Meet Jameel Janjua: Virgin Galactic test pilot

Calgary, Alberta, native and retired Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) major Jameel Janjua has engineered a career path most only dream (or read) of. Yet, when asked how it feels to be a trailblazer, the current Virgin Galactic test pilot will tell you that he’s not even close to slowing down. 

The former RCAF fighter pilot and fighter weapons instructor encompasses over two decades of military experience and more than 4,000 flying hours in 55 aircraft. While completing exchange tours with the U.S. Air Force (USAF) and Royal Air Force (RAF), Janjua earned the highest qualifications. In one year alone, he accomplished “84 combat missions” — over 450 combat hours. 

“Being a test pilot at Edwards Air Force Base, flying F-15s and F-16s, doing things that I never thought imaginable in an airplane — never mind that a Canadian could do in a U.S. aircraft — was pretty incredible,” said Janjua. “And I could say my three years flying with the Royal Air Force were some of the best years of my life. 

“My fighter pilot friends were like, ‘You’re really going to go fly a Tornado GR4 for the Brits?’ And I was like, ‘Why not?’ It was something different — living a quarter-way around the world and flying a whole new airframe in a foreign country, while making other friends and working in a different environment. That’s something to me that stands out as an example of taking opportunities without knowing where they’ll ultimately end up.” 

When asked what advice he offers to other aviators staring down a new opportunity, wondering if they should walk through that half-open door, he said, “It’s not about putting my foot through that door; it’s kicking it down, walking in, and seeing what that next evolution, event, or room has to offer.” 

With a bachelor’s degree in chemical and materials engineering under his belt, Janjua earned his master of science in aeronautics and astronautics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).  

After carrying out his flying training in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, he completed Fighter Lead-in Training and Basic Fighter Pilot Training in Cold Lake, Alberta. As a top graduate once again, Janjua finished his CF-18 Hornet conversion, earning both Col Ned Henderson and Capt Tristan de Konick memorial trophies. 

Among many of his awards and trophies, he’s a recipient of the Governor General’s Silver Medal (top graduate) from the Royal Military College of Canada. He was also one of only four Canadians in over 70 years to win the Liethen-Tittle Award as the top graduate of the USAF Test Pilot School. 

But he is as genuine as he is skilled. The modest over-achiever holds the highest esteem for the honors he’s received, as voted on by fellow classmates — those he considers himself “lucky” to be surrounded by.  

“At the NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) Tactical Leadership Program course in Albacete, Spain, with the Tornado GR4, I received a Go to War Award,” he told Skies. 

This award is voted on by classmates based on a “who they would want to lead them into combat” criteria. 

“I also received a similar award when I was at Fighter Lead in Training in Cold Lake,” he said.

Only this time, Janjua was the pilot his instructors would want “as their wingman in a combat scenario.” 

As with many pilots, Janjua’s dream of flying was conceived at an airshow. And even today, with an extensive background in military and civilian aviation, he lights up when asked how he found aviation. Janjua credits his “folks” for “igniting the fire” that would inspire him to “never stop looking up,” eventually leading him to earn a glider pilot’s license with the Royal Canadian Air Cadets at the age of 16.  

“I’ve been flying ever since. It’s been such a charmed existence, with a lot of work along the way,” he admitted. 

“Every summer, I’d go to the airshow with my brother and dad, and I still remember what the tarmac looked like. And I can see what the ramp looked like. I know where they parked the CF-18 and where the Snowbirds were parked and, [at the time], the CF-5s were just being phased out of the Canadian inventory.”  

But not every kid who fantasizes at an airshow about a future in aviation has the privilege of flying thousands of hours in many different fighter jet types. So, what’s it like to be Janjua, who soared through the hurdles and obstacles that thwart the dreams of many fighter pilot hopefuls?  

He responded in typical fashion — unpretentious pride. 

“Well, to be fair, I don’t always get to be the one in the cockpit. To this day, if I see a fighter jet flying overhead, I look up in the air and think, ‘God, I wish that was me.’” 

