The approach speed of the F-4 was a little slower than the F-8; the view looking forward in the F-14 was better than the other two fighters
Below is the second installment of an interview conducted by Dave Baranek with CAPT Bill Switzer, USN (Ret.), about carrier landings in the F-8, F-4, and F-14.
CAPT Bill “Striker” Switzer, USN (Ret.), was born in Illinois but raised in rural West Virginia, not far from Charleston, the state capital. By today’s safety-focused norms, his childhood would seem rough-and-tumble, yet it shaped him into the fighter pilot who survived combat and later thrived with the Blue Angels. At age 8, seeing two P-51 Mustangs fly by cemented his ambition to become a fighter pilot. Achieving that goal was never easy, but it drove him forward, and a presentation by a Navy recruiter during college put him on the road to earning his Wings of Gold. He completed AOCS in 1965.
Switzer went on to become a Navy fighter pilot, flying more than 150 combat missions over Vietnam in the F-8, spending two years flying the F-4 with the Blue Angels, and later commanding an F-14 squadron. He also served as an air wing commander (CAG) and was among the first to hold the role of “Super CAG.”
In the era before fly-by-wire and digital flight control systems, US Navy fighter pilots had to muscle heavy controls through rough air to get themselves and their aircraft safely back aboard ship. Switzer logged over 6,000 flight hours and more than 1,150 arrested landings in three iconic fighters—the F-8, F-4, and F-14. Now we’ll hear his perspective on that experience…
F-4 Phantom II
Following more than 150 combat missions over Vietnam in the F-8 Crusader, Switzer was chosen for the Blue Angels on the strength of his flying abilities and professional reputation. After a short transition period at the F-4 RAG, he “spent two years flying tight formations with minute throttle and control changes.” He later returned to the RAG and then joined VF-51, the “Screaming Eagles,” aboard USS Coral Sea (CV-43) for a deployment that encompassed both the conclusion of the Vietnam War and the Mayaguez incident. (note 1)
He had the least to say about carrier landings in the F-4. Although it was larger and heavier than the F-8, it was a well-engineered aircraft, and its two J79 engines delivered plenty of thrust at low altitude for carrier operations. “The F-4 was the most honest of these three. It was responsive and reliable. I enjoyed it. It was the most predictable.” He noted that while the F-4’s approach speed was slightly lower than the F-8’s, that difference was minor compared to the F-4’s superior handling qualities.
Expanding on his thoughts about the F-4, Switzer remarked that you could practically fly the ball just by listening to the ECS (environmental control system). “It was loud, and it had a distinctive sound at the right throttle setting.” In contrast, he disliked the auto throttles (note 2): “The system wasn’t reliable. I tried it once and it really messed up my pass! Never used them again.”
F-14 Tomcat
Switzer received transition training at the F-14 RAG before serving as an air wing operations officer. He was then selected for squadron command and reported to the “Fighting Renegades” of VF-24 as executive officer before fleeting up to commanding officer.
The F-14A was a relatively large and complex aircraft for a fighter and was infamous for the vulnerability of its TF30 engines, a limitation pilots were cautioned about from the start. During CQ in the RAG, “Instructors emphasized that the TF30 would take longer to spool up. You learned to deal with it. Plan ahead. But you’re on a bigger deck, with more hook-to-ramp, so that compensated some for the engines.”
One of the F-14’s strengths was its excellent cockpit visibility, stemming from Grumman’s incorporation of lessons from the Vietnam air war. Switzer noted that the forward view was superior to that of the other two fighters. He also discussed the Tomcat’s flight controls: “If you put in almost any control input, you had to add power because with the big wing and all the control surfaces, it would cause drag.” This became a normal part of flying the F-14 for Tomcat pilots.
Switzer also remarked, “You could wipe out the cockpit and not much happened.” (Here, wiping out the cockpit means moving the stick all around.) However, an F-14 pilot could turn this characteristic to his benefit: “If you’re high on glideslope and you don’t want to change the throttles, just slap the stick around and you’ll come down.”
Final thoughts
The F-8, F-4, and F-14 are all considered “legends,” and CAPT Switzer is among the relatively small number of pilots who have carrier landings in each of them. “When I arranged this interview, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was surprised that the F-4 was his favorite, and he has several good reasons.”
“I enjoyed talking to CAPT Switzer for this article, because it took me back to 1981-82 when we flew together in VF-24 and logged about 80 traps on the USS Constellation (CV-64). We also had a low-altitude ejection together – CAPT Switzer didn’t even get a parachute! – but that’s another story. Thanks for taking the time to talk with us, Striker. Keep it coming.”
• Notes:
- 1. In May 1975, Khmer Rouge forces captured the American-flagged cargo ship SS Mayaguez near Kampuchea (Cambodia).
- 2. Auto throttles: A landing-mode system that automatically adjusts engine power to keep the aircraft at the best angle of attack (AOA) for touchdown.
Author Dave “Bio” Baranek served as a RIO and accumulated 2,500 flight hours in the F-14 Tomcat. He led VF-211 as commanding officer from August 1997 to August 1998. His third book, Tomcat RIO, released in 2020, recounts this and many other episodes from his career and features dozens of his photographs.
