The company is hiring three pilot-astronauts and promising to draft additional ones as its commercial space flight program progresses. The duties of the pilot-astronauts involve reporting to the chief pilot and operating the spaceflight system.
"Virgin Galactic has launched its search for Pilot-Astronauts. This unique opportunity initially involves working as part of the WhiteKnightTwo and SpaceShipTwo spaceflight system test and development team in Mojave, (California), then taking the experience gained from that program to the spaceline’s commercial operations at its operating base, Spaceport America in New Mexico. These will be the very first commercial Pilots-Astronauts. ... Successful candidates will have to be very special: both a full course graduate of a recognised test pilot school and highly and broadly experienced," says the ad on the Virgin Galactic website.