Everyone loves aerobatic champion Patty Wagstaff. And everyone loves Navy fighter jets landing on carriers (well, as long as we ignore the price tag). Suggested reading: “Making Traps: The Thrill Of Landing An F/A-18 On An Aircraft Carrier” (Plane&Pilot, January 2018). I don’t think that King Bush II had to do this when he went out in a utility plane to give his “Mission Accomplished” speech:
Flying to a carrier however, the training was mandatory. As a swimmer, surfer and beach girl, I was excited about it. I thought it would be a breeze, but, boy, was I in for a surprise. When I jumped in the water in full U.S. Navy flight gear—flight suit, survival vest, G suit, helmet and boots—and was told to swim the length of the Olympic size swimming pool, I thought, “Swim? You’re kidding me!” I had lead weights attached to my extremities. The Navy Seal Instructors were encouraging but said no swim, no fly. They told me there were no rules how I got there—back stroke, side stroke, freestyle—as long as I made it to the other side of the pool, an eternity away.
By sheer will and motivation, I raised my feet into a horizontal position and started moving slowly, like a turtle, across the pool. I wasn’t sure I could do it, but several instructors stood cheering me on as I placed my hands on the ledge at the far side of the pool. Next we had to tread water for a full 5 minutes in our gear. The Instructors gave me some tips—relax, conserve energy and get a little air under my helmet and use that to float upside down. Another task was swimming, blindfolded, through a narrow cage with a 90-degree bend, simulating a fuselage. The catch was that another swimmer would be coming from the opposite direction, and you would meet up somewhere in the middle.
It is a quick read and I recommend it!
I would like to hear about her drunk driving around the grounds of the oshkosh airshow!