(From his official bio at the DoD webite (www.dod.mil): Mr. Rumsfeld attended Princeton University on academic and NROTC scholarships (A.B., 1954) and served in the U.S. Navy (1954-57) as an aviator and flight instructor. In 1957, he transferred to the Ready Reserve and continued his Naval service in flying and administrative assignments as a drilling reservist until 1975. He transferred to the Standby Reserve when he became Secretary of Defense in 1975 and to the Retired Reserve with the rank of Captain in 1989 He was commisioned towards the end of the Korean war. By the time he got through flight training, the war was proably over or nearly so. Since he was a flight instructor in 3 years of active duty, he probably was never in an operational squadron, while on active duty. However he spent 18 years in the active reserve, some of that in flying slots, so he may well have flown something operational and been carrier qualified. Of course to be an IP you have pretty good nerves or you'd never let the students fly the plane. You most especially wouldn't let them land on a carrier with you on board. The Navy does carrier landings in flight training (Using the Goshawk these days) and probably did so in the mid 50s too)
Personally I think we are very fortunate in this hour to have military trained pilots for President and SecDef. They can have heads the size of, well Texas, but they tend to be steady and able to stay the course.
"Of course to be an IP you have pretty good nerves or you'd never let the students fly the plane."
True. It was one of the most rewarding avocations I have ever pursued. In multi-engine aircraft, the Aircraft Commander is always an IP; he is always teaching his co-pilot and the rest of the crew how best to utilize the weapon system (IOW, fly and fight the damn thing!).
I was an IP in the E-1B, the E-2A, the C1-A and the TS-2A FRom 1967 until 1975 in the Regular Navy, and an IP in the E-2B from 1977 until 1981 in the Naval Reserve. I was a Fleet Qualified Landing Signal Officer and Carrier IP, as well. Been there, done that.
"You most especially wouldn't let them land on a carrier with you on board."
A multi-engine IP rides "Shotgun" for the students, and we not only let them land on the carrier, we teach them how to do it!
When I went through Pensacola, initial carrier landings for both the prop and the jet students were solo hops. Now, that was fun!
BTW, carrier landings, IMHO, are the most fun any man will ever have with his clothes on!
I made the remark when President Bush was running for the office that "He is a Fighter Pilot. Anyone who has trained and been operational in F-102s (particularly Air Guard 102s!) has got his stuff together. This guy looks, acts and thinks like a fighter pilot, and his detractors are overlooking that."
We also should remember the old adage: "You can always tell a fighter pilot, but you cannot tell him much!" LOL!
Been proven right, have I?
And I am proud that the SECDEF is a retired Reserve "Brown Shoe" Captain. He has his stuff together, too!
I would, jsut to satisfy my curiosity,like to know the airplanes he flew, though.