Out of the Blue: Leaving the Air Force Academy

The United States Air Force Academy trains young men and women to be officers and pilots in the U.S. Air Force. The Academy has produced such great pilots as astronaut Susan J. Helms and airline captain Chesley Burnett “Sully” Sullenberger. But getting through the Academy can be difficult, and nearly half of the cadets who enter a new class leave before actually graduating four years later. Learn about the challenges presented to cadets by following one young man’s experience as a member of the Class of 1980, the first class to have women in its ranks. Follow the obstacles and victories, the humor and the heartbreak of a cadet who had to leave the Academy before graduation.