FROM AIR FORCE SKIES TO CIVILIAN FLIGHT: A GLIMPSE INTO CHRIS WYATT'S AVIATION CAREER

Written by: Jamie Marcella

The recent Spring All-School Assembly featured a captivating guest speaker, Chris Wyatt, whose extensive aviation career left a lasting impression. Introduced by Levi Dginguerian, Wyatt's remarkable journey spans decades of dedicated service and high-level flight operations. 

Wyatt is an alumnus of the United States Air Force Academy. He dedicated 24 years to the Air Force, with 20 of those years spent in special operations. During his impressive military tenure, he piloted an incredible 8 different aircraft. His final year in the Air Force saw him serving as an air advisor, flying for the African Air Force. 

For the past 12 years, Wyatt has transitioned his expertise to the civilian sector, working in flight operations and flight testing with Sierra Nevada Corporation. 

The assembly concluded with a brief Q&A session, offering further insights into Wyatt's experiences. 

From 6 Minutes to 20 Hours: The Range of Flight William E. and Jethro K. highlighted the vast difference in flight durations Wyatt experienced, from a quick 6-minute flight to a 20-hour mission. This brought up the idea of a "major problem" that led to a fast landing when something went wrong. 

Languages in the Air Force Elisia N. posed a "random but quick" question about language requirements. Wyatt shared that he received some training in Pashtu for his time in Afghanistan, but generally, those he worked with were required to speak English. He admitted that he struggles with languages and wished he had put more effort into them during high school, where he took Latin and French, and college, where he took Chinese. He humorously noted that he remembers "nothing out of any of them" and wished he had chosen a language like Spanish. When asked about "secret military languages" by William E., Wyatt clarified it was mostly acronyms and specific terms, rather than entirely new languages. 

Chris Wyatt's assembly appearance provided a fascinating look into the life of a dedicated aviator, sharing both the exhilarating aspects of flight and the personal reflections on his educational and professional journey.