Farewell, Tomcat

A very sad day, but the economics simply don't support the plane any longer.

Saw this picture of a Tomcat breaking the sound barrier over on the
naval aviation group:

http://pip.rubberfeet.org/desktop_pi...om1152x768.jpg

Scott

Jay Honeck wrote:
http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories...1550&ran=22848

What an amazing run the F-14 has had. It will be terribly sad not to see
them flying anymore....

A very sad day, but the economics simply don't support the plane any
longer.

Say what you want about the movie, but the Tomcat in "Top Gun" did more for
naval aviation than any other single thing.

The navy got their money's worth, times ten, from the F-14.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

("Jay Honeck" wrote)
Say what you want about the movie, but the Tomcat in "Top Gun" did more
for naval aviation than any other single thing.


I choose my film... "Flight Command" (1940)
" ...the film likely also contributed to turning the tide of public opinion
toward a willingness to fight the rise of fascism in Europe."

http://www.turnerclassicmovies.com/Multimedia/Popup/0,,62160|62163,00.html
View movie trailer for this 1940 film - worked for me but I had to wait for
it.

From the trailer:
The real "Hell Cats"- The saga of the Eyes of the Navy


GOOD GOOD STUFF BELOW. No really, some interesting reading in the links...
In-The-Links.

For instance, Greg (Pappy) Boyington and Paul Mantz both worked on this film
(bottom link). Robert Taylor took up flying because of this film and, later,
became a Navy flying instructor during WWII (top link).

BTW, my review of "Flight Command" (1940)... ok silly love story at best,
GREAT plane story.

http://www.turnerclassicmovies.com/ThisMonth/Article/0,,93522%7C93523%7C62543,00.html
Flight Command (1940)

"Although couched in a sensitive love story, the film likely also
contributed to turning the tide of public opinion toward a willingness to
fight the rise of fascism in Europe. Ironically, Flight Command, done in the
more "realistic" patriotic action style that would dominate American screens
for the next several years, marked the decline in his career. Such
finely-wrought, tender romances as Seventh Heaven (1927), which earned him
the first Best Director Award ever given by the Academy, A Farewell to Arms
(1932), and Desire (1936), a wry romantic comedy about jewel thieves Gary
Cooper and Marlene Dietrich, had fallen out of favor by 1940, and Borzage's
work has become largely neglected.

Red Skelton appears in a small role in Flight Command, his third movie. He
would shortly become one of MGM's top comic stars of the decade."



Red Skelton plays less of a clown and more of a gay sailor - it's a hoot.
Also, movie contained much insensitive 'fat' humor that I found particularly
offensive. g

Great site with photos and history.
http://home.att.net/~historyzone/Grumman3.html
Navy bi-planes in the movie ...F3F-2?


Best site of all
http://www.coastcomp.com/av/fltline2/avmovie.htm
MILITARY AVIATION MOVIE LIST.

Flight Command
1940 *
USN- Robert Taylor (ex USAAF Flight Instructor) Pilots develops blind-flying
equipment in their spare time. VF-6, VMF-2 Grumman F3F-2's at NAS North
Island, also shot on ENTERPRISE. (Also VS-6 on Curtiss SBC Helldivers, VB-6
Northrop BT-1, VT-6 Douglas TBD-1's supposedly in there somewhere. Cut from
the current print?).

Sikorsky PBS-1 Flying Boat, VF-6 SBC-4 target tug, N.A. SNJ's in background
(?) Seversky SEV-S2 and Ryan ST footage from "Test Pilot" One of the USMC
pilots in the air scenes was one Lt. Greg (Pappy) Boyington.

Paul Mantz flew Orion, Boeing 100, and Lockheed Orion camera planes.


Flight Commander (This was originally "Dawn Patrol". It was retitled after
the second version came out in 1938)
1930 v
WWI- Douglas Fairbanks; WWI epic. Nieuport 28's., Travel Airs ("Nieuports"),
Fokker D.VII's, 2 Pfalz D.XII's, Standard J-1. Directed by Howard Hawks (WWI
pilot).


I'm done. Thanks for reading.


Montblack

I'm done. Thanks for reading.

Fascinating stuff.

The scary part is that you actually *know* all this film history!

:-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

("Jay Honeck" wrote)
Fascinating stuff.

The scary part is that you actually *know* all this film history!


I know where to stumble over the info. :-)


Montblack

Say what you want about the movie, but the Tomcat in "Top Gun" did more for
naval aviation than any other single thing.

That's a pretty extreme statement, Jay. What do you mean by "more"?
And since you didn't include "IMHO," what evidence can you offer?

Some folks, perhaps older than you, might say the Battle of Midway
(the battle, in 1942, not the movie) did more. Or perhaps even the
movie, error-ridden as it was. Or the movie "The Fighting Lady,"
which you may never have seen or even heard of. It was made of actual
combat footage. Or the Blue Angels. Or Al Williams.

There was naval aviation, keep in mind, long, long, long, before that
silly Top Gun movie. Heck, some historians might say Glenn Curtiss did
more.

vince norris




The navy got their money's worth, times ten, from the F-14.

"vincent p. norris" wrote:

That's a pretty extreme statement, Jay. What do you mean by "more"?
And since you didn't include "IMHO," what evidence can you offer?

Anecdotal, no doubt, but from 1988 through 1990 I tried to get into the Air
Force, the Navy, and a local Air National Guard base as a pilot. In every
case I was told by the recruiters that competition was never more fierce
than this period, thanks to "that movie, 'Top Gun.'"

Needless to say, I was not accepted. I didn't have the political
connections needed for Officer Candidate School.

--
Peter


















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If you really think it takes political pull to get into Officer
Candidate School, they probably dumped your butt on attitude alone.

"Peter R." wrote in message
...
"vincent p. norris" wrote:

That's a pretty extreme statement, Jay. What do you mean by "more"?
And since you didn't include "IMHO," what evidence can you offer?

Anecdotal, no doubt, but from 1988 through 1990 I tried to get into
the Air
Force, the Navy, and a local Air National Guard base as a pilot. In
every
case I was told by the recruiters that competition was never more
fierce
than this period, thanks to "that movie, 'Top Gun.'"

Needless to say, I was not accepted. I didn't have the political
connections needed for Officer Candidate School.

--
Peter


















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sfb wrote:

If you really think it takes political pull to get into Officer
Candidate School, they probably dumped your butt on attitude alone.

That was what I was told by one of the recruiters. I had absolutely no
attitude back then.

--
Peter


















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Anecdotal, no doubt, but from 1988 through 1990 I tried to get into the Air
Force, the Navy, and a local Air National Guard base as a pilot. In every
case I was told by the recruiters that competition was never more fierce
than this period, thanks to "that movie, 'Top Gun.'"

Your logic is a bit puzzling. If "Top Gun" directed all the eager
young kids toward Naval Aviation, the Air Force and ANG would have
been hurting, and therefore delighted to take you, if you were
qualified.

vince norris