A Grim Reaper caught the Theodore Roosevelt cable and came to rest, after the well known controlled crash. AD-163 was the full colour bird of the squadron, normally this was the double nuts, or AD-100.

The final F-14 Tomcat Qarrier Qualification (CQ) took place in March '05 on board USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) off coast Virginia. During the CQ, Tomcat crews prepare and qualify themselves in carrier ops. They had to make a certain number of catapult starts, arrested landings, touch-and-goes, and those by day and night. When concluded they are qualified to go on deployment. These crew eventually departed with the CVN-71 to the Persian Gulf that marked the sunset cruise for the F-14. The crews belonged to VF-31 and VF-213 but used aircraft of Fleet Replacement Squadron VF-101 Grim Reapers.

This Tomcat, wired for Tactical Airborne Reconnaissance Pod System (TARPS) missions, was moved to Tucson, and eventually sadly scrapped. Several Tomcats within the US Navy were wired for this large and sophisticated camera pod.

Just on the day I was visiting Oceana, this beautiful retro F-14B came out the paint shop. AG-143 made its last operational flight a few day's later and was then flown to Bradley AFB (CT) for preservation in the New England Air Museum

A "Tophatters" Tomcats blasts away from Volkel air base during exercise Volkit.

A "Tophatter" full after-burner at the runway of Volkel during exercise Volkit.

Kept at Miramar prior to respray and transfer to the USS Midway museum in nearby San Diego.

In the markings of VF-101 "Grim Reapers", the US Navy's Atlantic Fleet Readiness Squadron (FRS).

At the International Air Tattoo. 159434 was the 100th Tomcat built and was last noted at AMARC in 1997.

VF-103 aircraft

Being restored for display at the Valiant Air Command museum.

This VF-24 was photographed in August 1987 during its landing at homebase NAS Miramar (CA). The Fighting Renegades transitioned from F-8 Crusader to the F-14A Tomcat and received their first aircraft on 9 December 1975 and swapped the Alpha for Bravo's in April 1989. The squadron was eventually disestablished on 31 August 1996.

A Fighter Squadron 24 "Checkertails" F-14A during a steep approach to homebase NAS Miramar (CA). The VF-24 bird (F-14A-Block 85-GR) was the 15th F-14A that was remanufactured to F-14D, as a result it received the designation F-14D(R). The Tomcat was stricken with VF-31 on 13 January 1995 when it was involved in a mid-air collision with F-14D 164340 over the Pacific Ocean, south of San Diego. The crew was rescued by a SH-60F from HS-8 and a nearby operating US Marine Corps CH-53E.

Several US Navy aircraft were flown into Leeuwarden to act as opponents for the FWIT students. This Tomcat is now resting at AMARC.

Turning to short final, unit is VF-1, which applied nice high-vis colours to this Tomcat.

VF143. During the 1996 Fighter Weapons Instructor Training (FWIT) at Leeuwarden.

A permanent test Tomcat for the Naval Air Warfare Center-Weapons Division at its homebase Point Mugu. This F-14B (Block 150, FY 1987) was delivered to the US Navy in 1989 and served from the early 90s within the Test and Evaluation community. Since the mid 90s, BuNo 163223 was used as the F-14B Avionics Upgrade Prototype and was therefore specially wired and configured. It received an N in its type designation to make it clear that this aircraft was not suitable for regular carrier deployments as it deviates from normal standard F-14s. The NF-14B was scrapped at AMARG in July 2007.

VF-41, NAS Oceana, VA. To AMARC as 1K0157 August 17, 2004. Struck off charge April 20,2005.