CheckGear Posted February 7, 2016 Posted February 7, 2016 (edited) I've been looking for this documentary for years and I've finally found it once again! Discovery Channel produced a mini-series off-shoot of its famous Wings series titled Sea Wings in the mid-1990s and this is the episode covering the Tomcat. It's probably the best F-14 documentary ever produced and it brings back some awesome memories. BlackLions213, your favorite squadron has the starring role! It shows VF-213 aboard USS Abraham Lincoln doing work-ups prior to their 11 April - 9 October 1995 WESTPAC/Persian Gulf deployment. Edited February 7, 2016 by CheckGear
CheckGear Posted February 7, 2016 Author Posted February 7, 2016 Only put 78FLawQX610 in the YOUTUBE tags. Not the whole URL. Fixed.
Tirak Posted February 7, 2016 Posted February 7, 2016 At about 12:23 in the video when they're doing their walkaround of the aircraft, there is what appears to be a centerline drop tank. I tried to do a little digging and came up with some very brief snippets about the F-14 having a plumbed hardpoint there, but nothing concrete. Anyone have any information on this?
Cool Breeze Posted February 7, 2016 Posted February 7, 2016 Thanks CheckGear! Makes me nostalgic watching these again. I miss the old Discovery Channel. I would tape every episode that I could on VHS! Lol! Got my parents pretty heated a couple of times when I would tape over a family movies when I ran out of tapes! Hey, desperate times call for desperate measures! "For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return." Leonardo Da Vinci "We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch - we are going back from whence we came." John F. Kennedy
CheckGear Posted February 7, 2016 Author Posted February 7, 2016 At about 12:23 in the video when they're doing their walkaround of the aircraft, there is what appears to be a centerline drop tank. I tried to do a little digging and came up with some very brief snippets about the F-14 having a plumbed hardpoint there, but nothing concrete. Anyone have any information on this? My initial impression was that it was a TARPS pod. Of course, that'd beg the question what it was doing there in the first place, since they were about to embark on an air intercept exercise...
CheckGear Posted February 7, 2016 Author Posted February 7, 2016 Thanks CheckGear! Makes me nostalgic watching these again. I miss the old Discovery Channel. I would tape every episode that I could on VHS! Lol! Got my parents pretty heated a couple of times when I would tape over a family movies when I ran out of tapes! Hey, desperate times call for desperate measures! Both old Discovery Channel and History Channel had some excellent air warfare documentaries back in the day. It's amazing how the market for such productions has completely faded away. Sea Wings, along with Carrier: Fortress at Sea, were a snapshot of naval aviation in the 1990s. It wasn't exactly the good old days, but it was certainly a time when America's preeminence in the seas and skies was a given. Now we're back to great power struggles in today's era.
BlackLion213 Posted February 7, 2016 Posted February 7, 2016 At about 12:23 in the video when they're doing their walkaround of the aircraft, there is what appears to be a centerline drop tank. I tried to do a little digging and came up with some very brief snippets about the F-14 having a plumbed hardpoint there, but nothing concrete. Anyone have any information on this? That is a TARPS pod, I guess it wasn't an air intercept mission. F-14s could also carry a "travel pod" on that hardpoint. I know because there was often one attached to F-14s at airshows when I was a kid. It was a simple thing that looked like a small fuel tank, but the pilots would pack a change of clothes/misc items into it. Otherwise, the only thing carried on that station was the TARPS pod. All F-14Ds were hardwired to carry it, but only select F-14As/Bs. TARPs equipped F-14s lost the most rearward sparrow station (for the F-14A/Bs) and couldn't carry the LANTIRN (IIRC) because the TARPs control panel occupied the space used for the LANTIRN controls. -Nick
