Tomcat Rio: A Topgun Instructor on the F-14 Tomcat and the Heroic Naval Aviators Who Flew It
You’re in the cockpit of the legendary F-14 Tomcat fighter, blazing along at twice the speed of sound seven miles above the ocean and the carrier that hurled you off its deck. You’re practicing dogfighting with “aggressors,” guys on your side flying F-16s. You’re patrolling the tense skies above Iraq, and with the push of a button you can launch the 100-mile Phoenix missile that can blow a foe to scrap before you even see him. You are an expert in fighter tactics and aircraft carrier operations, and it all leads to your command of an F-14 fighter squadron of more than three hundred people.
Sounds like a week’s worth of daydreams, but it’s all real-life in the career of Dave “Bio” Baranek, and he shares it with you in the exciting, superbly crafted new book, Tomcat Rio. Dave – callsign “Bio” – pulled his readers into the exciting world of the F-14 and the Navy’s TOPGUN program with his popular books Topgun Days and Before Topgun Days. Now he’s back with the rest of the story, as he reaches the top level of expertise and proves it, not just in graded competitions but also where it counts, where you shoot at them and they shoot at you.
Dave also shares the challenges he faced. A deadly foe called complacency. Learning a whole new mission late in his career. The unexpected trials that come with leading a squadron in the dynamic environment of Naval Aviation. This third volume is full of adventures, lessons, and inspiration. If you are a casual reader, you’ll turn the last page as a dedicated Tomcat fan.
To make it all even more real, Tomcat Rio includes dozens of Bio’s best and most acclaimed photos. Photographer George Hall hailed one shot as “one of the best Tomcat photos ever taken.”
In words and pictures, Bio immerses you in rich detail. He pipes you aboard as a member of an F-14 squadron. You share the camaraderie of Type A personalities. You plan risky missions, going toe-to-toe against America’s most volatile foes. You can almost smell the pungent jet exhaust, almost feel the gut-wrenching G’s of a dogfight, as Tomcat Rio pitches you into the thick of it as only Bio can tell it. Strap in! You’re going for one fantastic ride.
Reviews (110)
Excellent conclusion to his trilogy
I have known Bio since he was a new TOPGUN instructor in the mid 1980s. His first first two books covered his TOPGUN time and flight training pre TOPGUN. This is the finale, going through his time as Commanding Officer of an F-14 squadron, including his farewell speech to the squadron at his Change of Command. Bio was always a excellent and very professional naval officer and good story teller. The pictures in the book are superb. His TOPGUN pilot and later fellow instructor at TOPGUN was my roommate, who also went on to command an F-14 squadron and became a four star, as did one of the one instructors with BIO. Reading Bio's books are always a pleasure as his eye for detail and experiences matched many of us flying F-14s at the time. When I got to Chapter 6, I remembered his Air Wing relieving us on Station for Operation Earnest Will and I had been involved in the shooting event he covers flying cover for a recon flight in the Straits of Hormuz. The book covers the last and in many ways the most important part of a naval officer's career, the experiences building to first command and what command of a fighter squadron is like. We had some superb commanding officers and the quality of the F-14 community was outstanding. BIO covers the ending question of Bridges of Toko-Ri, where do we get such men? If I were asked, what was it like?.. one can do no better than to read all three of his books to get coverage from initial flight student to F-14 commanding officer. Mission accomplished!
