Retired Astronaut Butch Wilmore Touts Operational Excellence at CJP Confab | Aviation International News

Ex-astronaut Touts Operational Excellence at CJP Confab

Preparation and judgement key for aviators

Retired NASA astronaut Butch Willmore — Retired NASA astronaut Butch Willmore emphasized "operational excellence" in the kenote session at the 2025 Citation Jet Pilots Association conference in Tampa, Florida. © Chad Trautvetter/AIN

By Chad Trautvetter • Online Editor

September 17, 2026

“Operational excellence that prioritizes preparation can transform desperate situations,” Barry “Butch” Wilmore, an ex-U.S. Navy F-18 pilot and retired NASA astronaut, told attendees this morning at the 2026 Citation Jet Pilots Association convention keynote session. Wilmore, a champion for aviation safety, knows desperate situations after losing seven of 12 thrusters on the Boeing Starliner during the crewed test flight while attempting to dock with the International Space Station (ISS).

“As a pilot, we aviate, navigate, and then communicate,” he said. “During the thruster failure, my focus was solely on aviating.” Fortunately, mission control was able to help him regain use of all but one thruster, permitting the space capsule to dock with the ISS. “The space station was our safe space,” given the malfunctioning thrusters, he added.

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