There Isn't A Fighter Pilot Alive That Doesn't Wish They Still Flew The F-14 Tomcat

The F-14 Tomcat may be the most pined for military aircraft of a generation. When talking to senior Navy officers we've heard more than once how some admiral is always going on about how much they miss flying the F-14.

They say the F-18 just doesn't compare; the newer Hornet lacks the '14's power, maneuverability and apparently it's simply a whole lot less fun to fly. One officer laughed and told us her admiral goes on about the "F-14 days, like a little girl."

It's nothing new; those first couple thousand flight hours in a fighter likely fail to ever compare with anything else. Perhaps they can't, because the generation before the Tomcat, who flew the F-8 say, the exact same thing about "their" jet.