EPIC accomplishment for undergraduate remotely piloted aircraft class 17-10

Photo By Tech. Sgt. Ave Young | Tech. Sgt. Mike, Master Sgt. Alex and Master Sgt. Mike stand next to a T-6A Texan II parked on the west flight line at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas, May 4, 2017. They completed undergraduate remotely piloted aircraft training May 5th here and the T-6A is one of the planes they trained in. They are the first Air Force enlisted airmen to train as pilots since World War II. Master Sgt. Mike was a distinguished graduate in the URT class of 20 including 17 commissioned officers. (Editor’s note: Only first names were given because the Air Force limits disclosure of identifying information to first names for all RPA pilots and sensor operators throughout their careers. Name badges were blurred due to Air Force limits on disclosure of identifying information for RPA operators.) (U.S. Air Force illustration by Tech. Sgt. Ave I. Young)  

SAN ANTONIO, TX, UNITED STATES

05.05.2017

Story by Randy Martin 

12th Flying Training Wing

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas -- The first three noncommissioned officers have completed the Air Force’s undergraduate remotely piloted aircraft training program here today and one is a distinguished graduate.

Master Sgt. Mike was in the top ten percent of his 20 classmates academically and shared top honors. He is one of twelve enlisted candidates that were selected from throughout the Air Force after Dec. 17, 2015 for a bold initiative called the enlisted pilot initial class. In EPIC, enlisted airmen were included with commissioned officers during RPA pilot training.

In its 70 years as a separate service, the Air Force has relied almost exclusively on commissioned officers for its pilots.

Last November, as part of their initial flight training near Pueblo Memorial Airport, Pueblo, Colorado, each student soloed a DA-20 Katana aircraft just like all other pilots, fellow RPA pilots, and combat systems officers.

Mike was the first EPIC student to solo at IFT and he was confident that fellow enlisted Airmen can succeed at IFT and URT.

“If there is something you really want, it’s achievable. You just have to put in the effort,” said Mike.

Mike and his classmates continued URT on January 6, 2017 at Joint Base San Antonio - Randolph for the second and third phases of the pipeline that produces all Air Force RPA pilots. Phases 2 and 3 of URT lasted approximately four months and consisted of RPA instrument qualification and RPA fundamentals training.

“What makes this accomplishment even more extraordinary is the quality of the students who make up this URT class 17-10,” said Lt. Col. Jason Thompson, the 558th Flying Training Squadron commander responsible for training pilots and sensor operators at JBSA-Randolph.

Almost 90% of URT 17-10’s students are recent college graduates and one is the Air Force’s first RPA pilot physician, Maj. Joe. 2nd Lt. Brianna, Mike’s fellow distinguished graduate, is one of the best pilots to have completed URT in recent memory, Thompson said.

After URT, Mike and his fellow enlisted pilots Master Sgt. Alex and Tech. Sgt. Mike, advance to formal training at Beale Air Force Base, California for a Basic Qualification Course where pilots qualify on the RQ-4 Global Hawk. The Global Hawk is a long-duration intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance weapon system that supports missions worldwide.

The Air Force Personnel Center continues to plan and fill the RPA pilot training pipeline with enlisted Airmen and commissioned officers.

“There are a lot of opportunities that could become available to enlisted Airmen,” said Mike.

(Editor’s note: Only first names were given because the Air Force limits disclosure of identifying information to first names for all RPA pilots and sensor operators throughout their careers.)

• Date Taken: 05.05.2017
• Date Posted: 05.05.2017 14:32
• Story ID: 232714
• Location: SAN ANTONIO, TX, US