 CDR Ted "Slapshot"
Carter logs trap number 1500!
Adapted from
Tophatter logs a grand and a half on way to record
By Lt. Jim Stanley, VF-14 PAO
 While on
deployment in the Med, the Tophatters of VF-14 made news again, this time by reaching a
new landmark signed by their Commanding Officer.
Cmdr. Ted "Slapshot" Carter,
Commanding Officer of Fighter Squadron Fourteen made his 1500th
trap on Saturday, May 22. Cmdr. Carter, an F-14 Radar Intercept Officer, made
his historic landing at 1:39pm with his pilot, Rear Admiral W.
Winston "Mad-Dog" Copeland, Jr., Commander, Carrier Battle Group Eight in
the CAG's bird - Camelot
AJ200 - a Grumman F-14A Tomcat wearing the Tophatters' 80th Anniversary colours.
Cmdr. Carter, a native of Pascoag, Rhode Island, got his first
carrier arrestment in the F-4S Phantom II while a replacement radar intercept officer in
the VF-171 Flying Aces onboard USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) in September, 1983. In his first
fleet squadron, the VF-161 Rock Rivers, he logged over 350
traps aboard the USS Midway (CV 41). After sea duty, Cmdr. Carter reported to
theVF-124 Gunslingers, the West Coast F-14 Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS), for
transition and instructor duty in the F-14A Tomcat. While assigned to VF-124, he
continuously flew with replacement pilots who were making their first carrier landing
attempts in the F-14 and was able to log over 440
traps. On that tour he was selected as the Naval Air Pacific Tailhooker of the year.
In October 1989, he reported to the VF-21 Freelancers of Carrier Air
Wing Five and completed a Desert Shield deployment with them aboard the USS Independence
(CV 62). The Freelancers transitioned to their new homeport of Atsugi, Japan and on
October 31st, 1991 he logged his 1,000th
carrier landing as a frocked Lieutenant Commander at the age of 32. He is believed to be
the youngest aviator ever to achieve the "Grand Club" milestone. Cmdr. Carter
joined the CAG-5 staff as Operations Officer, completed yet another deployment during
Operation Desert Storm and Operation Southern Watch, and logged a total of more than 450 traps on USS Independence as a member of Carrier Air
Wing FIVE.
After shore duty from March,1993 to September, 1995, Cmdr. Carter
returned to the cockpit while working as the Chief of Staff Officer for Fighter Wing
Pacific. Finding what time he could while helping to consolidate the West Coast Fighter
Community to NAS Oceana, Cmdr. Carter flew with
several replacement pilots in the F-14D FRS. He also accompanied yet another replacement
pilot to "the boat" while undergoing his own refresher training in the F-14A
with the VF-101 Grimreapers.
Cmdr. Carter joined the VF-14 Tophatters as Executive Officer in
July 1997, and logged over 150 traps aboard
the USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) before he assumed command of the squadron on November 6,
1998. Since then he has logged over 100
traps on the USS Theodore Roosevelt.
Many have earned the distinction of being listed in the "Grand
Club" and been honored with their name on the roll call in the Pensacola Museum of
Naval Aviation, but few have made it as far beyond that milestone as Slapshot. Although
not the highest total count (that’s 1888),
you can be sure that, if there’s an opportunity to bag a few more, "Slapshot" Carter will probably be the one to
"call the ball."
related links on this site:
CO bio, VF-14 takes part
in Operation Allied Force - A message from the CO! |