From a posting at 425 Tactical Fighter Squadron in Bagotville, Quebec, participating in missions for Operation Noble Eagle, Janjua was destined (in 2008) for the prestigious Fighter Weapons Instructor Course (FWIC), which led him to be selected as an instructor for FWIC in 2009. And somehow, he also found time to compete among a pool of over 5,000 applicants for the Canadian Space Agency Astronaut Recruitment Campaign, finishing in the final four. 

Today, as one of only a few Canadians to graduate both the FWIC and USAF Test Pilot School, Janjua has flown the F-15 Eagle, CF-18 Hornet, F-16 Viper, and Tornado GR4, and serves as a board member for the Society of Experimental Test Pilots. 

In October 2020, Virgin Galactic announced the appointment of two new test pilots into its Pilot Corps; Janjua joined seven other pilots based at Spaceport America, New Mexico, in preparation for commercial passenger operations. 

He believes that regardless of what position you’re in, from a flight school instructor to a front-line fighter pilot, your role has a direct effect on someone’s path.  

“I look at my life, and whether it be my first glider pilot instructor, my primary instructor when I was in Moose Jaw, my pre-solo instructor when I was learning on the Hornet, or the guys who taught me to fly the F-16, their photos are in my memory, and their names are in my logbook,” he said. “I think that I’ve been fortunate in terms of being able to have that lineup of mentors, associates, colleagues, or squadron mates — and now test pilot mentors here at Virgin [Galactic].” 

He describes his role with Virgin Galactic as new and exciting with an “obvious learning curve” — which suits his “FOMO,” or fear of missing out.  

Janjua has flown the Virgin Galactic mothership, VMS Eve, “although I haven’t yet actually flown it with VSS Unity mated,” he said.  

Flying VMS Eve begins with a runway takeoff before SpaceShipTwo and the mothership climb together to just below 50,000 feet. 

Unlike anything he’s flown before, the aircraft has two fuselages and a wing that connects them with four engines. The VMS Eve is “really quite spectacular,” said Janjua. 

It comes as no surprise that the multi-faceted military test pilot, who made a name for himself as a leader in combat flying, perceives risk as “a sometimes necessary part of the job.” He sees his engineering background as an asset, lending to his ability to understand advancements in technology, while adding to the safety of space exploration.  

“As a test pilot, safety is our north star,” he added. 

Janjua’s other duties with Virgin Galactic include “flying other company support aircraft, working in the mission control room, flight planning, and supporting various detailed engineering and project roles across the company.” 

Although he’s not comfortable with words like “elite” (often describing himself as “just lucky”), he does embrace being a role model, encouraging young would-be aviators to trust the journey. He explains that his own path often took detours he wasn’t expecting, which led him to “fantastic beginnings.” 

Janjua sees his role at Virgin Galactic as part of a new beginning for space travel, as a step towards a future of accessible commercial space travel for diverse demographics. 

“It’s a great team, with engineers, pilots, and lots of other staff that help us do something that, perhaps a few decades ago, was unthinkable,” he said. “We are on the cusp, an inflection point, in history and society where we’re going to open up access to space for people that might never have imagined that it was for them.” 

He added: “Being a pilot at Virgin, it’s a fantastic place to be. I’m the new guy again, so I’m learning. I’m just soaking up information. The mothership brings a whole host of new skills that also keep me engaged. I want to always be learning, so an opportunity like this — and then flying the spaceship that will follow in time — allows me to have enough things to quench my thirst for knowledge.” 

While he admits that he doesn’t walk around saying, “I’m a Virgin Galactic test pilot,” he often considers how he would have reacted if, as a young boy, someone would have told him he’d one day be a pilot for the spaceflight company, and would fly 55 different aircraft with 3,500 hours in the CF-18, F-16, F-15, and Tornado GR4. He said he flat-out wouldn’t have believed them. 

“It is, and has been, exceptionally fulfilling professionally and personally,” said Janjua. “That’s a gift. I’m very fortunate; I don’t lose sight of that, and I hope I never will.” 

Today, as he stands next to his sons at airshows — secretly hoping they, too, will never stop looking up — one thing is for sure: the sky was never a limit for Janjua.