Navy Top Gun Pilot Grant Begley shares personal stories and provides a walk-around of the F-14 Tomcat at the Western Museum of Flight. Produced by Jarel & Betty Wheaton for Peninsula Seniors www.pvseniors.org
Thanks for the great video. Unfortunately though, I find that one of the most exhilarating chapters of the combat life of the F-14 has gone very much unnoticed. The performance of the F-14 in the 8 year-long Iran/Iraq war (1980-88) has received almost zero attention and study by the Tomcat enthusiasts and community. In that war, the F-14 went head to head in hundreds of sorties and battles against the Iraqi flown Russian MIG and the French Mirage. There is however, a great book on that subject, titled 'IRANIAN F-14 TOMCAT IN COMBAT' (2004.) The Tomcat proved its absolute superiority over every other fighter aircraft, with some impressive numbers and facts. The Tomcat is one more reason why America is Great.
This man is not only a excellent pilot but also excellent teacher and storyteller... Almost hypnotic, I wanted just to see couple of seconds and on end stayed to watch entire "class" 😁
My dad assembled and painted a scale model of a Tomcat when I was maybe 4 or 5 years in the 1970's and it has been my favorite aircraft of all time. I've learned so many new things in this video. Outstanding. I appreciate it.
Beautifully and professionally done. It couldn't be better than this. I loved it. Thank you sir for your service to the nation and off course your service to the audience. A brilliant effort indeed.
Mr. Grant Begley thank you for a great presentation of the F-14 enjoyed your story in respect to honor you as a veteran it's great to hear from veterans like you, and remember the things you did and now you share with your memories with others now on video, thank you for your time. When veterans share there stories on record it's stays in history, but what would be better veterans like go up flying again in the airplanes that is remembered and have the honor to back up again for a joy ride or flying to the airshow Oshkosh Wisconsin.
Fantastic presentation. I love his harrowing carrier stories. Such an exciting thing to hear to showcase the intended design of the plane. I'm going to watch this again :)
Wonderful video, sir. I love the F14 and wish I had the chance to work on it. I was an engine mechanic and worked on F-15, F-16, and T-38 aircraft engines in the Air Force. Just wanted to mention that a small mistake with the engine class of the GE-F110, as they power F-16s too; The -110 is also a low bypass turbofan engine like the original TF-30, but was simply designed to be a little tougher. Someone else has probably already mentioned this, and I looked briefly in the comments but could find none, so I hope you don't mind. Thank you very much for your service and for sharing your experiences with us on this beautiful airplane.
this is one top quality piece of posting, CAN NOT thank the Peninsula Seniors enough for this video as well as the pilots candid professionalism and integrity, thumbs up and subscribed from Jacksonville, Florida. Thanks Again!
Interesting anecdote. A "friendly" engagement (since F-14s and F-15s were on the same side during the AIMVAL/ACEVAL against rival fighters) of 2 F-14s vs 2 F-15 during the AIMVAL/ACEVAL evaluations in 1978, resulted in both F-15 being shutdown in close range gunfire by the 2 F-14s.
Yes, AIMVAL/ACEVAL was with F-14A and F-15A/B versions. Both with P&W engines. Not only did the F-14 outperform the F-15 in dogfights, it had a better kill ratio against the F-5E with a 2.55:1 compared to 1.79:1 for the F-15A/B
My god, surviving an idle no hook is a miracle. One of a handful. Thank you for sharing your stories and knowledge of the F-14. The F-14 was a childhood favorite of mine, along with the B-1. Swept wings are so cool 😎.
Huge thanks for this incredible and ongoing series of talks! But HEY... What's this GORGEOUS music at the beginning and the end of every show? Greetings from Germany!
Wow, thank you for this lecture! So interesting. You taught me alot. Such an impressive and sexy plane, it must have been one of the highlights in your life!
Little did I know that after hating Top Gun in '86 and desmiss it as a wimpy girl movie I would fall in love with the F-14 all these years after. Great video. Seasons Greetings from Portugal.
This is awesome! I love all airplanes, both civil and military. The Tomcat though was always a special airplane to me. She's so big and intimidating and sexy. Don't make 'em like that anymore. Worthy successor to the legendary Phantom.
A formidable airframe . They're surprisingly large when you get to see them up close . Thanks to the many men and women that, like this gentleman, have and are keeping us safe .
