Pilot Careers
I Get Paid for This…
Monessa Balzhiser Faster than the speed of sound – Monessa Balzhiser is a production and training pilot for Lockheed Martin. Interview by Yayeri van Baarsen
How did you get into flying?
Although nobody in my family has a background in aviation, in high school I decided I wanted to become an astronaut. That’s why in 2000 I joined the United States Air Force Academy, with a love of aviation, but zero flight experience. Due to life circumstances, I decided to forego becoming an astronaut and continue to fly fighters. Tell us about your job?
I’m a production and training pilot for Lockheed Martin, flying the F-16 and F-35 from the company’s Aeronautics HQ in Fort Flying CV Worth, Texas. Former USAF F-16 pilot Monessa Flying these fighter jets is incredible. You’re ‘Siren’ Balzhiser is Lockheed hitting almost Mach 2.0, faster than the speed Martin’s first female F-16 and F-35 of sound. production and training pilot. I have a lot of experience in the F-16, Started current job: April 2018 which is an amazing aircraft. I’m still Now flying: F-16 & F-35 Favourite aircraft: F-16 & F-35. “They’re the learning in the F-35. I’m the first person to fly two best fighter jets out there – I can’t choose the new aircraft as they come off the between them.” production line, which is like driving a car Hours at job start: Approx. 1,400 that’s come straight from the factory. It’s so Hours now: Over 1,700 technologically advanced – I’m still in awe. As its first pilots, we’re testing the F-35’s airworthiness and manoeuvrability. We’re currently pushing the jet to its limits, exploring its full capabilities What’s been your favourite flight? before delivering it to the customers. The transition between the A combat mission I flew in the Middle East in 2015. Our guys on two aircraft has been relatively easy since the F-35 is easy to fly. It the ground were overrun by enemy forces, so they called us in. has to be, as the pilots will be focused on battle management and Together with my wingman in another F-16, I dropped bombs their missions, the flying part has to become second nature. nearby to provide them with enough time to escape. Afterwards, To me, working for Lockheed Martin is more than just a job. It’s the guys on the ground thanked me for saving their lives. That’s also personal, my husband flies the F-16 and my brother-in-law flies when I truly realised the impact that our missions have. the F-35. We want to hand over to the military a product that will bring them home safely. For example with Auto-GCAS, which And your favourite airfield? prevents collisions when the pilot becomes incapacitated. This I really like Aviano Air Base in Northern Italy, where I was technology has already saved lives in the F-16 and will also be stationed with my husband from 2015. This was towards the end of incorporated in the F-35. Continuously striving for the highest my military career, so I had some more experience and time to quality, we’re helping our military warfighters across the world actually look out the windows while flying. Aviano is right next to achieve their missions. Doing this while getting to fly the two best the Italian Alps, the views over the mountains from 30,000ft were fighter jets out there, is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. amazing.
“Doing this is a once-in-alifetime opportunity”
After graduating from USAF Academy in 2004, I went straight into pilot training, learning to fly on the T-6 and the T-38. In 2006, I started my F-16 training and in 2007, I got to fly the F-16 for the United States Air Force. In 2016, I left the USAF and was a stay-at-home mum – which was harder than any training I’ve ever done – before joining Lockheed Martin in 2018. I was first selected to fly the F-16 and in June 2021, after six weeks of training and 12 simulator scenarios, I got to fly the F-35. 18 | FLYER | September 2021
Do you get to fly much outside of work?
No, and to be honest I don’t have much desire to do so. I love flying fighters so much and I already get to fly my two favourite aircraft with my job. Any flying I’d do outside work just couldn’t compete. What’s your most valuable career advice?
‘You’ve got this’. Three female fighter pilot instructors took me aside at the start of my F-16 pilot training and told me this. It’s only three words, but it was exactly what I needed to hear at that time as it gave me the confidence to get through the F-16 training.
Logan Walters
What training did you have?
