Final flight of the F-14 to land on LI October 4th!

[Steven Holzinger]

Same here... but hey, at least I'm not getting 15 mpg on the highway now!

[mirrodie]

I might be on the roof of the office. Any word on the runway use?

[moose135]

Imagine they will be on 14/32. Forecast is for winds from the southwest, so maybe landing 32?

[Midnight Mike]

This is the perfect reason why it was time for the Tomcat to be retired:

However, the Navy had to use the standby aircraft for the final flight, as the first aircraft had mechanical problems.

[Steven Holzinger]

Everyone with scanners... you'll probably be listening for FELIX 11...

[Nick]

This is the perfect reason why it was time for the Tomcat to be retired:

However, the Navy had to use the standby aircraft for the final flight, as the first aircraft had mechanical problems.

If we retired every aircraft that ground aborted we'd be a very sparse Military.

[Steven Holzinger]

I will be carrying F-14 Tomcat DVDs with me in case anyone wants to get them...$20 a pop. They contain demonstrations of Tomcats as well as Tomcats in action, whether it be Fleet airshow stuff or spotting!

[hiss srq]

It looks like on another note there will be a 727-200 from Express.Net inbound around the same time as the Tomcat from LEX

[Midnight Mike]

This is the perfect reason why it was time for the Tomcat to be retired:

However, the Navy had to use the standby aircraft for the final flight, as the first aircraft had mechanical problems.

If we retired every aircraft that ground aborted we'd be a very sparse Military.

Nick

I was being a wise ass.... :lol: (Just so that you know, I was in the Navy as a Mechanic, working on the P3 & the A3, so, I am quite familar about working on old aircraft....) Also, the F14 happens to be my one of my favorite military aircraft....

[mirrodie]

still slated for 1130-1140?

[Art at ISP]

I thought I heard something a few minutes ago--sounded like a fighter--too early though?

[Greg_NY]

I should hope so<G> I haven't left yet...

[hiss srq]

I hope not I am just leaving Long Beach

[mirrodie]

well I just got back. I had 10 minutes between patients and the F14's execution on time was perfect. touchdown at 1137


I went through the St Charles Cemetary and simply watched out. As I said earlier, I wasnt too interested in photos as much as I was witnessing an event.

So she did a pass over runway 32, wings swept, with a bit of wing waving to the crowd. As soon as she reached the museum, she banked starboard and over the cemetary and re-aligned with 32.


I lost her in the trees but I loved listening to it. The engines were in a flurry of high and low spooling, which sounded as if the pilot was doing quite a bit of last minute thrust changes while descending.....too fast too slow, etc. But the sound was thrilling.


Then she popped out again and flared for the landing. The engines ceased their rollercoaster sound effect and she touched down. As I drove off, I could hear the engines spooling up again and down, probably as she was taxiing away.


It was nice to see. And while I am not the worlds biggest F14 lover, I knew that many watching today shared similar feelings I held when Concorde last powered out of JFK. Goodbye and thanks.

[lijk604]

All indications were that he would come in on 14, I heard the tower announce he was entering the pattern and sprinted from my desk downstaris to the car where my camera was. That was the first time the other people in the office understood my passion. Even they all got up to see this beauty arrive. They did throw us a curveball, pattern was arrivals on 14 and he came in for 32. I managed to catch him just as he was over the treshold for 32 on his pass. Will find out tonight if I have some nice memory shots.

But to echo Mario's statement, when he came back into land...I put the camera down and just took it all in, knowing that was the last F-14 I'll ever see fly.