Building the Elite Podcast Meg Tucker: The Valkyrie Project, Pt. 1 - Ep. 83
Aug 7, 2024
Meg Tucker, a former Army Kiowa Warrior pilot and PSYOP officer who founded The Valkyrie Project to advance servicewomen. She recounts becoming a helicopter pilot, the Kiowa’s role and weapons systems, autorotation emergency procedures, firing and aiming from helicopters, Hellfire targeting, and her move into Psychological Operations and deployments in Syria and El Salvador.
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Accidental Path To Becoming A Kiowa Pilot
- Meg Tucker accidentally became an Army helicopter pilot after weighing student debt, family influence, and a desire to prove herself.
- She competed on an OML, used a high PT score, and benefited from serendipity like a delayed course to secure a Kiowa Warrior slot.
How Timing Determines Aircraft Selection
- Airframe selection depends on order of merit lists and separate manpower pools for RLOs and warrant officers.
- Meg's timing and class composition reduced competition, letting her pick the Kiowa Warrior despite the usual competitiveness.
Practicing Falling Safely With Autorotations
- Meg describes autorotation: deliberately reducing collective to use airflow to keep rotor blades turning and land safely after engine failure.
- Kiowa training emphasized sliding landings with a tail stinger to protect the tail rotor.