VFA-101

Strike Fighter Squadron 101
VFA-101 Insignia
Active	1952–2005, 2012–2019
Country	United States of America
Branch	United States Navy
Type	Strike Fighter Squadron
Role	training
Garrison/HQ	Eglin Air Force Base
Engagements	Korean War
Aircraft flown
Fighter	FG-1D Corsair F2H Banshee F4D Skyray F3H Demon F-4 Phantom II F-14 Tomcat F-35C Lightning II

Strike Fighter Squadron 101 (VFA-101),also known as the "Grim Reapers", was aUnited States NavyFleet Replacement Squadron(FRS) based atEglin AFB,Florida. After the West Coast FRS for theF-14 Tomcat,VF-124,was disestablished in the mid-1990s, VF-101 became the sole F-14 FRS. At the time it was based atNAS Oceanain Virginia. With the retirement of the F-14, VF-101 was deactivated in 2005. It was reactivated in 2012 and redesignatedStrike Fighter Squadron 101 (VFA-101).It was one of twoF-35C Lightning IIFRS before being deactivated in 2019.It was based atEglin AFB,Florida with the joint33d Fighter Wing(33 FW),as a subordinate unit of the U.S. Navy's Strike Fighter Wing, U.S. Pacific Fleet.

History

Two distinct squadrons have been called theGrim Reapers,VF-10and later VF-101, which is the main subject of this article. Officially, the US Navy does not recognize a direct lineage with disestablished squadrons if a new squadron is formed with the same designation or nickname.Often, the new squadron will assume the nickname, insignia, and traditions of the earlier squadrons.

1950s

VF-101F4D-1aboardHMSArk Royalin 1957

On 1 May 1952, VF-101 was established atNAS Cecil Field,Florida. This new squadron assumed the nickname and traditions of the previousGrim Reapersand flew theFG-1D Corsairin theKorean War.Later in 1952, VF-101 received the jet-poweredF2H-2 Banshee.The squadron was assigned toCarrier Air Group 1aboard theUSSMidwayand circumnavigated the globe between 27 December 1954 and 14 July 1955.

In 1956, VF-101 transitioned to theF4D-1 Skyray,their first radar-equipped aircraft. The squadron was only once deployed for a short time duringNATOOperation Strikebackfrom 3 September to 22 October 1957, this time being assigned toCarrier Air Group 7aboard theUSSSaratoga.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 theF3H-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 theF4H-1 Phantom II.By the end of 1962, the Skyray and the Demon had been phased out in favor of the F-4. Detachment A was disestablished and F-4 training moved toNAS Key West,Florida. On 1 May 1966, a new detachment was formed at NAS Oceana primarily to train replacement pilots andRadar Intercept Officersin the areas ofaerial refueling,carrier qualificationand conventional weapons. The Key West unit concentrated onair-to-air combat,missile firing and radar intercept techniques. In August 1967, VF-101 received the F-4J.

1970s

AnF-4Jof VF-101 Det.66 in 1971

VF-101’s administrative command, Readiness Attack Carrier Air Wing 4, was disestablished on 1 June 1970, with VF-101 shifting control of Command to Fleet Air Key West. This moved lasted only a year, and the squadron moved from NAS Key West to NAS Oceana under the command of Commander Fighter Wing One. A detachment remained at Key West until the 2000s. From 6 July to 16 December 1971, VF-101 Det.66 was assigned toCarrier Air Wing 8aboard theUSSAmericafor a deployment to the Mediterranean Sea.

In January 1976, VF-101 began operating and instructing aircrews and maintainers in the F-14 Tomcat. In 1975 and 1976 the squadron was awarded theCNO Aviation Safety Awardand in November 1976 the unit received its fourth Safety Citation due to 36 continuous months without accident. On 5 August 1977, the F-4 training department of VF-101 was split into a separate new squadron,VF-171,which continued to train F-4 crews until disestablishment in 1984 after the last two Oceana F-4 squadrons (VF-74andVF-103) began to transition to the Tomcat. VF-101 continued to train F-14 crews.

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 improved fuel economy and added 14,600 pounds-force (65,000newtons) of thrust over the F-14A. The new fuel economy gave the F-14B one third more time on-station and sixty percent more range.

1990s

VF-101F-14B Tomcat

Following a year of dedicated fleet efforts, led primarily byVF-24at NAS Miramar, California, the first-ever bomb-dropping mission conducted by fleet Tomcats occurred on 8 August 1990 (a joint VF-24/VF-211division of aircraft). Following that, on 12 September 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 fighterandstrike aircraft, the Tomcat had been assigned strictly to the air-to-air role. Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, and continuing to build on the earlier groundwork at bothVX-4and the west coast squadrons, VF-101 continued to add to its air-ground weapons training, eventually encompassing a whole range of air-to-ground weapons, fromgeneral-purpose bombs,cluster bombs,laser-guided bombs,air-launched decoys,andJDAM.

VF-101's West Coast counterpart, VF-124 atNAS Miramar,was disestablished in 1994, making VF-101 the sole F-14 FRS. 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. Around this period the squadron also receive their first group of F-14D airplanes, which was the penultimate version of the Tomcat.

2000s

As F-14 squadrons began to transition to theF/A-18E/F Super Hornet,VF-101's mission diminished. During this time, several VF-101 aircraft featured the markings of disestablished F-14 squadrons—among them wereVF-1,VF-21,VF-24,VF-33,VF-74,VF-84,VF-111andVF-142.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, as well as a small number ofT-34 Mentorsfor currency training and range safety.

VF-101 was deactivated on 30 September 2005, at a ceremony at NAS Oceana. Honored guests at the ceremony were the surviving members of theFlatleyfamily (three generations of which were VF-101 pilots), who were presented with the squadron flag.

Reactivation and redesignation to "VFA-101" as F-35C Fleet Replacement Squadron

VFA-101 receives its firstF-35Cat Eglin AFB, 22 June 2013

On 1 May 2012, the squadron was reactivated atEglin Air Force Base,Florida and redesignatedStrike Fighter Squadron 101(VFA-101),The "Grim Reapers" are still an FRS; this time for theF-35C Lightning II,the aircraft carrier-capable variant of the F-35 that will serve in the U.S. Navy and selected carrier-deployable squadrons of theU.S. Marine Corps.The squadron administratively fell underCommander, Naval Air ForcesandCommander Strike Fighter Wing, U.S. Pacific Fleet.In November 2014, VFA-101 passed 1,000 mishap-free flight hours in the F-35C.

Deactivation

On 10 September 2018, theChief of Naval Operationspromulgated a notice of the "Deactivation of Strike Fighter Squadron One Zero One." .On 23 May 2019, VFA-101 completed deactivation, and was consolidated into the remaining F-35C FRS,VFA-125,the "Rough Raiders". Its assets and support personnel were moved toNAS Lemoore,home of VFA-125.

See also

• Naval aviation
• Carrier-based aircraft
• List of United States Navy aircraft squadrons
• List of Inactive United States Navy aircraft squadrons

External links

• VF-101 History
• VF-101 Grim Reaper History