{"id":38438,"date":"2020-08-22T17:19:49","date_gmt":"2020-08-22T17:19:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/uncategorized\/2020\/08\/22\/new-air-force-leaders-view-plans-for-more-virtual-pilot-training\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T20:26:33","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T20:26:33","slug":"new-air-force-leaders-view-plans-for-more-virtual-pilot-training","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/your-military\/2020\/08\/22\/new-air-force-leaders-view-plans-for-more-virtual-pilot-training\/","title":{"rendered":"New Air Force leaders view plans for more virtual pilot training"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Air Force\u2019s new military leaders, Chief of Staff Gen. Charles \u201cCQ\u201d Brown<\/a> and Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force JoAnne Bass<\/a>, made their first trip with Air Force Secretary Barbara Barrett Thursday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The leadership team traveled to Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph in Texas, where they were shown Air Education and Training Command\u2019s plans to take lessons from its virtual reality and artificial intelligence-infused pilot training experiment, called Pilot Training Next<\/a>, and incorporate them into a new version of undergraduate pilot training, which the Air Force is calling UPT 2.5.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a conference call with reporters Friday, Barrett said the leadership team was \u201ccelebrating innovation\u201d and airmen during their trip. The trio also visited AFWERX, the Air Force\u2019s innovation hub in Austin, and saw some of the programs it is working on. One of those, Agility Prime, aims to improve logistics and transportation with \u201cflying cars, very Jetsons-like,\u201d Barrett said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Barrett said the Air Force expects virtual pilot training not only will produce pilots cheaper and faster, but also better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett uses a virtual reality flight simulator as Capt. Orion Kellogg (left) and Maj. Gen. Craig Wills, 19th Air Force commander (right), look on during her visit to Undergraduate Pilot Training 2.5 Aug. 20, 2020, at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas. Barrett, along with Chief of Staff of the Air Force Charles Q. Brown Jr., and Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force JoAnne Bass toured Air Education and Training Commands UPT 2.5 program, which scales lessons learned from Pilot Training Next as part of their first joint visit. (Sean M. Worrell\/Air Force)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Brown, who became the 22nd chief of staff Aug. 6, said that taking care of airmen and their families, and ensuring their quality of service and quality of life remain high, are among his top priorities. That is why he, Barrett and Bass decided to come to Randolph for their first trip together, he said, to see how the Air Force develops its future leaders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe start leadership development the first day they walk in the door,\u201d Brown said. \u201cThat, to me, is important, particularly when you look at the dynamics of what we\u2019re dealing with, whether it\u2019s COVID, racial disparity, potential budget pressures, high-end fight.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t