JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska -- Maj. Chad Newkirk, an Air Force Reserve F-22 pilot assigned to the 477th Fighter Group, is
the 11th pilot in Air Force history and fourth pilot in the 477th FG to
reach 1,000 flight hours in the F-22. He achieved the mark during a sortie here in April.
"I am
thrilled and humbled to have made it to 1,000 hours in the Raptor" said Newkirk.
"There is a ton that goes into any pilot reaching this milestone in a relatively
young airframe, and I couldn't have done it without all the awesome support from
the maintainers and the rest of our ops support folks over the
years."
Prior to joining the Air Force Reserve, Newkirk spent eight years
on active duty flying F-15s and F-22s at Elmendorf AFB Alaska as well as
Langley AFB in Virginia . He separated from active duty in 2008 and returned to
Alaska to fly with the Air Force Reserve as a member of the 302nd Fighter
Squadron.
Newkirk joins Col. David Piffarerio, 477th Fighter
Group commander, the first in the group and the Air Force and Maj.
Jonathan Gration, 302nd FS F-22 pilot, the second in the group and the
fourth in Air Force, and Maj. Ryan Pelkoa, 302nd FS, third in the group and eighth in the Air Force.
"I am excited to further increase the overall level
of Raptor experience in the Hellions" said Newkirk "and to continue training and
employing with our Active Duty partners."
The 477th FG is integrated in
every F-22 mission set with their partners in the active duty 3rd Wing.