Just feeling kind of Tomcatty today…
Oceana’s gate guard….the last Tomcat, BUNO 164604, loaded and prepped for whatever might ail ya…phoenix, sidewinders, 2000 lb bombs. Talk about crashing the party…
The pic is a big un’, so double click for all its Tomcattily-ishness!
Parrothead Jeff // Apr 6, 2010 at 11:41 am
SIERRA HOTEL PINCH
!!!
Thanks for the new desktop wallpaper here at work
I’ve always loved Tomcats – I grew up with them flying overhead – but I also love the Jolly Rogers. One of the best flying scenes ever had those jets in it – think The Final Countdown and Tomcat vs. Zero 
Bill Barto // Apr 6, 2010 at 1:27 pm
Nice paint scheme, only it looks strange with “VFA” on the venrtal fin.
Thanks, Pinch!!!! Great image!!!
Darryl A // Apr 6, 2010 at 6:10 pm
They STILL have that #$%& VFA on the fin??!? I thought you were gonna be on them about that Pinch! Might as well throw a USAF on it too.
Jake the Snake // Apr 7, 2010 at 8:20 am
Please ’splain the chocks & chains.
Just where is it going to go?
Pinch // Apr 7, 2010 at 8:45 am
Jake,
If Winnie the Pooh and his blustery day comes a visiting, I don’t care how heavy you are, if there is a strong enough wind and if you have any sort of aerodynamic profile, you *will* go flying, somehow, somewhere. It may not be far, it may be over onto your back, it may be some other cattywampus position, but given a strong enough wind, you *will* do something.
Unless you are chocked and chained
Mike McWilliams // May 19, 2010 at 3:00 pm
I saw an example of this aerodynamic theory with my Hot Tub cover a few nights ago…
I thought you had to keep Tomcats chained down in case the Iranian Air Force came looking for parts.
Tony Zoroya // Apr 7, 2010 at 9:26 am
The Checkmate Tomcat at Oceana across from the strip club is marked as VFA-211. Kinda wierd but I guess thats who the squadron is now and who takes care of them.
Bill Barto // Apr 7, 2010 at 1:29 pm
Pinch,
Isn’t it the practice to paint the jet in the markings of this year’s winner (whatever trophy that is) ? Since there are no longer any “VF” squads out there, I would educate a guess that this year’s squadron is VFA-103.
Am I close?
Jake the Snake // Apr 7, 2010 at 2:14 pm
So a breeze, less than hurricane force (min. 75 MPH), blowing from a cattywampus direction, is going to “move” a stripped down version of the good ol’ Tomcat, weighing in at roughly (I’m guessing of course) 30-40,000 pounds?
Okay, if you say so……..
And it took you guys how many knots over the deck PLUS the catapult to get aloft??
Just sayin’……….
Kevin // Apr 7, 2010 at 5:22 pm
It looks so…aggressive. That is not in line with the current foreign policy stance of the administration. Won’t be long before they will want to plant a flower bed there spelling out “Peace” or something.
tcfixer // Apr 8, 2010 at 6:59 am
Pinch
Trivia question for ya. Who was the first Squadron to paint the “slab cat” Hint the current aircraft is not the original one placed at the gate.
Kath // Apr 8, 2010 at 3:12 pm
Will never forget — we had a baby shower for a co-worker and one of the gifts included were what we thought of as baby bumpers, to put near the baby in the crib. (Probably wouldn’t be allowed nowadays.)
And when the new mom-to-be’s pilot husband saw them, he said, Oh, baby chocks.
pinch // Apr 8, 2010 at 4:58 pm
Ha!!! That’s funny Kath!