Tomcat Rio: A Topgun Instructor on the F-14 Tomcat and the Heroic Naval Aviators Who Flew It

by DAVE BARANEK

From Topgun to Squadron Command 

You’re in the cockpit of the legendary F-14 Tomcat fighter, blazing along at twice the speed of sound seven miles above the ocean and the carrier that hurled you off its deck. You’re practicing dogfighting with “aggressors,” guys on your side flying F-16s. You’re patrolling the tense skies above Iraq, and with the push of a button you can launch the 100-mile Phoenix missile that can blow a foe to scrap before you even see him. You are an expert in fighter tactics and aircraft carrier operations, and it all leads to your command of an F-14 fighter squadron of more than three hundred people.

Sounds like a week’s worth of daydreams, but it’s all real-life in the career of Dave “Bio” Baranek, and he shares it with you in the exciting, superbly crafted new book, Tomcat Rio. Dave – callsign “Bio” – pulled his readers into the exciting world of the F-14 and the Navy’s TOPGUN program with his popular books Topgun Days and Before Topgun Days. Now he’s back with the rest of the story, as he reaches the top level of expertise and proves it, not just in graded competitions but also where it counts, where you shoot at them and they shoot at you.

Dave also shares the challenges he faced. A deadly foe called complacency. Learning a whole new mission late in his career. The unexpected trials that come with leading a squadron in the dynamic environment of Naval Aviation. This third volume is full of adventures, lessons, and inspiration. If you are a casual reader, you’ll turn the last page as a dedicated Tomcat fan.

To make it all even more real, Tomcat Rio includes dozens of Bio’s best and most acclaimed photos. Photographer George Hall hailed one shot as “one of the best Tomcat photos ever taken.”

In words and pictures, Bio immerses you in rich detail. He pipes you aboard as a member of an F-14 squadron. You share the camaraderie of Type A personalities. You plan risky missions, going toe-to-toe against America’s most volatile foes. You can almost smell the pungent jet exhaust, almost feel the gut-wrenching G’s of a dogfight, as Tomcat Rio pitches you into the thick of it as only Bio can tell it. Strap in! You’re going for one fantastic ride.

Genres: Aviation, Military Fiction, Nonfiction

360 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 29, 2020

Reviews

[Peter Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best view from the cockpit.

Read a few books on this subject but none so succinctly written for all us ‘wannabe’ pilots and RIO’s as well as those who serve.
If there is one thing I took from this read it’s that Naval Aviators are a very special breed within a force of very special people.
The writing here is so high class and so enthralling which should be surprising given the ‘brainpower (authors word) and experience of this amazing man.
So - if you have ever wondered what ‘makes’ someone want to fly an amazing technical masterpiece at 800 ft / sec and 495 ft off the ground JUST to train to take photos and prove the ability to navigate by ‘dead reckoning’ - pick up Bio’s writing and stand by to be amazed. I know I was.

[Ray Haas · Rating 5 out of 5]

FLY NAVY!

Thank you, Dave, for once again leading us through what is was like to be a frontline Navy fighter pilot. I truly enjoyed you walking us through the good and the bad, the ups and downs, and the unique challenges of that part of
the Navy that goes down to the sea in ships.

[Jon Koebrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good telling of what life as an F-14 pilot was like in the 1980s and 1990s.

[Jan Peter van Kempen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nowadays there is only one way to know what it’s like to fly in a F-14 Tomcat: join the Iranian Air Force and with some luck you get to experience the raw power of this magnificent aircraft. On the other hand: it is unknown how many Iranian Tomcats are still airworthy. If any. The next best thing is enjoy this book. Dave Baranek has almost 2500 hours in the Tomcat as a RIO (the guy in the back). He writes passionately about his years of service with the US Navy, including the deployments to the Persian Gulf in the early ‘90s. Unfortunately, as mentioned above, there are hardly any F-14s left: a handful scattered across some aircraft museums. The rest of them have been thoroughly scrapped to prevent black market dealers smuggling spare parts to Iran…
The only other thing left for lovers of the F-14 Tomcat is to boot your pc and load the Tomcat into a flightsimulator (your best option would be DCS, by the way). Enjoy!

[Urey Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are an enthusiast for naval aviation, you will like this book - I am, and I did. I had hoped for more of an immersion into the F14 Tomcat - how's and why's of its design, strengths and weaknesses of its capabilities, maintenance issues, intricacies of flying it and of career operations. Baranek gives you some of that, but more of a board-brush overview treatment than I had hoped for. So mostly the narrative reads like a career journal, covering the last ten plus years of his career... jobs he had, flights he made, people he worked with... all within the naval air environment. Interesting - fun to read and a good and interesting career of which he is justifiably proud... still, I would like to have learned more in depth about flying the Tomcat in all its various aspects, good and bad.

[Scott Townsend · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great memoir from a Naval Aviator. Great details on the aircraft, squadron life, as well as flying and landing off aircraft carriers. As a photographer the author Commander Baranek took great photos which are shown in the book. As a retired Navy Warrant Officer, although not from the aviation community, this book took me back in time to a different geo-political environment in the 80's and late 90's. Although the aircraft has been retired for many years, aviation technology it so much different in today's fleet. This is a superb book for anybody who is interested in military aviation.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great stories from a man who has been there

I had a great time reading this book. I started it after watching Top Gun Maverick. Not only do you get a story from the back of a Tomcat, but you learn about Navy life on an aircraft carrier as well as other aircraft such as the SR-71. Dave also talks about visiting other countries and working in Washington, D.C. This book is perfect for military history and aviation buffs.

[Ronald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay it's a well written book I enjoyed the story as I did the author's top gun book. However, I was expecting much more technical information about airborne interception techniques, radar usage, and weapon employment in the fleet air defence context. I have no doubt the author still remembers those details but perhaps there is still a gag order. Worth a read for the period covered.

[Ryan Wohldmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

After hearing Bio on the F-14 Tomcast, I knew I had to read his book. His book is a great look into Naval aviation and life on a carrier, as well as the intense training cycles the squadrons must go through while at home.

[Daniel Hutmacher · Rating 4 out of 5]

A interesting read.

I have read and enjoyed his other books. I enjoyed this one as well. Maybe he could try fiction as he is a good writer.

[Richard A Lambing · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good, lots of info.

[Bob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zoomin

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book although at times you need a high level of SA to keep up with the in flight recollections.

[McCoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story on an F-14 Rios life.