After 24 years of flying fighters in the U.S. Air Force, including a tour with the Thunderbirds, I retired in 2006 and started a new career as an airline pilot. Concurrently, the Patriots Jet Team, flying Experimental Aero L-39s, invited me to join its aerobatic team. After coming up as a pilot in general aviation in the early 1980s, I was excited to recultivate my civilian aviation roots. I had always believed that the FAA existed to promote a safe and mature approach to aviation. Little did I know that my assumptions would be severely challenged after a series of flights in January 2014.
A Tale of Two FAAs
