About the Role
Virgin Galactic is seeking experienced pilots to support its innovative spaceflight programs at Spaceport America in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. This full-time position involves flight test duties and commercial pilot operations for the company's advanced spaceflight vehicles, contributing to the development and operation of sub-orbital spaceflight services for both customer-astronauts and scientific research payloads.
Responsibilities
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Conduct flight operations on Virgin Galactic's spaceflight system vehicles and other aircraft.
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Perform flight planning activities and support mission control roles.
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Contribute to the development of training assets and vehicle operations documentation.
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Participate in planning, testing, and development of follow-on vehicles.
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Undertake recruitment, record keeping, and training obligations.
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Collaborate with safety, engineering, maintenance, commercial, and marketing teams.
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Support customer hospitality and training initiatives.
Requirements
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Graduate of an SETP-recognized test pilot school with extensive post-graduate test program experience.
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Minimum of 2,500 hours flying experience, including multi-engine aircraft with asymmetric thrust, high-performance fast jet aircraft, and low lift-to-drag ratio glide experience in complex aircraft.
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Valid FAA Class 1 or military medical certificate.
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Degree-level qualification in a relevant technical field.
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Proven successful team member with excellent communication skills.
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Must be a U.S. Person or able to obtain required U.S. Government authorization for export regulations.
Qualifications
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A minimum of 2.5 years post-graduate test pilot school flight test experience is preferred.
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Operational experience within a commercial aerospace aviation project or business is advantageous.
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Excellent and current knowledge of diverse aerospace matters is desirable.
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A current FAA Commercial pilot license or equivalent is preferred.
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Ability to clearly communicate aviation knowledge and safety-related information.
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Previous responsibility for authorizing and implementing policies and procedures for safe and efficient flight operations is a plus.
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Previous spaceflight experience is preferred.
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Commercial flight operations experience involving customer interaction is desirable.