F-14 Tomcast

The first big-screen appearance of the F-14 was in the 1980 sci-fi adventure “The Final Countdown,” which has gained fans and respect as the years go by. We get the full story from a former Tomcat pilot who flew many of the memorable scenes in this Tomcat classic.Al “Shoes” Mullen was a lieutenant in VF-84 who had recently completed the Navy’s TOPGUN training class when he was sent to Key West to film some unknown movie. A great story-teller, Shoes describes how the movie-makers struggled to

After twenty years of strictly air-to-air missions, the F-14 community embraced air-to-ground, including the challenging role of Forward Air Controller – Airborne (FAC-A). This episode addresses the Tomcat’s performance in FAC-A as well as the big picture of this demanding mission.A former F-14 pilot, retired Captain Paul “PK” Averna was an instructor at Strike Weapons and Tactics School, Atlantic (SWATSLANT) and was personally involved with launching FAC-A training in the F-14 community. In

Most people familiar with the F-14 know Iran was the only non-U.S. country to operate the big fighter, but they likely know little of the Persian Cat experience. This candid interview with a former Iranian Tomcat pilot takes viewers where few have gone: inside the Iranian F-14 program.We hide the identity of our guest for his personal security, but we get the full story of his experience: his selection for Tomcats, what he thought of his instructors, the condition of the aircraft and facilities, and

When introduced, the F-14 Tomcat set new standards for maneuverability and controllability, making it a great dogfighter. In this episode, a renowned F-14 pilot describes those capabilities and goes further, providing valuable insights on topics from flying skills to Navy training programs.Retired U.S. Navy Captain Sam “Slammer” Richardson takes us from his early days in pilot training to his time as the CO of the F-14 training squadron (aka RAG), where he flew A-model Tomcats and won dogfights

The AWG-9 radar and weapons control system was one of the defining features of the F-14A Tomcat. Its multi-target track and missile control capabilities were unique, particularly when paired with the remarkable AIM-54 Phoenix. However, a skilled radar intercept officer (RIO) was required to achieve their peak performance.On this episode, former F-14 RIO and TOPGUN instructor, retired U.S. Navy Captain Ken “Wahoo” Ginader, takes us through the Tomcat weapons system’s strengths, reveals secrets, and

What was it like to fly the F-14A Tomcat in the early days when everything was new and different?Retired U.S. Navy Vice Admiral Marty "Streak" Chanik and Captain “Ler” Brad Poeltler, members of the VF-1 “Wolfpack” for the F-14 second operational deployment (1976-77), share vivid memories and exciting flying stories from how they were initially admitted into the competitive F-14 program to what it was like flying the Navy’s sizzling hot new fighter. They talk about some of the Tomcat’s

The Grumman F-14 Tomcat was the U.S. Navy’s frontline fighter for 30 years. A revolutionary design when new, the 'big fighter' remained potent throughout its illustrious career. But aircraft like this don’t come easy, and the Tomcat experienced significant development challenges during flight test.Legendary Grumman test pilot Kurt Schroeder pulls back the curtain on the F-14’s design and flight test program, providing little-known facts and stunning insights that will wow you throughout the

On this inaugural episode, Fighter Pilot Podcast founder and host, Vincent "Jell-O" Aiello introduces former F-14 pilot Craig "Crunch" Snyder and RIO Dave "Bio" Baranek who will host this podcast. Crunch and Bio then explain a few details of the show.Listener questions can be emailed to questions@f14tomcast.com or phoned in to 877.MACH.101, ext. 3.The F-14 Tomcast is part of the Air Combat Experience brought to you by BVR Productions.Support this podcast at —