VF-31 F-14D makes a quick departure out of NAS North Island

"Tomcatters: F-14D departing runway 18 late afternoon

Seen here taxiing out in the morning, this is the 25th Anniversary Tomcat "The Cat is Back" with logo painted on the inside fin

FELIX 210 departing NAS Miramar

One of my favorite F-14 Tomcat pictures. AJ-105 of Fighting Squadron (VF) 31 grabs the cable on board the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) during the final cruise of the F-14. VF-213 Black Lions and VF-31 Tomcatters had the honours to bring the Tomcat to war (Operation Iraqi Freedom) and to home for the final time. Awesome!

Ready for take-off early in the morning.

This Tomcat was built by Grumman at Bethpage, NY and TOC by the Navy in Jan. 1981. In the coming years it flew with various squadrons aboard USS Eisenhower, USS Kennedy, USS Constellation and USS Theodore Roosevelt as well as participating in combat missions over the Persian Gulf. It is now on display at the Prairie Aviation Museum on permanent loan from NNAM.

This Tomcat on display at the Udvar-Hazy Center of the National Air and Space Museum was built as an F-14A but was one of 18 upgraded to Super Tomcat D-configuration in the early 1990s, designated F-14D(R) for rebuild. This aircraft flying CAP with VF-32 from the USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67) is credited with one MiG-23 Flogger kill which was earned on 4th January, 1989 off the coast of Libya.