Virgin Galactic selects first commercial astronaut pilot

Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic has selected former United States Air Force test pilot Keith Colmer as the first astronaut pilot to join its flight team.

Colmer was chosen through an intense selection process with more than 500 applicants that included some of the most renowned pilots in the world. Colmer brings 12 years of operational, developmental and experimental aircraft test flight experience plus more than 10 years of combined military experience in USAF spacecraft operations and flying. He has logged over 5000 hours in over 90 different types of aircraft.

Following completion of USAF pilot training, he served as a combat F-16 pilot in the Colorado Air National Guard, with two combat tours to Iraq. Colmer was then selected as an operational test pilot, managing various sensor and electronic warfare flight test programs for the F-16, at the Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve Command Test Center (AATC) in Tucson, Arizona.

He then became the first Air National Guard pilot ever selected to attend the USAF Test Pilot School, at Edwards Air Force Base, California. He served as Operations Officer for the 416th Flight Test Squadron at Edwards AFB, where he led F-16, F-15 and T-38C flight test operations, specialising in high angle of attack flight test and training on the F-16.

CAPTION: Keith Colmer has scored one of the sweetest pilot gigs around. (Virgin Galactic)

“Keith brings the kind of tremendous multi-dimensional talent and skill set that we are looking for in our astronaut pilots,” Virgin Galactic President and CEO George Whitesides said. “But equally important to us are his impeccable character and his outstanding record of high calibre performance in highly demanding environments. He sets the bar very high for others to come.”

“I am extremely honoured to have been the first astronaut pilot selected through competition to join the team,” Colmer said. “Virgin Galactic is truly revolutionising the way we go to space, and I am looking forward to being a part of that.”

Colmer will now join Virgin Galactic Chief Pilot David Mackay to begin flight training and testing, leading to operational missions to space with Virgin Galactic’s WhiteKnightTwo and SpaceShipTwo.