بعد شهرين تم تعيينه ضمن السرب المقاتل 51 (Fighter Squadron 51) المعروف ب (في اف-51 VF-51) وهو سرب للطائرات المقاتلة النفاثة.
Two months later he was assigned to Fighter Squadron 51 (VF-51), an all-jet squadron, and made his first flight in a jet, an F9F-2B Panther, on January 5, 1951.