The as yet unnamed pilot has served as a Staff Officer in the US for many years and will begin flying other aircraft within the 89th Airlift Wing before he can climb through the ranks. This may seem unusual, but the British and Americans have been swapping personnel since 1971, with the aim of strengthening relationships on both sides of the pond. However, one lucky RAF Wing Commander will soon become the first British national to get the chance to fly the president. With such tight security onboard Air Force One, you would expect that the pilots must be US nationals, and usually this is the case. Presidential pilots earn the same base salary as any other pilot with their rank and experience.Īccording to the 2020 military pay charts, a pilot flying Air Force One would make somewhere in the region of $134,124 USD per year. ‘Everything this wing does is woven into the fabric of America and of its history.’ Air Force One Pilot SalaryĪlthough the pilots get to fly in one of the most famous and high-tech planes in the world, the privilege of flying the president does not come with any financial perks. You don’t just move people and stuff, you give the President of the United States options,” he said whilst addressing the formations of Airmen before him. ‘Every single one of you is here for a reason, because you’re incredible airmen. Eaton, the Commander of the 89th AW describes such individuals aptly during a speech. This is the highest security clearance possible in the US and includes checking the backgrounds of their close family members and friends too.Ĭol. In addition to being extremely accomplished airmen, these crew members will be privy to sensitive information and so must achieve a ‘Yankee White’ category one security clearance. Victoria Bottomley 89th airlift wing requirements The unit is exceptionally busy, carrying out over 6,500 missions and logging nearly 12,000 flight hours each year. Their fleet also includes 15 business jets used to transport members of congress and other VIPs. The two iconic Boeing 747-200Bs are not the only jets operated by the 89th Airlift Wing.
Due to national security reasons, their names are closely guarded secrets whilst they are serving.
There are several pilots usually allocated the roles of Presidential and Deputy Presidential pilot, who are rotated throughout the year to allow for leave and emergencies. They have been serving in this capacity since 1966, when it inherited the role from the 1254th Air Transport Wing. These crew members are from 89th Airlift Wing of the USAF Air Mobility Command, which is the military’s largest executive flight department. Although there is always a third pilot onboard, in case a crew member should become incapacitated. TLDR – Air Force One is piloted by two US Air Force pilots, known as the Presidential and Deputy Presidential Pilots. How did Tillman become the Presidential Pilot?.RAND concluded that from a personnel cost perspective, it is more cost-effective to increase incentive pay than to expand the training pipeline to sustain the pilot inventory. They have also become discretionary programs under Department of Defense Instruction 7730.67 which means the Air Force has to annually justify its budgets for both payments. Questions have been raised about whether these payments are high enough amid a hiring drive in the commercial airline industry. The service uses an Aviation Bonus and Aviational Incentive Pay to influence pilot retention and sustain the size of the pilot force. The analysis comes at a time when the Air Force is worried about a shortfall in pilot numbers. By comparison, the cost of training pilots on the Air Force's transport aircraft are lower with the C-130J estimated at $2.47 million per pilot and the C-17 estimated at $1.1 million per pilot. While training an A-10 pilot comes to an estimated $5.96 million, total costs for becoming qualified on the $2.1 billion B-2 Spirit stealth bomber come to an estimated $9.89 million. Training costs are also steep for pilots aiming to fly ground attack aircraft and bombers.
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