Cool Breeze Posted February 7, 2016 Posted February 7, 2016 Both old Discovery Channel and History Channel had some excellent air warfare documentaries back in the day. It's amazing how the market for such productions has completely faded away. Sea Wings, along with Carrier: Fortress at Sea, were a snapshot of naval aviation in the 1990s. It wasn't exactly the good old days, but it was certainly a time when America's preeminence in the seas and skies was a given. Now we're back to great power struggles in today's era. Yes, I completely agree! I really lament what has become of the primary Discovery and History channels. They have good show every now and then, but most of the programming has become junk. Oh well, just have to keep re-watching the classics! "For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return." Leonardo Da Vinci "We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch - we are going back from whence we came." John F. Kennedy
BlackLion213 Posted February 7, 2016 Posted February 7, 2016 Hi CheckGear, Thanks for posting this video, I love stuff like this. I remember looking at the TV guide every weekend to confirm that "Wings" would be playing. It was such a great show in it's day (my expectations were different back then) and every week I hoped to see an episode devoted to the F-14. Sadly, I didn't get to see their F-14 episode till it was posted to youtube (only took ~25 years..:)). Here it is and I still enjoy watching it: [ame] [/ame] [ame] [/ame] [ame] [/ame] Also, thank you for this part. :D BlackLions213, your favorite squadron has the starring role! It shows VF-213 aboard USS Abraham Lincoln doing work-ups prior to their 11 April - 9 October 1995 WESTPAC/Persian Gulf deployment. It seems that you can't make a real Tomcat film without VF-213! ;) I remain impressed by their degree of media coverage, even before they became one of the last remaining F-14 squadrons. Of course, seems quite fitting to name a Tomcat squadron after a big cat (king of the beasts...:D). I suppose it's too good to pass up....but maybe I'm biased. :music_whistling: -Nick
CheckGear Posted February 7, 2016 Author Posted February 7, 2016 The Wings episode on the F-14 was awesome as well. I especially enjoyed that segment at the end that played footage of the F-14 set to a scintillating soundtrack with no narration. It seems that you can't make a real Tomcat film without VF-213! ;) I remain impressed by their degree of media coverage, even before they became one of the last remaining F-14 squadrons. Of course, seems quite fitting to name a Tomcat squadron after a big cat (king of the beasts...:D). I suppose it's too good to pass up....but maybe I'm biased. :music_whistling: -Nick VF-213's sister squadron, VF-114, got some decent media coverage as well, although not as much as VF-213. It's a shame they didn't keep the Aardvarks around!
BlackLion213 Posted February 7, 2016 Posted February 7, 2016 VF-213's sister squadron, VF-114, got some decent media coverage as well, although not as much as VF-213. It's a shame they didn't keep the Aardvarks around! Yes, VF-114 was very famous back in their day, more so than VF-213, at least in the Tomcat community. VF-114 probably would have been saved, except that TARPs squadrons were chosen to stay (there were no other USN recce assets except for TARPs equipped F-14s). Though there were a few unfortunate exceptions: the decision to disestablish VF-84 when it was the airwing TARPs squadron is surprising. Though it took no time for another squadron to assume their identity. -Nick
Grundar Posted February 7, 2016 Posted February 7, 2016 Yes, VF-114 was very famous back in their day, more so than VF-213, at least in the Tomcat community. VF-114 probably would have been saved, except that TARPs squadrons were chosen to stay (there were no other USN recce assets except for TARPs equipped F-14s). Though there were a few unfortunate exceptions: the decision to disestablish VF-84 when it was the airwing TARPs squadron is surprising. Though it took no time for another squadron to assume their identity. -Nick I think you mean USURP their identity.. ;)
CheckGear Posted February 7, 2016 Author Posted February 7, 2016 Yes, VF-114 was very famous back in their day, more so than VF-213, at least in the Tomcat community. VF-114 probably would have been saved, except that TARPs squadrons were chosen to stay (there were no other USN recce assets except for TARPs equipped F-14s). Though there were a few unfortunate exceptions: the decision to disestablish VF-84 when it was the airwing TARPs squadron is surprising. Though it took no time for another squadron to assume their identity. -Nick Yep, the decision to keep the Black Aces but not the Jolly Rogers was definitely bizarre, looking back on it. I think you mean USURP their identity.. ;) Indeed. Why not stick to calling themselves the "Sluggers?" It seems real rich to call yourself by another team's name.