Best book in interesting trilogy about US Navy career, flying in F-14 Tomcat fighter
As other reviewers have indicated, Dave “Bio” Baranek has completed his trilogy of books about his US Navy career, flying in the F-14 Tomcat fighter, with a flourish. He has written what many, including myself, find to be the “best of the best” among his three excellent books. Bio takes you through his Tomcat flying days from the time he left the Navy’s Topgun school as a still-young Topgun Instructor, all the way through the rest of his 20-year Navy flying career… as he advances in experience, rank, and responsibilities… to eventually became the Commander of an F-14 Squadron. Tomcat RIO also provides a look at how the previously air-to-air-only Tomcat adapted to a new additional role as a “Bombcat”, with potent LANTIRN-assisted day and night air-to-ground strike capabilities. Bio details the varied real world armed-and-ready missions his squadron of Tomcats flew in support of Operation Southern Watch. This was the joint operation enforcing the no-fly zone over southern Iraq, which was implemented following Gulf War One. If you like books about military aviation, I predict you'll like this one.... it's a keeper for the personal aviation library. BF (former USAF A-10 Warthog pilot)
Highly recommended
As a classmate and friend of Dave’s back in basic flight training in Pensacola, it was wonderful to find and read all three of his books: Topgun Days; Before Topgun Days; and Tomcat RIO. I found each of them thoroughly enjoyable, well written, fun, interesting and immersive. I remember seeing Dave’s name in the credits of the movie Topgun, the smile it brought to my face and the warm remembrance of our time together back in P’cola. These books did the same. It was nice to be able to follow the adventures and successes of an old friend, and also to live a bit vicariously through Dave’s career path in the F-14 community, as I ultimately had chosen another path, the P-3 community, when our basic flight training together ended. Great job on the career and the books, Dave. Bravo Zulu!
I met this author at Tailhook in 2010. I had read his earlier book and brought it with me.
This one is quite thorough and career advancement descriptive as well as in organization wealth of assets. The very first Commander of "Top Gun" was a RIO, Commander J.C. Smith. I met him in very late 1969 at Miramar. The " Tomcat" got the fleet past it's sore points with the cancellation of their half of the jointly developed TFX and kept Grumman in the fold. The images I added here are renders of a model I built of the Stennis task force when the Tomcat was a major force and with the FA-18 coming on. One of it's "Tomcats" is on one of the bow catapults in the second image. A very good read. There is a whole another generation after the image I show with Super Hornets and the "Tomcat" no longer in inventory. This book is more about the Straits of Hormuz than the Gulf of Sidra.
A great read for all Tomcat enthusiasts!
In Tomcat RIO, CDR Baranek has written and produced a truly outstanding book about the Tomcat and life as a Naval Officer. The book is the perfect mix of super detailed info on the Tomcat, the job of a RIO, sea stories, military humor, the rigors of deployments and shipboard life, intel briefs, and personal narrative. Mr. Baranek experienced a truly remarkable career in the U.S. Navy, at a time when the F-14 ruled the skies. If you are at all interested in the Tomcat, or are curious about life aboard an aircraft carrier as a Naval aviator, you need to read this book; you will not be disappointed! I have read many books by former Army Air Force, Air Force, and Navy aviators, and this one is as real and interesting as it gets. Mr. Baranek's writing style is clear and concise, providing enough general information to satisfy a novice yet enough detail to satiate a Tomcat/aviation expert. One other amazing thing about this book -- the photographs. The author obviously saw some things from the backseat of an airborne F-14 that few people experience. As ready and very able photographer, Mr. Baranek captured some some really stunning images that highlight both the elegance and lethality of arguably one of the world's most formidable fighter aircraft. Five stars, Commander! You have done a great service to the Navy, Naval aviation, and the memory of the big Cat by giving us this book.
Great book!
After reading "Topgun Days" I was super stoked to buy a copy of "Tomcat RIO"! Bio is an amazing writer: Authentic, humble, and incredibly articulate. I enjoyed Tomcat RIO as much as Topgun Days. His stories are a fascinating look into the life of a Naval Aviator. I find Bio relatable because he is down to earth, humorous, and devoid of arrogance. I finished the book wanting to learn and read more about his adventures. I look forward to reading "Before Topgun Days". I hope Bio continues writing books. I would love to see a new one which is specific to leadership, as I am a late in life "Leadership nerd". Tomcat RIO does have leadership stories, which made me want to read more about that specific topic from Bio's experiences. I draw inspiration and motivation from people like Bio. I am hoping, and look forward to his words of wisdom, and anecdotes specific to leadership if he so chooses to write another book. Thanks Bio for your service, and sharing your adventures with others. Fly Navy!
