Article Contributed on: 11/9/2006 8:52:42 AM
Air Force 2nd Lt.
Shawn T. Alcook is part of the U.S. Air Force inaugural class that is bringing pilot training into the 21st Century. The Initial Flight Screening program evaluates candidates hoping to enter aviation training as either pilots or combat systems officers. The Pueblo, Colo.-based program put the initial class of 15 students through a rigorous regimen of 18 academic hours of flight instruction and another 25 flight hours at the Pueblo Memorial Airport.
The flight screening program, in addition to evaluating potential pilots, will also prepare the students for the rigors of military and aviation life. The intent of the program is to standardize flight screening across the Air Force. Eventually, the program will be the sole source for all aviation evaluations outside of the Air Force Academy.
For the new second lieutenant, getting a chance to try out for pilot training is a dream come true. "I've always wanted to fly, and I wanted to have a job that helps people so I joined the military; and when I got the chance to fly as well, I took it," Alcock said.
As one of only 15 initial candidates, Alcook feels that being part of the future of pilot qualification is something that sets these students apart. "I look forward to being part of something new and getting a chance to be at the forefront of the unique training."
Alcock is currently assigned at Offutt Air Force Base, Bellevue, Neb. The lieutenant has served in the military for less than one year.
In 2002, he graduated from Golden High School and in 2006 received a bachelor's degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder.