How Turkey Ruined Its Own Air Force (Nothing to Do with the F-35)
Michael Peck
The National Interest•October 30, 2019
Key Point: You can't fly fighter jets if you have no pilots.
Fighter pilots aren't cheap. The U.S. Air Force estimates that training a new pilot to fly a plane like the F-35 costs $11 million. And that doesn't count the priceless experience of a veteran pilot who has been flying for years. That's why the U.S. Air Force is willing to offer half-million-dollar bonuses to retain experienced fighter pilots.
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