Topic: International astronauts T-38 flying status
Delta7 Member
Posts: 1505 From: Bluffton IN USA Registered: Oct 2007
posted 05-21-2016 02:07 PM
There are at least two international members of the NASA Astronaut Office who are jet-rated pilots (Jeremy Hansen and Kimiya Yui). Do they have T-38 solo pilot authorization?
I've seen pictures suggesting at least Hansen flies front seat, but I wasn't sure if there is any kind of red tape government barrier to having a foreign national fly a U.S. government-owned aircraft.
onesmallstep Member
Posts: 1310 From: Staten Island, New York USA Registered: Nov 2007
posted 05-31-2016 11:03 AM
There is no restriction on foreign members of a NASA astronaut class flying a T-38. In fact, it is a requirement to be checked out on the Talon as part of astronaut training, for both trained pilots and mission specialists (as flight engineer 'backseaters'). As is well known, one scientist-astronaut in the 60s washed out of his training and left NASA.
Lt. Col. Hansen is more than qualified to fly the T-38, having flown the CF-18 in NORAD alert duty and as an instructor. And Yui, interestingly, was forced to retire as a veteran pilot in the Japan Air Self-Defense Force upon joining JAXA because of government policy requiring a separation of civilian science and military roles.