CAPT Roe 'Skid' Massey - Part 1, VF-103 and the Achille Lauro - The Fighter Pilots' Guide to Living

Welcome to the Fighter Pilots’ Guide to Living. Today’s guest is retired Captain Roe 'Skid' Massey, who flew a combined 4,500 hours in the F-14 Tomcat and F-18 Hornet.

In one of three episodes about his career in naval aviation, Roe talks about his early flying career, and two deployments with VF-103. In the latter deployment, Roe was one of two Tomcats that intercepted the Egypt Air flight hijacked by four Palestinian Liberation Front terrorists who had overtaken the Italian cruise ship Achille Lauro and killed Jewish-American passenger Leon Klinghoffer.

Roe discusses being sent on the mission to intercept the 737 with no prior information about what his mission would entail. After intercepting the aircraft, the 737 was physically diverted to Naval Air Station Sigonella in Italy.

Roe discusses the remainder of his second deployment with the Sluggers, and a subsequent assigned to VF-101, the RAG in Oceana.


About Skid:

After graduating high school at Gallatin High School in 1975, Captain Roe Massey graduated MTSU, with a degree in Aerospace Administration, completed Naval Flight Training and was selected for F-14 Tomcats in Virginia Beach, VA. As a junior officer, Roe was an F-14 Instructor, Carrier Qualification Phase Leader, and a graduate of the Naval Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN). He served as CVW-17 Landing Signals Officer (LSO) followed by COMNAVAIRLANT LSO. He received his Masters Degree in International Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College. Following his tour as Commanding Officer of 2 F-14 Squadrons, he was assigned as the Head Aviation Officer Detailer in Memphis, TN, responsible for the duty assignments of approximately 13,000 Naval Aviation Officers. After promotion to Captain, he was selected for Carrier Air Wing Commander 17, located in Virginia Beach, flying the F-14 Tomcat and F-18 Hornet, and was responsible for 10 squadrons, approximately 80 aircraft and 1800 personnel. Following his tour as Carrier Air Wing Commander in Virginia Beach, VA., he was subsequently assigned a second duty assignment as Carrier Wing Commander 9, in Lemoore, CA. He has flown over 4500 hours in fighter aircraft, has been on 8 extended deployments, and achieved over 1300 carrier arrested landings. He is married to Ruth Martindale Massey of Murfreesboro, and they have 2 wonderful children, Will and Ryan, and 4 beautiful grandchildren.


About the hosts:
Mitch 'TACO' Parmentier has 16 years of experience with the F/A-18 Super Hornet as a Weapons System Operator (WSO). He has a longstanding love of aviation and history that he brings to the podcast.

Beth Bailey was raised by F-14 Radar Intercept Officer Glen 'Wheels' Wheless and grew up around aviators and their unique brand of storytelling for most of her childhood. Beth worked in support of Afghanistan operations as a civilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner, and host of The Afghanistan Project Podcast.