F-14 Tomcat fighter jet hauled 2,700 miles by semi truck from Florida to Colorado

Truck drivers and motorists across several states recently came across a load that few people ever expect to see traveling down the highway: a Grumman F-14 Tomcat sitting on a heavy-haul trailer.

The retired U.S. Navy fighter was transported from the National Naval Aviation Museum area in Pensacola, Florida, to the Pueblo Weisbrod Aircraft Museum in Pueblo, Colorado. Specialized aircraft relocation company Worldwide Aircraft Recovery handled the operation.

On a normal route, Pensacola and Pueblo are roughly 1,300 road miles apart.

This trip was very different.

According to Worldwide Aircraft Recovery, the F-14 fuselage measured about 22 feet wide, forcing the team to follow an approved oversized-load route totaling approximately 2,700 miles. The journey crossed 12 states and took about two weeks.

The Tomcat had to be taken apart before hitting the road

Moving an aircraft of this size requires much more than simply placing it on a flatbed.

Worldwide Aircraft Recovery first disassembled the F-14 at NAS Pensacola so its major sections could be transported safely. The company specializes in taking aircraft apart, hauling them by road and reassembling them at their destination.

Even with parts removed, the fuselage was wide enough to qualify as a major oversized load.

Some portions of the journey required nighttime movement, including sections through Florida, Alabama and Nebraska, according to the transport company.

The unusual convoy also received police assistance along portions of the route. In Iowa, for example, the Iowa State Patrol escorted the aircraft as it continued west toward Colorado.

Tomcat will become a museum display

The final destination is the Pueblo Weisbrod Aircraft Museum, located at Pueblo Memorial Airport.

The museum had previously announced that the U.S. Navy approved the transfer of an F-14 to its collection. Once the aircraft is restored and displayed, the museum says it will be the only museum in Colorado with an F-14, F-15 and F-16 together in its collection.

After delivery, the aircraft is scheduled to be reassembled before the museum begins its detailed restoration work.

One of America’s most famous military aircraft

The F-14 Tomcat first flew in December 1970 and entered U.S. Navy service during the 1970s. Its variable-sweep wings allowed the aircraft to operate across a wide range of speeds, while its AIM-54 Phoenix missile system gave it long-range interception capability.

The Navy retired its final operational F-14s in 2006. The aircraft later became even more recognizable to the general public through its appearance in the Top Gun films.

This time, however, the Tomcat was not moving at more than twice the speed of sound.

Its trip to a new home depended on a semi truck, specialized trailer, permits, escorts and a carefully planned 2,700-mile route across the United States.