Spend a few years as a pilot and aircraft checkouts become second nature, those hours spent with an instructor to learn the ins and outs of a new machine so you can head off toward that next dramatic destination on your own. Every once in a while though the act itself of checking out becomes the adventure as a recent story from The Star and Stripes explained about some young USAF pilots.
Becoming a U-2 Pilot
Key Takeaways:
- The U-2 "Dragon Lady" spy plane remains a vital high-altitude intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) asset, known for its challenging operation.
- To address a significant pilot shortage, the U.S. Air Force is introducing an experimental pipeline allowing younger pilots to fly the U-2 earlier in their careers, directly out of undergraduate pilot training.
- This new program will initially select a few pilots to serve as T-38 instructors before U-2 qualification, with the success of these individuals determining the pipeline's future expansion.
Key takeaways sponsored by Aviator Pro | Start Your Training ->
See a mistake? Contact us.
