Aim 54a phoenix12/24/2023 ![]() ![]() I can almost feel the plane’s relief as its half-ton, million-dollar hitchhiker roars away with its tail on fire and its radar nose sniffing out the target ahead. And one second later a mighty AIM-54 Phoenix missile drops from the belly of the F-14 Tomcat fighter. My left thumb presses a red button marked LAUNCH. Trying to control the excitement in my voice, I transmit the code words. Tomcat RIO Chapter 1: “1,000-Pound Missile” 15, 2020, at 21.00CET – 15.00ET (you can also watch it later as it will be recorded!). Including the first hand account of “Bio” firing an AIM-54 Phoenix air-to-air missile during an exercise off Southern California that you can find below!Īnd if you are interested in learning more about the F-14, join me and “Bio” on Facebook and Youtube, during our Live chat scheduled on Dec. He’s a photo of him posing on NG-101.ĭogfighting, flying TARPS missions over the Persian Gulf, operating the LANTIRN pod, and taking part in real combat missions in support of Operation Southern Watch: “Tomcat RIO” has everything you want to find in a book about the F-14 and naval aviation. ![]() The book takes you from the F-14 flying days after “Bio” left the Topgun school, all the way to the end of his career as Commander of an F-14 Tomcat Squadron. His third book, released earlier this year and titled “ Tomcat RIO“, completes the trilogy of books about his experience in the Navy flying the Tomcat. We have already talked about “ Top Gun Days” and “ Before Top Gun Days” in the past. He served with VF-24, VF-2 and VF-211 (that he commanded) and was also a Topgun instructor.ĭave is also an accomplished author. Navy for 20 years, spending 7 years, 3 months and 2 days at sea, and flying 2,499.7 F-14 Tomcat flight hours and 688 trap landings (including 249 at night). (All images: Dave "Bio" Baranek) Strap into an F-14 Tomcat’s cockpit along with Tomcat RIO (Radar Intercept Officer) Dave “Bio” Baranek for an AIM-54 missile launch over the Pacific Ocean, 150 miles west of Los Angeles.ĭave “Bio” Baranek is probably the world’s most famous F-14 RIO after “Goose”, the character played by Anthony Edwards in Tony Scott’s original Top Gun movie. One live AIM-54 Phoenix can be seen carried by this F-14 of VF-2 returning to Ranger during 1987 deployment. ![]()
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