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Navy Commander Philip "Rowdy" Yates knows how to fly fighter jets. He has accrued over 2,000 test and tactical flight hours, mostly in F-14s and F-18s. He has made more than 300 landings on aircraft carriers. Most significantly, he served as the Navy's chief test pilot on the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program, conducting test flights of Boeing's experimental X-32 fighter plane. In this interview from NOVA Online, hear from Yates on what it's like to hurtle straight towards the ground at 575 miles per hour and why he strives to make his job as boring as possible.
Meet a Test Pilot | NOVA Online | PBS LearningMedia