Is the Air Force's newest fighter a widowmaker?

It should be every pilot's dream - to fly the most technologically capable, sexiest, and impressive fighter jet the world has ever seen. Yet, pilots are going so far as refusing outright to climb into the cockpit. The plane is the Air Force's F-22 Raptor, and at a price tag of about $137 million per, and looks to boot, something doesn't seem right.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - That something is the pilots who fly the plane are afraid of dying (needlessly). The F-22 may yet prove be a state-of-the art, 21st century widowmaker. One pilot died in 2010 and nearly two dozen others have reported experiencing hypoxia, a deadly condition caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain. 

The 2010 fatality (blamed on the pilot, despite his apparent lack of oxygen) and other reports have led the Air Force to ground the jets for months at a time while engineers try to find the cause of the problem. So far, no luck. In response, the Air Force says an undisclosed number of pilots have asked not to fly the jet. The Air Force insists that number is "very small."

Still, the concern that the plane could be dangerous to its pilots stands in direct contrast to its mission, which is to be dangerous to others. Americans expect the Air Force to be the best at that mission. To accomplish it, the F-22 has spent years in development and cost billions. The attractive-looking fighter has three advanced features that stand out among many. 

First, is its thrust, which is capable of making the plane fly at supersonic speeds without the use of an afterburner, which in turn makes the plane much more fuel efficient and survivable in combat. 
Second, the engines sport nozzles which can direct the jet exhaust upwards, allowing the plane to turn even more tightly than its potential adversaries, a critical advantage in the event of a dogfight. 
Finally, the plane is semi-stealthy meaning it can evade detection, at least long enough to fire the first shot. 

There is little doubt that the plane should be the pride of the Air Force, however its tragic, apparently unfixable foible and tremendous price tag are tarnishing that image. Added to that is the fact that so far 21st century warfare has not seen much requirement for high-powered super fighters, and there are many who are calling for the entire project to be scrapped. 

Pilots shrinking away from the Raptor can do little good for the F-22's image. It is worse when despite millions of dollars, the Air Force cannot even determine what's causing the pilots to be deprived of oxygen during flight operations. 

At this rate, the F-22 may soon become the most expensive item to see the government dustbin in a long time, and that would be a pity considering the costs already sunk into what should be the most amazing flying machine to grace American skies since the Space Shuttle. 

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