Careers: Military--Army, Navy, Airforce, Marines, Coast Guard/pilot

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Expert: - 6/16/2006


Question
Hi ,
I am wodering if women can be fighter pilots?
I wanted to join the airforce since i was ten .
It would be great if you could answer this Question!

Answer
Greetings Shauni -

I apologize for taking so long to respond to you.  The message ended up in my Spam folder.

Yes, it is definitely possible for you to become a fighter pilot.  I have known a couple, including a female bomber pilot.  I have flown with several female pilots during my 24-year career on cargo and tanker aircraft.

When I was grownig up, my hero was Amelia Earhart.  I did not see sports athletes as role models, but I admired what she did.  It was my dream as a kid to go fly the Pacific and find her.

And don't forget about Eileen Collins, the first female NASA Space Shuttle Commander.  Many years ago, when she was a captain, she was a pilot in my C-141 squadron, the 86th Military Airlift Squadron at Travis AFB, California.  You can read about her at ...

http://www.ci.elmira.ny.us/history/eileen_collins.html

Here are a few more links you can check out to see for yourself ...

http://www.cnn.com/US/9901/09/female.pilot/

http://womenshistory.about.com/od/aviationpilots/

http://userpages.aug.com/captbarb/pilots.html

http://www.ninety-nines.org/

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/26/AR2006022601382....

I hope this gives you the motivation to achieve your dreams.  Eileen Collins was about your age when she started wanting to fly ... now look at her.

Good luck and best wishes.

Sincerely,
James Bell

Careers: Military--Army, Navy, Airforce, Marines, Coast Guard

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James Bell

Expertise

I am a retired MSgt (2004) with 24 years experience in the aircrew career field, both as a loadmaster (AFSC 1A2x1) and flight engineer (AFSC 1A1x1). I have been to every continent at one time or another, and regularly flew 300 to 500 hours a year. I have been involved in the operations in Grenada, Panama, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq. I can answer most questions you may have about enlisted Air Force life in general, assignments, benefits, and enlisted aircrew operations. NOTE: If you have specific recruiting and/or medical questions about how to get into this career field as a civilian, they have changed since my time, so that is best answered by a recruiter or MEPS. I can answer questions about military personnel wanting to RETRAIN. If you are asking about being an Air Force pilot, please be advised my area of expertise is ENLISTED aircrew operations, NOT OFFICERS.

Experience

Loadmaster (AFSC 1A2x1): 7 years - 2,000 hours - C-5A Galaxy cargo plane. Flight Engineer (AFSC 1A1x1C): 7 years - 2,500 hours - C-141B Starlifter cargo plane, 10 years - 3,800 hours - KC-10A Extender aerial tanker. Served as aircrew Flight Instructor, Flight Evaluator and Training Manager

Education/Credentials
Aircraft Loadmaster Initial Qualification - 1980. Mission Qualification (C-5A) - 1981. Fixed Wing Aircraft Performance Course - 1987. Initial Flight Engineer Qualification (C-141B) - 1987. Mission Qualification (KC-10A) - 1988. KC-10 Initial Qualification Course - 1994. Mission Qualification (KC-10A) - 1995. Instructor Qualficiation (KC-10A) - 1997. Evaluator Qualification (KC-10A) - 2000.

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