F-14s heading to aircraft graveyard

"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