I remember not too long ago, only about 10 years or so, where we were discussing on the Afterburner Club forum how Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UCAVs) would render the F-22 and the F-35 as the last generation of manned combat aircraft. At the time, I thought that the answer was ‘yes’, so much … [Read more...] about “The Future of Air Combat”

It can be more than a little intimidating to look at a dream and a goal as lofty as becoming a fighter pilot and asking yourself, “Do I really have what it takes to become a leader of men and women in the military and control a machine as sophisticated and as powerful as an F-22 Raptor or F-35 … [Read more...] about “Achieving the Dream!”

Let me tell you about the very first time I ever went flying on my very first flight in basic pilot training for the Marine Corps. I thought that the instructor was going to be doing the flying while I was going to just sit in the side seat of our Cessna 150 trainer for orientation and this first … [Read more...] about “Begin Training NOW!”

Following up on our series on why we want to be fighter pilots, it hardly even needs to go any further. Chances are if you are reading this, you’ve already caught the flying bug. You’re ready to climb into the cockpit right now as soon as someone gives you an opportunity! But here’s the thing, no … [Read more...] about “The Realities of Being a Fighter Pilot”

We conclude our 4-part series on why we want to become fighter pilots with the promise that the pursuit of our dreams brings. It may be a bigger promise than you realize. It’s the promise that no matter what happens on the road to becoming a fighter pilot, you WILL be a winner! As the legendary … [Read more...] about “Why Become a Fighter Pilot? Part 4- The Promise”