After World War II Service With USAF
After WW2, Pisanos flew the first operational USAAF jet fighter P-80 Shooting Star, a top-secret machine at the time. After having followed a short career with Civil Aviation as a pilot of 4-engined airliners with TWA, he returned to USAF due to his jet flying experience as a Captain. Pisanos attended the USAAF Flight Performance School (now the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School) and graduated with class 45D. Major Pisanos was tasked with testing advanced jet fighters, namely the F-102 Delta jet with which he often flew at the supersonic speed of Mach 1.5 at an altitude of 50,000 feet. He continued serving with units testing new weapons development. He also served in Vietnam and near his career as a Colonel, a member of JUSMAAG, helped the Hellenic Air Force to integrate the F-4E fighter. In 1974, he retired and now (2009) lives in San Diego, California, with his wife Sofia. He has a sister living at Liosia, in Athens and is a great-grandfather.
In 2010, Pisanos was awarded the French Legion of Honor, the French Republic's highest decoration, in a ceremony at the San Diego Air & Space Museum. The award, presented by the Consul General of France in Los Angeles, recognized Pisano's outstanding achievements in World War II as a fighter pilot and in support of the French Resistance.
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