Sticking with our original plan, this is the 26th and final episode of the F-14 Tomcast season 1. We change it up for this episode, with “Jell-O” Aiello of the Fighter Pilot Podcast interviewing hosts “Crunch” Snyder and “Bio” Baranek. We discuss favorite part of the podcast series, missed opportunities, and more.

In addition, we present the results of the audience poll and hints about the future!

All good things come to an end, and so it was with the Tomcat’s U.S. Navy service. The end came in 2006, when the final Navy F-14 squadron -- VF-31 Tomcatters – shut down their F-14Ds for the last time. There’s a lot more to the story than the Tomcat Sunset ceremony at NAS Oceana and a final flight, such as the final deployment and behind-the-scenes activities that will surprise you.

Our guest is uniquely qualified for this topic, as he was the last commanding officer of VF-31: James “Puck” Howe. (Yes, the squadron continued, but it became VFA-31.)

His accounts of the squadron’s performance and the aircraft’s final months will make you proud to be a Tomcat fan!

Coalition combat returned to Iraq in 2003 with Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). Among U.S. Navy forces were the Bounty Hunters of VF-2, which brought F-14D Tomcats to the fight. This episode goes into detail on the big fighter’s performance in a challenging threat environment.

Our guests are former Tomcat pilot “Grumpy” Kimberly and RIO “Boog” Denneny, who flew demanding missions in OIF and share riveting tales of their experiences. Their opening comments also provide excellent background of the F-14 community in the 1990s and early 2000s.