Cover of darkness: student pilots fly at night Published Oct. 22, 2014 By 1st Lt. Ryan A. Zielinski 80th Operations Support Squadron SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- As most people leave work for the day, members of the 80th Flying Training Wing here are just getting started for a unique segment of their training, night flying. Students and instructor pilots alike take to the skies under the cover of darkness to fly multiple sorties several weeks over North Texas to continue to train future NATO combat pilots. Night flying offers a special set of challenges, including limited depth perception, visual illusions and vertigo, all conditions that a pilot must face long before entering a combat environment. "(Night flying is) instilling a foundation for the students to build upon for their future operational aircraft," said Lt. Col. Amy "Jaws" Young, 89th Fighter Training Squadron instructor pilot. The Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training program offers an introduction to night flying for students. It sets the tone for their careers and enables the NATO alliance to ultimately be successful in combat or peace-time environments for years to come. While student pilots are not dodging radars or avoiding detection here in Texas, these are vital skills necessary for them to hone prior to taking part in combat night operations. Young speaks from experience with more than 740-hours of flight time at night which equates to almost 31-days she has spent airborne in darkness. The former Air Force Special Operations Command pilot related the reason their operational flights take place at night. "The best defense is a good offense, and the best offense is one the enemy cannot plainly see," Young said. Night flying is used in all NATO operations aiding the Air Forces' ability to achieve air dominance over a given area of operations to ensure the safety and success of a mission. Rest assured, during those seemingly noisy night training weeks, the 80th FTW is keeping busy producing the world's finest NATO pilots.