Captain Bye’s A-10 Gun Experienced A Catastrophic Failure
“Where’s the ground? Where’s the ground?” No one wants to ask this question while flying. For Capt. Taylor Bye, an A-10C Thunderbolt II pilot assigned to the 23rd Wing at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, this question blared through her mind when she faced a looming crisis during a routine training sortie two years ago. The experience tested her capabilities as an aviator and her ability to maintain a level head. For her extraordinary skill and airmanship, Bye was awarded the 2020 Koren Kolligian, Jr. Trophy by Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, Jr., at the Pentagon, May 11.