Why do we love the Tomcat?

[CommanderRabb]

 

And yeah, 90% of the movie TopGun sucked, except the flying cinematography. It grew on me though.

 

 

I concur. I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels that way.:megalol: Never cared for the fluff.

[draconus]

In my youth at 80's one pal in a class had a small book with all the fighters and their specs. I found the Tomcat's look and it's specs to be one of the best. The others were 29, 15 and Harrier. I didn't feel anything special to it at the time even after watching the two movies but its image was kept in my head.

 

 

My best sim back then was F-19/F-117 (keyboard only) cause I didn't stumble upon the Fleet Defender or Jane's. Years later I came back to try LOMAC more seriously (with HOTAS X) and have choosen the 15 as the only fighter flying properly (didn't even know what the trim was, so the russian birds were broken for me :)). After awhile I turn into DCS and F-15C. I fell in love. After some years with Eagle I wanted more fidelity and the F-14 was as close as I could get beacause there was no near future plans for the Eagle and as it turned out - Tomcat is The Aircraft for me now :thumbsup:

[KWard]

My interest in fighters began with a couple books in my elementary school library. One about the Flying Tigers and one about the battle of Midway. Despite the cool story behind the Flying Tigers, I was drawn more to naval aviation because I saw it as more challenging. Tailhook drivers do everything a land-based pilot does...and then land on an airfield the size of a postage stamp. That's MOVING. By flying over it at full speed with a hook hanging off their butt. To me, landing on a carrier is the ultimate aviation challenge. Nothing else tops it.

 

Now this was in the early 80s, when the teens were the new hotness in fighters. So of course I gravitated toward the F-14, because it was the tailhook of the bunch. Also it just looked sexier with its curves, compared to the rather boxy straight-tailed F-15. And it felt like the Tomcat was the heir of a tradition stretching back to World War II, through the Cougar and Panther and Bearcat and Hellcat all the way to those same Wildcats that flew at Midway.

 

And then, after three or four Monogram model kits and a side trip to Annapolis during a family trip to DC (not to mention hours in the Air & Space Museum), Top Gun came out and I lost my mind. Yeah it's full of inaccuracies but I didn't know that when I was 13. :P

[draconus]

Oh, btw: I still like Top Gun. It's great movie after all this years. Just have watch it.

[Nodak]

Lucky enough to get a gig on Starlifters back in the golden age of air shows late 70's to early 90's. The shows all turned to crap after that, no more petting zoo's and after hours tours, and not so many put on by the forces themselves. Now its an all for profit business.

 

 

 

Being in a trash hauler, you always wind up parked on center stage at any active mission base on the transit ramp, same spot every passing fighter looking for fuel doing a cross country does its RON and pit stops. Back in the day no one gave a rip if you went over and snapped a few shots and did some lookey see, as long as you belonged there yourself. That all kind of stopped in the early 90's.

 

 

Kind of cool seeing them crammed on the boat anchored of Diego Gar as you arrived or departed. Back than there was still loads of color and art. An afternoon or two sitting on the ramp when Miramar was still a Navy place watching them sortie in the spots right next to us, even have a slide of the Top Gun bird with the big patch on the tail parked in front of the TG hanger in 85. Nobody seemed to mind me and my camera.

 

 

 

In the 90's Cats were regulars at Klamath Falls, we had an ADF detachment out there to support, all military aviation guys pay attention to the on going action, its their nature. The guys always put on a show when they know competition is watching, they're all drinking and pissing in the same clubs.

 

 

But than there was lots of cool stuff back than, the ear shattering of a Korean Sabre taxiing straight at you, or a diamond formation of Japanese Starfighters ripping low overhead, 106's sparring against phantom D's over a ICBM fields mil air space, or a pair of the last of the 105 wild weasles pulling in to park by the hanger next to the one you work in on their way to the bone yards. Tomcats were definitely a notch or two up on the head turning factor.

 

 

 

Can't wait for the early A, that's my era. No movie needed for any memories, plenty there.

[fmedges]

I grew up 15 minutes from “Top Gun” the then at the time NAS Miramar. Pretty much everyday while growing up I saw two ship F14 formations flying out to missions or back from. Driving down the freeway it wasn’t uncommon for them to be practicing carrier landings and fly over your car at 50ft.

[captain_dalan]

<snip>Can't wait for the early A, that's my era. No movie needed for any memories, plenty there.

 

Man, the things i'd give to see the things you have! :thumbup:

 

BTW, although not old enough to to term the early A's exactly as my era, they are by far the most anticipated ones for me as well. Can't wait till someone makes those gull grey-white belly schemes to go along with them, preferably at least some made by HB themselves at launch. Especially the VF-1 and the VF-213 white nosed ones :thumbup: