[singpilot]

It's funny you say that. The only other thing I had ever flown aboard on was a COD. After a few COD traps, the only thing that felt right was an F4 trap.

The Swing Wing guys did say that the launch was softer, and the trap almost anti-climatic.

When the Tomcat first came out, the TF101 engines had a nasty habit of 'unstarting' on spoolup. Meant that after idling, they would spool down rather than up when you called for power. Wide set nacelles, short final, one spools down, nasty yaw, probably still gonna touch the deck, hopefully the hook comes up clean and in time...

No, I was ready to go home. Lots of hairy pics of the F14-A's going in the drink in a 90 degree bank alongside the portside deck. That was the preferred plan if one or both spooled down on short final. Meant a up to 90 degree bank, zero altitude shot on the ejection seats too. Worst case scenario.

The upsides? Two of everything. Built by Grumman. Big. Only three items on the GTFO (Get The F*** Out) list. Utility Hyd Fail. Wings locked / damaged swept. Dual engine fire.

Ran into a Grunt in a BOQ one day in my time ashore once. Most of my squadron was having an adult beverage and bestolling the virtues of Naval Aviation in general and F4's in particular. He was by himself, nursing a beer, silently taking all this in. I went to the head, and he was in there as well. He saw me enter and as we were both reading the graffiti on the trough wall, he said, very quietly... "You know you guys have it all wrong.... " I looked over and, smiling said "Why is that?"

He thought a moment, and said that "he, by himself, was twice as dangerous as our entire squadron."

Of course, I asked why?

He said he had everything he needed to do the Navy's dirty work.

One A4.

One generator.

One engine.

One gun.

One Marine.


He zipped, said 'Semper Fi' and went out the door.

I had to admit, I was speechless.


He and I have traded Squiddy / Grunt jokes for years.