10-12-2006, 02:10 PM
Oh, and I seriously doubt that any of the retiring F-14's is going to be scrapped totally for quite a few years...
I visited Davis-Monthan once, about 10 years ago... they keep retired aircraft in "reactivatable" condition for a VERY long time after they are pulled from service.
When I was there, they had dozens of F-4 Phantoms (retired in the mid 80's), and more B-52's than I could count (the B-52 isn't retired, but they were keeping ones built in the early 50's at Davis-Monthan).
They also had F-8 Crusaders (the plane my father flew for the Navy), and they were retired in the mid 70's!
By now, the F-8's and F-4's are probably gone... But the F-14's will be "subject to recall" for a decade or so...
I visited Davis-Monthan once, about 10 years ago... they keep retired aircraft in "reactivatable" condition for a VERY long time after they are pulled from service.
When I was there, they had dozens of F-4 Phantoms (retired in the mid 80's), and more B-52's than I could count (the B-52 isn't retired, but they were keeping ones built in the early 50's at Davis-Monthan).
They also had F-8 Crusaders (the plane my father flew for the Navy), and they were retired in the mid 70's!
By now, the F-8's and F-4's are probably gone... But the F-14's will be "subject to recall" for a decade or so...