Obviously, I don't know all of the facts, but this appears to fall squarely on the shoulders of the Army pilot who was PIC.
We give a ton of orientation flights in the U-2 and T-38, and if we were to allow the guest flyers to exceed our capabilities to keep the aircraft safe, that's on us.
What was the O-6's billet in the F-35 world?
This is not abnormal except for the part where he crashed attempting a landing. We routinely fly Brigade O6 commanders and GOs and even conduct gunnery with them. This was a failure on the part of the LtCol for trying to prove something and more the W5 being dumb enough to not call it off. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Fair enough, I think you argue in good faith. No doubt about the problem with accountability.
I think it you could keep it under control and actually measurably accountable but I’m an optimist.
I’ve made my point as have you so good enough for BO.
Seriously, if it wasn't for US aid to Ukraine these guys could have been living happily in a Siberian gulag by now, while the country they believed in was ground into dust by a nuclear-armed gas station doing a Soviet Union speedrun.
He said he had a "feeling" they wouldn't make it... yet, I bet not one single solitary moment of self-reflection that perhaps that his absolutely rabid support and pressure to fund and intensify the war directly resulted in the death of these two pilots. God rest their souls.
Adam is a pilot. Ukraine needs two more pilots. Just sayin.