Michael Hardison

Background

About Michael Hardison

I'm a Naval Instructor Pilot from outside the beltway in northern Virginia. A Marine brat, the idea of service was firmly instilled in me throughout my childhood. Following an exploration of a variety of career options in college at the University of North Carolina, I opted to seek a commission in the United States Navy, following a dream to become a Naval Aviator. Following a challenging two and a half years of flight school, I received my wings in July of 2016 and was designated a P-3C pilot. My time as a naval aviator began at VP-40 in Whidbey Island, WA where I would eventually qualify as a plane commander and mission commander, with deployments to the Pacific and Middle East along the way. Tackling the challenge of flying the US Navy's oldest platform, I was selected as a senior pilot to transition to the P-8A where I re-qualified as an plane and mission commander and was designated an instructor pilot in the summer of 2020. At the end of my tour in Washington, I was selected to instruct the P-8A at VP-30, the MPRF community's Fleet Replacement Squadron. After arriving in Jacksonville, FL at the end of 2020, I had the pleasure to train and instruct the fleet's newest P-8A pilots and instructors, qualify as an Instructor-Under-Training Instructor and become part of the P-8A formation flying team. After three years in Jacksonville, I left for Newport News, VA, embarking on a new journey as the Assistant Strike Officer aboard the USS John C Stennis.