F-14 Tomcat fighter jet arrives at Pueblo Weisbrod Museum after viral trip

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) -- A simple question of curiosity is why the Pueblo Weisbrod Museum now has it's long awaited F-14 Tomcat fighter jet to add to its already impressive collection of aircraft.

Museum president Jeanni Sandidge and her husband, Rick Sandidge, were at a meeting in Pensacola, Florida with the Naval Air Museum when Rick asked about a specific jet.

"If you happen to have an F-14 lying around somewhere, we would love to talk to you about it and he looked at me, and I said, 'Oh boy, I messed up.' And then he says, 'Come with me,'" Rick Sandidge said.

Rick Sandidge had come to find the exact fighter jet he asked about. It had been sitting outside, and the Naval Air Museum had no room for it. The married couple put their name on the list to get the aircraft and waited about ten months for a committee vote to decide who got the aircraft.

"We found out last December that we had actually been awarded it by the Navy. It's on a permanent loan from the Navy. We just have to pay the cost of getting it here," Jeannie Sandidge said.

A surprise arose from the journey through the social media following it received in the two-week drive through 11 states.

"We had 500 people in a couple truck stops that stopped to see it. Seeing it go viral on Facebook was definitely a shock to us. I think the last time I looked we were at 4.9 million views," Jay Penry with Worldwide Aircraft Recovery said.

The Weisbrod Air Museum will have it on display for six months, but then will be sent to restoration for another six months. The aircraft will then be put back on display, fully restored.

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