Photographer D.Wilton

This nice Greyhound carried an additional batch near the VRC-30 badge. The green badge shows the world and the he words "Operation Desert Storm World Tour 90-91 Kuwait AGS"

The Screaming Eagles double nuts. It made its last cruise as such in '90, following a WestPac deployment on board USS Carl Vinson to the Indian Ocean that ended on 31 Jul'90. The Cat continued as the VF-51 CAG bird through '91 (as pictured, check the AIM-54 Phoenix air-to-air missile underneath the fuselage). The F-14A was moved as NE-102 to VF-2 in '93 and was deployed in Jun'94 with CVW-15 USS Kitty Hawk in a WestPac-Indian Ocean cruise. It crashed on 11 Jul'94 when it broke in half during a trap on board Kitty. The cockpitsection slid down over the deck and over the side. Crew ejected safe.

CAG bird in landing at its homebase. The Cat was assigned to CVW-14 on board USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63). The F-14A was delivered to the US Navy in Jan'86. While serving VF-111 "Sundowners" this F-14 was known as the "Buick" and "Jeepney" The aircraft made its final flight with VF-111 on 28 Sep'92. It was transferred to VF-154 and later to VF-51, VF-21, VF-101. It was written off with the latter on 3 Oct'02 in Gulf of Mexico off Key West (FL). Both crew ejected safely. The right part of the tail was found by retired Air Lingus Captain Charlie Coughlan at Long Strand in Ireland on 5 May'06!

This Hawkeye was once used as a Grumman demonstration aircraft and used for a sales tour to France at Mont-de-Marsan in April 1981. Following a US Navy career with RVAW-120, VAW-123, VAW-125, VAW-88, VAW-110, VAW-122, VAW-120, VAW-113 "Black Eagles" (as pictured when assigned to CVW-14 on board USS Independence (CV-59) and eventually VAW-77. The Hawkeye was preserved as AF-00 at NAS Atlanta (GA) from November 1997.

Delivered to the US Navy on 19 December 1983. It was the very first Tomcat that was accepted by VF-154 Black Knights. The aircraft then served VF-51 (as pictured), then served VF-21 and returned to VF-154 in late 1995. On 31 August 1997 the Cat was written off when it crashed some 140 miles off the coast of Boso peninsula, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. The aircraft with its crew was executing landings and take-offs from USS Independence (CV-59) when things went wrong. Both crew survived and were picked-up by the plane guard helicopter of Indy.

A Naval Reserve Cat in landing at fightertown USA. 159025 was delivered to the US Navy on 2 Aug'74 and then assigned to NAS Oceana (VA). VF-302 "Stallions" at NAS Miramar (CA) took delivery of this F-14A in Jun'84. It was later transferred to VF-202 and eventually stricken from US Navy inventory on 6 Sep'94. The aircraft was then preserved at Charleston (SC). VF-302 was activated on 21 May'71 and assigned to Reserve Carrier Air Wing (CVWR) 30 at Miramar. They started flying the Crusader, later the Phantom and from 1985 the Tomcat. The squadron was disestablished on 11 September 1994.

This Hawkeye temporarely flew with the US Coasty Guard as 3505 in 1989. It returned to the US Navy in 1992 and served VAW-110 "Firebirds" up to 1994. It was placed in storage at NAD North Island and moved to Grumman St. Augustine (FL) in 1995. Eventually it was stricken at that location in September 1995.

Fleet Logistics Support Squadron (VRC) 30 "Providers" was established as Air Transport Squadron (VR) 5 on 24 Jun'43 at NAS Seattle (WA), equipped with Skytrains, Skymasters, Expeditors and Norsemans. Later it flew Avengers, Liftmasters and Samaritans. With the introduction of the Trader, VRC-30 was tasked with Carrier Onboard Delivery. It also flew Sabreliners, Skytrains and Hurons. It received in '85 its first Greyhounds. VRC-30 was based at NAS North Island (CA) and had 5 detachments, assigned to different CVWs. It saw its final flight with C-2A on 20 Sep'23 and was deactivated on 8 Dec'23.

This VF-126 "Bandits" Buckeye, a rare bird in the advarsary unit, was stored at AMARC with inventory code AN2T0230 on 27 October 1993. It was sold to Greece and left the massive storage depot under a Foreign Military Sales program on 26 May 2000. It was serialled with the Hellenic Air Force as 157043/043 and assigned to 120 PEA at Kalamata air base. It was last reported in mid-2021. Most probably soon after it was retired from active service.

Missing one digit in its modex, this Hawkeye was seen while landing at his homebase NAS Miramar (CA). It was assigned to CVW-2, in their turn assigned to USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63). 160990 was movced to AMARC with inventory code 2E0028 on 26 March 1993. It was sold as scrap to HVF West, Tucson (AZ) on 17 May 2018.

Photographer: via Bo-Göran Lundkvist.

A then quite new Hawkeye, NL-600 of VAW-114 "Hormel Hawgs" was assigned to CVW-15 on board USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63). It flew later with VAW-110 and VAW-120 before it was assigned to the NAWC-WD at Point Mugu. It finally served VX-20 before 163537 was withdrawn from use in mid-2012. VAW-114 was disestablished on 31 March 1995.

First delivered to VF-111 on 2 December 1978. After a long US Navy career, this Tomcat was withdrawn from use at its final homebase Point Mugu (CA) in September 1998. It then went to Camarilo (CA) for preservation and arrived at the Planes of Fame Museum, Yanks Air Museum, Chino (CA) in October 2002.

A very unusual tail code on this Huron, pictured in the circuit of NAS Miramar (CA). The liaison aircraft belongs to NAWC Point Mugu (CA) which usually carries the 7L tailcode. It is not known (to me) why the TL code was used. 161202 was stored at AMARC with inventory code 5G0003 (and tail code 7L) on 12 September 1996.

A VF-1 "Wolfpack" F-14A working the pattern of homebase NAS Miramar (CA). The Tomcat was delivered to the US Navy in mid-1976. It was already stricken at Naval Air Deport Norfolk (VA) on 24 February 1995. Most probably stored and cannibalized and scrapped afterwards. The Wolfpacks were established on 14 October 1972 and disestablished on 30 September 1993. They were the first operational fighter squadron equipped with the F-14, the squadron received their first F-14A's on 1 July 1973.

This F-16N carried USAF serial 86-1684 before it was transferred to the US Navy on 18 September 1987. It was assigned to VF-126 "Bandits" and later served the Naval Fighter WQeapons School TOP GUN with bord number 64. The F-16N was moved to AMARC with inventory code AN1F014 on 11 January 1995. On that storage depot it was administratively moved to the USAF inventory as F-16C AAFG0484. The Viper was sadly sold as scrap to HVF West, Tucson (AZ) on 7 March 2013.