Meet the ‘Wizzo’ — The secret sauce to one of the Air Force’s deadliest fighter jets
David Roza - 3h ago
Whether it’s doubles tennis, beach volleyball or two-seat bobsled, some sports are awesome when there are two people working together. The same rings true for flying jets like the Air Force’s F-15E Strike Eagle, a two-seat fighter with a pilot sitting in front and a weapon systems officer, a.k.a. ‘wizzo,’ in the back. The ‘wizzos’ are often unsung heroes, but they enjoyed a rare shout-out on Facebook last week, when a lifelong Wizzo broke down their vital role in the air.
“Wizzos are important because two skulls are better than one,” said Lt. Col. Eric ‘Dorf’ Ostendorf in a video posted to the Seymour Johnson Air Force Base Facebook page. Ostendorf has flown in both F-15E Strikes and F-111 Aardvarks across 33 years of service.
“Having two crew members allows you to divide up all those complicated tasks that are required by modern fighter tactics,” he said.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/meet-the-wizzo-the-secret-sauce-to-one-of-the-air-force-s-deadliest-fighter-jets/ar-AAYRt4O?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=43e0ecca762c49d596e7a442999164c7