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JOE DAVIES HERITAGE AIRPARK AT PALMDALE PLANT 42

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F-14 Tomcat

Aircraft at the Joe Davies Heritage Airpark at Palmdale Plant 42

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A/C SN	164350
Date Acquired:	October 2006
Acquired From:	US Navy (Loan)
Displayed:	December 2006

History

Built by Grumman Corp. (now Northrop Grumman Corp.), the F-14 Tomcat spent more than 30 years in service. The fighters were officially retired on Sept. 22.

Palmdale's specimen arrived from Fighter Squadron Three One (VF-31) at Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia.

For pilot Lt. Cmdr. David "Superfly" Faehnle the flight was a cause for powerful emotions. "It's sad, saying goodbye to an old friend," he said. "I spent a lot of my life sitting up in that cockpit. It's been my office."

September 2005, the Tomcatters deployed for the final Tomcat deployment aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71).

Returning home from the last ever F-14 deployment on March 10, 2005, VF-213 and VF-31 joined 22 F-14D for a historic fly-in over the skies of NAS Oceana, Virginia.

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