Capt. Shannon Lippert, an F-15E pilot with the 336th Fighter Squadron at Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C., has received the American Fighter Aces Association’s Francis S. Gabreski Award. She is the first female pilot to win the award, which honors the most outstanding performer of the year during a basic course in a formal training unit. Lippert took possession of her award June 27 during a ceremony in Austin, Tex. (Seymour Johnson report by SrA. Shane Dunaway)
Air Force Changes Rules for Pregnant Aircrew—Again
April 3, 2025
The Air Force is changing its policy for pregnant aircrew, generally reverting to rules set in 2019 that barred female aviators from flying during the first trimester—or from flying in aircraft with ejection seats at all—due to potential risks to the pilot and her unborn fetus.