The RIO from the F-14 field that would fly in a RPs backseat instructed in phases that did not actually have to do with aircraft control - for instance on an All-Weather Intercept flight where a majority of the learning takes place on the radar - interpetation and tactics. Hey - I never said RIOs/WSOs weren't great at reading a radar screen! He might ride in the back during a pattern bombing hop or a CAS flight for instance. He could tell from experience how you were doing up front and how your SA was or if you were about to blow your timing out of the water. But he never tried to instruct on what do with the stick and throttles for example. That is one of the differences between having a program in place like that at the FRS (RAG) and down in the training command where 99% of the instruction is (should be) still stick and throttle.

As for driving in Europe - I lived in Sweden for a little while and my host brother was testing for his driver's license when I arrived. It is quite the experience over there getting a driving license! Due to the rules of the program I was over there with (Rotary Club), I was not allowed to drive, but after driving with him for a few weeks - I could easily tell that he was no better a driver than myself or any of my friends back home in the USA!


USMCFLYR