Fighter Squadron 101 (FITRON 101) VF-101 ‘Grim Reapers’
STATUS:		established as VF-101 on May 1, 1952 becomes the Fleet Replacement Squadron in April 1958 VF-101 disestablished on September 30, 2005 reactivated and redesignated VFA-101 on May 1, 2012
AIRCRAFT:		Douglas F3D-2 Skyknight McDonnell F2H-2 Banshee Douglas F4D-1 Skyray McDonnell F3H-2 Demon McDonnell F4H-1 Phantom II McDonnell Douglas F-4J Phantom II Douglas A-4E Skyhawk Grumman F-14A/B Tomcat
DEPLOYMENTS:		December 1954 - July 1955 with CVG-1 aboard USS Midway (CVA 41) September 1957 - October 1957 with CVG-7 aboard USS Saratoga (CVA 60) July 1971 - December 1971 with CVW-8 aboard USS America (CVA 66) - (Detachment 66) Note: Because the Squadron becomes the Fleet Replacement Squadron in 1958 this unit was not used for carrier deployments. VF-101 was part of Readiness Carrier Air Wing 4 (RCVW-4) until 1970
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F-14D Tomcat (VF-101) - NAS Oceana, Virginia - 2005 F-14D Tomcat (VF-101) - NAS Oceana, Virginia - 2005 F-14D Tomcat (VF-101) - NAS Oceana, Virginia - 2005 F-14D Tomcat (VF-101) - NAS Oceana, Virginia - 2005 F-14D Tomcat (VF-101) - NAS Oceana, Virginia - 2005 F-14D Tomcat (VF-101) aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) - 2005 F-14D Tomcat (VF-101) aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) - 2005 F-14D Tomcat (VF-101) - NAS Oceana, Virginia - 2004 F-14D Tomcat (VF-101) - NAS Oceana, Virginia - 2004 F-14D Tomcat (VF-101) - NAS Oceana, Virginia - 2004 F-14D Tomcat (VF-101) - NAS Oceana, Virginia - 2004 F-14D Tomcat (VF-101) - NAS Oceana, Virginia - 2004 F-14D Tomcat (VF-101) - NAS Oceana, Virginia - 2004 F-14D Tomcat (VF-101) - NAS Oceana, Virginia - 2004 F-14D Tomcat (VF-101) - NAS Oceana, Virginia - 2004 F-14D Tomcat (VF-101) - NAS Oceana, Virginia - 2004 F-14D Tomcat (VF-101) - NAS Jacksonville, Florida - 2004 F-14D Tomcat (VF-101) - NAS Jacksonville, Florida - 2004 F-14D Tomcat (VF-101) during carrier qualifications aboard USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) - 2004 F-14D Tomcat (VF-101) aboard USS Enterprise (CVN 65) - 2004 F-14D Tomcat (VF-101) aboard USS Enterprise (CVN 65) - 2004 F-14D Tomcat (VF-101) aboard USS Enterprise (CVN 65) - 2004 F-14D Tomcat (VF-101) aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) - 2003 F-14B Tomcat (VF-101) at NAF Andrews, Maryland - 1993 F-14A Tomcat (VF-101) at NAS Oceana, Virginia - 1989 F-14A Tomcat (VF-101) at NAS Oceana, Virginia - 1989 F-14A Tomcat (VF-101) at NAS Oceana, Virginia - 1989 F-14A Tomcat (VF-101) at NAS Oceana, Virginia - 1989 F-4J Phantom II (VF-101) aboard USS America (CV 66) - 1987 A-4E Skyhawk (VF-101 / Detachment Key West) at NAS Oceana, Virginia - circa 1980 (National Naval Aviation Museum) F-14A Tomcat (VF-101) aboard USS Independence (CV 62) - 1979 F-14A Tomcat (VF-101) aboard USS Independence (CV 62) - 1979 Two McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II fighters on the catapults of the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Independence (CV-62) off Florida in March 1975. In the foreground is a U.S. Navy F-4J of fighter squadron VF-101 Grim Reapers. VF-101 was not a regular squadron of Carrier Air Wing Seven (CVW-7) aboard Independence, but a fleet replacement squadron which trained F-4 pilots. In the background is a Royal Navy Phantom FG.1 (F-4K) of No. 892 Squadron, based on the British aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal (R09), which conducted cross-deck operations with the Independence - 1975 F-4J Phantom II (VF-101, Detachment 66 / CVW-8) embarked aboard USS America (CVA 66) - 1971 (National Naval Aviation Museum) F-4B Phantom II (VF-101) aboard USS America (CVA 66) - 1967 F4D-1 Skyray (VF-101) aboard USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVA 42) - 1962 Douglas A3D-2 Skywarrior from VAH-9 Hoot Owls refueling a McDonnell F4H-1F Phantom II from Fighter Squadron VF-101 Det. A Grim Reapers during the "Project LANA Bendix Trophy Race" in 1961. To cap off the Phantom´s successful speed and altitude efforts, the U.S. Navy initiated "Project LANA", a transcontinental flight by five F4H-1F (after 1962 F-4A). The Roman letter "L" means "50", "ANA" stood for the "(50th) Anniversary of Naval Aviation" - 1961 F3D-2T2 Skyknight (BuNo 124607) from Fighter Squadron VF-101 Detachment A "Grim Reapers" at Naval Air Station Key West, Florida (USA), parked on a runway. The F3D-2T2 aircraft were 55 F3D-2 that were used as radar-operator trainers and electronic warfare aircraft - 1961 (National Naval Aviation Museum) F3D-2 Skyknight (VF-101/ RCVW-4) at NAS Key West, Florida - 1958 A Douglas