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F-14 Farewell Tour 2006

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FARMINGDALE:
One of Long Island’s favorite sons, the venerable, Grumman-built F-14 Tomcat, said one last goodbye June 16, 2006 in an emotional ceremony at the American Airpower Museum at Republic Airport.

After landing earlier in the week for the public to get a last glimpse of the Calverton-built fighter, today’s event was limited to Northrop Grumman employees and family. Many on hand were former Grumman employees, part of the original program group which built 712 F-14’s in total.

The two planes were part of the last flying squadron of F-14s, and are to
be retired by the U.S. Navy in September. They will be replaced by the
F/A-18 Hornet, a fighter plane built by Northrop Grumman rival - McDonnell Douglas.

After Northrop Grumman, Congressional and museum officials gave their final speeches, four active duty U.S. Navy pilots suited up and took the controls
of the F-14s.

Prior to their 150-knot departure on runway C, the two Tomcats dipped their noses forward, bowing to the crowd that built them.

The spectators returned the gesture, saluting and applauding the
mechanical warriors.

The two jets then took off into the westerly wind, and made a sweeping turn to the east over the crowd, disappearing towards the South Shore in seconds.

Then, doing their best "Top Gun" impersonation, the two F-14s returned over the crowd at a blistering pace and climbed unrestricted to 1,500 feet, using their full after-burners.

“That’s Long Island power,” one man exclaimed, whose father was an executive on the program for 17 years.

The performance was deafening. Dozens of car alarms in their flight path went off simultaneously.

As the two jets disappeared from view en route to NAS Oceana, Virginia Beach, all that was left was the memory of their last visit and the stories of the men and woman who built them.

NAS Oceana Air show is Sept. 8-10 and will have static F-14, and
maybe more. NSA Oceana "Tomcat Sunset" set for Sept. 20-23.