Check my response... or just read this: http://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/news/FactSheets/FS-026-DFRC.html

In reply to this comment by Raaagh:
Wow.

So I assume he was struggling to get the trainer oriented so he could eject safely?

And what on earth was that thing? Was it dropped from a high altitude? or was it tethered

Oh, and NASA is/was considering building a similar vehicle to prepare for the return to the moon.

NASA built LLRV (lunar lander research vehicle) and later the LLTV (lunar landar training vehicle). They were not tethered. They used a jet engine, oriented vertically on a gimbal to lift the vehicle so that it would behave as the actual lander would over the moon. (The moon's gravity is about 1/6 of Earth's.)

Neil Armstrong said that the moon landing would not have been possible without these test vehicles. More info here: http://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/news/FactSheets/FS-026-DFRC.html

If you want to see one, I know they have one on display at NASA Dryden in Southern California. I think they only do tours ever other Friday, though.