F-14 Tomcat Callsign

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Member for

19 years 7 months

Posts: 25

Hello Guys,

Can someone help me with the following callsigns, of these (old) F-14 Squadrons. You can also send me and personal E-mail.
Many thanks in advance.............

VX-30 ????: Callsign ??
VX-23 ????: Callsign ??
VF-1486 Fighting Hobos: Callsign ??
VF-1485 ????: Callsign ??
VF-1285 Fighting Fubijars: Callsign ??

Many thanks on forehand.
Best Regards, Ramon

Original post

Member for

19 years 4 months

Posts: 13

VX-30 Bloodhounds…Tac callsign Bloodhound

Member for

21 years

Posts: 443

Hi Ramon,

Although I'm quite interested in the US Navy and Tomcats, I have never heard of VF-1485, VF-1486 or VF-1285.

Can you tell us anything about them? Like when they existed or where they were based?

Somehow, these do not look like real US Navy squadrons to me. Could they be fictional squadrons made up for movies, TV series or books?

Cheers, Transall.

Member for

19 years 7 months

Posts: 25

Hi Ramon,

Although I'm quite interested in the US Navy and Tomcats, I have never heard of VF-1485, VF-1486 or VF-1285.

Can you tell us anything about them? Like when they existed or where they were based?

Somehow, these do not look like real US Navy squadrons to me. Could they be fictional squadrons made up for movies, TV series or books?

Cheers, Transall.

Hello Transall,

No, the squadrons where quite real squadrons ;)
The VF-1285 existed from 1980 (?) - 1994 (?) and they flew a mix of VF301 and VF302 F-14's before they where disasteblished.
The VF-1485 existed from 1980 - 1994 (?) and flew with VF-142 F-14's
And last bud not least.. ;) .......the VF-1486 existed from 1980 - early 1990s and was provided with F-14's from the VF-101 squadron......

Hope this helps, if other info known, please let me know.
Best regards, Ramon :D

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 1,316

They aren't "squadrons" in the true sense of the word:

CNO direction was issued in March 1983 to establish VF-1486 as a SAU for support of Naval Atlantic Fleet F-14 fighter squadrons. Since establishment on 1 October 1983, the command mission was to provide ground, simulator and flight training for Reserve aircrews and maintenance training to Reserve enlisted personnel in order to provide combat-ready personnel to augment fleet squadrons during mobilization. VF-1486 used assets provided by VF-101, the East Coast Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS), as well as those of the fleet squadrons.

SAU = Squadron Augment Unit

I had squadron visits with VF-301 and 302 at NAS Miramar in 1990 and again in 1993 (some of you will have seen a few of the photos I took on this forum) and it was explained how this arrangement for reservists worked in practice.

Have a look at VFA-125's SAU page for a pretty comprehensive idea of the concept behind training naval reservist aviators:

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/navy/vfa-125-sau.htm

Best regards

Steve Rush ~ Touchdown-News

Edited (addition): this also explains things a little more:

VF-1485 was a squadron augment unit at NAS Miramar that came under the control of Naval Air Reserve Detachment (NARDet) Miramar in the 1980s (and possibly into the early '90s). The "squadron" consisted of pilots, NFOs and possible some maintenance troops that provided support to VF-124 on one weekend a month, plus the aircrew were obligated to fly at least 48 other four-hour periods (called "drills") during the year. This, plus a two-week active duty stint each year.

The squadron had no aircraft, but flew VF-124's aircraft. They were interchangable with VF-124's staff, and they provided instructor support for the training squadron.

As a matter of interest, up until 1984, there was also a VF-1285 at Miramar that flew with VF-301 and VF-302 in those squadrons' F-4s, but was disbanded when the Reserves transitioned to the Tomcat in 1984.

From: http://www.anft.net/f-14/f14-squadron-vf1485.htm

Member for

19 years 7 months

Posts: 25

They aren't "squadrons" in the true sense of the word:

SAU = Squadron Augment Unit

I had squadron visits with VF-301 and 302 at NAS Miramar in 1990 and again in 1993 (some of you will have seen a few of the photos I took on this forum) and it was explained how this arrangement for reservists worked in practice.

Have a look at VFA-125's SAU page for a pretty comprehensive idea of the concept behind training naval reservist aviators:

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/navy/vfa-125-sau.htm

Best regards

Steve Rush ~ Touchdown-News

Edited (addition): this also explains things a little more:

From: http://www.anft.net/f-14/f14-squadron-vf1485.htm

Hello steve,

Thanks for your help, this will explain a lot for me.
I can new procede on my new webite..... ;)

Thanks again, Ramon

Member for

19 years 7 months

Posts: 25

F-14 Tomcat Photographs wanted!!!!!!!!!!!

Hello all,

Maybe someone can help me with this one. For my F-14 website.......
I'm searching for photographs of the F-14, from the followinbg squadrons. I searched allready the web, but I'm searching for some photographs from private collections, that you are maybe willing to share. Every photograph will be provided with the right credits and Copyrights. And that is also the reason that I dont copy paste them from the internet.

1) The first F-14 Tomcats, and the first flights.
2) Photos from the Project 303.
3) VF-103 Jolly Rogers/Sluggers squadron, with the VF-103 Markings on it from the "Sluggers" time.
4) And more photographs are needed of the VF-33 (Starfighters) and the VF-114 (Aardvarks) squadrons.

Hope to hear from you soon. Reply's can also be done via my mail.

Many thanks in advance.
Best Regards, Ramon

Member for

21 years

Posts: 443

Thanks, guys.

One can always learn something new. :)

Ramon, is your Tomcat website available yet? Will that be a part of the scorpion website or an entirely independant site?

Best regards, Transall.

Member for

19 years 7 months

Posts: 25

Thanks, guys.

One can always learn something new. :)

Ramon, is your Tomcat website available yet? Will that be a part of the scorpion website or an entirely independant site?

Best regards, Transall.

Hello Transall,

The Tomcat website will be a independant website. And has nothing to do with the Scorpion website. The Scorpion website is started by me, because I love to photograph military aircraft (fighters. :D ). And the Tomcat website is not online. You can visit the adres at http://www.F-14.net.
I hope I will be finished around April/May 2005, with abig database and everything you wanna know about the Tomcat. I started this one, because I find the Tomcat the greatest fighter ever build........... ;) .

If you have any info or photographs than please contact me.
Best Regards, Ramon.