Paddles

F-18 flys like a Porsche 911 drives, very nimble, light and quick. In general turns a little tighter than the F-14 but not as fast.

F-14 flys like a Corvette drives. A big, very powerful muscle car. Not as nimble, but still pretty agile for a large titanium beast.

Both very fun to fly in their own way!

LvgTHEDream

Well, since this post opened the last F-14 flight has occured. At least close to it. So I guess the discussion is "History"

Paddles

Lvg,

You are right, the only flights left for the proud kitty is to museums and the desert boneyard. Sad day!

tomgoodman

Some F-14s might show up at Pax River or NASA/Dryden. Flight test organizations occasionally find a use for "retired" airplanes, since major commands are reluctant to give up "front line" assets.

Skygirl

Maybe they should bring some F-14's to Fleet Week next week and have a few little match up flights for our viewing pleasure.

ToiletDuck

According to many of my airforce guys they all say the israli AF is the best. I don't believe the US is the absolute best. We look more for saftey in numbers I think. While other coutries with less planes let each pilot fly them more. No doubt in all out war Israel would lose. But 1v1 I've heard in general they are better. Or trained more at least. Who cares anyway they'd just nuke whoever fought em.

ctd57

Who exactly do you fly with in the AF, and do those guys have any personal experience? I never heard any talk like that when I was in the Navy. In fact, we use to train alot of their pilots and navs.

RedeyeAV8r

Who are you the Secratary of the Airforce?? Just kidding.

The Israelis's are the Best pilots in that Reigon. (Except for the Brits who are mercenaries for many Mid East nations)

They are very good at what they do........"Defend Israel from their Hostile neighbors".

Pilot for Pilot......."your" typical US fighter Pilot (Even an Air Force one ) is better trained, better equipped and now has more combat experience, which wasn't the case when I was in.

LvgTHEDream

There are some great Tomcat photos/videos in the "Your Photos" thread. Just thought it was pertinent since the F-14 is gone. Sad thing is, that's coming from a Hornet guy

calcapt

Remember the F-14 was designed as an interceptor to deliver the Phoenix missile. It's characteristics are quite different than the Hornets. When we (the F-14 guys) would fight the early Hornets, the common tactic was to get them in a vertical fight and run them out of gas. When they bugged out for home (more gas) we would shoot them in the a$$. That worked reasonably well until the Super Hornets came along and gas management was not such a big issue. The Hornets are technically superior to the F-14 as a fighter, but the pilots capabilities have a great deal to do with who lives and who dies. Regardless of it's fighting shortfalls, the Tomcat was a bad a$$ machine. About the Israeli pilots: While at Topgun in mid 80's there were two Israeli crews flying the Kfir who were invited to attend Topgun as students. I recall one day flying out through the desert east of San Diego thinking how $hit hot I was flying at 400 knots 200 feet off the ground. Out of the corner of my eye I caught a blur that turned out to be one of the Israeli Kfirs flying by from right to left at the same 400 knots - under me! I don't know how good they are but their balls are clearly bigger than mine. I agree with others here, I'm gonna miss the ol' lady!