# Can the rear seat crewmember of a fighter jet fly the plane? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 16, 2023, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-rear-seat-crewmember-of-a-fighter-jet-fly-the-plane/993267 "2023-11-16T21:38:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 5
**Author:** ![Dissonance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85f322/32.png) [@Dissonance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dissonance)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2023, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-rear-seat-crewmember-of-a-fighter-jet-fly-the-plane/993267/5 "2023-11-17T02:38:54Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > In Ye Olden Dayes of the F-4 the pilot could fire the gun (if equipped) or launch an IR missile without help provided the back seater had already configured whichever of those weapons before he dropped dead. If stuff wasn’t set up, the pilot had no ability to shoot. The pilot’s ability to operate the radar was nil, so launching radar-guided missiles was not doable. Possibly representing service differences, the pilot of the F-14 definitely could select the weapon while the RIO could not. Remember [that thread](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gun-1986-locking-on-war/977896/16) a while back where I linked a short YouTube documentary on the 1989 Gulf of Sidra incident with the actual cockpit radio recordings where the RIO fired an AIM-7 Sparrow much to the pilot’s surprise - on hearing his RIO call Fox-1, the pilot said, “Ah Jesus.” I was under the impression that the RIO was being a bit panicky in later telling the pilot repeatedly to take a Fox-2 shot to which the pilot was replying “I can’t, I don’t got a fucking tone.” It turns out that in the stress of the engagement the pilot only _thought_ he had selected Fox-2, actually he hadn’t, and the RIO was trying to communicate to him he hadn’t actually selected Fox-2. The creator of that short documentary put up a new version of it on his main channel just last week recreating the visuals in the video game DCS (Digital Combat Simulator) World. The relevant part of the exchange between the pilot and the RIO and the immediate Sidewinder tone and sound of the missile launch when the pilot realizes his mistake start at ~11:50. > **[1989 Tobruk Air Battle U.S. F-14 Tomcats Vs Libyan MiG-23 | Digital Combat...](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIFmKl958rs%2F)** > > Check out the Store: https://growling-sidewinder.creator-spring.com/CHECK OUT THE MINI DOCS CHANNEL: @Mini\_Docs Join the channel if you wish to supporthttps:... --- _[View the full topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-rear-seat-crewmember-of-a-fighter-jet-fly-the-plane/993267)._