I woke up today thinking about all the military guys who've served in Vietnam and many of them are long term friends of mine. It hit me that I should write about my experience riding back seat in a US Navy F-18 Tom Cat fighter jet airplane. It's one experience I'll never forget being given the national privilege of riding in the rear cockpit as co- pilot of a Navy F-18 in my age twenties. I've decided to talk about my amazing two experiences being a co pilot of a Navy jet engine powered fighter plane. I'd seen growing up my Uncle George Hodges doing air shows flying everything from training planes to the being squadron leader of the Navy Blue Angels precision flying stunts team many times at Quonsett Naval Air Station in North Kingstown,R.I. My uncle George Hodges was publicly funeral & eulogy at Quonsett Naval Air Base on the runway was attended by President Jimmy Carter and all the Pentagon Joint chiefs of Staff and over 30,000 people came to say goodbye to my Uncle as a war hero of of service to his beloved country of America. He served in Korea war and Vietnam war with 458 verified combat missions to his credit and one of the very few Navy men to ever receive the Navy highest award the Distinguished Flying Cross. He one of only a few to be in the NASA experimential flight program and have 13 stars painted on the side of his Navy jet fighter airplane. I looked up to him and so did many thousands of people who openly called him a distinguished war hero of greatness. So on the same air field that my Uncle George Hodges flying the Navy Blue Angels as squadron leader and the same place where his fellow Navy pilots flew the missing man formation to TAPS being played by the military color guard band and 21 gun salute by the honor guard. I was shocked I'd be given the honor and national privilege to fly co pilot with the Major Showcroft in a twin engine Pratt and Whitney powered jet engines fighter plane. Two different flight crews officially offered me the ride of a lifetime in at that time the Navy premier strike fighter plane. I had to do 50 hours of training with charts,videos,test,etc & familiarizing myself with sitting in the co pilot seat before the Major was satisfied I could handle going up in the air with him. My Special Operations Base Commander allowed me to do this with his consent and I will always be grateful to him for it. Lucky for me I got to do the flight training and flying with the Navy Twin Tail and engine Tom Cat while I was given temporary leave of absence from my special operations group. My first experience of going up in the air with Major Showcroft got real very quick when I was sitting in the co pilot seat and he fired up the twin Pratt and Whitney jet engines I literally sounds like two angry male lions snarling at each other with enough forward force to jerk you into reality. Hey man this is essentially real power behind your seat that Navy guy just made it start roaring. We taxi forward down the runway to the starting position on the runway with the ground crew flagger directing us to the right position for takeover. The Major talk to me by intercom while we waited for ground air traffic control to verify our position and give us flight authorization clearance. The Major went through a series of checks with me and then ground flight control gave us the "Your clear for takeoff and good luck Sir" I sir Thank you the Major replied on the intercom and gave the ground man flagger thumbs up sign. He light up both jet engines slowly at first until we got to the end of the runway and the Major said on the intercom don't be afraid in the backseat your in skilled hands here. He then shoved the throttle bars forward and it sounds like angry beasts pushing you with 60,000 hp driving you into the seat and your brain and body as you lift of the runway and do a steep upward climbing to cruising altitude. The Major leveled off at 10,000 feet with me almost throwing up my lunch in the process saying now that's was easy with a some laughing on the intercom to me. "Don't worry son I'll take it easy on you since its your first time" with him intermittently giggling on the intercom. Do you want to know what this thing capabilities are? I'm afraid to ask but oh well I might as well since I'm here with you. "How about you take the stick and try to tame this angry beast, just go slow and easy with it" I did it with excitement I'm flying it I said and the Major congratulate me on my success. "You learning well son flying with me here he said" What a awesome experience for me that day flying with Major Showcroft as we landed on the runway and came to a stop. The second time flying with a different pilot and air crew on the ground giving directions was equally awesome experience that makes me have a great respect for Navy combat pilots and their ground air crew. I learned first hand it's serious jobs that the Navy pilots and air crews do to fly these very complex sophisticated jet engine powered airplanes. I got given to me exclusive privileges that most of mankind globally will never experience in all their lifetime which is flying a Navy Jet Fighter airplane. To this day I look back very fondly on Quonsett Naval Air Base and all the great group of very dedicated Navy pilots and air crews that allowed me the ability to fulfil a dream of flying with them. I ever get officially offered again this precious privilege of flying with them in a Navy Jet.fighter airplane I'd take it knowing it's a serious privilege that only a selected few people in America and entire planet earth will ever be given in a lifetime. I've often thought in later years of my life i want to again thank the great US Navy men for allowing me to fly with them at Quonsett Naval Air Base and Hingham Naval Air Base.
P.S. I hope I've spelled the Navy Air Base in Massachusetts correctly since its decades since I was there in person.
My entire @RoyalFamily have all served in military service with honor,courage and enormous amounts of medals for distinguished military service.
H.E. John F Norton Jr.
