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It's great to see a retired Tomcat driver interviewed for this article. For those unaware, the F-14 was featured in Top Gun and is an absolutely iconic aircraft
by rl3 2y ago
It's great to see a retired Tomcat driver interviewed for this article. For those unaware, the F-14 was featured in Top Gun and is an absolutely iconic aircraft that's no longer flying [in the US military].
That pilot's quote sets the stage in a way that confers an almost timeless quality.
- gukov 2y agoThat quote can be applied to so many areas in life. Also, a Tomcat “driver?” Is that a thing?
- alabastervlog 2y ago> Also, a Tomcat “driver?” Is that a thing? Air Force nerd slang. [edit] and I guess also naval aviator slang if they use it, too.
- defrost 2y agoOh, yeah .. humble brag from one side, dragging on show ponies from the other. https://old.reddit.com/r/aviation/comments/p2joju/whats_the_backstory_of_pilots_referring_to/ https://old.reddit.com/r/aviation/comments/p2joju/whats_the_... There is no military position immune to dragging.
- rl3 2y ago>That quote can be applied to so many areas in life. Couldn't agree more. >Also, a Tomcat “driver?” Is that a thing? Yup: https://www.quora.com/I-am-told-that-an-F-15-pilot-was-called-an-Eagle-Driver-Were-pilots-of-other-aircraft-Falcon-Drivers-or-Tomcat-Drivers-or-did-they-have-other-nicknames https://www.quora.com/I-am-told-that-an-F-15-pilot-was-calle... To qualify, my usage of the term was intended with nothing but respect. It also sounds cool as hell (IMHO), in similar vein to "gunslinger".
- RobRivera 2y agoYes
- red-iron-pine 2y ago> Also, a Tomcat “driver?” Is that a thing? yes. F-14s were 2-seater cockpits and there was a radar/weapons officer and a pilot. one person drove the bus and the other honked the horn.
- dttze 2y agoIran still flies F-14s.
- rl3 2y agoGood point. Updated my original comment, thanks. In fact, they made the news a couple weeks ago: https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/us-spy-drone-retreats-near-iranian-airspace-nournews-says-2025-03-17/ https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/us-spy-drone-retre... It's admittedly bizarre to have our old aircraft operated by a foreign adversary that's supposedly intercepting our newer, unmanned aircraft.
- cess11 2y agoIs it really bizarre, though? Between 1953 and 1979 Iran was a US vassal dictatorship, I think it would have been more bizarre for the revolutionaries to destroy the military equipment they came in possession of. The "spy drone" is likely MQ-9, which is large, slow and somewhat clunky, and routinely shot down by the Yemeni Air Force.
- light_hue_1 2y ago> Between 1953 and 1979 Iran was a US vassal dictatorship This is nonsense. You should read a history of Iran or at least the wikipedia page. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohammad_Reza_Pahlavi https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohammad_Reza_Pahlavi Reza played the powers against one another. At times the US dictated what happened. At times Reza had more leverage and dictated terms to the US. It certainly was not a US vassal and did plenty of things that annoyed the US. Heck, the US didn't even control the oil industry in Iran, Britain did.