TYNDALL AFB, Fla. –
He flew 3,600 miles to do something no other Briton has ever done – fly the most advanced aircraft in the world.
Flt. Lt. Dan Robinson, Her Majesty’s Royal Air Force, took his final flight as an F-22 Raptor student pilot July 12 and will rejoin the 27th Fighter Squadron within the next week.
“It’s an amazing aircraft,” said Lieutenant Robinson (who insists it is pronounced “Leftenant”). “The sheer performance of the machine is spectacular, with unrivaled agility.”
Lieutenant Robinson spent the past three months as part of the 43rd Fighter Squadron, enrolled in the F-22 Transition Course, a class designed for pilots with previous fighter experience.
“It was a smooth transition,” he said. “Because of the simulator it was really straightforward. NATO forces train regularly together anyway, and they try to standardize as much as possible. It’s tactically very similar to the way we operate.”
One challenge Lieutenant Robinson had to face coming from an air-to-air background in the F-3 Tornado was learning the ground attack role.
“I had some experience with air to ground,” he said. “But, it was a refreshing challenge.”
The 27th’s latest pilot said he’ll remain with the squadron for three years, after which, he will return to the United Kingdom, hopefully, he said, to fly the Typhoon.
“The Raptor and the Typhoon are the forefront of air dominance,” he said. “Having time in the Raptor, I hope to have a better understanding for when we integrate the Raptor and the Typhoon to create the best warfighting capability.”
Lieutenant Robinson credits his success at the training course to the support he has received from the people here. One of those people is Maj. Paul Moga, one of Lieutenant Robinson’s instructors. He said the program is always enriched when NATO pilots train with them.
“Normally, we get a different perception on how to do things because England trains their pilots differently,” he said. “Anytime we can get feedback on how to do things, it’s very well received.”
Although serving in a different air force, Lieutenant Robinson received the same training as every other Raptor pilot.
“There’s very little difference,” Major Moga said. “We’ve been to war alongside England a lot of times in the past, and we will again in the future.”
Lieutenant Robinson, faced with the likelihood of the 27th deploying during his time with them, said he was excited at the prospect.
“I’m incredibly proud to serve with the guys in the U.S. Air Force, and hope to portray the RAF in a good light,” he said.