Student pilots graduate straight to Raptor

[unhappycamper]

The first Air Force F-22 Raptor Basic Course class graduated Nov. 1 at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. Col. William H. Mott, center, 325th Operations Group commander, stands with the four graduating student pilots, left to right, 1st Lt. Dan Dickinson, Capt. Marcus McGinn, 1st Lt. Ryan Shelhorse and 1st Lt. Austin B. Skelley.


Student pilots graduate straight to Raptor
Staff report
Posted : Monday Nov 10, 2008 18:18:24 EST

The first student pilots to go straight from training jets into the service’s most advanced fighter graduated from F-22A Raptor training Nov. 1 at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla.

Capt. Marcus McGinn and 1st Lts. Dan Dickenson, Ryan Shelhorse and Austin B. Skelley made history after eight months of intense study and flight training, an Air Force news release said.

“Training these new guys coming in with no experience flying fighters, except for just a little bit in the F-16 prior to this course, was definitely a new experience for me,” said Capt. Jonathan Gration, a flight commander with the 43rd Fighter Squadron and one of the instructor pilots who taught the four during the Raptor basic course.

The course included 88.5 hours of simulator training, 27 academic tests and 62.4 hours of flight training.

“We didn’t really have a bar to compare them against,” Gration said. “We didn’t expect them to pick up on the advanced concepts of flying F-22s as they did. I think these guys are more than ready to leave this course and go out to the combat Air Force and join an operational fighter squadron.”


Rest of article at: http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2008/11/airforce_f22_students_111008w/%2e



uhc comment: That's the $355,000,000 F-22 Raptor.

[Wilber_Stool]

1. What does it matter.

We haven't attacked anyone with an Air Force for a long, long time. How much skill do you need to kill a man riding a donkey with a missile?