Yes, that appears to be Jim Lovell in the background at the 1 min 48 sec mark, as well as at the 2 min 17 sec mark. The timing would be right, as Lovell attended the Test Pilot School beginning in January 1958.
I have the utmost respect for these men. Not only are they all incredibly intelligent, but they have enviable physical characteristics that make them fit to fly test jets. The best of the best.
Not all of them are fighter jet pilot ! You can be a helicopter pilot or an pilot of "regular" plane. You just need to be a naval aviator to be a test pilot !
I'll be honest with you i had no idea these jets were around those days. Great video! Where do you get all these films from? are they like transferred from DVD to your computer?
No. You need a lot of experience as a pilot before becoming a test pilot. You also need an advance degree in engineering or science to be selected. Like they said test pilot are a unique group constituted only by an elite group of people !
