The man and the machine: cool video shows how the most experienced F-14 driver amazed the air show crowds

During his naval aviation career, Dale “Snort” Snodgrass became the definitive Tomcat pilot.

Dale “Snort” Snodgrass was a legendary F-14 pilot: he amassed more than 4,800 hours and over 1,200 arrested carrier landings in the type (more than any other F-14 driver), and last but not least he became an air show superstar, flying Tomcat demos for 14 years.

In the following video, taken during Lightning from Above Air Show 1996, you can see Snort presenting the main F-14 features such as the TCS, the swing wing, the tailhook  and the Navy flight gear, before jumping in his aircraft and performing a spectacular demo display.

Actually the machine depicted in the footage was an F-14B from VF-143 Pukin’ Dogs and the clip proves that with Snodgrass in the cockpit, the Tomcat was able to literally thrill the air show crowds.