Message posted by Peter Merlin on October 27, 2009 at 10:32:37 PST:
Actually, the Groom Lake facility is very much like any other Air Force base except for a somewhat higher level of security than most. The primary mission at Groom is flight-testing of aircraft, weapons, and avionics, and ground testing of radar/threat systems. I can think of no need for chemists or physicists. It's not a science laboratory, after all. It is a Test Wing. Thus, there is a definite need for test pilots, flight test engineers, radar technicians, test conductors, and all the usual support personnel. Aircraft manufacturers supply whatever specialists are needed for a particular program. Generally speaking, a project is tested by a Combined Test Force comprised of military and contractor personnel. Many of the people involved in test programs at Groom were selected because they demonstrated high levels of expertise and/or leadership. It's no surprise to find that some of these personnel were honored graduates of the Air Force Academy or Test Pilot School. Many became astronaut candidates and quite a few were eventually selected as astronauts. Others have been promoted rapidly through the Air Force ranks to important leadership positions.
In Reply to: Types of jobs at Groom posted by TheSkunkWorks on October 26, 2009 at 20:05:03 PST:
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