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Darla Moore Takes the F-16 Challenge

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Darla Moore in F-16 cockpit with pilot Lt Col John H. Busch, also an International MBA student

Civilians are seldom granted permission to be a passenger on an F-16 Fighting Falcon jet aircraft. But Darla Moore’s nomination for a flight was quickly approved by top brass. On Saturday, October 13, Moore donned a G-suit and boarded an F-16 jet for the flight of her life.

Benefactor of the Moore School of Business, Moore has long been an ardent supporter of the South Carolina Air National Guard. Lt Col John H. Busch, a Moore School International MBA student, nominated his friend, Darla Moore, for the orientation flight to better familiarize her with the McEntire Joint National Guard Base and the capabilities of the men and women of the SC Air National Guard 169th Fighter Wing. "This won’t be a joy ride just to go sightseeing and do loops and aileron rolls," said Lt Col Busch who piloted her flight. "Darla will experience a training mission and the aircraft's performance capability. She will also see how many ground personnel are involved in the successful launch and recovery of an F-16. I think she will be proud of their skill and dedication."

To prepare for the experience, Moore, a founder of the Palmetto Institute and partner in Rainwater, Inc., one of the largest private investment firms in America, had to go through extensive training at McEntire the day before the flight. The training covered how to get into the G-suit, which inflates to counteract the forces of gravity, getting into and out of the aircraft and various emergency evacuation procedures.

Immediately after takeoff, Busch took Moore on a dramatic vertical ascent at roughly 500 mph. When they landed just over an hour later, Moore had an enhanced respect for the forces of gravity. "The force pulled my head down to my knees," exclaimed Moore. The F-16 can pull a maximum of 9 g's, but Busch said they only pulled about 5 g's since Moore made repeated use of her air sickness bag. While it was a physically exhausting experience, Moore had no regrets.

Since 2001, the Moore School of Business has taken steps to better serve the needs of the military services through the addition of the Arabic language track in the International Master of Business Administration (IMBA) program. This year there are 13 current or former military members enrolled in the IMBA program. Since 2001, about 30 active or former members of the armed services have earned IMBA degrees from the Moore School of Business.

In addition, at the beginning of Saturday's (Oct. 20) football game, Busch and 3 other pilots performed a fly-over the stadium and were honored at the half-time ceremonies of the game.

October 2007