An F-14D Tomcat, aircraft number 100, assigned to the 'Tomcatters' of Fighter Squadron Three One (VF-31) makes a near supersonic fly-by above the flight deck of USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) in the Atlantic Ocean, July 28, 2006. The Tomcat, built to protect the fleet from Soviet bombers, took its last flight off an aircraft carrier on Friday, closing one of the final chapters in its 32-year history.
It's still a formidable foe. I watched a show on the aircraft and ship boneyards the other day, really interesting. Lots of B1's, F-15's, F-16's, F-4s and what not. Some of the aircraft are there for temporary storage, kept in a manner where they can be ready to go PDQ, others used for parts, and then finally total scrapping. Really interesting.
