When introduced, the Grumman F-14 Tomcat set new standards for maneuverability and controllability, making it a great dogfighter.

On this episode, a renowned Tomcat driver describes those capabilities and goes further, providing valuable insights on topics from flying skills to US Navy training programs.

Retired US Navy Captain Sam “Slammer” Richardson takes us from his early days in pilot training to his time as the CO of the F-14 training squadron (aka the RAG), where he flew A-model Tomcats and won dogfights against student pilots in D models to teach them how to be better pilots. A former TOPGUN instructor, Slammer shares his thoughts on learning that “trick maneuver,” how to become a good Tomcat pilot, and launching the program that changed Navy F-14 training. He also debriefs his famous engagement where he gunned a MiG-29 (in training).

With more than 2,700 F-14 flight hours, Slammer says, “The Tomcat was an easy airplane to fly, but hard to fly well.”