December 21st marks the 50th Anniversary of the F-14 Tomcat's first flight!   We have a number of activities to commorate the day, but the 50th will be celebrated all year long with monthly installments (more details to come).  

Be sure to join us on Monday, Dec 21st, as we join our friends at thehangardeck.com for the first in a series of Tomcat videos. An early preview will be available on Sunday, Dec 20, as well. All of the details can be found at THEHANGERDECK.COM.

Fine print:

1. The 50% discount applies only to Tomcat prints (they have many aircraft types available, but the discount is only for the F-14).
2. Discount is only valid on Monday, December 21st, 2020 (all time zones).
3. These make great holiday presents for the Tomcat fanatic in your life, but given the late date of the event (Dec 21), there is no way prints will be delivered by Dec 25th.

The coveted 50th Anniversary patches are now available for purchase! Visit our partners at AV8RSTUFF.COM to pick-up this limited issue patch. A portion of the proceeds from each patch comes back to help fund F-14 Tomcat Association activities. We appreciate your support!

Get yours at our F-14 Tomcat Association Country Store:  https://av8rstuff.com/TApatches.html

 Thanks to Whitey at AV8RSTUFF.COM for working to get these patches available!  The 50th logo was designed by Bill Barto, our Association Historian.  

Check back for more info on our virtual event celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the F-14's first flight.  The event will take place on Dec 21, 2020.  More details to come!

Registration is now open!  Please visit https://www.acompletereunion.com/f-14-tomcat to download the brochure and reserve your spot today.  We have an amazing agenda planned - be sure to read more about it in the brochure.

Dear Tomcat Community,

I hope you are well during our journey to the new COVID-19 normal.  Please read the entire message, but I’ll get straight to the most important topic – Reunion 2020.  Your board of directors has decided to delay the reunion and celebration of the 50^th anniversary of the first flight of the Tomcat until April or May of 2021.  We want to have a first class event that everyone can enjoy, and travel to the Long Island area in August simply wasn’t going to allow as many people to participate as this noteworthy milestone deserves.  I can promise you that we are working hard to re-create an event that you will want to participate in next spring. 

What Is Happening With The F-14 Monument

The Tomcat Monument will be installed in the Naval Aviation Monument Park on the Virginia Beach Boardwalk during the day on TUES 30 June.

They have tentatively rescheduled the official Dedication Ceremony for Wednesday, 30 September 2020 with the Happy Hour on Tuesday, 29 September 2020, dependent on future travel restrictions in place.   Information on both events will be posted as soon as possible to aid in travel plans.

Interesting Tomcat Web Sites

F-14 Monument Association -- https://tomcatmonument.org/

Home of M.A.T.S. by Torsten Anft -- http://www.anft.net/f-14/index.htm

F-14 Facebook Page -- https://www.facebook.com/groups/f14association/

What Is Happening With The Board Of Directors

Marc Arnold has joined the Board as the Central Maintainer Representative position.  Marc was an AE2 with VF-1 from 1978 - 1980 and participated in the squadron’s ‘78 WestPac cruise aboard Enterprise and their ‘80-81 cruise aboard Ranger. After active duty, he was employed with Northrop Grumman and retired from a long and productive career in aerospace.  Please join me in welcoming Marc to the Board. 

We are actively seeking candidates for the role of President and Vice President.  If interested, please reach out to me at either:

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 The current Board of Directors is:

Captain Mike "Rabies" Rabens (USN Ret.) - President

Captain Mark "Beaver" Swaney (USN Ret.) - Vice President

Don Bowsher - Secretary

Captain Rob "Udog" Underwood (USNR) - Treasurer

Captain Jim "Crunch" Hineline (USN) - Fleet Representative

Dave "Hey Joe" Parsons - East Coast Representative

Commander Bryan "Spot" Kust (USN Ret.) - West Coast Representative

AMS2 Mike O'Brien - Maintainer Representative, West

AMS2 Tim Daugherty - Maintainer Representative, East

AE2 Marc Arnold - Maintainer Representative, Central

Historian – William “Bill” Barto, Grumman

Summary 

There you have it.  Please send us ideas, feedback, and articles for publication on the Association web page:  http://www.f-14association.com/.  And please consider volunteering for a position on the Board – we are looking for officers and creative people to help with communications, event planning and execution, outreach, etc.  Bottom line -- we need you to keep the Association moving forward and growing.  Many thanks.  

Respectfully, 

Mike “Rabies” Rabens

President, F-14 Tomcat Association

Always, Baby

Please check-out this special update release of Tomcat News!   Members of the F-14 Tomcat Association can access the newsletter from the Newsletter link (under the "Members Only" menu).