Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!att!cbnews!military From: kevin@jtsv16.jts.com (kevin brighton) Newsgroups: sci.military Subject: Re: F-4 : really an interceptor Message-ID: <7880@cbnews.ATT.COM> Date: 30 Jun 89 03:19:49 GMT Sender: military@cbnews.ATT.COM Lines: 27 Approved: military@att.att.com From: kevin@jtsv16.jts.com (kevin brighton) Mary Shafer wrote: > RIOs are passengers (with > ejection seats, though) where WSOs can fly the plane. This doesn't > apply to trainers, of course, and I don't know how much, if any, > training WSOs get. Recently I had an opportunity to chat with an F-4 driver from a Tennessee ANG unit. The back seaters are not trained to fly the aircraft, and any flying experience they have is scrounged from friendly front seaters. It's doubtful that a WSO could actually land the aircraft, unless he was very lucky. I believe that either aircrew can initiate the ejection for both of them. The best thing to do would be to fly the aircraft to a safe area/airspeed/altitude and punch both bodies out. This unit (can't remember the number) is scheduled to convert to the F16 in the fall. Most of the back seaters will be given desks to fly (too bad), although a limited number are going to re-train as pilots. Kevin Brighton kevin@jtsv16.jts.com JTS Computer Systems Ltd. { suncan | geac | uunet }!jtsv16!kevin Toronto, Ontario, CANADA +1 416 665 8910