82Whitey51 Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 Recently declassified, VQ-2 "Sandeman" EF-14A... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Andrew D. the Jolly Rogers guy Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 ....DAAAAANG!!!!!! What can you tell us? Differences from the standard A's?? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ishthe47guy Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 *laughs quietly as the joke is gotten... Whitey, I just watched the vid you did with Bio as a guest at the Pax Museum. As a native NYer, I though I had an accent, lol. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
82Whitey51 Posted January 4, 2017 Author Share Posted January 4, 2017 (edited) 1 hour ago, Ishthe47guy said: *laughs quietly as the joke is gotten... Whitey, I just watched the vid you did with Bio as a guest at the Pax Museum. As a native NYer, I though I had an accent, lol. Haaaaa...thanks man, hey, I try...and I lived and worked in lower Alabama for 6 years, if I had a nickle for every time I was called a "yankee". Bio was interesting to talk to, first guy I ever met who punched out. Edited January 4, 2017 by 82Whitey51 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
82Whitey51 Posted January 4, 2017 Author Share Posted January 4, 2017 Bonus points for anyone that can name what that structure in the background is. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Neptune48 Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 15 minutes ago, 82Whitey51 said: Bonus points for anyone that can name what that structure in the background is. It's an RF antenna. They were used to track Soviet submarine transmissions, among other things. I don't remember the model number, and the bonus points aren't worth the Google search anyway. Bruce Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Andrew D. the Jolly Rogers guy Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 Am I correct in assuming the "EF" designation means it was an experimental Wild Weasel/Iron Hand Tomcat? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
82Whitey51 Posted January 4, 2017 Author Share Posted January 4, 2017 4 minutes ago, Neptune48 said: It's an RF antenna. They were used to track Soviet submarine transmissions, among other things. I don't remember the model number, and the bonus points aren't worth the Google search anyway. Bruce Well, thanks for playing anyway Bruce. In Rota (Spain...), they called it "The Bull Ring". Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Scooby Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 19 minutes ago, Andrew D. the Jolly Rogers guy said: Am I correct in assuming the "EF" designation means it was an experimental Wild Weasel/Iron Hand Tomcat? Yeah, one with a lot of ZAPPING power, Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rex Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 Yup, the good ole "thou shalt not park thine aircraft out of thy sight for more than ten minutes on ye old strange base" version of the Tomcat Quote Link to post Share on other sites
adamitri Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 And here i thought he was talking about the P-3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jay Chladek Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 I don't see anything on this jet to indicate it is anything other than a standard F-14A. The antenna mounts look standard, it has an early IR sensor bulge on the nose and a standard gun mount with gun vent. Are we sure somebody wasn't just having fun zapping it with tail art? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rex Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 That is exactly what happened, Jay. I'll even call Whitey out in public and ask him if since he is a part of the Navair community,,,,,,how many times has he done this to a jet? 1, 2,,10 or 20 times, Whitey? I only got caught twice,,,,,,,,so I deny all other claims of my guilt. Lol, my Uncle keeps forgetting he told me about it, so every couple of holidays he drags out the Poloraid of the Silver Eagle Phantom with Boondockers painted on the Eagle's feet. He did that while with -314, in country, no less. Karma got him, though, his next Phantom squadron was -115, lol. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jay Chladek Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 Those evil paint shop guys. ;) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jay Chladek Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 28 minutes ago, Rex said: I only got caught twice,,,,,,,,so I deny all other claims of my guilt. Lol, my Uncle keeps forgetting he told me about it, so every couple of holidays he drags out the Poloraid of the Silver Eagle Phantom with Boondockers painted on the Eagle's feet. He did that while with -314, in country, no less. Karma got him, though, his next Phantom squadron was -115, lol. Heh heh heh. Looks like this particular bird might have been on either a delivery flight or a check flight and had to divert, given how it lacks anything except for the basic USN markings. Bet it made the Soviets scratch their heads if they ever saw the plane or pictures of it though. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Spook498 Posted January 5, 2017 Share Posted January 5, 2017 21 hours ago, 82Whitey51 said: Well, thanks for playing anyway Bruce. In Rota (Spain...), they called it "The Bull Ring". Or the elephant cage.... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
