Standing on the back of a Golden Dragon,
VA-192.

There is a walkway coated with non-skid up the UHT (Unit Horizontal Tail).  You can see the UHT in the lower right corner of this picture.  It appears to be a white line with solid black under it.   You start at the very back of the airplane, step onto the UHT walkway, take another step onto the back part of the fuselage along the side of the vertical tail, grab the vertical for stability, then walk up the walkway on the very back of the airplane.  Believe me, this is really neat.  You will like it.

There are a couple pieces of equipment located behind the cockpit of the A-7A and B models which sometimes must be replaced without a check stand.  Actually I wouldn't recommend it because of the chance of a fall.  However, being young and indestructible, I had a chance to replace one of these parts in this manner. 

The part was an interface module for the ECM (Electronics Counter Measures) equipment.  The interface module allows various different ECM components to operate together simultaneously.   I had to climb the walkway, then reach way over and unscrew the panel just behind the cockpit right where I'm standing in the photo above.  I can remember this clearly, even after 20 years.  I was scared.  It looked like I was thirty feet above the ground.  It was a windy day and I had trouble holding on.  I removed the interface module while reaching around the open panel cover which was hinged at the top,  I can recall being a little dizzy while looking at the ground.  From my mountain climbing experience I knew enough to stop looking at the ground and just pay attention to what I was doing.  Keep your eyes on the goal, was the idea that flashed through my mind.

I finally had the interface module disconnected and handed it to my friend who was standing nearby.  I'm glad that that job was done, I thought.

If your of proper age to join the Navy and want to work on jets I would highly recommend it.  You will have a lot of fantastic experiences as I have when I was in the Navy.  You will have the opportunity to travel all around the world and see the places that you have only imagined seeing as a civilian.  You will have the chance to do things that no civilian job can ever offer.  You will meet new friends everywhere and have a blast in the process.

The schools that you will attend and the experience that you will gain  by working on this high tech equipment will pay you tremendously in the future when you become a civilian again.  I'm starting to sound like a recruiter but I can assure you that once you gain this knowledge and experience you will be in demand in almost any company or career that you choose.