A3D-2 Skywarrior of heavy attack squadron VAH-9 Hoot Owls launches from the waist catapult of the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga (CVA 60), during the NATO exercise "Operation Strikeback", in September-October 1957. A McDonnell F3H-2M from fighter squadron VF-61 Jolly Rogers is positioned on the catapult while a Douglas F4D-1 Skyray of VF-101 Grim Reapers is waiting to be launched - 1957 (National Naval Aviation Museum) F4D-1 Skyray from Fighter Squadron VF-101 "Grim Reapers" aboard the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal (R09). VF-101 was assigned to Carrier Air Group 7 (CVG-7) aboard the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga (CVA-60) during the NATO exercise "Strikeback" in the North Atlantic from 3 September to 22 October 1957 (National Naval Aviation Museum)
history
1950s On May 1, 1952, VF-101 was commissioned at NAS Cecil Field, Florida. This new squadron assumed the nickname and traditions of VF-10 and flew the FG1-D Corsair in the Korean War. Later in 1952 VF-101 received the jet-powered F2H-1 Banshee and deployed to the Mediterranean Sea. In 1956 they transitioned to the F4D-1 Skyray, their first radar equipped aircraft. In April 1958, VF-101 was merged with the Fleet All Weather Training Unit Atlantic and began to train all weather fighter pilots on both the F4D-1 and the F3H-2 Demon. In becoming part of the training structure, VF-101 became part of Readiness Attack Carrier Air Wing 4 and ceased to be a deployable unit. 1960s In June 1960, VF-101 established "Detachment A" at NAS Oceana which operated the F4H-1 and later the F-4 Phantom. By 1963, Det A was phased out, and VF-101 was solely operating the F-4 Phantom at NAS Key West. IN May 1966, a new detachment was formed at NAS Oceana to train F-4 Pilots and Radar Intercept Officers (RIOs) in aerial refueling, carrier qualification, and conventional weapons while the Key West unit concentrated on air to air comabt, radar intercepts, and missile firing. 1970s VF-101’s administrative command, Readiness Attack Carrier Air Wing 4, was disestablished on June 1, 1970, with VF-101 shifting its command and control relationship to Fleet Air Key West. This move lasted only a year, and the Grim Reapers moved from NAS Key West to NAS Oceana under the command of Fighter Wing One. A detachment remained at Key West until the 2000s. In January 1976, VF-101 began operating and instructing aircrews and maintainers in the F-14 Tomcat. The first two Oceana F-4 squadrons, to transition to the F-14 at VF-101 began in June 1976 . In 1975 and 1976 the Grim Reapers were awarded the CNO Aviation Safety Award and in November 1976 the unit received its fourth Safety Citation for 36 continuous months without accident. On August 5, 1977, the F-4 training department of VF-101 was split into a separate new squadron which continued to train F-4 crews until its disestablishment in 1984. 1980s In 1986, VF-101 had completed 3 years of accident free operations earning them another Safety Citation, and in March 1988 they received a third CNO Safety Award. The same year, VF-101 began to receive the F-14A+ (later redesignated F-14B), which upgraded the F-14A's underpowered and troublesome engines with new engines that significantly improved fuel economy and added 14,600 pounds of thrust compared to the F-14A. 1990s On September 12, 1990, a VF-101 Tomcat dropped bombs from a "fleet aircraft" for the first time on the east coast. Previously, although initially designed as both a fully capable fighter and strike aircraft, the Tomcat had been assigned strictly to the air-to-air role. Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, VF-101 continued to add to its air-ground weapons training syllabus, including laser-guided bombs, air-launched decoys, and JDAM, among other weapons. VF-101's west coast F-14 training counterpart, VF-124, was disestablished in 1994, making the Grim Reapers the sole F-14 Fleet Replacement Squadron. A VF-101 detachment was created at Miramar to continue F-14 crews and ground personnel training. When NAS Miramar became Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Miramar in 1996, all F-14 squadrons were moved to NAS Oceana and the VF-101 detachment was disestablished. 2000s As F-14 squadrons began to transition to the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, VF-101's mission diminished. As the only F-14 FRS until its disestablishment in 2005, VF-101 at one point had as many as 130 F-14s of all three variants. VF-101 was disestablished on September 30, 2005 at a ceremony at NAS Oceana.
patches
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