Follow a VF-211 Checkmate F-14 Tomcat around the carrier landing pattern on the USS John C Stennis for day catapults and traps.

You’ve all wanted to do this:  Man up your F-14 Tomcat for day catapult shots and traps.  Sometimes they call it a “Bag-Ex” because you are “bagging traps.” But we will just call it carrier ops so we don’t get in trouble for not doing any “real” training.

Let’s follow this F-14A around the carrier pattern from startup, taxi, catapult shot, overhead break, and trap.  Only to be taken back to Cat I again for another round of fun.  Have a great Saturday!

Here is a blow by blow breakdown of the video.

0:17 RIO Panel shot (notice range scales on the radar–out to 200 nm…Phoenix capable)

0:30 Windmill engine for startup

1:22 F-18C Hornet Shoots off Cat IV

1:45 LSO Calibration of ILARTS camera (Landing Signal Officer’s stand out on the flight deck to calibrate the landing camera–cameo Stump)

1:58 “Hands up” for Arming of Tomcat by Ordnance personnel

2:20 Full control wipe out

2:45 Cat shot stroke down Cat I (Aft view)

3:17 Abeam shot of carrier

3:37 Overhead break into the pattern

4:45 CVN comes into view just past the 45 position in the carrier landing pattern

5:42 Trap! (kudos to those who can tell what wire he caught)

6:25 Taxi into Catapult I

6:35 Weight board roger’d up by RIO, holdback fitting shown by Green shirt

6:55 Director signals “Kneel the aircraft” (3 times…because the LTjg didn’t understand)

7:30 Taxi into shuttle

8:13 Cat Shot!=Freedom.

And that is day carrier ops in a nutshell!

Thanks to former RIO Keith “Virus” Schomig for sharing his video!

Top Photo: An F-14 Tomcat from Fighter Squadron TWO ONE ONE (VF 211 “Checkmates”) launches from the flight deck with afterburners glowing. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate Third Class Lance H. Mayhew, Jr.