F-14 TOMCAT:Retired and gone for 15 years and still loved and admired by MANY people.
This book is a continuation of a set of books by the author on his favorite aircraft from his career as a NFO. The story seems to just keep going on, as there have been many such books all telling more and more of the Tomcat story since 2006 when the Navy retired and dismantled all the F-14s other than those donated to museums and those in Iranian Ir Force service. Read the book and learn why they retired the Tomcat and then shredded the aircraft! And you'll also read about the exploits of the author and his squadron mates over the years of service to the nation in the best fighter plane ever flown.
A True Action-Adventure Story!
In 2013, I read Bio’s "TOPGUN Days" and it was a great learning and great reading experience for me, but I still wanted to know more about what an F-14 RIO’s career might look like. When I saw that Bio had released "Tomcat RIO," I hoped that my proverbial “itch” would be scratched. Tomcat RIO certainly scratched the itch and more. It is not just a continuation of Bio’s adventures after TOPGUN, but an amazing action story starting with his return to the West Coast F-14 RAG (Replacement Air Group). Bio’s narrative progresses through fleet squadron work-ups, launching from the USS Ranger in support of Operation Earnest Will, life as a staff officer in DC and aboard 7th Fleet, a return to the fleet leading VF-211 Checkmates, and culminating with his personal reflection on an RIO’s career, post-command tour of VF-211. Tomcat RIO does not disappoint in describing life at Fightertown U.S.A. (NAS Miramar, CA), ready-room shenanigans, or the thrill of training and operational flying from the exclusive vantage point of the F-14’s RIO seat. While Hollywood movies and other media generally provide glimpses of military aviator life for pilots, there is seldom depiction and description of non-pilot aircrew. "Tomcat RIO" answers the mail in describing life as an F-14 RIO and the career path that an F-14 RIO experienced, doing so with candor, humor, speed, hard-turns, and zone-5 afterburner. A very nice bonus nested throughout the book is photos that bring his story to life. The photos not only enhance the reading experience but illustrate and capture the action in the wild blue yonder. Simply put: A true action-adventure story! -USAF Air Battle Manager
A great story as told from the rear seat of the F-14 Tomcat!
“Tomcat RIO” is Dave “Bio” Baranek’s third book and he’s gotten better with each one. This book picks up after Bio has completed his tour as a Topgun instructor, rejoins a Tomcat squadron (VF-2), and takes us through the remainder of his Navy career. Along the way we join him on carrier deployments, learn about “collateral duties,” (what RIOs do when they aren’t flying), and see how he weathered his staff (non-flying) assignments. Dave capped off his Navy service by commanding a fighter squadron of his own, VF-211, the Fighting Checkmates. The lessons Dave shares from his command experience are both interesting and valuable – two words which cannot always be used together. I had the privilege of meeting Dave, and his charming wife Laura, a few years ago and I can vouch for the fact that the “real” Bio is just as he comes across in his books – a genuinely nice guy who is dedicated to the Navy, to serving his county, and who LOVES to fly.
A must for the aviation enthusiast!
Just finished reading the third book by Mr. Baranek and as with the first two, it did not disappoint. "Bio" takes you on a behind the scenes tour of what it was like to serve as a Naval Flight Officer in the US Navy's Tomcat community. He does a great job of touching on all the aspects, even the "boring" parts, of Navy life all while making sure to highlight the challenges and stresses encountered by squadrons, their officers, enlisted crews and families. If you are not an aviation enthusiast, this book may not be for you as it could be difficult to follow some of the acronyms and terminology used. With that said, if you are an aviation enthusiast, I would highly recommend giving this book a read as it transplants your mind from your grounded place of reading to the bases, carriers and cockpits of the US Navy. Many thanks to "Bio" for putting his experiences into ink for others to enjoy!
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