82Whitey51 Posted January 5, 2017 Author Share Posted January 5, 2017 16 hours ago, Rex said: That is exactly what happened, Jay. I'll even call Whitey out in public and ask him if since he is a part of the Navair community,,,,,,how many times has he done this to a jet? 1, 2,,10 or 20 times, Whitey? I only got caught twice,,,,,,,,so I deny all other claims of my guilt. Lol, my Uncle keeps forgetting he told me about it, so every couple of holidays he drags out the Poloraid of the Silver Eagle Phantom with Boondockers painted on the Eagle's feet. He did that while with -314, in country, no less. Karma got him, though, his next Phantom squadron was -115, lol. By the time I got into the Navy, ('88) "fun" was on it's way to being SECURED. I was even assigned to the paint shop of my first E-2C squadron, and being a Naval Aviation history geek was aware of "zapping" and the rules that apply (i.e., you don't zap a bird that is stationed at the same base as you, etc.). But, actual painting on another squadron or branches aircraft was highly frowned upon by the time I got in. Today, "zapping" consists mainly of slapping a squadron sticker (aka a "zap") on another's aircraft...done that many times, and also a bunch on barroom walls and such. As far as the photo, yeah, it's a zap job courtesy of VQ-2. Not sure of the F-14 itself, the guy who posted it on FB ( P-3 Orion Research Group, https://www.facebook.com/groups/376486919049384/) says 1975 is the date. It is unusual to me that the aircraft has only the factory markings applied, Grumman owned bird still? Aircraft delivery flight stopping in Rota for fuel on the way to...? Airshow demo someplace in Europe? Who knows... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ST0RM Posted January 5, 2017 Share Posted January 5, 2017 Elephant Cage. They had another over on San Vito AS, near Brindisi Italy. I've spent many months there TDY. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TaiidanTomcat Posted January 5, 2017 Share Posted January 5, 2017 2 hours ago, 82Whitey51 said: By the time I got into the Navy, ('88) "fun" was on it's way to being SECURED. I was even assigned to the paint shop of my first E-2C squadron, and being a Naval Aviation history geek was aware of "zapping" and the rules that apply (i.e., you don't zap a bird that is stationed at the same base as you, etc.). But, actual painting on another squadron or branches aircraft was highly frowned upon by the time I got in. Today, "zapping" consists mainly of slapping a squadron sticker (aka a "zap") on another's aircraft...done that many times, and also a bunch on barroom walls and such. As far as the photo, yeah, it's a zap job courtesy of VQ-2. Not sure of the F-14 itself, the guy who posted it on FB ( P-3 Orion Research Group, https://www.facebook.com/groups/376486919049384/) says 1975 is the date. It is unusual to me that the aircraft has only the factory markings applied, Grumman owned bird still? Aircraft delivery flight stopping in Rota for fuel on the way to...? Airshow demo someplace in Europe? Who knows... Talked to a retired squid who spent his first 15 of 20 years pre tail hook scandal, and last 5 years post scandal. Said it was a night[mare] and day difference Quote Link to post Share on other sites
82Whitey51 Posted January 5, 2017 Author Share Posted January 5, 2017 4 minutes ago, TaiidanTomcat said: Talked to a retired squid who spent his first 15 of 20 years pre tail hook scandal, and last 5 years post scandal. Said it was a night[mare] and day difference Oh hell yeah. Talking to people who weren't in the Navy pre Tailhook '91...and they have no clue that it was a good time once. Seems the military as a whole was out of the public eye before all that went down...at least the Navy was. I showed up at a command cookout with a 6 pack of beer one time just before I retired...you'd think I walked in with a dead hooker. Base clubs? Dead. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jay Chladek Posted January 5, 2017 Share Posted January 5, 2017 Hmmmm, 1975. Airshow is a good guess, or perhaps a jet being sent to Iran for an up close and personal inspection perhaps? It is not an IIAF purchased jet (gun vent is wrong) and it doesn't have the asia minor camo pattern. But given the deal was inked in 1974 and considering how one of the Iranian banks at the Shah's urging extended Grumman a line of credit when they were having money troubles, it wouldn't surprise me if an arrangement was made to send a Tomcat that way for inspection perhaps. Only other thing I can think of is an attrition replacement was needed for an air wing at sea, which doesn't make much sense given squadrons are equipped slightly over strength, or perhaps both a jet and a flight crew were needed. Pretty expensive prospect to send a jet over for that though rather than waiting for the carrier to return to port. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TaiidanTomcat Posted January 5, 2017 Share Posted January 5, 2017 2 hours ago, 82Whitey51 said: Oh hell yeah. Talking to people who weren't in the Navy pre Tailhook '91...and they have no clue that it was a good time once. Seems the military as a whole was out of the public eye before all that went down...at least the Navy was. I showed up at a command cookout with a 6 pack of beer one time just before I retired...you'd think I walked in with a dead hooker. Base clubs? Dead. Scandalous! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
FM-Whip Posted January 6, 2017 Share Posted January 6, 2017 On 1/3/2017 at 11:27 PM, 82Whitey51 said: Bonus points for anyone that can name what that structure in the background is. Officially an AN/FLR-9.... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ReccePhreak Posted January 6, 2017 Share Posted January 6, 2017 On 1/3/2017 at 10:51 PM, 82Whitey51 said: Well, thanks for playing anyway Bruce. In Rota (Spain...), they called it "The Bull Ring". In Thailand, we called it "The Elephant Cage". Larry Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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