March 7, 2002

THREE MEN BEGIN 110 DAYS OF FIGHTER PILOT TRAINING

WHEN THE NEW REALITY SERIES "AFP: AMERICAN FIGHTER PILOT" PREMIERES FRIDAY, MARCH 29 ON THE CBS TELEVISION NETWORK

Three men from various backgrounds begin a grueling 110-day fighter pilot training program with the U.S. Air Force when AFP: AMERICAN FIGHTER PILOT, a new reality series from directors Tony Scott ("Top Gun") and Ridley Scott ("Black Hawk Down"), premieres Friday, March 29 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

AFP: AMERICAN FIGHTER PILOT opens at Tyndall Air Force Base near Panama City, Fla,. where the three pilots have enlisted for the 110 days in the Air Force's most elite pilot training program. As part of the Air Force's 95th Fighter Squadron, they are all vying for the position of "Top Gun" as they train to protect their country as F-15 fighter pilots for the U.S. Air Force.

As these heroes prepare to take control of some of the most complex and expensive planes in the world, they come face to face with the life-threatening reality of their chosen career. Compounding this stress and the competition to achieve "Top Gun" is the pressure to fit in with a tradition-heavy fraternity of pilots and the struggle to maintain fulfilling relationships with families and spouses.

In the premiere episode, the three pilots receive orientation into the program, which includes a brutal mix of complex academics and dangerous flight training. Reality hits hard when the pilots are asked to fill out forms naming the person they want assigned to alert their families if they die, and detailing their funeral wishes. One of the pilots has extreme difficulty with the academics and fails his first flight simulator test, jeopardizing his chances of remaining in the program.

Pilots

Lt. Todd Giggy                                  Newlywed, Son of a Fighter Pilot
Lt. Marcus Gregory                              Expectant First Time Father, Churchgoer
Lt. Mike Love                                   Father of Two, Experienced Bomber Pilot
Col. David "Bean" Freaney               Operations Officer 
Maj. Robert "Shark" Garland             Chief Weapons Instructor

Lt. Col. Monty "Stump" Cooper Classroom Instructor

Maj. David "Abu" Nahoum Gregory's Instructor Pilot

(More)

CBS Television...2

Capt. Kevin "Divot" Nicholson Giggy's Instructor Pilot

Maj. Dennis "Cons" Scarborough Love's Instructor Pilot

RATING: To Be Announced

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Press Contacts: Andrea Ballas           323/575-2858    andrea.ballas@tvc.cbs.com
                                Barbara Abseck          212/975-4637    beabseck@cbs.com