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WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. – For B-2 test pilot “Igor,”, aviation was never about chasing a thrill. It was a calling, shaped by family, hometown pride, and the military community that surrounded him near Whiteman Air Force Base.
Born in Clinton and raised in Windsor, Missouri, Igor grew up immersed in service and aviation. Today, the hometown kid has become the first and only Department of Defense civilian authorized to fly the B-2 Spirit.
One of the earliest influences on his path came from a friend’s grandfather, a World War II bomber gunner, who had been shot down and taken prisoner of war.
“The story he told left a powerful impression,” Igor recalled. “I never really decided to be a pilot. It just felt like something I had to do.”
After losing his mother at 18, Igor followed his family’s encouragement and pursued aviation at the University of Central Missouri. He progressed through his training quickly, moving from private pilot to certified flight instructor in just 13 months, while flying skydivers, instructing, and teaching as a graduate assistant.
In 2003, he commissioned through Officer Training School. His commander, Col. Cherry Pitts, a decorated F-15 Eagle pilot who flew during Operation Desert Storm, fueled Igor to follow the fighter track. He graduated top of his class at Vance AFB and earned an F-15 assignment and joined the 60th Fighter Squadron at Eglin AFB after stops at Moody AFB and Tyndall AFB.
However, a few years into his tour, he was one of 200 fighter and bomber pilots selected for an Air Force program which redirected them to remotely piloted aircraft. Igor transitioned to the MQ-1 Predator at Creech AFB, Nevada.
“It wasn’t a move I chose, but I had to embrace it,” he said.
The seven-days-on, two-days-off, 12-hour shifts were demanding, but the work was meaningful. Igor became a dual qualified instructor and evaluator and was the first pilot to surpass 1,000 hours on both the MQ-1 and MQ-9 Reaper.
He graduated from the US Air Force Weapons School and later helped stand up three new RPA squadrons and shape the foundation of modern RPA operations.
Then he got a rare opportunity: to return home and fly the B2 Spirit with the Missouri Air National Guard.
“I jumped at the chance,” Igor said. “The F-15 was pure flying joy; RPAs were impactful and mission driven; and the B-2 brings unmatched strategic value.”
That assignment carried personal meaning. As a teenager he had stood on Whiteman’s flight line to witness the arrival of the first B-2 Spirit, the Spirit of Missouri. On December 17, 2013, exactly 20 years after the B-2’s arrival at Whiteman AFB and the 110th anniversary of the Wright brothers’ first flight, he joined the 110th Bomb Squadron.
He spent the next 11 years flying the B-2 with the 110th, while also contributing to local aviation through a flying club; air racing; performing in airshows; and mentoring young aviators as an FAA designated pilot examiner.
Through it all, family has been important to him. Igor and his fiancée share a blended family of four children and two grandchildren. His stepson and daughter-in-law both work at Whiteman as B-2 low observable technicians, continuing the family tradition in aviation.
“None of this would mean as much without my family,” Igor said. “They keep me grounded and remind me why I serve.”
Today, Igor serves as the DoD’s lead B-2 Operational Test Pilot with the 72nd Test and Evaluation Squadron, part of the 53rd Wing, under Air Combat Command. He is responsible for testing and evaluating mission upgrades that will shape the bomber’s future.
He still wears a flight suit, black or bright orange, without rank, and still sees his mission as unchanged.
“Being part of the B-2 community and impacting warfighters ability to succeed keeps me connected,” he said. “I hope the civilian pilot program grows. It has given me a way to keep serving while still flying.”
Across more than 7,000 flight hours in 60 different aircraft, Igor has valued each experience: the raw performance of the F-15, the precision of RPAs, and the strategic weight of the B-2.
“This has always been about people, the mission, and the culture that makes it possible,” he said. “I'm grateful for every opportunity I've had.”
| Date Taken: | 09.08.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 09.08.2025 15:37 |
| Story ID: | 547538 |
| Location: | WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, MISSOURI, US |
| Web Views: | 16 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, The Spirit Continues, by SrA Robert Hicks, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
