"It was truly a once in a lifetime experience," said Van Ouwerkerk, who admits she was a little apprehensive during the parachute and survival training. "Once I climbed into the plane, I was totally relaxed and enjoyed cloud chasing, flying low over Travis AFB and seeing the Golden Gate."

Preparation for the flight wasn't taken lightly and included a visit to the Flight Doc and passing a flight physical. At Beale AFB, in Marysville, Van Ouwerkerk, changed into a flight suit and combat boots and proceeded to early morning flight preparations that included procedures to evacuate aircraft, squadron briefing, a mission briefing, hanging harness, travening egress and travening procedures.

"We wore the 'G' suits although they really weren't needed as we were limited to three 'Gs' but I was glad to experience what it felt like when they began to fill as we made some rolls," says Van Ouwerkerk. "I never felt queasy at all. It was a wonderful, remarkable experience."