Back in the 70s, it was fairly easy to get back seat rides in jets. Fuel allotments were not as limited as nowadays, and regulations not so tight.
All one had to do was complete a flight physical, pressure chamber test, Egress training, and a swim qual. All that might take 6 months or so, because "back seaters" were obviously considered low priority. But once all that was done, a card was issued, and it was just a matter of checking the flight schedules for an open seat.
I attached a copy of the logbook I kept. One of the pilots who took me for rides in the T-38 was Lt. Michael Smith. He later was promoted to Captain, and was among the seven astronauts killed in the Challenger disaster.
Lt. Dose was the pilot who flew a Tomcat which was featured in a US Navy recruiting ad. In the ad, the Tomcat was "raced" against a drag racer. The question in the ad, was which was faster....a Tomcat off of a catapult, or a drag race car in a 1/4 mile? The Tomcat didn't actually race with the car. It was a photo op more than anything. I have the article somewhere in my files.
I know how fortunate I was to have experienced all that. Nowadays, I am sure it wouldn't be too easy to do. Of all the jets I rode in, I have to say the Phantom was my favorite. The T-38 was like a sports car with wings, but the F-4 was nothing but raw power. You could literally feel the afterburners kick against your back. I likened the ride in those jets to a roller coaster ride times 100.
My last ride (not in logbook) was in a F/A-18D, while assigned to VFA-106 at NAS Cecil Field, sometime around 1986. We flew to the nearby bombing range at Pinecastle, FL, and back. That was a thrill.
Those were the days.
Navy Chief
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