Gen. Mike Hostage, Air Combat Command boss, completed his F-22 pilot qualification, reinforcing his personal stake in the Air Force’s efforts to identify the reasons why some Raptor pilots have experienced dizziness and disorientation in flight, announced ACC officials. “I’m asking these airmen to assume some risk that exceeds the norm in day-to-day training, and I have to be willing to do it myself and experience firsthand what they do,” stated Hostage in ACC’s July 5 release. He added, “Flying the airplane allows me to understand exactly what our airmen are dealing with.” Hostage completed the qualification training with the 325th Fighter Wing at Tyndall AFB, Fla., home of the F-22 schoolhouse, on June 27. Air Force officials are still working to determine the root cause of these physiological incidents. Recently, ACC directed Raptor pilots to remove the upper pressure garment of their aircrew flight equipment during routine flight operations after testing revealed that it may restrict the pilot’s breathing in some instances, according to the release. (Langley-Eustis report by Justin Oakes)
NASA Boss: Race to Moon Has National Security Stakes
Sept. 15, 2026
NASA is pushing hard to get astronauts back to the moon by 2028—and the urgency is driven in no small part by the national security implications of doing so before China does, Administrator Jared Isaacman said Sept. 15.
