In January 1971, army chief Idi Amin overthrew the government of Milton Obote and installed himself as President of Uganda. Obote fled into exile, from where he conspired to regain power. Mukooza survived the subsequent political purges, and was selected as one of the pilots of Amin's new Grumman Gulfstream II private jet. To learn how to fly the Gulfstream II, Mukooza and three other pilots were sent to the United States to train at the Flight Safety Academy, Savannah, and acquired commercial licences at Vero Beach. The four returned with the Gulfstream II in 1974, but continued to train with American instructors. Mukooza consequently relocated with his family to Entebbe. He received further training at the local airport by Grumman captain Tom Friedrich, while Miriam started to work at the Entebbe Grade A hospital.