Mike Guardia > Quotes

“In what became known as Operation Frequent Wind, the F-14 provided aerial cover for the hasty rescue, evacuating civilians from the wrath of North Vietnam. The rescue operation was a multi-pronged approach, including evacuations by sea and air. As it turned out, naval helicopters from the US Seventh Fleet performed most of the evacuations—making Frequent Wind the largest helicopter rescue mission in history.”
― Mike Guardia, Tomcat Fury: A Combat History of the F-14

“The F-14 Tomcat made its inaugural test flight on December 21, 1970—a mere twenty-two months after Grumman won the VFX contract.”
― Mike Guardia, Tomcat Fury: A Combat History of the F-14

“AWG-9 radar—an all-weather, multi-mode Doppler system. It was the most advanced radar system of its day and could simultaneously track up to twenty-four targets at a range of 195 miles.”
― Mike Guardia, Tomcat Fury: A Combat History of the F-14

“While tracking these twenty-four targets, the AWG-9 could engage six of them at once, launching the AIM-54 Phoenix missiles. Thus, the F-14 Tomcat became the first fighter jet with the ability to engage multiple targets simultaneously.”
― Mike Guardia, Tomcat Fury: A Combat History of the F-14

“These new variants were given to a handful of Tomcat squadrons, including Squadron VF-2 “Bounty Hunters”, VF-11 “Red Rippers”, and VF-31 “Tomcatters.”
― Mike Guardia, Tomcat Fury: A Combat History of the F-14

“From 1969-91, a total of 712 F-14s were built. More than 160 were destroyed in accidents.”
― Mike Guardia, Tomcat Fury: A Combat History of the F-14

“In 1989, then-Defense Secretary Dick Cheney opted for a $25 million modernization program,”
― Mike Guardia, Tomcat Fury: A Combat History of the F-14

“The following day, another Strike Eagle was fired upon by an Iraqi air defense gun. The F-15E quickly returned the favor by dropping a 500-pound GBU-12 bomb.”
― Mike Guardia, Wings of Fire: A Combat History of the F-15

“Unfortunately for Broce and McElraft, despite having called “Recorder on!,” both crewmen had forgotten to insert a tape into the flight recorder, meaning that there had been no video footage of the altercation.”
― Mike Guardia, Tomcat Fury: A Combat History of the F-14

“Tomcat pilots derisively called the TF30 “The Little Engine That Couldn’t.”
― Mike Guardia, Tomcat Fury: A Combat History of the F-14

“the Tomcats assigned to support the MNF conducted daily Tactical Airborne Reconnaissance Pod System (TARPS) missions. The TARPS system was a 17-foot pod containing multiple, highly-sophisticated cameras carried on the plane’s starboard side, between the engine nacelles.”
― Mike Guardia, Tomcat Fury: A Combat History of the F-14

“After this encounter, and despite being a US ally, the Italian government alerted Libya of the incoming attack. Whatever their motives may have been, the Italians succeeded in alerting Gaddafi at his Bab al-Aziziya residence only minutes before the F-111s arrived.”
― Mike Guardia, Tomcat Fury: A Combat History of the F-14

“Initial Deployment – Operation Frequent Wind”
― Mike Guardia, Tomcat Fury: A Combat History of the F-14

“Moscow billed the Japanese government $20 million for the cost of the MiG. The Japanese, in turn, responded with a $40,000 bill for their crating services and the cost to repair the runway at Hakodate. Neither bill was ever paid.”
― Mike Guardia, Foxbat Tales: The MiG-25 in Combat

“Taking off from the USS Theodore Roosevelt on February 8, 2006, pilots Captain William G. Sizemore from VF-213, and Lieutenant Bill Frank from VF-31, flew the final F-14 combat mission.”
― Mike Guardia, Tomcat Fury: A Combat History of the F-14

“Kleeman, Muczynski, nor their RIOs expected this engagement to devolve into a dogfight. Collectively, they expected this to be just another “close encounter”—perhaps with a photo opportunity and a good round of colorful hand gestures. Muczynski even told Anderson to get his camera ready.”
― Mike Guardia, Tomcat Fury: A Combat History of the F-14

“The FAC talked them onto an enemy mortar position—which the F-15Es promptly silenced with a GBU-12.”
― Mike Guardia, Wings of Fire: A Combat History of the F-15

“The F-14D was the final variant—known as the “Super Tomcat.”
― Mike Guardia, Tomcat Fury: A Combat History of the F-14

“Most of these encounters with Soviet reconnaissance flights passed without incident. Some encounters were even humorous, as the pilots of either aircraft would make faces at one another or exchange colorful hand gestures.”
― Mike Guardia, Tomcat Fury: A Combat History of the F-14

“In fact, for all F-14s that were powered by the TF30, more than 28% of accidents were caused by engine failure.”
― Mike Guardia, Tomcat Fury: A Combat History of the F-14

“After this encounter, and despite being a US ally, the Italian government alerted Libya of the incoming attack. Whatever their motives may have been, the Italians succeeded in alerting Gaddafi at his Bab al-Aziziya residence only minutes before the F-111s arrived. The Libyan leader barely escaped with his family.”
― Mike Guardia, Tomcat Fury: A Combat History of the F-14

“It seemed that the naval aviation community hadn’t considered the likelihood of an F-14 engaging a helicopter. Thus, when McElraft radioed confirmation of Broce’s kill, he reported: “Uh, splash one, uhhhh…helicopter!”
― Mike Guardia, Tomcat Fury: A Combat History of the F-14

“The US Department of Defense subsequently awarded Grumman the final contract on January 14, 1969.”
― Mike Guardia, Tomcat Fury: A Combat History of the F-14

“Thus, the plane to which they had jokingly called “Tom’s Cat,” officially became the F-14 Tomcat.”
― Mike Guardia, Tomcat Fury: A Combat History of the F-14

“the Department of Defense set the Tomcat’s official retirement date for September 22, 2006.”
― Mike Guardia, Tomcat Fury: A Combat History of the F-14