Here are the newest four graduates as pilots of the Stealth Bomber.

On Jul. 21, 2017, B-2 IQT (Initial Qualification Training) 85 class (the 85th IQT class on the stealth bomber) graduated four new Spirit pilots.

The class is the initial qualification training course to qualify as B-2 Stealth Bomber pilots. It’s a 6 month program with 10 flights in the mighty “Bravo Deuce”. During the course each pilot got to drop 4x 2,000 lbs mark-84 weapons and was trained how to evade enemy air defenses.

Among the pilots who attended IQT 85 there were 3 guys fresh from pilot training and 1 guy who was a previous C-17 airdrop instructor pilot.

B-2 pilots are dual qualified in the T-38A Talon, a jet used to keep the proficiency in instrument flying, formation, and just to keep their hand flying skills sharp. Noteworthy, 3 of the new B-2 pilots are also T-38A IPs (Instructor Pilots) at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri. The newly graduated pilots were given the numbers #643, #644, #645 and #646: the Spirit numbers are given anytime (including non-pilots like generals, senators, etc.) who get a flight in the B-2.

“While we were in training the B-2 did its mission to destroy the ISIS camp in Libya so we threw some of the drone footage in the video,” said one of the newly graduated pilots in a message to The Aviationist.

Congrats guys!

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• Here are some stunning pictures of a B-2 stealth bomber doing Rose Bowl Game flyover
• Watch a B-2 Spirit bomber refuel and then rotate dorsal fuel receptacle to achieve full stealthiness
• Three B-2s and “several” B-1s have deployed to Guam to deter China and North Korea
• [Video] B-2 Stealth Bomber refuels over UK
• [Photo] U.S. B-2 stealth bomber suffers bird strike while landing at UK base

Each time I’ve published an article about the J-20, as the recent one to comment a test flight video, I’ve always received many emails and comments from readers asking if China’s 5th generation combat plane will pose a real threat to the next generation of U.S. stealthy fighters.

As I’ve already explained in several articles, the real problem for the U.S. with the J-20 is not with the aircraft’s stealthiness, performance, top speed, turn rate equipment and capabilities; the problem is that China will probably build thousands of them.

This means that I believe the American technology will still be ahead of the Chinese one for several decades (if not “ages”) – even if not always quality is better than quantity.

Anyway, I’ve asked Al Clark to create a funny demotivational poster showing a flight of two Lockheed Martin 6th generation stealth fighters (probably made of morphing metals and flight surfaces featuring some Star Wars-like equipment – that I fictionally dubbed F-39) intercepting with success several Chinese J-20s, in a hyphotetical future air defense scenario.

I say again, it’s just for fun.

Related articles

• China’s 5th generation stealth fighter performing combat maneuver tests over Chengdu (theaviationist.com)
• F-35 targeted in potential military cuts. If Italy quits, will the stealth plane ever be affordable? (theaviationist.com)
• Is Boeing calling time on the stealthy F-15 Silent Eagle? Lockheed Martin hopes so. (theaviationist.com)