Major Ahn, Who Achieved KF-21's First Successful Flight, Says "Glory to Everyone"

[Asia Economy Military Specialist Yang Nak-gyu] "Glory to everyone who has worked hard for the development and test flight of the KF-21." Major Ahn Jun-hyun of the Air Force (Air Force Academy Class 54, photo), who successfully completed the first test flight of the domestically produced supersonic fighter KF-21 Boramae the previous day, shared his joy with colleagues after the flight.

Major Ahn served as a flight instructor for the domestically produced basic trainer KT-1 at the 3rd Training Flight Group. However, around the time of his transfer, he faced a dilemma. He wanted to contribute to the development of the Air Force. Ultimately, Major Ahn chose to become a development test pilot belonging to the Air Force's 52nd Test Evaluation Squadron (hereafter 52nd Squadron).

Although Major Ahn had sufficient qualifications with 750 flight hours, he had to make continuous efforts for the KF-21's first flight. Since February last year, he trained using the pilot evaluation simulator (HQS), cockpit procedure training equipment (CPT) to master normal and emergency handling procedures, and also completed the International Test Pilot School (ITPS) in Canada.

Recalling the moment of the first flight, Major Ahn said, "I didn't show it, but honestly, I felt a heavy burden in my heart until just before takeoff," adding, "As a development test pilot, I had to remember that ability comes first, and safety second."

He also expressed his determination for the future, saying, "I will study and practice more to share a lot of information with the successors." Major Ahn will also participate in the process of testing KF-21 flights through about 2,200 sorties by 2026.

He continued, "It is not easy to verify an aircraft that is a culmination of numerous technologies to that extent," emphasizing, "I do not want to place too much significance on the title of the first test flight pilot, and the upcoming test flights and subsequent missions are more important."

The KF-21 prototype piloted by Major Ahn took off from the runway of the 3rd Training Flight Group in Sacheon Air Force Base at around 3:40 p.m. the previous day and successfully flew for about 33 minutes until it landed at 4:13 p.m.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.