Cadets from the Tehachapi Composite Squadron 46, Civil Air Patrol, Air Force Auxiliary visited the prestigious National Test Pilot School in Mojave. The cadets took part in awesome, hands-on activities and tours. Specifically, the goal was to inspire our cadets to acquire an interest in aviation, learn about aerospace technology and about the different careers available to them within the aerospace industry.

Cadets were able to test their air-to-air combat skills on the actual simulators that are used to trained test pilots at the school. They also got to climb aboard vintage fighter aircraft to feel what it is like in the cockpit of a real jet fighter aircraft. Both cadets and senior members used flight simulators to engage one another in air-to-air dog fights over the Adriatic Sea. They also received training on another simulator that exposed them to the basic skills needed to fly an aircraft (take off, flying, landing). These young men and women got to experience firsthand what it takes to become a pilot.

Jim Brown, the President of the National Test Pilot School along with two of his top students, Vikrant Sharma and Miguel Recabarren, took time out of their busy schedules to meet with our cadets and give them an experience of a lifetime.

Photo provided

Cadets in a vintage fighter aircraft.

The National Test Pilot School (NTPS) is a nonprofit civilian institution of higher education located and incorporated in the State of California. The school was established in 1981 to meet the flight test training needs of both the US and international aerospace communities. NTPS students and customers come from a variety of backgrounds including military organizations, aerospace industry, governments, certification agencies and even private citizens. NTPS is the first and only accredited test pilot school in the world and the first to be certified as an Approved Training Organization by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

Squadron 46 actively participates in field trips such as this to promote different aerospace career options as well as to promote Civil Air Patrol's STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) mission. Tehachapi Composite Squadron 46 invites aerospace enthusiasts, starting at age 12 and older to visit us and learn more about the Civil Air Patrol's Aerospace Education, Cadet Programs and Emergency Services on Tuesday evenings at 5:30 p.m. at the Tehachapi Airport Terminal Building located at 314 N. Hayes St., Tehachapi.

Visit http://www.CAP.News or http://www.GoCivilAirPatrol.com for more information.