Thousands on fuel.
Millions on aircraft.
Billions of dollars spent in Iraq.
Seeing your hard earned tax dollars at work. Priceless


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqaWdkdFb3Y

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEkYqL9n7vo

Sometimes I think the USAF is going away with my squadron cause we are also FAR away from politically correct. Many of those scenes viper remind of the good times when flying and well, everyday life in the USAF.

And in a way, Viper, the F14 and the way they retired it is the same way the USAF is retiring the MH-53. Its still the biggest and badest Special Ops helo with no true replacement to its capabilities... Such a shame! Everytime I fly I take it all in cause these days are certainly numbered.

STRIKER wrote:And in a way, Viper, the F14 and the way they retired it is the same way the USAF is retiring the MH-53. Its still the biggest and badest Special Ops helo with no true replacement to its capabilities... Such a shame! Everytime I fly I take it all in cause these days are certainly numbered.

Kinda makes you think what kind of person the Secretary of Defense is! allowing the military branches to get rid of the best stuff out there with a replacement of nothing compared to... it's bull**** if u ask me!

It stinks that something that has served its country for so long gets tossed along the side of the road like a piece of trash... It just makes me sick.

PhnxBndt79 wrote:It stinks that something that has served its country for so long gets tossed along the side of the road like a piece of trash... It just makes me sick.

Its been happening for decades with our military so its nothing new. Case in point, the F-4 would still be a pretty leathal weapon with the right knucklebrain behind the controls. Same goes with the F-14. Yes its sad to see them go, but when you weigh maintenance costs vs. what it costs for the new technology, ive got to believe its more economical and safe for our country to keep going to new things, and different missions.

Rhino wrote:Its been happening for decades with our military so its nothing new. Case in point, the F-4 would still be a pretty leathal weapon with the right knucklebrain behind the controls. Same goes with the F-14. Yes its sad to see them go, but when you weigh maintenance costs vs. what it costs for the new technology, ive got to believe its more economical and safe for our country to keep going to new things, and different missions.

Same kind of deal was with the F-4 coming into the Navy....there was a Super Crusader(better version of standard crusader ) and there was a conflict about that. But we all know the Phantom had the advantage of taking over the crusader's job but the thing is...with the Tomcat and Super Hornet, there is NO competition...the F-14 would blow the hornet out of the skys in a heart beat and the F-4 would do the same to the SC. Also, like everybody else Rhino, you think they killed the Tomcat because of its maintenance costs and hours...well guess what, it wasnt. The Navy could care less, just as long as the job was done and it was repaired. The F-14 was killed between a political debate which then led Dick Cheney (Secretary of Defense at the time) to kill it and make room for the less expensive and less powerful SH.

Viper101 wrote: Also, like everybody else Rhino, you think they killed the Tomcat because of its maintenance costs and hours...well guess what, it wasnt. The Navy could care less, just as long as the job was done and it was repaired. The F-14 was killed between a political debate which then led Dick Cheney (Secretary of Defense at the time) to kill it and make room for the less expensive and less powerful SH.

He said she said, its all a moot point. Cheney halted the production of further (D) models, he never said no go to development of the Super Tomcat or Tomcat 21, that was the 3 Secretaries of Defense under the Clinton administration (Les Aspin, William Perry, William Cohen). Believe me, the reduction in force at that time was major, all across the military. Also remember that the "mission" was/is changing. There was no need anymore for a long-range fleet defense fighter with the adaptation of the Aegis cruisers like there was in the cold war, which is what the Tomcat was born out of (remember it was never meant to be a "Bombcat"). Yes, its very sad to see the "Turkey" go, and maybe we should have held on to a squadron or two, but the F-14 is gone and you will likely not see one fly in the United States for a VERY long time, that is, until Dale Snodgrass gets his hands on one, but thats another story for another time.

Well put Rhino! Now let the bird continue its retirement in grace please! It deserves it...