This must be a parted together plane. It's got the old P&W turbofans on it(at least the nozzles) which were from the F-14A but it's got the camera pod on the front which came on later models.
yes but no reason they could not have done a new production of a hundred or more F-14's with all new parts. The F-18 can not do what the F-14 excelled at nor can the F-35.
@Gareth Fairclough F-14A were mostly retired by the early 2000s. The F-14D was heavily updated in the 90s with full glass avionics and the GE-110 engines. They came out in 1996. It was killed by Hornet mafia lobbyists who had Dick Cheney in their pocket. All of the airframes Navy fought tooth and nail to keep in service had less than 10 years of use on them. They wanted to keep the 55 F-14D and have another 60 new one's built. but Dick Cheney would not give what Navy wanted. Navy fought tooth and nail. They were actually NEWER than most Super Hornets that were from 1987. If F-15 and F-16 are still flying, there is no reason why F-14 could not be flying. F-18 itself is 42 year old airframe. No Naval aviator would ever tell you the F-18 could match the F-14 in ANYTHING other than very slow speed, high alpha authority. It was never a replacement for the F-14 and never wil be because it was developed as a multi role with high drag airframe. F-14 was developed in the cold war to win the war at all costs. To take the fight to the MIGs and win at all costs. F-14 was much superior to the F-18 and F-18 Super Hornet in terms of air-to-air capabilities.F-18 had a better roll rate, but F-18 bled energy like a stuck pig. F-14 could roll unloaded even if it rolled slower. F-14 was much faster, accelerated much harder for turn and burn maneuvering and vertical fights, more aerodynamic with lift/drag ratio advantage for high mach speeds, could sustain energy through series of turns much better and had longer range, more payload, could carry much more fuel which means it could stay in full power much longer in a dogfight adding energy in the vertical. As in the words of an F-18/F-14 pilot, "give me an F-14 and a mission, I will run F-18s down all day". That was from an F-18 pilot himself.
@@Littlewing1977 Agreed. As I can name a list of just about every Naval aviator who flew both these planes they would all tell you F-14 was superior in ALL respects except at slow speed with a very high nose AoA maneuvering because the F-18 had no AoA restrictor and also had computers to control the airspeed/knots.
He talked about the pucker factor, I cannot think of more stress than landing at night in bad weather and high seas with the carrier blacked out because its in a war zone. Not surprised it has the most stress.
The painting of VF 1 wolfpack and VF 84 looks great too.... Love this eighties decade paintings they say to the anemy you are going to die, and I have no reason to hide from you. 👍🐈.
Joined the Navy became an ABH3 V1 Div crash and smash! all ABs have an affinity for the Tomcats! Big spooky beautiful aircraft! I always thought that the aviators in the f14 squadrons were the coolest dudes on board! In my eyes they were the real cowboys!!! They had that swagger! All of the aviators I met were just different than your everyday black shoes! From the Airboss to our div-o, just great guys! Never once had one talk down or treat me as a "less than". Only respect and real leadership. I know they kinda hate being ships company and can't wait to get back to a squadron! But definitely a different mindset than the surface officers! " Wings of gold balls of brass Naval aviators are truly bad ass"!!!
Ok, I have one issue with this video. He pointed out the glove vanes that come out at mach one being a very important part of flight stability. The glove vanes were initially used for that purpose when the aircraft first came out but it was realized that they were not needed. In the early 1990s the glove vanes were removed from the aircraft and weights were put in to cover the weight loss. I know some people may think that I don't know what I am talking about but I will let you know that I spent 16 years as an Aviation Electrician on the F-14 Tomcat and I was actually in the last U.S. Navy F-14 squadron, I even did the last Med and West Pac cruises with VF-31 Tomcatters and of course I transited to the Super Hornet and I must say please bring the Tomcat back...lol
d3c0y they made love to the A7 tanker, wiggled/ground a$$ into the seat cushion aka princes and the pea syndrome, stuck the landing on the boat. dunno why some kitty drivers were bolter kings. it sure wasnt the birds fault. try an A7 in the dark, in high seas, one power plant,no ab. them boys come in fast and hard in the dark.
This guy has a charisma score of 06. Now that said, its also worth pointing out that he keeps refering to the GE F110 as a turbo jet, but its not, it is in fact a full turbofan engine
So interesting to hear this from a veteran. Serious hardware. Makes me wonder how the f18 goes up against a TC. Likely operating costs for older airframes make it less of a contest. 165knots in 2sec! First time I’ve hear a pilot say it hurts! F35 pilots will be spoiled.
