would eat you alive (don't
know the latest figures, but well over 20 hrs/flt hr). Parts cost would be
up there as well. I'd venture that Travolta's personal 707 is a bargain by
comparison. Even millionaires have their limits. How about a nice F-5
instead?

R / John

"John Carrier" wrote in message
...
Wonder what stopping any of those tomcats from being bought up and
flown by private owners? Surely someone has gotta keep at least 1 or 2
jets airworthy just to remind future generations what the f-14 stood
for.

How about dollars? Not only would the fuel costs be high (roughly 2000
gal of JP per sortie), but the maintenance man hours would eat you alive
(don't know the latest figures, but well over 20 hrs/flt hr). Parts cost
would be up there as well. I'd venture that Travolta's personal 707 is a
bargain by comparison. Even millionaires have their limits. How about a
nice F-5 instead?

I wonder if Iran would be interested?

John

From: "John Mullen"
Date: 8/28/2004 10:09 AM Central Daylight Time
Message-id:

"John Carrier" wrote in message
...
Wonder what stopping any of those tomcats from being bought up and
flown by private owners? Surely someone has gotta keep at least 1 or 2
jets airworthy just to remind future generations what the f-14 stood
for.

How about dollars? Not only would the fuel costs be high (roughly 2000
gal of JP per sortie), but the maintenance man hours would eat you alive
(don't know the latest figures, but well over 20 hrs/flt hr). Parts cost
would be up there as well. I'd venture that Travolta's personal 707 is a
bargain by comparison. Even millionaires have their limits. How about a
nice F-5 instead?

I wonder if Iran would be interested?

John

Yep, sell them to Iran complete with built in bombs. That way they can all be
disposed of rather nicely. Good way to eliminate their better pilots too.

Dan, U.S. Air Force, retired

I wonder if Iran would be interested?

I'm sure they would love to get their hands on the parts to get the ones they
DO have flying again!

"FLYWITHJAY" wrote in message
...
I wonder if Iran would be interested?

I'm sure they would love to get their hands on the parts to get the ones
they
DO have flying again!

They still have around 20-30 flying. All sorts of rumours about re-engining,
glass cockpits, new radar etc, which I would take with a pinch of salt.

Israel is supposed to have helped with spare parts, according to one source
I've seen. Then there was the Iran Contra business, which is supposed to
have involved F-14 parts among other things. Other than that, they have
cannibalised, and developed the ability to make some parts locally. They got
late model F14As with the TF30-P-414 engine. They bought 79 and 284 AIM 54s.
The missiles were exhausted some years ago, leaving them as mini-AWACS with
Sparrow and Sidewinder for self defence. Supposedly the plan is to use them
as bombers until they run out of airframe life.

HTH

John

Wonder what stopping any of those tomcats from being bought up and
flown by private owners? Surely someone has gotta keep at least 1 or 2
jets airworthy just to remind future generations what the f-14 stood
for.


It won't happen for a variety of reasons - chief among them, the incredible
complexity of the system and the hard working career that these jets served in
for decades. Unlike earlier, less complex carrier aircraft, the Turkey
requires a veritable army of ground support and supplies. They've been
bouncing off steel decks for 30 years; they did it well, but they are now
getting quickly worn out. Even vast amounts of money can't keep one of these
flying much longer - it will end up like that CAF Marauder; spend $$$$$ to
revive an edgy, very tricky and state of the art warplane that should be
preserved in museums for all to see - instead, some small group of people at a
quickly forgotten airshow will get to watch it crash. They should be allowed
to retire in a manner that does not include troublesome crashes while being
flown by hobbyists, tickerers, and bored rich.

Unless *I* get one, then stand back, Mav.

v/r
Gordon
====(A+C====
USN SAR

Its always better to lose -an- engine, not -the- engine.