Which carriers operated Tomcats and Hornets at same time?

[Stratos 3,192]

I've seen a pic I cannot encounter anymore of a Us carrier full of Tomcats and Hornets, I cannot indetify the carrier but it looked small to me, so my question is, which carriers classes operated both Tomcats and Hornets at the same time? Wondering If I can find the damn photo again!

[+CrazyhorseB34 937]

GONAVY.jp

Got all the answers you seek!

[JediMaster 451]

As far as I know there was never a carrier that had Tomcats that did not have Hornet as wells, at least once the Hornets entered service.

While there were a few older carriers too small to take the 'Cat, I thought they were mostly all gone by the time the Hornet saw widespread adoption anyway. It's not like there were any restrictions, and they served for the 80s and 90s together, so there were I'm sure tons of pics of it.

Now if you mean Super Hornets, that was a very small window and I'm sure more specific.

[Caesar 305]

As JediMaster said, the F-14 and "legacy" F/A-18 served on the same carriers for over two decades.  In terms of the Super Hornet and Tomcat, there are far fewer instances, but check Crazyhorse's link (www.gonavy.jp).  CVW-14 had F-14Ds of VF-31 serving alongside F/A-18Es of VFA-115 on at least three cruises; one was only a month-long exercise, but the other was a ten-month WestPac/Arabian Sea/Persian Gulf cruise on board the Abraham Lincoln, and lastly, these two had another cruise with the Stennis in 2004.  There might be others, so explore the site.  So, yes, they did serve on the same carriers, but for a very brief period.

[+Typhoid 231]

8 hours ago, JediMaster said:

As far as I know there was never a carrier that had Tomcats that did not have Hornet as wells, at least once the Hornets entered service.

While there were a few older carriers too small to take the 'Cat, I thought they were mostly all gone by the time the Hornet saw widespread adoption anyway. It's not like there were any restrictions, and they served for the 80s and 90s together, so there were I'm sure tons of pics of it.

Now if you mean Super Hornets, that was a very small window and I'm sure more specific.

The only carriers too small to operate the Tomcat were the Midway and Coral Sea.  Both operated Hornets in both the fighter and attack roles. 

The Midway did actually operate a couple of Tomcats once.  But that's another story. 

[Viggen 644]

Well the "smallest" carrier that operated Tomcats full time would have been CV-67. Perhaps it was her?

[Caesar 305]

Well, if you're talking the smallest carrier class to operate both legacy Hornets and Tomcats, it would have been the Forrestal class.  Those were smaller than the Kitty Hawk, Enterprise, and Nimitz-class ships, but larger than the Midway-class.  CV-59 (Forrestal) operated both F-14s and F/A-18s by 1991, CV-60 (Saratoga) had both types aboard by 1990, CV-61 (Ranger) took on some F/A-18s during a month-long exercise in 1986, but did not operate them otherwise, CV-62 (Independence) had them in an official capacity by 1990, but had some F/A-18s embarked between 1987 and 1988.

You may also be thinking of some training done with the F-14 on USS Coral Sea (a Midway-class carrier), but the aircraft was never officially part of an airwing attached to the Coral Sea.  Here's an article on it:  http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/could-the-f-14-tomcat-operate-from-the-uss-coral-sea-an-1722586198

[Stratos 3,192]

Have found the damn pic, it was the Forrestal, not that small as I tought at first sight, but as you said, smaller than the super carriers. Found the pics of the Tomcat on the Midway, but it seems those carriers were too small to use the Tomcat with combat fuel and weapons. Thanks for the help and links guys, were very helpful!!

[charlielima 328]

I was on both the Coral Sea and the Midway in the Mid 80s. No F-14s or F-18s assigned to CAG-14 or CAG 5 then. VF squadrons had F-4s.

CL

Edited August 25, 2017 by charlielima

[+Typhoid 231]

the Tomcats on the Midway were an emergency weather divert and remained overnight.  The problem on Midway was not the catapult, plenty strong enough.  The JBD's were not wide enough and would have needed to be replaced to actually operate from the ship.  That divert occurred in 1983. 

When I left CVW-5 the ship was preparing to transition to updated aircraft including the E-2C and F-18A.  I'm not sure when Midway transitioned to F-18's but she definitely did and operated F-18's during the Gulf War by 1991. 

later when I was flying the NEACP (now the NAOC) we tracked the aircraft status and locations of certain ships (don't ask why......)  so by 1986 the Coral Sea was absolutely operating F-18's.