BlackLion213 Posted February 7, 2016 Posted February 7, 2016 Indeed. Why not stick to calling themselves the "Sluggers?" It seems real rich to call yourself by another team's name. Well, the Navy had already decided to continue the Jolly Rogers tradition (dates back to WWII) and many squadrons (both VF and VFA...) were applying. The alternative would have been the name and insignia taken over by an F/A-18C squadron. The Tomcat community would have none of that! In fact, I heard that the Tomcat community was concerned that would happen and were relieved to hear that VF-103 cinched it. -Nick
Belgeode Posted February 7, 2016 Posted February 7, 2016 Wings used to be the only tv show I ever watched! I think I remember this tomcat episode. I did not see the Sea Wings series before though, so thank you for posting this!! [sIGPIC][/sIGPIC] YouTube ~ Twitch
CheckGear Posted February 7, 2016 Author Posted February 7, 2016 (edited) Well, the Navy had already decided to continue the Jolly Rogers tradition (dates back to WWII) and many squadrons (both VF and VFA...) were applying. The alternative would have been the name and insignia taken over by an F/A-18C squadron. The Tomcat community would have none of that! In fact, I heard that the Tomcat community was concerned that would happen and were relieved to hear that VF-103 cinched it. -Nick This is where the bureaucratic ugliness of the military rears it's head. Why not disband either VF-41 or VF-103 instead? Wings used to be the only tv show I ever watched! I think I remember this tomcat episode. I did not see the Sea Wings series before though, so thank you for posting this!! It's a relic of a bygone era. They didn't stop making Tomcat/naval aviation-related documentaries after Sea Wings, but very few of them ever equaled the level of quality that the older documentaries possessed. For me, it's nice to have a "snapshot" of this particular era. I don't think anybody in that documentary ever thought our country would be where it's at right now. Edited February 7, 2016 by CheckGear
captain_dalan Posted February 8, 2016 Posted February 8, 2016 At about 12:23 in the video when they're doing their walkaround of the aircraft, there is what appears to be a centerline drop tank. I tried to do a little digging and came up with some very brief snippets about the F-14 having a plumbed hardpoint there, but nothing concrete. Anyone have any information on this? Size, shape and position indicates a TARPS unit. We can't be 100% sure from this angle (a front view would be better) but looking at this shots, i think the resemblance is obvious: https://www.google.com/search?q=f-14+tarps&espv=2&biw=931&bih=619&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjgkebl2efKAhVEVxoKHSSHB4wQ_AUIBygC Modules: FC3, Mirage 2000C, Harrier AV-8B NA, F-5, AJS-37 Viggen, F-14B, F-14A, Combined Arms, F/A-18C, F-16C, MiG-19P, F-86, MiG-15, FW-190A, Spitfire Mk IX, UH-1 Huey, Su-25, P-51PD, Caucasus map, Nevada map, Persian Gulf map, Marianas map, Syria Map, Super Carrier, Sinai map, Mosquito, P-51, AH-64 Apache, F4U Corsair, WWII Assets Pack
Tirak Posted February 8, 2016 Posted February 8, 2016 Size, shape and position indicates a TARPS unit. We can't be 100% sure from this angle (a front view would be better) but looking at this shots, i think the resemblance is obvious: https://www.google.com/search?q=f-14+tarps&espv=2&biw=931&bih=619&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjgkebl2efKAhVEVxoKHSSHB4wQ_AUIBygC That's what i thought, but i couldn't figure out why you'd need a TARPS pod for DACT.
BlackLion213 Posted February 8, 2016 Posted February 8, 2016 That's what i thought, but i couldn't figure out why you'd need a TARPS pod for DACT. They don't, this was probably the most convenient moment for filming and that took precedence over the true mission for that particular flight. That said, F-14 TARPS missions were "self-escorted" and they did think about their A-A capability while carrying the pod. There is a story from 1986 when an F-14A attended a interservice recce meet. None of the other aircraft at the meet were armed and F-15s would regularly jump the recce aircraft to interrupt their photo run. This time, the F-14A turned to honor the threat and shot down the F-15. Had never happened at a recce meet before. The USAF commander for the event thought it was hilarious. This is another great story from the book: Grumman F-14 - Bye Bye Baby. -Nick
CheckGear Posted February 9, 2016 Author Posted February 9, 2016 As stated before, this episode of Sea Wings was filmed during the work-up period prior to the USS Abraham Lincoln's 1995 WESTPAC/Persian Gulf deployment. The air wing complement was: CVW-11 VF-213 "Black Lions" - F-14A Tomcat VFA-22 "Fighting Redcocks" - F/A-18C(N) Hornet VFA-94 "Mighty Shrikes" - F/A-18C(N) Hornet VA-95 "Green Lizards" - A-6E/KA-6D Intruder VAQ-135 "Black Ravens" - EA-6B Prowler VAW-117 "Wallbangers" - E-2C Hawkeye VS-29 "Dragonfires" - S-3B Viking HS-6 "Indians" - SH-60F/HH-60H Sea Hawk VQ-5 DET. B "Sea Shadows" - ES-3A Shadow VRC-30 DET. 3 "Providers" - C-2A Greyhound Definitely the era of the "super" air wings. Today's air wings pale in comparison to what we had back then.
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