After working as a college intern at North American Rockwell, Pat O’Brien decided he wanted to be in flight testing. When NAVAIR told him he could fly, he signed on. Months later, he was flying in the rear cockpit of a brand-new F-14 Tomcat
Pat O’Brien was fascinated by airplanes and excelled in math and science. As a teenager in the late 1960s, he expected to join the U.S. Air Force ROTC to help cover college costs and then continue into the Air Force as a pilot—it seemed like a natural path. However, after enrolling at Ohio State University, an Air Force physical exam brought disappointing news. He recently told me, “They uncovered an old back injury that not only disqualified me from flying, but prevented me from even being in the service. No scholarship for me.”
O’Brien was not easily discouraged. While pursuing a degree in aerospace engineering, he worked three jobs to cover both his college expenses and flight lessons for a private pilot license. In his junior year, he landed an internship with the legendary North American Rockwell in Columbus, Ohio, where he worked on the XFV-12A. (Bio note: Look that one up if you’re not familiar with it!) He says, “I found the job too structured. Several people tried to discourage me, but I decided I wanted to work in flight test.”
As graduation approached, O’Brien met with leading aerospace firms and the U.S. Navy’s Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR). After NAVAIR informed him that he would be able to fly, he accepted the offer. He earned his degree in June 1974 and arrived at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, the following month to begin working with the Naval Air Test Center (NATC). The installation is better known as Pax River.
O’Brien remembered that although the F-14 was undergoing carrier suitability testing, much of the work involved more routine flight test duties, including checking the Tomcat’s antennas for different systems at various angles and distances. O’Brien continues, “Navy pilots flew the aircraft, but they needed someone to align the INS (inertial navigation system) and handle other routine duties in the back seat. There weren’t many RIOs, and few engineers wanted to fly, so I went flying!” While these missions might have seemed boring to seasoned aircrews, O’Brien enjoyed flying in the Tomcat. He said the Navy used qualified Naval Flight Officers (NFOs) in the back seat for higher-risk flights, such as testing the minimum speed needed for aircraft carrier catapult launches.
“I loved any flying! In addition to the F-14 I also flew in the F-4, S-3, KA-6, and others.” He also shared a memorable story about a flight in a TA-7 Corsair II. Because the program had extra flight time available, O’Brien teamed up with a test pilot and they carried out strafing runs and dropped practice bombs on a target hulk in the Chesapeake Bay!
O’Brien enjoyed flying, but his primary responsibility was overseeing flight testing for the NATC Carrier Suitability department. Because of the demands of that role, he had to pass up some flights. Still, one especially memorable part of the job was having his name painted on the rear cockpit of F-14 bureau number 158613!
The Navy pilots he flew with occasionally pulled pranks on him. They would tell him to check something on the left wing, then roll the aircraft to the right so that his head would hit the left side of the canopy. (Bio note: This is a common fighter pilot trick on new back seaters.) He took it as a sign that they accepted him and knew he could handle a joke.
One notable moment during his years at Pax River was the drag race between an F-14 and legendary racer Tom “Mongoose” McEwen for HOT ROD magazine in September 1975. A close look at several of the photos reveals O’Brien’s name on the jet used in the event.
Unfortunately, O’Brien did not keep a logbook during his time at NAVAIR. He believes he flew only around a dozen times in the F-14, along with about a dozen more flights in other jets. His only traps, or carrier arrested landings, occurred in other aircraft. Still, he came away with memories that lasted a lifetime and, after spending a few years known simply as “The Rookie,” he eventually earned a callsign that stuck: PaddyO.
PaddyO remained with NAVAIR until 1979 before leaving to follow a different career path. Even so, his passion for flying never faded. He went on to earn a commercial pilot license and an instrument rating. He now lives in St. Petersburg, Florida, where he flies both a Columbia 400 and an RV-8. He also serves on the advisory committee for his local airport. His story shows the value of chasing your dreams.
Bio is the author of two books, Topgun Days and Before Topgun Days. His latest book, Tomcat RIO, was published in 2020.
